Thoughts from Pastor Stan

SERMON NOTES

January 10, 2010

WHO ARE YOU?

INTRO

As we make our New Year’s Resolutions, one must wonder if they are in harmony with our true identity. sometimes our Resolutions fail because we have chosen a New Year’s Resolution that is out of character to our true being.

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

This week we begin a sermon series on the gospel of John (until Lent, then Les Miserables). In our passage for this week, John the Baptist is being questioned to "who is he?" In this passage the religious clergy take a guess and ask John, are you Elijah?

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE (The Testimonial of John the Baptist)

John has been introduced earlier in the chapter in the prologue (John 1:1 - 18); “There was a man who was sent by God, his name was John.”

JUDAISM AND BAPTISM

Not new. Baptism was for gentiles who wanted to become Jews, they were cleansed completely (total cleansing to pass through the threshold into Judaism).

Question: what does it mean when John the Baptist wants to baptize Jews?

There not complete Jews, yet?

John’s baptizing out at the Jordan cultivated the interest of many people who came out to either be baptized or to inquire. One such group was the religious clergy who sent out a group to interrogate John the Baptist. Thus they will inquire to wether or not he is one of three characters: the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet. All connected to the messianic (end) times

SCRIPTURE: John 1: 19 - 23 (John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."

QUESTION: Why would the Pharisees think John the Baptist is the Messiah?

The Messiah was to be a Moses like spiritual and political leader

There was need for a Moses type leader (held in bondage to Rome)

ANSWER: Nope. Not the Messiah.

INTRO TO v. 21

Okay, not the Messiah, how about Elijah (the Herald, the forerunner)

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"

QUESTION: Why did they ask if he was Elijah? Why Elijah and not someone else?

Answer: Elijah is the herald for the Messiah (relationship between two)

Scripture: Malachi 4:5 (II Kings 2 v 11 - Elijah did not die & return at end times)

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and

dreadful day of the LORD comes.

21b He said, "I am not."
POINT: once again, Nope. Not Elijah

"Are you the Prophet?"

PROPHET: Deuteronomy 18: 15 - 19

15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."

17 The LORD said to me: "What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. 19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.

SCRIPTURE: 21c

He answered, "No."

POINT: once again, Nope. Not the Prophet

POINT: John the Baptist knew he was not Elijah, nor a prophet. He knew who he wasn't. Tomorrow we will find out that John the Baptist not only knew who he wasn't but also knew who he was.

QUESTION: Have you ever been asked, "Who are you?"

Do you know who you are not and who you are (like John the Baptist).

QUESTION TO PONDER

What is the first step for self discovery. To know who we truly are, not a being that merely responds the stimuli of our society.Have you ever been asked, "Who are you?"

INTRO TO V 22

As we continue the dialogue of John the Baptist with religious clergy of the day, they are frustrated with John the Baptist not answering the question, "Who are you?" In their frustration they point blank ask him:

22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "

Scripture: Isaiah 40:3

A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.

NOTE: Theme verse claimed for Qumran. John knew who he was,. Because he knew who he was he was able to accomplish his task.

APPLICATION

All of us have a quest, not only to know who we are, but our “mission” in life. For John, he was the herald for Christ/Messiah. His mission (task) was to “Make straight the way for the Lord.”

US

To know our mission, it begins with knowing who we are and who God is. This is the most important journey for each of us.

LENT

Lent begins in about a month, our Lenten Series is on Les Miserable, a powerful story of FORGIVENESS. In the musical, Jean Valjean is confronted by the tension of his own identity. His real identity is Jean Valjean, but for the last decade or so, he has changed his mind to Monseiur Mandeleine (the Mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer). During that time, a criminal was arrested and the authority believe that he is Jean Valjean. If Jean Valjean, and "inocent man" will serve a jail sentence in place of Jean Valjean, but if Jean Valjean claims his true identity, he then must stand in place of the innocent man and serve his rightful sentence. If he turns himself in, many will suffer because they rely on Jean Valjean for their financial support. If he does not turn himself in, only one suffers. What shall he do? His answer is easy, when he realizes he must be true to his real identity, to know thyself, to be who he is.

US

When we are true to our true identity, decisions are easier to make. John the Baptist knew what he had to do, because he knew who he was. Jean Valjean knew what he had to do because he knew who he was.

THOUGHT TO PONDER

Once Jean establishes his identity in his decison making process, he does the right thing and in the musical breaks out in song, "Here I am." In our own lives, perhaps we need to break out in song when we are true to who we are and sing "Here I am (Lord).

POINT OF JOHN 1: 19 -

To illustrate that John considered jesus his superior and that John was just preparing the way for Jesus who is to replace him. Thus beginning the ministry of Jesus.

POINT: It’s not about John, it’s not even about us; its about Jesus.

If the purpose of life is relationship; the implication is that the focus is not to be entirely on the self, but how we relate to the other. If the greatest purpose is our relationship with God, then our focus is to love God completely, and that is why we worship. worship is not about us, but conveying how worthy our God is and how our God is to be worshiped.

SERMON NOTES

January 2, 2010

Epiphany

PASSING THE PEACE OF CHRIST

Question: Did you make a new year’s Resolution?

Does anyone want to change something? Economy?

SONG: The Times They are a Changin (Bob Dylan)

QUESTION: Are the Times a changin?

was Bob Dylan right?

does Bob Dylan continue to be right?

HERACLITUS (PreSocratic)

World is in constant flux

question: Who Here likes change?

Answer: we like change as long as we are the one’s implementing it

LET’S TEST IT:

Bob Dylan’s song was somewhat of a theme song for the 60’s

Those who were attempting to change the establishment (let’s call hippies)

Then there were those who were the establishment

QUESTION: Who liked the change more: the establishment or the hippies?

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man. (fragment 12)

Examples of Change: technology/economics/politics/etc.

change alone is unchanging.

QUESTION: Do you like change?

Do you like it when you implement change?

Do you like it when others implement change on you?

Intro to Scripture

This Wednesday is Epiphany

Epiphany was more important than Christmas in the early church

It represented that “The Times They Are a Changin”

Magi representing Gentiles were the ones that honored Christ

and not the religious clergy of the day.

Matthew 2 is the traditional Scripture for Epiphany

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem

MAGI

POINT: They are not the religious clergy. They are Gentiles, unclean.

2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him."

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ[c] was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'[d]"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

IN A SENSE THIS STORY FORESHADOWS JESUS’ PROCLAMATION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD FOR ALL (it plants the seed)

SCRIPTURE: Acts 10 (Cornelius and Peter)

1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"

4Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.

The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."

7When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Peter's Vision

9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 18They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

21Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?"

22The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." 23Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Peter at Cornelius' House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. 24The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."

27Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"

30Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47"Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

PROBLEM

We are tempted to fall back into the trap of Peter prior to the vision.

Question: Who do you want in the church (people like us)?

IMPLICATION:

1. There are some Christians who believe you have to have the same political party as they do, vote for the same people they do.
2. There are some Christians who believe you have to fight for the same causes, or the same missions, etc.
3. There are some Christians who believe you have to look like them, act like them, dress like them, think like them.

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE

Jesus did not say, go to people like you, Jesus said go to all people

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 28:19 (Great Commission)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

PROBLEM

This is new. Gentiles being grafted onto the tree of faith (Romans 11)

Which helps us to understand the controversies of Matthew 9

INTRO TO SCRIPTURE (controversies are a critique of religion)

Matthew 9: 1 - 8 (the FORGIVENESS controversy)

Matthew 9: 9 - 13) (the FELLOWSHIP controversy)

- one’s company determines one’s character

Matthew 9: 14 - 17 (it is about with WHOM to eat).

This story is about WHEN to eat or HOW OFTEN to eat (FASTING controversy)

- one’s diet influences one’s character

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9: 14 - 17 (New Wine Skins)

14Then John's disciples came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not FAST?"

FAST

Question: Why fast?

Answer: (I have no idea) symbolizes subjection of the body to the spirit

Implication: not to fast, seems to indicate that one is not serious about spirituality

POINT: How can Jesus be taken seriously a a spiritual person, if he will eat with anybody and eat anything and eat at any time.

15Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?

QUESTION: Have you ever fasted or were on a diet at someone’s wedding?

to fast at the wedding would be UNNATURAL and RUDE and SELFISH

Especially when one considers that a wedding lasted a whole week

Eat, drink and be merry God’s way

POINT: Jesus is alive and bringing the Kingdom of God, don’t be dour

QUESTION: Then why is it that churches and denominations make so many rules about what we eat and drink?

15b The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

NOTE: Passion/burial/resurrection (Holy week)

16"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. 17Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

OBSERVATION

Old and New do not mix well. Putting Old into the New causes destruction

A new message must find a new vehicle

LESSON

be open to the new, do not abolish the old

POINT

Jesus is saying there is a new Kingdom of God, NOW! Not just in the afterlife, but NOW the Kingdom of God is different than the the relgious clergy of Jesus’ day. It’s now, you live it now.

PROBLEM

We want different results, but we want to do it our way (meaning we don’t want to change to get different results)

TEST IT:

Question: How many New Year’s Resolution have you kept?

Why? or Why not?

Do we have to not only want it but also change our behavior?

question: what will you do this year that will help you keep that Resolution?

Who here wants to loose weight, but doesn’t want to change their eating habits?

HEALTH CLUB

Which month is it always the most crowded?

Answer: January

Why? New year’s resolution

PROBLEM: We want to lose weight, but we don’t want to do what is necessary

SPIRITUALITY

Who wants to be more spiritual/holier?

Who wants to know how far you can go and still be spiritual?

WHAT IS INSANITY?

Insanity is defined as repeating the same behavior and expecting a different result". (allegedly Albert Enstein)

Hoping for new results burt doing it the same old way

POINT:

Sometimes our New Year’;s REsolution fail because we put New Wine into Old Wineskins

I want to loose weight (new wine) but I want to keep eating the same old way (old wineskins)

I want to read the bible from cover to cover, but I don’t want to spend any time reading.

New Wineskins (join a class that is reading the Bible)

Start an exercise routine

Change the attitude Is coupled with the above for success