He Said Your Sins are Forgiven

June 16, 2013 Sermon   He Said: Your Sins are Forgiven

 

Old Testament I Kings 21:1-21

Deceit- v.20-21 Ahab said to Elijah, “ Have you found me, O my enemy?”  He answered, “I have found you.  Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. I will bring disaster on you.  (consequences of evil)

God Almighty , The Holy One, stands against all systems that commodify and destroy the lives of human beings.  Because God is merciful, empires founded on blood and exploitation are doomed.  The story of Ahab’s greed offers eloquent testimony to God’s mandate that believers practice compassion and justice in their economic dealings. Consonant with this testimony are the Beatitudes of Jesus, the prophetic witness of liberation theology (Not Liberalism but liberation as in setting free from oppression), and the robust cultural critique of postcolonialism.

The evangelist Luke reminds us that the poor are blessed heirs of the Kingdom of God (Luke 6:20).  Matthew’s testimony that the poor in spirit are blessed (Matthew 5:3) may be seen not just as a spiritualization of Luke’s tradition but as an assertion that poverty of spirit is beloved of God.

Liberation theology preaches that the focus of God’s saving work has always been the lives of the downtrodden.  From Israel’s deliverance from slavery in ancient Egypt to Central American peasants’ struggles today for economic dignity, we see redemption afoot in God’s grace to the poor…..The voices of Scripture declare:  the Living God is known through solidarity with the weak and powerless.

Jesus declared it at the beginning of His Ministry in Luke 4: 18-19 and had been prophesied in Isaiah 61:2

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

 

Psalm 5

v.4 You are not a God who delights in wickedness….

In verses 4-6, the psalmist describes the oppressors as wicked, evil, boastful, evildoers, speakers of lies, bloodthirsty, and deceitful and affirms that God does not delight in such folk, will not tolerate them, and will destroy them.

How do you feel when you see others abusing others? Righteous anger swells up. Thats God.

These verses contain the words of trust of Psalm 5.  God has provided in the past; God will provide in the future.  The psalmist knows that God will not tolerate those just mentioned.

This knowledge  may come from firsthand experiences of the psalmist, or it may come from the stories about God’s workings in the lives of the ancestors in the faith.  The God of the past and the present is a God of Justice and provision.

Epistle- Galations 2: 15-21 Paul gives us a clear message.

v. 19  For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gospel -Luke 7: 36- 8:3

Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love……He said to her and all of us, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Some people continually consider their sins as unforgiveable. We may take into account our personal failures, the seemingly unforgiveable sin, and may struggle with such good news, wondering, “  But did Christ die for this, too?”

No sin is an  addendum to the cross.  Not stubbornness or stupidity. Not addictions or depression. Not guilt or greed. God’s grace is unconditional. That is why it is called Good News.

The word on the street is that churches are seen as a place of judgment and bad news, avoided by those who are troubled and struggling …the addict, the divorced person, the homeless.  Why would I want to go there? They would just make me feel worse.

We can all quote John 3:16 but open your bibles to that passage.…For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life…….

So often the next verse is not mentioned……v. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

The word “ Whosever” is key in John 3:16.

God clearly tells us in the next verse that Jesus was not sent to condemn.

Not only do sinners live under condemnation but Church members as well can live under condemnation because they do not Clearly understand Who They ARE in Christ Jesus.

Now read v. 18

He that believeth on HIM is not condemned: but he that believeth NOT is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

The UNFORGIVEABLE SIN is NOT BELIEVING IN JESUS>

 

 

NOW Look at John 3:19-21

KJV ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.²⁰ For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.²¹ But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

AMPLIFIED ¹⁹ The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.

²⁰ For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

²¹ But he who practices truth [who does what is right] comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—wrought with God [divinely prompted, done with God’s help, in dependence upon Him].

^{NIV 19} This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. ²¹ But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John Wesley asked this question in his daily small group meetings:

How is it with your soul today?

IS there something that is troubling your Soul? Have you fallen off the path of righteousness?

Do you find yourself asking the question – Am I saved? Have you wondered about your Relationship with God?

Are you tired of wondering?

Are you tired of carrying around this burden?

Are you tired of living in your sins?

Are you feeling weak and powerless this morning.

Today can be your 2^nd chance at Life Everlasting.

Today is the day of Salvation.

Some of you may have never had a chance to say the sinners prayer.

This morning I want us to all pray together the Sinner’s Prayer….just repeat after me.

 

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you in the name of Jesus.

Your word says, “….him that cometh to me      I will in no wise cast out,    but You take me in and I thank You for it.

You said in Your Word, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

I am calling on Your Name,      so I know You have Saved me now.

You also said “.,..If thou shalt confess…..with thy mouth…..the Lord Jesus…..and shall believe…in thine heart…. that God hath raised him from the dead…..thou shalt be saved.

For with the heart….man believeth unto righteousness……and with the mouth …

confession is made .unto salvation “ (Rom. 10-9-10).

I believe in my heart….Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

I believe that he was raised from the dead….for my justification,

and I confess Him Now as My Lord.

Because your Word says, “  with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…” 

And I do believe with my heart……I have now become the righteousness of God

 in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21)….And I am saved!!! Right Now ….for all Eternity. Amen.

Thanks be to God. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord.

Speak the Word

June 2 2013    Speak the Word

Proving the power of God to worshippers of Baal (Satan)

Old Testament- I Kings 18:20-39

³⁶ And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

³⁷ Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.

³⁸ Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

³⁹ And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.

Elijah could have sung this verse from Psalms 96
“The Lord is greatly to be praised, he is to be feared above all gods.

This story amplifies a theme that runs through Scripture: that God’s purposes are furthered through the prophetic mediation of divine intervention in human life. Because false prophets are ever at hand to lead people astray.

 Elijah shows us that God is indeed among God’s people and will act. Jesus came and showed us that the power is in our tongue and the words of our mouth. The bible speaks non- stop about the power of the tongue.

Think of the three words I use often…..ASK (using Words)  - Believe (the Words you speak which should line up with the Word of God ---Receive…(Words from God that we can have what we say).

Psalm 96

 O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

² Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

³ Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.

⁴ For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.

 

Epistle- Galations 1:1-12

⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Attitudes that hamper Present-Day congregations:

Apathy-ism…not so much as anti-God atheism but passionless Apathy

The Gospel of Jesus Christ often operates LESS as the radical and motivating center in the lives of believers, and more like a hobby to dabble in on the side at their Convenience.

We have so many translations now that most people don’t know what translation to use. Some translations have gone so far as to take out the diety of Jesus Christ. And Don’t mention the Blood we don’t want to offend anyone. HOGWASH!

The ONLY thing that will set our country back on its Feet is The Word OF GOD. It has been proven from Genesis to Revelation for nations that turned their backs on God and then and only then when they got back to the Word of God and Thus saith the Lord did they recover.

All things that we have today came from The Word of God that started in Genesis when God Said….God said…God Said…God said……

This nation has turned far away from the Godly principle it was founded upon which was Gods Word.

Gospel Reading ( Please Stand if Able)  Luke 7:1-10

⁶ So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. ⁷ That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸ For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

⁹ When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” ¹⁰ Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Faith Comes by Hearing and Hearing by the Word of God.

Without the Word of God there is no Faith. When we are full of Faith we speak Faith filled words. …..REMEMBER with me now the Power of Faith Words.

The centurion has sense enough to know that his Authority is derived from those he represents…When he said  “Go” his subordinates go, and when he orders them “Come” they come.

By simple analogy he knows that if his power derived from human authority, can direct human will, then the one whose power is derived from God is capable of even more.

You and I are ambassadors for God Almighty Creator of heaven and earth.

He commissioned us to go and do and speak for Him in the Great Commission.

Go Forth and Speak the Word.

Prayer

Oh Lord, we understand your instructions to go into all the world and preach and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Help us to realize it is by your authority that we can speak. Help us today to make that quality decision that from this day forward we are going to be your People that Speak Your Word..Your Word is your Will. Have thine on Way in us.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Show us the Father May 19

May 19, 2013  Show us the Father

Pentecost Sunday Reading: Acts 2:1-21

It is assumed that "Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles – The Gospel being the story of Jesus and Acts being the story of the early church. It seems unfortunate that the two books are separated in the NT by the Gospel of John, because placing Acts directly after Luke would help us to see how one flows into the other – how the Acts of the Apostles picks up where the Gospel of Luke leaves off. This is significant to the story of Pentecost, because the first Christian Pentecost is deeply rooted in the Gospel of Luke. (For example):

 

– (In Luke, the angel says to Mary,) 'The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.' (Luke 1:35) … (What we find is,) The Spirit responsible for the birth of Jesus is also responsible for the birth of the church.

 

– (Also,) The gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist in Luke's Gospel, (when he said,) 'He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.' (Luke 3:16)

 

– (What's more,) The Spirit that fills the disciples in Acts 2 is the same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his baptism (Luke 3:22).

 

– (Just as) Jesus began his ministry Spirit-filled (Luke 4:1), so does the church (Acts 2).

 

– (And finally,) Jesus told the disciples not to worry about what to say when brought before the authorities, because the Spirit would teach them (Luke 10:11-12) – a prophecy that we see fulfilled in (numerous places) in Acts. (For example, when Stephen spoke out against the elders who had arrested him, Luke writes, 'They weren't able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke' (Acts 6:10)).

 

 

Point by point, it's clear: Luke wants us to see the connection – the same Spirit that filled Jesus and empowered him to usher in the Kingdom of God on earth was given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost that they might continue Jesus' mission of reconciling the world to God.

 

"But you will receive power," Jesus said, "when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

 

Well, this is the gist of it all: We are Jesus' disciples in the world today; we are the ones to whom the Spirit is bestowed. As such, we are charged and empowered to speak and act in Jesus' name, bearing witness to God's love and inviting others into fellowship with him.

 

And this is the point I'd like to emphasize in the sermon this morning: The gift of the Spirit is not to be taken lightly. It's a stimulus for new life. It's a catalyst for change. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the potential for transformation and renewal, often in the most unexpected and unpredictable ways.

 

When I was growing up, hearing the Pentecost story for the first time, I was intrigued by the way Luke describes the scene. Listen once more:

 

"Now when the day of Pentecost had come,

 they were all with one accord in one place.

Suddenly there came from the sky a sound

like the rushing of a mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them,

and one sat on each of them.

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit,

and began to speak with other languages,

as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak." (Acts 2:1-4)

 

Like everyone else, I pictured these "tongues of fire" as little flames sitting on the disciples' shoulders, much like the burning bush in the story of Moses –plain to see, but not doing any harm. This is how the day of Pentecost has traditionally been pictured in religious art through the ages – little tongues of fire dancing like the flames of a campfire.

 

What if, instead of thinking of the Pentecost "tongues of fire" as docile little flames casting a glow and warming the heart, we thought of them as bolts of electricity setting the soul on fire with passion for the gospel? What if we thought of the whole room that day as electrically charged and filled with a surge of new vitality? And what if we thought of the disciples as shocked, then energized with the awesome power of the Holy Spirit?

 

Didn't Peter speak boldly to the crowd? Didn't the disciples go on to witness to the power of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life? Let's think of Pentecost as high voltage energy sufficient to spark new faith in common, ordinary folks like us, to the end that the whole world is filled with the radiance of God's presence.

 

High voltage energy: It's something to think about. First, as we all know, electricity is conductive – if you touch someone who's electrically charged, you'll get shocked. It happens all the time, especially in winter. You slide your foot over the carpet, it produces static electricity, then you shake hands with someone, and you both feel the spark.

 

Electricity is conductive – once the current gets generated, it flows out in every direction bringing energy and power to everything it touches.

 

Well, I like to think that the Holy Spirit, like electricity, has this conductive property – by God's grace we are filled with the Spirit and, through our relationship with friends and family and co-workers and neighbors, it spreads to them and, through them, to others, until, before long, the whole community comes alive with the spark of God's grace and love.

 

Electricity is conductive. That's the first point, and the second is, it's also versatile. It'll cool your house and, at the same time, it'll heat your oven. It's not selective. As such, it plays a major role in just about everything we do. The same electrical current runs our appliances, keeps us comfortable and manages our information technology. Any more, when the electricity goes off, things come to a stand still.

 

Electricity is at the heart of so much of what we do. It's what makes possible so many of the inventions and gadgets we've come to depend on. It's so versatile. Again, I see a correlation with the Holy Spirit. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul says,

 

"Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.

There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.

There are various kinds of workings,

but the same God, who works all things in all.

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all."

(1 Corinthians 12:4-6)

 

In the Epistle reading we have this….

Epistle- Romans 8:14-17

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵ For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶ The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

 

John 14:8-17

⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

 

“Show you the Father?” Jesus says. “I’ll do one better than that. I’ll send you the Spirit, and when the Spirit comes you will be able to do even greater things than I have done. And if you ask for anything in my name, I will see that it happens for you” (see vv. 12-14).

 

Jesus actually makes it sound like it will be to their advantage that he is gone, and that he will send the Spirit in his place. And maybe it was. You see, Jesus knows something they don’t know. He knows that God cannot be seen or explained. God can only be experienced…..

 

there came a sound like a mighty wind (see Acts 2:1f.).

 

Then came the tongues of fire resting on each of them. Though they were of different nationalities, they were able to speak and understand one another in all their various native languages. They were from all points of the globe, each with his own language, but there wasn’t a dropped sentence in the whole place.

 

Have you ever wondered what they talked about? I doubt they discussed the weather... or NASCAR. Not even golf. Though we are not told specifically what they talked about with each other, you don’t really have to guess. They talked about God. And they remembered Jesus’ promises.

 

Philip was there. Even though he is not mentioned specifically – once again Simon Peter draws the top card – Philip had to be there. So... any more questions, Philip? Do you still want to see the Father, Philip? Is this good enough for you, Philip?

 

It certainly ought to be good enough for you and me. You see, we’ve been shown the Father. “Whoever has seen me,” Jesus said to Philip, “has seen the Father.” And the Son. And the Holy Ghost.

 

The promise has been fulfilled. And that should be enough for all of us. Don’t you think?

 

Prayer:  Spirit of God, recreate, renew, and restore us this day. Open us to the power of your transforming Spirit, that we may proclaim your love, make know your gifts, and share your blessing, with all the world. In Christ name we pray. Amen.

That they May be One May 12

 

May 12, 2013  That They May be One

This is a day that shows God’s power to the World. Jesus calls the disciples to be one, not only with each other but also with Him. Through this unity of the spirit, the world may know God’s presence through the disciples ministry

Acts 16:16-34

In Acts, Paul has the power to heal a slave girl suffering from demon possession – a healing that leads to transformation throughout the town as people witness this miraculous act.  The girl lost her ability to make money for her owners and Paul and Silas ended up in prison.

Paul and Silas find themselves at the center of captivity: they are in the innermost cell, feet fastened in stocks, at the darkest hour, midnight. In this complete darkness, Jesus prayer is answered.

Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to God, with their fellow prisoners listening to them, when there is a violent earthquake that shakes the foundations of the prison. “Immediately all the doors are opened, and everyone’s  chains are ‘unfastened”.

The jailer is scared out of his wits and cries out: Sirs, what must I do to be saved?...Paul and Silas cry out : Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.

The irony is that those who seem to be in prison are actually free in Christ, and the jailer, who supposedly has the keys to freedom, is actually the one shackled by his duty.

What duties shackle us today?

Psalm 97-

The Glory of God is proclaimed in both Psalm 97 and Revelation 22.

Many people find God in sunsets, storms, waves, the beauty of the forest, or even the stark barrenness of the desert.  In nature they experience deep feelings of gratitude, mystery, reverence, and joy. 

Many people are much more inclined to experience and name the presence of God in nature then in history or in the complexities of human interaction.  Psalm 97 provides ways to  invite worshippers into theological reflection and spiritual formation around their own experiences of revelation and insight, found in the beauty, majesty, and awe of God’s creation.

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

God’s glory is evident even to the heavens, so that the world may know God.  Christ announces that he is coming soon to reward everyone according to deeds (22:12).  The theme of the book is the nature of Christ as Alpha and Omega.

And the message that there is blessing for those who have washed their robes in the blood of the lamb…so they will have the right to the tree of the life.

John 17:20-26

This is the ministry to which the disciples will soon be sent – the ministry of showing and proclaiming God’s glorious presence to the world.

The purpose of Jesus’ prayer is unity not for its own sake, but for the sake of witness to the love of God and the authenticity of Christ as the one “sent”. It is a prayer needed as much in the divided fragmented world of the 21^st Century Christianity as in the churches of the first century.

When Christians are one with one another, their unity surely allows the world to see the “peaceable” teacher, Jesus. Unity among the followers of Christ may offer a model of a better world for all of humanity., a healed human race, yet to come.  Imagine a world without war.

Our moments of unity with god and with our neighbors allow us hope for the eventual reconciliation and unity of all humankind.

The importance of unity among believers is that such oneness leads the world to believe (v.23). The counterpoint of that truth is that the world does not believe in Jesus because the world sees partitions among the followers of Jesus…..

If two churches can’t get along what kind of testimony is that for the world? Even in our small community.

Jesus prays that the 11 disciples and those who come to believe because of the disciples be unified into one body (V.20). There is no second class citizenship among the people of faith.

Jesus does not call for doctrinal unity, organizational unity, or political unity.  This prayer is for unity that grows out of the love of God, received and shared among his followers, leading to an experienced unity in love between Jesus and his followers, and with the one from whom Christ comes.

If we were to take such love to heart, would our divisions and hostilities melt away?

As Jesus walked among people, the Father’s love filled His Son.  Jesus recognized that no ordinary love could motivate Him to go to the cross. No human love could keep Him perfectly obedient to His Father throughout His life.  Only His Father’s love was powerful enough to compel Him to commit His life to the saving purpose of His Father. God’s answer was to play His Son in them.  It is impossible for a Christian to be filled with this measure of love and not to be on mission with God.  I in them as You are in Me.

Jesus prayed that God would place this same love in His disciples. He knew that no other motivation would be sufficient for the assignments God had for them.

Five times within these six verses, Jesus names “love” as the key descriptor of divine relationships (vv 23,24,26).

Love is the bond within the Godhead (vv.23-24).

Love is the divine gift to the disciples (23.).

Love is the magnetic grace through which God seeks to attract the world (vv.25-26).

Love is the ingredient that the Lord prays will be within his followers. (v.26).

The Scriptures say:  God is Love. If we are to be one with God then when others see us they see the Love of God in our lives and this love draws all men to Him.

Prayer:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord…and we pray that all unity may one day be restored. And they ‘ll know we are Christians by our love, by our Love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love. All praise to the Father, from whom all things come, and all praise to Christ Jesus, God’s only Son, and all praise to the Spirit, who makes us one. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love. Amen.

May 5 Sermon

May 5, 2013   Those who love me will keep my words

Acts 16:9-15

Paul is continuing to reach out and evangelize Gentiles. It is interesting that two of the last three readings have dealt with the restoration of another group of outsiders – women. In relation to the psalm reading for today it  reminds us that all persons are called to be in relationship to God, not just persons who are like us. The Acts reading relates to the Gospel lesson as well.  Jesus who is about to ascend, tells the disciples that they must now be his body through the power of the Holy Spirit, because his fleshly body will go to the Father. Paul embodies Jesus mission by reaching out to and baptizing Lydia and her household.

Psalms 67

The most difficult instrument to play in a symphony orchestra is second fiddle.  No one will notice how well you play it – but make a mistake and all will notice and remember it.  This psalms plays second fiddle to the passage in Acts 16 – it does not give an uncertain sound.  The gospel is ours not to keep but to give away. This text in connection with the Acts passage is that it makes it clear that God’s intention for God’s people is for them to see a Larger vision.

Revelation 21:10 22-22:1-5

We are empowered to view this revelation through eyes shining with new astonishment as we identify aspects of the holy city that reach beyond those detailed by John.  We are invited to encounter unique applications of God’s construction of the heavenly city for the brokenness of our own lives.  There is a street address here for everyone where stands a dwelling place that is furnished with grace specific for each one’s needs.

John 14: 23-29

Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

Jesus is clear that he and the Father are on the same page….Jesus has lived out what he taught his disciples to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10)

Jesus said what the Father said. Jesus did what the Father told him to do.

“As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one. (John 17:21-22).

The Christ Jesus of Philippians 2:5-8, who” Did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,” invites us to have the same mind as Christ does. It is a mind of full love of God and love of neighbor.

John 14:26 God the Holy Spirit is described as teacher and reminder….He is our Advocate, Helper, Companion, and Comforter…like one who expects and sees the best in us.

The challenge in this text arises out of Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit, the “counselor” the advocate.

John’s Jesus can see what his disciples cannot, while he looks forward to a time when they will finally get it.  Jesus tells his followers he is about to leave and breaks the news to them that they are going to b e receiving a teacher who will clarify all that remains hidden.  They will remember, he tells them, and therefore believe.  Yet their transformed remembrance will come not just by their doing, but through a Counselor who will “teach…everything.”

The church is full of spots and wrinkles, Paul always seems to add, tough Christ will present the church to God as though it were “Holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27.

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish….

How??? Look at Ephe. v. 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

But the disciples are needing encouragement and comfort as Jesus is saying farewell…

The disciples know that they are sinful and feel inadequate, incapable of doing the things that Jesus is forecasting…in verses previously the Teacher predicts that this ragtag bunch of fishermen followers will do greater works than he has done (John 14:13).

How do you feel when you read this passage:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

If you are honest it makes me feel a bit inadequate without some type of help.

So, how do you feel about yourself and your ability to comfort, to heal, or to simply speak a word of forgiveness to another person?

The answer is usually NO! Not me. God heals , teaches, preaches, forgives, and comforts through me. We are the vessels. This is the crux of Jesus message to the disciples….”The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will Teach you Everything and remind you of everything I told you….Don’t be troubled or afraid.

Mother Theresa said we are to be “Christs hands and feet” but we can only be this body if we are a Spirit filled people.

We should be challenged to look more like the first century church and to rely solely on the Spirit in humility. This is the truth of Pentecost, which we will experience next week;  to be a Christ follower after Jesus’ ascension is to be a person who continually leans on the Spirit..

Without the Spirit we can’t love the way we should, and we can’t be the body that we are called to be.

So as we end this Easter season and rapidly head toward the Ascension and Pentecost, we are caught in the middle, looking back to the Resurrection, but also forward to the oddity of the Ascension and the even odder arrival of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said we can’t do it on our own..we need a Companion, a powerful and available and continually renewable resource in the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit reminds us who Jesus is….

The Holy Spirit brings Jesus’ actions into the present tense.  The same one who sent Jesus as the Word made Flesh (v.24, and John 1:14). Is the one who sends the Holy Spirit as the reminder (refresher) of that presence (v.26). No wonder the persons of the Trinity all seem cut from the same piece of cloth.

The Comforter will aid us in remembering Jesus’ words and in enacting them.  May God give us the strength and the awareness of our weakness to rely on him for the glory of God’s name.  Amen.

Prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit, send the comfort and power that only you can provide.  We are a fallen, fearful, and sometimes weak people.  We know that we cannot be Christ’s body without you.  And yet our Lord promised that with you, anything is possible.  So we ask you to come into our midst for the building up of your kingdom. Amen.