Touching Jesus

 1^st Sunday in Lent!

Introduction:

 

A.   There is so much in a touch.

 

1.   A child can be sick or scared, and the touch from

a mother or father makes them feel so much

better!

 

2.   I've heard of studies being conducted where a

     baby left to itself without human touch

     eventually dies, even when all other needs are

     met!

 

3.   Today, at a "touch" we can microwave left-overs

     in about 3 minutes, or we can call long distances

     in a matter of seconds from a phone we have in

our pockets.

 

B.   This morning, as we begin Lent and begin a time of

self-examination, let's look at a "touch" in the

     Scriptures and see what was accomplished by it, and

     let's also ask ourselves, "Do we need a touch today?"

 

                            Prayer

                         Matt. 9:18-26

 

I.      Let's look at the Scriptures.

 

A.   Here, we have a woman who had been sick with

     hemorrhages for twelve years.

 

1.   She had been bleeding to some extent for twelve

years.

 

2.   She would have been weak and feeling miserable!

 

 

B.   Luke records that she had used her money for

     physicians, and they couldn't make her better.

Luke 8:43

 

C.   But she believed that if she could just touch Jesus

     she would be healed.

 

D.   She did, and she was!  (vs. 22)

 

II.    Do we have any sickness today?

 

A.   We have moral sickness!

 

1.   Many place such a low value on human life.

 

a.   In the last few years, we've had several

episodes of children killing children or

angry workers going into their workplace or

former workplace and killing innocent people

who have nothing to do with why they are

angry.

 

b.   Terrorist killings; killing the masses!

 

c.   It is on the news almost daily of someone killing someone, not necessarily because their life is threatened but just because….

 

d.   It is a lack of value of human life whether or not they agree with you!  It is a lack of love!

 

2.   People not keeping their commitments.

 

a.   Life partners not keeping their vows of  intimacy toward one another.

 

b.   People not keeping their word in business dealings.

 

 

3.   Prejudice, while improving in some places, is still alive and well.

 

a.   We have white supremist groups who try to

     hide their prejudice under a vale of

     religion.

 

b.   Gays are still beaten for who they are.

 

c.   Immigrants are being abused because they are

not from here or are different!

 

              d.   Sadly, it is even among those who call

themselves Christian!  That is not Christ-

like!

 

              e.   Christ showed us how to love all people!

 

B.   Yes, we still have physical sickness.

 

1.   Whether we live good lives or bad lives, we still  have physical sickness.

 

2.   Science has made a lot of strides in medicine,

     but we still have sickness and even death.

 

C.   Spiritual Sickness.

 

1.   The root to all the others!

 

2.   Today, as always, many people think they can do

     all right without God.

 

3.   The scripture says, "The wages of sin is

     Death...." (Rom. 6:23)  This sickness eventually

     leads to a Spiritual Death: separation from God.

 

III.  What's the answer to all this sickness?  To reach out and touch Jesus!  Jesus is the answer!

 

 

A.   If everyone would touch Christ, it would solve our

     Moral Problems!

 

1.   People would see themselves as God sees them

and change!

 

2.   People would see others with the respect and love that God has for them and treat them differently.

 

3.   The best thing we can do for our world's moral sickness is share Christ!

 

4.   Jesus was once asked what commandment is the

greatest?  His reply was “love the Lord your God

with all your heart, and with all your soul, and

with all your mind…” and “love your neighbor as

yourself. On these two commandments hang all the

law and the prophets.”  Matt. 22:35-40.

 

          5.   If we touch Jesus and love like Jesus, it will

solve all our moral problems!  It does not make

it worse!  True followers of Jesus have the

answer!

 

B.   When we touch Jesus, if we do not find physical

healing in this life, we even have a place to look

forward to after this life where they will be

completely healed of any physical sickness

physical sickness will be no more for the former

things have passed away! Rev. 21:4

 

C.   When we touch Jesus, a close relationship with Jesus

does away with the spiritual sickness.

 

1.   Instead, in this life, we have a full life (an

abundant life, a life of purpose.

 

          2.   We have a chance to make  a positive difference

in the world!

 

 

          3.   After this life, we have the promise of a

wonderful place that God has prepared for us

throughout eternity!

 

Conclusion:

 

A.   That touch is the touch of faith!

 

1.   Faith that Christ has done what is necessary

     to take care of our sins and put us back in relationship with God.  A deep rooted trust!

 

2.   If we continue in him he will show us where we

     need to change and make it possible for us to

     change!

 

B.   As we encounter Christ at the table today,

opportunity is here for us to touch Jesus in faith.  All we have to do is pray, "Lord I believe that you have made a way for me; I want to live for you! I receive what you have done for me"  Amen.  And mean it!

 

C.   It isn't prescribing to a certain set of beliefs; it is faith in what Christ has done for us, faith that God has made a way in Christ!

 

D.   For all of us, let us touch Jesus and ask him to make us more like him. Let’s submit to let Christ live through us!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion

 

 

From Ashes to Grace!

Ash Wednesday Service!

 

                                                                         Prayer

                                                                 Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

II Cor. 5:20b-6:10

 

First Movement:

            The book of Joel is written after the return of the exiles to the promised land.  The temple has been built, and the wall has been rebuilt.  They have just endured a plaque of locusts, and Joel sees this as a sign that the “Day of the Lord” is near.  The Day of the Lord could mean destruction for Israel’s enemies, but it could also mean judgement upon them.  Either way, Joel is a call for them to do something in preparation for the coming of the “Day of the Lord.”  Joel tells them something is coming like they have never experienced before, and he instructs them to gather for prayer and fasting and return to the Lord!

            In Corinthians, Paul says, “Since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.  For he says, “At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.” See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!”  Paul is calling out, “today is the day of salvation!”  Now is the accepted time to get ready since God is making his appeal through us!  This too is a call to get ready!

 

 2^nd Movement:

             The early church established Lent as is a time of getting ready and examining ourselves!  It is a time of examination as we move toward Holy Week when Christ gave his all for us and as we move toward the celebration of all celebrations: the resurrection!  Lent is a season of 40 days, not including Sundays, when the church would do things to help them really clean out their spirit to draw near to God: fasting, prayer, and doing without something or doing something extra.  It is a time of intense examination and reflection.  It is a time when the church would try to bring back people who had fallen away or make a special effort to bring people into the fold.   Since Sundays are always little celebrations of the resurrection, Sundays are not really a part of lent, so we say, “the first Sunday in Lent,” etc.  During Sunday worship, we try to offer messages that help us examine ourselves but yet we try to maintain the celebration because we do serve a risen savior!  Because Sundays are not a part of Lent, if we are fasting etc., they give us a brief rest from the fasting or whatever we are trying to do and give us a time to celebrate our risen savior. 

Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.  On Ash Wednesday, we encounter our own mortality and sin and confess our sin before God, within the community of faith.  We realize that we are nothing before God; we realize our intense need of what God did in Christ (our need of God’s grace).  Ashes have had a long tradition in the church as a symbol of mortality and repentance.  This probably comes from the tradition in the Old Testament of sitting in sackcloth and ashes as a sign of repentance.  The wearing of the ashes acknowledges our sin and need of God to others.  It names us within the community of faith as a believer.  If someone asks you about the ashes, tell them it is a symbol of our sin and our need for God’s forgiveness and grace.  It reminds us that none of us are perfect and that we are all in need of God. Then invite them to come and worship with you next Sunday! 

Prayer

 

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