This is the family of God

June 22, 2014 Genesis 21:8-21 2nd Sunday After Pentecost Year A This is the Family of God Humor: What God Can’t Do A Sunday school teacher was examining her pupils after a series of lessons on God's omnipotence. She asked: "Is there anything God can't do?" There was silence. Finally, one lad held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson's point had been missed, asked: "Well, just what is it that God can't do?" "Well," replied the boy: "He can't please everybody." Gary W. Houston, Cowherding Christians, CSS Publishing Company God can do anything. For the summer we read the stories of Genesis. Stories of families of faith. but they are also stories of jealousy, dishonesty,anger, disharmony. We hear these stories, because they are a testimony to how God can take even that negativity and make it a good thing. We can all name the members of our family, but we have to remember that God is a part of that family also. God is a part of what is going on. Thinking that she would never have a child of her own, Sarah allowed her servant to have a son with her husband. But we have to remember that nothing is ever set in stone when god is present. So she does have a son at ninety years old. She takes good care of the baby, and when he is about three years old, she has a special celebration after he has been weaned. She looks and sees that her son is playing with his older brother and it hits her. This is not going to work. As long as Abraham’s older son is a part of the family, her son will never get his just inheritance. She gave permission for the situation that bought this boy into her family, and now it was time to take action to get him out of her family. he and his mother have to go. Sarah speaks it, and Abraham agrees with her. But not only does Abraham agree with her, but so does God. God says that it is okay to just through these two people out into the desert. Sometimes in my life, I have had to ask God, if he knew something was going to happen. And why would he allow it to happen. Remember, in the story of Job. God gave the devil permission to bring bad luck to Job. Now stick with me, because I am going somewhere with this. Why would God allow bad things to happen to his beloved people? If we listen to the story – we will see it clearly. Sarah tells Abraham to send Ishmael and Hagar into the desert to fend for themselves. Now Sarah is having a big feast for her family and friends, but she sends Hagar off into the desert with just some bread and water. Have you ever felt that you were sent out into the desert of life to survive on your own? To come up with your answers? To an unknown future? It wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t look over and see the people who banished you to the desert, in the midst of a feast- enjoying themselves, they have provided for themselves very well – but not for you. What Sarah, and a lot of people like Sarah could not see if the midst of her jealousy and hatred is that the desert is the place where God lives and God speaks. The story says that Ishmael cried and God heard his cry. Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from the problem in order to start to see God’s solution. It takes going out into the desert and thinking that we are all alone to realize that we are not alone. Being sent into the desert is the beginning of a new blessing for us. Abraham was not willing to provide an inheritance for is first born son, but God was. God said that is was okay for him to be banished from Abraham’s family, because he would be a great nation in his own right. His life would be okay. What Sarah did not realize, was just because God made a promise to her, that did not stop God from making a promise to others. Why is it that we tend to think that our blessings, precludes the blessings of others. When that is what God does – he blesses us all, in different ways. But sometimes we have to go out into the desert all alone, for us to truly hear what God has in store for us. The lesson in this story is that God’s grace abounds for all of his children. But sometimes he has to send us away into the desert for us to see our blessing. It is the times in our lives when we think God is not with us, that we see that God is not only with us, God is using that situation to make a difference in or lives. The second lesson is that God’s provisions are always enough. The bread and water given to Hagar and Ishmael sustained them in the desert, until they were able to get more. But God does not want any of us to just survive, God intends us to live. God’s provisions lead us to more. We may not ever be rich, but we will be satisfied. The third lesson of this story is that we have every reason to rejoice in God’s grace, but it is never a reason to brag. We can always be grateful for what God has done. But when you have been banished to the desert, and you have struggled, and prayed, and depended on god to bring you through. You are not sitting on your laurels. It was not an easy ride. And you know that God’s grace in the future, does not guarantee that things will be easy ahead. There is nothing to brag about. I really love this story. It reminds me that God’s grace is in the midst of someone else’s jealousy and resentment. Banishment and tough times don’t take away God’s blessing for you. Ishmael means God hears. Remember, God’s name is el - el ishma –God hears. God hears our cries, God hears our needs, God hears our situation, God hears what we need to move forward. This is a story about life, about families, about the good and the bad that happens in our families. That happens in life. The biblical writers wanted to make sure this story was included to remind us that God’s mercy is present in unexpected places. God Is Like a Father For many of us the injustice of this world, combined with the love of the Father, is the best assurance we have of a world beyond this one. Someday, somehow, somewhere accounts must be settled. In Marjorie Rawling's beautiful novel, The Yearling, set in ruralFlorida, there is a scene in which friends and family gather around the grave of a little handicapped boy named Fodderwing. There was no minister present so one of the men of the community offered up this simple but moving prayer: "Almighty God, it ain't right for us to say what is right. But if we had been making this boy we would never have made him with his back bent and his legs crooked. We would have made him straight and tall like his brothers. But somehow you made it up to him. You gave him a way with critters. It comforts us to know that he is in a place where his being bent doesn't matter no more. We would like to think that you have taken that bent back and those crooked legs and straightened them. And Almighty God, if it ain't asking too much, we pray that you will give him some critters to play with maybe a few redbirds and a squirrel or two. Thy will be done. Amen." I don't know what heaven will be like. But I know what God is like. He is like a Father who notices a little sparrow fall from the sky and cares for us much, much more than he cares for sparrows. That means even though we still must face obstacles and crises, we do not face them alone, and someday, somehow all that which is hurtful will be turned into that which is helpful, and we shall live with joy in the Father's house forever. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Amen. Extra illustration…… Your Hair The average woman with a thick head of hair will lose up to 100 hairs a day. Such losses are increased somewhat if the hair is long and becomes entangled in the brush or comb. The average man, shaving every day, removes a beard about one sixty-fourth (1/64) of an inch in length. This means that between the ages of 20 and 65, he removes 23 feet of beard! And to think God keeps track of all that hair! bibleline.org, "Hair," Children's Bible Ministry. Children’s sermon… Display a Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible, and Qur’an. Point out differences and similarities. They are written in different languages. The Hebrew Bible and Qur'an read from back to front while the Christian Bible reads from front to back. Hebrew and Arabic read from right to left. English (if that is the language in which you read the Bible) reads from left to right. Many stories, e.g. stories about Abraham, and Moses, appear in all three. Stories of Jesus appear in both the Christian Bible and the Qur'an. The writers of the stories understand and tell them differently, but all worship one God and consider themselves children of Abraham.

The Creativity of Father

June 15, 2014 Genesis 1:1-2:4 Father’s Day First Sunday After Pentecost Year A Difference between mothers day and fathers day We just celebrated mother’s day a few weeks ago, and today we celebrate our fathers. Some have said that there is a big difference in the way we celebrate our mothers, and our fathers. On mothers day the restaurants are full, on fathers day, it is not too late to get a reservation. Mother’s get flowers, candy, thoughtful presents. Father’s get socks. Kevin Hart even mentioned this week, that on Father’s Day his son will go into his closet, wrap one of his shirts, and say Dad, I know that you will like this gift, because I saw you wear it already. Neither holiday is a sacred holiday for the church. But if you look at every major religion, honoring your mother and your father is a major tenant. We don’t choose out parents, but it is important for us to acknowledge the gifts that they have given us, and the lessons that they teach us. If they were not who they were, we would not be who we are today. We get out identity from our parents. God created fathers And I would say that the gift of fathers is no different from the gift of mothers. It is just that we honor them differently. God created them differently. On Mother’s Day I shared the story of how God created mothers. So I thought I would share the story of how fathers were created. This is a story by Erma Bombeck. . In one of her humor columns Erma Bombeck described what the scene must have looked like when God created fathers. She writes: When the good Lord was creating Fathers he started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of Father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put Fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping." And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, who would children have to look up to?" And when God made a Father's hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do you know what you're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats." And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands." And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. And the angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do you realize you just made a Father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?" And God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus." God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had every seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" And God smiled and said, "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse, or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill." God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, "Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a Mother?" Erma Bombeck concludes, “The angel shuteth up.” While it is obvious to us that God created Adam and Eve, we don’t readily consider the fact that the differences between men and women are God made and purposely suited to the task of raising a child. This is why father’s need to be connected to God. Men, fathers, dads: Your eyes, your hands, your strength, your heart, your mind, your soul have been given you not only for your pleasure but for the pleasure and well being of your children. Fathers and creation I thought that it was important for us to look at the creation story on Father’s Day. God created the earth and all of the creatures on it. God created male and female. God even had a plan for what we should do with our lives while here in the midst of creation. We should care for all that God has given us. The bible makes it clear that God is a spirit. God is neither male nor female. And yet when we think about all that God has done for us. When we think of the role that God plays in our lives, we think of the role of the father. When Jesus speaks of his relationship with God, he calls the almighty father. I thought that it was interesting that the verb – to father, means to create, to be the foundation, to author into existence. The definition of fatherhood If, as C.S. Lewis wrote, "fatherhood must be at the core of the universe," then disrespect for a father means engaging in some very dangerous vandalism. That is true culturally, but also personally. Gordon Dalbey writes, "We had better teach our sons mercy. A man who curses his father...curses his own manhood." Being a father is an awesome responsibility. And makes an awesome difference in the life of our children. The father plays a very important role in the identity of our children. We know the familiar story of Jesus being taken to the temple in ordered to be names and circumcised eight days after he was born. What we may not have realized that it was his father’s Joseph’s responsibility to present him to the public, to claim him and to give him a name. Giving a child identity It is important for fathers to be present at the baptism of a child. Baptism in some ways is that naming ceremony, where the child is introduced to the community. The child is bought into the family of God. But most important the father promises that he will be present in the life of the child. But that he will make sure that the child had a relationship with God. The child will be raised in the ways of God. In a relationship between father and child, the child will pick up in anything that a fathers does. But when we are reminded that our relationship with our children is an extention of our relationship with God. We cant help but to do what is best for our children. Being a father means being connected to our child, our family, our God and our church. All four roles are equally important. So today we honor our fathers for all that they have done for us, all that they have taught us, and all of the places that they have led us. a father’s greatest creation is always present in the life of he child. Father’s may your footsteps lead your children to a place close to God. Amen. Children's Message for Father's Day Lectionary: : • Lectionary: Item 15 of 17 | Back to Results Object: Basket/box full of items such as hammer, frying pan, book, sales receipt pad, Bible, sewing materials, dental/medical item of equipment, small flower trowel, telephone. Be sure to have more than enough for the highest number of children anticipated and avoid sharp or overly heavy objects. Good morning, young people! Today is Father's Day. Today we are going to give God thanks for the things our fathers do for us, and the things they do to make a living. Would you all take turns and find some tool or item in the basket that you think a father/your father might use in helping your family - or you - or at work? (Supervise this experience, being sure that all have a chance to retrieve an item.) Could you explain what item you have and how fathers might use these in their work or around our homes? (Be prepared for anything! Especially help each contribution to be heard, unless a microphone is available, by repeating for those too soft-spoken to be heard.) (You have chosen some items that might not be picked to be included. Knowing your young people is essential here, for they are often very "liberated" and very "traditional.") What about this ___________? (etc.) Can anyone think of how Dad might use this? (Be prepared again for almost anything! Seek to mold the comments into a constructive understanding of the differing roles/jobs of fathers.) How do you feel about what our fathers do for us? (Pause long enough to get some good comments that might be shared.) Let's let our fathers know how we feel. All together now, let's say, "Thanks, Father! We love you!" 1-55673-106-X Back to Results | Item 15 of 17 Illustrations not used in sermon Some of you are familiar with William Raspberry, a syndicated writer with the Washington Post. In a recent column he made this analogy: Some years ago, South Africa's game managers had to figure out what to do about the elephant herd at Kruger National Park. The herd was growing well beyond the ability of the park to sustain it. And so they decided to transport some of the herd to a nearby game park. A dozen years later, however, several of the young male elephants (now teenagers) that had been transported to the game park began attacking the park ‘s herd of white rhinos, an endangered species. They used their trunks to throw sticks at the rhinos, chased them over long hours and great distances and stomped to death a tenth of the herd all for no discernible reason. Park managers decided they had no choice but to kill some of the worst juvenile offenders. They had killed five of them when someone came up with another bright idea. They brought in some of the mature male elephants still residing in the Kruger Park and hoped that the bigger, stronger males could bring the adolescents under control. To the delight of the park officials, it worked. The big bulls quickly established the natural hierarchy and reduced the violent behavior of the younger bulls. "The new discipline, it turned out, was not just a matter of size intimidation," says Raspberry. "The young bulls actually started following the Big Daddies around, yielding to their authority and learning from them proper elephant conduct. The assaults on the white rhinos ended abruptly." (3) Raspberry's point was that young males whether they are wild animals or human beings need Dads. And, it is only possible to use these gifts to their good purpose when God is allowed in. When we allow Him to define who we are who we can be for our families. Text Illustration: B. Charles Francis Adams, the 19th century political figure and diplomat, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a day wasted." His son, Brook Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with my father--the most wonderful day of my life!" The father thought he was wasting his time while fishing with his son, but his son saw it as an investment of time. Text Illustration: HONORING OUR FATHERS I believe there is something in us--a law written on our hearts--that says, "Honor your father and mother." That’s how it’s stated in the Bible, but you’ll find it in all of the world’s religions. The ancient Chinese Analects advise, "surely proper behaviour to parent and elder brothers is the [tree] trunk of goodness." We must consciously attempt, first of all, to find the good in our fathers, no matter how badly they seemed to have fathered us. To put a spin on Marc Antony’s cry: "We have not come to bury our fathers under the dirt of our accusations; we’ve come to praise them for what we have discovered in them, and for what they have given us." What our fathers did right is every bit as important as what they did wrong. SOURCE: Ken Canfield, PH. D. The Heart of a Father. Chicago: Northfield Publishing, 1996. Pg. 30. His little arms crept round my neck, And then I heard him say, Four simple words I can't forget, Four words that made me pray. They turned a mirror on my soul, On secrets no one knew, They startled me, I hear them yet, He said, "I'll be like you."(5) What an awesome responsibility! Fatherhood. We present our children in baptism and promise to raise them in the knowledge and love of God, then too often we forget that as our sons and daughters grow and learn, they come to that question, "Is God like Daddy?" Are you sure you would like to hear the response to that one, Dad? If you are not certain, then this Father's Day can be the day, by the power of the Spirit of a loving Heavenly Father, to make a new start. Do you know why God commands us to honor our fathers? Well .. one reason is because of the meaning of the word "father." In the verb form .. the word "father" means "the founder .. to be the foundation .. to author." . Those of us who grew up in families in which Dad was a positive influence will quickly agree. It doesn't always work out like that, of course. There are some families in which Dad is absent, and it cannot be helped. There are other families in which Dads do more harm than good, but fortunately that's true in only a minority of families. Most Dads do the best they can. And we're proud to be able to honor them. Fathers are important. A conscientious father can do wonders in the lives of his children. Many of us have observed this in our own families. A conscientious Dad can have a wondrous impact on the lives of his offspring. Well, of course, Father’s Day is technically not a religious holiday; it is a secular day. But, it is not, for that reason, less appropriate for our consideration. We also don’t simply want to give equal billing to fathers this morning because we gave homage to mothers a month ago. We want to recognize dads for another very important reason. The message that is going out to so much of society today is that fathers are simply not needed. While the number may numerically be small there are some women who actually chose to be single parent mothers. And there are far too many men in America today who father children that they have no intention of raising. The church, therefore, needs to send out the message loud and clear that fathers play a critical role in the life of the family, that they are needed, and that God expects something of them. Fathers, you will have a powerful impact upon your family if you connect in three crucial areas. How is that father’s play such a huge role, whether they are willing or not, in the development of a child? I believe it is by design The role of a father, to connect with his family, cannot be ignored. Ten years ago statistics showed that from 1960 to 1990 the percentage of children living apart from their biological fathers more than doubled from 17% to 36%. It was estimated that by the turn of the century 50% of all American children would go to bed at night without being able to speak to their father. So, here we are. At the turn of the century. How are we doing? The good news is that it’s not as bad as they had predicted. The bad news is that 4 out of every 10 children live in a fatherless home. The tide may have been stemmed a bit but it’s nothing to gloat over. The effects of this are horrendous. Here’s what happens when dads walk out on their children. You won’t believe what you are about to hear. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census) 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Source: Center for Disease Control) 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Source: Criminal Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26, 1978.) 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (Source: National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools.) 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes (Source: Rainbows for all God’s Children.) 70% of juveniles in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes (Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Special Report, Sept 1988) 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Source: Fulton Co. Georgia jail populations, Texas Dept. of Corrections 1992) What an awesome responsibility! Fatherhood. We present our children in baptism and promise to raise them in the knowledge and love of God, then too often we forget that as our sons and daughters grow and learn, they come to that question, "Is God like Daddy?" Are you sure you would like to hear the response to that one, Dad? If you are not certain, then this Father's Day can be the day, by the power of the Spirit of a loving Heavenly Father, to make a new start. Amen! ____________________

The Spirit Within Us

June 8, 2014 Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 Year A The Spirit Within You May the Force be with you – the Force of the Holy Spirit Everyone is starting to make a big deal about the new Star Wars movie that will be coming out in 2015. They are bringing back a lot of the old characters. But they are not bringing back Billie Dee Williams, I don’t know what that is about. But one of the key phrases from the movies – is may the force be with you. I remember going through a particular difficult time in my life, and buying a light saber and practicing fighting with it – in order to remind myself that the power to overcome was within me. George Lucas said that he introduced the concept of the force, to help young people who did not go to church to understand that there was a force, a life force, a powerful force in the universe that was deeper than their thoughts and beliefs. And the light saber was to encourage them to have a relationship and to get in touch with that force. George Lucas knew and you and I know that force is the holy spirit. The holy spirit is inside of us, the holy spirit is all around us. the holy spirit gives us the power to overcome our circumstances. The holy spirit is so powerful that it not only changes us, but it also changes the world. Pentecost is when we receive the power of God Last Sunday was ascension Sunday – when Jesus left us in charge. We the church are in charge of changing to the world. He did not intend for us to change it ourselves, but to change it with the help of the holy spirit. He gave us power to do the work of God. But he also told us to wait – wait until you can witness the spirit for yourselves. There is a big difference between power and power given to us by the spirit for a reason. Where does our power come from? Remember the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson was a great warrior who was able to defeat the enemy. Until he fell in love with Delilah – who asked him where his power was. He told her that his power was in his hair. As long as he never cut his hair- he had remarkable strength. As soon as she cut his hair – he lost his power and was defeated. I think that the moral of that story for us – is that his power – though expressed in his hair – really came from God. God gave him the power to fulfill his mission. But my point here is that I want us to give some thought and some realization for ourselves, where does our power come from and how do we use it. Samson’s power came from his determination to serve God. When he got distracted from that determination he lost his power. The Samson story is not about hair at all . But that is the lesson that I want to talk about today. There is a difference between having power, and having power from God. In the ascension Jesus gave us power, in the Pentecost Christ gave us power from God. Acts 2:1-21 is the Pentecost story. The disciples were gathered once again in the upper room praying. They were in Jerusalem for the Festival of weeks. A week of weeks since the Passover – fifty days. All of a sudden as they were praying – a wind blew in, they were all caught up in the spirit, they not only started to pray in many languages, but people started to understand them, to join them and to be saved. Jesus had promised that the spirit would come upon the church and here it was. And the rest of the chapter is Peter giving a sermon about what was happening to all those who were watching. A Dead Balloon A "dead balloon" -- has no life. It continues to lie wherever you put it. It doesn't move. It has no power. Take a "dead balloon" and do what Jesus did -- blow in it. What happens? It's full of air; but it is still dead, going nowhere until that power is released. [As an illustration, the "powered balloon" can be released.] Under the "spirit's/breath's/wind's" power, the balloon can move. It goes out. However, when the wind power within the balloon is released, you don't know where the balloon is going to go; but you know it's going somewhere. (We don't know where the wind comes from or is going.) Jesus did not give the disciples the Spirit's power so that they could stay behind locked doors in fear. It is given as a power to move people out into the world -- even if we don't always know exactly where we will end up. What happens to the balloon after it has "spent" its power? It seems dead again. All out of power. It's flat. There's no more "spirit/breath" within it. On one hand we are not like that balloon. Jesus promises that the Spirit will be with us forever. We will never run out of the Spirit's power. The Spirit given to you in baptism remains forever. On the other hand, over and over again in Acts, we read that certain disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. Their filling didn't just happen once, but over and over again. So we also need to be refilled. Weekly we return to church as a refilling station. To receive Jesus again in the hearing of the word and in the sharing of sacrament and through the fellowship of the saints. Brian Stofregen, From his Exegetical Notes. Two possible Sermon Outline for Acts 2:1-21: At Pentecost the church was given: Passion of the Disciples Power of the Holy Spirit Purpose of the Gospel The Church's... Motivation is the Holy Spirit Method is Evangelism Message is Jesus Christ Brett Blair, www.SermonIllustrations.com Passion, Power, and Purpose. Motivation, method and message. That is what we need to remember about Pentecost. A Harnessed Power Power can be used in at least two ways: it can be unleashed, or it can be harnessed. The energy in ten gallons of gasoline, for instance, can be released explosively by dropping a lighted match into the can. Or it can be channeled through the engine of a Honda in a controlled burn and used to transport a person 350 miles. Explosions are spectacular, but controlled burns have lasting effect, staying power. The Holy Spirit works both ways. At Pentecost, he exploded on the scene; His presence was like "tongues of fire" (Acts 2:3). Thousands were affected by one burst of God's power. But He also works through the church--the institution God began to tap the Holy Spirit's power for the long haul. Through worship, fellowship, and service, Christians are provided with staying power. Unknown The other thing that is important for us to remember about the Pentecost story is that the power is not given to individuals for an individual purpose. But that it was given to a community for a communal purpose – for the good of the whole community. Everything that Jesus did was in the context of shalom. We tend to equate the world shalom with the English concept of peace. But shalom is actually much deeper than that. Shalom means justice, peace, wellbeing and wholeness. It is important for us to remember this concept of shalom, in a city plagued with violence. Shalom means where there is justice for the community there will be peace, where that is peace for the community there will be wellbeing. It is only in a community of wellbeing that I can be a healthy and whole person. My wellbeing is a reflection of the community that I live in. And yet Jesus has an even bigger vision, what if that sense of community that made a difference in Englewood was harnessed and spread to the whole world? What would a world filled with justice, peace, and wellbeing look like? Jesus gave us the power, the passion, and the purpose to find out. He gave us the keys to the kingdom- to do what we can to make a difference. Not just with peace, but with love. The Irresistible Influence of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit warms us and melts our cold, cold hearts. Recently I ran across a parable that makes the point: Once upon a time there was a piece of iron, which was very strong and very hard. Many attempts had been made to break it, but all had failed. “I’ll master it,” said the axe… and his blows fell heavily upon the piece of iron, but every blow only made the axe’s edge more blunt, until it finally ceased to strike and gave up in frustration. “Leave it to me,” said the saw… and it worked back and forth on the iron’s surface until its jagged teeth were all worn and broken. Then in despair, the saw quit trying and fell to the side. “Ah!” said the hammer, “I knew you two wouldn’t succeed. I’ll show you how to do this!” But at the first fierce blow, off flew its head and the piece of iron remained just as before, proud and hard and unchanged. “Shall I try?” asked the small soft flame. “Forget it,” everyone else said. “What can you do? You’re too small and you have no strength.” But the small soft flame curled around the piece of iron, embraced it… and never left it until it melted under its warm irresistible influence. There’s a sermon there somewhere. Perhaps it means that God’s way is not the way of force but love. God’s way is not to break hearts but to melt them. Perhaps it means that that is our calling – to melt hearts… under the irresistible warmth of God’s gracious love. James W. Moore, What Do You Do With Such A Gift? When God sends forth the Spirit chaos is changed into creation the Red Sea opens up to a highway of freedom. When God sends forth the Spirit: A young woman says "Yes". Jesus is born and life is never the same. When God sends forth the Spirit amazing things happen: [Ask the congregation to join you by repeating the following] barriers are broken, communities are formed, opposites are reconciled, unity is established, disease is cured, addiction is broken, cities are renewed, races are reconciled, hope is established, people are blessed, and church happens. Today the Spirit of God is present and we're gonna’ have church. So be ready, get ready...God is up to something... [Read these yourself with no response] discouraged folks cheer up, dishonest folks 'fees up, sour folks sweeten up, closed folk, open up, gossipers shut up, conflicted folks make up, sleeping folks wake up, lukewarm folk, fire up, dry bones shake up, and pew potatoes stand up! But most of all, Christ the Savior of all the world is lifted up... Rick Kirchoff, Germantown United Methodist Church, Opening remarks to the 2000 Memphis Annual Conference. The work of God is our passion, our power, our purpose. Amen. Children’s Sermon What Color Is Your Balloon? by WESLEY T. RUNK Passage: Acts 2:1-13 • Lectionary: Pentecost Item 29 of 46 | Back to Results And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his ownlanguage. Objects: Many different colored balloons. Good morning, boys and girls. This morning I brought with me one of my favorite playthings. [Bring out the balloons.] How many of you like to play with balloons? [Let them answer.] I want you to pretend with me that these are different kinds of people, some Greek, some Italian, some American and some German. Maybe we should also pretend that some of the balloons are Chinese and some Indians. You think of a kind of person and then tell me what color of balloon you would like to have and I will give one to you. [Let them give you names for each of the balloons.] That was very good. There is one other thing about people from other lands that makes them different from one another. Do you know what they all do that is different? [Let them answer.] That's right, they all speak different languages. It is hard to understand them if you do not know the language. One thing that we must do is fill these balloons with something called air. Do you know where the air is going to come from? [Let them answer.] That's right, we are going to blow them up with our own air [Let them blow them up as much as possible.] Very good. Now I want to tell you the reason that I am giving you balloons this morning. A long time ago, shortly after Jesus died and came back to life, there was a very special day. It was called Pentecost just as we call today Pentecost. On this day there were people from many different countries visiting the place we call Israel. The disciples were hiding, because they were afraid that the same people who killed Jesus might kill them. While they were hiding, a tremendous wind came, sending them. running out of their houses because they were afraid they would be blown over. But when they got outside, they found people from many other countries praising God in their own languages, but in such a way that all could understand. Many were afraid, other people thought they were drunk. But Peter knew that something very special was happening that only God could make come true. He knew that all of these people with different languages were being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a gift of God that brings us all together. That's what the balloons are all about. They stand for all of the people of different languages who came together on a certain day and were filled with the Holy Spirit. You can fill your balloon with another kind of wind, but, when you do it, I want you to remember the day that we all remember as the first Pentecost of the Christian Church. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BALLOON?, WESLEY T. RUNK, C.S.S. Publishing Co., 1987, 0-89536-883-8 Back to Results | Item 29 of 46 Extra Illustrations Shaken from Our Sanctuaries A few years ago, AT&T had a major snafu in New York City. They had an agreement with the city that, when electrical demand peaked, AT&T would switch to their backup generators. One day they did that, and something went wrong. When they switched over, the resulting power surge blew a number of rectifiers. Not only did that knock out phone service in the area, it also disrupted communications for air controllers at Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports. Over a thousand flights were affected. Usually, technicians would fix that kind of blackout quickly. However, they didn't respond quickly on that particular occasion. While alarm bells rang unheard, the technicians were--believe it or not--attending a training session on how to handle an emergency. I worry that something like that often happens in the church. Christ has called us to serve the world for which he died. Worship is that time when we strengthen our spirits for service to the world. When worship becomes an end in itself, we are not being what Christ has called us to be. We need to be shaken from our sanctuaries and into the streets. King Duncan, Collected Works,www.Sermons.com All Your Life as of Fire There is a story from the ancient Church which does apply to the Church in our day as well. It is the story of a young monk in the desert of Egypt who goes to a wise older monk and asks essentially what he should do to live a whole and faithful Christian faith and life. The older monk asks him what he does at present. The younger monk replies that he says his prayers, keeps his fast, adheres to his rule of life as best he can, and generally is kind to his fellow brothers. At that point the elder arises and stands with his hands extended to the heavens when, whoosh..., all ten of his fingers become lamps of flame, and he says to the younger, "If you will, all of your life can become as of fire." That monk spoke to the younger brother and to the Church of his time, and he speaks to you and to me and to the Church of our time. "If you will, if you will...all of your life can become as of fire." James B. Lemler, Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines Waiting to Exhale A character in John Updike’s novel, A Month of Sundays, reflecting on his youthful experience of the church, says, "Churches bore for me the relation to God that billboards did to Coca-Cola; they promoted thirst but did nothing to quench it." The Holy Spirit empowers the church to be the agent of change in the world, a counter-cultural entity. The task of the church is to breathe in the Spirit and be inspired by the Spirit to act on behalf of God. But the church has been waiting to exhale far too long. As the Spirit of God flows into us, it also ought to flow from us in the way we treat one another, the way we speak to one another, in the way we treat others in our community, in the way we live out the new life we receive when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord. Staff, www.Sermons.com _____________________ (Would it be Auschwitz, Buchenwald, or Dachau?) Someone Had Tripped the Switch Bishop Bob Morgan in his bookWho’s Coming To Dinner?tells a powerful story about a Dutch pastor and his family who during the second World War got into big trouble with the Nazis. The Dutch pastor and his family had been hiding Jewish people in their home to keep them safe from Hitler’s forces. They were eventually found out. And one night in the darkness, they heard the sound of heavy boots and the loud impatient knocking on the door. They were arrested and loaded into a cattle car to be taken to one of the notorious death camps. All night long the Dutch pastor and his family rode along in heart-breaking anguish, jostling against one another and against the other prisoners who were jammed into the train cattle car. They were stripped of any form of dignity and absolutely terrified. They knew they were being taken to one of Hitler’s extermination centers. But which one? Would it be Auschwitz, Buchenwald, or Dachau? Finally, the long night ended and the train stopped. The doors of the cattle car were opened and light streamed into that tragic scene. They were marched out and were lined up beside the railroad tracks, resigned to unspeakable pain, as they knew they would be separated from each other and ultimately killed. But in the midst of their gloom, they discovered some amazing good news… good news beyond belief. They discovered in the bright morning sunlight that they were not in a death camp at all, not in Germany at all. Rather, they were in Switzerland! During the night, someone through personal courage and daring had tripped a switch… and sent the train to Switzerland… and to freedom. And those now who came to them were not their captors at all, but rather their liberators. Instead of being marched to death, they were welcomed to new life. In the midst of his joy and relief, the Dutch pastor said, “What do you do with such a gift?” Something like that happened to the disciples at Pentecost. They were afraid, confused, unsure, overwhelmed… and then came this incredible gift… the gift of the Holy Spirit! It turned their lives around… and empowered by this amazing gift, they went out and turned the world upside down. James W. Moore, What Do You Do With Such A Gift? ________________________ _________________ The poet William Blake wrote a poem about Pentecost. Part of the poem says: Unless the eye catch fire, God will not be seen. Unless the ear catch fire, God will not be heard. Unless the tongue catch fire, God will not be named. Unless the Heart catch fire, God will not be loved. Unless the mind catch fire, God will not be known. William Blake The Keys to the Car There are transitional moments in life that confirm something tremendous has taken place. One of those moments occurs in a teenager's life and in lives of the parents of that particular teenager, when a mom or a dad gives to him or her the keys to the car for the first time for a solo run. What a transitional moment this is! Many of us have already experienced this. Some of you still have to experience it in life, but, I guarantee you, it's going to happen. It's going to be a step of growth for you. It's a time when you release to your child into an adult world. It's a change in your son or daughter's life from which they are never going to turn back. It's a moment in which you are giving your child an adult responsibility. It is a transitional moment for the child also because the teenager recognizes that he has been given a great responsibility. It's an adult responsibility. He also realizes that this is something that he needs to take care with because great trust has been put in him. Teenagers need to prove to their parents that the validity of their faith in them is correct. In the Scripture for today, Jesus does something very similar for His followers. Jesus said, "As the Father has sent Me, so send I you." Jesus is tossing the keys to the kingdom to His disciples. He is demonstrating that He is accepting them as His followers but He is also demonstrating to them that He is entrusting to them the message of the gospel. He gives to them a great privilege. He is showing them that He believes in them. Don Walker, Commissioned to a New Ministry Spiritual Power There is a pertinent dialogue in the sixteenth chapter of Judges. Delilah says to Samson: “Please tell me wherein your great strength lies” (v. 6). After three unsuccessful attempts to discover the source of Samson’s strength, Delilah renews her efforts. Finally Samson succumbs and declares his power is in his hair. You remember the rest of the story. He not only lost his hair, but he lost his strength. When we consider Christian ministry of all believers, irrespective of station or training, we must inevitably ask, where does the strength come from? First and foremost, it comes from God! “God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). Temples of the Spirit Sermon Opener or Ender for Pentecost Welcome to Pentecost in the Year 2008! It is a time to open up to the mind-blowing, heart-warming, life-changing power of God. The power of God can invade the body, inflate the mind, swell the soul, lift the Spirit and make us more than we ever imagined. It'll make you young when you're old, and it'll make you live even when you die. The power and presence of the Spirit will disturb, delight, deliver and lift. When God sends forth the Spirit, "the whole face of the earth is renewed."

Let Jesus Lift us Up

June 1, 2014 Let Jesus Lift us Up Luke 24:44-53 Ascension Sunday Year A Apostle’s Creed This morning at want us to start at the end of the sermon. I keep forgetting to have us read the Apostle’s Creed. So to make sure that I get it in, I want us to read it first….. And I want us to think especially about the phrase – he ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of the father. That actually comes from Psalm 110 where God invites Jesus to sit at his right hand while he destroys enemies. This is a message to us that the devil is alive and well. There are some things that God still has to work out for us. We are still living in the mean time – before God finally directs all of the affairs of the world. The importance of Ascension This is an important day in Easter season. It is Ascension Sunday, the day we remember that Jesus did ascend into heaven. This is the last day that his original disciples saw him. If you watch any passion play – it always ends with Jesus ascending into heaven. For us, Easter is not over, Easter begins today in a new way. Talking about the ascension answers the question of why Jesus is not with us today. If life is eternal, and the resurrection bought Jesus back to life, why is he not still with us today? Can you imagine what the church would be like if Jesus was still around? If you look in the bible, when the organization outgrows it leader what did they do? Moses was an influential leader. But the bible says that when Moses got to old to function that he went out into the desert and was buried by God. If often wonder if Moses went by himself, or did someone conveniently take him and just leave him and come up with a clever story to tell the people about what happened to him. I think the ascension story of Jesus way of saying I am not going out like that. He knew when it was time to make his exit and let his disciples do the work, and he made sure he was not in the desert alone. He bought a group of disciples to witness exactly when God took him up to heaven. There are actually 2 stories of the Ascencion, and interestingly enough there are only 2. The only gospel writer to talk about the ascension is Luke. He gives 2 different versions in Acts and in Luke. Acts 1 happened 40 days after the resurrection. Jesus is on the beach and he ascends into heaven. In Luke 24, this happens on Easter night, where Jesus immediately leaves. Today I am going to talk about Luke 24. I think that this verse contains an important lesson for us as we go into the summer and we work at what we must do as a church in order to move forward. In order to grow – must outgrow leadership Attending the institute for congregational development gets old having to take off from work two days a month. But I did learn one important lesson concerning church growth. If the pastor can hold the church in one hand, the church will never grow. If you are always depending on the pastor to be at every meeting, to make every decision, to do the work of every committee, you guarantee that you will have a very small church. The pastor is only one person, and can only do so much. Which in the mission of an organization, that is not very much. If Jesus was still here on earth – there would be only one church, not millions around the world. And everytime we were trying to do something, we would ask Jesus. We would always need to know that Jesus thinks. We would need jesus to approve all of our projects, the building of god’s kingdom would be a very small movement. The whole point of the book of acts is how the church grew, how it grew so large, that no one man could control it. And it was not dependent on one man. That is the whole point of the Ascension story – in order to let the church grow and to allow the disciples to do their work – Jesus knew that he has to step out of the way. Jesus was preparing them all along to do the work of God without him. If Jesus was still here the church would have no power – we would give our power to Jesus. And we would be codependent on jesus. THE VACUUM SALESMAN A vacuum salesman down in rural Tennessee. He had a his vacuum cleaner and all of this tools and everything, and he went out there and he told a lady, "I’ve got the most exciting vacuum cleaner you have ever seen. It will clean your house from top to bottom...you only have to pay so much down." And the lady said, "It sounds real good." He said, "You see that big pile of dirt right there on the floor with all those fur balls and bugs and things." He said, "My vacuum cleaner will just pick up all those things up just like that and if they don’t, I’ll eat it." She said, "Well, you might as well get your knife and fork, because we do not have any electricity out here!" Power is the one thing nations, politicians and businessman covet. But the power that we need is not an earthly power. God has promised believers Spiritual power. Vance Havner once rightly said,"We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God." (From a sermon by Donnie De Loney, Pentecostal Power, 5/22/2012) The church with no power to spread the gospel would be eating a pile of dirt and trash – and accomplishing nothing. In order to be the church we need power, but power to do what? Text Illustration: The Spirit of Power that we receive is not like the human power that we recognize as strong. It’s a power unlike anything we can do on our own. A young man growing up in the wrong part of Houston became a bully. He would get in fights in school, in the neighborhood, and began mugging people to get spending money. He even beat up people just for the sake of doing it. He learned to box, and became pretty good at it. He began to make a lot of money and could have almost anything he wanted. One day, during his training session for an upcoming bout, he heard his mom talking to his sister on the telephone about his favorite nephew. The young boy had had a seizure and now lay in a coma in the hospital. Doctors said he would probably die, but that if he came out of the coma he wouldn’t be able to move his limbs, or speak, or do any of the human functions we consider part of living. He ran into the room where his mom was on the phone and shouted, “Momma, call the hospital and tell those doctors to give him the best of everything. Tell them I’ll take care of all the bills, to fly in the best doctors from wherever they have to. Tell them who I am, and that I’ll take care of everything — whatever it costs.” His mom spoke to the doctors, and then told him, “Son, you’re just going to have to pray.” He realized then how grave the situation was. When someone tells you the only thing you can do is pray, things are looking pretty bad. Then it hit him. All of his money, his fame, his influence, his friends — none of that could solve this problem. It was out of his hands, out of the doctor’s hands, out of everyone’s hands. For the first time, he was totally powerless. And for the first time, George Foreman dropped to his knees and prayed. He wasn’t sure God existed, but he knew that when all else failed, people prayed. He asked God, if he really existed, to help his nephew. Then he got back in bed. A few seconds later, he got back on his knees and offered to give up all his wealth if God would heal his nephew. Then he got back in bed again. A few seconds later he got back on his knees a third time and got angry at God for letting this happen to his nephew, a child who hadn’t experienced life yet. George told God to take his life instead. Let the boy live and take George’s life instead. The next morning George’s sister called from the hospital. His nephew had woken up and could move his eyes, but the doctors said he wouldn’t ever walk again. She called later that day, and the boy had begun moving his toes. The next day the boy was talking, and a week later he was on his way home, “walking, talking, and back to normal.” The doctors had no logical explanation. But George Foreman knew God had just given him a miracle. Three months later in March 1977, George Foreman died in his locker room after fighting Jimmy Young. He collapsed in a heap, and entered what he describes as “a deep, dark void, like a bottomless pit.” In his book, God in My Corner — A Spiritual Memoir, George wrote “I knew I was dead, and that this wasn’t heaven. I was terrified, knowing I had no way out. Sorrow beyond description engulfed my soul, more than anyone could ever imagine. If you multiplied every disturbing and frightening thought that you’ve ever had during your entire life, that wouldn’t come close to the panic I felt. … “ I screamed with every ounce of strength in me, ‘I don’t care if this is death. I still believe in God.’ “Instantly, what seemed to be like a giant hand reached down and snatched me out of the terrifying place. Immediately, I was back inside my body in the dressing room.” George accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and devoted himself to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He realized his human power, his money, his prestige, were worthless in the next life, and meant to be used as tools to lead others to Jesus during this one. He went on to win the Heavyweight Championship of the World twice. He was ordained as an evangelist in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ and became pastor of a small church. He also became involved in prison and hospital ministries. You probably know him best for the George Foreman Grills that continue to sell around the world. And he recently baptized his own 23-year-old daughter who finally decided to dedicated her own life to Jesus. That’s God’s idea of power. We need the power to witness to Christ and what Christ can do for the world. Everything must change But I think that there is an even bigger lesson for us to learn in this story. In the book of acts, the disciples are there staring wide eyed when Jesus leaves. And it takes two angels to step in and to ask them why are they staring up at the sky looking for someone who is not there. The point of the story is not so much that jesus ascended up to heaven, the point is that he was here on earth to begin with. And when he came to earth everything changed. Everything changed. In life everything changes, evolves, transforms. In Asia there is a religion called Iching. It is a whole religion based on the concept of change. Everything in life changes, nothing stays the same. God is a god of change. It would make sense that Jesus is the master of change. The ascension was Jesus way of saying it is time for things to change. He was hear, and now it is time for him to leave. There are some changes in our lives that are for the better and some are not. And yet Jesus is teaching us how to deal with that change. In order to master change you have to have the power to respond, to act. If you are standing there looking for Jesus – life will change and you will not. Jesus tells his disciples to go out into the world and to be a witness to what they saw and heard from Christ. When Jesus says witness to what you have seen and heard – he is talking to you. Be a witness for Christ. Tell the world how you have had an encounter with Christ, and how it has changed your life. We were not there when Jesus ascended into heaven. But one of Luke’s main points, and Jesus says this. If you can read and understand scripture, you have all that you need. You know Jesus as well as anybody. You need scripture and the holy spirit. We reflect on the power of the holy spirit next week at Pentecost. But the lesson for us today – is that life is about to change. What is expected of us is about to change. In order for us to get through that change, we will need a power from above. Jesus Christ has given us that power – to grow, to change to transform. And to transform others. In Christ, you have to energy, courage, imagination and the resources – to make a difference. Amen. Children’s Sermon Clothed With Power by Brett Blair Passage: Luke 24:36-49 • Lectionary: Ascension of our Lord Item 2 of 9 | Back to Results Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate the need in our lives to have God's power at all times in our life. Prop: A heavy winter coat you can wear. Lesson: [If you can wear the coat over your robe put it on and act as though it's cold.] Burr, I'm glad I have this coat. (response) Its so cold I think its going to snow! (response) What?(response) What are you laughing about? (response) It's hot? (response) It is? (response) You mean I don't need this coat? (response) Take the coat off hold and hold it in your hands. Your right it's not really cold outside. What time of year do I need a coat like this? (winter) That's right. I don't need it in the summer because it's not the right time of year. We have winter clothes and we have summer clothes don't we? (response) There are some clothes that we wear all year round. Can you name some? (response) If the kids don't name "socks" then you name it (For the women who are not wearing socks use your shoes). Application: I guess I need to put away this coat until fall when it starts to get cold again.Showing the kids your socks Should I put away my socks too? (response) Well, the Holy Spirit is kind of like these socks. When it's summer and hot outside we don't put away our socks until next winter do we? (response) No, we need our socks all year round. And, we need the Holy Spirit all year round. Jesus told his disciples they were going to be "clothed with power from on high." They were going to be clothed with the power of Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is kind of like a heavy coat. When we need strength and power in our lives we can put it around us and God will give us comfort. But the Holy Spirit is also like my socks. We always need the Holy Spirit. We always need the power God gives us to live. Brett Blair, ChristianGlobe, 2000 Extra illustration 4264 Life’s Waiting Stages Life is composed of waiting periods. The child must wait until he is old enough to have a bicycle, the young man until he is old enough to drive a car, the medical student must wait for his diploma, the husband for his promotion, the young couple for savings to buy a new home. The art of waiting is not learned at once. —Howard Whitman