The Truth About Christ!

                                          Transfiguration Sunday

        Introduction:

A.   The Transfiguration is about God identifying who Christ was.  After the disciples mistakenly equated Jesus with Elijah and Moses, God declares, AThis is my beloved son, hear him!@

 

     B.   There are a lot of different ideas in the world today

          about who Christ is!

 

C.   Some say, "that Christ was just a good man."  Others

say, "Christ was just a prophet."

 

D.   In a world with a lot of mixed up ideas about who

Christ was and is, let's look this morning at "The

Truth About Christ."

 

                            Prayer

                          Mark 9:2-9

                  Matt. 1:18-25 & Heb. 9:24-28

 

I.   Oh yes, He was a human! We see this from our first reading: the birth narrative of Jesus from Matt. 1:18-25.

 

A.   He was born of a woman.

1.   He had a body!

2.   He felt pain!

3.   He felt hurt!

4.   He felt joy!

5.   He had all of the normal emotions!

6.   He got tired!

7.   Christ can help us because he has really lived

     life!

 

B.   He was tempted as we are tempted. Matt. 4

1.   Temptation is not a sin; the sin is in the

yielding to temptation.

2.   Christ didn't yield; he had no sin!  II Cor. 5:21                                                     

¹  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we

 might become the righteousness of God.

 

3.   Christ can help us overcome temptation!

 

4.   Christ can help us to fully live and love as God

would have us to because Christ has experienced

life as a human!

a.   He can help us to love those on the outside

of our circle of relationships!

              b.   He can help us to love those who are

different!

              c.   He can help us to love those who we may not

agree with!

              d.   He can help us to love those who are

outcasts of society!

e.   He can help us to love those who are new to

     our community or country!

 

II.  But, He was also God!

 

A.   This is the basis of Christianity!

 

A.      Joseph was not Jesus' physical father!  We see that in

     our first scripture: Matt. 1:18.

 

C.   Espoused: Like engagement; except it took a divorce to stop an espousal or betrothal.

 

D.   Christ was of the Holy Spirit!  vs. 20

1.   Christ wasn't illegitimate!

2.   Mary hadn't slept with any man; she was a virgin!

 

E.   Christ was God! 

John 1:1 & 14 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the

Word was God  14  And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and

we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father=s only son, d full of grace

and truth.

 

F.   "We beheld his glory;" we saw how God was!

 

III. And, He was and is the Savior! “He will save his people from their sins!” vs. 21

 

A.   Savior:   One who saves or delivers.

 

B.   Christ saves us from the punishment that we deserve!

Rom. 6:23a     "For the wages of sin is death;"

 

What is this death?

 

1.   It is separation from God  (from the living).

II Thess. 1:9  "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the                                presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power:"

2.   In a place the Bible calls Hell.

Matt. 10:28 "Rather fear him which is able to  destroy both soul and body in hell."

 

              a)   The Bible says a lot about this place called

                   hell; it speaks of it being a place of pain

                   and punishment.  (Matt. 22:13 & Matt. 3:12

                   Don=t read.)

b)   But I think the worst thing about hell is it

being a place of separation from the God of

goodness! Imagine:  The good things in life;

a hug from a child, the love of your spouse,

the love of a friend, someone who cares.

These are all based on the goodness of God, and Hell is separation from that God of goodness.

c)   And it is easy to find!

Matt. 7:13     "Wide is the gate, and broad

Is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at:"

 

All we have to do is fail to accept Christ,

and we will find it!

 

C.   Again, CHRIST IS SAVIOR; he paid the price so we don't  have to go there.  Heb. 9:24-28 

1.   Christ paid the price for our sins!  I believe that Christ went to Hell for us.  Look at the crucifixion:

a.   The sky became dark.  Matt. 27:45

b.   Christ experienced separation from the God

of goodness as he cried out, "My God, My

God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Matt. 27:46

2.   One day, we will face judgement.

3.   What will matter then is whether or not we have accepted Christ and are living for Him!

4.   Talk about the Nicene Creed on pg. 880 UMH.

Conclusion:

As Christians and being human, we won't agree on

everything, but on these facts about Christ, we can and

must agree!  In true Wesleyan theology, this is one of the essentials!

 

A.   Christ is able to help us in life because He's been there: He was human!

         

B.   Christ was able to pay the price for our sin because

he had no sin and was God!

 

C.   He is Savior!!

 

D.   Have you accepted Him as your Savior?  You can open

your heart to Christ today as we encounter Christ at the table; if you do, let me know so that I can help you as you begin your journey with Christ!

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

Berry Picking Series: "Counting the Cost."

 5^th Sunday after the Epiphany!

Introduction:

A.   Today, we will take that same juicy berry which we talked about last week and apply it two different ways.

1.   First, we will say it represents Christ.

2.   Then, we'll say it represents a goal that we have!

 

B.   In this message, we will see that it is alright to

count the cost in two different ways!

 

                            Prayer

                         Luke 14:25-35

I.   Let's look at our parable about berries.

 

A.   When we are picking berries, we have to decide whether or not they are worth the cost.

1.   Many believe they are and go out to pick berries whenever they have a chance.

2.   Others, you couldn't give them to them if they

have to go and pick them; they don't consider them to be worth the cost:

a.   the heat.

b.   the thorns and scratches.

c.   the plain old work!

d.   If you will pick them for them, they will take them, but if they have to pick, they are not worth it.

B.   When we are berry picking and we run across a nice juicy berry, we have to decide if it is worth the thorns in our hand (cost) to reach back in there and get it. (remember I am talking about berries like my grandmother had that have a lot of dead briars in them, a lot of opportunities to get scratched)

1.   Perhaps this is one I should leave for the birds!

2.   If we do go for it, we carefully select the path

we are going to take to get to it!

 

II.  How does this apply to us today?

 

A.   Deciding whether or not to follow Christ is much like berry picking!

1.   There are great rewards in following Christ, but Christ wants us to "count the cost."  (see   scripture)

a.   Christ doesn't want us going at it blindly with in mind quitting if we decide we don't like it!

b.   Christ want's those who have thought it out and have decided to dedicate their lives to God!

c.   Life will not always be a bed of roses, and Christ wants us to know that before we start! Christ also wants us to know that we will not be going it alone because Christ through the Spirit will be there to help us through.

1)   It isn’t always popular to be a

Christian!  Some of the first hearers

of this teaching of Christ would be

persecuted for following Christ and not

bowing to Rome!

                   2)   Christ is calling them to count the cost!

                   3)   What Christ taught should be what we

                        follow.  Sometimes other so called

                        Christians may try to lead us from

                        that; sometimes our government can. 

                        Sometimes it may get us persecuted,

                        even today!  Look at the life of Christ

                        and follow that! If we do that, we are

                        on the winning side, if not in this

                        life, in the life to come!  In this

                        life, we are able to be God’s hands and

                        feet to share the love of God!  It is a

                        life worth living.  Christ calls us to

                        count the cost!

                   4)   Bad things still happen to Christian

people!

a)   We still get deathly sick.

b)   Our loved ones still get deathly sick!

                        c)   Our loved ones may still get hit and killed by a drunk driver!

                        e)   Our loved ones could be killed in a school or drive by shooting!

                   5)   Whatever happens, we have a God to help us through it! We have a God who has

lived among us and knows just what we

need! We have a God in Jesus Christ who

walks alongside us and helps us

through whatever life brings!

                   6)   Again, Christ calls us to count the cost!

 

2.   If we go at it blindly, not counting the cost, we probably won't make it!  Life will still not be what we expected it to be!

 

B.   Looking at our goals and plans as a church, Christ

would have us to count the cost!

 

1.   As a church, we are to prayerfully count the

cost!

a.   A minister should never expect a

     congregation to swallow anything without

counting the cost! This isn't Biblical! 

Christ wants us to count the cost then

decide if we are to do something!

 

b.   I once knew of a minister in another

tradition who decided what God's will was

for the church building program.  When the

church didn't agree with him, they were

wrong and weak in faith for not accepting                   it!

 

 

c.   It is not a weak faith to count the cost so

     we will know what we are getting into.  It

     is good stewardship!

     1)   That is the whole purpose behind all

          the steps we go through as Methodists

          before we can build.

     2)   All the checkpoints and approvals are

          designed to help us to count the cost!

d.   Like in berry picking, we have to look at

the different avenues that are available to

us to attain a goal and then decide which is

the best one to take. 

e.   If we don't and just dive in without considering the alternatives, we might just get scratched up real bad and not accomplish what we were trying to do.

 

III. After we have counted the cost, then what?

 

A.   This is where the faith comes in!

 

B.   Even if we find it possible, if we count the cost and

have no faith, we wind up like the Hebrew people after they sent the spies to spy out Canaan, afraid to step out even though it is possible to do whatever it is that we are checking out.

 

C.   If it is concerning whether or not to accept what God has done for us in Christ and become a Christian, if we have no faith, we wind up lost and out of relationship with God.  This also takes faith or trust!

D.   In making a decision, after we have counted the cost and God has guided us to an intelligent decision, if we are willing to step out on faith, God can use this decision to make a positive difference.  The sky is the limit in our Christian lives and in our Church!

 

Conclusion:

A.   Concerning becoming a Christian, we have to count the cost!

1.   Some will not choose to follow Christ because of  fear of what they will lose!

2.   For me, I feel that I have gained much more than  I have lost.  I don't regret a day I have spent  serving the Lord!

3.   Won't you accept what God has done for us and begin your journey of Faith?

 

B.   As individuals and as a church, let's be good stewards of God’s gifts to us!  Let's count the cost, but let's also have the faith to step out when the Lord shows us something to do!

 

Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

Berry Picking Series: Sermon one. "Son Ripened Christian."

 4^th Sunday after the Epiphany!

Introduction:

A.   Have you ever gone Berry Picking, especially for the kind that has thorns?

 

B.   Where my grandmother lived in Corning when I was young, she had some Blackberries in her yard; she was unable to care for them properly, but when we came to visit, there was always plenty of Berries to pick.  I usually got to help my dad do that.

 

C.   Upon reflecting on berry picking, there are a lot of connections with the Christian life.  It could be used as modern day parables about the Christian life.

 

D.   Over the next 3 weeks we will look at a short series of sermons: modern day parables about berry picking.

     (Since we were closed last week, I may combine the last 2 into a message for this week, making it a 2 message series.)

 

Trans.

Today, we are going to talk about the "Son Ripened  Christian."

                            Prayer

                  John 8:12 and I Cor. 1:26-31

 

I.   Let's first look at the berry itself.

 

A.   A berry or any plant in complete darkness will not grow and will eventually die; sunlight is an essential ingredient for life.

B.   When a berry gets the right amount of sunlight, it ripens and makes a delicious fruit that we all love to eat and enjoy.

 

C.   Also, after long exposure to the sunlight, the berry dries, drops off into the soil, and reproduces, making another vine come up.

 

1.   This is a natural process for the berry to yield  itself to exposure to the sun thereby

reproducing. It will grow toward the sun!

 

2.   After reproducing, there are thousands more berries than before.

 

3.   My grandmother’s berry vines were very large, and each year, they had grown larger.

 

II.  How does this apply to our Christian lives?

 

A.   As we look at our scripture, we see that God has given us Jesus to be our Sonlight!

 

1.   Through Christ, we attain wisdom, righteousness,  sanctification, and redemption.

 

2.   Through Christ, we grow and mature into what God would have us to be, through God’s Sanctifying Grace.

3.   We become the beautiful fruit after the proper exposure to the Son; we become something that is  able to be used to feed and help others!

     a.   We learn to love like Jesus!

     b.   We learn to share that love with all people

          and invite them into the Kingdom of God!

B.   Also, we become something that reproduces for Christ.

 

1.   As Christians, our part is in the yielding our lives to the Son. Just like berries grow toward the son!

 

2.   When we do, it is natural that we will reproduce.

 

a.      We will want to share in some way. Because

of God’s love shown through us, we will draw people to God!

 

b.   We may never really know who all we have led to a closer walk with God when we are exposed to the Son!

 

c.   A life that is yielded to the Son will reproduce thousands of times itself in a lifetime!

 

3.   All because of our exposure to the Son!

 

III. What is this proper exposure to the Son, and how can we be exposed?          Rom. 12:1&2

 

A.   It is a complete surrender to the will of the Son!    (Complete exposure!)

1.   It isn't a Spot exposure where we let the Son hit this spot but hide other places in our lives!

 

2.   We are to present ourselves whole and complete unto the Lord!

 

 

a.   It should be an everyday communication and walk with Christ where Christ is the reason we do the things we do!

 

b.   Christ's way is the best for us and for those around us.

 

B.   It is allowing Christ to transform us by the renewing  of our minds!  This is the way we continually get   exposure to the Son, by seeing that our minds are  renewed.

 

1.   Through Bible Study and by reading the right things.

 

a.   The Bible is God's written word.

 

b.      Through the Bible, we are exposed to God through Christ. Christ is our best

revelation of God!  We understand God best by looking at the life of Christ!

 

2.   By letting the right people influence us, Christian people who are dedicated.

3.   By being selective of what we hear and see.

 

a.   When we see something enough, it affects us.

 

b.   When we think of what is out there to see today, this is scary!

 

4.   By seeing that our minds continually get a dose of Sonlight and not darkness!

C.   A Christian must have Sonlight to live & grow!

 

1.   When we shut ourselves off from the Son, we will  die spiritually.

 

2.   Without continually being exposed to the Son, we  can't grow toward perfection in Christ!

 

Conclusion:

 

A.   When we have the right amount of exposure to the Son, we will mature to the point we will multiply (bear fruit).

 

B.   We may not always know who we have influenced, but we can rest assured we will multiply!

 

C.   Are we getting this much exposure to the Son?

 

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

yield to Christ those areas where we need to grow or

change!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

 

 

 

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