Blessed to be a blessing RUMC 10/26/14

Blessed to be a blessing

RUMC 10/26/14

The top of my head is sore.

I’ve spent all week studying the beatitudes and I feel like I have been standing on my head looking at the world.

 Up to this point in THE STORY Jesus has really been pretty tame. He has said some odd things, but the Sermon on the Mount is really the beginning of Jesus’ radical upside-down theology of redemption and revolution.

                (Animated slide)

 The more I studied this week, the more I asked which way is up? Let me be clear, it is not Jesus’ teachings that are upside-down. It is our world. Because of sin, creation is turned all topsy-turvy from what God created it to be, and Jesus came to make things right again.

In fact, as I studied, I discovered that the more I asked the question the more convoluted the answer became. Because, not only do the beatitudes turn the world upside-down, or right side up if you will. I had to ask if maybe I have even been looking at the beatitudes upside-down.

I finally came to the very firm conclusion that everything is upside- wrong side-inside- outside- down. Or is it up? Or is it out?

Let me try to explain without making your head hurt.

First, we have to consider the context of the beatitudes. Matthew chapter 5 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them.”

I have always assumed that the beatitudes were addressed to the disciples. I have always assumed they were for kingdom “insiders.” Look at the context however, “Jesus saw the crowds.” These are not the insiders. These are the outsiders. These are the people who are still searching. These are not the disciples. Now Matthew does say that the disciples came to him and he began to teach. We can’t forget, however, that Jesus’ audience was very diverse.

Just like standing up here on Sunday morning… do I talk to the regular attenders, the family that comes once a year, the guest, the leaders, the followers? My answer is yes, to all of those. I suspect Jesus was talking to all of the people who were present, but we can’t assume that they were all faithful followers of Jesus.

I began to ask myself, what would an outsider hear when they heard the beatitudes? What would someone hear if this was the first time they heard Jesus speak?

•             When they heard “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They might have heard, “Hey this kingdom isn’t just for the Pharisees, it’s for us normal folks like us.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” They might have heard, “When life gets the best of me and I feel completely overwhelmed, there is a place of comfort and hope in Jesus’ kingdom.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” They might have heard, that even if they weren’t the kind of person that stands up for their self, they have an advocate in Jesus.

•             When they heard “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” They might have heard, “Even if I am broken by injustice, I am welcome in this kingdom, where I will find justice.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” They might have heard, “If I have a soft heart and others sometimes take advantage of me, I can be safe in this kingdom.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” They might have heard, “This kingdom is not like the world, where the best liar seems to win the election.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” They might have heard, “This kingdom does not belong to the warrior and the conquering emperor, it belongs to those of us who just want to live in peace.”

•             When they heard “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They might have heard, “Even if your convictions sometimes get you in trouble, you will be OK in this kingdom.”

The beatitudes can be heard as a proclamation of grace saying, that no human condition, no matter how hopeless it may appear; no matter how despised by the world; no matter how ‘unsuccessful’ or insignificant others may deem it; disqualifies anyone from God’s grace in Christ. God’s blessings are yours in Jesus no matter who you are!

See what I mean about my head hurting? If we turn the beatitudes inside out, we see them from a whole different perspective and realize how upside-down our world really is.

Seen this way, the Beatitudes are pronouncements of pure grace. Like other great passages, such as Mary’s Magnificat, which we talked about a few weeks ago, they announce the inbreaking of God’s upside-down Kingdom. God is not bound by the current, fallen, corrupt value system that expects him to shower blessings on rich, successful, and powerful people, on “worthy ones” who are universally recognized and applauded by the world.

Those who follow Jesus may participate in this new creation reality now, no matter what their present condition. God’s grace is available to all; to everyone! All are welcome. All may come. The blessings are here for all of us in Jesus.

I love that… because that takes the beatitudes out of the realm of a to-do list. And makes them a to-da list, describing the wonderful magic of the kingdom of God.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the beatitudes don’t have anything to say to good church folk. I think this is a both //and kind of situation. Jesus’ words heard by the crowds are a proclamation of grace. Jesus’ words heard by the disciples are words of transformation.

•             “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a taxman. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ’Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this taxman. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’ "Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ’God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’ “Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

Luke 18:10-14 (MSG) That’s what it means when Jesus says, Blessed are the poor in spirit

•             “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Here Jesus is speaking about those who mourn over their sin. This is a Godly sorrow that produces repentance and leads to salvation. Do you remember the story of King David? How he sinned? He had an affair with Bathsheba, which was wrong in the first place, but in order to cover it up he had Bathsheba’s husband killed. David felt sorrow, remorse, guilt, and shame for what he had done. He mourned over his sin. We read about David’s sin grief in Psalm 51.

“(God) you’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.” Psalms 51:4 (MSG)

David is an example of one who mourns, “Blessed are those who mourn,”

•             “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Here Jesus is calling us to be teachable. Don’t think that you know everything there is to know. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” Matthew 11:29 (KJV)

We need to live our lives with an attitude that allows the Holy Spirit to guide us as we deal with those around us. Blessed are the meek.

•             “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

God is righteous and we need to have the same desires that He has. When something is wicked, we need to call it wicked. When something is sinful, we need to call it sinful. When something is pure and holy, we need to hold on to it. We need to have a burning desire for it. We need to study it and live it. Our driving passion – our driving hunger – needs to be on those things that are pleasing to God. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”

•             “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

We need an attitude of MERCY.

Forgiveness and mercy are what God demonstrates to the undeserving sinner. That undeserving sinner is us. Did you know that the manner in which you forgive people is the manner in which you will be forgiven? Look at what it says in The Lord’s prayer:

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

Matthew 6:12 (NKJV) “Blessed are the merciful”

•             “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

We need an attitude of PURITY.

The Greek word for “pure” has a number of interesting facets.

o             It was used for dirty clothes that had been washed clean.

o             It was used to describe grain and flour that had been carefully sifted – cleansed of all impurities.

o             It was used when describing milk or wine that had not been mixed with any other liquid. It is not diluted or watered down. It was pure.

So this beatitude could be translated, “Blessed is the man who is genuine in heart, who is authentic, who is not a phony, because such a man will see God.”

2 Timothy says, “Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22 (HCSB) That is what it means to be pure in heart

•             “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

We need an attitude of PEACEMAKING.

God wants us to be a part of the solution, not the PROBLEM.

There are 2 kinds of people in this world: “thermostat” people and “thermometer” people. A thermometer reflects the climate of the room. If the room is cold, it’s cold. If the room is hot, it’s hot.

But a thermostat can change the climate of the room. By its setting, a thermostat can change a cold room into one that is warm, or a hot room into one that is cool. And a peacemaker is a thermostat person. A peacemaker can change the climate of the room when he or she walks in. Have you ever seen that happen?

God wants peacemakers, thermostats, change agents; in His church, in the workplace, and out in the world.

Jesus was a peacemaker. He changes things. He has called us to be peacemakers too. Blessed are the peacemakers,

•             “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

We need an attitude of ENDURANCE.

Folks we have all lived long enough in this world to know that whatever you do - you will be criticized. Even if you do nothing – you will be criticized and persecuted. I don’t know about you – but I would rather be criticized for doing the right thing then for doing the wrong thing. I don’t mind being called a fool for following God. It’s better than the alternative. “Blessed are those who are persecuted

Do you see how the beatitudes turn everything upside down? It turns the world’s expectations upside down. It turns the believer’s lives upside down. Or do I mean right side up?

 The beatitudes are a picture of the kingdom of God. Righting the upside-down, turning over expectations and showing us what the world looks like when it is right side up.

The beatitudes are a picture of the kingdom of God. If you stand on the outside of the kingdom, they are words of grace and hope, that you too might be part of this great kingdom. If you stand on the inside of the kingdom, they are a description of the kingdom in which we live, and a challenge to live into the glory of that kingdom.

To borrow a phrase from Jesus “Let those who have ears, hear”

Hear the word of grace and hope from one side of the beatitudes. And you will be accepted by God, loved by God, forgiven by God, blessed by God

Hear the word of challenge and accountability from the other side of the  beatitudes and you will be strengthened by God, shaped by God, transformed by God, and by God you will be a blessing to all those around you.

 Blessed to be a blessing. Blessed to be a blessing. That is what the beatitudes are about. Blessed to be a blessing. Go and bless someone.

A birthday that doesn’t make you any older Reinbeck UMC 10/19/14

A birthday that doesn’t make you any older

Reinbeck UMC

10/19/14

•           You may be old if…the twinkle in your eye is only the reflection of the sun on your bifocals.

•           You may be old if you sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.

•           You may be old if you say, “if god had wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knees.”           

•           You may be old if people call at 9 pm and ask, 'did I wake you?'

•           You may be old if you sing along with elevator music.

•           You may be old if your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

The truth is that we are all getting older. I have good news for you, however. There is one birthday that won’t make you any older.

 There was a man named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. In other words, he was as religious as a person can be. In addition, Nicodemus wasn’t just a Pharisee; he was a leader among the Pharisees. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the Jewish Supreme Court. They were the group that condemned Jesus to death.

Therefore, Nicodemus did all of the things that a good Jew would do. In fact, Pharisees dedicated their lives to following the law perfectly. They went the extra mile to make sure that they didn’t violate any of God’s commandments or laws in any way. They were very strict about the Sabbath, about ritual cleansing, about dietary laws and fasting, about being in the temple, and about attending all the festivals. To look at a Pharisee, you would think that they were the most religious people around.

•           However, who did Jesus condemn as hypocrites? Pharisees.

•           Whom did Jesus describe as whitewashed tombs? Pharisees.

•           Whom did Jesus argue with more than any other group? Pharisees.

His problem with Pharisees was they were hypocrites. Rather than focusing on being right with God, they focused on putting on a show for God.

A great example of the hypocrisy of the Pharisee is their Sabbath behavior. Exodus 16:29 says, “Let no man go out of his place on the 7th day.” Sounds pretty clear to me. Stay home on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, however, said, that means that I can’t go any more than 1000 yards from home on the Sabbath. That’s almost a quarter over 1/2 of a mile! That’s what it means to stay at home, to stay within a 1/2 mile. In addition, they said, “If I tie a rope across the end of the street, that makes the whole street part of my house so I can go a half mile from the end of the street.” Or “if I store food 5 miles from home on Friday, that means that location is also part of my house, so I can go a half mile past that 5 miles. See how they made loopholes in the law? They wanted everyone to think they were so religious, but they were really just religious chiselers or cheats.

I think that makes a lot of sense out of the conversation Jesus had with this powerful Pharisee.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at night… probably because he did not want any of his friends to see him associating with Jesus. He comes and flatters Jesus. “Teacher,” he says, “We know that you are a teacher that has come from God. No one could do these miracles if they didn’t come from God.” See how he is buttering-up Jesus?

Instead of saying, “Thank you,” and moving on, Jesus says the strangest thing. “Unless a man is born again from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus is totally confused. So Jesus goes on, “I tell you, unless a man is born of water AND the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Born again. What a strange concept. Born …again…

Although Born Again is a perfectly good Biblical concept it has not always been popular or rightly understood.

When Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States, he described himself as a “born-again” Christian. As more and more candidates started claiming to be “born-again.” Political satirist Mark Russell suggested, “This could give Christianity a bad name.”

“Born-again” has become part of our vernacular. This doesn’t mean people necessarily understand it. For instance, on CNN a politician was once described as a “born-again Socialist.” Gore Vidal described himself as a born again atheist. While this may suggest a personal shift in ideology, it has nothing to do with the third chapter of John.

Even the Church seems confused by this perfectly legitimate Biblical term. Some Christians think that the “born-again” label belongs exclusively Charismatic or Fundamentalist Christians. For that reason, even though I consider myself to be born again I hesitate to use that language because it is too often associated with a simplistic and judgmental perspective with which I do not wish to be associated.

The fact is that being “Born again” is a teaching straight from the pages of Scripture, straight from John chapter 3. It is an essential truth of our faith, and critical to our understanding of salvation. So let me try to illuminate it for you.

First, none of us is going to make the mistake that Nicodemus made. He says, “How can a person return to his mother’s womb a second time and be born.” We all understand that we can’t. Obviously, Jesus is not talking literally here. He is using an illustration to help us understand a spiritual reality.

In fact, it is likely that the illustration is the only way to describe the truth Jesus is trying to communicate. Notice at the end of the passage, Jesus is talking about how the “wind blows where it will. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” In other words, Jesus is talking about a mystery here. Jesus is as much as saying, “Don’t take this literally. You have to accept the mystery and the miracle of what I am saying.” That makes preaching on this passage quite a challenge for the preacher as we try to put that which is beyond understanding into understandable words. But let me try.

So, let’s just go with Jesus’ image.

 “You must be born again.” Are you responsible for your first birth? Can you take credit for it? Did you cause it, or choose it, or have anything at all to do with it? Of course not. Being born physically is something that happened TO you, completely out of your control. It was all up to your parents, your mother, and nature.

Jesus then expands the image in verse 5, stating, “No one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” It is widely thought that the “water” refers to physical birth, the fluid released at birth when a mother’s “water breaks,” and the “Spirit” to a second, spiritual birth. This answers Nicodemus’ question and clarifies his clouded understanding. Jesus goes on, restating this in the next verse: “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Humans can reproduce, giving birth, but only God can cause rebirth.

The first point of our Lord’s analogy then, is simply this: being born is not something that you have anything to do with, and being spiritually born is something that happens to you completely out of your control as well. In your first birth, your parents could give you life, but you need a second birth because only God can give you spiritual life. In the spiritual sense, being born again is an act of God by which He recreates you. It’s a new birth. And that’s the point of the simple analogy. Salvation is a work that God does, not something that you do.

Ah, there’s the connection to Nicodemus, the Pharisee who believed that his salvation rested in his ability to perfectly follows all of God’s laws. In Nicodemus’ mind, his salvation was dependent on his ability to do something right. Jesus is saying, “NO! That’s wrong.’ What you do has nothing to do with making you right with God. God does that all by himself on the cross.”

 The second point of the analogy is that salvation is not just something that happens to us. It is something that happens in us. We are not only made right with God on the outside, but we are made new for God on the inside.

This we call the sister doctrines of justification and regeneration. What does that mean? Justification is the great work, which God does for us, in forgiving our sins, while regeneration is the great work which God does in us, in renewing our fallen nature.

Justification is for us, regeneration in us

Justification makes us right with God. Regeneration gives us a completely new start as new creatures in Christ. Nicodemus should have been familiar with Ezekiel, to whom God said, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (36:26). That’s exactly what Jesus is talking about when he says, “You must be born again.”

When we are saved, God not only forgives our sins… that part most of us get… (God not only forgives our sins) but the makes us new which is new birth, a new life, a new nature, a new disposition, a new character, a new mind from God.

The New Testament extends the image by often calling new believers “children.” We mature by “feeding” on God’s word. Rebirth is the starting point of our spiritual life.

It comes down to a choice.

 The significance of a willful decision is implied throughout this text but stated clearly in John 3:16, the most well-known verse in the Bible. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in him shall have eternal life...” Notice… WHOSOEVER BELIEVES

“Born again” points to an experience separate from the first birth. It does not happen automatically by birthright or by compulsion. We have to decide to choose Jesus, and He takes it from there.

What does it mean to be born again? It means to be saved by grace through faith. It means to be forgiven and free, with a new future. It means to be made a new person and to have a new purpose. It means to be right with God and to belong to God. It means Heaven is home, and death is a doorway.

 There’s a story about a little boy who had just been saved. He sat down next to an old man who looked upset, and he said to the man, “Sir, do you need to get saved?” The man was taken back and said abruptly, “I’ll tell you that I have been a member of this church for over 30 years and chairman of the board for 15 years.” The little boy responded, “Sir, it don’t matter what you’ve done... Jesus loves you, and He’ll still save you!”

It’s really not about being young or old... in church all your life or never at all... being good all the time or bad enough to have a criminal record... having everything you want or nothing you need... being the life of the party or all alone in this world. It’s not about any of those things. It’s about being born again—a miracle that changes your life now and forever. And it’s yours for the asking.

 Happy birthday!

Resistance is not futile RUMC 10/12/14

Resistance is not futile

RUMC 10/12/14

A three-year-old entered the kitchen when his mother was busy elsewhere in the house. She had told him not to get into the cookies. But in her absence, he pulled a kitchen chair over to the counter and climbed up on it. Then he took the lid off the cookie jar and had just gotten a cookie into his mouth when his mother entered the room and demanded to know what he was doing. The three-year-old looked at her with big, innocent eyes and said, "I just climbed up here to smell the cookies, and my tooth got caught on one of them."

My trick was always looking and looking for two cookies that stuck together and then explaining I couldn’t take just one… they were stuck together.

Last week I preached about the incarnation: Jesus being fully God and fully human. This week Jesus’ humanity confronts the fullness of what it means to live in a fallen world.

Let’s back up for a moment to Jesus’ baptism. What a high point. What a Mountain Top experience that must have been. I remember by baptism renewal in the Jordan River, not too far from where Jesus was likely baptized by John, as if it was yesterday. I remember the cold water, the feeling of giving over control to Rev.Collins, the way the icy water on my face seemed to take away my breath and I thought I would never see sunlight again. And I remember the sight of the sun streaming through the trees as I emerged from the cold grave-like water. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was definitely one of those mountain top experiences of my life.

For Jesus, you have to add to that the voice coming from heaven “THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED… OR YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.” And THEN add to that the dove that descended on him. He must have been flying as high as a kite.

•           All of his suspicions were confirmed and

•           all the funny little smirks would finally be put to rest.

•           “Now,” I’ll bet he thought, “I can get on with saving the world!

•           Now I can get on with being the savior I was sent here to be.” What a day!

But before he knew it. Before his hair was even dry, he was whisked from the heights of human joy and anticipation to experience the very depths of human depravity and temptation. (CLICK SLIDE 1 TO FADE INTO THE VIDEO)

“Jesus was led up by the spirit in the wilderness.” The language of Mk. 1:12 is even stronger, “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”

This is the wilderness. You know the wilderness! We have all been there. Feeling

•           alone,

•           weak,

•           hungry,

•           vulnerable,

•           helpless, and maybe even

•           hopeless. When we are in the wilderness of our lives we are likely to fall for anything: the voice in our head, the voice in our stomachs, the voice of our loneliness, the voice of desperation. I know the battle against temptation and I’ll just bet you do too.

Jesus did too. Far from home. Far from civilization. Far from all that is familiar and secure. In those 40 days and 40 nights of fasting, and praying, and searching, something happened to Jesus. He heard the voice of the father of lies.

•           … You aren’t who you think you are

•           … No one believes you

•           …Just prove it

•           …Don’t trust God

•           …God has abandoned you

•           …If you were really who you say you are, you would do this

•           …You can be the ruler of the world… if you bow down to me.

This was not a show for our benefit. This was not a demonstration of Jesus power. It was not an imaginary drama. This is not a parable taught for our edification. This is an all too real battle raging in the heart and mind of Christ against the very same powers and principalities we face every day. In short hand, he was at war with sin.

There are a couple of things we need to understand.

FIRST… This is a real battle.

Jesus had a lot of strikes against him.

•           He was young: you know how we are when we are young we think we are 10 feet tall and made of steel. He was hungry. 40 days and 40 nights fasting is a long time and you can bet he was ready for some bread.

•           He was vulnerable. Coming off the high of the baptism and the voice from heaven and the dove and all that, Jesus had a long way to fall. Wouldn’t you be pretty cocky after that? The higher we are the farther we have to fall.

•           He had been in that lonely place for 40 days. It would have only been human nature to begin to doubt himself, his calling, and even God. It would only be human nature to think, I deserve better than this. I deserve to rule the world. But he would be wrong.

 Some say that since Jesus was God he could not have sinned. If that were true, there would be no temptation, no battle, and no victory. Jesus could just flick Satan off his shoulder and say, “scat.”

Of course, Jesus could sin. He was after all fully human. To be vulnerable to sin in part of what it means to be human. To say that Jesus could not have sinned is to take the air out of the temptation and turn it into a morality play. This was a real war with sin.

Second, remember, however, that Jesus is 100% human and 100% God. That means that just as the battle was real, so was the victory. When Jesus finally defeated the tester in the wilderness, it was a real victory, that was the very first fruits in Jesus victory over sin and death for you and me.

We often say that Jesus conquered sin on the cross. And he did, in an ultimate way. But one battle does not usually make a war. Jesus’ battle against sin started here in the wilderness, if not earlier.

•           Jesus won a victory over sin whenever he healed the sick or

•           raised the dead.

•           Jesus won victory over evil when he cast out a demon.

•           Jesus won victory over hypocrisy when he put the Pharisees in their place.

•           Jesus won victory over scarcity when he fed the 5000.

•           Jesus won victory over fear when he faced his captors in the garden of Gethsemane. Being human Jesus was really, really tempted. Make no mistake about that. But being God, Jesus was ultimately victorious over sin and death in his life, in his death, and in his resurrection.

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being constructed, an elaborate trestle bridge was built across a large canyon in the West. Wanting to test the bridge, the builder loaded a train with enough extra cars and equipment to double its normal payload. The train was then driven to the middle of the bridge, where it stayed an entire day. One worker asked, “Are you trying to break this bridge?”

“ No,” the builder replied, “I’m trying to prove that the bridge won’t break.” In the same way, the temptations Jesus faced might have been intended by the tempter to see if Christ would break, but they were used by God to prove that He wouldn’t.  And by not breaking, he won victory over all sin for all time.

That is the upper story. Christ’s victory over sin. This story has lower story implications though too.

First, Jesus won victory over physical temptation. For him it was food. The story says he had fasted for 40 days and he was hungry. For us it might be that extra piece of cake that we really don’t need, to skip the exercise that we do, that third or fourth or 5th beer or of the evening. For us it might be lust or adultery. For us the physical temptation might be to invest ourselves in the material things of this world instead of the spiritual things of the kingdom. For us the physical or material temptation might be too strong to resist, but in Jesus we have already won victory over those temptations and his victory is ours to claim.

Second Jesus won victory over doubt. “If you are the son of God prove it.” Satan was trying to plant doubt in Jesus. “IF you are the son of God.” IF you are a Christian. IF you are really forgiving. IF you are really called. IF you are really saved. IF there is really a God. IF, IF, IF. Doubt is not the opposite of faith, but it is the great temptation to those who have faith. Jesus won the victory over doubt and his victory is ours to claim.

Finally, Jesus won a victory over the ego. Think about that last temptation. All this can be yours. All the world can be yours. All the power and prestige can be yours. All the fame and fortune can be yours. All he kingdoms of the world can be yours.

For us it might be you can be the envy of the neighborhood if you just have this car, if you just go on this diet, if you just wear these shoes, if you just wear the right perfume, if you just have enough electronics, if you … you can keep the list going. But it isn’t the stuff that is important. This is not the temptation to material things I talked about, this is the temptation to thinking ourselves better than our neighbor. This is the temptation to put ourselves at the center of the world, maybe not as its ruler, but as though the sun rises and sets out of our belly button. Perhaps for us, the temptation to think more highly of ourselves than we ought is one of the greatest temptations. I deserve better than that. I’m as good as they are. I should have gotten that raise… you know how it is. The most difficult diet is not the one that keeps our waist trim, but the one that keeps our egos from blooming unrealistically out of control. Jesus beat that temptation to egocentricity, and his victory is ours to claim.

In Star Trek the Borg are well known for warning resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.

Too many of us live our lives as though resistance is futile. We live as though there is no hope of standing up to temptation, no hope of denying sin, no hope of being any better than we are today. To tell you the truth there isn’t.

To tell you the truth, resistance is futile on our own.

But with Jesus, the battle has been won. The resistance has been victorious. J

•           esus won victory on our behalf over physical temptation,

•           victory on our behalf over doubt,

•           victory on our behalf over the ego Jesus won them all. And Jesus victory is ours to claim. Jesus victory is yours to claim.

1 John Chapter 4 verse 4 promises something very important. Read it with me

Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

•           With Jesus, the one in you is greater than the one that attacks you.

•           With Jesus, the one in you is greater than the one that tempts you

•           With Jesus, the one in you is greater than the one that tries to trick you.

Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

“God in skin” RUMC 10/5/14

“God in skin”

RUMC

10/5/14

A child woke up one night after a frightening nightmare. She was convinced that there were all kinds of monsters and goblins lurking under her bed and in the corners of her room. She ran to her parents' bedroom and after her mother had calmed her down, she took the child back to her own room and said, "You don't need to be afraid, you aren't alone here. God is right here with you in your room." The little girl said, "I know that God is here, but I need someone in my room that has some skin on!"

“I just need someone in my room who has some skin on.” Doesn’t that speak the heart of humanity?

We believe in the existence of God.// We know the reality of God.// We are certain about God’s love and protection.

But being creatures who can’t imagine life without skin, it is mighty good to know that God loves us enough to “put on skin and move into the neighborhood” as the Message Bible says.

As much as I love the nativity story: Mary, and Joseph, and the innkeeper, and the baby on that “cold winter’s night that was so deep,” I want to set aside the very familiar nativity story from Luke, and examine the Christmas story in John this morning.

As we open to the first words of the book of John let’s approach it like a reporter: when, who, where, and how?

Let’s begin with “WHEN.” Does the story of the incarnation, the story of the first Christmas, start with the first Christmas? NO. When does it start? “In the beginning.” Just as we begin to settle into the New Testament and the idea of Jesus, John whips our heads around to look back at “the beginning.” These are the very same words with which the Bible starts. John uses them to remind us of something very important. The Christmas story didn’t start with the first Christmas. It started in creation.

•             Some people have this idea that there was the God of the Old Testament, then there was Jesus, then, when Jesus died and rose, came the spirit.

•             Others have this idea that Jesus was a backup plan. I can understand how one might get that idea. It seems as though everything else had failed and God was still too far from the end zone for a field goal, so he is forced to punt and Jesus is born.

But, in fact, John sets us straight right here. With these first three words of the Gospel, John is clear that the story starts at the very beginning of time, and Jesus was God’s plan from the very beginning of the story.

So the story of Christmas starts WHEN? In the beginning.

The next three words, “WAS THE WORD,” are just as important. This is the WHO? Here Jesus is not described as the son, or the Christ, or the messiah, or the savior. Here Jesus is described as the WORD. In Hebrew thought, the WORD was not just a collection of letters or sounds. The WORD was a unit of energy. It is a unit of force. Once a WORD leaves the mouth it has life and an independent existence that actually did things.

What’s more, the word, “WORD” here in Greek is “Logos.” As in Hebrew thought, logos is more than a word. Logos is that which brings order and understanding out of chaos. That which bridges the intention of God and the mind of man.

To both his Jewish and his Greek readers, then, John is beginning to introduce Jesus as the one that will come with a unique and powerful revelation of the nature and character of God.

The story is about WHO? The WORD …Jesus.

And so we come to WHERE? And John answers “WITH GOD.” The word was “WITH GOD.” But the Greek doesn’t just mean near God. It means that Jesus has the closest possible relationship with God. It means that Jesus is the perfect reflection of God.

Think of it this way. If we want to know what someone really thinks and feels, but we can’t approach the person ourselves, do we ask someone who doesn’t know the person? No. Do we ask someone who has just read a book about the person. NO. Do we ask the guy who lives down the street? NO. If we want to know what makes someone tick we ask the person who knows them the best.

John is saying that Jesus is that close to God. If we want to know what God really thinks and feels about us, Jesus is the best source. If we want to know what God is really like, Jesus is the best place to look. If we want to know God intimately and completely, we have access to the one who knows God perfectly because he is with God: Jesus the Word.

WHERE? Jesus is WITH GOD: intimately.

Finally, we ask HOW? HOW? How is it that Jesus was from the beginning. How is it that Jesus is the unique and powerful revelation of the true nature and character of God. How is it that Jesus is with God?

Because THE WORD WAS GOD. Jesus was God. Jesus is God. Jesus is God. There is no distinction between the mind of Christ and the mind of God. There is no distinction between the heart of Christ and the heart of God. There is no talking about God without talking about Jesus, and no talking about Jesus without talking about God. THE WORD WAS GOD. Jesus was God. Jesus is God. Jesus and God are one. Always have been., Always will be. Jesus is God.

If Jesus is not God then Christmas is just a fairy tale.

If Jesus is not with God intimately and perfectly then Christmas is just sugarplums and silver bells.

If Jesus is not the perfect revelation of the very nature of the infinite and unfathomable God, then Christmas is just a holiday for the overindulgent and the greedy.

If Jesus is not God and God is not Jesus then we are just creatures, no more significant than the amoeba or the muskrat.

If Jesus is not God, and God is not Jesus, then our lives are a mere flash in the pan.

If Jesus is not God and God is not Jesus then this is just bread and this is only pure unfermented juice of the vine.

But it is not.

We are not

Because he is.

How do I know? Because “In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the word was God. . . and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. In us…and in the bread which is his body,,, and in the pouring of the juice which is his blood.” And that us just the beginning of the story.

AMEN