Do You Love Me More Than These?

 2^nd Sunday of Easter!                                       

                                                              John 21:1-19

 

Focus Statement:             In this scripture, the Lord appears again to the disciples, Peter has gone back to doing what he did before, and Jesus reinstates him.

 

Function Statement:       As a result of this message, the congregation will examine their priorities and dedication to Christ and make a deeper commitment to their risen Lord.

 

Movement 1:

One of my favorite Disney movies is Lion King; there is so much that this little movie says about life.  At the beginning of the movie, Simba is born and goes through this ritual not too unlike baptism.  As Simba grows, his father, Mufasa, spends time teaching him in preparation of him being King some day: he teaches him to hunt and pounce his prey, he tells him one time as they look at the stars that other Kings who have gone on before are looking down upon him, he teaches him the need for service, and he tries to teach him how to be safe.  The tragity of the movie is that one day his uncle Scar arranges for Mufasa to be killed and tells Simba it is his fault.  Simba flees for his own life, thinking the others will hate him for it.  Scar becomes King since the others think Simba has also been killed, and the kingdom literally goes to the dogs (the hienas who serve Scar).  The kingdom is plundered and everyone about starves.  Meanwhile, while Simba grieves for his father and runs from the responsibility of going back and telling his family he didn=t kill his dad and taking up the responsibilities of being king, Simba finds companionship with a couple other characters and lives a rather carefree life.  This goes fine until Simba runs into a lioness who was special to him in his youth, Nala, and a monkey priest who confronts him with his past and tells him he has become less than he was meant to be and that because he won=t go back and assume his role of King others are suffering.  This causes Simba to look at his priorities and he goes back, reclaims the kingdom, and sets things right. 

Recap: Simba is born.  He is discipled in becoming king.  The King is killed.  Simba flees scared and becomes less than he was meant to be.  Simba is reinstated and takes up his job that the King meant for him to do in serving the kingdom.

 

Movement 2:

This little story is not too unlike our scripture for today!  Jesus is born to be our King.  He makes disciples.  He spends time teaching them how to serve in the kingdom.  The King is killed!  The disciples, including Peter, flee for fear and because they are confused about all that has happened.  Peter probably felt some guilt because of his denial and not doing anything about it.  They have gone back to what they knew before Jesus.  They have gone back to the life they loved before Jesus: to a simpler and more carefree life!  They are fishing.  This day, they aren=t catching anything.  Someone appears to them on the shore and asks them how they are doing; they tell we aren=t doing too good.  This person tells them to cast their nets on the other side; they do, and they catch so many fish they almost can=t bring it in.  They realize then that it is Jesus.  This is one of John’s accounts of the appearance of Jesus after his resurrection!  Peter puts on his clothes and jumps in the water and swims back to shore!  The others come back by boat.  Jesus cooks them breakfast of fish and bread.  After the meal, Jesus looks directly at Peter and says, ASimon son of John, do you love me more than these (as Jesus probably gestured toward the others and toward the lake that Peter loved)?@ He said to him, AYes, Lord; you know that I love you.@ Jesus said to him, AFeed my lambs.@  (Reminds me of the movie: Do what you were meant to do: you have become less that I meant for you to be!)  16  A second time he said to him, ASimon son of John, do you love me?@ He said to him, AYes, Lord; you know that I love you.@ Jesus said to him, ATend my sheep.@  17  He said to him the third time, ASimon son of John, do you love me?@ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ADo you love me?@ And he said to him, ALord, you know everything; you know that I love you.@ Jesus said to him, AFeed my sheep.

Peter gets up from this encounter with the Lord and takes up his job that he was prepared for.  We said last week that we have no evidence at the tomb that Peter saw and believed; well, here, Peter sees and believes!  He has looked at his priorites and decides that he wants to serve the Lord and do what Christ called him to do, AFeed his sheep.@   He becomes one of the leaders of the early church; he becomes a fisher of people.  Tradition has it that he became the first Bishop of the church.

 

3^rd Movement:

The Lord used this scripture where Jesus reinstates Peter to call me into the ministry.  The Lord kept asking over a period of time, AMike, do you love me more than anything else?@  Then feed my people!  Do you love me more than this?  (Perhaps, my rental property!)  Do you love me more than that? (Perhaps, my plans for the future.)  I kept saying, AYes Lord, I love you more than anything else!@  Then you know what you must do.  Finally, one day with tears in my eyes I acknowledged God=s call on my life and answered the call into the ministry!  

We all have things we plan to do!  We all have things we like to do!  We all have things that we were meant to be (God=s call on our lives and God=s gifts).  We can be the happiest in God; that has been my experience!  God=s ways are best, but sometimes it is hard to see that and to resign to that.  God=s ways are best for the others we love (Remember Simba), but sometimes that is also hard to see!   In the midst of all of this, today Christ asks for complete surrender, ADo you love me more than these? (Perhaps, it is that thing you love to do the most.)  ADo you love me more than this?  (Perhaps, it is our plans for the future.)  ADo you love me more than these?@ (Perhaps, it is our friends and other people; what will they think?)   ADo you love me more than these?@  Have you fell away from God’s call in your life because something happened that threw you a curve?  Have you become less than God called you to be? Are you a fully committed Christian?  Is God calling you to something you have not yet answered to?  What is God calling you to this morning?  Individually and as a Church?  Answer the call this morning as we encounter Christ at the table!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

                                                                             

Do Not Hold to Me!

Easter Sunday!

Prayer

John 20:1-18

First Movement:                               

            Most of us do not like change, if it is change from something we like.  I hate the way apps and programs update and change.  I can understand the need to update for security reasons, but some of the changes don’t seem necessary to me; moving where you go on the menu to do certain things doesn’t seem necessary.  About the time you get used to it, they change it.  One of the hardest things for me as a pastor has been the realization that I have to move from time to time.  Moving usually means learning a new set of 100 – 200 people and their stories; it means getting new doctors; it means finding new places whom you can trust to work on your cars or get them inspected.  It means learning where everything is, at the new place.  It is a very high stress year for a parsonage family as they say goodbye to the old and are introduced to the new. 

 

            One of the most appealing things to me about retirement is buying a home and being able to stay there as long as I am able.  You have given me a head start on that since you have a housing allowance instead of a parsonage; we plan on this being our final home.  Even growing up, the longest I have lived in any one house has been 9 1/2 years.  I envy, in some ways, people who have lived in one place for a long time, because change is hard, but sometimes it is needed.  Sometimes, change can be good.  Change has given me the opportunity to learn things and people I would not have known if I had not experienced the change! It has given me a chance to learn and be exposed to different ways and to accept for my own those I believe to be right!

 

 

Second Movement:

            Our resurrection story this morning is from John’s gospel.  It is significantly different than some of the other gospel accounts.  Here Mary Magdalene comes to the tomb and sees that the stone has been rolled away.  First difference is that John only records Mary Magdalene.  Some of the other gospels record two women or two Marys.  There is really no satisfactory account for why John only records the one, other than she was the one significant to  the point he wanted to make. 

 

            Mary runs to tell Peter and the disciple Jesus loved, which we believe to be John himself.  John never refers to himself as John but only by the distinction of the disciple Jesus loved.  They come running to see.  Peter enters first, but there is no mention of him seeing and believing.  We know he came to believe.  Our 1^st scripture from Acts 10:34-43 tells us what he had to say later, but for now, there is no mention of him seeing and believing. The mention of the linen cloths is significant!  Someone who might have robbed the grave or took Jesus would not have taken off the linen cloths, and they would not have taken the time to roll up the one from his head.  Some sources say that it was a Jewish tradition that when you left the table and folded your napkin it meant I will be back; they believe this was a hidden message here, that Jesus was saying, “I’ll be back!” Peter doesn’t seem to pick up on any of this. The disciple whom Jesus loves enters, sees, and believes.  He picks up on all of this. John, the one who stood by Jesus’ mother at the crucifiction, is the first one to see and believe after the resurrection, according to John’s gospel. 

 

            Then, we come to what I really want to talk about this morning.  Mary stands weeping outside the tomb.  She looks in and sees two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been.  They say to her “Woman why are you weeping?”  She says, “They have taken my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”  Mary then turns to Jesus.  Mary’s address as Jesus as Lord.  This may be John’s first hint to Jesus being the risen one!  She sees him, but does not “see” him.  She sees him with her eyes, but she does not see him with her faith until he speaks to her.  Then, she really sees him and calls him “teacher.”  This could be closer translated as , “My great one!”   She apparently grabs him when she sees him because Jesus does not say, “Don’t touch me.”  He instead says, “Do not hold to me.”  Or this could also be translated, “Let go of me because I have not yet ascended to my father and your father!” 

 

Third Movement:  

            This brings us to the point I want to make today.  When Mary recognized who Jesus was, she clung to him because she wanted to hold onto what had been.  She wanted things to return to the way they had been.  She wasn’t ready for a change; she was so excited that things did not have to change as she thought they had.  She liked things like they were!  She thought now Jesus could set up his earthly Kingdom. He would reign on earth!  He would set up an Earthly Kingdom and right the wrongs they were experiencing, but John wants us to know there are bigger and better things to come.  This was a change that needed to happen!  Jesus was saying, Don’t hold to me, let the change come!

 

            The next  big event for John’s gospel are not all the appearances of Jesus after his crucifixion, but it is the ascension to Heaven to take His place beside the Father as our intercessor and King, to his Father and our Father!  The ascension stories confirm his Messiahship, but it is after the ascension that Jesus sets up his Kingdom, not before.  It is after the ascension that he reigns in a Kingdom where his followers and the Kingdom people are those who receive what he has done on their behalf on the cross!  It is in this Kingdom that his followers strive to let his “Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven,” as we pray in the Lord’s prayer.  It is in this Kingdom that Jesus’ followers strive to love others and make things right, to let Jesus love through them!  It is in this Kingdom that things are finally made right, beginning now and consummated in eternity!

 

Forth Movement:

            Jesus has lived before us and showed us how to live!  Jesus was crucified and died for our sins on Good Friday!  He arose on that first Easter morning!  We celebrate it on Easter Sunday!  We, the church, celebrates it each Sunday; that is why we worship on Sunday and not Saturday.  Sundays are little celebrations of the resurrection!  Christians began to worship on Sunday, because of the resurrection!  He made many appearances after his resurrection, but we can only see him through the eyes of faith!  He has ascended to our Father God where he reigns forever!  Do you see him through the eyes of faith?  Do you want to be a part of his Kingdom this morning?  Come speak to him this morning and believe as we encounter the risen Christ at the table this morning!  (If you make a first time commitment, please let me know so I can help you with your new walk in Christ!)  As you look at the cross this morning, he is not here, he has risen!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Palm Sunday, Is it Happening All Over Again?

 

                                                Palm/Passion Sunday!

 Introduction:

A.   Today is Palm Sunday!  It marks the beginning of what we call

Passion Week!  The events of this next week are with Christmas (the birth of Christ) the most important events of Christian History.

 

B.   Actually, the early Church celebrated Easter before they ever started celebrating Christmas.

 

C.   I want to look at what happened on this day nearly 2,000 years ago

and ask ourselves the question, "Are we doing the same thing today?" Is it happening all over again?

 

Prayer

Mark 11:1-11

 

I.   Let's look at what happened here!

 

A.   This was the last time that Jesus would come into Jerusalem in his

life!

 

1.   His earthly life was so near the end!

2.   But you would have never thought it if you had been in

Jerusalem on that day!

 

B.   Jesus was given the Royal Treatment!

 

1.   He was recognized as the Messiah, as the King, because

they recognized that he fit the prophecy of the Messiah!

a.      He was feeding the hungry!

b.      He was healing the sick!

c.      He was raising the dead!

 

2.   They were giving him their patronage as a king!

3.   This was not only the 12 disciples!

 

a.   Mark records that, "many spread their garments in

the way"

b.   Matthew records, "And a very great multitude     

spread their garments in the way."

 

C.   These people believed Jesus was the Messiah, and they praised      him!

 

A.      But where was this great multitude 5 days later when Jesus stood alone before Pilot? When he went through the mockery of

a trial?  When he was beaten?

 

1.      And where were they when the crowds called out "Crucify

Him?" Were they in the crowd?

2.   What Hypocrisy!!  How could they do this?

3.   How could they stand by and watch the one whom they

     Believed to be the Messiah crucified? How could they go

     along with the Chief Priest? It was a dark night! Oh, the

     difference a few days makes!

 

II.  To top it all off, this wasn't the last time this happened to Jesus!

 

A.   I know of a man and his wife who came to church every Sunday.

 

1.   They sang praises to God!

2.   They prayed beautiful prayers of praise and thankfulness!

3.   They testified!  They always had the most beautiful

     testimony!

4.   At times, they have even been known to clap their hands

     and weep a little bit!

5.   They were much like the people that day on what we call

     Palm Sunday!  They recognized him as Lord and praised him

     as Lord!

 

A.      But do you know what?  When you saw them 4 or 5 days later in

The same week you wouldn't even know they had a Lord!

 

1.   The man:

 

a.   You would find him telling jokes about people of

different races or different sexual orientation; he

really thought that was funny. Very much unlike

Christ who died for all people.

b.   He treated his wife like his slave and was very

disrespectful of her.  He even at times lost his

temper and hit her!  He had to keep her in her

place! He was the boss!

c.   He was on an ego trip and thought and acted like he

was better than everybody else, what he said went

where ever he was.  He didn't take time to listen

to anyone else or even consider that he could be

wrong.  People hated working and being around

him!

 

2.   His wife:

 

     a.   She too was very prejudice.  She didn't tell the

jokes, but one time when a black couple was

trying to buy a house in their neighborhood, she

got a petition and went to the City Hall to try to

stop it!  She didn't want their kind in her

neighborhood!

b.   She had always been taught to submit to her

husband, and when her husband hit her, she

pretty well figured that she deserved it and

had it coming to her. After all, she must have

done something wrong!

c.   Her problem was with very low self-esteem; in fact,

she didn't feel like what she thought mattered much!

 

In fact, when you saw them 4 or 5 days later in the

              same week you wouldn't even know they had a Lord!

 

C.   I know of another couple who also was very worshipful in their

Sunday worship!  They praised the Lord and showed their love to God very well on Sunday!

 

1.      But if you saw them 4 or 5 days later through the week,

You would never know that they had a Lord!

2.      Oh, they didn't do any of the things the other couple

did, but they just never talked about Christ!

 

a.   they didn't witness about Christ!

b.   they didn't mention Christ!

c.   they didn't even declare that they thanked the Lord

     for caring for them, for the day, or for any thing!

d.   They never invited you to church! They never mentioned the church!

 

3.   You just wouldn't ever suspect that they were Christians!

     You would never suspect they had a Lord!

 

D.   These 2 couples are just like the multitude on that Palm Sunday nearly 2,000 years ago!

 

1.   Things haven't changed much!

2.   They worshipped Christ on Sunday and  still joined in  with the crowd who cried out "Crucify him" 5 days later!

 

III. Are we doing it to Christ again?

 

A.      In case you haven't guessed these couples were fictional, but

I believe their stories are true! I believe these couples or people exist in many of the churches across America!

 

B.      The thing we need to ask ourselves is am I like one of these

couples?  Do I praise Christ on Sunday and go out that week and crucify Christ again? Oh, what hypocrisy!!

 

 

 

Conclusion:

 

A.   One more point that needs to be made!

 

C.      After the way the multitude of people turned their backs on

Christ and joined the crowd who said "Crucify him," Jesus still loved them and said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do!" Christ wanted to give them another chance!

 

C.   Christ also wants to give us another chance this morning! How will we respond? As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, won’t you make a commitment this morning?  Let’s all commit to not crucify Christ again with the way we live this next week! If you make a first time commitment, let me know so I can help you with your new journey with God!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

Was There Another Way?

 

                                             5^th Sunday in Lent!

Introduction:

 

A.   Did Jesus have a choice as to whether or not to die?

 

B.   Are there any examples of times in the scriptures that

     Jesus had to make a choice whether or not to go to the cross?

 

C.   I think there are!  And I'd like to share one such time with you this morning!

 

                         John 12:20-26

 

                            Prayer

 

I.   What choice did Jesus have in this scripture?

 

A.   1st choice:  To escape death and become the teacher of  the Gentiles!

 

1.   Remember these were Greeks and had no right to appear here.  But they were seeking Jesus!

 

2.   Notice how courteous they were when they requested to talk with Jesus! (v.21)  Perhaps they respected  him as being someone different, with the truth  they desired!

 

3.   Notice the statements Jesus made as he realized  that he had a choice to make! esp. v.24

 

a.   These people respected him!

 

b.   They weren't hung up on the Jewish religion.

 

B.   2nd choice:  To face death and thereby pay the price for sin for "whoever serves me," Jew or Gentile!

 

II.  What choice did he make?  Let's examine what Jesus said in response to this happening:

 

A.   "The hour has come, for the Son of man to be glorified."  v.23  He was referring to his death and victory over death by his resurrection, thereby paying the price for Jew or Gentile into the kingdom of God!

 

B.   "unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain:  but if it dies, it bears much fruit." v.24

 

1.   Here Christ pictures a seed that as a seed is alone, but when you plant it, it reproduces.

 

2.   I'm made to think of John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches: . . . ."

 

3.   By Christ dying and being buried, he became like the seed; he multiplied.  He made it possible for the branches to exist!!  (In the Kingdom of God with him!)  We are the branches!

 

     a.   To be forgiven and given new life a new chance

to live for God!

 

              b.   To be a part of what God is doing in the world!

 

              c.   To be able to be instruments of God’s love in

the world!

 

              d.   To let God love through us!

 

C.   "Those who love their life lose it:  and those who hate

their life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

v. 25

1.   Here Christ intends to direct and encourage the Greeks or anyone else who desired to follow him!

 

2.   He is simply saying:  We must Love him first; if

     we Love anything of this life more than him, we've missed it!

 

D.   "Whoever serves me must follow me;" v.26a

 

1.   Christians must follow Jesus!

 

a.   Follow his instructions!  Do what he says!

 

b.   Follow his actions!  Live as he lived, the

best we can!

 

1)   Christ is our greatest revelation of God!

 

2)   Christ is our greatest example of how to

live and how to love!

 

a)   His love was sacrificial!

 

b)   His love was accepting!

 

2.   He's instructing these Greeks; he's saying it

isn't enough to see me, but you must also follow me!

 

III. When Christ made this choice, it provided all people with   a choice! (v.26b) 

"and where I am, there will my servant be also.  Whoever

 serves me, the father will honor."

 

A.   Christ provided a way in which we can become heirs to a heavenly home with him!

 

B.   We can also be restored to a relationship with God!

 

C.   But the choice is whether or not we follow and serve Christ!  “If”

 

Conclusion:

A.   Christ chose to pay the price so that we could be

free!  Christ didn't have to do it!

 

B.   But it was the only way you and I could be forgiven!

 

C.   Christ loved us enough he went to Calvary!

 

D.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, won't

you respond to that Love and accept him as your   personal Savior?  The choice is yours!!  If you do, let    me know   so I can help you with your new life in Christ!

 

E.   If you have already accepted Christ, let this build your faith.  Think of it!  He didn't have to die, but he did it because he wanted to!  Let's draw closer to God this morning as we all encounter Christ at the table!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

 

Almighty God,

We confess that we have not always faithfully followed  you;

We have not always lived as you lived; we have fallen

short of your expectations of us.

Forgive us we pray through what Christ did on Calvary.

Help us to faithfully live for you the rest of the tomorrows of our lives.

In Jesus name,   Amen!

 

Service of Communion

A Good Person But - Lost!

 4^th Sunday in Lent!

    Introduction:

A.   In school, before we can get a Diploma we have to pass several tests!

B.   To drive a car we must pass a test!

C.   Suppose we were given the task of grading our fellow

     church members on how good a Christian they were; what would we judge them by?

 

Trans:

I want to introduce you to a person that would make a good score on such a test.

 

                            Prayer

                         Luke 18: 9-14

 

I.   This Pharisee would make a "good" score on this test!

 

A.   He was a religious leader!

 

1.   A pillar of the community!

2.   Not a robber!

3.   Didn't cheat!

4.   A good moral person!

5.   He attended church very regular!

6.   He took an active part:  fasted more than necessary and gave a tithe of all his income.

7.      These are all good things; these are things he should have been doing!

 

B.   He said, "I see no sins in my life; I'm better than these other people."

 

1.   Legalistically he was right!

2.   We would classify this fellow as one of our best church members!

 

C.   But Jesus said something was lacking!

 

1.   He was self-righteous!  This attitude itself was sin.  "All have sinned."  Rom. 3:23

2.   He was counting on his goodness to make it.

3.   He was comparing himself to other people, and he  was looking good.

 

     D.   Too many times we look at our brother, sister, or pastor

          and think, AWow, they need to hear this!@

 

                          Illustration

 

A house looks white beside the blacktop, green grass, and shrubs, but the same house looks yellowed beside newly fallen snow!

 

1.   We must compare ourselves to Jesus; then, we realize we have "all sinned" and have nothing to  boast about in ourselves!!  We all come up short!

2.   We must also realize that sometimes we judge people by the standards of people and not by God, so we may not always be fair with our judgement.

 

II.  But there's also a man here who was accepted!

 

A.   The Publican (tax collector)!

 

1.   He was very humble and realized his sins!  Notice:  He calls himself a sinner.

2.   He realized he had nothing to boast about!  If he had any chance it would only be by the mercy of  God!

a.   Therefore, he begs for that mercy!

b.   "God be merciful to me a sinner!"

 

B.   Thank God that his prayer was answered!

For the Bible says,  "This man went down to his  house Justified."

 

C.   Thus we see the attitude that we must have to be right with God.

 

III. What can we learn from this for today?

 

A.   First, we need to realize, "There are many good people in our world today who are lost!"

 

B.   We need to be concerned and get the Gospel of Christ out and make a difference with the people we know!

 

C.   We need to ask ourselves which one of these characters best describes us?

 

          1.   Is it the Pharisee who thought he was doing all right himself and really didn=t need God=s grace?

          2.   Or is it the Publican who realized he had failed and could only be made right by the grace of God?

 

Closing:

 

A.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, maybe you find yourself a little too much like the Pharisee who was trying to live right and trusting in his own righteousness to make it.  Maybe, like the Publican, you need to ask for God=s mercy and grace?

     B.   Maybe you are here and have never made a commitment to

          Christ and you realize your need for God=s grace this

     morning then as you encounter Christ this morning, you

     can receive  God=s grace, and begin a journey with God!  If

     you do, let me know so I can help you with your new walk

     with Christ!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion