Friends Tell Their Friends About Jesus!

 

2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany!

Human Relations Day!  

Intro:

A.   What is a friend?

Webster:  A person to whom one is attached by

affection; an intimate acquaintance.

 

B.   What does it mean to share?

 

C.   If a real friend gets something good, do they share it

with their friend?

 

D.   We will see today where some people did just that!!

 

E.   I’ve entitled the message: “Friends Tell Their Friends

     About Jesus!”

 

 

                            Prayer

                       Read John 1:35-50

                          Mark 1:14-20

 

I.      We see in this account of the calling of some of the first   disciples how when Andrew & Philip found something good they shared it with their friends!

 

A.   They had a great love for their friends!

1.   They were special to them!

2.   They wanted them to have good things too!

 

B.   Christ, the Messiah, was a good thing!

1.   He was the one who was going to destroy their

     enemies and release them from bondage!

2.   He promised them no more hurt, no more pain, no more oppression!

3.   Summed up, he promised them Hope, a light at the end of the darkness!

 

C.   So they wanted their dear friends to share in this new-found "Hope!"

 

D.   In Mark=s account of the calling of the first disciples, Jesus says, AFollow me and I will make you fishers of people.@ Mark 1:14-20

 

     1. Without getting into the differences of the

        accounts, the message is clear that Jesus wanted us

        intentionally telling the Good News!

 

     2. In Johns account, they immediately began doing

        that; they began to tell their friends and   

        relatives!

 

     3. That is what we are here for, to tell the good news

        and make disciples by word and deed!

 

II.  Do we have friends? Of course we do!

 

A.   Do we believe that the message of Christ is good news?

 

B.   Do we want our friends to have good news?

 

C.   Of course we do, we love them!

 

D.   We want the best for them if they are true friends!

 

III. We too have a great Hope in Jesus; that is good news!

 

A.   The Israelites misunderstood the prophesies & promises of the Messiah!

 

1.   They thought Christ was going to deliver them

from the bondage & oppression of other nations ruling over them!

 

2.   They were expecting an Earthly Kingdom!

 

B.   But we know today:

1.   That the delivery from bondage was from that of sin; Christ destroyed sin's hold on us!

 

2.   That the no more pain and no more hurt referred

to a Heavenly Kingdom!

 

3.   Besides this, we know that living for Christ

gives life meaning today!! We are part of

Christ’s Kingdom today!  We are Kingdom people!

 

4.   We know that Christ wants us to live as kingdom people and make a difference today!

 

a. Feed the hungry! (donate to free food shelf)

 

b. Cloth the poor!(volunteer at the Thrift Store)

c. Overcome oppression! (such as Martin Luther King Jr. did as we remember him on Human Relations day)

 

d. Show people that we know, a God of love! Let

   God love through us!

 

e. Tell people how God has made a difference in

   our lives.  Sometimes that is the greatest

   witness: the greatest way to tell others about

   Jesus!

 

f. Don’t be pushy and condemning.  People get

   enough of that.  Share Christ/God’s love;

   don’t push it at them! There is a vast  difference.  People will be turned off by it  being pushed at them!

 

C.   So, we know Jesus is the best this life has to offer!

 

IV.  If we really love our friends, shouldn't we want to share

Jesus with them today just as the 1st disciples did?

 

A.   Teachers, that is why we teach!

          Because of love, we are sharing Jesus with a friend!

 

B.   That is why preachers – preach! (to share Jesus’ love  with a friend!)

 

C.   But each one of us should be involved in this ministry  in some way, some how, sharing Jesus with a friend!

1.   We can invite others to church, or tell them

about the Live Stream or website.

 

2.   We can tell them what Christ means to us!

 

3.   We can talk about it while we are doing the

things with our friends through the week: shopping, working, playing, or maybe just talking on the phone.

 

          4.   Actually, that is the best way after all.

 

Conclusion:

A.   So in concluding, yes we need to tell about Jesus!

Friends tell their friends about Jesus, but do it from

a perspective of love and witness to the difference

Christ has made in your life, and not in a judging,

condemning way from the perspective of where your

friend falls short! That is the way the first

disciples shared!  Come and see!

 

B.   That is the way the good news can be shared today!

 

C.   Do we need strength to go tell today?

 

D.   As we encounter Christ at the table, we can receive

that strength.  Let's ask God to help us and guide us in sharing with our Friends, not in a pushy way but in an inviting way!  Come and see!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Baptism: Let’s Take a Look!

 

Baptism of the Lord Sunday!

Introduction:

 

     A.   Today is Baptism of the Lord Sunday!

 

     B.   It is a day we celebrate in 3 ways:

 

          1.   We take a look back to Jesus’ baptism and consider

it.

 

          2.   If there are candidates wanting to be baptized, it

is certainly appropriate to baptize them, not that

they can’t be baptized on other days.

 

          3.   We remember our own baptisms and what that means.

 

Matt. 3:13-17

Prayer

 

I.   Let’s look at Jesus’ baptism.

 

     A.   Jesus comes to John to be baptized of him.

 

          1.   John is surprised, and says “I need to be baptized

by you!”

a.   John’s baptism was an act of repentance, but

Jesus didn’t need to repent!

              b.   Thus John’s confusion.

 

          2.   Jesus says, “I want to do it to fulfill all

righteousness.”

 

     B.   After his baptism, “A voice from heaven declares, This is

my Son in whom I am well pleased.”

1.   Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of Jesus’

ministry!

 

          2.   Jesus’ baptism set him apart as claimed by God!

 

 

     C.   Those who want to say that baptism is just an act of

repentance have trouble reconciling what happened here.

They are about as confused as John.

II.  As we remember our baptism, what is baptism to us?

 

     A.   Baptism.  First and foremost is a witness to the grace of        God!

1.   Baptism has 2 components:

a.   The baptism vows that we answer to. Pg. 34,40,

     or 50 (which we will use today)

     1)   The vows show what we are doing!

     2)   They are our show of repentance.

     3)   They witness to our part of the commitment!

     4)   We can renew our vows as many times as we

          want!

          a)   We might renew them when we feel we have fallen away.

          b)   A child I a sense renews the vows that have been answered at their baptism when they are Confirmed.

          c)   We renew our vows as a way of drawing closer.

 

b.   Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

     1)   The baptism itself is a witness to the

          grace of God!

     2)   The baptism shows what God has done!

     3)   The baptism claims us by God!

 

          2.   For United Methodist, the key word - choice! We have many choices about Baptism.

               a.   First choice: we recognize three modes. Mode is not an essential.

                    1)   sprinkling

                    2)   immersion

                    3)   pouring (AFFUSION)

               b.   2^nd choice: We do Baptize infants. Whether or not we do, is not an essential!

                    1)   We recognize infants as being saved until they reach an age of deciding for themselves.  Since we believe they are saved and Baptism is a witness to the grace of  God, they can be baptized. The parents answer for their vows on their behalf.

                    2)   If a child is baptized as an infant, they should later confirm their vows through confirmation. During confirmation, they are taught about God and the church and given a chance to say “Yes, I want to follow Jesus.” As they say their vows for themselves, they are claiming the grace that was declared at their baptism for themselves.

                        a)   If they do not follow through with that personal commitment, they can fall away.

                        b)   When we baptize an infant, we and their parents make a commitment to bring them up so that they will want to say the vows for themselves, so they do not fall away!

                        c)   We also make a commitment to create a memory for them of their baptism.

                    3)   For this reason, we encourage only baptism of infants who will be brought up in the Lord.

                   4)   But we can also choose not to have our baby baptized.

                        a)   When we make that choice, they can still take part I Confirmation classes.

                        b)   If they decide to follow Jesus, they will be baptized while the others are saying their vows and remembering their baptism.

     D.   We do not re-baptize.

          1.   To get baptized again is to say God’s grace failed! God never fails!  God never fails!  If there is a failure, it is on our part!

 

          2.   Then we can renew our part: our vows!

 

          3.   We don’t baptize people who have been baptized by another Christian denomination and want to join with us!

 

          4.   When someone joins the church who have been baptized, we have them renew their vows as a way

              remembering their baptism and drawing closer.

 

Conclusion:

 

     A.   So as we recognize baptism as a witness to the grace of

          God and an act of being claimed by God, Jesus’ baptism makes

          sense and so does ours!

 

 

     B.   As we encounter Christ at the table today, examine

          yourselves. If there is any commitment we need to make,

          make it.

 

     C.   Today, on Baptism of the Lord Sunday, after communion, we

          will renew our vows as a way of remembering our baptism

          and God’s claim on our lives and as a way of drawing closer!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Congregational Reaffirmation of Baptism pg. 50

 

    

 

 

Is believing all there is to it?

 

                                                                                                                            Epiphany Sunday!

                                                                          Matt. 2: 1-16

Introduction:

A.        Today is Epiphany Sunday!

            1.         An epiphany is an ah-hah moment!  It is a moment when the light bulb

comes on and we come to a realization.

                        2.         The wisemen had an epiphany.  It was that this baby was a king, so they

took him gifts fit for a king!

 

B.        As we read in Matt. 2 we see that Herod believed that Jesus was the Messiah or

king.    I guess we could say Herod had an epiphany too!

 

C.        From all indications, he was so sure that in verse 16 he had all the male children

under 2 yrs. old in Bethlehem killed!

 

D.        He believed, but he reacted the wrong way on this belief.  Look what he tried to

do!  Was this pleasing to God?

 

Trans:

What should our belief bring us to?  That's what I want to look at this morning!

 

                                                                         Prayer

I.          First, we do have to believe!

A.        Before we can be right with God, we have to believe that God came in Jesus to do

for us what we can=t do for ourselves, forgive our sins and give us a new start!

 

B.        Before we can ever hope to make a difference for God, we have to believe that he

can make a difference today!

 

C.        But then what?

 

II.        Then, this belief must bring us to the right action!

A.        Just to believe in general that God came in Christ does nothing for us until we make

it personal and believe and receive that God did it for me in particular, asking God

to forgive us of our sins.  It must become something personal. We must act on

what God has done for us!

 

B.        Just to believe that Jesus can make a difference today is not enough!

1.         If we don't yield our lives to Christ for service.

read  Jas. 2:17 - 20

2.         God has chosen to use people to get the Kingdom work done in the world

today!  Without us, it will not get done.

                        3.         Methodists come from a tradition that believes very much in doing

something with our faith.  That is why John Wesley started the small

groups in the Church of England.

 

C.        Do you believe?  What are you doing with that belief?

 

III.       Some are reacting like Herod!

A.        They believe in God and may even believe in Jesus, but they are taking the wrong

actions upon those beliefs.

 

B.        Few people when you point blank ask them will tell you they don=t believe in God,

but they haven't accepted that God came in Christ for them, and they feel guilty.

 

C.        Because of this guilt, they lash out at Christianity!

1.         They try to bring Christians down to make themselves look better.

2.         They try to make the church look bad.

a.         If they hear any bad news, they are sure to tell it.

b.         If they can tell a joke that makes the church look stupid, they will.

                        3.         God isn=t for them a personal thing; God is a by-word and isn=t something

                                    to be taken very seriously.

 

IV.       But others believe and are going about doing the Lord's business.

            A.        They are claiming the promises that they can make a difference. They are lovingly

                        trying to do that!

B.        They are working and serving, and they are seeing fruits for their labor.

C.        They feel a purpose and are happy with their Christian lives.

 

V.        Churches that are growing are blessed with some of these believers.

A.        They believe God can make a difference, and they are excitedly working for the

Lord!  They are being used of God to share God’s love!

 

B.        They aren't defeated with the belief that "nothing will work today."

 

C.        Instead, they "know" something will work, and they are busy trying to find ways to

minister to the needs of people today that do work!!

 

Conclusion:

The Epiphany this morning it that God came in Christ.  That is the ah-hah moment: this

Baby is God in the flesh.  The first question that we have to deal with then is, ADo we

Believe that?@ The 2^nd is, AWhat are we going to do because of that belief?@

 

A.        Do you believe this morning?

 

B.        What are you doing because of that belief?

 

C.        Is God pleased with it?

 

 

D.        As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, we can ask God to help us with

our unbelief and to help us act appropriately on that belief!

 

E.         After you receive communion and since we are starting a new year, you will be

given the opportunity to have your hands anointed, thereby saying “God, use these hands in accordance with your will this year!”

 

                                            Prayer of Confession & Blessing of the Oil

 

Service of Communion and Anointing of Hands