This is “Noname.” Noname has been called and gifted with a strong and powerful faith that hits home like a hammer. Continue reading “Faith Builds”
Sermon Passage 1 John 1:5-2:6
Sisters and brothers I would like to begin this morning’s message with a quote. This is from J.R.R. Tolkein’s famous book, “The Fellowship of the Ring.”
“Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you.”[1]
This morning my heart is greatly troubled. I am wrestling with the events in Charlotte, North Carolina this past week. Continue reading “God Is Not A Liar! (Revisited)”
I usually fill a page of my sketch book; scan the page and then cut up the individual drawings in Photoshop. I then post each drawing, one a day here to kind of let the idea run out. However, I had to go out of town unexpectedly last week. So today I thought I would publish the whole page. Y’all don’t give up on following this blog. There’s more great stuff to come.
By God’s Good Grace,
Richard
Mathew 4:12-17 CEB
12 Now when Jesus heard that John was arrested, he went to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and settled in Capernaum, which lies alongside the sea in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet said:
15 Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
alongside the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
16 the people who lived in the dark have seen a great light,
and a light has come upon those who lived in the region and in shadow of death.[a]17 From that time Jesus began to announce, “Change your hearts and lives! Here comes the kingdom of heaven!”
We are the people dwelling in darkness.
We are the people who have seen a great light.
We are the people in the region of Shadow and Death.
We are the people upon whom a light has dawned.
The light did not peek over some tropical beach.
The light did not shine over a Middle Eastern desert.
The light did not cascade over some purple mountain’s majesty.
The light of salvation does not stumble through clouds.
Rather, the light of salvation pours freely from the love of Jesus Christ.
It is the love Jesus has for God, and the love God has for all of us.
God’s loving light is the light of salvation.
So to the people dwelling with me in the region and shadow fo death I need to ask you one question.
Have you seen the light?!
By God’s Good Grace,
Richard
P.S. This idea came out of my sermon prep for this week.
PPS. Yes. I am aware that by putting the last line in such a large heading size I just screamed at you. It is a question that gets me excited so no. I’m not sorry. ;P
Hello Everyone,
Here is this morning’s sermon. I hope you find some peace in the challenge it offers.
By God’s Grace,
Richard
God Is Not A Liar!
1 John 1:5-2:6
Walking in the Light
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Christ Our Advocate
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin,we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in himought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
(Take off my jacket.)
(A congregation participation sermon) Good morning saints. Good morning Sinners!! Knowing which one you are will help you to get more out of worship this morning.
November 21, 1995 the hip hop Christian band D.C. Talk reinvented themselves as a pop/rock band and put out the album “Jesus Freak.”1 If that album had been a record I would have played it until it until the grooves went flat. I had never heard God praised in that way, and I have to admit. I love it. One of the songs from that album which really stuck with me is a cover of a Charlie Peacock song called, “In the Light.” It is too high for me to sing, but the first verse and the chorus go like this.
This morning’s passage is about wanting – more than anything, wanting – to be in the light. The passage explores what it means to walk in the light, and what walking in the light looks like to other people. Last week we talked about how God is Love. This week we need to see that God’s love is out there in the light. God’s love is not something we hide behind closed doors on a Sunday morning. God’s love is out there, in the light, and open to everyone. However, if we are going to walk in the light we’ve got to get REAL honest with ourselves and the person we see in the mirror. Amen? Amen! I think y’all have heard me say it before; “Better an honest sinner, than a lying saint.” Amen? Amen! We can’t walk around as if our stuff don’t stink. Amen? Amen! We can’t point fingers and tell others what they should be doing. Amen? Amen! We can’t run around and work ourselves to death; all the while thinking the work is going to get us into heaven. Working hard will definitely get us noticed, but you can’t work your way into heaven. Amen? Amen! No, Brothers and Sisters we cannot earn our way into heaven. We can only accept the grace of God the Father; paid for by the blood of God the Son, Jesus Christ; and offered freely through the work of God the Holy Spirit. We cannot earn it. We can only accept it. Amen? Amen! But if we are going to accept God’s grace then we have to accept that we ain’t right. Do y’all think I’m alright? Yes, or No? No! I ain’t right. Are you right? No! Let’s try that a little louder. Are you right? No! Good! Congratulations! You have just taken your first step into a more abundant life. Our lives become more abundant the minute we quit trying to hide the fact we aint right. In confession our burdens are lifted, and we feel better. Amen? Amen! ‘Cause here’s the other side. If we walk around saying we’re good while we walk in darkness then we make God out to be a liar. Sisters and Brothers I am uncomfortable with the idea of making God a liar. I did not make God. Amen? Amen! God made me. Amen? Amen! Each of you are wonderfully, and fearfully made by God. Amen? Amen! What business do we have making God anything? But especially a liar! If you are uncomfortable with the idea of making God a liar then We need to take a hard look at ourselves – as individuals, and as a group. Amen? Amen!
Now, If we want to be in the light as Christ is in the Light then being honest about the fact we have sinned, and fallen short of God’s glory is a great start. But admitting a mistake is not the same as forgiveness, and asking for forgiveness is not the same as repentance. Amen? Amen! Let me tell you just how good our God is. Our God is so good that while we were yet sinners – clueless to the fact we need God’s grace – God sent God’s only Son to pay the price for our sin. You see for the things we want most in this world there is a price which must be paid. Jesus paid that price on the cross at Calvary. Jesus kept His cool during that mockery of a trial. Jesus bore the beatings. Jesus withstood the scourging. Jesus tolerated the shame. At any moment Jesus could have looked to the heavens and asked, “Dad. Can we just start over?” But Jesus didn’t ask for a do over. Amen? Amen! Jesus loves us so much Jesus went all the way to the cross, and there Jesus died for us out of love. Jesus paid the price for our mistakes. Amen? Amen! Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. That word propitiation means to pay the price to appease another’s anger. Jesus paid the price so we would not have to face God’s anger. Amen? Amen! Our God loves us. Amen? Amen! Out of God’s love for us God raised Jesus from the dead on that first bright Easter morning. Amen? Amen!
(Roll up my sleeves.)
How will we respond? How will we respond? Will we be lazy? No! (let’s try that a little louder) Will we be lazy? No! Will we gossip about one another? No! Will we say nasty things about people behind their backs? No! Will we look at the pastor to say it’s his job to make this place the church? No! Yes? I hate to break it to you, but what goes on in this place aint about me. I’m a sinner just like all of you. I’m a human being just like all of you. I am called to love and to serve the Lord just like all of you, and I aint right.
Let me tell you a quick story. Do you know how Methodism started in this country? It was average people coming over from England. Most of the English were Anglican by denomination, and their politics and religion were tightly woven together. They were average people who loved God enough to say we don’t care if we have an Anglican priest around or not. We love the Lord. They said we don’t care that we have to get on a horse and ride for two days to be able to take Holy Communion. We love the Lord. We don’t care that it’s a two day ride to have our children baptized. We love the Lord, and we are going to get together, and pray for each other, and study God’s Word together because we love the Lord. They didn’t even have preachers. But we always have God. Amen? Amen! In their dedication those first American Methodists followed the greatest of all commandments. Do you know which is the greatest of all commandments? It’s there on the front of your bulletin. Let’s say it together. “You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind and with all your strength.” It cannot matter who your preacher is. It cannot matter whether or not you like your preacher. What is most important is that you love the Lord your God, and that you do what needs to be done to serve the Lord your God. Amen? Amen!
Now I have observed when Christians become angry they will often stop serving the church, or move on to another church. Some people even stop tithing. The going idea is if I stop serving then I’m going to hurt the person who hurt me. I’ve got news for ya. Not serving the church hurts the people in the church – your brothers and sisters in Christ who depend on your service. Not tithing hurts the ministries of the church. There’s a ton that goes on through the people of this building that cannot happen without your tithe. Withholding service to the church speaks volumes. That behavior says God is not what is most important. That behavior says hurt feelings are what is most important. Not serving because of hurt feelings shifts the focus away from God and makes what happens in this church – or what doesn’t happen about our hurt feelings. What goes on in this church is about God, and withholding service to the church because of an issue with a brother or sister in Christ is breaking the greatest of commandments. It makes church about our “feelings” instead of putting God first above all things. When we allow anger to take God out of the King seat we walk in darkness. When we say we are Christians and withhold our service because we are angry we make God a liar. (pause) We make God a liar. I am not okay with that. I’m not okay with that. My God is not a liar. (pause) Is your God a liar? No. (I know we can get louder than that.) Is your God a liar? No! Since we are agreed our God is not a liar then we need to talk about what it means to walk in the light.
First, to walk in the light means we remember God is God and we are not. Our pastor is not God. It doesn’t matter who put the pastor on a pedestal, the pastor is not God. The pastor is called by God the same as all of you. Amen? Amen! The pastor is given gifts to serve others the same as you. Amen? Amen! The pastor is also given specific gifts to serve God’s people in God’s church, but make no mistake about this. Church is about loving God and growing closer to God. Amen? Amen! When loving God and offering service to God is our primary focus then we begin to change the way we see our hurt feelings. We have to take responsibility for our hurt feelings, and we have to recognize who is really in control. There at the Mount of Olives Jesus prayed, “not my will, but yours be done.”3 Amen? Amen!
Second, to walk in the light means our focus has to be to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind. It means when an issue arises in the church – not ifan issue arises in the church, but when an issue arises in the church we start off by asking the question, what would Jesus do? I know it’s a cliché, but the truth is Jesus handled confrontation differently than we do. Amen? Amen! Jesus never backed down and said, “Fine. I’ll take my ball and go home.” Jesus endured the cross. Jesus stuck it out. When everyone else backed down, ran away in fear, our God stood His ground, and did not back down. Amen? Amen! Jesus’ behavior reflected those things Jesus knew to be true, and Jesus knew that faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these is love – not wrath. Amen? Amen!
When we hold these first two to be true then the third point is the fulfillment of 1John 1:7. We have fellowship with one another and the blood of Christ cleanses us of our sin. If we cannot be loving to one another in Christ then we will not fulfill the mission to “Go forth and make disciples of all nations.” If we cannot work through our differences and disagreements; if we cannot recognize that to do anything else is to act as if Jesus is not the King of our lives then we will not only fail to fulfill Christ’s final command; we will tear ourselves apart. Sisters and Brothers as we continue in this service of covenant renewal let us rededicate our lives to serve the King. King Jesus died for us. By God’s love Jesus was raised from the dead, and in Christ’s victory over death we are all offered God’s saving grace. Easter is just around the corner. Let us pause for just a moment to remember what Jesus went through on the cross, and to remember why we are Easter people.
(Moment of Silence)
In the Name of Jesus Christ – Amen.
1en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dc_talk_discography, (2/5/13).
3Luke 22:42 ESV
This is a little doodle I did for the bulletin at church during Christmas. I thought it fitting as we head into the season of Epiphany to post something encouraging. I think it is good to have little reminders to shine Christ’s light into the world as we start 2012.
DoodleDaddy 