So, Who is this Jesus Anyway?

August 27, 2023 Matthew 16:13-20 So, Who is this Jesus Anyway? Pentecost 13 Year A Prelude Welcome Invocation God of Many Names, we gather as a people formed by you. You drew us from the primordial and gestational waters. You give us breath and life and being. You meet us in the sanctuary and on the sofa. You call us by name with purpose, care, and love. May our time together in this space, online or onsite, remind us of our connectedness to you, each other, and all creation. May you be glorified, honored, and worshiped in spirit and in truth. May we be rooted, challenged, and encouraged in love. We welcome your presence among us. We seek your guiding Spirit. We place our trust in you. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Call to Worship Family of God, as we gather today, Jesus asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” You are our Messiah, the Son of the living God! Family of God, as we gather today, the Holy Spirit asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” You are our Comforter, Advocate, and Sustainer! Family of God, as we gather today, God the Father asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” You are our Creator, Provider, and Healer! Family of God, as we gather today, the Triune God asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” You are Love that creates, saves, and enfolds us into the family of God! May we be instruments of Love in all that we are and all that we do. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, March 2023. Song. Take My Life and Let it Be. UMH 399 Children’s Sermon • Good morning! • I have some questions for you about superheroes. • A lot of superheroes have two different names, right? • They have their normal name and then they have their superhero name. • For instance, do you know the normal name of the person who is Spiderman? (Peter Parker) • How about the normal name of the person who is Batman? (Bruce Wayne) • And the normal name of Superman? (Clark Kent) • You really know your superheroes! Can you tell me how you learned so much about them? • (If you don’t receive an answer, ask: Is it because you read, watch, and pay attention to stories about those superheroes?) TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway) • Even though you know both the normal and superhero names of those superheroes, most of the people who are in those superhero stories do NOT know both names of the superhero. • Instead, it is only the people who are closest to those superheroes who know both of their names, who truly know who the superheroes are. • In today's scripture story, something like this happens with Jesus and his disciples. • Jesus asks his disciples who other people say Jesus is -- and there are lots of different answers – answers that are incorrect. • So then Jesus asks his disciples who THEY think he is. • Peter says "You are the Messiah" and Jesus says, "You are right! And, because you know who I am, you will help others know who I am." SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination) • The reason Peter knows who Jesus really is and other people do not know who Jesus really is because Peter and the disciples are paying close attention to Jesus. • Peter is a student of Jesus. He follows Jesus and goes wherever Jesus goes. He’s watching and listening to Jesus. • Because he does this, then he learns both of Jesus’ names. He knows Jesus the teacher and he knows Jesus the messiah. • And guess what? • We can know Jesus in the same way that Peter does. • We, too, can follow Jesus and learn from him. • And the way we do that is the same way you learned both names of the superheroes we talked about earlier – by reading, discussing, and paying attention to the stories – in this case the stories about Jesus. • This is one of the reasons why we talk about the Jesus stories when we are in worship and in Sunday school classes... • ...so that we can learn from Jesus and learn about who Jesus really is by reading and discussing the Bible stories that are about him. • And, the more we learn about Jesus, the more we can help others learn about Jesus, just like Peter did. • That's the good news for today. Let’s pray. CLOSING Prayer • This is a repeat-after-me prayer. Dear God, Dear God, Thank you for stories of Jesus… Thank you for stories of Jesus… …that help us learn… …that help us learn… …who he really is… …who he really is… …so that we can help others learn… …so that we can help others learn… …about Jesus and you. …about Jesus and you. Thank you and Amen Originally posted August 26, 2017 Updated on July 27, 2023 Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia View more children’s sermons here This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org and Nathanael Vissia. It is also free. Please use, improve and share this material. But do not sell it or require any personal information for it. Affirmation of Faith Nicene Creed. UMH 880 Passing of the Peace Scripture. Matthew 16:13-20 Sermon. So who is this Jesus Anyway? It has been said that the church is one generation from extinction. I have heard that saying all of mu ministry, but now it seems more relevant than ever. The changes in our world seem to take over so rapidly. I think that in the midst of those changes, it is important on our task and mission. To stay focused on the words of God and the story of Jesus. Matthew is pretty good at telling us the story of Jesus. And as we have been following Matthew all year, he has been really good at telling us the mission of Christ and how Jesus worked so hard to drill the mission and ministry of the church into the disciples, so that the disciples could drill it into us. The foundation of our faith is who we are, who Christ is, and what we are called to do for the rest of the world. Speaking of foundations, out scripture for today is all about foundations. This story of the disciples gathered together just before the transfiguration, where Jesus reveals himself is a turning point. This is when things get real, and Jesus acts upon his true power. This is a turning point because this is where the disciples move from confused, needy students to trusted colleagues in the ministry. In this story Jesus literally establishes Peter as the foundation, the rock of the church. He goes from Simon Ben Jonah, becomes Rocky. I will talk a little more about that later. But what stood out to me as I read this chapter this time – was that the foundation of the church was established just outside of the gates of hell. I will build my church on the Rock. The gates of the underworld wont be able to stand against it. I’ll give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. In other words, the church has been in danger of dying since its beginning. The gates of hell represent death. The Authority of the Church There is general agreement that the phrase "the gates of Hades" is poetic language for the power of death (see Isa. 38:10). What is meant is that the congregation of the new covenant will persist into the age to come despite all the efforts of the powers of darkness to destroy it. "The gates of Hades" may here represent a defensive posture: death will strive to hold in its prison house all who have entered its gates, but the Messiah's congregation will triumphantly storm the gates and rescue those destined for the life of the age to come. Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation: Matthew, John Knox Press,1993, p.191 Death is a threat to our bodies, our minds, and our spirit. Anything that we build up and create, is going to be destroyed one day. Death is the way of the world- it is what happens in life. And yet and still, Jesus has intentionally given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He says that whatever we unlock on earth witll be unlocked forever, whatever we fail to unlock, we remain unlocked forever. We don’t have the power over death, but we do have the power to unlock, to create, to build, to move forward. It is God that sustains his plan and moves our work forward. Authority What did Jesus mean by "the keys of the kingdom?" The day in which Jesus spoke there were religious teachers known as scribes. These scribes were the teachers of the bible. The scribe wore around his waist a belt and on that belt hung some keys which were symbolic of the knowledge of that scribe. Jesus said, “I am going to give you keys that will unlock heaven and will lock up the powers of hell and bind the devil and loose the power of God." What are those keys that Jesus gave to Simon Peter and what are those keys he has given to you. The keys of the kingdom are the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Adrian Rogers, Sermon on Matthew 16:13 What Doors to Unlock In our I.D.-electronic-cryptic-cyber-coded age, keys are not only physical things that plague our pockets and puncture our purses. Many keys are mental, hauled about in the mainframe of our minds. "Hey, what's the key code to open the garage or raise the gate or log onto the computer or access the ATM or retrieve the messages or unlock our memories?" I wonder if Peter ever thought about returning the keys to Jesus, tossing them back to the Fisher King and saying, "Thanks, but no thanks." On the one hand, the vote of confidence must have been nice. Everybody loves to get a promotion, to feel that affirming slap on the back, to pocket the key to the executive washroom, to get the strong handshake and have a superior say, "OK, you're in charge now." Everybody loves it until they are in charge and they can't figure out which key goes to what door and everybody needs them to open every door right now or to lock every door right away. No one cares that the keys aren't labeled and there are a thousand of them to sort through. You've got the keys. You're in charge. Act like it! I can't tell you how Peter felt that day when Jesus promised him the keys or how he felt a few days or weeks later, because I'm not Peter. Not only am I not Peter, I'm a Presbyterian. So, I'm not standing in line hoping to be handed the pontifical keys to the entire church of Rome one day. In fact, as a Protestant Christian I happen to believe that I've already been given the keys and that's a major part of my problem. To the extent that you and I are key holders to the church of the risen Christ and provide some sort of access to the glorious realm of God, we've got a key problem and a much more serious one than how to haul all of them around. As keepers of the keys, we've got to figure out what do with them, what doors to open, what windows to unlock. That's the whole point, isn't it? Gary Charles, Keys In our modern Christian Folklore, we have heard a lot of stories about Peter and the Pearly gates. This is where the image comes from. I think that we see cartoons of Peter at the Pearly gate every day and every news story. In the cartoon we see the clouds, we see a gate, and Peter is standing outside of the gate usually refusing to let someone in, until they say or do what the artist wants them to do. Believe it or not, Peter has not always been so powerful. And that has not always been how this scripture was interpreted. The Church was always had leaders. But it seems that the catholic church didn’t really establish the office of pope until the 16th century. It was then that they started to officially talk about church leadership and talk about qualifications of church leaders. And they used this scripture to establish the position that Jesus touched Peter, and Peter passed his leadership on, so that every bishop had been touched by someone who touched peter. Until the church was established, Peter was just a normal fisherman. In the bible and in the protestant church – Peter represents us – the ordinary faithful person, just trying to navigate life and figure out how to keep a relationship with God. In the bible, anything that Peter does, we can do to. Any power that Peter has, we have that Power, authority and responsiblility also. There is one cartoon of Peter at the Pearly gates, he is standing at an open gate, but with no keys, no clip board, no judgement. He is standing there welcoming each person as they come in. His power is in opening the door to heaven and letting people in, not keeping them out. Perhaps that is where our power lies as well. What we unlock stays open forever, and what we don’t unlock stays locked forever. The future of the world is in our hands, the future of the church is on our shoulders. I know that I have told this story before – but it is appropriate. Who Do People Say You Are? I have a friend who’s principal of an elementary school in North Texas.One day there was a minor altercation on the playground – a second-grader pushed one of his classmates off the slide, and, while she wasn’t hurt, it could’ve been dangerous. The teacher sent for the principal. She talked with the children in the hallway outside their classroom. She got their story and then explained the seriousness of playground safety and how important it was to be nice to each other. When she finished, the little boy apologized, and that was that. A couple of days later, she happened to see the little girl with her mother in the checkout line at the grocery store. She smiled and they waved discreetly to each other. She got into the adjacent checkout line, but was in earshot of the little girl. She overheard the mother ask her daughter, “Who was that lady who just waved to you?” The little girl said, “She’s works at our school.” “What does she do?” the mother asked. The little girl said, “She helps people apologize.” My friend told me later, “It helped me to think much more clearly about what I do in my work, beyond titles and status, to what actions I take that make it meaningful.” A band director friend told me about going back to a community where he’d once taught. He said it was fun getting reacquainted with band parents and friends he hadn’t seen for years. He said he was standing on the sidewalk downtown when a young man came up and asked, “Do you remember me?” He didn’t have a clue, but then, he’d taught a lot of students, and they had long-since grown up. He said, “You’re going to have to help me out here.” The young man told him his name and said, “You’re the one who introduced me to the world of music, and I just wanted to say thank you.” Who do people say YOU are? Philip W. McLarty, The Unspoken Question People know us by our actions. Who are we in the world? It all depends on who Jesus is for us. Is he a teacher, a guide, a prophet, a Lord, A savior? In Matthew 16 the disciples had a better understanding of who Jesus was. In his teaching, Jesus liked to ask a lot of questions. Jesus asks over a 100 questions in the bible. But today he asks the most important question – who do you say that I am. Peter came to realize that he was the Son of God. Peter’s faith becomes the rock of the church. We are the church today, and the church remains one generation from disappearing. Sometimes that generation turns into a day. And sometimes the day that we have turns into a moment. The church can be only a moment away from disappearing. Literally in one moment in this story Jesus is praising Peter and calling his his rock. And the next moment he is telling Peter to get away from him because he is satan. Peter never gets a chance to redeem himself in Jesus lifetime. But he goes one to truly be the foundation of the church. This is another of those stories that is told in all 4 gospels. But it is told in Mark, Luke and John in different ways. Matthew is the only gospel to use to the word church. That is probably a later edit of the book. But it is intended to make us a part of the story. It is intended so that we can tell this story today – and witness the life of the church. The keys have been passed on to each of us. What is our power to overcome the gates of hell. The power to confess to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. One Word: Jesus William J. Bausch tells a story that says it as well as it can be said. The story says that God created the heavens and earth and everything in them. He created them by His words. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. This happened with everything. God was proud of His work. He was especially proud of the man and woman which He made. But the devil was jealous and angry. One day when God was enjoying the man and woman, the devil slithered up to God and asked him why he liked those strange human creatures so much. When God opened His mouth to speak, the devil craftily put a bond upon God's tongue. God could not speak, not even one word! Since God's creative power was in His words, the sly old devil had bound God's power. The devil laughed at God and then proceeded to corrupt man and the woman. Aeons went by, and the devil came back to scoff at the silent God and mock Him. God responded to this by holding up one finger. "One?" asked the devil. "Are you telling me that you want to say just one word?" God nodded. The devil, thought, "I suppose that even God could not do much with just one word." So the devil removed the bond from God's tongue. Then God spoke His one word in a quiet whisper. He spoke it for the man and the woman. It was a word that gathered up all the forgiveness, love, and creativity God had stored up in His heart during His long silence. His one word was "Jesus." And that is the word that changed everything. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Jesus us our rock. When we remember that, we will win the race. The Triumph of Jesus In 1896, after fifteen centuries, Athens renewed the Olympic games, thus fulfilling the dream of Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. You can imagine how proud the Greeks were to host the first modern Olympics. You can also imagine how disappointed they were at their athletes' lack of success in event after event. The last competition was the marathon. Greece's entrant was named Louis, a shepherd without competitive background. He'd trained alone in the hills near his flock. When the race started, Louis was far back in the pack of marathoners. But as the miles passed he moved up steadily. One by one the leaders began to falter. The Frenchman fell in agony. The hero from the United States had to quit the race. Soon, word reached the stadium that a lone runner was approaching the arena, and the emblem of Greece was on his chest! As the excitement grew, Prince George of Greece hurried to the stadium entrance where he met Louis and ran with him to the finish line. In this sports tale we have something of the history of the human race. Most historical figures make their impact, achieve a measure of fame, books are written about them, but as the years go by they begin to fade. Less and less is written or spoken of their lives until they rest in relative obscurity. With Jesus Christ, however, one finds quite an opposite phenomena! Christ started from way back in the pack. He was born in relative obscurity, never had many followers, commanded no army, erected no edifices, wrote no books. He died young, was buried in a borrowed grave, and you'd think he'd be quickly forgotten. But, no! His reputation has grown so that today he is worshiped on every continent, has more followers than ever before, sixteen times has his picture been on the cover of Time magazine, and his sayings have been translated into more than 200 languages. Stephen M. Crotts / George L. Murphy, Sermons For Sundays: After Pentecost (Middle Third): The Incomparable Christ, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. ___________________________ Amen. Song. Forward Through the Ages. UMH 555 Morning Prayer Lord, we hear the wonderful words from Matthew’s gospel in which Simon Peter acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, the son of the living God. He is given the name Peter, the rock upon whom the church will be built. We would like to be the kind of “rock” that Jesus could count on – to be strong in the face of adversity; brave when danger is present; compassionate when sorrow and strife prevail. You have called us to be your church and we ask for your transforming love that we might be better witnesses for you. Today we name in our hearts before you people that we love who are dealing with sorrow and illnesses; people who feel abandoned and alone; people who are entering schools and colleges, military service, the workforce. We also name those people and situations filled with joy and hope; a new home, the birth of a child, celebrations of special occasions, and often just a beautiful day. Hear the cries of our hearts to you, O God. Heal and transform lives. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Matthew 16:16 is known by many Christians as “the Good Confession”. In some congregations (yours?), individuals coming to join the church are asked to make a confession of faith, declaring “I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God”. When we not only speak this, but we believe this statement, we want to align our life with the life of Jesus, who came to show people the Way of Life. Week by week, we acknowledge one way of moving into alignment is to share gifts with the One who has first given to us. Shirley Erena Murray, a contemporary Christian song writer, puts this idea into words with the hymn “Take My Gifts” (CH#381). (if you can sing one verse, do so. Or invite the congregation to sing!) “Take whatever I can offer – gifts that I have yet to find, skills that I am slow to sharpen, talents of the hand and mind, things made beautiful for others in the place where I must be; take my gifts and let me love you, God who first of all loved me.” Let us offer our gifts to God, with thankful hearts. Prayer of Thanksgiving Receive these gifts, Lord God, as signs and symbols of our desire to line up our lives with the life of Jesus, the Christ. By your power, multiply these gifts and challenge us to be ever-more generous, that we might share the Good News of your love with this hurting, hungry world. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Resist the powers that use people. Hear the cries of the weak. Dare to work for justice. Know that God—Source, Word, and Spirit— is your help, will keep you safe, and will bring you new life. You are blessed by God and sent to serve. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Mary Boyd) Community Time. Joys and Concerns Benediction As you go, take the keys of heaven with you. Unlock hope in a world in need of encouragement. Loose joy where there is despair. Give peace room to grow. Release love with every encounter. And the God of hope, joy, peace, and love will be with you. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Boyd) Additional Illutrations

Are You Prepared to Follow Jesus?

January 22, 2023 Matthew 4:12-23 Third Sunday after Epiphany Year A Are you prepared to follow Jesus? Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship One: As we come together to worship God, we remember Many: “the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, One: and for those who sat in the shadow of death, light has dawned.” Many: In the light, our joy is increased! One: The weight of our burdens is relieved, Many: and we offer thanks to the Lord, our God! (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer Mighty God, we rejoice today like those who celebrate an abundant harvest! Your actions lift us up. As the days grow longer and we’re drawn closer to you, we eagerly anticipate seeing signs of your Realm, the kin-dom of heaven, coming near. Cue in us the joy of our salvation. Renew our desire to repent – to turn once more toward your love, made visible in the light of Jesus. AMEN (Disciples of Christ, Center for Faith and Giving) Song Jesus Calls Us UMH 398 Children’s Sermon Greet the children, bringing up some fishing equipment. Hello, children of God! You know what? I think I would like to do some fishing. Have any of you ever been fishing before? What do you need to do when you fish? I have with me some equipment that people sometimes use when they go fishing. (Hold up items as you discuss) So here is a fishing “rod”: you put some kind of “bait” on the end, and then you hold it until a fish comes along and bites at it. Then you turn this crank and try to reel it in! Here’s another kind of item you might use…it’s a net. This kind of tool might make it easy to scoop up fish if you had a lot of them in one spot. Sometimes people use really big nets to pull in fish. This was probably how people used to fish in the times of Jesus, in fact. They had huge nets that they would toss into the water to see what they could pull up. Here are some pictures of boats that might help people catch fish. So why are we talking about fishing? Well, here’s another question: have you ever been fishing for people? Wait, how does that work?? Can you catch people in a net?? (pretend to “catch” one of the students) That seems strange… But you know what, in today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus invited His disciples to be fishers of men. He met a man named Peter, who had a fishing boat. Jesus began to preach from the middle of the lake, right on this boat! Then He told Peter to put his nets down to catch fish…Peter tried to explain that he hadn’t caught any fish all night, but he followed the directions of Jesus and put his net down again. When he did, he caught more fish than he could even carry! This made him realize that Jesus was something very special, was SomeONE very special. Peter bowed before Jesus. He was willing to do whatever it might take to follow this teacher. Peter left his fishing boat and his old job in order to become a disciple. Jesus told Peter and his brother Andrew that they would become “fishers of men.” This meant that He was going to use the former fishers in a special way. They would be gathering more followers for Jesus, and would serve people and help people just like Jesus did. Would you like to be a fisher for disciples? You can! Instead of sitting by a lake or scooping up fish in a pond, you can be a fisher by telling others about Jesus. You can share His love by loving others. Jesus wants us to tell everyone about Him and “make disciples” for Him. We can be fishers of friends! This is an amazing blessing and privilege that we have from God. We can still work at regular jobs, of course. But we can also spread the love of Jesus and “catch” other people to be part of God’s family! We need to be willing to follow Him, and encourage others to do the same. Why don’t we say a prayer about that now? ________________________________________ Children’s Prayer Moment (Have kids repeat each line) Dear God, Thank you for the love of Jesus Help us to follow Him and know what that means. Help us share His love with one another. Thank you that we can be disciples, too. Thank you for your love. We love you, God! Kristin Schmidt, Ministry to Children Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27,1 Corinthians 1, Matthew 4) God of our light and our salvation, sometimes we prefer to live in dakness, embracing the safety and anonymity of the shadows; sometimes we delight in our divisions, believing we are better than others; sometimes the yoke of our calling feels too heavy, and we seek to slip out from under the bar across our shoulders. Forgive our fear. Forgive our aversion to the light. Forgive our unresponsiveness to your call. Forgive our willful blindness and deafness to the Way. Help us know deep in our souls that you are our light and our salvation, our joy and our wonder, our very life. Hear us as we cry aloud in our need. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Carlson Brown) Words of Assurance (Psalm 27) Our God of light and love hears us when we cry aloud. We have nothing to fear. Know that this God of light wraps us in comforting arms, lifts us from the darkness of our guilt and sin, and forgives us once and for all. Know that we will dwell in safety in God’s house, now and forevermore. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Carlson Brown) Passing the Peace of Christ (Psalm 27) Greet one another with these words: “The God of light and love and salvation surrounds you with joy and peace.” (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Carlson Brown) Prayer of Preparation (Isaiah 9) Open the eyes of our hearts, O God, to the dawning light of your words of love and salvation. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Joanne Carlson Brown) Scripture Matthew 4:12-28 Sermon Are you prepared to follow Jesus? The key words to our sermon today are fishing, followers and fascination – fishers of men, followers of Jesus and then there is fascination. There was a woman who was the director of a drug rehabilitation center. One day a tall, strong man with a baseball bat entered the reception area. He was shouting obscenities and began banging the bat on the secretaries desk and the admitting personnel. They jumped back and tried to get as far away from him as possible. One ran into the back room and called the police. The woman who directed the center came our and walked right up to the screaming man waving the bat. She ducked under his reach wrapped his arm around his chest. In a heartfelt voice she repeated, oh you poor man. They stood together in that strange embrace for a while, and then the man began to sob. The woman led him to a chair. He slumped into it and waited for the police. He never let go of the baseball bat. That woman’s courage must be a fascinating story. I suspect she may be a follower of Christ. We can be also. In new testament times, people must have had that type of fascination with John the Baptist. – They wanted to know what was in him that made him so bold, so determined to meet a goal, what made him so able to cut through the chase. They were so fascinated with him that they flocked to the desert to see him. Even Jesus was drawn to his charisma, his ministry, his command to repent. No one knows why – but all of the gospels writers agree that Jesus never started his ministry until John the Baptist was arrested. Perhaps it was out of respect, perhaps out of fascination that Jesus waited. Of course when Jesus did go out and begin to tell others about the Kingdom of God, that fascination for John the Baptist – transfers to the ministry of Jesus. People were naturally drawn. Last week John the gospel writer talked about 2 disciples, today Matthew mentions 4 – Andrew, Simon, James and John. They all literally walk away from family, job, destiny and follow Jesus. Jesus tells them to put down your nets, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. In Israel, on the Lake of Galilee, there is this popular tourist sight called Peter’s boat. It was dark by the time that we got there, so there was not much to see. I just remember this old boat in the middle of the lake that was covered in mud. This was supposedly the place where Jesus first met Andrew and Simon Peter. Right next to the lake is a restaurant – I think it’s called Peter’s Place. There specialty is Peter’s catch of the day. I don’t remember what kind of fish it was, but I do remember that it was fried, really tasty, but way too big to eat all of it. But seriously, Jesus encourages us all to become fishers of Men. Fishing Takes Practice Ernest Hemingway loved fishing as much as he loved writing. He would never have been a great writer had he not fished, and he would never have been a great fisherman had he not written. Maybe his great work "The Old Man and the Sea" is so powerful because it is at one time so dramatically simple and also so dramatically deep. But "The Old Man and The Sea" is only one of Hemingway's great stories about fishing. His favorite saying apparently was this-something he learned while fishing and writing: Il faut (d'abord) durer. "It is necessary, above all else, to endure. It is necessary to endure," he said. Yes, fishing remains one of the great models of Jesus for the kingdom of God. Maybe our age and culture are in danger of losing the image because we no longer go fishing - just like we no longer herd sheep and know what a shepherd is. We no longer plant seed in the ground and know what growth is. We no longer draw water from wells and know what living water is. Fishing also teaches us about discipline. "Follow me, and I will make you fishers," said Jesus. Fishing takes practice, preparation, discipline. One must learn how to best throw the net, how to make the mouth of the net come open too. I can throw the actual cast net a long way, but I can't always make the net come open so that it will actually form a circle around the fish. One must learn how to cast the line on a rod. Again, some folks can cast a long way, but their accuracy is awful. There may be fish on the right, but they know only how to cast the line to the left. There may be fish on the left, but they keep casting to the right. Casting, like discipleship, is an acquired habit. It rewards practice. Samuel G. Candler, Follow Me, and I Will Make You Go Fishing Not all of us know how to fish, but we can all follow Jesus. I think it is Max Lucado who tells the story of loving to fish with his father. Follow Me There was a field covered with freshly fallen snow. A father and a son enter the field. As they walk across the field, you notice that the father pays no particular attention to where he is going, but his son, on the other hand, follows directly behind, making a special effort to step in his father’s footprints. After the two have crossed the field, you notice that there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although two had walked across it. The Christian life is that way. In our daily walk we ought to be following Christ's example. Whether in times of suffering, sorrow or need, whether in times of health, joy, or abundance--if someone were to observe the snow-covered fields of your life, would there be one set of tracks, those of Christ? Or would there be two sets, one belonging to Christ and the other distinctly yours? Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993, p.53. Adapted What does it mean to follow Jesus now, when we cant physically follow in his footsteps, even though his spirit is with us? We can be inspired to do his will, to make the world a better place and to draw others into the fold. Not all of us have been fishing but we can all fish for men. Fishers of Men (Witnessing) Most of our witnessing is likely to happen in passing moments of conversation--those occasions when we show, in relatively minor ways, who we are and to whom we belong. I think of a suburban woman who was playing tennis with her good but quite secular friends. In a conversation break between sets she began referring to something she had read that morning. It would have been easy to say, "I read something this morning." Instead, with no attempt at piosity, she simply introduced one word: "In my devotional reading this morning." It was not a major soul-winning engagement. It was, however, a true sowing of seed. By a word, she had opened the door for some further conversation. Perhaps our greatest problem in becoming Christ’s fishermen is that we are not enough in earnest to grasp the opportunities that come to us; or we are so possessed of the idea that we must say something dramatic and far-reaching that we fail to say the small, immediate and potentially significant thing. To put it in the language of our lesson for the day, most of us really don’t act as if we even have a call to "fish." We’re out in the waters of human need every day, but we don’t seem to know it. The issue is not that we should become more aggressive about sharing our faith. It is that we should be more sensitive to the needs of the world around us, and more sensitive to the subtle prodding of the Holy Spirit. The two sensitivities are wonderfully intertwined. To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit must mean that we will be more sensitive to people and their pain; to be more sensitive to people ought to make us more open to God and his purposes. J. Ellsworth Kalas, Reading the Signs, From Empty Nets to Full Lives, CSS Publishing Company In the age of COVID we all know what essential persoel are – but do we realize that in the church, we are all essential. It takes all of us to become fishers of men. Jesus invites all of us to come and follow him every day. Karl Barth who says that we should preach the gospel every day, and if necessary use words. Remember Christ in our actions. Our key words for today – fishers, followers and fascination. Someone defined a disciple as someone who is so fascinated with another person that they want to know everything about what makes that person tick. Are you fascinated with Jesus? Jesus was bold in life and in ministry. How can we live on the edge like he does. A Job vs. A Ministry Someone has said there is a huge difference between having a job at church and having a ministry at church. ... If you are doing it because no one else will, it's a job. If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it's a ministry. ... If you're doing it just well enough to get by, it's a job. If you're doing it to the best of your ability, it's a ministry. ... If you'll do it only so long as it doesn't interfere with other activities, it's a job. If you're committed to staying with it even when it means letting go of other things, it's a ministry. ... It's hard to get excited about a job. It's almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry. An average church is filled with people doing jobs. A great church is filled with people involved in ministry. Mickey Anders, The Beginning of Ministry Someone else said that being a disciple is making a decision – a decision to be in ministry to Christ in every things and in every place. I often wonder what would have happen had Jesus invited Andrew and Simon to put down their nets and come and follow me and become fishers of men and they said no thank you – I have work to do. None of us would be here today. We are all confronted, called and consecrated by Christ. Let’s all follow Christ – if nothing else – it will be an adventure. Peace Song Lord You have come to the Lakeshore UMH 344 PRAYER OF THE PEOPLE God of unity, We come before you dismayed at our own divisions. We have struggled as your church to live in unity; but we are divided – along the fault lines of our societies. The ruptures in our families, among friends, among denominations, among nations are wide and deep. When we attempt to get on the same page, we build taller walls and dig deeper trenches. God, help us! We know that Christ is not divided. We know that it is your baptism to which we have been called. It is your service to which we are compelled. You have called us to proclaim the gospel, but we even fight about what that is. Help us, God! Help us give up our power and our privileges. Help us to yield for the sake and cause of the cross of Jesus. Help us to want the unity you share, for you are one; in you, there is no division. Help us to embrace and to live the foolishness of a life emptied of power and given to service, in the likeness of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to walk in salvation – in the name of the servant Christ, amen. Carolyn W. Dandridge, The Africana Worship Book, Year A, Valerie Bridgeman Davis and Safiyah Fosua, eds., (Discipleship Resources, 2006), 85. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Sometimes I wish the Gospel writers would have described the call of Jesus’ disciples in more detail. It’s difficult to comprehend how these followers were able to hear Jesus’ invitation and respond in such a radical way. Did they “count the cost” of leaving their homes, families and businesses? What made it worth giving themselves so completely to following this wandering teacher? Jesus did not offer them an expense account, a time-share, or any indication how he would help meet their basic needs. Yet these people “left the boat and their father, and followed (Jesus).” In comparison, for most of us, the call to follow Jesus demands much less. And yet…when we take seriously the call to become a disciple, we cannot know all the ways that will affect our life. Today, I invite you to take a deep breath and imagine what it could mean for you in 2023 to be a full-time disciple of Jesus. Might it mean sharing more of your time? Your talents? Your treasure? Might it mean inviting your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, to join you in following the Way? As we offer our tithes, offerings and financial gifts today, may we channel our inner Simon and Andrew, James and John! Imagine the joy in heaven as we, too, accept the call to “FOLLOW”. Prayer of Thanksgiving O God, through offering these gifts, may we become a more open people— open-minded in hearing your word and wisdom, open-hearted in healing a broken world, open-handed in heeding your call to charity and enacted love. With thanks for all good gifts, we present these tithes and offerings as symbols of our whole selves. Amen. (adapted from William Flewelling, Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook (Based on Matthew 4) Jesus, the light of the world, calls us to follow. Go and tell the news of God’s love. Cast the nets of grace wide, that all may see the glory of God. Go forth and shine with God’s light! May God—Source, Word, and Spirit— bless you with the radiance of love. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Mary Petrina Boyd) Community Time Benediction Recognize the greatness within and around you. Follow Jesus out into the world to spread the radiance of Christ, to proclaim the good news, and to be instruments of healing and wholeness. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Lindsay) Additional Illustrations The Art of Following - Matthew 4:12-23 If you’re my age or older you may remember Homer and Jethro. They were a comedy team who specialized in country music parodies and satire. They were sometimes referred to as “the thinking man’s hillbillies.” One of their routines went like this: HOMER: Jethro, if you was to win the Irish sweepstakes for two million dollars, would you give me half? JETHRO: Why, Homer, you’re my best and closest friend. You know I would. HOMER: I do know you would. That’s what friendship is all about. HOMER: Jethro, if you had two big luxurious houses like those ones in the Beverly Hills and I was livin’ yonder under the bridge without no home, would you give me one of your big luxurious houses? JETHRO: Homer, you’re my best and closest friend. You know I would. HOMER: Yessir, we’re best friends. Didn’t I know you’d say that. HOMER: Jethro, if you had two prize winnin’ Holstein cows and I had nary one, would you give me one of your cows? JETHRO: Homer, you wouldn’t even have to ask. You’re my closest friend and you know I would. HOMER: Jethro, if you had two really great huntin’ dogs... JETHRO: Hold on a minute, Homer. I got two huntin’ dogs. Homer and Jethro knew that charity is easy to idealize but hard to practice. I saw a routine like that played out in the area of theology and religion when I was in seminary. The professor was lecturing on the gospel of Luke and he had come to the third chapter where we find John the Baptist’s sermon to the people of Jerusalem. _________________ A Problem of Presentation Jesus came preaching that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand." What was there about that kingdom that got these fishermen so excited? And why are we not just as excited? Maybe we don't understand what the kingdom is. Or maybe it just hasn't been presented very well. It reminds me of a woman who read somewhere that dogs were healthier if fed a tablespoon of cod liver oil each day. So each day she followed the same routine. She chased her dog until she caught it, wrestled it down, and managed to force the fishy remedy down the dog's throat. Until one day when, in the middle of this grueling medical effort, the bottle was kicked over. With a sigh, she loosed her grip on the dog so she could wipe up the mess. To her surprise the dog trotted over to the puddle and begin lapping up what had been spilled. THE DOG LOVED COD LIVER OIL. It was just the owner's method of application the dog objected to. Sometimes I think something like that has happened to the good news of the Kingdom of God. It has been so poorly presented to us that we have never been captured by its attractiveness and its power. King Duncan, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com Essential Personnel Even if we live where it rarely snows, the phrase is a familiar one. When budget talks collapse and the government shuts down, this is the phrase that is trotted out. When the earth suddenly moves under the people of California, often a certain group of people are called out while the rest are told to stay at home. When tornadoes blow through the Southwest and disrupt everything in their course, only certain people should risk the dangers involved. These are maintenance people, road crews, ambulance drivers, fire fighters, electric and gas company workers, truck drivers, and a whole host of service people who are taken for granted when things are running smoothly. We call them "essential personnel." Think about that phrase. Think about what it means to be essential personnel. Then, if you want to be humbled, think about what it is like to be non-essential personnel. Consider the fact that the world can go on without some of us. The good news is that in the church we are all, or at least all can be, essential personnel. We are called to be a special group of people and to do some important things. William B. Kincaid, III, And Then Came The Angel, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Turning Toward the Light A little boy named Bobby entered his first science fair in second grade. Because his Mom has a green thumb, they decided to experiment with the growth of plants. He took two small green plants and placed one on a sunny windowsill and the other in a cardboard box. After a couple of weeks, Bobby checked on the two plants. The one on the windowsill had grown a couple of inches and had vibrant green leaves. The one in the box had actually grown a bit, but it had lost all of its green color, becoming almost white and its leaves drooping. Thinking that the plant might die, Bobby cut a hole in one side of the box, like this, and set the box, with the plant inside, by the windowsill … with the hole facing toward the incoming light. Well you know what happened … but Bobby was so excited by this discovery! Yes, over the course of a few weeks, the plant began to grow out through the hole! And, a couple of weeks later, it turned to grow up toward the light and even blossomed! The plant that had been in gloomy darkness … and was all but dead … had seen a great light, it turned toward that light and blossomed! Well, Matthew wrote … after the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ … and therefore with the full realization of who this man of God was … he wrote that the Light had certainly dawned on the people by the sea, the kingdom of heaven had definitely come near; it had dawned and come near in the person of Jesus Christ … in the personified love and power of God that makes people … different … alive! Robert K. Schneider, Follow the Maker. Adapted by Brett Blair,www.Sermons.com Commentary Jesus lived three years with his disciples. They went everywhere together and did everything together. They ate, slept, and breathed the life of Jesus and yet it was difficult for them to make the transition in their minds from a Messiah who would be a mighty King of Jews to a Messiah that would die for the sins of mankind. But Jesus never wavered in his mission. Throughout his entire ministry among the people and his training of the disciples he held in his heart this hope: That Peter along with the rest of his disciples would lose their earthly ambitions and become feeders of sheep--fishers of men. The very first words of Jesus when he and Peter met at the waters was, "Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men." His very last words to Peter, again down at the waters of the Sea of Galilee, and after his resurrection, were, "Feed my sheep, Follow me." Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com ______________________ God Reigns Archbishop William Temple wrote in 1930: While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns -- the Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Archbishop William Temple. Quoted in "Context," February 1, 1992. Go Fish "Do you have any sevens?" "No. Go fish!" I remember playing that card game as a child - it consumed long hours on dull, rainy days. It didn't take much intellect but it chased away the boredom. "Go fish!" That's what Jesus said to his first disciples - only he wasn't playing games. He was serious. There at the very beginning of his ministry when he started recruiting his helpers, he called out to Peter and Andrew and said, "Come, follow me." Then he said, "I will make you fish for people." They already knew how to catch fish - that was their profession - but he called them to learn to bring in people. "Go fish!" he said and they did. James L. Collier, Go Fish! A Moment of Decision In his commentary William Barclay notes the significance of Jesus' move from Nazareth to Capernaum. He says, “There was a kind of symbolic finality in that move. In that moment Jesus left his home never again to return to live in it. It is as if he shut the door that lay behind him before he opened the door that stood in front of him. It was the clean cut between the old and the new. One chapter was ended and another had begun. Into life there come these moments of decision. It is always better to meet them with an even surgical cut than to vacillate undecided between two courses of action.” William Barclay The Evidence of Life Is Growth A disciple is one who studies with a great teacher. It is implied that those who follow Jesus need to grow. We do not blossom overnight into mature spiritual giants. As Dr. Dwayne Dyer said in his book, Your Erroneous Zones, "How do you distinguish between a flower that is alive and one that is dead? The one that is growing is alive. The only evidence of life is growth." So it is with the life of the spirit. One prominent evangelist has complained that despite the burgeoning statistics, the church today is not growing. It is merely getting fat. That is, persons are coming into the church but they are remaining spiritual babes. They are not growing. "We are simply multiplying spiritual babies," he charges. To be alive is to grow. Peter encourages us "to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3: 18). King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com ____________________________________ The World’s Only Hope G. Ray Jordon, Methodist preacher from North Carolina and teacher of preachers at Emory University, wrote years ago, "The hope of civilization is that we shall be able to produce enough Christlike men to save it." That is the world's only hope. It was when Jesus first walked along the Sea of Galilee. It still is today. Thomas A. Pilgrim, The Man From Galilee, CSS Publishing Company, Inc

The Resurrection of Tabitha

May 4, 2022 Acts 9:36-43 Mother’s Day Fourth Sunday of Easter Tabitha’s Resurrection Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship (from Revelation 7) One: ALL, and that means ALL (here, on-line and in spirit), come to worship God! Many: With the multitude from all ages, we cry out with a LOUD voice, “Holy victory belongs to God and to the Lamb!” One: Together, we are ready to worship the God who shelters us. Many: Together, we claim the Lamb as our shepherd. One: Together, we sing praise to God, who guides all to the water of life. Many: With grateful hearts, let us worship God. (Center for Faith and Giving) Opening Prayer God of the ages, we offer you our praise this day, for the ways you continue to make your presence known to believers in every age. Thank you for the Lamb, who is our shepherd. Thank you for your tender care for each and for all. Thank you for welcoming those who come with joy, and those yearning for you to wipe away every tear from our eyes. We offer you our hearts, our hands and our voices. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Song Great is Thy Faithfulness UMH 140 Candle Lighting for Mothers (Just print the bold responses and the line before) Leader: We gather this day in worship esteeming the Light of Jesus Christ—-who is both God and human, born of his mother Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is from God, the source of all light, that every good and perfect gift has come, including the gift of Mothers. May we thank God for this good gift, today and always. All: We light the candle of memory. (gold) Leader: We remember the light of the women in our lives who birthed us, adopted us, fostered us, nurtured us, cared for us, shaped us and disciplined us who are no longer beside us. May God’s light shine upon each one and may God’s comfort embrace each grieving family. All: We light the candle of honor. (pink) Leader: We honor the women in our lives who bring forth new beginnings, embrace us as their own, foster our growth, nurture us, care for us and help form us into better people by the power of their love which comes from God. May God’s blessings be upon each one. All: We light the candle of peace. (blue) Leader: We pray for the mothers who have buried children. We pray for the women who long to be mothers, but are not. We also pray for each mother-child relationship that has been strained or broken by action, in-action, distance or illness. May God grant peace to each one who finds this day difficult. All: We light the candle of hope. (green) Leader: We encourage the many mothers are overwhelmed trying to make ends meet who while exhausted love anyway. We encourage parents who must raise their children alone, grandparents and other guardians who nurture children in their parent’s stead. May God empower each one with hope. All: God, teach us to recognize Your light in all of its many forms as we remember, honor and reflect on especially the gift of Motherhood this day. Fill us with your hope that we might shine your light to the generations after us. Amen. Scripture Acts 9:36-43 Sermon Tabitha’s Resurrection So here we are at the fourth Sunday of Easter – we are looking at the resurrection stories – the stories of Jesus appearing to his disciples after the crucifixion and before the ascension. In these stories, the disciples are grappling with a new sense of faith, all the while grieving the loss of the times of teaching from Their Lord and Savior. They too are trying to understand the significance of the resurrection. Our scripture for today is one of several stories in the new testament about a faithful person being brought back to life. First there is the story of Lazurus, there is the story of the young daughter of a centurion, and we have this story, the story of Tabitha/Dorcas. I wonder if other than in the bible, whether you have a story of experiencing a resurrection for yourself. I do, I was about 4 or 5 years old. My grandmother took me with her to spend a few days with one of her nephews and his family. I think it was a significant birthday for him, and he had invited all of our pretty large family to join him. We travelled a few hours to get to their farm. I remember him talking about how excited he was that his daughter and her boyfriend were driving home from college to be there. So it seemed surreal when we woke up the next morning to be told that she has died in a carwreck. Everyone was already coming for a joyful celebration, the nephew decided that the gathering would go on, but for a different reason. This was the first person that I knew that died, and I spent a lot of time trying to process what this meant. The funeral was packed, I remember her in a pink open casket. Everybody, including me had to pass by the casket. After the funeral I lost it, I cried the whole day because I could not understand why she was not coming back. I was sitting on the bed crying when she came to me to tell me that everything was going to be okay, and that she would always be with me. At least that is what my 4 year old mind heard her say. It was many years later that I realized that she had two younger sisters that looked just like her. I just assumed that she came back alive and spoke to me twice. In my first experienced of death, I was relieved that it didn’t last forever, because they really do come back alive just like the preacher said about Jesus. That is my resurrection story – even today, 50 years later, the baby sister still keeps in touch with me. She has been a real comfort, especially after my mother died. She kept her promise to always be with me. The true significance of the resurrection is in the hope and peace that it gave to those who followed Jesus. Jesus promised to be with us even to the end of the age. Now this woman Dorcas must have been a very special person. She is the only person in the bible with he title mathitrea – or female disciple. We don’t know a lot about her life, but we do know that she served the widows and the poor just as Jesus told her to. Crowds had gathered at her house mourn her and to bathe her body. She died way too soon – if anyone could bring her back to life, it would be one of Jesus disciple. They send for Peter, who is 25 miles away. When he arrives at the house, everyone shows all of the garments Dorcas had made just for them. Funerals are an opportunity for the living to remember the ways that they have been touched and changed by this person. It a chance to gather in community and to share our grief. Jesus has told the disciples that a faith of a mustard seed can move mountains. He also demonstrated the power of resurrection and bringing people to life. Peter sends everyone out of the room and repeats Jesus miracle – she has come back. This resurrection story has a happy ending- Dorcas gets to continue to serve. Unfortunately, not all resurrection stories have a happy ending. In 1977, Dr. Martha Myers moved to Yemen to serve as a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology. Her target audience was Yemeni women who often lack medical care and, because of their religion, were prohibited from seeing a male doctor. Myers worked at a Yemeni hospital founded by American Baptists. But she also traveled into the most remote areas around the hospital to make house calls for her patients. Her love and commitment earned her both admiration and enemies. One day, a patient of Dr. Myers told her husband that she had never experienced such love and compassion in her life as she did at Dr. Myers’ hospital. That was the wrong thing to say to her husband. Concerned that his wife might be influenced by the doctor’s Christian faith, her husband promptly went to the hospital and gunned down Dr. Myers and two of her colleagues. At the time of her death, Dr. Martha Myers had served the women of Yemen for more than 25 years. The result? Over 40,000 Yemeni people attended Dr. Myers’ funeral. The former president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board, Jerry Rankin, said, “Martha’s colleagues said the gunman did not take her life. She lost her life to Christ years ago when she trusted him. Martha was not living for herself, but to serve others.” (7) For one moment, I want you to listen to this quote and put your name in it: “She lost her life to Jesus Christ years ago when she trusted him. Martha was not living for herself, but to serve others.” Does that describe your life right now? Is it how people will describe you after you are gone? You and I were made to be Jesus in the world. That means living with a sense of purpose and translating our compassion into action. And if we commit to living this way, then our lives will have an eternal impact too. Resurrection is not just about immortality, but also about new life especially within the community. The message is in how it changes lives and situations. Even in Dorcas story, we never hear about how she is affected. But the story ends by saying that those in mourning, saw the change and not only came to believe themselves, but they brought others to the miracle of resurrection. So let me ask you, how many Dorcas’ do you know. I only know one, and I just remember that she always felt that she had to live up to the reputation of her name. And the only Tabitha that I know is the little girl character in Bewitched. But the good news is that I know countless women with he title Matritea. – female disciple. There are countless women who have been an example for me, who want to make a difference, who are always in service, who opened the doors of life for me and for others. This Mother’s day let us honor those female and male disciples who have made a difference. Just as the resurrection of Dorcas was a bittersweet moment – this day can be bittersweet for so many. Resurrection is always the story of death and life. And yet resurrection shows us how Christ is present with us in the community around us, and the disciples who lead us. Let us pray…. Song Awesome God TFWS 2040 Prayer Help us to move beyond the “sampler” prayer so often found printed on pillows, on wall hangings: "The Lord is my Shepherd." Help us to understand what those words truly mean, O Lord. We can count on you. You are the one who holds our lives, guides our steps, comforts and sustains us. You want for us the lush greenness of verdant pastures and the alluring draw of still waters; yet you know that our lives will not be smooth; there will be rough times. We can count on you, Lord. We can place our trust in you. Help us to feel the power of the Psalmist’s words: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Nothing can trouble, nothing can threaten. You are with us. As we reach out in love and service to others, remind us that the work we do in your name, with love and compassion, is an echo of your tender mercy and loving care. Strengthen us and give us enthusiasm to follow the Shepherd all the days of our lives. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley) Offering Moment for Stewardship (from Psalm 23) Perhaps the most well-known of all 150 Psalms is one you may have memorized as a child. The 23rd Psalm sometimes is a night-time prayer, sometimes recited at funerals, and often is sung in our own time of worship (CH 78 and 79; either of which could be sung during this service, by the congregation, as an offertory, or by the choir). Have you ever thought about this familiar Psalm as a report of what God gives us? Like a shepherd caring for sheep, God gives us abundant nourishment, safe water, and leads us toward peace in life. With God’s leading , we need not fear, knowing God is with us. Our cup overflows! We may not have everything we desire. We may live with challenges and difficulties. But this Psalm speaks to each of us, reminding us we’re followed by goodness and kindness, everywhere we go. What better response could we make to God-the-Giver than to offer back our lives! Offering our time, our abilities, and our finances (which can all work together), becomes a regular and life-long “thank you”. Today, I invite you to be a grateful lamb, filled with all the gifts offered by the Shepherd…and eager to offer more than our words. Let us share our gifts, our tithes and our offerings! Prayer of Thanksgiving Shepherd God, We offer these gifts to you, filled with gratitude for all you offer us. Receive what we’ve presented, and inspire us to use these resources to help create a world in which each person knows abundance, safety, and security. AMEN (Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Facebook Closing Prayer Let us go forth knowing that we are led by God, that we are sheltered by God, that God never leaves nor forsakes us even in the bleakest valley. In God, may we hunger and thirst no more, and may a peace that surpasses all understanding abide with us, now and forever more. Amen. (Rev. Mia M McClain – UCC Worship Ways) Community Time Benediction Go forth in peace and hope this day, for God is your guardian and guide. Bring news of God’s love to all whom you meet. AMEN. (Nancy C. Townley – Ministry Matters) Childrens Sermon Tell kids: Gifts don’t always come in boxes, especially gifts from God. The gifts God gives are often in the shape of people. He gives us special people, like Moms, to love us and raise us with kindness. (Show kids a gift box with a lid. Place a picture of a Mom in the box.) Do you see this box? Inside it is a gift more valuable than gold and silver. More expensive than jewels or a fast car. No gift is better than this gift. (Open the box and show the picture.) This is my Mom! She’s a nice lady who loves God and taught me all about Him. She is more precious than any gift I have ever received. Additional Illustrations He Knows Our Names There is an old story of a census taker who was making his rounds in the lower East side of New York, who interviewed an Irish woman bending over her washtub. “Lady, I am taking the census. What’s your name? How many children have you?” She replied, “Well, let me see. My name is Mary. And then there’s Marcia, and Duggie, and Amy, and Patrick, and...” “Never mind the names,” he broke in, “just give me the numbers.” She straightened up, hands on hips, and with a twinkle in her eye, said, “I’ll have ye know, sir, we ain’t got into numberin’ them yet. We ain’t run out of names!” The image of God as the Good Shepherd tells us that is the way it is with God. He knows us by name. Donald B. Strobe, Collected Words, www.Sermons.com Numbers. Our lives are filled with numbers. Each year we file our income taxes. Now that's an exercise in numbers to end all numbers games. Pages upon pages of numbers: earned numbers, spent numbers, invested numbers, and saved numbers. When it is finally prepared, we send it off to the Internal Revenue Service with our Social Security number on it. And the IRS takes all those numbers and puts them into a computer, along with the numbers of thousands and thousands of other people. And to them, we become a number. The government knows us by our tax number. The state knows us by our driver's license number. The bank knows us by our account number. And when we retire, we'll be remembered by our Social Security number. And it goes on and on. In fact, sometimes I wonder if anybody knows us at all without a number! And that's why this morning's Gospel reading is so significant, because it tells us that God knows us. He knows us intimately, in fact, better than we know ourselves. And that's important to remember. In spite of the fact that the image of sheep and shepherd is foreign to our experience, the words of the Gospel this morning hearken for us a truth that our human hearts long to hear. The Old Testament writer put it even more clearly when he wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Jesus says it this morning, "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life." Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company Missionary Herb Schaefer tells about a thirteen-year-old Chinese girl who continued with her family to worship God secretly in their home during the Cultural Revolution in China, that time when religion was forbidden and worship was banned by the Chinese rulers. One evening the Red Guards burst into their small home and threatened them for worshiping Jesus. A small altar with a crude cross stood in one corner of the room. Determined to put a stop to their worship and command complete allegiance to the Communist state, the Red Guard lieutenant demanded they spit on the cross. They refused. The lieutenant became indignant and shouted at them that unless they spat on the cross they would be killed. Finally the elder in the group came forward, spat on the cross and left. One by one they followed, doing the same disgusting thing until only the thirteen-year-old remained. She refused to do what the others had done. "I cannot and I will not," she replied. Then she told the lieutenant the depth of her faith and said that she was willing to die for it. Remarkably the Lieutenant seemed pleased. "This is the kind of devotion we want for the new China: people who will commit themselves so totally that they are willing to die for what they believe." But he wanted that devotion directed toward Chairman Mao. "We will change you," he promised and left. She was spared, but she never saw the rest of her family again. The story doesn't end there, however. For shortly thereafter, that little girl fled to Hong Kong and was taken in. Later she entered the Lutheran seminary there and today she is a pastor of the Hong Kong Lutheran Church, serving the needs of countless souls. She prays for the day when she will be allowed to return to her village and minister to her people there and perhaps even to that Red Guard lieutenant who spared her but murdered her family. She was able to endure, to overcome that tragedy in her life, because she knew the Good Shepherd. Lee Griess, Taking The Risk Out Of Dying, CSS Publishing Company

Sent out to be a disciple

June 14, 2020 Matthew 9:35-10:8 Sent out to be a disciple 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Year A Children’s Sermon Object: A collection of old toy cars (one in good condition, the remainder with obvious problems). Other toys can be substituted if cars are not available. Have you ever lost something for a long time and then found it again, almost by accident? That still happens to me sometimes when I put something somewhere for safe keeping. Sometimes I just can't seem to remember where in the world I put it. Then I find it again when I'm looking for something else altogether! Not long ago, I came across this box in a closet and I knew immediately what was in it. This is an old collection of cars that we had at our house when our children were younger. We used to have a lot of fun with these. In fact, I can remember when they were shiny and new. I'll bet they look just as great today. Let's take a look. This is not exactly what I expected. The first one I've taken out of the box is kind of dirty and old looking. It has lost most of its shine. That is not a very exciting looking car to me. This next one is missing a wheel. And this one looks like it was probably in an accident of some type. In fact, only one of these looks good at all. The rest should probably just be thrown away. Who would ever want to play with them? Did you know that sometimes people look at other people just the way we looked at these cars? Someone may not be very pretty or handsome. They may not dress just as we would like them to. Perhaps they may speak differently than we do. That doesn't mean we can push them aside and act as though we are better than they are. The Bible reminds us that Jesus looked upon every person he ever met with compassion. Jesus loved them. He wanted to help them. He was concerned about the needs in their lives. When we look at other people, God wants us to see them just as Jesus would see them. He wants us to view them as people who need the love of God and as people we should love just as He does. CSS Publishing Company, FROM A MUSTARD SEED, by Mark A. Hultquist Prelude Opening Prayer L: We are being called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ! P: Lord, guide our feet as we enter this pathway of service for you. Choir: singing Verse 1, “Guide My Feet” – [don’t drag the tempo on this song, sing it with a little swing!] L: It’s not going to be easy; there are dangers out there! P: Lord, help us to face those dangers with powerful faith! Choir: singing verse 3 of “Guide My Feet” L: Some people are going to misunderstand P: Help us to be clear and faithful in bringing your message of redemption. Stewardship Moment The theme of those morning is the deep compassion of Jesus. Jesus looked at the things going on in the world and he had deep compassion for the hurting people in the world. He knew that had to do something to make a difference. Jesus realized very quickly that a community could do so much more working together, than he could do alone. So Jesus invites others to join him in supporting those in need. Jesus still invites us to join in his ministry – he reminds us that we have been given gifts from God so we can give to others just as freely. Giving our time, talents and gifts is a part of following Jesus. Prayer of Dedication Lord, we know that there is much work to be done; far more than we ever imagined. We ask that you bless these gifts that they be used for the work you have set before us, for we place our lives and trust in you. AMEN. Scripture Matthew 9:35-10:8 Common English Bible (CEB) Compassion 35 Jesus traveled among all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, announcing the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. 38 Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.” Mission of the Twelve 10 He called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to throw them out and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, who is called Peter; and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee; and John his brother; 3 Philip; and Bartholomew; Thomas; and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus; and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Cananaean;[a] and Judas, who betrayed Jesus. Commissioning of the Twelve 5 Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Don’t go among the Gentiles or into a Samaritan city. 6 Go instead to the lost sheep, the people of Israel. 7 As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons. You received without having to pay. Therefore, give without demanding payment. Footnotes: Sermon As I watched the news last night, and saw another building being burned to the ground, a police chief resign over the behavior of an officer, and another African American brother being killed while in custody, I am convinced that the scripture for today is a gift from God. After weeks of festival readings in John, we are finally back to journeying through the book of Matthew. This particular scripture has not come up in the lectionary since 2008. Most years because of how Pentecost falls, we never get to this scripture. I say that this scripture is a gift because it speaks to our times perfectly. Jesus looks around at the situation in his times and he says that the people are running around like sheep without a shepherd. And he realizes that he has to do something to change things. He looks at the people, and calls them harassed and helpless. Jesus saw the horrible conditions that the people were living in and he had a deep compassion for them. The Greek word moved with compassion (splagchnistheis) It is formed from the word splagchna, which means the bowels In other words, Jesus was moved in his bowels. One colleague says Jesus was so emotional that he had a bowel movement. But anyway – this word means that he was moved to the very core of his being. He had deep compassion for the people and for their condition. Jesus was inspired to start a three pronged ministry. A ministry of preaching, teaching and healing. In other words – a ministry of shalom – peace, justice and wellbeing. He wanted to touch them mind, body and spirit. In order to address the situation that created such despair he had to proclaim the truth. William Barclay says There never was a time when this certainty was more needed than it is today. Geoffrey Heawood, headmaster of a great English public school, has written that the great tragedy and problem of this age is that we are standing at the cross-roads, and the signposts have fallen down. Beverley Nichols once wrote a book composed of interviews with famous people. One of the interviews was with Hilaire Belloc, one of the most famous of English Roman Catholics. After the interview Nichols wrote: “I was sorry for Mr. Belloc because I felt that he had nailed at lease some of his colors to the wrong mast; but I was still sorrier for myself and for my own generation, because I knew that we had no colors of any kind to nail to any mast.” We live in an age of uncertainty, an age when people have ceased to be sure of anything. Jesus was the herald of God, who came proclaiming the certainties by which men live; and we too must be able to say, “I know whom I have believed.” He also had to do some teaching, so that the people would take responsibility for their lives and make a difference. And he had to heal the bodies that were affected by the stress of the situation. This scripture is called the missionary discourse. This is the speech and teaching that Jesus gave as he commissioned his disciples to enter into their own ministries of healing. Matthew tells 5 story lessons of what it means to live as a child of God. Each of these story lessons tells us what characteristics we have to have in order to be a part of Jesus ministry of salvation. This particular story is how Jesus chose his 12 disciples. This story is told in all 4 gospels. But none have the same detail that this story in Matthew does. The gospel story is a story of how one man changed the world. We all know that the world cannot be changed by one person, it takes others to spread the lesson of one person. During the protest, George Floyd’s daughter proudly announced that daddy changed the world. He did, with the help of the millions of others who have stepped up all over the world to demand justice. Jesus chose 12 people to help with his ministry. It is interesting that scripture names all twelve, along with the personal qualities that Jesus saw in that person. From 12 to 1 Billion From the twelve, the group grew to 120 by Ascension Day. A little over a week later, on Pentecost, it increased to over 3,000. By the time the last of the twelve died, there were an estimated half-million followers of Jesus Christ. That was the end of the first century. By the end of the second century, this number had increased to almost ten million. By the end of the third century, all heathen temples were destroyed or converted into church sanctuaries. By the close of the ninth century, there were 100 million Christians. Today, the number has grown to over one billion believers around the world. None of this growth would have been possible had Christians not been excited and supportive of missions or prayed to "the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." Dennis Kastens, Laborers Needed for the Harvest It has been said that Evangelism is not on the agenda of the church; it is the agenda of the church. Brett Blair Today Christianity is the predominant religion of the world with 2.2 billion people worldwide. The second most predominant religion – Islam has 1.2 billion people. The country with the most Christians is the US with 243 million. It all started with one man’s deep compassion for the people of in his neighborhood. What's Your Purpose in Life? An executive hirer, a "head-hunter" who goes out and hires corporation executives for other firms, once told me, "When I get an executive that I'm trying to hire for someone else, I like to disarm him. I offer him a drink, take my coat off, then my vest, undo my tie, throw up my feet and talk about baseball, football, family, whatever, until he's all relaxed. Then, when I think I've got him relaxed, I lean over, look him square in the eye and say, "What's your purpose in life?" It's amazing how top executives fall apart at that question. "Well, I was interviewing this fellow the other day, had him all disarmed, with my feet up on his desk, talking about football. Then I leaned up and said, 'What's your purpose in life, Bob?' And he said, without blinking an eye, 'To go to heaven and take as many people with me as I can.' For the first time in my career I was speechless." Josh McDowell The time is right for each of us to join the mission and ministry of Jesus. The harvest is here, people are standing around looking for answers. The church is essential during this time, and it always has been. There is a place for each of us in the mission and ministry of having compassion for the harassed and helpless. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is an invitation to get involved. Jesus says that the first step to accepting that invitation is to pray – pray for workers, because the harvest is plentiful. Jesus lived in a farm community, so many of hos metaphors for live come from farming. Pentecost was a celebration of the first harvests of the season. So it is not an accident that we read this story two Sundays after Pentecost. One pastor tells the story of harvesttime when his father was a child. During the harvest, all types of people came to help with the harvest. The family was so grateful for the help, that they would prepare food for all of those who helped out. Hospitality and taking care of one another was a way of life during these times. As everyone was gathered, it was a perfect time to not only help others, but to also get them involved in the ministry of helping the harassed and helpless. In other words working together to change the world for themselves and everyone else. All Jesus did was to call the 12 to help with the harvest – and each of us is called too to spread the good news of a messiah with great compassion for the harassed and helpless. Right now that is all of us! Let us pray….. Prayer Listen: cries of sorrow, shouts of justice from bold voices rallying a cry of love and peace! Listen closely. Can you hear the feet and wheelchairs rolling out in the street to protest violence and promote a cry for peace to say, "Hello police, stop using your badges for shooting and killing innocence rather than protecting us!" Let us- pause to pray, plan to protest, and purpose to push out the devils and educate our children how to have courage and ability to survive and not die! Lovingly, let us seek justice and certainly not give up the struggle to strive for life, love, and liberty!!!! No, No More, NO NO NO MORE! Save our sons and share our need to speak up and stand strong Moment of reflection Announcements We received many surveys of what it means to reopen the church. It is not too late to turn in your survey. At church council it was decided that we would form a health committee to talk about what it means to open safely. They will report at a special church council meeting on June 25th at 7pm. We are shooting for reopening in some form when the state enters into stage 4 – potentially the first Sunday in July. But will let you know Office hours changed this week to allow Debbie to take a break. But if need something can call church or the parsonage. Benediction When you leave this place, go with confidence in God’s gracious love and mercy. Go, ready to proclaim the good news and serve our Lord by caring for others. AMEN. Additional illustrations Making a Difference Made a difference to that one! The story was told about two men walking down a Mexican beach, talking with one another. They could see a man in the distance throwing something into the ocean. As they got closer, they saw that he was bending over, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean. The closer they got they noticed that he was one of the natives. There were starfish on the beach which were left by the outgoing tide. The native was throwing them out where they could swim away. One of the two men asked, "What are you doing?" The man replied, "I am throwing the starfish back out to sea. If they don't get back into the deeper water, they will die." The other man replied, "I understand that part, but look at this beach. It is covered with starfish. There must be thousands stranded out here. How do you feel that this will make a difference?" The native bent over, picked up another starfish, hurled him out to sea, and with a smile on his face said, "Made a difference to that one!" There are thousands who need the Lord and need the care of Christians. Each one of us can "make a difference" to someone. Chicken Soup for the Soul Relationship Evangelism There is an old story told about a man by the name of Ali Facid. He had a small farm and a family. One day, the story goes, a Buddhist priest came by and said to Ali Facid: You know, there are valuable stones called diamonds, and if you get one of these you could be a wealthy man." Ali Facid went to bed that night, but the words of the old priest haunted him. He was so obsessed that he felt that he must find him one of these diamonds so that he could become a ruler. He sold his farm, put his family out to neighbors and went out to find his acres of diamonds. Months passed. He was broken in body and spirit. His funds were gone. And at the Bay of Barcelona, he threw himself into the water, never to walk this earth again. Meanwhile, the man who bought his farm bent over one day and picked up a little stone. He laid on the mantle that night not knowing what it was. A few days later the old Buddhist priest cam by and saw it and exclaimed: Ali Facid must be back from his search. No, came the response. Then where did that diamond come from? The farmer replied: I was out plowing in the garden and found it there. And friends, did you know that from that very garden, for this is not a legend but a true story, came the jewels and diamonds that today adorn the crown heads of Europe and Russia. In Ali Facid's own back yard there were acres of diamonds and he knew it not. My friends, I know that the [your church's neighborhood] is not like [name two neighborhoods in your area that are experiencing growth] in terms of extensive growth. But friends, I also know that there are acres of diamonds right here in our own back yard. There are people right here in our area that do not have church families, who are not committed to Christ, and who are waiting to be asked. We don't have to look to other areas of the city. All we have to do is pick up the diamonds that are right beneath us. Staff, www.Sermons.com Slaving for Nothing Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace" tells the sad story of a young woman named Mathilde who dreamed, as many do, of making it in high society. However, she was the wife of an ordinary French citizen. One day Mathilde's husband obtained an invitation to attend an elegant ball. Thoroughly delighted, Mathilde borrowed from a wealthy friend a beautiful necklace to wear to this elegant occasion. The stunning necklace drew many compliments from the aristocratic guests. However, the worst possible thing happened. Mathilde lost the beautiful adornment. Panic stricken, she and her husband borrowed thirty-six thousand francs. They bought a necklace that looked exactly like the one Mathilde had worn. Mathilde returned this to her friend, telling her nothing of what had happened. For ten agonizing years, the couple slaved and toiled to pay back the vast amount of money they had borrowed. They sold their home, dismissed servants, worked at two jobs, and lived in a slum in order to raise the necessary funds. After it was finally paid, Mathilde saw her friend one day. She confessed what they had done. She revealed the hardship through which they had come in paying for the replacement. It was then that her friend explained that the necklace Mathilde had borrowed was only made of paste. It was worth five hundred francs or less. What a parable of contemporary life! People frantically slaving for values that turn out only to be paste. Harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. King Duncan, Where Are The Laborers? Evangelism Has Fallen on Hard Times "Evangelism" is a beautiful word that has lost its winsomeness [effectiveness]. Somehow on its journey from the Jerusalem of yesterday to the Jericho of today it has fallen among thieves that have wounded it and stripped it, departed, leaving it half dead. It takes a rather rash Samaritan, therefore, to dare turn aside to set this poor chap upon his beast and take him to an inn and take care of him. This is especially true because a veritable procession of Priests and Levites are passing by, not only refusing to lend a hand, but, we fear, inwardly chuckling at the plight of the poor fellow, and secretly hoping that they are soon to see the last of him. Clovis G. Chappell, Evangelistic Sermons of Clovis G. Chappell, p. 40. Travel Light James Michener, the famous author used to hitchhike when he was a young man. Michener didn’t live in a happy home. He was also unhappy at school. When he was fifteen he hiked westward from Detroit with only 35 cents in his pocket. He said, "The simple fact seems to have been that once I saw that mysterious road outside my house, the eastern part leading to a dead end, the western to worlds unknown, I was determined to explore the latter." (from Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul) Most all of us have had experiences when we just wanted to get away from it all, venturing into the unknown with out a care in the world. That’s easier to do when you are young and you don’t have lots of obligations and responsibilities. Youthfulness tends to make us more carefree. And there is a tendency to think that nothing will happen to us. When Jesus told his disciples to head out into the world he told them to travel light. "Take nothing with you, no bag, no money, no sandals, no extra clothing, not even a staff," he instructed them. Perhaps he wanted them to learn to trust in the providence of God. Perhaps he wanted them to experience strangers in strange lands, thereby making new relationships. Or, perhaps he wanted them to be free from the burdens of the world. I believe it was most likely a combination of all three. Keith Wagner, Low Budget Faith?

Come Follow Me

January 26, 2020 Year A Matthew 4:12-23 Disciples Answering the Call 3rd Sunday after Ephiphany Children’s Time Matthew 4:12-17 · Jesus Begins to Preach 2 of 5 Children's Sermon by Wesley T. Runk Turn Around! Matthew 4:17 Object: A framed picture with the back showing. Good morning, boys and girls. Today we have one of the simplest lessons to learn, but one of the hardest things to do that we have ever talked about. I brought along a picture with me and I am going to put it right in front of you so that you can see it very clearly. (Put up the picture with the back facing them.) It's a beautiful picture and one that I enjoy having in my house. Sometimes I just stand in front of it and look at all of the wonderful things that it describes. It must have taken someone a long time to paint such a beautiful picture, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do. (By this time the children are telling you that they can't see it and you must turn it around.) You can't see it? You mean that it is going in the wrong direction? If you are to see this beautiful picture, I must first turn it around. I will if you will listen to me for just one more minute. Jesus used to preach, "Repent," and he would say it over and over again. "Repent, repent, repent." Do you know what repent means? (Let them answer.) It means to turn around. Jesus was telling people that they were going in the wrong direction with their sin, and they should stop and turn around and come back to God. In other words, when Jesus was saying, "Repent" he could have said, "Turn around, turn around, turn around." The right way to go is towards God and not away from him. When we commit sin we are going away from God and Jesus tells us to turn around. Now I am going to turn the picture around because this is the way it was meant to be. No one ever painted a picture to be hung on the wall facing the wall. When people paint pictures, they want them to be seen. When God made us, he meant for us to go in the right direction and he didn't make us to sin. But we do sin and we do head in the wrong direction. That's why Jesus preaches for us to repent, to turn around and head in the right direction. The next time you see a picture and it is hanging so that you can see it, I want you to remember the day that someone asked you to look at the back of the picture. We knew it was the wrong way and we had to turn it around. That is the same thing that we must do with our lives after we sin. We must repent and turn them around. C.S.S. Publishing Company, THE ONE-HANDED CLOCK, by Wesley T. Runk Stewardship Moment Once upon a time there was an old man who owned a donkey. He loved his donkey more than anything in the world. He talked to it; he curled up beside it on cold nights and it carried him and his belongings when he was tired. One day the old man met a woman who had three daughters. Now the woman had 17 donkeys. She was very rich! The woman wanted to divide her donkeys between her three daughters do that they had a fair share. She wanted her oldest daughter who did most of the work to have a half share of her donkeys, She wanted her second oldest daughter, who didn’t do quite as much work to have one third share of her donkeys. Ans she wanted her youngest daughter who did little work to have one ninth share of her donkeys. The problem was it just didn’t work out Seventeen donkeys cant be divided in half – so this did not work out. But when she see’s the old man and his one donkey, her problem was solved. She asks the old man for his only donkey. He is upset, but helps her out. So now the division works out. Half, then a third, then a ninth. But she discovers that she still has one donkey left over – the old man’s, he gives it away, but in the end he gives it away – how is that mathematically possible? Scripture Matthew 4:12-23 Common English Bible (CEB) Move to Galilee 12 Now when Jesus heard that John was arrested, he went to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, which lies alongside the sea in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet said: 15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, alongside the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, 16 the people who lived in the dark have seen a great light, and a light has come upon those who lived in the region and in shadow of death.[a] 17 From that time Jesus began to announce, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!” Calling of the first disciples 18 As Jesus walked alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, because they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” 20 Right away, they left their nets and followed him. 21 Continuing on, he saw another set of brothers, James the son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father repairing their nets. Jesus called them and 22 immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Ministry to the crowds 23 Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues. He announced the good news of the kingdom and healed every disease and sickness among the people. Footnotes: a. Matthew 4:16 Isa 9:1-2 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon Tools of the Trade I think that we all have them – for me it is pens. I have collections of pens all over the place at home and at church. As a writer, I never want to be caught anywhere without a pen. For me they are the tools of the trade. For a carpenter it might be tools, for a crafter it might be yarn, for a teacher it might be books. Tools of the trade are more than just tools, the represent our identity, our sense of being. You never lend your tools to other people – they have to get their own, you keep them in a place where you can get to them when you need them, and you never get rid of them, no matter what you hold onto them. For Peter, Andrew, James and John their tools of the trade would have been their nets. As a fisherman, a net was something that you held onto for dear life – because it was your life. But one day a strange man walks by and makes an even stranger request – follow me – and just like that, they give up their nets, their identity, their family and everything else. The bible never says if Jesus knew them ahead of time, it never tells us what it going on in their lives at the time, it doesn’t even tell us if Jesus had to say anything else to convince them. But it does tell us that they did walk away from their lives and follow Jesus to become fishers of men. Jesus tools of the trade were his relationships- his connections to the hearts of people. The message of Matthew is to help us to understand that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus is trying to help us to see the kingdom and to see clearly that God is in our midst. What is so important that these men would just walk away from their lives? The promises of God – light, salvation, a stronghold. They had a chance to become disciples to the most distinguished teacher of all of the world – the Son of God. But at that moment none of that was obvious to them – they were just following the voice of God. Rob Bell is a pastor from Michigan. In one of his sermons, he talks about what it takes to become a disciple of a dinstinguished disciple. You were expected to start studying the bible at age six, and work at remembering it my heart. Only the best and brightest students were invited by a rabbi to study. There were very few who made the cut. These men were adults who had gotten into their family trade. So they weren’t the best of the best – and yet Jesus saw something in them that would make then disciples- they were willing to follow when asked, just because they were asked. In John 15:16 jesus explains 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last— We can be grateful that Jesus is still choosing disciples – he chose you and me so that we can bear fruit. He wants us to be fishers of men – to develop relationships, to show love, to spread the world – that the kingdom of God is at hand – and God is still looking for people to come and follow him. Modern Disciples as fishers of men I think that sometime we have lost sight of what it means to follow Jesus. We follow ourselves, but we don’t invite others to follow. We are not fishers of men. I think that what we don’t realize is that Christ is not asking us as disciples to do anything that he did not do himself. We focus on the story of how the disciples dropped everything. But we don’t realize that Jesus did the same before. He was born in Nazareth, his family trade was carpentry. And he left all of that behind and moved to Capernaum in order to be by the sea – what did he know about fishing? Only what God taught him. Giving up today for tomorrow I often wonder, how many of us as modern disciples are willing to give up who we are today in order to become who we need to be tomorrow. We are too busy holding onto who we are today for dear life, to even listen to what God is telling us about the future. Over the weekend, I have been thinking about how I keep holding onto a lot of activities, and tools, and my understanding of life. When I have been doing one thing for awhile, and this year I am not asked to repeat that activitiy. I feel like a failure. But if I keep holding on the old activities, there is no space to get new activities. If I am holding on to the past for dear life, then how is the future ever going to seep through? Repent! A Whole New World Is Headed Straight at You! "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near!" That is what Jesus says (plagiarizing his cousin John) in Matthew 4:17. In his wonderful commentary on Matthew, Frederick Dale Bruner paraphrases this, "Move, because here comes the whole new world of God!" The verb translated as "is near" is the same word Jesus uses later in Matthew when he sees Judas in Gethsemane and says, "Here comes my betrayer." So when Jesus says in verse 17 that the kingdom of heaven "is near," he means it's coming straight at you! If you're crossing a street and see a garbage truck barreling down on you, you may well say, "Hey, look out!" (or words to that effect). Jesus' words have that same urgency. "Look out! Move! A whole new world is headed straight at you!" As Bruner says, every word that comes from Jesus is nuclear. These words are urgent and the implications of this kingdom's approach are immediate. If someone yells "Watch out!" when you're crossing a street but then you just stand there, something is going to happen to you and it's probably not going to be good. Jesus' point is the same: you can't hear him tell you that the kingdom is approaching and then just stand there like a statue with your hands in your pockets. You need to repent, literally to turn around, so that you're ready to embrace this kingdom, so that you can hop onto the kingdom instead of getting crushed by it as it rolls right over you. As disciples we have to tell others that the kingdom of God is at hand. If you have truly seen the light – how hard is it to help others to see the light for themselves. We have to provide a space for others to see that life is so much better in the light of Christ. Invitation from a Jogger Tom and Stuart McLean had been with their father in his growing business for three years. Their father was an electronic genius and had developed some exotic products that fit a very narrow customer need in the industry. When Stuart graduated from M.I.T. with a degree in engineering, he had accepted his father's offer to come into the company as his older brother had done two years before. In three short years the father and his two sons were the chief cogs in the business. While Tom and Stuart enjoyed working with their father, their work didn't give them much physical exercise, so they put on their jogging shoes in order to get back into the physical shape they both enjoyed in college. After gradually getting into shape, they settled into a jogging routine, and eventually covered three miles per day. By the sixth month of their regular jogging they began to recognize other joggers on the trail, occasionally nodding to them or greeting them with a smile. One day as they neared the end of their three miles, an African-American jogger joined them. He said very little other than a greeting, but joined them again during the following week. On one of those days he sat with them in the locker room of their club and chatted with them after they all finished their showers. "How would you like to join me in a project I'm thinking of starting?" he asked during their chat. "What do you have in mind?" Stuart asked. "I came from the bad side of town," he started to explain, "and I'm going to go back there and set up programs for the kids. I was lucky, because I got an athletic scholarship to go to college, but most of those poor kids have got nothing to look forward to," he continued. "Well, that's all well and good," Tom commented, "but what are you going to do? And ... and this kind of thing usually takes money ..." The man went on to explain his plan and what it would do for the young people in the poor neighborhood from which he had come. "But who's sponsoring you?" Stuart asked, not wanting to demean what the man was proposing, but at the same time knowing it takes money to do things like this. "No one is sponsoring me," the man replied. "The need is so great, I can't help believing that somehow we'll make it. I'm quitting my job to get into this project ... how would you guys like to join me?" The three of them were dressed by now and the brothers said parting words to the other man and headed for home. On the way home Tom said, "Craziest thing I ever heard of," not quite convincingly. "Yeah, perhaps so," Stuart agreed. "You know, we were raised in a pretty privileged home and don't really know what poverty means." "So?" Tom replied. "What are you driving at?" "Let's help him," Stuart challenged. "Are you crazy, too?!" Tom accused. But they talked about it, and sat in the driveway giving it more thought before entering the house. Their dad was watching the 6:00 news. "Dad," Tom stuttered, "Stuart and I are leaving the company." "What did you say?" their dad asked, not quite believing what he had heard. "It's a long story," Stuart began. Merle G. Franke, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit Cycle A, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Commentary Jesus lived three years with his disciples. They went everywhere together and did everything together. They ate, slept, and breathed the life of Jesus and yet it was difficult for them to make the transition in their minds from a Messiah who would be a mighty King of Jews to a Messiah that would die for the sins of mankind. But Jesus never wavered in his mission. Throughout his entire ministry among the people and his training of the disciples he held in his heart this hope: That Peter along with the rest of his disciples would lose their earthly ambitions and become feeders of sheep--fishers of men. The very first words of Jesus when he and Peter met at the waters was, "Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men." His very last words to Peter, again down at the waters of the Sea of Galilee, and after his resurrection, were, "Feed my sheep, Follow me." Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com Peter understood the invitation to salvation in his life and in others – what about you? Let us pray….Amen. Additional Illustrations Working for Christ Christianity began as a working man's religion. No, that is not the gospel according to Marx; it is the Gospel According to Matthew. Matthew tells us that immediately after Jesus began a public preaching ministry, he took four fishermen as his apprentices. He was walking by the Sea of Galilee and spied Andrew and Peter casting their nets. He called them to follow him, promising to make them fishers of men. In Matthew's Gospel, then, linked tightly together are Jesus' ringing pronouncement, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," and his invitation to the fishermen, "Follow me." You and I, who believe in Jesus Christ and count ourselves his disciples, are not to follow a trade or profession as though it were the Holy Grail. We are to follow Jesus. Work is to take a secondary role in our lives. If Christ is truly our Master, then work cannot be equally important. We may be engaged in work, but never married to it. And whenever we are pressed or tempted to make work supreme, we are to recall the story of the four fishermen. We are to remember how they left their nets and their boats to go and be with Jesus, to do what he would have them do. John C. Purdy, The Call to Adventure A Job vs. A Ministry Someone has said there is a huge difference between having a job at church and having a ministry at church. ... If you are doing it because no one else will, it's a job. If you are doing it to serve the Lord, it's a ministry. ... If you're doing it just well enough to get by, it's a job. If you're doing it to the best of your ability, it's a ministry. ... If you'll do it only so long as it doesn't interfere with other activities, it's a job. If you're committed to staying with it even when it means letting go of other things, it's a ministry. ... It's hard to get excited about a job. It's almost impossible not to get excited about a ministry. An average church is filled with people doing jobs. A great church is filled with people involved in ministry. Mickey Anders, The Beginning of Ministry Essential Personnel Even if we live where it rarely snows, the phrase is a familiar one. When budget talks collapse and the government shuts down, this is the phrase that is trotted out. When the earth suddenly moves under the people of California, often a certain group of people are called out while the rest are told to stay at home. When tornadoes blow through the Southwest and disrupt everything in their course, only certain people should risk the dangers involved. These are maintenance people, road crews, ambulance drivers, fire fighters, electric and gas company workers, truck drivers, and a whole host of service people who are taken for granted when things are running smoothly. We call them "essential personnel." Think about that phrase. Think about what it means to be essential personnel. Then, if you want to be humbled, think about what it is like to be non-essential personnel. Consider the fact that the world can go on without some of us. The good news is that in the church we are all, or at least all can be, essential personnel. We are called to be a special group of people and to do some important things. William B. Kincaid, III, And Then Came The Angel, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Fishers of Men (Witnessing) Most of our witnessing is likely to happen in passing moments of conversation--those occasions when we show, in relatively minor ways, who we are and to whom we belong. I think of a suburban woman who was playing tennis with her good but quite secular friends. In a conversation break between sets she began referring to something she had read that morning. It would have been easy to say, "I read something this morning." Instead, with no attempt at piosity, she simply introduced one word: "In my devotional reading this morning." It was not a major soul-winning engagement. It was, however, a true sowing of seed. By a word, she had opened the door for some further conversation. Perhaps our greatest problem in becoming Christ’s fishermen is that we are not enough in earnest to grasp the opportunities that come to us; or we are so possessed of the idea that we must say something dramatic and far-reaching that we fail to say the small, immediate and potentially significant thing. To put it in the language of our lesson for the day, most of us really don’t act as if we even have a call to "fish." We’re out in the waters of human need every day, but we don’t seem to know it. The issue is not that we should become more aggressive about sharing our faith. It is that we should be more sensitive to the needs of the world around us, and more sensitive to the subtle prodding of the Holy Spirit. The two sensitivities are wonderfully intertwined. To be sensitive to the Holy Spirit must mean that we will be more sensitive to people and their pain; to be more sensitive to people ought to make us more open to God and his purposes. J. Ellsworth Kalas, Reading the Signs, From Empty Nets to Full Lives, CSS Publishing Company Follow Me There was a field covered with freshly fallen snow. A father and a son enter the field. As they walk across the field, you notice that the father pays no particular attention to where he is going, but his son, on the other hand, follows directly behind, making a special effort to step in his father’s footprints. After the two have crossed the field, you notice that there is only one set of tracks visible in the field, although two had walked across it. The Christian life is that way. In our daily walk we ought to be following Christ's example. Whether in times of suffering, sorrow or need, whether in times of health, joy, or abundance--if someone were to observe the snow-covered fields of your life, would there be one set of tracks, those of Christ? Or would there be two sets, one belonging to Christ and the other distinctly yours? Michael Green, Illustrations for Biblical Preaching, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993, p.53. Adapted One Unknown At the end of Albert Schweitzer's book "The Quest for the Historical Jesus" Schweitzer writes these words: He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to those who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same word: "Follow thou me!" and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands, and to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, he will reveal Himself in the toil, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is. Staff, www.Sermons.com Commentary Jesus lived three years with his disciples. They went everywhere together and did everything together. They ate, slept, and breathed the life of Jesus and yet it was difficult for them to make the transition in their minds from a Messiah who would be a mighty King of Jews to a Messiah that would die for the sins of mankind. But Jesus never wavered in his mission. Throughout his entire ministry among the people and his training of the disciples he held in his heart this hope: That Peter along with the rest of his disciples would lose their earthly ambitions and become feeders of sheep--fishers of men. The very first words of Jesus when he and Peter met at the waters was, "Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men." His very last words to Peter, again down at the waters of the Sea of Galilee, and after his resurrection, were, "Feed my sheep, Follow me." Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com God Reigns Archbishop William Temple wrote in 1930: While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns -- the Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Archbishop William Temple. Quoted in "Context," February 1, 1992.