Ride or Die Faith

June 7, 2026 Genesis 12:1-9 Ride or Die Faith 2nd Sunday After Pentecost Year A Prelude Greeting Call to Worship Like Abram and Sarai, God calls us to go into the unknown, trusting that God’s promises are true. Whether we are certain or full of doubts, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. God sends us into the world to journey by faith, believing that God’s blessings are greater than anything we can imagine. Whether the path is straight or winding, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. God gathers us today with trusted companions, those who also follow God’s call, even when it does not make sense to the world around us. Whether we journey with friends or feel all alone, God blesses us that we may be a blessing. As we gather to worship, may we remember that we are God’s people, blessed by God to be a blessing to our world that is hurting and desperately in need of good news. God, form us today as a family of faith, that your blessings might flow out of us and into our world, drawing all people into your promise of abundant life and flourishing. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, December 2025. Invocation Wonderful God, we delight in your presence. We find shelter in your abiding and enduring love. You humble us, Holy Love, by gathering us as a people. Thank you for being our Companion and Guide on this journey. Receive our songs, prayers, and openness. Nourish us from the fountain of your word and the hospitality of your table. May we find hope and inspiration, courage and direction, community and resolve as we worship you. Amen. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Cheryl Lindsay) Song I Come with Joy UMH 617 A Sermon for all Ages There are 3 faithful people. The first likes sports and has athletic ability. The person joins several teams, eats foods that build a strong body, exercise regularly, watches sports events on tv, and reads about sport heros. The second person likes to draw and draws well. This persob belongs to the art club at school, takes painting lessons, spends birthday money on paints, pays more attention to the pictures that the words in books and reads about great artist. We can see that these two have god given gifts, have accepted those gifts and are enjoying and developing them. They are faithful to their gifts. A third person believes that god made him or her a part of a family that includes everyone in the world. So this person treats everyone with kindness, stands up for other kids, refuses to laugh at jokes about people’s color or nationality, and contributes Christmas money to build a house for a family living in a shack. This person is faithful to God’s gift and promise that we are all one family Responsive Reading Psalm 33:1-12 UMH 767 Scripture Genesis 12:1-9 Sermon Ride or Die Faith Another legend: Abraham as a boy saw the multitudes of flocks surrounding his father’s tents, and he asked his mother, "Who is the Lord of these?" She answered, "Your father, Terah." Then the boy asked, "And who is Lord of Terah?" She responded, "Nimrod, the King." Then the boy pushed the quest one step further: "And who is Lord of Nimrod?" His mother answered, "Don’t push questions too far." But the lad, Abraham, "was already reaching out to the God who is the God of all." No one really knows why Abraham walked away from a successful life in search of something more. Why he listened to the voice of a God that he didn’t even know in search of something different. But we can all be glad that he did. Abraham is considered the father of our faith. In his hometown Ur, they worshipped the sun and the moon. And judging from the names of his family members, his family who all have moon related names, their family was deeply religious. Their family was held in high regard and well established. His family had many animals and servants. His dad had concubines who had many children. We know that Abraham had 2 other brothers. More than likely he was the youngest. His older brother Haran dies. Haran’s son Lot adopted his uncle Abraham to be his father figure. To Abraham, his father Terah was everything. His world. It was the father, Terah who got the vision to break away from the family and to travel to a new land. To his dad, traveling to a new land meant traveling to the next town. When Terah left – he took his younger son, Abraham, his daughter (now married to Abraham, Sarah, and his grandson Lot. As they were living in his father’s house – Abraham heard a voice of a new god – telling him that there was something else out there. In Genesis 1-3. God calls Abraham to walk away from his country, his relatives, and his father’s house. In those days – you had no reason to leave your father’s house. Your livelihood was there, you would marry a spouse from there, your mother was there, everything. As a younger brother, however, he must have realized that his father’s house would never be his. And even though he was doing well, he had no kids beside his nephew who was determined to carry on his own father’s name. So in the prime of his life, aged 75 – he hears the call of Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God. He follows God’s voice wandering throught the desert, with no idea of what his future would be. One night as he is camping in the sand, he looks up at the countless stars and God makes a promise that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. That his house will be bigger than anything that his father ever dreamed of. With that promise and no guarantees he steps out in search of his destiny in an unknown land. Thousands of years later, another son will leave the realm of his father’s house. Jesus comes to earth to teach us to listen to the voice of God and to trust God’s plan for us. We are told to follow God on a journey, to form a new family, to love and care for one another, to build a world on earth just like the Father’s house in heaven. Jesus gives us a new promise – in my Father’s House there are many mansions – enough for all of us to live happily. When I think of Abraham’s story I also think of my stepfather. Who is not much older than Abraham when he embarked on a new journey. As he has to discern a new way of life and a move into an unknown future. Presently he is contemplating moving our of his house of 53 years and going into assisted living. He is not happy about leaving the life that he built for 53 years, the memories of family, the familiarity to enter into a new life. It is a very hard and painful decision. And just like for Abraham – there are no guarantees only faith and promises. It is not faith until it is all that we have to rely on In our scripture – God made 7 promises to Abraham The seven promises God made to Abraham are: 1. "I will make you a great nation": God promised to take a childless man and grow his descendants into a vast, distinct nation (Israel). Christ Over All +1 2. "I will bless you": God promised to provide Abraham with divine favor, protection, and provision throughout his life. GospelBells Radio 3. "I will make your name great": God promised Abraham an enduring legacy of honor across generations and cultures. Christ Over All +1 4. "You shall be a blessing": God chose Abraham not merely to receive blessings, but to actively be a channel of divine favor to others. Christ Over All +1 5. "I will bless those who bless you": God promised His favor to anyone who supported or aligned themselves with Abraham and his descendants. Christ Over All +1 6. "I will curse those who curse you": God promised to bring judgment upon anyone who opposed or oppressed Abraham and his family. Christ Over All +1 7. "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed": The ultimate promise, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, declaring that the lineage of Abraham would eventually bring salvation to the whole world. Christ Over All +1 Abraham trusted those promises. But it didn’t become faith – until it was all that he had to rely on to step into the future. The truth is we all have those moments in life. When we have to move forward. We have no guarantees that things are going to turn out the way we expect. We have no guarantees that things are going to get better. All we have is Abrahams faith. We all have those moments in life, when we have to leave what we are comfortable with, and embrace our faith. Sometime it is a big step in our lives, but in reality no matter what stage of life we are in, moving forward everyday is a choice. Our Faith opens the door in the human spirit that allows an individual to step from one dimension of living into a higher dimension of living. Dr. Charles Allen tells of a desperate layman who called him one morning over the phone and urgently requested him to come to his office. The businessman continued, "Would you tell me what it means to be a Christian? I have got to know." We ministers are challenged by such a request, but how do we answer the question? It all begins with faith. Faith is a personal response to an inner glimpse of God. Faith is risking all of my life on what I believe about God. Once I was visiting in the home of a young adult couple. The husband asked: "When do I become a Christian when I believe or when I become perfect?" I had to answer, "Neither." You can believe and do nothing about it, and if you wait until you are perfect, you will never get there. You become a Christian when you launch out on a life pilgrimage committed to what you see of God in Jesus Christ. Faith is not being trapped in a static definition of life. It is a launching out in a new direction which you believe will unfold as you go. What do I believe in so much that I am willing to live by it? What is the basis of my decision-making? Whether it is true or false, good or bad, that is my faith. The scripture tells us they "journeyed on by stages toward the Negeb" (12:9). In that sense, we are always moving through some stage of life. Living is a continual journey. It is futile to think we can arrive at a certain place where everything will be safe and secure. We are on a pilgrimage from birth to death to eternity. We never get it all together. We never solve all the problems or remove all the dangers. Even if you arrive at a place called, "I got it made!" you soon discover it is not a permanent residence. It is only a rest stop on the road to whatever comes next. Even if we somehow attain a goal of making life safe and comfortable, it is an empty, meaningless victory. For life at its best is an on-going spiritual journey toward loving God. They say that the universe is constantly growing, that the number of stars continues to grow, may we take our place in the heavens among the stars- working to increase the children of Abraham through love and kindness. Song Rescue the Perishing UMH 591 Prayer for the Day Long before the change of name, before the first signs of new life showed the beginnings of promises fulfilled, You asked Abram to make his home among foreigners, and share the blessing that was to come. And now, O God, you ask the same faith of us: The faith to count ourselves among the least, to find our place alongside the poor and broken; The faith to trust in your mercy and your promises, and to share what we have received; The faith to wait expectantly for your reign of justice and equity, together with those who most need its gifts. Teach us to be children of Abram, sharers of the blessings we enjoy: The blessing of plenty shared with those who have need, The blessing of healing shared with those who are sick and wounded, The blessing of joy shared with those who celebrate and of tears shared with those who grieve, The blessing of friendship shared with those who are excluded, and of solidarity with those who fight injustice, The blessing of peace shared with those in conflict, and of confrontation shared with those who bring harm; And in some small way, may our faith and our sharing, help to bring your promises into being in our world. Amen. Written by John van de Laar on his Sacredise blog. Reposted at the Pilgrim WR Uniting Church website at https://pilgrimwr.unitingchurch.org.au/?p=11174. Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment The Gospels tell us story after story of Jesus as “healer.” The Matthew 9 text today tells of healing the daughter of a leader, and a woman who had bled for 12 years. He healed with a word, a touch, his own spit and dirt of the earth. In many cities around the world, we see hospitals, nursing homes, churches, and therapy offices where followers of Jesus use their gifts to bring healing today. Here, week by week, we invite you to share your gifts to help heal the hurts of the world through the work of this congregation and the work of the wider church. Time, talent, and treasure all are needed. Will you share your gifts this morning? You can do that by… [Describe several ways giving can happen – the offering plates, a note to offer help for a specific need, speaking to a leader.] We are one part of the body of Christ, still in the healing business! Prayer of Thanksgiving Blessed are you, Lord God, for the ways you inspire and encourage each of us to follow Jesus. We offer these gifts to you, grateful for the varied ways each and all are contributors to the health and well-being of the world you continue to love. Help us utilize each gift to the max, enabling Good News to be embodied here and now. AMEN (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith ad Giving) Communion Invitation to Communion Do not Print just title Matthew reports (Mt. 9:10) that Jesus shared dinner one evening in a house where he sat with his disciples, tax collectors, and sinners. I wonder what a reporter might describe about us? That is, if someone could identify the activities of each and all of us, what might show up? How marvelous to have Jesus’ response: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” ALL of us are welcome to share in this meal. Our identities, both those visible and those that are invisible, do not demand that we should be excluded. Rather, we are each welcome and invited to share in bread and juice, remembering Jesus and gaining strength To see thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, Follow thee more nearly, day by day. (lyrics from “Day by Day,” 1971 Godspell) The table is prepared and there is a place for you. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Sending Prayer for YouTube Like Sarah and Mary, Abraham ad Aaron, we take those steps of faith offered by our God. With Jesus, as well as foolish and fallible followers, we dare go into those unknown places where hope is absent, where grace is empty. With Paul, with Phoebe, with people we know, we are willing to follow the Spirit on adventures into justice and compassion. (Lectionary Liturgies, Thom M. Shuman) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Go now as the people of God, a family. (United Methodist Board of Discipleship) Additional Illustrations One never knows what's beginning and what's ending. Looking back we may, or we may not, be able to recall the insignificant little events -- a passing comment, a glance across a room, words on the page of a book, a thought as we stared out a window -- minor events which were the beginnings of something which shaped a significant aspect of our lives. What loving gesture, repentant prayer, word spoken or purposely not spoken, what discipline exercised, might indicate a new beginning in your spiritual life this week? Once, an elderly couple, hearts quickened by the promises of a living and gracious God, packed their belongings and set out with their family for a promised future. God works wanders! CSS Publishing, Caught In The Acts, by Gerald Whetstone It has been reported that there are some 33,000 promises in the Bible that God has made to his people. Would we not be wise to find the ones that apply to our present needs and situation and claim them for ourselves in the name of our Faithful Promiser? While it is unclear exactly what prompted Terah's initial move from Ur to Haran, there is absolutely no ambiguity about what inspired Abram's move. The Lord's directive to Abram is straightforward, both in its demand and in its promises. Genesis 12:1 does not try to sugarcoat or soft-pedal the things Abram is asked to give up. In fact, the text itemizes them. God commands Abram to leave his country, kindred and father's house - everything, in fact, that gave Abram his personal identity. In the tight-knit family/clan-oriented culture of this people, leaving family meant leaving not just personal or sentimental attachments. Abandoning the clan meant leaving one's only source of law, morality, safety, security and identity. For Abram to leave the enclave of his family was to put his future survival - both psychological and personal - very much at risk. This call from the Lord is unique in grammatical structure as well as in content. The phrase invoked by the Divine in 12:1 is lech lecha - literally an emphatic "Go, you!" There are only two instances in the entire Bible where God addresses anyone with direct personal command. The second occurrence of lech lecha, "Go, you!" is also spoken to Abraham - this time in Genesis 22:2. Although English translation almost invariably fails to reflect this parallelism, both God's initial call to Abram in Genesis 12:1 and God's shocking command to Abraham that he offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice are phrased with this lech lecha, "Go, you!" directive. This parallelism is significant. In both cases, Abram/Abraham is being asked to give up his own identity as a symbol of his commitment to the Lord Yahweh. In Genesis 12:1, Abram is asked to give up his entire past - his family, his land, all that has shaped him into his own self. In the case of Genesis 22, Abraham is asked to give up his future - the new identity he has carved out for himself but which is intimately tied to his beloved "miracle" son Isaac. God's command, "Go, you!" severs Abram/Abraham from everything human he would cling to for security and identity. In both cases the lech lecha order leaves Abram/Abraham solely with God - no past, no future, no family, no land, no people. Just God. This is not to suggest that Abram was emotionally detached from old family ties the moment he responded to God's covenant-command. The very aged Abraham orders his servant to find Isaac a wife among his own people - his old clan - not from among the Canaanites (Genesis 24:4). But after his call from God, the old loyalties, the old ways, the controlling definitions of family and culture failed to dictate Abram's life any longer. The covenant relationship God established with Abram began the process of creating a world of free but ethical behavior between God and all creation. Unlike the capricious or whimsical behavior of the gods in other ancient Near Eastern religions, the constancy of Yahweh's pledged word gave Abram and his followers a standard of security and a basis for living with enduring faith and ethical commitment. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Works, by Leonard Sweet Abraham and his nephew Lot had prospered in the land of Canaan. They had many flocks and herds and their herdsmen had begun to quarrel among themselves, and the two owners were in danger of becoming involved also. But Abraham said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between us for we are kinsmen." Then very generously he told Lot to make his own choice of the land where he would like to go and find pasture for his cattle and sheep. How greatly is the spirit of peacefulness needed in our world today. Quarreling, fighting, and killing seem to be the order of the day. Within the past two weeks the radio reported three such horrible events right within the families where there should be peace and harmony. "Be ye kind to one another, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31, 32; 5:1) Young Ben's family was quite active in a church that emphasizes a personal commitment to Christ. Even though he was quite young, Ben had heard more than one sermon about the importance of surrendering one's life to Christ. And so, one morning as the family sat around the kitchen table eating Cheerios, little Ben announced that he, too, was ready to give his life to Christ. He then got up from the table and went upstairs. His mother and father looked at each other and then decided to follow Ben. They thought they might find him on his knees in prayer. They didn't. Instead, they found him folding his Star Wars pajamas into his Sesame Street suitcase. They asked, "Ben, what are you doing?" He answered, "Packing." "Why?" they asked. "To go to heaven," he said. In Ben's young mind, giving one's life to Christ was no small step. It meant the willingness to leave his family and travel immediately to be with Christ. (1) As I read this story told by Ben's mom I thought of that old Testament figure, Abraham. The picture we get of Abraham is of a man with the same kind of complete and unreserved faith in God that little Ben had. Booker T. Washington was a dreamer who backed up his dreams with action. Abraham must have been a man like that as well. We don't know how God spoke to Abramfor that was his name before he accomplished his dream. Could it have been an audible voice? Perhaps. A still small voice within the heart? Maybe. Somehow Abram knew that God was telling him to leave his homeland and to move to land which God would show him. There he would found a new nationa great nationa nation that would be a blessing to the world. What a dream! What a vocation! I don't know about you but most of my dreams seem inadequate and pathetic compared to Abram's dream. I believe in airplanes, but if I do not ever fly, it is probable that I have no faith in airplanes. Only when I fly do I have faith in planes. My life is defined by my faith. The one certain controlling thing at the center of my consciousness is my faith. I live by what I believe in. The questions are: What is truth? What is reality? What is the true purpose of life? What is God really like? What is God calling me to be? All of these questions have to do with faith. Others had asked questions: but Abraham acted on his questions. This is when faith becomes real. He put his life on the line. He dedicated his life to finding this God whom he had glimpsed. "And he went out, not knowing whither he went ... for he looked for a city that hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:8,10 King James) This God revealed himself to Abraham throughout the journey. And the Judeo-Christian faith was launched and became the most creative stream of life that has flowed through human history. What was there about the promise of this God, Yahweh, that attracted them? What would motivate a 75-year-old man whose family had lived in the area for generations to pack everything and move to an unknown place called Canaan? We must conclude something significant was missing in their lives. Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann, suggests the family of Abraham must have felt as though they had no viable future in Mesopotamia.2 Their barrenness was more than childlessness. Their lives were empty. They were cut off from real meaning and joy. They had no foreseeable future, and cut off from God, they were without potential. They may have felt safe and comfortable in the Tigris-Euphrates River valley, but their lives were barren. To pump meaning into an empty existence they had no alternative but to step out in faith and go to Canaan. They had to leave security behind. They had to abandon the familiar. They had to trust God and step into the unknown. If they wanted a future, that was the only possibility. It was frightening and it was risky, but faith is always a scary, risky business. The story of Abraham and Sarah is also our story. If you want to get out of this life all it has to offer, you need to risk leaving what seems safe, secure and comfortable in order to trust God and step out in faith. loving people and serving the needs of others. To live any other way is to come up short. Robert Bly in his poem, "Snowbanks North Of The House,"3 uses the image of the "great sweeps of snow that stop suddenly six feet from the house." Unless we risk and keep striving on this journey, we become like the boy who never reads another book after high school graduation or like the child who loses contact with the family and quits calling home. We are cut off from the past and have no tools to open a future. For others, some event shatters the comfortable cocoon. The children are grown. They want nothing more than to settle back and enjoy life. Then one of their children dies. She was 33, but still their child. No pain surpasses that of burying one's child, no matter the age. They move through their grief in different ways and at different paces. They lose touch with one another. Before they emerge from the pain, they have lost their marriage as well as their child. For others, it can happen differently. One night at a party, the wife sees her husband across the room and realizes she loves him no more. There was no problem, no crisis. The caring simply left. They took their marriage for granted and the warm glow of love drowned in neglect. We are fellow travelers on this pilgrimage that goes from birth to death to eternity. We always move from place to place and stage to stage. It can be a frightening journey. Certainly it always involves risk. The alternative, however, is not promising. To fail to take a risk can make us like the woman who puts down her rolling pin and bakes no more. We know people like that. For reasons not fully clear, they run out of enthusiasm in mid-life. By the age of 40 he has no other work-related goal than retirement. She no longer even dreams of an exciting vacation in a faraway place or even relishes a simple task like cooking a meal. Life comes up short. They failed to grasp that life is a spiritual journey requiring risk to move from stage to stage, step to step. What a terrible thing when people give up on life. What a shock it can be to think you have it together only to discover there is always one more hill to climb, one more problem to face, one more crisis to endure. What a terrible thing to exist even for 70 or 80 or 90 years, but not to know the abundance of life. To live to the fullest means accepting that we are on a spiritual pilgrimage. We don't have the option of comfort and security. God always calls us out of the present moment to risk moving into the future. Like Abraham, we always go by stages toward the Negeb. We don't know what comes next. We only know that our security is in our relationship to this God who will not abandon us. This is the God who is in Christ Jesus calling us over the tumult of life's wild restless sea saying, "Christian, follow me." ________________________________________ 1. Gibson, Volume 2, p. 6.2. Brueggemann, p. 116.3. From The Man In The Black Coat Turns, (New York: Doubleday, 1981). CSS Publishing, Tenders of the Sacred Fire, by R. Robert Cueni It happened a couple of months ago. I was struggling with personal direction issues, but had also begun to think of the assignment of preaching on this occasion. The words of a young man named Nicholas in The Magus, a novel by John Fowles, popped into my mind. I went back into my files and retrieved it. “It poured rain the day I left. But I was filled with excitement, a strange sense of taking wing. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew what I needed. I needed a new land, a new race, a new language; and although I couldn’t have put it into words then, I needed a new mystery.” (John Fowles, The Magus, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 965, pg. 150) The Promises of God Are True Tom Long says that while he was at Princeton, he went to a nearby Presbyterian church that prides itself on being an academic, intellectual church. Early on, he said, he went to a family night supper and sat down next to a man, introduced himself, told him he was new, and said, "Have you been here long?" "Oh yes," the man said. "In fact I was here before this became such a scholarly church. Why I’m probably the only non-intellectual left. I haven't understood a sermon in over 25 years." "Then why do you keep coming," Tom asked? "Because every Monday night a group of us get in the church van and drive over to the youth correctional center. Sometimes we play basketball, or play games. Usually we share a Bible story. But mostly we just get to know these kids and listen to them. "I started going because Christians are supposed to do those kind of things. But now I could never stop. Sharing the love of God at that youth center has changed my life." And then he said this profound statement. "You cannot prove the promises of God in advance, but if you live them, they’re true, every one." During this Lenten season how are you living the promises of God? Where is it that God is calling you to go? Our ancestors came from a very long way for us to get where we are – but we still have a long way to go – especially in our hearts and souls. The seven promises God made to Abraham are: 1. "I will make you a great nation": God promised to take a childless man and grow his descendants into a vast, distinct nation (Israel). Christ Over All +1 2. "I will bless you": God promised to provide Abraham with divine favor, protection, and provision throughout his life. GospelBells Radio 3. "I will make your name great": God promised Abraham an enduring legacy of honor across generations and cultures. Christ Over All +1 4. "You shall be a blessing": God chose Abraham not merely to receive blessings, but to actively be a channel of divine favor to others. Christ Over All +1 5. "I will bless those who bless you": God promised His favor to anyone who supported or aligned themselves with Abraham and his descendants. Christ Over All +1 6. "I will curse those who curse you": God promised to bring judgment upon anyone who opposed or oppressed Abraham and his family. Christ Over All +1 7. "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed": The ultimate promise, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, declaring that the lineage of Abraham would eventually bring salvation to the whole world. Christ Over All +1

The Hope of Abraham

Romans 4:13-25 Second Sunday of Lent The Promises of Abraham Year B Opening song Welcome Opening prayer Lord of presence and power, be with us on this second step of our Lenten journey to the Cross. Help us to make a commitment of our lives, our spirits, our hearts to ministry in your name. AMEN. Stewardship Moment (just print the prayer of thanksgiving) The story of God finally responding positively to Abram and Sarai challenges many of us. After seeking to follow God for nearly their whole lives, they are finally given that for which they’ve yearned: the promise of the birth of their child! At 99 years old, was Abram really still waiting to receive what God promised to give? YES! Fast forward to Jesus, who offered to give the crowd and the disciples a new identity as “followers”. Were they waiting to receive what Jesus offered, even if it meant “deny yourselves and take up your cross”? YES! This season of Lent provides opportunity for us to receive what Jesus offered. Can you imagine Jesus, waiting to see how we deny ourselves and offer back to the Holy what we might have grasped for ourselves? In this season, our congregation is __________________________ (name what your special offering is, and up-date where you are in underwriting this). An additional way for us to deny ourselves is to step up and participate with generosity and enthusiasm in the Week of Compassion offering, “Let Love Flow”. (video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDMgubCd1U, or at weekofcompassion.org). Our congregation’s goal is $__________ (or if you don’t have a goal, provide a giving challenge which will stretch folks’ “giving muscle”. Do you have an outreach team who will match what the congregation gives?) With true desire to live our lives as followers of Jesus, let us receive the gifts of the people of God. Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy Giver of Life, You’ve provided for us all that we have. So receive these gifts, offered because this is one way to act out our desire to be followers of Jesus. Help us grow in our ability to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and truly walk in the Way of the Christ, in whose name we pray, AMEN Scripture Romans 4:13-25 Common English Bible Abraham’s promise is received through faith 13 The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn’t come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith. 14 If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled. 15 The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn’t any law, there isn’t any violation of the law. 16 That’s why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham’s descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us. 17 As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations.[a] So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don’t exist into existence. 18 When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That’s how many descendants you will have.[b] 19 Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb, which was dead. 20 He didn’t hesitate with a lack of faith in God’s promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness. 23 But the scripture that says it was credited to him[c] wasn’t written only for Abraham’s sake. 24 It was written also for our sake, because it is going to be credited to us too. It will be credited to those of us who have faith in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over because of our mistakes, and he was raised to meet the requirements of righteousness for us. Sermon The Promises of Abraham The season is upon us once again. Around this time every year we can expect the annual cycle to bring us to this special season when we are intentional about carving out extra time in our lives for that which is most important to us. It's not like other times of the year. Instead, during this season, for many of us, our thoughts and our conversations take a distinctively different focus. Of course, most of you probably realize what season I'm talking about. We are now in the midst of the latest season of American Idol on television. One of the most entertaining parts of American Idol comes at the beginning where thousands of people audition to become contestants on the show. The ones we end up seeing are the very best and very worst. I have a feeling that there are some contestants who are intentionally weird and awful so that they will be televised and can have their brief moment of fame. They seem to have no sense of embarrassment, even though I find myself being embarrassed for them. I have watched American Idol since the first show in 2002. It stays relevant, because it has launched the careers of many people. I think the show has endured for 19 years because it gives us a sense of hope, that with a lot of hard work, and a little luck the every day person can become a star. There have been some real talent on the show. There have been some real tears of people who thought they had talent, but they were told the truth. And then there are some people, like to model who sung in his speedo’s where it is obvious that person has not talent, but is just looking for 5 minutes of fame. But all of these people have one thing in common – hope. Hope for a better future. I don’t think that it was an accident that American Idol started this season on the first Sunday of Lent. Lent also is a season of hope – Hope in things that we cannot forsee. Hope in a God who always keeps God’s promises. All of us here are people who, in spite of great odds – have chosen to take that God at God’s word. We live in trust of God. In Romans, Paul uses Abraham as an example of faith, of a model of one who trusted God in all things. The message for us today is that when we are able to have faith in God, we become children of Abraham. I love Paul’s explanation of Abraham’s faith. At 90, he knew that he was much closer to death than he was life. But God promised him life. One night he invited Abraham to count the stars in heaven, when Abraham realized that he could not count all of the stars that he saw, God promised that he would be the father of that many children. Today we are those children, not biologically, but by faith – that is a good thing. The Book of Romans was written to people who were loosely Christians. They did not belong to organized churches, they were part of family churches that met in houses. They were clearly gentiles – converts. They became Christian on profession of faith. This was a time where there was a debate of whether you could truly be a Christian if you were not circumcised. The Jewish Christians would have been circumcised as babies. These new converts would have had to go through that ceremony as adults if it were not for Paul’s words. It was not the ceremony that made us children of Abraham – it was faith. We are Christian because were like Abraham were willing to take God at God’s word – even when it did not make sense. But back to Abraham and his fit of laughter. Abraham's wife, Sarah, wasn't any more dignified when she heard the news. Author Dave Meurer claims that Sarah laughed because she was secretly thinking, "Surely the Lord would not make me go through menopause TWICE?!?" (4) Christian humorist Martha Bolton, in her book A Funny Thing Happened on My Way Through the Bible, envisions what a baby shower invitation might look like for ninety-year-old Sarah. In one column are the gifts for the baby: pureed foods, a bib, gum ointment, a walker. In the other column are the gifts for the mother-to-be, Sarah: pureed foods, a bib, gum ointment, a walker. (5) Do you imagine that Abraham began carving a baby rattle for his intended boy? Did he clear some extra space in a corner of the house for a crib? Did Sarah begin letting out the seams of her clothes in anticipation of her expanding belly? The Bible doesn't fill in these little details, only the most important detail: they believed God's promise, in spite of its impossibility. That is all it took. Abraham believed that God was going to keep the promise. For the first time in all the Bible, God said, "Here is a child who is made right with me." Abraham believed, and said, "Yes," to God. That's all it took. When we are able to trust in God- it has a huge effect on how we live our lives and how we use our faith. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul says that there are two types of hope – a fool’s hope and a child of Abraham faith. There are two ways to live – we can live by the law which requires circumcision, and there is life by faith where we trust the promises of God. Some of us have a yearbook faith – we keep it safe in a book so that we can look back on it when we need it. It gives us wonderful memories, but not a whole lot of power. Some of us have a ticket booth faith - By contrast, consider the ticket window. You go up to the box office, make a purchase, and then you are allowed in. We can think of God in Christ as the official ticket agent who lets us into the stadium, and that is true enough. The problem with a ticket window, however, is that you must have some earning power to get your ticket. You need to work hard and long to accumulate enough money, and then you will be allowed through the gate and shown to your seat. The problem, however, is that the ticket costs too much for anybody to buy. Nobody else can afford it, either. The only available tickets are the tickets that somebody gives you. So how do we make our way through the world? Not by remembering memorable achievements in the yearbook. Not by buying our own admission. We make our way through the world by responding to the free gift of God. Imagine, says Robert Capon, a sign over a stadium that announces, "Open to all for free." You draw near and discover somebody has already stuck a free ticket in your pocket, given you a fine seat, and brought you a hot dog and a drink. You did not ask for any of it. It is given to you, and you have to decide if you can accept it. There is nothing else to remember or forget. There is nothing you need to do to earn your way inside. You are already there, as a gift - unless, of course, you refuse the offer which has been offered to everybody. Capon says the work of Jesus on our behalf is like this. It says not only that we don't need to have the wherewithal (good works) for a ticket, but that even to think we could buy a ticket is to misunderstand the whole setup ... The only appropriate thing to do about such a fantastic arrangement is just shut up, believe it, and enjoy it - because we've already got it.1 In the church, the ten-cent word which we use for all this is "justification." It's the idea that God-in-Christ justifies us; that Christ makes us right in God's sight; that in our unacceptable state, God accepts us, because Jesus has done all the necessary work on our behalf. That is all it ever takes. All that faith requires is to trust that the one ticket you could never earn has already been slipped into your pocket. The good news is that the ticket booth faith is a faith that is offered to all – not just Christians, but all people who believe like Abraham. It is also a faith where all things are possible. One summer in the village of Crete, the drought of the past winter threatened the crops. The priest in the local church told his congregation: "The only thing that will save us is for us to offer a special litany of rain. Therefore, I ask that you go back to your homes, fast during the week, and believe that the rains will come. Then return next Sunday for the litany of rain." The villagers listened to him and fasted during the week as he had told them. On Sunday morning, they returned to the church. But as soon as the priest saw the people filing into the church, he was furious. "Go away," he shouted to them. "I will not do the litany. You do not believe." "But, Father," they protested, "we fasted just like you told us and we came back today believing as you asked us. Why are you being so harsh to us?" "Believe, you say?" the priest questioned. "And where are your umbrellas?" Where is your faith? Where is your faith in our church? How are you willing to stand on the faith of God? Listen to a young black girl from Botswana, writing a moving novel, When Rain Clouds Gather: I really liked this country from the very day I came here. I have always been lonely and to me it was just like a fish finding a pond at last. A country like this forces you to find your underground spring in order to survive.1 When one knows in his experience the love of God, then he has found the "underground spring." Faith is, for all, that underground spring, without which we do not really survive. In London, a few years ago, I chanced to have dinner with an official of the London Oil Company, which was then drilling in Libya. He told me that in drilling for oil they had discovered an immense lake of fresh water (something like the Great Lakes) underneath the desert. He said this could mean more to Libya than the oil. It could mean new life to Libya, irrigation for fertile soil, farms, green life. And then he added, "You know, when they bring this water to the surface, it might even start raining in Libya again." If we stand on our faith perhaps it will start raining in Wilmington again this spring. "Wait! Listen a minute! We cannot overlook the fact that the Christian movement has been the most creative and healing movement in the last 2,000 years of history. What is it? What is the source of its effectiveness? Only to our own hurt do we close our eyes to this fact. We owe it to ourselves to discover its secret." Comedienne Kathy Buckley says, "I have learned that faith is having the patience to wait, knowing that all things will be done in God's time. I only wished I owned one of [God's] watches." (3) What would happen if we were able to take God at God’s word? This is the season of lent, the seasons of dreams, trust and faith. This is the season where the contestants of American Idol are stepping out on faith in using their hope. There are two types of hope – a fools hope and the hope of Abraham. This is the season for us to choose hope in God. Amen. Prayer (just print the prayer of confession and the words of assurance) Prayer of Confession: Guiding Lord, even though we hesitated on our Lenten journey; we vowed to come with you through all the trials and fears toward the Cross. Today we face the challenge which true commitment brings. Are we willing to offer our whole selves to you in service? We would like to think that we can do that, but we are aware of how many times we have turned away from service and instead focused on our own desires. Remind us again of the commitment you would have us give if we are to become disciples. Forgive our stubbornness and fears. Lead us forward, gracious Lord, up these steps toward the Cross. AMEN. Words of Assurance: The journey of discipleship is never easy; but you can be assured that you will not be on this journey alone. Place your trust in Jesus. AMEN. Pastoral Prayer: You stop us in our tracks, O Lord, with your reminder that discipleship is not a “sometime” thing. We are called to place our whole lives in your care; to follow you; to serve you by caring for others, not just once in a while, but always. We admit that we’re not always ready to do this. The demand is great; the need is great; our energies are limited. Help us to place our trust and our lives in your care. You will give us the strength and courage that we will need for this step on the journey. Be with us. Help us to remember that your love is poured out for all your people; you are never far away. It is in Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. Lord’s Prayer Song for Reflection Faith of Our Fathers UMH 710 Announcements Benediction The step of discipleship requires commitment and faith. Go now in peace, bringing the good news of Jesus’ love to all people. Do not be afraid. God is with you. AMEN. Children’s Sermon Can We Really Trust God? Romans 4:1-25 Object: A branch from a tree Good morning, boys and girls. Our lesson for today is about trusting God. It may surprise you to know that adults have questions about life just as you do. We have questions about the future, about what life will be like after we die, all kinds of questions. We don't know the answers. But God knows. All we can do is trust God. I have this branch from a tree with me to remind me of a wonderful little story. It is about a snail that climbed a cherry tree in the middle of winter. Someone asked the snail, "Why are you climbing a tree with no blossoms at the top?" The snail answered, "It will have blossoms by the time I reach the top." The slow-moving snail knew that blossoms would appear with the coming of spring. We're kind of like that snail creeping up the cherry tree. We don't have all the answers to life's questions, but we trust by the time we get to points in our lives when we need answers, God will provide them. The most peaceful person in the world is the person who has learned to trust God. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Additional Illustrations "We owe it to ourselves to discover its secret." God in Christ forgiving my sins. God in Christ making me a loving person. God in Christ redeeming the world by love - "the love activity of God" - "the underground spring of the universe" by which we survive - the "mercies of God" which we receive by faith! But so many of us are unaware, blind; we stumble on "unloved and unloving." We won’t admit God’s love for us; so we go on slapping back, getting even, retaliating, hating. We think that God has hurt us (when we have only hurt ourselves), so we go on hurting others. Wake up! Come to! Realize that you are loved, so that you can truly love others. Back to our Scripture: "(Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith." And the world became a different place. Am I ready for this? Am I? What would you do in Pham's place? What happens when our fears collide with our faith? This morning we are continuing the sermon theme for the Lenten season, Choosing Christ at the Crossroads. It's an old joke, but an insightful one: A man slipped off the edge of a cliff, and just before he fell the hundreds of feet to the valley floor below, he grabbed a protruding branch. There he was, dangling precariously from that little branch, afraid that any second it would pull out from the side of the cliff. "Help!" he began to cry. "Help! Is anyone up there?!" Finally, after no answer, he began to pray desperately, after which he heard a big booming voice. "I am the Lord. I am here to save you!" The man was beyond relieved. "Oh, thank you. Thank you, Lord! But please hurry. Do something!" The Lord returned, "I will, my son. All you have to do is follow my every direction without doubting or fear." "Fine. Fine," hollered back the man. "Anything! But please hurry! What do you want me to do first?" The booming voice came back, "Let go." The man was silent for a moment. Finally he hollered out, "Is anyone else up there?" Imagine, if you will, a tightrope stretched across the street between two tall buildings (you might insert the names of two well-known buildings in your town or city, or you might name some high spot with which your people are familiar). That's a pretty good drop. A man stands at one end of the wire and announces his intent to walk across the wire from one side to the other. A crowd gathers to watch because what he intends to do is dangerous, not to mention, a bit strange. The tightrope walker asks the crowd if they believe he can make it across. They respond that they believe he can do it in order to encourage him to take the risk. Carefully, very slowly, he teeters his way across, almost falling, but not quite; then dances on the wire proving that the crowd was right to believe him. Reaching the other side, he holds up a wheelbarrow and again asks the crowd if they believe he can push it across the wire ahead of him. Some nod their agreement that they believe; others shrug their shoulders in a "not too sure" response. The tightrope walker then singles out a man who had nodded and points to him. "Sir," he asks, "do you believe I can make it?" The man responds, "I sure do." The tightrope walker says to the man, "Then prove your faith by riding in the wheelbarrow." Perhaps it is something like this. You are at one of those wonderful inland lakes in Indiana on a beautiful summer day. You are standing on a pier watching a family in their small boat taking in the beautiful day a hundred feet or so off shore. Suddenly the boat capsizes. The children are screaming for help. You want to be able to help them. All you can see is the deep water, that it is cold, that a strong wind is blowing, that there are tall waves ... and you can't swim! That is the bad news. But the good news is that standing there next to you is a lifeguard. He has a life jacket for you to put on. He invites you to join him in performing the rescue of your life. He invites you to believe, "hoping against hope," in spite of evidence to the contrary, that together with his help you can do it. Jesus is standing at our side. He has given us his promise. We cannot fail. There is nothing in this universe that can separate us from his love and his commitment to us. Given that reality, now is the time to jump in the water! Amen. CSS Publishing, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (First Third): The Good News, The Bad News, and The Only News That Matters, by Steven E. Albertin Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word It is told that once Saint Theresa set out to build a convent with a sum the equivalent of twelve pence as her complete resources. Someone said to her, “Not even Saint Theresa can accomplish much with twelve pence.” “True,” she answered, “but Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do anything.” A man may well hesitate to attempt a great task by himself; there is nothing which he need hesitate to attempt with God. Ann Hunter Small, the great missionary teacher, tells how her father, himself a missionary, used to say: “Oh! the wickedness as well as the stupidity of the croakers!” And she herself had a favourite saying:” A church which is alive dares to do anything.” That daring only becomes possible to a man and to a church who take God at his word.

The Challenge of Following Christ

June 21, 2020 Matthew 10:24-33 4th Sunday of Pentecost Father’s Day Year A The challenge of following Christ Children’s Sermon Object: A set of scales and a calculator. Good morning, boys and girls: (Father's Day) Have you ever heard someone say, "He's worth his weight in gold." That is one way of measuring value. Suppose I ask you to stand on a scale to find out how much you weigh. If you multiply that number by 16, you can find out how many ounces you weigh (multiply it). You weigh ( ) ounces. Gold recently sold for $1600.00 an ounce. That means you are worth ( ) in gold. That's a lot of money. Actually you are worth more than that. To your parents and other people who love you, you are worth more than all the gold in the world. Jesus was trying to explain to people how much each of us is worth to God, our Heavenly Father. He took a tiny sparrow. A sparrow was practically worthless to most people. You could buy two sparrows for penny. He said to them that God loves sparrows so much that when one of them falls from the sky, God knows it. Then Jesus turned to his listeners and said, "You are many time more important to God than are the sparrows." How much are we worth? You and I would walk a little taller and feel a little more important if we knew just how much we are loved. We are loved more than all of the gold on earth, more than all the birds in the air or fish in the sea. There is no way to measure how much we are worth to Sour parents or to God. In fact, God loved us so much that he gave His own Son in our behalf. Wow! We are loved. Now let's pass that love on to others. That is what people do when they know that they are loved. They pass it on. Why don't you find someone whom you can make feel like they are worth their weight in gold today as well? Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan\\ Prelude Opening Prayer Good morning, this is the first Sunday of summer. One of the longest days of the year – 17 hours of sunlight. As we begin worship this morning, I want to offer this special prayer for the summer God of all light, life and love, through the visible things in this world, you raise our thoughts to things unseen. You show us your power and your love. From the heavens where your dwell, refresh our hearts and renew our love with the lifegiving water of your word. Help us to see a new heaven and a new earth through the eyes of Christ resurrection! Stewardship Moment Scriptural theme for today is being sent out in mission. Knowing that it will not be easy, but that God will be with us. When we give, God will support us. We all know that there are a lot of hurting people – how can we support them? Being faithful with our offerings. Give to God in prayer and gifts and ask God to give relief and know that God hears our prayers. Giving to church is a part of our faith. On this lovely day, at the end of the month of June, we praise and thank you, O Lord. We bring before you our gifts, our lives, our talents. Take all these gifts and use them for work in your kingdom. Bless the gifts and the givers of all gifts. AMEN. Scripture Matthew 10:24-39 Common English Bible (CEB) 24 “Disciples aren’t greater than their teacher, and slaves aren’t greater than their master. 25 It’s enough for disciples to be like their teacher and slaves like their master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, it’s certain that they will call the members of his household by even worse names. Whom to fear 26 “Therefore, don’t be afraid of those people because nothing is hidden that won’t be revealed, and nothing secret that won’t be brought out into the open. 27 What I say to you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, announce from the rooftops. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for a small coin? But not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father knowing about it already. 30 Even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31 Don’t be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Confessing Christ to people 32 “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me before people, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Trouble in the family 34 “Don’t think that I’ve come to bring peace to the earth. I haven’t come to bring peace but a sword. 35 I’ve come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 People’s enemies are members of their own households.[a] 37 “Those who love father or mother more than me aren’t worthy of me. Those who love son or daughter more than me aren’t worthy of me. 38 Those who don’t pick up their crosses and follow me aren’t worthy of me. 39 Those who find their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives because of me will find them. Footnotes: a. Matthew 10:36 Mic 7:6 Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon I have been a Christian for all of my life. My faith has grown throughout my life for various reasons. One of those really important times was my freshman year in college. I received a phone call very early in the year asking if I wanted to participate in a student led bible study. I am not even sure of why I said yes, but the next week I was in the room of Erica and Kathy studying the bible. I didn’t really consider Erica a big sister, but the bible seemed to make so much sense when she talked about it. I was really encouraged to read the bible for myself. For some reason, the first book that I started with was Matthew. Now, today as a pastor, I don’t know if I would encourage a new Christian to start out learning about the faith through the book of Matthew. As I read each chapter, I became more and more convinced that it was impossible for anyone to be a Christian. You have to give up all your possessions, them walk away from your family, you will be persecuted, all in the name of God. That does not sound like any fun. The good news is that 35 years after reading Matthew – I am still here a faithful Christian. I was willing to overcome all of the threats in order to follow God. That is the message of Matthew – God is bigger than all of the negative things that life can bring. Our lesson for today – chapter 10 is the story of Jesus teaching this first lesson to the disciples. Jesus is talking to the disciples about going out into the world and spreading the good news. There are five major lessons that Jesus teaches in Matthew. We know these five stories, because they all begin with the words “ Jesus teaches his 12 disciples this lesson” I have read these five stories over and over again for the last 35 years. But this time, I was really struck with what Jesus was really saying. Jesus uses familiar sayings to teach a new lesson. There are 4 sections of this scripture with 4 different lessons. And I have to warn you, they get worse not better. The first lesson – the teacher is not greater than the student. On the surface it seems that Jesus is telling us that we need to know our place. Let the teacher do all of the talking, and just sit an listen. Honor the pecking order, you have to earn your spot and wait your turn to lead. But what Jesus is really doing is preparing his disciples for real life mission. Jesus us saying that if they call the teacher a devil, then the students will be called devils also. If you go out in ministry be prepared to get attacked, be prepared for criticism. Each of these lessons is a threat of what happens when you help others, Jesus gives s threat and a promise. The promise is that criticism and painful words cannot stop the mission of God. Even when people are negative – God’s mission will prevail. The second lesson – don’t be stopped by fear. No matter how hard we try we cannot eliminate fear. Fear is a part of our DNA as persons. Fear, just like any other emotions teaches us valuable lessons about the world. Jesus does not tell us to get rid of fear – he tells us to redirect it. Our fear should not be directed at people on earth – but to God in heaven. People can take physical things away from us, but God can take away our soul. Which is a greater loss? Material things can be replaced. Once we lose our soul, only God can replace it. Fear of God keeps us honest and grounded. Throughout the bible – when God has a job for a person, God sends an angel to speak to that person and to tell them not be to afraid. Usually these conversations are said in private one on one to the person. Jesus chooses to shout from the rooftops – be not afraid, God is with you through all of this. Speaking of privacy – Jesus 3rd lesson is that all that is said in private will be eventually made public. Jesus start to meddle in this next lesson – Jesus like most people in his day – lived in a small community where everyone knew each other’s business. As a matter of fact, it was an expectation that you knew your neighbors business better than you knew your own. In that kind of atmosphere, in order to stop others from knowing your business, you would often lie or mislead people about what was going on in life. Which meant that you never knew if your neighbor was telling the truth or protecting their privacy. Which is why in the book of John, whenever Jesus makes a statement he started out his sentence by saying – truly truly I tell you. – in other words you can believe what I am telling you. In a small town where everyone knows your business- how can you develop a trusting community. Jesus says that everything that is said in private will be made public. If you love God in private it will come to light. Who's In Charge Here? A colleague shared about a church he served in Tennessee where an eccentric and flamboyant elder impressed him with her intense commitment to the faith. She did not have a pietistic bone in her body, but her devotion was nonetheless clear and articulate. One evening at a dinner party in her home we were animatedly discussing some theological idea. In the midst of the give and take her teenage daughter, probably frustrated with all of the high-blown discussion of religion, asked, "Mother, you talk about religion all the time. Why are you so religious anyway?" This query brought a loud hush to the dining table. Her mother paused dramatically, pushed her chair back from the table, stood and responded, "Every morning before you are awake, I rise and walk into the living room. I lift my arms and ask, `Who's in charge here?' The answer always comes back: `Not you!' That's why I am religious. Because I am not in charge!" Religious life begins with the realization that we are not in charge, and from there we can proceed to align ourselves to the One who is in charge. Jesus is declaring to the disciples: Go into the world knowing who is in charge and what it will mean to act upon that knowledge! Jesus is clear, however, that to act on that knowledge is not always easy. Author Unknown Now that last lesson is the one that I had a problem with when I first read Matthew – anyone who is not willing to give up family is not worthy to be a follower of Christ. Give up your family? Today, like Jesus times, family is everything. Every culture in the world recognizes the importance of family loyalty. A religious professor tells of a letter he got from a colleague. His sister has ALS and he had to watch her deteriorate. So a note from a colleague reminding him that it was good they were going through this as a family meant everything to him. He knew that bible, but was not afraid to say that his sister was everything. There was not anything that could take his loyalty to his sister away. For most of us family is everything. But family is also the place where tensions arise. Jesus says that he will bring strife between families. He specifically say that he brings a sword to come between parents and children. First you say we have to give up our family, and now you say that you will be the source of family fights. What is the good news in that message? The promise is that God is bigger than our family loyalties. If both sides are focused on God they will come together in Spirit, even though they have differences. Often times parents and children are parts of different generations, with different experiences and different value systems. Someone explained it sort of like in the summer, when cold air meets hot air, a front of resistance develops, and that front develops into a storm. Times of chance are always stormy. Whenever the old order and way of doing things encounters the new way of doing things there is resistance which turns into a storm. Parents and children are at each other’s throats. Yet God is bigger than the storm. God is in the storm. God takes us beyond the stormy weather. We don’t have to lose our families, we can find our families in the spirit of God. If our loyalty lies with God and not our family – we find true loyalty and love. So there you have it – the 4 truths of being a follower of Christ. You cannot overcome struggles of life, you cannot escape fear, you cannot escape small town gossip, you cannot escape family strife. The good news – is that God is in the midst of all of the struggles. We have to learn to love God more than the struggles of life. One person said we have to learn to invite our dragons to tea. A father tells of the time when their family went on a camping trip with their toddler. One morning that mother had to go into town, leaving the father and the son to play together for the day. In the afternoon, the father got tired and wanted to take a nap. The toddler wandered off into the forest by himself. Rather than call him back, the father decided to follow him to see what would happen. For a little while the toddler was having the time of his life, playing with the animals, playing in the grass. But all of a sudden the toddler realized that he was alone. He got quiet and sat on a log. The father showed up to tell his son it was okay – the son did not seem a bit surprised or moved – he expected his father to be there for him when he got lost. In life, we can learn to live with that same assurance, that when we are lost – God is already looking and found us. God is a part of the process. God is with us so that we can be there for others. My final story Another Sunday School story. Two very modern little girls were solemnly discussing the lesson while coming home after church one day. One asked, "Do you believe in the Devil?" The other promptly responded, "No, of course not. It's just like Santa Claus - he's your father." Hmm. Happy Fathers Day. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons My only point in that story is to say Happy Father’s Day! Let us pray…. Prayer Father, we come before you today humbled and in awe of Your grace and mercy. Lord, we thank You for the way You have designed what a family is supposed to look like and the specific roles You have ordained to a mother and a father of how to lead their children. Yet Lord, through our sinful ways we have taken what You have made holy and created our own version of today’s families. Because of this, our children are suffering. It is for the fathers, families, and children of our nation that we do pray today. Lord, we pray specifically for fathers and fatherhood across our land. Your Word clearly instructs fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). God, we thank You for the men who are leading according to Your statutes and the ones that are laying their lives down for Your purposes. We pray that You will continue to use these men to lead their families and other men. We pray You will strengthen the fathers of our nation and that You will continue to empower churches, organizations, and individuals to invest in fathers and fatherhood for the sake of our children. Announcements The reopening health team has been meeting diligently within the last week, and after church council will have a special announcement about worship on the first Sunday of July. There should also be some other options for worship upcoming. When we go to a version of in person worship, we will still have online options. There will be a special church council meeting this Thursday June 26th at 7pm – to talk about in person worship Happy Fathers Day to all fathers today. Benediction God has given you all that you will need as you reach out in love and caring to others. Go into God’s world bringing the good news of redemption and hope. In Jesus’ Name, go in peace and may the God of Peace go with you always. AMEN. Chrysostom's Commitment Chrysostom was the patriarch of Constantinople in the fourth century. One of the stories surrounding this faithful witness concerns the occasion when the Roman emperor had him arrested and charged with being a Christian. If Chrysostom did not renounce Christ, then the emperor would have this Christian leader banished from the kingdom. Chrysostom responded to the threat by saying that the emperor could not do so, “because the whole world is my Father’s kingdom.” “Then,” replied the emperor, “I will take away your life.” To which Chrysostom said, “You cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God.” Next threatened with the loss of his treasure, this saint replied, “You cannot, for my treasure is in heaven where my heart is.” The emperor made one last effort: “Then I will drive you away from here and you shall have no friend left.” But again Chrysostom responded, “You cannot, for I have one Friend from whom you can never separate me. I defy you for you can do me no harm.” Living as we do in our Western, religiously-tolerant society, we may never face a crucial moment such as Chrysostom 16 centuries ago. We do, however, face similar temptations to renounce our faith, ignore our commitments, or compromise our loyalties. We will be tempted to deny we ever heard of the one called Jesus the Christ. We will be enticed to deny his power over our lives with phrases like: “Come on, everyone else is!” or “It will be fun, and no one will ever know.” We are daily forced to choose between the easy way, the quick fix and the promise of glamour and the way of Christ. Those who choose to acknowledge Christ must do so not just with lips but also with hearts and minds. Larry M. Goodpaster, Like a Breath of Fresh Air, CSS Publishing Company No Higher Duty Henri Nouwen, the great spiritual writer was going to a monastery for a retreat. The monks observed vows of silence and the retreat was to be meditative and prayerful. Nouwen was delayed and was late getting to the monastery on that miserable, rainy night. He rang the bell, well after bedtime, and was met at the door by one of the brothers. The brother warmly greeted him, took his wet coat, brought him to the kitchen and made him a cup of tea. They chatted in the late night hours and Nouwen began to relax and feel ready for the retreat. But he knew this monk was supposed to observe silence, so he finally asked him, "Why are you willing to sit and talk with me?" The monk replied "Of all the duties of the Christian faith and the rules of my order, none is higher than hospitality." J. Burton Williams, The Reward of a Disciple A New Social Order By the fourth century, the churches in Rome were feeding an estimated 20,000 poor people each week. The church at that time presented to the world a visible alternative to the prevailing social order. As Georges Florovsky has written in "Empire and Desert: Antinomies of Christian History": Christianity entered human history as a new social order or, rather, a new social dimension. From the very beginning, Christianity was not primarily a "doctrine," but exactly a "community." There was not only a "message" to be proclaimed and delivered and "Good News" to be declared, but there was, precisely, a New Community, distinct and peculiar, in the process of growth and formation, to which members were called and recruited. Indeed, "fellowship" ("koinonia") was the basic category of Christian existence. Jay M. Terbush, The Significance of the Insignificant Sent to the Lost Sheep A number of years ago I heard the story of a country preacher who asked his new little rural congregation to obey the call of Christ Jesus. He gave them all index cards in worship and asked them to write down the names of every family member, every neighbor, and every co-worker they knew that didn’t go to church anywhere. He stopped long enough for them to do just that in worship. When they got through writing, they had identified 1200 names. Then the preacher asked them to begin to pray for all the people on their card – to place it on the refrigerator or in their Bible as a prominent reminder to pray daily for these people. Then he asked them to invite the people to come to worship, and keep inviting, and keep inviting, and keep inviting. That dying little church suddenly had new life, because the disciples in that little church had been sent to the lost sheep of their community! The Church is not about us. It’s about God. God wants to save us from ourselves. God knows who among us have been possessed by unclean spirits (somebody is going to all those so-called adult video stores and so-called gentlemen’s clubs; somebody is frequenting those prostitutes that keep getting arrested). God knows who is sick and what’s ailing them. God knows who is dead in their faith and damned near close to death in their bodies. God knows who is a modern-day leper and needs to be healed. God knows what kind of demons have hold of lives, and God wants to save people from hellish lives and from hell itself. And you may have been sleepwalking through worship so long that you don’t know that God cares about all that stuff! Samuel Zumwalt, Scattered Reign How We View Our Fathers 4 years: My daddy can do anything. 7 years: My dad knows a lot, a whole lot. 8 years: My father doesn't quite know everything. 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father doesn't know everything. 14 years: Father? Hopelessly old-fashioned. 21 years: Oh, that man is out-of-date. What did you expect? 25 years: He knows a little bit about it but not much. 30 years: Must find out what Dad thinks about it. 35 years: A little patience, let's get Dad's meaning first. 40 years: What would Dad have thought about it? 50 years: My Dad knew literally everything. 60 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more. Paco's Father There's a Spanish story of a father and son who had become estranged. The son ran away, and the father set off to find him. He searched for months to no avail. Finally, in a last desperate effort to find him, the father put an ad in a Madrid newspaper. The ad read: Dear Paco, meet me in front of this newspaper office at noon on Saturday. All is forgiven. I love you. Your Father. On Saturday 800 Pacos showed up, looking for forgiveness and love from their fathers. Bits & Pieces, October 15, 1992, p. 13. We All Need Dads! Some years ago, South Africa's game managers had to figure out what to do about the elephant herd at Kruger National Park. The herd was growing well beyond the ability of the park to sustain it. And so they decided to transport some of the herd to a nearby game park. A dozen years later, however, several of the young male elephants (now teenagers) that had been transported to the game park began attacking the park’s herd of white rhinos, an endangered species. They used their trunks to throw sticks at the rhinos, chased them over long hours and great distances and stomped to death a tenth of the herd--all for no discernible reason. Park managers decided they had no choice but to kill some of the worst juvenile offenders. They had killed five of them when someone came up with another bright idea. They brought in some of the mature male elephants still residing in the Kruger Park and hoped that the bigger, stronger males could bring the adolescents under control. To the delight of the park officials, it worked. The big bulls quickly established the natural hierarchy and reduced the violent behavior of the younger bulls. "The new discipline, it turned out, was not just a matter of size intimidation," says Raspberry. "The young bulls actually started following the Big Daddies around, yielding to their authority and learning from them proper elephant conduct. The assaults on the white rhinos ended abruptly.” Raspberry's point was that young males--whether they are wild animals or human beings--need Dads. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com, adapted from October 11, 2005, Washington Post Writers Group. I'll Always Be There for You! It's a fascinating story that comes out of the 1989 earthquake which almost flattened Armenia. This deadly tremor killed over 30,000 people in less than four minutes. In the midst of all the confusion of the earthquake, a father rushed to his son's school. When he arrived there he discovered the building was flat as a pancake. Standing there looking at what was left of the school, the father remembered a promise he made to his son, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" Tears began to fill his eyes. It looked like a hopeless situation, but he could not take his mind off his promise. Remembering that his son's classroom was in the back right corner of the building, the father rushed there and started digging through the rubble. As he was digging other grieving parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son! "My daughter!" They tried to pull him off of what was left of the school saying: "It's too late!" "They're dead!" "You can't help!" "Go home!" Even a police officer and a fire fighter told him he should go home. To everyone who tried to stop him he said, "Are you going to help me now?" They did not answer him and he continued digging for his son stone by stone. He needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" This man dug for eight hours and then twelve and then twenty-four and then thirty-six. Finally in the thirty-eighth hour, as he pulled back a boulder, he heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" and a voice answered him, "Dad?" It's me Dad!" Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the other kids not to worry. I told 'em that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised that, Dad. 'No matter what,' you said, 'I'll always be there for you!' And here you are Dad. You kept your promise!" Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, Chicken Soup for the Soul he Flip Side of Love A lot of damage can occur in a family. Parents can be hurt. Children can be hurt. But there is always hope in a home where forgiveness is present. John R. Aurelio, in his book Colors!, gives us a beautiful portrayal of this side of God. On the sixth day, God created Father Adam and Mother Eve. On the seventh day, as God was resting, they asked Him if He would give them something special to commemorate their birthday. So God reached into His treasure chest and took out a sacred coin. Written on it was the word "LOVE." On the eighth day, Father Adam and Mother Eve sinned. As they left the Garden of Eden, they asked God for an assurance that He would not abandon them. "You have the coin," He told them. "But, the coin says LOVE," they answered. "We have lost love. How ever will we find it again?" "Turn it over," God said. On the other side of the coin was written the word "FORGIVENESS." Aurelio goes on to say that there is no love without forgiveness and no forgiveness without love. They are the two sides of the same coin. John R. Aurelio, Colors!, New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1993, p. 133. Is God Like Daddy? Think of a four-year-old coming home one Sunday after a lesson that taught about God as our Heavenly Father. Sound theology would quickly note that God is neither male nor female, but youngsters do not concern themselves with theological niceties. A four-year-old hears "Father;" the only father he knows anything about is the one that lives with him and says, "Pass the biscuits, please;" so he asks..."Is God like Daddy?" Wow! What a heavy load! But a good load to consider on Fathers' Day...and a good one to consider when we realize that what Daddy is can become a role model for our children's concept of God. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com When James the Sixth threatened to hang or exile Andrew Melville, Melville’s answer was: “You cannot hang or exile the truth.” When the Christian is involved in suffering and sacrifice and even martyrdom for his faith, he must remember that the day will come when things will be seen as they really are When James the Sixth threatened to hang or exile Andrew Melville, Melville’s answer was: “You cannot hang or exile the truth.” When the Christian is involved in suffering and sacrifice and even martyrdom for his faith, he must remember that the day will come when things will be seen as they really are Further, this passage tells us that there are things which are worse than death; and disloyalty is one of them. If a man is guilty of disloyalty, if he buys security at the expense of dishonor, life is no longer tolerable. He cannot face men; he cannot face himself; and ultimately he cannot face God. There are times when comfort, safety, ease, life can cost too much. “Almighty God, give us grace to be not only hearers, but doers of thy holy word, not only to admire, but to obey they doctrine, not only to profess, but to practice thy religion, not only to love, but to live thy gospel. So grant that what we learn of thy glory we may receive into our hearts, and show forth in our lives: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Lookup, pray up, Stand up

November 29, 2015 Year C First Sunday of Advent Luke Author Doug Mendenhall shares a brief parable that should cause all of us to pause and reflect: Jesus called the other day to say he was passing through and [wondered if] he could spend a day or two with us. I said, "Sure. Love to see you. When will you hit town?" I mean, it's Jesus, you know, and it's not every day you get the chance to visit with him. It's not like it's your in-laws and you have to stop and decide whether the advantages outweigh your having to move to the sleeper sofa. That's when Jesus told me he was actually at a convenience store out by the interstate. I must have gotten that Bambi-in-headlights look, because my wife hissed, "What is it? What's wrong? Who is that?" So I covered the receiver and told her Jesus was going to arrive in eight minutes, and she ran out of the room and started giving guidance to the kids—in that effective way that Marine drill instructors give guidance to recruits. … My mind was already racing with what needed to be done in the next eight—no seven—minutes so Jesus wouldn't think we were reprobate loser slobs. I turned off the TV in the den, which was blaring some weird scary movie I'd been half watching. But I could still hear screams from our bedroom, so I turned off the reality show it was tuned to. Plus, I turned off the kids' set out on the sun porch, because I didn't want to have to explainJon & Kate Plus Eight to Jesus, either, six minutes from now. My wife had already thinned out the magazines that had been accumulating on the coffee table. She put Christianity Today on top for a good first impression. Five minutes to go. I looked out the front window, but the yard actually looked great thanks to my long, hard work, so I let it go. What could I improve in four minutes anyway? I did notice the mail had come, so I ran out to grab it. Mostly it was Netflix envelopes and a bunch of catalogs tied into recent purchases, so I stuffed it back in the box. Jesus doesn't need to get the wrong idea—three minutes from now—about how much on-line shopping we do. I ran back in and picked up a bunch of shoes left by the door. Tried to stuff them in the front closet, but it was overflowing with heavy coats and work coats and snow coats and pretty coats and raincoats and extra coats. We live in the South; why'd we buy so many coats? I squeezed the shoes in with two minutes to go. I plumped up sofa pillows, my wife tossed dishes into the sink, I scolded the kids, and she shooed the dog. With one minute left I realized something important: Getting ready for a visit from Jesus is not an eight-minute job. Then the doorbell rang. Used with permission from author. Doug Mendenhall, "Getting Prepared for the Arrival of Jesus,"www.reporternews.com (9-24-09); submitted by Kevin Miller, executive vice president, Christianity Today International Well the message for today is that it is time for us to get ready. Advent is here and Jesus is coming. And it does take more than 8 minutes to get ready. It takes a lifetime. But God reminds us that we don’t have a lifetime. We only have 27 days. A little less than four weeks. The rest of the world is dressing up for Christmas, but for us – it is time to get ready for the second coming. It is funny, no matter how I try to prepare for this day – I am always caught off guard. The Sunday after thanksgiving sneaks up on me. This is the first Sunday of a new year. We finished year B and now we are into year C. Last week we were reading from the gospel of Mark, for the rest of the year it will be Luke. I spent all weekend shopping for Christmas decorations for the church, while my pumpkins are frozen and rotting on my steps. Am I the only one who gets freaked out walking through the neighborhood and seeing some yards with santa claus and other Christmas decorations, while the house next to it still have fall leaves and turkeys, and then some people even have jackolaterns and other Halloween decorations up. It is a sign of the times that things are changing, and we are all in different places within the change. Advent starts with the end first and ends with the beginning last. Today – there are no manger scenes, no doting mother mary’s. no baby Jesus. – no glory to the newborn King. Today is not about the first coming of Jesus, it is about the second coming of Jesus. The words of today are not hope, joy, love and peace – it is destruction, despair, judgment. Once again this year if you look at the headlines in the news – you see upheaval. Once again this time of year people are marching in the streets, people are afraid of a war breaking out, we are even getting warnings of strange weather this year, as el nino season approaches. Perhaps the politicians waited to tell of the death of Mr. Mcdonalds – because they wanted it to be an advent announcement. I am being facetious. But my point is – this is a dark time in history. There is a lot going on. As we look at the first reading from Luke, we look at the end of the book, not the beginning. Luke speaks of the endtimes. It is obvious that Luke used Mark as a resource, but he takes Mark one step farther. Luke specifically talks about the second coming of Christ. And he reminds us of what it means to wait for Christ. The solution to this despair is not anything we can manufacture – we just have to wait on God to make an appearance. And God will make an appearance in each and every situation that we are going through. Advent is a new day, a new way of thinking and praying and beliving. We tend to face life with the tools of the past, we compare the future with what we have been through before. It is time to erase those old tapes. Put aside those familiar ways of doing things and to embrace a new way for a new day. This is the time for angels and prophets. The message of the angels is to fear not. Face the future with your hear up, unafraid of the darkness ahead. And prophets don’t know what God will do next anymore than we do - but they know the signs of God. They point to us evidence that God is indeed in the situation. Text Illustration: I DIDN'T GO AND SEE The story is about shepherd who was a youth on that first Christmas night. And now he is old and as his grandson sits on his knee he recalls that night, "A long, long time ago, when I was a little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills one night with some other shepherds, keeping watch over the flock. And an angel of the Lord came upon us and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout us. And we were very afraid. But the angel said, "fear not... for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord... you shall find the baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." When he had said this the old man’s lips quivered and ceased to move and there was silence. Then the grandson turns and looks with wide, puzzled eyes into his grandfathers face and says, " But, grandfather is that all? What did you do when you heard the good news? Was what the angel said really true? Was the Christ child ever really born?" The old shepherd sadly shakes his white head and answers, " I never knew. I never went to see. Some say that it is all a myth. Others say they found in Him, the light of God and the power for life. But for me I could never be quite sure. Because I never did go to see." Have the courage to face life unafraid of what will come next. Luke tells us that Christ is coming again – the signs of the times show us that. His message is for us to observe the signs and to watch and wait for his presence. Ancient philosophers used to believe that history repeated itself every 3000 years. There was no need to step outside the box, because life never changed. I remember in Thailand, there was a sign, that if you were having a problem with someone, not to despair. In 100 years there will be all new people. People pass away, human nature stays the same. We are still dealing with the same hatred, oppression, greed, violence that Jesus talked about, and that was in the old testament. 50 years later, we are still marching asking for justice for black lives. What is the point of us fighting to make a better world, when the same issues get recreated from generation to generation. Man does not have the power to change themselves – but God has the power to make all the difference in the world. That is why God sent his son Jesus to intercede in the world. The world has not changed, so he will intercede again. History does not repeat itself over and over – History has a purpose. The story is moving – and its final chapter will be the redemption of history by Jesus Christ. Christ is never on the side of the status quo - one friend said – You want to be first? Be last. You want to find your life? Lose it. You want to be exalted? Be humbled. You want wholeness? Face your brokennness. You want to be as wise as a serpent? Be as innocent as a dove. You want peace? Show me your sword. I am the Son of God. I am the Son of Adam. Jesus if fully divine. Jesus is fully human. You want the Lion of the Tribe of Judah? Meet the Lamb of God. You want rest? Wear my yoke and take up my cross. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. Give to God what is God’s. But don’t forget to give to Caesar what is Caesar. If you’re not against us you’re for us. (Mark 9:38-41). If you’re not with me you’re against me (Matt.12:30). Don’t worry about tomorrow. But sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. The last words of our text – Luke tells us when you see sign of despair in your world – keep the faith and have hope. These are the signs that Jesus is on the way – and that it is time for a change. Don’t hold onto the past – but look forward to the future. Don’t give up, but keep going. Hope will change your present and open the door for Christ to come in. we are to look up, pray up and stand up. Bruce E. Olson tells of his experience as a missionary in South America. "I got off the plane in Venezuela that hot August day back in 1962 with only seventy-two dollars in my pocket, nineteen years old, alone, unable to speak Spanish, but convinced that the Lord had told me to go to South America and preach to the Indians." He made friends with some natives and learned to speak Spanish. One day a respected colleague asked him, "Have you ever heard of the Motilone tribe?" He then described a legendary Stone Age Tribe that had resisted civilization. No one had ever learned their language. Few entering their territory ever returned. Bruce felt his heart stir, and he wrote, "I sank back in awe. I knew then that those were the people to whom God wanted me to go." It was no easy task to reach these people. "We chopped our way through the jungle for seven days," he remembered. As they were making their way through the jungle, an arrow pierced his thigh. He fell to the ground. Out of the ferns stepped five squat brown men, eyes glittering under short-cropped hair. "I had met the Motilones," he writes. "They dragged me to my feet and I limped with them to their settlement." As the days passed his wounds festered. "I developed amoebic dysentery and began hemorrhaging blood," Bruce recalled. Things would get much worse before they got better. "The period that followed was a nightmare of pain and trial," he remarks. "I continued to try to bring God's love to those people." For two weeks he lay in a hut dying. Finally, one of the natives took him to a clearing where he was picked up by a helicopter and taken to a hospital in Maracaibo where he was told it would be six months before he would recover. He could never return to a jungle climate. "But I had a deepening peace in my heart," Bruce wrote. "God had brought me to the Motilones; God would help me to continue. Within three weeks I was back up the river." Bruce Olson never gave up. He lived with this tribe for four years and eventually introduced these people to the love of God. (4) Where do we get the ability to keep going even when everything appears to be going wrong? From God and God alone. In times of need we receive help from beyond. Thus we perseveLukre. This brings us final thing to be said. FOLLOWERS ARE NOT TO SIT BY AND DO NOTHING WHILE WAITING FOR CHRIST'S RETURN. While we wait we have work to do. There is nothing that we can do to make a difference in the world, But God makes all of the difference in the world. Luke says that this generation shall not pass away until things change. Sometimes I get sad as I see people pass away that they did not get a chance to see the fruits of their labor. They did not see the redemption of situations, they did not see the redemption of history. But I think that God’s message for us – is not to mourn but to do what we can. Deal with the issue at hand, do the work we must do. Address the problems of today. We were put on this earth for such a time as this. And if we deal with the evil of today – we are doing what God called us to to do. Text Illustration: A. Years ago an interesting sign was seen hanging in a store window during the Christmas season. The original message stated, “Let’s make this the best Christmas ever.” Underneath, some perceptive person had scribbled a legitimate question: “How will we top the first one?” God has promised an event that will easily overshadow the events that surrounded the first coming. Let us pray……. Text Illustration: I DIDN'T GO AND SEE The story is about shepherd who was a youth on that first Christmas night. And now he is old and as his grandson sits on his knee he recalls that night, "A long, long time ago, when I was a little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills one night with some other shepherds, keeping watch over the flock. And an angel of the Lord came upon us and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout us. And we were very afraid. But the angel said, "fear not... for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord... you shall find the baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." When he had said this the old man’s lips quivered and ceased to move and there was silence. Then the grandson turns and looks with wide, puzzled eyes into his grandfathers face and says, " But, grandfather is that all? What did you do when you heard the good news? Was what the angel said really true? Was the Christ child ever really born?" The old shepherd sadly shakes his white head and answers, " I never knew. I never went to see. Some say that it is all a myth. Others say they found in Him, the light of God and the power for life. But for me I could never be quite sure. Because I never did go to see." When the Play Is Over C. S. Lewis said that when the author appears on the stage, you know the play is over. This is how he understands the doctrine of the Second Coming of our Lord. It means that he who has begun a good work will bring it to the best conclusion of which he is capable. After all, no one has ever claimed that this planet earth was intended to exist forever. In what is called by scientists "the second law of thermodynamics," it is clearly predicted that the energy supply of this planet will eventually come to an end, which means that a conclusion of life as we know it here is inevitable. The concept of the Second Coming merely affirms that such a conclusion will be purposeful. The drama of history is not going to just fizzle out or end in a whimper! It is going to come to the kind of climax that he who conceived the drama wants for it. Gary L. Carver and Tom M. Garrison, Sermons for Sundays in Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany: Building a Victorious Life, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. When Everything Becomes "Merely" Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of it all, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years. Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing -- I'll take it. It is "merely" an object -- I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave his only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing.