BELIEVE Week 6 “The church” 10/2/16 RUMC

BELIEVE Week 6 “The church”

10/2/16

RUMC

It was the spring of 311 AD. Constantine and his 40,000 soldiers were headed for Rome to confront an army of 160,000.

 Constantine saw a vision in the afternoon sky. He saw a bright cross with the words “By this sign conquer.” In one account, Constantine said that Christ himself told him in a dream to take the cross as his standard into battle. The next morning he had his soldiers marked their shields with the now familiar Chi-Ro, the first two Greek letters in “Christ.”

Constantine won the battle, and became the first Roman emperor with a cross on his crown. Several things happened under the first Christian emperor.

•       Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

•       Christianity was given full religious freedom, which ended the period of Great Persecution.

•       All the land confiscated as part of the persecution, was to be returned.

•       In 323 when Constantine built Constantinople, construction began on the first buildings in which Christians would assemble. Until now, they had met in homes, sometimes even secretly because of persecution. Until this time, the word church only identified a group of people. Now it became a building

I’m not sure that’s what Jesus had in mind when he pointed to Peter and told the disciples, “…on this rock I will build my church.”  Sure, I admit it is nice to have a roof over our head and pews under our butts, but when Jesus talked about building in his church, he did not have bricks and mortar in mind. And through the ages, the church has been comfortable and secure… too comfortable and too secure behind the walls of these special buildings. The church has often experienced ecclesiastical amnesia, forgetting where it came from and why it is here.

 A book called UnChristian came out a few years ago. The book reported on a survey asking unchurched people what they thought of the church. The results were shocking. Their answers in order were:

•         Hypocritical,

•         Focused only on getting people saved

•         Anti-homosexual

•         Sheltered or inward focused

•         Too political and

•         Judgmental.

Clearly, there are some uninformed stereotypes reflected in that survey. However, stereotypes may be exaggerations and overgeneralizations, but they almost always start with a grain of truth.

 What has happened? The survey didn’t say anything about faith or service, or helping people, or the hospitals and school we built, or the justice work we do, or making a huge dent in malaria deaths. The church described in the survey doesn’t look much like the church Jesus launched with the words, “Go therefore into all the world and preach the good news baptizing them in the name of the father, the son and the Holy spirit.”

Is it any wonder that today many people say, “Church, who needs it?”

 Our key belief for this week is found on page 92, as always the first page of the chapter. “I believe the church is God’s primary way to accomplish his purposes in the world.” To put it in terms we have used before, God uses the church to transform the world for Jesus Christ.

Really? Us? Look at us. Does God really expect this motley crew to accomplish his kingdom work in the world? The frightening answer is yes. So how do we answer those who say, “The church… who needs it?”

There are three answers in today’s scripture.

  Who needs the church? First, God does. Not that God isn’t sufficient unto himself. But God chooses to do his work through the church. In that sense, God needs the church. When we read Paul’s words, we realize that we are not JUST a bunch of amateurs. We are God’s amateurs. God is our source and our strength. And we are God’s hands and God’s feet.

Compared to the lions club, or the PTA or the girl scouts; the church is not, fundamentally, a human institution. We are a divine institution. Created by God and powered by God, to do God’s kingdom work in the world. If it weren’t for the Holy Spirit filling the church, transforming the church, leading the church, empowering the church, an enabling the church; all hope would be lost. But there is hope, not because of what we do, but because of what God CHOOSES to do through us. The church is not our doing. It is God’s doing. “God is above, all through all and in all.” Who needs the church? First, God needs the church to carry out his plan.

 The second point follows close behind that. I have to start with a confession. I don’t like to make dramatic confessions from the pulpit, they rarely end well. But there is something I have to admit today. I may be an ordained minister; I may have gone to seminary. Sure, I have 24 years of experience as a pastor in a church, but I have to admit something to you. I am not very good for much of anything.

What can I really do for Jesus?—not a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. I am quite aware of that.

Before you judge me, let me ask you… What can you do for Jesus—if you’re honest in the grand scheme of things, you have to answer the same way I did. None of us, individually, can do a whole lot. But here’s the thing: you can do something and I can do something. Maybe not much, but we can each do something. And together we can do great things. Jesus promised the disciples that they would do even greater things than he did. How is that possible? Because a spirit filled people called the church can move mountains, gather in the lost, end hunger, fight evil, and transform the world for Jesus Christ.

The Calgary Stampede is one of the premier rodeos in the world. One of their most exciting and anticipated events is the Heavy Horse Pull. It is just like a tractor pull except with horses. The story is told of the year when a horse pulled 9,000 pounds, while another pulled 8,000 pounds. At the end of the event, the owners of the top two horses decided to see what the two horses could do working together. Teamed up, you’d expect them to pull 17,000 pounds, right? Wrong. When harnessed together, they pulled 30,000 pounds! Almost twice as much as they each did alone.

That is kingdom math 9,000 + 8,00= 30,000. My little bit that I can do, added your little bit that you can do does not equal two little bits in God’s church. We have to add them together and then raise them to the power of God. That’s what the church does. I can’t bring the kingdom. Neither can you, but all of us together raised to the power of God… we can transform the world for Jesus Christ.

Let me add a couple of observations before I move on the next point.

Because of God’s math, not being able to do a lot is no excuse for doing nothing

Let me say that again, not being able to do a lot because you are busy, or old, or travel a lot, or you’ve done that before, or you’ll have to miss your favorite TV show or whatever your reasons might be, is no excuse for doing nothing. Sitting by and watching others do the ministry of the church, watching someone else pay for the ministry, letting someone else do the outreach, letting someone else invite people to church is worse than being dead weight… it is being unfaithful. It is violating the trust, which God has placed in the church. There is no excuse for doing nothing. Every person must be in ministry because of Jesus.

Finally, after we wrestle with the fact that because of God’s spirit above us, through us and in us, the church is very different from a herd of cows. After we admit that even doing a little, when God adds all of our little offerings and stirs in his divine power, God can make a big difference.

 We finally come to the truth that so many people do not want to admit.

Who needs the church? The world does. I am not talking about the world collectively, but each and every individual in the world, needs the church.

Look at the pain around us: floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, refugees, sickness, death. Who are some of the first on the scene and the last to leave, the church. Who else is going to do it? How many people went to church for the first time right after 9/11?

Look at the broken world in which we live: The way people treat each other, the way people fight among themselves, the way we kill each other. Who is going to stand up and say ENOUGH! If not the church?

Look at the struggle around us. Families in conflict, marriages falling apart, poverty, joblessness, suicide, fear. Who will take the time to sit down with someone and hurt with them, or even weep with them? Not our politicians unless it’s a great photo op. No, it is the church… it is left to each of us who are there to pick up the pieces when our neighbors lives are crumbling.

Salvation comes by Grace through faith in Jesus, right? Who is going to introduce them to Christ if not the church. Not the schools, not Wal-Mart, only the church.

Though many would reject the idea… I say with absolute confidence today the world needs the church.

 Who needs the church? God does in order to accomplish his plan, we do in order to multiply our efforts, and the world does to be the hands and feet of God for a world lost and in pain.

What does all this mean and what difference does it make? It means the Church is not about buildings but about building people. Church is not a place you go but a people you are. Church is not about us but all about Christ. Church is not about power and bigness but about resurrection power through weakness.

That is the church we celebrate today- the worldwide church of Jesus Christ under every flag, worshipping in every kind of location, speaking every conceivable language, dressed in ways we wouldn’t believe… but all partaking of the one cup, and the one loaf. That is what it means to be the church.

Who need the church? I do, and so do you.

AMEN

Week 5 identity in Christ

BELIEVE: Identity in Christ (Week 5)
RUMC September 25, 2016

  Have you ever had your identity stolen? Thankfully, I have not. We have had the credit union call a couple of times to tell us that they believe our card has been compromised, and we should come get cards with new numbers. That is bad enough. But it is scary to think of someone getting your social security number and opening up accounts in your name. It can be a real hassle. Our insurance company offers an ID theft-monitoring rider. It is comforting to get the emails from them saying everything is OK. But what if it isn’t some day?
We don’t want anyone to steal our identity. But sometimes we ALLOW it to happen? I’m not talking about a Social Security number or credit cards. Sometimes I think we give our identity away by letting other people define us. They call us…
  Liberal or conservative,
Republican or democrat or independent,
The define us by where we live
The type of clothes we wear,
The car that we drive.
They may call us lazy, losers or loners
We’re smart or dumb.
We are love or unloved.
If you are still in school, you are defined y by your grade point average, the athletic teams you play on, or the group with whom you hang.
If you are in the working world, you are defined by blue-collar, white-collar, your job status, or your income.
If you are retired, you are defined by your retirement savings, your travels, or your physical ability.
You are defined by your accomplishments and your failures.
You are defined by your relationships- I am my wife’s husband, or my boyfriend’s girlfriend. I’m divorced. Or I’m between relationships.
You are defined by your illness. You are depressed; you are diabetic, etc…
There are all these voices yelling at us from our neighbors, and family, and the media telling us we are this or we are that. They are stealing our identity; and labeling us according to their identity. Which voice at we to believe?
Let me tell you… none of them. Those voices are lying to you. There is, however, another voice... a more authoritative voice… a true voice, if only we will listen.

  We started this BELIEVE series talking about GOD, and how GOD CARES, we talked about the fact that he cares so much he sent JESUS TO SAVE US. And then he gave us a book by which we live, the BIBLE.
  In that official user’s guide to the human soul, in John 1:12, the Bible tells us who we are. If you turn to page 77 in your BELIEVE book you will find it. The Key verse for the week is, “Yet To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
That is the way God defines you: child of God. That is what the voice of truth says; you are a child of God. Jesus says you are worth dying for because you are a child of God.
Let’s say the key verse together. “Yet To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (
On page 82 of the BELIEVE book, we find a great story about Jesus redefining who someone was. It comes from the book of Luke, chapter 19.

There was a man named Zacchaeus who didn’t really know who he was. His job was collecting taxes, his neighbors said he was scum, his rabbi said he was a sinner, the governor said he was a hard worker, his children thought he was an embarrassment. And to top it all off, he was short. Short people get no respect.
Jesus came into Jericho. Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but the crowds were so big there was no way to get close enough to see over them. Therefore, Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus.
When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, (Zacchaeus had to be shocked. How did he know his name?) He said, “Zacchaeus hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus did as Jesus said, and all who saw it began to grumble and fell back into labels… he is a sinner and Jesus went to his house, Jesus must be a sinner too.
Zacchaeus saw himself for who he really was and said, “Half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because you too are a son of Abraham.” In our language today, “Because you are a child of God.”
Suddenly Zacchaeus went from being no one to being someone;
he went from being a worthless sinner to a priceless disciple,
He went from being defined by his job, and culture, and neighbors, to being redefined by Jesus as a child of God.

Let’s break that down. Zacchaeus went from being no one to being someone.
I used to hate picking teams in PE. Because no one would call my name. They picked the big, coordinated, popular, good-looking kids by name. Then when they got to the leftovers, the PE teacher would say, “OK you guys are on this team, and you guys are on the other team. No name just “you guys.”
Jesus sees you for who you are… a child of God… and calls you by name to be on his team.
Ephesians reads, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.”
Your head might say you are no one.
You heart might say no one caress
You gut might say you are all alone.
Don’t listen to them
Because in Jesus sees that you are someone sees that you are a child of God, and calls you off your limb to be part of the household of God, part of God’s Kingdom.

Second Jesus moved Nicodemus from being a worthless sinner, to being a priceless disciple.
There isn’t much worse than being guilty and knowing it. Waiting in your bedroom for dad to come in and dispense the punishment. Waiting outside the principal’s office. Waiting for the jury to return. There is no denying it… you are guilty… there is no going back to change it. You would if you cold but you can’t.
Romans Chapter 6 reads, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
Still guilty… he can’t change that. But we are no longer slaves to sin.
We are the ones that got ourselves out on that limb, but Jesus doesn’t see a sinner. He looks inside of us and sees a child of God. He calls out, “I’m staying with YOU today.” We are still sinners, but we are no longer worthless. Jesus paid the ultimate price to gain our forgiveness. But it was worth it because we are not worthless, but priceless children of God.

  We are accepted, and forgiven, and now Jesus gives us a new identity. It is as if Jesus puts us in the witness protection program to protect us from the voices that call out to us. To protect us from the lies that have defined us.
No matter what others may say about you.
No matter how the world may label you.
No matter what your feelings may dictate to you.
No matter the experiences you have had in life.
No matter what you have done, or
who you have been, or
how many times you have failed, or
how many times you have sinned,
No matter what lies the devil may whisper in your ear.
Jesus sees you differently.  Romans 8 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,”
How about that!? Not only does Jesus notice us, not only does Jesus forgive us… instead of saying, “go and sin no more.” he says welcome to the family. Let me introduce your brothers and sisters. You are a child of God. You are a Child of the most high, most wonderful, most forgiving, most loving God of heaven and earth.

  That is what defines us.
Not the culture.
Not the people around us.
Not the job we have or the
grades we get.
Not the friends we have
or how we look.
Not even what our own minds tell us about ourselves. Those are all Lies, lies, lies.
  The only one who can tell you who you are is the one who
created you as a child of God,
accepts you as a beloved child of God,
forgives you as a redeemed child of God, and
makes you an heir of the kingdom because you are rightfully a child of God.
Hear that. “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
  You are a child of God…. Say it with me. “I BELIEVE I am significant because of my position as a child of God.” That’s who you are. One more time. “I BELIEVE I am significant because of my position as a child of God.”

You are child of God. A child of the one true king. You have been saved, you have been changed, you have been set free. You are a child of the one true king.

Week 5 Believe "I believe in the Bible" Rev. Robyn Plocher

One night the Green Bay Packers lost an away game they had been expected to

win. After the team took the long bus ride home, legendary coach Vince Lombardi

made the players put their sweaty uniforms back on and March out onto Lambeau

Field. The coach huddled them together and held up a pigskin, egg-shaped object

high in the air and said, “Gentlemen, THIS is a football!”

Coach Lombardi knew one of the fundamentals of winning a football game is

having a firm grasp of the basics. The same thing is true of the Christian life. So

in the spirit of that unforgettable night in bitterly cold Wisconsin (lift Bible high)

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a Bible!

KEY POINT I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God that guides my

beliefs and action.

Why is the Bible so foundational to the Christian life?

1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God

2. The Bible contains God’s truth and will for our lives

3. Thus, Christians need to know how to read and understand the Bible

These points are as basic to the Christian life as the football is to the game of

football.

The Bible is the Inspired Word of God

In Paul’s second letter to Timothy he tells us that “All scripture is God-breathed

and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so

that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Greek word we interpret as “God-breathed” is the same word used in Genesis

2:7 where God BREATHED life into Adam.. The writer of Hebrews also confirms

the claim, saying, “The word of God is alive and active.” (Hebrews 4:12)

Many books are motivating and inspiring. Every bookstore has an “Inspiration”

section of books. These books move us. The encourage us to be better persons.

They cause us to reflect on our lives and our place in the world. The Bible is all

this and more. This is a book from God HIMSELF. What does that actually

mean? How did the Bible come to be?

Well, the Bible did NOT just fall out of the heavens bound in leather.

It came to us over a very long time and through the oversight of God in four

phases.

Phase 1: Revelation

Revelation means God chose to reveal himself to humanity, not just once, but over

and over again.

In Romans Paul tells us that God reveals himself to all people externally through

nature. This is called General Revelation. “Since the creation of the world God’s

invisible qualities –his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen,

being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Romans 1:20

God also reveals himself internally through our consciences. Our consiences bear

witness to what is right and wrong. I had one of THOSE days this week, when at

the end of the day al I could say to myself was, “Well, I think you screwed that

up.” How did I know that? Paul says our thoughts accuse us and at other times

they defend us. Whether we know THE LAW or not, there are some things that

just seem matters of common sense. You don’t drive your car into your neighbors

house and expect there won’t be consequences. As they say, ignorance of the law

is no excuse. Somethings we just know are wrong. That is internal revelation of

God through our God-given consciousness.

Finally God reveals himself through a specific person at a specific time with a

specific message to communicate. These are dreams and visits from angels, such

as Mary and Joseph experienced. It was through this special mode of revelation

–specific revelation - that God spoke to the authors who penned the books of the

Bible.

Phase 2: Inspiration

God revealed, or breathed, his message into his chosen people to be written down.

In the OT –stories were first passed down by oral tradition, passed from generation

to generation at the dinner table or around the campfire. In time, God’s word,

especially as revealed to the prophets, was committed, primarily by the prophets of

the OT and later by the Apostles of the NT era. It took 40 authors over 1400 years

to write down the 66 books we call the Bible. After all, they didn’t have

computers and keyboards.

OT - They had papyrus, or animal hides or may have even written on clay with a

bronze or bone writing tool. rolled into scrolls and maybe feathers dipped in dye.

NT – Romans used thin sheets of wax on wooden tablets and a metal writing

stylus.

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the

Prophets own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the

human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried

along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20, 21

Phase 3: Transmission

The painstaking task by which individual books were copied down to the scale and

detail of classic works of art.

Care and scrutiny of the work was so intense that it often took several months to

copy one page.

When a page was completed, they would check for accuracy by identifying the

middle word on a page, checking the position of the copy against the original and

if it didn’t match up exactly the copy was burned and the work started all over

again.

There are only 400 words in the NT that we are unsure of who originally wrote

them and none of those relate actual doctrine. That is a 99.9% accuracy rate.

Don’t let anyone tell you that the message of the Bible has been watered down by

years of copying. When we consider the care and precision with which the words

of scripture have been transmitted through the ages, the number of times

throughout history that nations have tried to suppress the word and destroy Bible, ,

it does seem that God Himself has had a hand in preserving His word for his

people.

After an amazing amount of testing, time, energy and divine guidance, in AD 400,

370 years after Christ’s death, the 66 books of the Bible as we know them today

officially came together for the first time under one cover.

Phase 4: Translation

This is the process by with the Bible is translated from the original Hebrew and

Greek copies into other languages. One of the first translations was in Latin. We

know today there are a variety of translations and paraphrases of the Bible, with

more being worked on all the time. It is important to understand the difference

between a translation and a paraphrase. A translation always begins with one

language and ends in another – translating scripture from Greek to English. A

paraphrase begins and ends with the same language. For serious study of the

scripture a translation will be more appropriate. By the way, Eugene Peterson’s

Message is a Translation, not a paraphrase.

What I found most surprising as I prepared this message is the statistics about

Bible translations. I think most of us have an idea that in our modern world

everyone has heard something about the gospel. Here are some facts:

There are 180 million people in the world who do not have access to scripture in

their own language.

There are about 7,000 languages in the world. The Bible has been translated into

only 513 of those languages.

The Hmong people of Southeast Asia are among those who have only in recent

years been able to get Bibles printed in their language thanks to the efforts of

Voice of the Martyrs and Hmong Baptist Fellowship. The Hmong have been a

hunted ethnic group for centuries. Killed in great numbers by Chinese Emperors,

now Hmong Christians are restricted across Vietnam, Loas and China, forbidden to

have Christian literature in their own language.

In spite of these trials, the Hmong are one of the fastest growing groups of

Christians in the world with hundreds of thousands of believers.

In one Hmong village 20 people responded to the evangelist’s message and gave

their lives to Christ and were baptized. They began meeting in the home of one of

the believers to worship and were given Bible in their native language and a few

hymnals.

But the authorities were not pleased. Less than two months later police interrupted

Sunday service, confiscated all 16 Bibles and the few hymnals. Though they

promised to return the Bibles and hymnals after examining them, believers never

received them. Police also took cellphone to prevent them from calling for help

and to make them feel more isolated.

So this is all very interesting. But what difference does it make?

Does it matter to you that --

 The Bible is the inspired word of God conveyed to us in writing by

God’s chosen prophets and the Lord’s Apostles.

Does it make any difference to know how careful the transcibers of scripture were

to maintain the integrity and truth of God’s word – that

 The truth of God’s word and God’s will for our lives has been

meticulously preserved in the words of the Bible.

Do you read the Bible?

88% of Americans own a Bible.

More than ½ of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture in

morale decline.

BUT only 1 in 5 Americans read the Bible on a regular basis and if they do read it,

the majority – 57% - say they read their Bible just 4 Xs per year or less.

I’m sorry to say, but with statistics like that, I know there people in this room who

rarely if ever read their Bibles. So I ask you bluntly,

DO YOU BELIEVE, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE, (KEY CONCEPT) THE

BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD THAT GUIDES YOUR

BELIEFS AND ACTIONS?????

VOM reports that 191,267 people have asked them for Bibles. The first thing

Christians living in restrictive nations ask for is prayer. The second is Bibles.

There are an average of 4 Bibles in every home in America, but in the majority of

homes the Bible is read only 4 times per year.

Ponder all this in your hearts as you watch the following video.

Let those who have ears hear.

by Rev. Robyn Plocher

BELIEVE- chapter 4 “God saves” Reinbeck UMC 9/4/16

BELIEVE- chapter 3 “God cares”

Reinbeck UMC

9/11/16

 (First slide is introductory video)

How to knock over a tower of blocks.

  (Power point slide plays video)

(Talking over top of video) That is the way some people approach Christianity. They add layer upon layer of complexity. They use bigger and bigger words. They write more and more books. They make more and more rules. They think the number of their words have saving power. They think the volume of their preaching has saving power. They think the height and beauty of their steeple will bring the world to God. They thing bigger and fancier is better.

(Video finishes)

If I were going to knock over a tower, I would touch it with my finger and knock it over. (DON’T DO IT)

 So when I come to this third week of the BELIEVE series to tell you about salvation I am not going to make it a great big theological knot you have to untie in order to get anything out of it. That is not what God wanted it! That’s not how did in Jesus did it!

If you turn to page ____ of your Believe book, you will find Jesus conversation with Nicodemus. You have to remember that Nick was one of the Pharisees. He was supposed to know all the answers. He was supposed to understand the deep things of God. He was supposed to have this salvation thing down pat. He comes, however, in the dark of night to admit to Jesus that he doesn’t get it. Jesus tried to explain it to him as simply as possible. In the process, Jesus changed everything.

1.           In Jesus Christ, God took a bite out of the old ritual system.

2.           In Jesus Christ, God took one great big bite out of the rules.

3.           In Jesus Christ, God chewed up some of the old fancy theological constructs that assumed people could save themselves. He said,

4.         “For God so loved the world

5.           that he gave his only Son,

6.         so that everyone

7.         who believes in him

8.         May not perish but may have eternal life.

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Period.

Right here is everything we need to know about salvation.

 First, WHO DOES THE SAVING? Who does the loving? Jesus started with “For God so loved…” We cannot save ourselves… only God can save. That is why God sent us a savior…because there was no other way we could be freed from our sins, there is no other way we could be liberated from the death of guilt and shame,

 Second, we have to ask, WHY DID GOD DO IT? Because he loved. God is LOVE. Do you remember our first two weeks of the BELIEVE series.

•           I believe in the God of the Bible Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

•           I believe that God cares for me personally.

•           And because God cares for you personally… because he loves you …he came as Jesus.. and Christ saves by faith.

 The third question is WHO CAN BE SAVED. Easy. The passage says it twice. For God so loved THE WORLD. Not just the righteous. Not just the wealthy. Not just the powerful. The whole world. Anyone… It says whoever believes… can be saved. That includes you.

 Fourth, HOW DO WE ACCEPT THIS SALVATION? Just believe. God came in Jesus so that anyone who BELIEVES will be saved. Now we have to spend a minute on the word believe.

In the New Testament, there is a word: “pistos.” Sometimes it is translated to believe, sometimes to have faith. So for our purposes here today, to believe is to have faith. I am not talking about a something that happens in your head like “I believe that alien life is possible.” I am talking about a

•           Deep conviction on which you would stake you life.

•           It is deep knowing. Where you know that you know that you know, and you know it in the depths of your being.

•           Faith is a believing that you would trust with your life.

…Because that is exactly what we are asked to do….

•           “Follow me.”

•           “Take up your cross.”

•           “Leave your nets and follow me.”

•           “Go sell all that you have and then we’ll talk.”

So we must have faith… or belief in order to accept God’s salvation in Jesus Christ.

Finally, if we believe in that deep way, we will be saved.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE SAVED? This is the final thing about which we need to talk.

We talk about being saved, from what are we saved?

•           We are not saved from sin because I am pretty sure I am not the only one here who still makes bad choices and sins.

•           We are not saved from the consequences of our sin. Even good saved, born again Christians go to jail if they do wrong. The consequences are still there.

•           We are not saved from doubt. Again, am I alone in that I sometimes have doubts and questions? I don’t think so.

From what then, are we saved? We are save us from being separated from God by, our sin. Sin creates a barrier between God and us.

God knows we are guilty of sin, God knows that because of sin we cannot, on our own, come to be in relationship with him. God knows that, but Jesus’ message was that God loves you so much that he is going to treat you as though you are innocent. He is going to tear down the barrier and restore you to life with him.

•           Some might say he paid the price for our sin.

•           Or took our punishment.

•           Or paid the ransom.

 Each of those images is simply a way of understanding how salvation happened and each one ends up in theological knots. The bottom line is God knows you are guilty and he sent Jesus to tell you that if you have faith…if you believe… he will treat you as though you are innocent. By his death, he will tear down the wall that is eternal death, and you will be saved. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

 It is that simple

•           God so

•           Loved the

•           World (you)

•           That whoever

•           Believes will be

•           Saved to have

•           Eternal life

That’s it.

 When the famous theologian, Karl Barth, was asked if he could sum up his life’s work, he said, “Yes, I can with a song I heard on my mother’s knee. Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” Simple, right? Just believe and be saved.

Now the question is do you believe… will you believe… That is a decision that we don’t just make once. I don’t like the question, “are you saved.” I prefer “are you being saved” because every day we wake up, we have to answer the question again. Am I going to believe in Jesus and live for him today? Every day we have a new chance. With each new day, we have to make the decision to commit our lives and our day to him. It is a life long journey and we are on it together.

God so Loved you That if you Believe, in Jesus, you will be saved to have

Eternal life.

That’s it- simple as knocking over a pile of blocks. (Do it) AMEN

BELIEVE- chapter 2 “God cares” Reinbeck UMC 9/4/16

BELIEVE- chapter 2 “God cares”

Reinbeck UMC

9/4/16

 (First slide is introductory video)

 I imagine most of you know the story of the three blind men and the elephant.

1.            You know the first Touched the side and said and elephant is LIKE A WALL

2.            The second wrapped his arms around a leg and declared that an elephant is like a TREE TRUNK.

3.            The third touched the Squirming trunk and said “No, and elephant is more LIKE A SNAKE.”

What you probably haven’t heard is the story of the three blind elephants who were discussing what men were like. After arguing for a while, they decided to find a person and determine what it was like by direct experience. The first blind elephant took felt of the man by taking his big foot and pushing down as hard as he could to feel what he was like.   Immediately he declared that a man is like a pancake. After the other blind elephants felt the man in the same way, they all agreed.

All were partly right, partly wrong.

But isn’t that typical? Especially when it comes to God, people experience or read about one thing and assume that defines the wholeness of God’s nature. Just as an elephant is not a rope, or a tree, or a wall, and just like human beings like pancakes, God is more than most of us think or imagine.

 Last week we started this series called BELIEVE. We started not with whether God exists, but which God we will serve. We declared “I BELIEVE THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS THE ONLY TRUE GOD, FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.”

  The question this week is, “What is the nature of that God?” We know that God is creator. God is bigger than we can imagine. God is more than we can describe. God is eternal, and all-powerful, and ever-present, and all-knowing, and all-encompassing, and all that doesn’t even begin to describe God. We already know that. What we are really interested in this week is, “Is God good. And if God is good is he involved in my life?” In other word, “Does God care about me?”

 I want you to hear three things today.

•             God is good

•             God does Care

•             God cares for you

Some of you are convinced that God is not good or God does not care because your life has been pretty messed up. There has been sickness, and death, and cancer, and accidents, and addiction, and jail, and divorce, and car wrecks, and failed businesses, and unfair job terminations. I can see that. My life has been messed up too. Our lives are not that different. And I understand because sometimes it feels as though God doesn’t care. That feeling does not mean it is true. Our messed up lives are not evidence that God is not good or that God does not care.

Still others look at the condition of the world: terrorism, wars, famines, earthquakes, shootings, and all the rest and say, “Obviously God is not good or God does not care.” Again, none of those problems disproves God’s goodness or God’s caring.

Through history, Christian theologians have struggled with this. Some claiming that one of two things is true. Either

1.            God is good and doesn’t care what happens to us or creation,

2.            Or God cares about us but is not good enough (or powerful enough) to do anything about it.

We all have stories like this… When amber was about 4 years old, she fell down the steps of the Geneseo church and cracked her head open on the doorframe. I picked her up and determined it was more then we could handle so we went off to the emergency room.

Since Robyn and I had a deal that if she did the vomit, I would take care of the blood, it was my job to hold Amber still and comfort her while the doctor stitched her up.

Robyn went all the way to the other end of covenant hospital trying to get away from her screams of “Owie, he’s pulling my hair, Owie, he’s pulling my hair.” Of course, what Amber was feeling was the suture thread being pulled through her skin. In her four-year-old mind, however, Amber believed the Doctor either was good and didn’t care, or if he cared, he wasn’t good. I knew that the doctor was good, that he cared, and he was doing everything he could for Amber.

Sometimes a doctor has to lead a patient through pain to bring them to health. Pain does not prove that the doctor isn’t good. Pain does not prove that the doctor doesn’t care.

Similarly, our messed up world does not prove that God is not good. Your messed up life does not prove that God does not care for you.

 CS Lewis wrote

If a thing is, free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata—of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating.

What this means is that because God is a God of relationships, there must be freedom to choose or refuse that relationship. This is one of the ways in which God is good. Evil, injustice, and suffering in the world do not come from God. They do not prove that God is not good and they do not prove that God does not care.

 Paul writes, “For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” 

God is very good and God cares for us more than we can imagine.

 But you might say, “I’m not important enough for God to care about me.” I know. Neither am I. The Psalmist felt the same way, if you turn to page 33 of your books and look at the bold type, you see the Psalmist saying exactly the same thing. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon & the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

The truth is we aren’t important enough for God to love us, but that doesn’t stop him! Why? Because he wants to. That’s all God wants; to care for us.

 Going back to the Gospel reading, If God cares for the silly bird that kept flying into our bedroom window this spring… if God cares for the flowering weeds that grow in the ditches. Do you really think that does not care for you? Are you less important than they are? Of course not… God cares for you too.

Too often, we use this passage to beat up on ourselves for worrying. Even though many of us might deserve that, is that what the passage really teaches? NO. It is about God’s goodness // about God caring // and about the fact that God cares for each and every one of us as though we are the only one in the world.

That seems hard to comprehend, but it really isn’t so hard.

 Randy Frazee tells about an app on his iphone called “RUNKEEPER” that tracks everywhere he has run. He says that it is pretty amazing. It keeps track of every step he takes and he can go back and see his everywhere he has been. What is even more amazing is that it is doing the same thing for 10 million runners simultaneously. Really? That is a man made computer program. If a person can make that, is it really so hard to believe that God who is so much greater than any human or any iphone app, can keep track of a measly 6 billion of us.

More than that, God goes one-step further… the app just keeps data it doesn’t care about anyone… GOD CARES.

Why does God care about me? Why does care about you? As hard as it is to grasp, the answer is simple: He cares for us because he chooses to. Just because he wants to.

•             When Adam and Eve sinned - did God care? God found them hiding in the Garden and he cared enough to bring them clothes and a promise of a fresh start

•             When the world was disgusting, - evil beyond imagination - did God care? God found a good man named Noah - and cared enough to give a sinful world a fresh start!

•             When Goliath intimidated the children of God in valley of Elah - did God care? God cared enough to use David, a shepherd boy, to slay a giant, and rescue a nation!

•             When a woman arrived at a well, at midday, embarrassed by her circumstances, disappointed with the men in her life, and discouraged by her choices, - did God care? He cared enough that he came as Jesus for a private visit and he gave her water so she would never thirst again!

•             When Mary was heartbroken, sitting in the garden wondering where they had taken Jesus, did God care? He cared enough to stand in front of her and speak her name. He cared enough to take her by the hand and restore her hope.

•             When Peter failed the Lord 3 times in one night - did God Care? He cared enough to invite Peter for breakfast and asked him three times - Do YOU care!

•             When Amber had her heart surgery and I was beating my head against the wall wondering if we made the right decision. God cared enough to send Dr Bubbles to make her laugh and here she is today.

•             When I was broken and hopeless, and so mad at God that I thought I would never step foot in a church again, God cared enough to be patient with me and gently brought me back into ministry

•             When my dad was dying and I wanted more than anything else, to hear his voice one more time, God spoke “This is the day that the Lord has made.” As he received my father into his loving arms of eternal life.

•             When I have been at my lowest, and wondered why God would care for me because I certainly didn’t, God has always cared enough to walk with me through those darkest times and use someone (usually Robyn) to remind me how much he cares and show me a glimmer of hope.

 Those things would not have happened if God were not good.

Those things would not have happened if God didn’t care

Those things would not have happened if God didn’t care deeply and personally for me.

How about you? I’ll bet if you think for a moment you can find places where God has stepped in and surprised you by showing you and your family:

•             That God is good

•             God cares

•             And God cares for you.

Think for just a moment and think of a time when God who cared for you more than you imagined. If you can’t think of one… watch for one… maybe not today or tomorrow, but soon you will experience God’s care.

Will you say the key idea with me?

I BELIEVE GOD IS INVOLVED IN AND CARES ABOUT MY DAILY LIFE.

AMEN