Living Victoriously (John 17:1-11)

http://goo.gl/wpU82B (link to live sermon)

            This particular passage of scripture is called the High Priestly Prayer, and also the Farewell Discourse. The Gospel according John Chapter is divided into 2 books, the book of signs, and the book of glory, it is also has 7 discourses;

Sign No. 1wedding at Cana-John Chapter 2

Sign No. 2            Healing of the nobleman's son-John Chapter 4

Sign No. 3            Healing of the lame man in Jerusalem-John Chapter 5

Sign No. 4            The feeding of the 5,000-John Chapter 6

Sign No. 5            Jesus walks on water-John Chapter 6

Sign No. 6            Healing of the man born blind-John Chapter 9

Sign No. 7            Raising Lazarus from the dead-John Chapter 11

Discourse No. 1            Early Judean ministry: Nicodemus-John Chapter 3

Discourse No. 2            The Samaritan woman: woman at the well/living water-John Chapter 4

Discourse No. 3            The discourse on the father and the son-John Chapter 5

Discourse No. 4            The bread of life discourse-John Chapter 6

Discourse No. 5            Feast of tabernacles: the spirit-John Chapter 7

Discourse No. 6            Jesus as light of the world-John Chapter 8

Discourse No. 7            Jesus as the good shepherd-John Chapter 10

But John chapters 14-17 are known as the Farewell Discourse, it is given by Jesus to 11 of his disciples after the Passover meal, that we Christians refer to as the Last Supper. This is a passing of the baton of sorts, Jesus knows what he has to do, so he is preparing himself and the Disciples not only for what is to come, but what they have to do afterwards.

As I was studying the passage, I thought this was going to be a real complicated piece to preach, I thought I was going to have to prune and take it piece by piece not trying to overcomplicate the message with some sort of profound revelation, but the more I studied the more I realized the purpose of this prayer was real simple. Eternal life is to know God and know Jesus. All right there in verse 3, know God and Jesus, you will know eternal life. That is what we are all here for right? Once we get past tradition, and maybe our parents making us come, that is why we are all here, we want there to be something more than the 70-100 if we are real strong, years on this planet. Here Jesus provides a prayer and gives us the answer, because he gives us the answer, he is operating like he already has the victory.  Notice also this prayer is not alone, clutching a rock, like so many artist have painted when he is in the garden; this prayer is right within earshot of all the other disciples.

Jesus prays for his own glorification in the first 8 verses, and he prays that the people know God, that word that Jesus uses for know in the Greek, is comparable to the Hebrew word used for know in the Old Testament, it means to intimately know God, develop a relationship with Him. The next part of the passage, Jesus intercedes for the disciples praying for them because he is going to the Father, they still have work to do on Earth. Jesus is not praying with defeat, he is praying from a position of victory.

I am a fan of video games; I am a fan of all kinds of games but mostly video games and particularly those from the 80s and early 90s, for the home console systems. Something that I understand about those games is that they are expensive to make. Teams of computer programmers, hardware and software specialist come together to make a video game along with testers, graphic designers, musicians, etc. They work together for a year or some years to develop a game, which is why they cost so much. These days, they try to make the video game long to play  (60 hours on some) so that the customer doesn’t feel like they wasted $60, but back in the 80s and 90s there was not much room on the disks and cartridges so to make the customer feel good about their purchase, they made the game hard. I would spend entire weekends, and when school was out, the whole summer trying to figure out how to win some of these games, some I got really good at, others, not so much.

Just recently I came across a group of professional gamers who “speed run” they have made a career out of playing a video game better than everybody else, and some specialize in beating the game in the fastest way possible. So games that would take me all weekend to get halfway through, they can beat from start to finish in 10-15 minutes. Some of these speed runners put on an annual charity marathon where they speed run these games live and raise money for charity. For example somebody will call in to the marathon and say they will donate $1000 to autism research if someone can beat a certain game in 13 minutes, and the speed runner will do it.

Now after getting over the pain of watching them make my childhood video game skills seem trivial I started to watch how they played and noticed they didn’t play the same way I used to play or play now, they have a whole different approach, and I found a sermon in it. The speed runners play the game victoriously.

First off, they prepare, they know the game sometimes better than the people who programmed it. We should all study our craft no matter what it is.

2 Timothy 2:15

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

That word study has other translations, be diligent, do your best, The Message Bible even says concentrate. The fact is if you want to be victorious, you have to prepare. One of my favorite music producers Leon Lewis, says all the time, “I am not the best musician, not the smartest, not the most creative, but you will NEVER out prepare me.” We ought to spend time studying what ever it is we want to do, but especially study God’s word.

Something else I noticed about the speed runners, they don’t stop when the enemy comes, nor do they fight every enemy. I watched the speed runners walk right past enemies, straight up ignore them and what they were doing, didn’t fuss, didn’t stress, didn’t stop, just kept moving. That is hard to do for some of us, we won’t allow ourselves to be disrespected. We argue every motion, fight every battle, resist every bit of change, because we want to do it our way and our way is best. We might think so, but I noticed in the game when you stop to fight every enemy, you might win, but you lose energy.

Psalm 23:4-5

King James Version (KJV)

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Thirdly when they enemy does lay a hand on the runner, they allow the damage caused or the way that they enemy hit them, push them forward. Everything is used to push the runner forward and not backwards, instead of sitting around complaining about getting hit they let the hit push them further toward the end. Too many times we let our setbacks be our stopping points, we want to spend the rest of our lives talking about something that happened years ago instead of learning from it and moving on.

Philippians 3:13-14

King James Version (KJV)

¹³ Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

¹⁴ I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Last point I noticed about the runners, they played with victory in mind, they knew in the end, they were going to win, just like Jesus knew in the prayer Glory was his. Even though it was the last supper he knew he had to be whipped all night long. Crown of thorns on his head, nails in his hands, piercing in his side, fed vinegar for water, hang his head and die. Be put in a borrowed tomb, but early on the third day rise again!

Dry Bones, Breath, and Life

Dry Bones, Breath, and Life

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Ezekiel 37:1-14, the passage on the valley of the dry bones is one of the most famous Old Testament passages, definitely the most popular of the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel is more structured than other OT prophet books, and it is one of the few times in the OT that life after death is discussed. About 600 years before Christ, Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon defeated the Hebrew people, the Kingdom of Judah, some of the people we held captive, while others were exiled. The people of God were in disarray and Theologians refer to this period as the exilic period, a byproduct of the period was some of the rich OT literature, and the finalization of the literature that was already out.

This also influenced literature and art for the later years. James Weldon Johnson, author of Lift Every Voice and Sing also penned a song in dialect, you may have heard of…

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones.

Now hear the word of the Lord.

Influenced by Ezekiel 37

This passage is pretty popular.

Ezekiel is taken to a valley of dry bones, you can tell a lot about an organism based on its bones. I remember taking a health class in High School and the teacher showing us a skeleton. The teacher asked us to tell if the skeleton was male or female. No one knew how to determine this and after many guesses, the teacher showed us the hipbones, they pointed out, he said that was for child bearing so the skeleton was a woman. You can tell a lot by the bones, that is why we have archeologists digging up fossils and when we have something wrong with us medically we get x-rays.

The bones in the valley were dry, we can relate to dry situations. Trying to look for colleges, find money for colleges, looking for a spouse for the first or second time, struggling to have children, struggling to raise children, health issues, finances, looking for a job, loosing family members, friends, or dealing with our own mortality, we all have dry periods in our lives.

God asks “can these bone live? I wonder what was going through Ezekiel’s mind when God asked him that? The very idea seems preposterous, bones do not get up they stay down. I know we can see the end already but I am wondering what someone like Ezekiel would have thought in this situation. Bones stay down, dry bones are dead and gone, and how do you reconcile that in your mind?  The prophet is told to speak a word that will give life and power, but be have learned not to trust words anymore because we are flooded with them.

We are bombarded constantly with commercials, radio, television, magazines, billboards, news presentations with words all over the screen social media, now companies compete for the “second screen, meaning they know you are watching TV, but looking on your phone or tablet at the same time. I know better than to get on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram on Thursday nights after 9pm CST unless I want Scandal spoiled before I get to watch it.

We have learned not to trust words over time; speed limit signs are merely a suggestion. We know politicians are lying either by omission, commission, or the fact that they really don’t understand how hard it is to pass a bill or really changes laws when it is not their time. Make campaign promises, get to Washington and learn they cant even be on the committee that makes the laws they promised to change because they are a Freshman Senator. We make vows and break them; sign contracts and renege, gossip columns and blogs are more popular than ever. I heard one news reporter say the problem with news now is companies would rather be first to break the story and wrong than fifth to report on it and right. We have stopped placing value on the word.

But the word of God is different than the word of man. When God speaks things happen, the word is still important.

Genesis 1:3

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

³ Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Isaiah 55:10-11

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

¹⁰ For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
    and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹ so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

John 1:1

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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

John 1:14

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

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,^[a] full of grace and truth.

Psalm 119:25

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

²⁵ My soul clings to the dust;
    revive me according to your word.

You see the idea would seem silly or preposterous to some because they have tried to control their god. God is only as big as they want him to be, they decide what kind of God they have and keep him in a box.

Shubert Ogden said “God is the all inclusive whole of all reality”

Anything less is not God. Even though Man may have failed us, we can rely on God. God has the knowledge that we do not.

God gives a word, and then he gives breath.

Breath is important, we use the word for so many terms, Breathe child breathe, when somebody is shocked or surprised. You can take the air out of the room, when somebody talks a lot with no action we say they are full of hot air. When you try to tell someone something but it is not received well, you are wasting your breath, a burst of energy is called a second wind. When you don’t think something is going to happen you tell people not to hold their breath on it. Breath is important, in the Hebrew the word used for breath in this passage is also used for wind and spirit, ruah or ruach.

God’s word was promising them life, also note how the text says they were promised breath/life but they got put together first. The promise came in verse 5, but the breath did not actually come until verse 10. Dealing with a verse 6-9 moment can be hard but

Isaiah 40:31

King James Version (KJV)

³¹ But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

It is hard waiting but once we are finished waiting we will appreciate the hard times and be glad we went through them. A period of financial hardship will help us appreciate the next time we get money. A period of sickness will force us to take better care of our health. We should be grateful for the waiting period because after the waiting period comes the breath of life.

James Weldon Johnson saw resurrection of a dry dead situation in his life, he was the son of a waiter, went to college, graduated and became an attorney in the late 1800s. Once of his examiners walked out in protest because they did not want to see a Black men become a lawyer. Johnson went from the son of a waiter, to a college graduate, to an attorney. Johnson went on to work on Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidential campaign and was appointed Consul to Venezuela. He had seen a dry situation resurrected and come to life!

The breath of life that can resurrect our dry situation, the breath of life that resurrected Lazarus, the breath that was with Jesus when he gave himself up for us so that we might be saved, so that death does not have the final say over us.

The Tipping Point (Matthew 17:1-9)

The Tipping Point (Matthew 17:1-9)

I fancy myself a student of business, I ought to be, I have 2 degrees in the subject, but in business, and in other subjects there is something called the tipping point. A tipping point is defined as “the point at which a series of small changes or incidents becomes significant enough to cause a larger, more important change.” When water is heated to 99 degrees Fahrenheit, you don’t see much going on with the water, but add one more degree, you see the water boil. That single degree of additional heat could be considered the tipping point. 

The Battle of Britain in World War II was a tipping point, it was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, Germany failed to destroy Britain’s air defenses in that battle and gave Germany their first major defeat, showed that they were vulnerable, and that the allied forces could win the war, the battle of Britain was a tipping point. There have been several television shows that aired on television, got cancelled, but so many people watched the syndicated reruns, that the shows would be brought back with new episodes. The reruns would generate enough interest, a tipping point to get them back into popularity. The story of the Transfiguration, in my humble opinion is a tipping point; it is an event that happens after many other events that gets us heading towards the cross, and the Passion of our Lord and savior. What happens on that mountain sets us toward events of things to come.

In the Gospel according to Matthew, often called the gospel of the church, because it is favorable to the church. Jesus only explicitly talks about the church twice and you find them in the Gospel according to Matthew. In this gospel the disciples “get it” they understand what Jesus is saying, they comprehend what he is talking about all the time. Matthew is where we find Jesus fulfilling a lot of the prophecies of the Messiah from the Hebrew Scriptures, and that is why we hear of this transfiguration of Jesus. This event happens in the three synoptic gospels Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36 and the transfiguration is referred to in 2^nd Peter 1:1-18. This is a tipping point, or turning point in the ministry of Jesus.

The text says that Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, Jesus was a man of the people, sometimes he was with the multitude, sometimes he was with the twelve, but some other times he was with Peter, James, and John. Yes we ought to be Christians in community, but even Jesus had to get away with his inner circle from time to time. Furthermore sometimes-even Jesus would need to be alone with just him and the Father. Here Jesus is not with the multitude, or the 70, not with the twelve, it is just Jesus, Peter, James, and John. The Gospel according to Mark points out those four together often, but this is the first time we see it in Matthew. Who we keep close to us is very important. Many people believe that we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with or the average of our five closest friends. Because of that I will be looking to spend some time with Bill Gates, Bob Johnson, Our nation’s President  (Barrack Obama), Michael Jordan, and Warren Buffet. Who we spend our time with is important, so is what we spend our time on.

That term transfigured literally means metamorphosed in the Greek, and we use metamorphosis often, we use it to describe a change. There are plenty of organisms that go through metamorphosis in their respective life cycles; tadpoles become frogs, some fish change from saltwater to freshwater, caterpillars become butterflies. The thing about metamorphosis that we may not understand is in our mind, that is the exact same organism, but biologically, parts, or almost the entire first animal had to die to go through the change and give you what you see in its changed state. The same thing is true about us in this walk with Christ, in order to get some real change, we have to do more than go to a conference, or listen to a song about change, some things in us have to die, we cannot be the same after experiencing Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 (NRSV)

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Jesus was changed when he was transfigured, the radiance and brightness that shined like the sun.

They show Jesus in the text with Moses and Elijah, that is important, Matthew thought about who was going to be reading and hearing this, the church, the more organized, those who were looking for Jesus to fulfill the prophecy, this is here to let you know, not only is Jesus in line with the prophets, but he is the fulfillment of the prophets. Just like the prophets Moses and Elijah, who were originally rejected by the people, then vindicated later by God, Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected and will become the chief cornerstone.

Then a voice came from the cloud and said, This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Where have we heard that before? Matthew 3:17, Matthew is about tying up loose ends in my opinion. Mark got right to the point, Matthew wants to stay and tarry a little while, Matthew likes to unpack the story of Jesus a little more he was telling the story of Jesus to those who knew a little something about scripture and would be looking to see some things from Jesus that spoke to their soul. Not only that, but with Matthew the way you start is the way you finish. If you didn’t hear God the first time telling you about his son, let me tell you again. We look at this differently then they did, we already know Jesus is the Son of God, but during their time, the disciples, and the people of the scripture, they are still learning.

While they are still learning, they are caught up in the glory of God; they are overcome fear the text says. But even in being overcome by fear, this is why I love Jesus; the text says Jesus came to them. If Jesus can come to them, then I think it is ok to think that Jesus may come to me. Who am I that he is mindful of me, who am that He might touch me and speak to me, and that I can form a relationship with him. Who am I that Jesus would think that much of me, I don’t deserve it but yet he did it just for me. We serve a God, a risen savior that is willing to come to us.

After the transfiguration, they came down the mountain; Jesus told them “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” Jesus knew what was coming, he knew that he had to show his passion. He knew that he had to go through some pain

Isaiah 53:5-7 (NKJV)

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

He knew he had to be whipped all night long, he had to be whipped with a cat of nine tails just for you and me, he had to pierced in his side, be given gall for food and vinegar for drink. They had to cast lots (gamble) for his clothes, had to wear a crown of thorns, and carry a cross to Golgotha, the place of the skull, or Calvary, he knew he had to get on that cross, but not just him, our sins had to get on that cross too, and he had to die. He had to die, so that we could avoid death, hell and the grave, he did all that for us. For you and for me, but most importantly he got up, three days later he got up with all power in his hand, so that whosoever believes in him will not have death but everlasting life. The transfiguration was the tipping point, the tipping point that took us towards victory on the cross.

What are we here for? (Ephesians 1:11-23)

What are we here for? That is the big question, one often posed when big philosophical questions about the meaning of life, and when asking not so philosophical questions about the purpose of a meeting. For our time together, I want to talk a little bit about why the Church at Ephesus, and the church in general is here. The church at Ephesus seems to be at peace, but there is a battle going on, not the flesh and blood kind. The spiritual kind for Ephesians 6:12 says: 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians is here to tell us we have won the battle through Christ. My seminary professors drilled it into me that Christ is not a person, Christ is a title, and that Jesus became the Christ after rising from the dead. After suffering on that old rugged cross. 

The cross was a humiliating item used to dispose of the common criminal. The cross was not for necklaces, expensive jewelry, or a decorative item for your wall during these biblical times. The sign of the cross is meant to shame, to embarrass, but Jesus took something meant to be bad and make it good. So much so, that the author of this Book is able to write it from jail in chains.  And in writing in chains, he talks about setting our hope on Christ. That is a good thing to hope for Amen, Christ will never leave you nor forsake you. Christ will be there for you thick and thin, good times and bad, Jesus is a true friend indeed. 

Reason 1 Possessions 

Full Definition of INHERITANCE

1

a :  the act of inheriting property

b :  the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring

c :  the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations

2

:  something that is or may be inherited

3

a :  tradition

b :  a valuable possession that is a common heritage from nature

4 :  possession

What are we possessing, through Christ suffering, death, and resurrection? We get possession to spiritual blessings, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.  You know, I have been hearing a few things about salvation. I hear a lot of things regarding what man says about salvation, but I would rather go to the Word and see what it says about salvation. What does the Bible say about salvation?

Romans 10:1-17

New King James Version (NKJV)

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”(that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We possess salvation as Christians, and it is our duty to share the Gospel with all mankind. Then there is that word pledge: 

pledge

  noun \ˈplej\

: a serious promise or agreement

: a promise to give money

: something that you leave with another person as a way to show that you will keep your promise

The Holy Spirit is that something left with us to show that God will keep His promise. 

Numbers 23:19

New King James Version (NKJV)

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

God does not go back on His word, and the Holy Spirit is here as a pledge to remind us of what God says, and will do. That is what we can take comfort in.

Reason 2 prayer

Even though he commends them on their faith and love, he still prays for them to grow in it. “ I have heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus and your love. 

The prayer is continual. 

Philippians 4:6

New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

New King James Version (NKJV)

15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 6:18

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

I can’t go to the gym one time and declare that I am in shape, I can’t cook one meal and demand you all start calling me Chef Simpson, everything requires work, so should our faith walk. They have books out on business and personal success about something called the 10,000-hour rule, the point of the rule is that people say to be good at any given task; it takes 10,000 hours of practice. 

They say that once you have practiced something for that long, music, athletics, public speaking or preaching, practicing medicine, practicing law, singing, advanced mathematics, what ever you chose as a profession, around 10,000 or 5 years at 8 hours a day, your mind and body begin to groove together in accomplishing the task, everything is not a blur, the game slows down for you so you are able to function well at a particular task. Some argue, that if you are genetically gifted, or predisposed to particular skill set it may take 8000 hours, or 5000 hours. T The point that is being made is that it takes practice; it takes time to grow at any given thing. You cannot just roll out of bed, start something new, then get mad that its not working to your satisfaction the next week. Success leaves clues, and success takes time. So we could all spend a little more time praying, but not just praying, studying, worshiping, fasting, giving, and every other thing that could be classified as Christian behavior, and not just on Sunday.

Reason 3 His Power

The last point is power let the church say Power. God has put everything under His feet, everything, your problems, you sickness, your disease, everything. It may not be done the way you want it to be done, but God will take care of it in due time. If everything was done the way you wanted it to be done, what would be the purpose of God? And he not only rules this age, but the ages to come. He has put all things under his feet. 

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

When one uses the term “head and shoulders above the rest.” That person or that thing is clearly superior to anything else you can put up against it. Some would even say there is no competition. If there is no competition when something is head and shoulders above the rest, how much greater is our God if everything is under his feet? When Christ rose from the dead, the ultimate victory was proclaimed, the power was proclaimed. This also made Christ the head of the Church, for now and forever. Just like when we sing the end of the Gloria Patri, world without end, Amen, Amen. Christ is in charge and this thing is not going to end. The final victory has already been proclaimed we just need to realize it, take our possessions, keep praying, and realize the power. 

Just Jesus (Colossians 3:1-11)

Theologian Mark Alan Powell said the motto of the Epistle to the Colossians could be “Think Globally, act locally.”

I’ve noticed that as life goes on, what is important to me changes, over time. It changes so much that I look at current problems and think will this matter to me after a year, 5 years, 10 years. That determines how I handle a problem. Looking a problem from the outside keeps me from getting so caught up in the problem that I can’t find a solution. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the problem, or that I will not take care of it, this thought process of mine only means, that I will solve it without getting worked up. I work toward being like the Apostle Paul said in

Philippians 4:11-13

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ^[a] who strengthens me.

It comes from both experience, and vision. Experience and vision also determine what all will be done to handle situations effectively and efficiently. As I gain experience with certain kinds of obstacles, I learn how to eliminate extra, unnecessary steps. Because my mind is on the big picture, the global situation, I see where some extra things may not be necessary, they may not be as urgent as one thinks. I learn to accomplish a task in 3-4 steps instead of 10.

Colossians was a letter written to the church in Colossae, small town in what is now called Turkey. The area was full pagan cults, and mystery religions. The Colossian Christians had not seen the Apostle Paul face to face. The Colossian Christians were taught the gospel by someone else, so they had began to combine what they knew of some of these mystery religions into what they did to worship Christ, resulting in some unnecessary steps. Yes they have been deceived by “plausible arguments” and taken captive by “philosophy and empty deceit.” They got caught up in titles, festivals and a bunch of other stuff that took them further from Jesus. 

This is no longer our life, we have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is. Christ is seated at the right hand of the father because he has done all the work he needed to do for now, it is time for us to get to work. But we are here getting caught up on things that don’t matter, things that are stunting our growth. It reminds me of my colleague in the ministry, he would jokingly say he was raised old school, which meant if he brought the paper plates to the potluck, his name needed to be in the bulletin.

I’ve had the opportunity to lead several organizations, community service groups etc and they all had the same thing in common. They spend time complaining about people who don’t come to meetings. Every last one of them, from the drama ministry at church, to the fraternities, whoever was in charge complained every meeting about people who never showed up, when it was my turn to lead, members would try to talk about that but I would keep the meeting moving. You work with what you have and keep going, if you spend all the time complaining about who is not there they are living in your head rent free. I heard one person say you shouldn’t spend any time worrying about people who don’t affect your direct deposit. There is work to be done, and the church is worried about a bunch of things that won’t amount to anything later.

Luke 6:57-62 (The Cost of Discipleship)

⁵⁷ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Set our minds on things above. We ought to focusing on Jesus, and thy kingdom come, not who needs to chair what committee. Organization is important, but it tickles me to see folk vote on how to vote for the vote, and then see someone stop the vote on how to vote, because they need to vote to suspend the rules for the vote in the first place.

            John Wesley valued 4 things leading this thing we call Methodism, they called it the Wesleyan quadrilateral Scripture, Experience, Reason, and Tradition, with scripture being the most important of the four. We seem to lose that as a people and start focusing on tradition more than anything else. Tradition is wonderful, tradition connects us to those who came before us, and gives us a way to connect with those who will come behind us, but we must be careful of how we treat tradition, because it can create separation.

            Did you know John Wesley did not intend create a separate denomination. He was trying to improve the Anglican Church, the Church of England. John Wesley wanted to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let the people have personal experiences with God and know that they were justified by faith. It was church leaders who came after him that took the traditions and it started growing into a bunch of separations. The United Methodist Church, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Wesleyan Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Holiness movement, Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, and the Neo-Charismatic movement, all from came John Wesley’s teaching.

Taking off and putting on new clothing, symbolic of new life beginning anew in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We lay aside vices, not so we can say we are better than the rest, we lay them aside because we are primarily hurting ourselves. It says on account of these the wrath of God is coming for those who are disobedient, not the wrath of the church members. We are to hold each other accountable, and we are to judge a tree by its fruit, but we do not personally have a heaven or hell to put anyone else in. Fact is we all have 2x4s in our eyes trying to point out the specks in somebody else’s eye. This kind of situation is similar to a kid at school who is quick to make fun of somebody else so that they can deflect attention away from themselves. We lay aside vices because we are not perfect, but we are striving for perfection.

No Jew or Greek, no circumcised or uncircumcised, no hierarchy, no I know more than you, no I have been Methodist longer than you. Being the best person you know is a bad thing. We ought to surround ourselves with those who can help us be better people. We ought not focus on things that don’t matter we need to focus on Jesus.

That’s why the scripture says Christ is all in all

He’s all that was, and is, and is to come

The way maker,

the sustainer, the redeemer.  

The Lilly of the valley

The bright morning star

Our advocate

The true vine,

The chief cornerstone

The one who was beat all night long for your sins and mine

Crucified died and buried, so that we might have life

Laid in a tomb, borrowed because he wasn’t going to be there long

But on that third day, he got up with all power in his hand

And because he did that for me, I will put my trust in him

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Are We Really the Good Samaritan?

Are we Really the Good Samaritan?

            One of my professors often says that readers and interpreters are grounded in their social locations. What they meant by that was that when we read a particular text, we tend to put ourselves in the story, and we put ourselves in the story as the hero. When we read the Bible stories, we are Moses telling the Pharaoh, to let our people go. We tend to identify with the hero, the winner of the story. We are David, never Goliath, we are Adam and Even, never the serpent, and of course in this parable told by Jesus, we like to see ourselves as the Samaritan.

And that is where we are in the text today. Samaria is a place named after a mountain in the area, 42 miles north of Jerusalem. It was the capital residence and burial place of the kings of Israel.  Became the name for all of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 and 2 Kings), conquered by the Greeks, then the Romans. When you look at someone now you never know what he or she has been through. The city destroyed when the Romans took over and rebuilt, but it never got the same prestige it once had. Got to the point that people went out of their way to avoid going through Samaria when traveling. To be called a Samaritan was to be called a bad word in those times; it meant they didn’t know whom your bloodline came from. Almost like being called a half-breed or a mutt, an outsider, child that comes into a house because one of the people cheated. The Samaritans couldn’t come to the temple to worship.

            In the text today we find Jesus, just after he sent the seventy out to spread the good news casting out demons, healing the sick in the name of Jesus.  He tells them not to rejoice over the power they have, but to rejoice that their names are written in Heaven.  I spoke about this last week at my home church. I talked about the calling of names, the 70 aren’t named and they are told to be happy that their names are written in heaven. We take pride in our names, we protect our names, even when people try to trap us up to disrespect our names, our reputations. That is what the lawyer did in the text; he stood up to test Jesus. Trying to trap him in the law, but he didn’t know Jesus like we know Jesus, that Jesus was the best lawyer that money can’t buy.

            Jesus turns it back on him, and asks what is written in the law? Lawyer knew the scriptures and is quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  But then lawyer couldn’t leave well enough alone and he asks who is my neighbor? The Samaritans were good neighbors, but when the new people moved in, they were not so good. We can clique up by nature, we like being around like-minded people. There is benefit to being around like-minded people, but we must be able to reach outside our comfort zones to bring others to Jesus. That is what we are here for right? This life is temporary; we need to be concerned about the eternal.

            The race of the beaten person is not mentioned, it could be anybody. Not just the people at the intersections looking for help, but it could be me, or you, or anyone else. Slighted by those who should have been his friends. On the side of the road, broke busted and disgusted. Beaten up by life. Beaten up by the job, by friend and family members. But The Samaritan came down this road. Took care of his hurts.

I don’t see myself as the Samaritan, because God knows I don’t always do the right thing. I don’t see myself as the Levite, because I was not born into this chosen race, I don’t even see myself as the priest, even though I accepted my call and preaching is my profession. I see myself as the one on the side of the road, in need of help. And I like to see the Samaritan as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Samaritan didn’t have to stop and help the beaten traveler but he did. Jesus didn’t have to save me, but he did. It is an example of Christ work, and the work we are to do for others.

The Samaritan was minding his own business, but saw someone in need of assistance; Jesus was in Glory and saw humanity in need of salvation. The Samaritan was moved with pity and tended to his wounds; Jesus was filled with love and was wounded for our transgressions.

Isaiah 53:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

The Samaritan gave the man, oil and wine for his wounds.  The bible says

Psalm 104:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁵ And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

Wine is refreshment, and oil brings joy, he was getting refreshment and joy from the Samaritan so he didn’t have to look like what he had been through.  In Christ we are new creatures, all things have passed away so we too don’t have to look like what we have been through.

The Samaritan put the man on his animal and brought him to an inn, Jesus put himself on a cross and brought us all a way to heaven.

Even though the Samaritan was considered bad, what he did even his enemy, this lawyer saw worth in.

 

Philippians 2:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

The Samaritan helped the beaten traveler, just like God helps those who seek Him.

Psalm 121:1-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from He,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Stop by me Jesus, pick me up Jesus, clean me up Jesus, and leave something for me to let me know your coming back. The best part about the story of the Samaritan is this, he says he’s coming back, and Jesus is coming back.

They whipped his back so it could hold you up

Stretched his arms, now they are long enough to reach you

Buried in the tomb, all of our sin, all of our diseases.

I’ve got the scars to prove he is a way maker; I can be a witness that he’s a burden bearer, a heavy load sharer.

He is the Ancient of Days!

He is Adam’s Redeemer!

He is Abel’s Vindicator!

He is Noah’s Ark!

He is Abraham’s Sacrifice!

He is Moses’ Burning Bush!

He is Joshua’s Battle-Ax!

He is Gideon’s Fleece!

He is Samson’s Power!

He is David’s Music!

He is Solomon’s Wisdom!

He is Jeremiah’s Balm in Gilead!

He is Ezekiel’s Wheel in the middle of the wheel!

He is Job’s Horse pawing in the valley!

He is Daniel’s Stone rolling down through the mountain!

He is Matthew’s King!

He is Mark’s Suffering Servant!

He is Luke’s Great Physician!

He is John’s Word Made Flesh!

And He is Acts’ coming of the Holy Ghost! 

I look over my life, and I look at what I used to be, and what I could have been but Jesus spared me. It reminds me of the Hymn Love Lifted Me

Love Lifted Me

words: James Rowe

music: Howard E. Smith

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain:

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

An Exercise in Humility

An Exercise in Humility

So I had an interesting experience today, I attended an afternoon St. John's day service with my fellow Masonic Brothers. A little background, a St. John's day service is a church program open to the public, where Masons, O.E.S. and Heroines of Jericho gather to celebrate St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. 

This was my first time attending one as a Local Licensed Pastor, in the United Methodist Church so I wore one of my clerical shirts instead of the usual suit, shirt, and tie. One of my Lodge brothers, who is also a Reverend (Baptist), asked me if I wanted to meet the Pastor of the church, I said yes so we went into the Pastor's office. I experienced something I don't get to see often in other Pastors....humility. The pastor of the church we were visiting let us into his office, sat and spoke with us, insisted we sit in the pulpit with him during the program, prayed with us before he went out, and asked both of us to come back sometime so we could preach at his church!!

I had never seen this before because I am used to pastors who "don't want their anointing disturbed" so they have as little contact with other lowly human beings before preaching. I definitely rarely see pastors offer another pastor they just met an hour ago an opportunity to preach! My experience with other pastors is they are protective of "their" pulpits, even regarding their own Associate Pastors. It was refreshing to meet another colleague who was not too proud to have others sit in the pulpit with him and even if it was a courtesy to offer an opportunity to preach, it was a courtesy I had not experienced before. I look forward to meeting more pastors like the one I met today at Hiram Clarke Missionary Baptist Church in Houston TX.