Advent 4b (PEACE - Do not be Afraid!)

Advent 4b (Peace –Do not be Afraid)

December 18, 2011                                  Luke 1:26-38

Read Luke 1:26-38

Change – How do you deal with change?

§  What kinds of change have you experienced lately?

§  What change was easy?

§  What change was hard?

First Sunday of Advent: Hope & importance of waiting

Second Sunday of Advent: Love, and the need to prepare

Third Sunday of Advent: Joy, and our call to bear witness

Fourth week of Advent: Peace, in the face of change

How has God Incarnate – Changed your LIFE?

Angels:  In Luke 1:30 & 1:13 “do not be afraid”

Why are they always saying “do not be afraid”?

          Are they scary?

          Is their very presence so different – it causes alarm?

          Are they bringing bad news?

          Are they bringing good news?

          Are they bringing a new and different message?

Do Not Be Afraid:   Seen all throughout Scripture.

·        Angel’s words “Do not be afraid” seem often to prescribe a coming birth.

Gen 15:1-6 The Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.”

Birthing: Luke 1:35 (NLT) The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 

When we think of Birthing: We think of the total change of life.

§  We tell “soon to be” parents: cherish this time.

§  Get all the sleep you can…

Same use of “come UPON you” is found in

Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What happens in Acts?

Chapter 1:

o   Jesus meets with his disciples for the last time – and then is lifted to heaven.

o   Before going – tells them the Holy Spirit will come on them and they will be his witnesses.

Chapter 2:

o   The day of Pentecost.

o   The Holy Spirit comes and changes everything. People are able to speak in different languages.

God is always doing something new with his people:

Drawn to think of Isaiah 43:16-21 (specifically vs 19)

¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness  and streams in the wasteland.

We too – like Mary are provided the opportunity:

Ø  To give birth to the growing love of God in this world.

Ø  To give birth to the growing light of Christ.

v In the chaos of the Advent Season, in Christmas,

v  In the chaos of life, In the chaos & uncertainty of change

Ø  May we not be afraid, and may we find the Peace of God that passes all understanding

How has God Incarnate – Changed your LIFE?

What is being birthed – that you hear the angel saying: “do not be afraid?”

          In your patience – BE.Hopeful

          As you prepare – BE.Loving

          When you witness – BE.Joyful

          Throughout the changes of life – BE.Peacful

As you go, take courage from these words from Christ: "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27)  Go and Love!

Advent 3b (JOY - bearing witness)

Advent 3b (Joy – bearing witness)

December 11, 2011                                  John  1:6-8, 19-28

Song: “I’ve got the JOY JOY JOY JOY…”

Share Testimonies

          – How has God brought Joy to your life?

Memory Verse – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (tniv) Rejoice always. ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

First Sunday of Advent: Hope & importance of waiting

Second Sunday of Advent: Love, and the need to prepare

Third week we’re looking at: Joy, and our call to bear witness

v In the Old Testament there are many occasions for joy: 

* marriage    * the birth of children     * good harvests

* recovery from sickness     * and defeat of enemies

v Greatest source of JOY = God’s action on behalf of his people.

The prophet is a joyful witness to God’s GRACE!

§  And his joy has a social dimension

¨      not only for the poor and oppressed in Israel

¨      but for all peoples

John’s Gospel

Includes many of the themes found in the other Gospel accounts about John the Baptist.

          He is perceived by some as an Elijah figure.

          He is making straight the way of the Lord

          He prepares for the coming of the ONE

There is, however, one distinctive theme

John 1:6-7 God sent a man, John the Baptist,^[a] 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

The Theme: WITNESS

v The word for “testimony” or “witness” in Greek is martyria

·        Which we derive our word “martyr.”

v The term evokes the setting of a law court.

·        In such a setting the witness gives a testimony and speaks the truth.

v In his witness John the Baptist refuses to make himself the center of attention.

§  Instead, he rejoices as a witness to Jesus.

Question: “WHO ARE YOU?”

·        John Answers: “I am not the messiah.

o   I am not the light… But part of the light.

o    I am not the messiah…

§  But I know him – and he’s here.

When the world asks you: Who are you?

v What is your response?

§  How are you participating in the redemption of the world?

§  How are you participating in bringing JOY?

§  Are you prepared – to give account – of your JOY?

Memory Verse – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (tniv) Rejoice always. ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

v In the New Testament (and today) we have many reasons for JOY:  * marriages  * birth of children

* good health   * recovery from sickness  *employment...

In your patience – Be.Hopeful

As you prepare – Be.Loving

As you bear witness to God’s bountiful Grace – Be.Joyful

As you go, May the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and sould and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful! (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.)  Go and Love!

Advent 2b (LOVE - Just the beginning)

Advent 2b (Love – Just the beginning)

December 4, 2011                    Mark 1:1-8

Growing up – played Basketball

            Practiced free-throws

            Jumped rope – to jump higher and faster

            Ran lines to be quick from point to point.

Now – Running a marathon:

o   Training schedule

o   Wearing the right shoes, shirts, shorts

o   Have to find time to run throughout the week

o   Can’t just show up and expect to do well

o   Have to prepare accordingly

·         In all you do – you have to prepare.

Last week talked about:

            Hope and the importance of waiting

This Week our emphasis is on:

             Love, and the need to prepare

It’s out of God’s love for us that he sent his son:

John 3:16

Ø  It is out of our love of God that we prepare…

Ø  It is out of our love of others that we prepare…

Prepare your hearts for the coming of the Messiah

Isaiah 40:1-5

v  “Comfort my people,

v  Listen to my prophets

v  Make a straight highway, Fill in the valleys

v  Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places.

Ø  Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

2 Timothy 4:1-5   

 ² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction

⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

The question is:

How are you Preparing your hearts for the coming of Christ?

            How are you preparing for the coming of the Messiah

            How are you preparing for the coming of the incarnate?

How are you Preparing to bring Christ, the “Light”, to the World?

2 Peter 3:14-15 ¹⁴ And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵ And remember, the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved.

Mark: 

Unlike the other Gospel writers:

·         Mark doesn’t list out the family tree –

·         or the nativity story.

·         He starts with:

Mark 1:1-3 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.^[a] It began ² just as the prophet Isaiah had written:

   “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
      and he will prepare your way.^[b]
 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
   ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!
      Clear the road for him!’^[c]”

 Mark gets a lot of flack for rushing through the story.

Ø  Leaving out key details

Ø  Just giving the quick version

·         But he believed the Return was soon and that we all need to prepare.

·         We all need to act swiftly.

·         We have no time to waste.

Run. Train. Prepare.

Trim your “wicks”

Get out your lighter

            Take the light of Christ to the world!

As you go, Prepare your hearts for the incarnate! Go and Love!

Advent 1b (HOPE - worry to wonder)

Advent 1b (HOPE – worry to wonder)

November 27, 2011                                  Mark 13:24-37

In our culture – we don’t like to wait…

* Fast lane on the freeway              * Fast cars

* Fast pass (at Disneyland)            * Black Friday (on Thursday)

Christmas Season – is a painful process of waiting.

            Asking for gifts – (I really hope I get new flip flops)

-       I want to ask Bree to make sure I get em

            Giving gifts – (I don’t want to wait 4 weeks to give)

-       I want to give as soon as I buy…

As we hope – we can begin to WORRY.

We are impatient people living in an impatient world

            Our impatience can cause worry…

                        (Buying on layaway, on credit…)

Question: What is the value of waiting, if we rush & get all we want?

First Sunday of Advent:

            Start of the New Year (in the church)

            Four Sundays leading up to Christmas

            Advent means = Coming, Preparing, Waiting

-       It is an ACTIVE WAITING

In our culture, why do we get engaged before marriage?

§  There is work to be done!

- Premarital counseling, Soul searching, Planning

§  There is a lot of work to be done!

Gospel text today from Mark 13

            24-27   describes how Christ will come (2^nd time)

            28-33   tale of the fig tree – there are signs

            34-37   tale of the servant – watch

So – Why these texts on the first Sunday of Advent?

            Where’s the story? Where’s the manger?

            Where are the animals? Where’s Baby Jesus?

The Fig Tree:

The hope of the season is found in Christ’s arrival

Ø  but these texts also draw our attention to his DEATH.

Ø  and subsequent RETURN

This is the season of pies

§  Before a pie is made – there has to be harvest

§  Before a harvest – there must be a planting

§  The very function of harvest – is plucking

§  Plucking = death (killed)

¨      ie= Jesus!

Waiting

§  We are impatient people living in an impatient world…

            And we rush to get what we want!

§  But during this season we are called to

Ø  slow down and wait, reflect, be patient.

But waiting can cause us to be anxious! We get nervous.

Anxious: not because of worry –– but because of excitement

    Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  

      (NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Difference between Anxious and worry –

v  Seeing & hearing Christmas before Thanksgiving:

Ø  Annoying?  – yes in some ways

§  But at the same time VERY EXCITING

§  How cool that our culture wants to CELEBRATE!

           

Our worry must turn to wonder. (MUST turn to excitement!)

Our anxious heart must draw us to wonder

- at God’s grace        - at the Cross

The hope of the season: found in the excited/expectant waiting.

May we not fall asleep – but be anxiously anticipating

May we receive the gift of life.

May we give the light of the World! 

As you go, Be filled with the anxious excitement of Hope! Go and Love!

7.17.11 Planting & Watering

Planting & Watering

           

Have you ever planted anything from seed?

We buy Phineas yogurt, and for a while they came with seeds. So we planted them with him. They were carrots.

In Seattle one of our friends had a wonderful vegetable garden… we called it a farm, and each year she gave us tomato starts.

___

This Week as I read the Gospel Text my mind was taken to a passage in 1 Corinthians.

Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.

Paul reminds us:

·        We plant, we water.

·        God causes growth.

In regards to your faith and life –

          What does this image of planting and watering bring to your mind?

          What does it make you think of?

In our North American world view: We often focus on the physical growth of an item: A child, business or church.

We often focus on being a Big Church – when what we need to focus on is being Church Big!

          Our empire thinking drives us to want to be big and powerful.

          Our empire thinking wants us to be the mega church drawing thousands of people.

          But in General, that’s not who we are:

·        We all have stories of success.

·        Our little church has some amazing stories. I think of:

          A young girl who grew up as a “bus kid” – is now a missionary

          A young adult – heard God’s call on his life and is now an ordained Elder in the CotN        

          (What other stories do you have?)

___

Read Matthew 13:36-43

Jesus says: Whoever has ears – let them hear.

·        We all have ears. We all have the ability to hear. Even those with ears that don’t work, have the ability to hear. Through sign language, writing. We can communicate.

·        Sometimes we get overwhelmed with the objective of making sure they all hear and that they hear it to the point of decision and transformation.

·        WE get so consumed with the decision and transformation that we forget that the growth isn’t our job. Our job is to plant the seed. Our job is to water.

We are called to plant. And planting is messy!

          (it’s dirty, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t) But we keep planting!)

___

In Seattle: at Mosaic – we did a lot of planting, and watering… but we didn’t always get to see the growth.

At times it was frustrating – particularly when the questions were asked by people with the mindset that we (as the church) cause the growth.

We do like to see growth. It’s exciting, it’s rewarding. It’s awe inspiring.

We will see growth. We will see fruit – when we are faithfully participating in who God has called us to be!

Growth is not our job: it’s an outcome of our role. We are called to Plant. We are called to Water.

Whose seed are you planting?

          Are you planting the Seed of Righteousness or Wickedness?

Take time to pray for those God has placed in your path… in your heart. Pray for those where you are planting seeds of compassion, seeds of grace, and seeds of love. (and plant.)

_____

As you go – plant, water, and love, and watch what God does with your faithfulness. Go and Love!