Sunday, September 27, 2020
“What Do You See in Jesus”
John12:12-19
Sight is probably the most appreciated component of the five senses. American author, political activist and lecturer Helen Keller who was deaf and blind once said, “Of all the senses, sight must be the most delightful.” While each sense (taste, touch, hearing, and smell) is equally important to experience a quality life, sight seems to add a fuller dimension to the human experience. Sight makes guided mobility, ambulation, gaze and perception possible. Being able to see what one encounters makes the occurrence so much more memorable, revealing, real and tangible. Sight allows us to model behavior, and through sight, life is more nuanced and special. There’s just something about having vision that gives life depth and meaning.
Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem to celebrate what would be His final Passover was met with great fanfare and celebration. By this time, word of His miracle-working reputation had spread throughout the region, and many longed to lay eyes on Jesus and see than man who had turned water to wine, healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk and raised people from the dead. Everyone was talking about Him and when word came that He was riding into town on a colt of a donkey, they went out to see and offer praise to Him. They cast palm branches in His path, which symbolized victory over one’s enemy and/or reception of a king, and cried out in adoration, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord...” They praised and celebrated the sight of Him, and the prophetic imagery projected by His triumphal entry into the city (Zechariah 9:9; Psalm 118:25-26). This was indeed a high time of celebration and exuberant joy, but I need to tell you that some of those people who shouted “Hosanna” on Palm Sunday were the same ones shouting “crucify Him” on Good Friday.
This raises a theological question that I believe worthy of our consideration. The question is simply, “What do you see in Jesus?” To be clear, I’m not talking about physical sight, for in this relationship, “We walk by faith, and not by sight.” Therefore, the question references our spiritual sight. What do you see in Jesus? Do you see the whole picture; the complete package, or only aspects of His being. Do we appreciate the full measure of His person, or are we only interested in the benefits? This seemed to be the situation with many of those in this crowd. They saw a liberator, but only in terms of deliverance or freedom from Roman rule and oppression. They weren’t considering His spiritual prowess nor their spiritual needs. If we see Jesus only with our physical eye, we’re subject to myopic and presbyopic views of Him. Myopia or near sightedness prevents us from seeing the big picture and presbyopia or farsightedness prevents us from seeing the details.
I. A Savior Worthy of Praise
A. The word Hosanna literally means save
B. There is even salvation in His name - Jehovah issalvation
II. God Embodied in Human Flesh
III. God’s Fulfillment of Prophetic Promise
IV. A Savior Worthy of Following
Sunday, September 20, 2020 - “When Your Test Becomes Your Testimony”
“When Your Test Becomes Your Testimony”
John 12:9-11
Crises, test, trials and tribulations are as common to lived human experience as breathing is to life itself. Job said, “Man who is born of woman is of few days and filled with trouble” (Job 14:1). Jesus even said “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). No matter who we are, how much we have, how much we try to avoid them or how much we wish not to experience them, at some point along the way trouble, trials and tribulations will come your way. Whether it comes as a financial problem, job or school issue, home or relationship problem, sickness or loss of a loved one, legal or social challenge, theft or death, Corona Virus or the life-changing impositions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we all at one time or another in some way or the other face test and trials. Momma used to say, “If you live long enough, trouble is surely gonna come your way.”
So there’s no question that trials will come and that tests often challenges us in many ways, but if allowed, they can also become the substance of our testimonies. If you’ve come through tests then you ought to also have testimonies. A wise Christian sage once said, “you can’t have a testimony if you’ve never had a test.” Testimonies of how God brought you through; testimonies of how the Lord made a way; testimonies of triumph and victory against the odds is what give meaning and substance to our testimonies. The bigger the test, the greater the testimony. The greater the trial, more profound is the testimony. Yes, brothers and sisters, out of tests comes testimonies.
Three observations to note when your test has become your testimony...
Sunday, September 13, 2020 - “What Give You to Jesus”
“What Give You to Jesus”
John 12:1-8
We All Possess Something We Can Give To Jesus
We each possess something we can, should or ought to give to Jesus. We may be unsure of what that something may be or unsure of how best to use it, but everyone of us has within our means the capacity to offer something to Jesus in gratitude for what He has unselfishly done for us.
I suggest you start with these three basic things and make them the minimum of your offering.
What...
How...
Sunday, September 6, 2020 - “God Behind The Scene”
“God Behind The Scene”
John 11:45-53
Yesterday, I was asked by a friend if I whether I considered the COVID-19 pandemic a form of punishment by God for the propensity of Christians, and the world at large, to approximate that cyclical pattern displayed by the children of Israel during the days of the Judges. For those of you who may be unaware, this was a period in biblical history where the children of Israel would call upon God to deliver them from God sent punishment due to their sinful behavior. God would relent. They would experience God’s deliverance, live godly and holy for a while only to fall back into sinful practices thereby causing God to again punish them resulting in the cycle repeating itself again.
While I can only speculate regarding an answer to this question about the pandemic, I can say, based on revealed Scripture, that God does work behind the scenes in every situation according to His divine plan, in ways that is typically antithetical to our ways of thinking and always for His divine glory.
I can’t say if COVID-19 is God-sent or God-allowed, but what I can say with certainty is that the pandemic has led some of us modify, change and eradicate some things. I don’t know if whether or not God is unleashing punishment upon us as he did with the children Israel, but I can say that some of us are attending more Sunday School classes, Bible Study sessions and Church Worship services, be it online or over the airways, than we ever have before. Whether the pandemic is an evil scourge or a complex good, I do not know, but what I do know is that many of us have cleaned up some stuff we’ve messed up, become more repentant, more giving and benevolent, more dedicated, forgiving, committed, consistent, kinder, gentler, wiser, stronger and better. I can say that while we do not know if God is in front of the pandemic, we do know that He is certainly active behind the scenes of the pandemic! He is not a God who set the world in motion and left it to fend for itself. No, God is always at work, whether in the waves, which you can see, or in the wind, which you can’t see, for our good!
Sunday, August 30, 2020 - “Loose Him and Let Him Go”
“Loose Him and Let Him Go”
John 11:33-44
This past Friday ABC aired a special on the 57th Anniversary of The March on Washington that supplemented the commemorative events that had taken place earlier in the day. The documentary was most enlightening, and I encourage you to stream and watch it.
Intriguing to me was the amount of planning, effort-coordination and volunteerism that went into making the March successful. But more impressive was how the “theme” that prompted the vision behind the March resonated with so many people from all rungs of society regardless of race, ethnicity, creed or religion. It was obvious from watching that the crowd consisted of people oppressed by systemic racism who simply wanted relief or those who were sympathetic and ready for action to respond to the call to do something about systemic racism and its many forms. It was a call to freedom and thousands of Americans were morally challenged by the need to right the wrongs of inequality and oppression.
As I watched, however, and considered the current state of America and particularly Black America; as I reflected on the past 5 months of protest, unrest and violence that currently plague society; l begin to consider the notion that much of what the March on Washington in 1963 (the year is was born) sought to accomplish with government and American society; in pursuit of equality and (more importantly) equity; what it sought to pursue on behalf of the poor and the disadvantaged among us, the more I realized that there is so much yet to be done. It reminds me of the old adage; the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Taking into account present-day-protest and social unrest around the world, the widening gulf of partisanship, left and right extremism, street level vigilantism and violence, the reality that much remains to be accomplished in the US despite 57 years since the historic March on Washington and looking to God to solve the puzzle, the more the Holy Spirit impressed upon me that the state of the world is a metaphor that cries out to us for change.
Think about it. For too long the the powerful have suppressed the powerless. For too long the haves dominate the have nots. For too long the oppressors have held down the oppressed. For too long the rich have held back the poor. For too long skin color and ethnicity has been used as justification for discrimination, disenfranchisement and deprivation. Just as Jesus commanded that Lazarus be loosed and let go, God says “it’s time to loose them and let them go.”
The story of Lazarus, recorded by John the Apostle, captures Jesus locked in an ongoing battle against an oppressive religious aristocracy that placed yolks on the backs of the people with overly demanding laws that they themselves could not keep, and a people either too scared or too indoctrinated by the rhetoric of the powers that be that they refused to believe Jesus’ liberating message or appreciate His God ordained mission. They were bound by norms of culture and in many cases inept of the promise of a prophet by God who would be the source of Israel’s consolation and the gentile’s light. The were witness to His miracles but prisoners of their unbelief. His glory they could not perceive, His message they could not comprehend, His love they could not fathom and His reach they could not appreciate. It reminds us of the verdict of Isaiah as echoed by Jesus, “Hearing they could not hear and seeing they could not see.”
Even today, people struggle with the simplicity of the salvation gift He offers. People stumble over the Grace He freely gives. We fail to comprehend the universal scope of His indiscriminate love. People reject the unifying power of His person and vacillate back and forth over the sufficiency of His sacrifice. But I hear Jesus saying, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).
Word had come to Jesus that Lazarus was sick and by the time Jesus made it to Bethany, Lazarus had died. The heartbreak and grief of Lazarus’ sisters, friends and family resonated with Jesus and He wept and groaned within His own spirit over the loss of a dear and trusted friend. Conversation ensued among those in the crowd and reflected the thinking of Martha as to whether Lazarus would have died if Jesus had only been there. These were legitimate questions in light of the miracles Jesus had performed beforehand. But I’ve come to understand that every situation is an opportunity for Jesus to demonstrate His power over the situation and God’s opportunity to get the glory from it. I can’t speak for you, but I’m glad there is no situation too hard for my Savior. Time and time again, Jesus has shown that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in my weaknesses. One song writer asked, “Have you any river that seem uncrossable or mountain you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things impossible, and He can do what no other power can do.”
Early on in the story, the text suggest that God was up to something and that this was no more than another opportunity for God to get the glory. In verse 4, after Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” I’m sure when the disciples heard that statement they were relieved because they had seen Jesus heal the sick. In verse 11, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” Again the disciples were relived assuming that Lazarus was just asleep until Jesus made it plain that Lazarus was dead.
But God was up to something. I can imagine the puzzlement that overcame the disciples. They had seen Jesus change water to wine. They had seen Jesus heal a man of a 38 year battle with lameness. They had seen Jesus give sight to a grown man who had been blind from his birth. But none of them had seen Jesus exercise power at the graveside. Martha acknowledged to Jesus that she would see Lazarus again in the final resurrection of the dead, but never fathomed that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead.
So they took Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus that had been sealed for four days with a stone. Can you imagine the amazement of the crowd when Jesus told them to roll away the stone and called for Lazarus to come forth. I’m sure there were some standing there who doubted that anything would happen. There were probably a few who were hoping nothing would happen. But the record is that “he who had died came out bound hand and foot, with grave clothes on and a cloth wrapped around his face. He was bound and couldn’t do a thing about it, but Jesus turned to those who stood by and instructed them to, “Loose him and let him go.” Can you imagine the astonishment of the crowd? Can you fathom the exuberance of the praise that was offered unto God? Glory hallelujah! Bless His holy name!
Before I close, I wish to draw you attention to two essential facts. Jesus called Lazarus forth from the grave, but He left the loosing and letting him go to the crowd. He saved Lazarus from death and the grave, but he called on the people to free him of the grave garments. Maybe the message for the world today is that Jesus has called a world that was dead in trespasses and sins forth from the grave, but He wants each of us to participate in the loosing, the letting go, the liberating, the edifying, the uplifting, the encouraging, the freeing, the unifying, the esteem building, the peacemaking, and the joy bringing.
Maybe the Lord is echoing what I stated earlier. For too, long the the powerful have suppressed the powerless. For too long the haves dominate the have nots. For too, long the oppressors have held down the oppressed. For too, long the rich have held back the poor. For too, long skin color and ethnicity has been used as justification for discrimination, disenfranchisement and deprivation. Just as Jesus commanded that Lazarus be loosed and let go, God says “it’s time to loose them and let them go.”
Sunday, August 23, 2020 - “All We Need Is In Jesus”
“All We Need Is In Jesus”
John 11:1-5; 23-27
No matter how much we accomplish, achieve or acquire in this life, we will always be in need of what only Jesus can provide. No matter how self sufficient or independent we declare ourselves to be, we will always be dependent upon the sufficiency of Christ. No degree of self-ascribed exceptionalism can replace the reality that Jesus will forever be the source of our supply, the substance of our hopes, the height of our aspiration, the peak of our ambitions and the power that holds all things together. Enormous may be the scope of our visions and vast the territories we may possess, but Christ will yet be the supplier of certain essentials we will not be able to acquire nor obtain ourselves for He alone is our all and all. He knows the future; He owns the soul; He holds the keys to the kingdom; He has the last word and final say, and by His hand are names written the Lambs Book of Life.
These realities were undoubtedly recognized by Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and were the creeds they chose to live by. Hence, there was no doubt in their hearts, no question in their minds, no wavering of their convictions that all they’re needs were found in Jesus. And we do well to embrace their positions and adopt the standards they followed. A close look at the passage reveals...
Sunday, August 9, 2020 - “Who Are You Listening To”
“Who Are You Listening To”
John 10:1-10
Modern society is rife with competing opinions and diverse messaging. Every day, we are challenged to navigate the information minefield off a 24 hour news cycle, somehow wisely select the commentaries we embrace, while at the same time, guard against information overload and burnout from overexposure to TV and print media, texts messages and social media. Believe me you, it’s more than a notion.
Just a few days ago the US intelligence community revealed that outside sources and foreign countries are working diligently through the worldwide web and social media platforms to influence the outcome of the upcoming presidential election with Russia spewing pro- President Trump propaganda and China and Iran pro- former Vice-President Biden propaganda. And we’re left to weed out what’s real or not real, and sort between fake news and factual news. I tell you, it’s enough to nearly drive one insane if not confuse and confound. Make no mistake about it, we are the subjects of a war whose weapons are words, and each side seeks to claim victory by gaining ascendency over what and who you’re listening or paying attention to.
Yet there is a settling soothing character in the wisdom of the Word of God. There is something about the ancient sacred texts or the wisdom of the ages that is tried, tested and true. Something uniquely embedded in the Word of God that resonates deep within the core of humanity that testifies of the Word’s validity and affirms its authenticity as God-breathed. Thousands of years ago the Prophet Isaiah wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but Word of our God stands forever” (40:8). The Psalmist wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your Word” (Psalm 119:9). “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” (119:109). “Your Word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). But the enemy, the thief and the robber, attempts to invalidate God’s Word of truth and have us embrace a cleverly disguised lie. Dr. Frank A. Thomas writes in his book, How To Preach A Dangerous Sermon, “One of the tricks and manipulations in both the idolatrous and diabolical imagination is to divorce truth from its ancient roots, that is, to disconnect, disrupt, or sever people’s experience and thought from the wisdom of the ages; the universal library of human knowledge and the transcendent wisdom that guides humankind; and to create a divergent, alternative reality (ps 58-59).
If I may illustrate it this way, both God and the devil desire your attention, and both use words and spokespersons to acquire it. God seeks your attention for your benefit and good; to save you; to free you of sins penalty, power and presence; and to give you peace in abundance. God expresses His Word and wisdom through the person of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son, in whom He instructed, “Hear ye Him!” The devil also desires your attention, but the devil’s goal is stealing your joy, rob you of your inheritance, control your actions and destroy you internally and externally. He uses people, structural systems of the world, trickery and schemes that are cleverly disguised to lure you into his camp, ways of thinking and doing and ultimately into his prison. So, the relevant question is to whom will you listen or harken, God or the devil?
The obvious problem is that not everyone who hears truth will listen, and not everyone who listens, will believe. That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 13:14-15, “In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.’” Who are you listening to?
This text points out at least three reasons why Jesus is the messenger to whom we should be listening.
A. Shepherd of the sheep. The phrase translates the Greek term poy-mané - he to whose care and control others have committed themselves. There is a fiduciary or trust relationship in which one has committed their care and interest to another. Jesus says, “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The songwriter rightly said, “Take Your burdens to the Lord and leave them there!
II. He Conveys A Trustworthy Message, vv 3-5
A. Jesus emphasizes the quality of communication between He and the sheep.
1. They hear His voice, they know His voice, and He calls them by name.
a. The text suggests that there is a tonal quality unique to the voice Jesus that intentionally resonates within the ears and heart of the believer. There is an appeal in His voice that speaks directly to the spirit of the believer that draws us ever so close to Him.
b. The words voice and call both derive from the Greek root phoné. It’s the same root from which we get phonetics or phone. One references the caller and the other the hearer, but together they emphasize clear connected communication and agreement.
c. I recall from when I was a boy, we used to sing, “When He calls me, I will answer. I’ll be somewhere listening for my name.”
III. He Offers a Favorable Outcome
A. There are a lot of messengers making a lot of promises they can’t fulfil, dreams they can’t make happen and hope void of substance. Empty and impotent assurances. They’ve got marketing departments that are way better than their manufacturing division.
Sunday, August 2, 2020 - “What Do You Say About Jesus”
“What Do You Say About Jesus”
John 9:13-25 (17)
The text gives us a glimpse into the numerous opposing opinions that assailed regarding who Jesus is and the signs and wonders He performs. The Oxford Dictionary defines opinion as a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. Opinions are the thoughts we hold individually that express our way of thinking on a particular subject, and there are very few of us is in danger of running out of them.
The great philosopher Plato said of opinions, “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.” Being ill-inform and/or poorly informed does not preclude us from passionately rendering our opinions and stating our beliefs. One writer said, “Too many people have opinions on things they know nothing about, and the more ignorant they are, the more opinions they have” (Thomas Hildren, Fallout New Vegas). The reality is that, right or wrong, in most cases we have something to say about nearly everything and few subjects render us silent regardless the degree of knowledge we have of them.
This is the case in the text, for therein we see a war of opinions about Jesus competing for dominance. A man has been healed of a condition that rendered him blind from his birth. He’s been freed from a lifetime of darkness to behold the reality of a world he beforehand could only imagine based on what he heard. He’s been delivered from his social stigma and positioned to function is society in a more productive, positive and civic manner. He has suddenly been given dignity, hope, and potential be the man he might have dreamt or envisioned himself to be. He now has the possibility of pursuing a career, having a family and contributing to the uplift of society. He can now finally participate in religious rites within the commonwealth of the temple and synagogue as opposed to erroneously being deemed a condemned sinner due to his blindness outside of it. He has been given his sight by Jesus, but rather than rejoicing over the obvious miracle that has taken place in their midst, the likes of which none of them had seen before, they plunge into senseless arguments over the legitimacy of the One that performed the miracle, the day of the week He did it on and the integrity of the one He performed it for. Is it not amazing, how people can so easily overlook the obvious, and become bogged down in minor trivialities at the expense of the major relevancies? Folk can be so envious, so mean spirited and upset over your blessings or more concerned about how and why it happened specifically for you that they fail to praise God for the blessed miracle performed in their midst. There is always somebody out there that has a negative opinion about why God is blessing you, about why God is using you. Let me suggest to you that if God is blessing folk and performing miracles all around you, rejoice and be glad with them, for what God has done for others, He can do the same things for you. I don’t know about you, but I believe that if God is moving in the vicinity, it’s just a matter of time before He gets to me!
The context of this passage records seven instances where opinions surrounding the miracle performed by Jesus is raised. Look if you will. First there is the opinions of the Pharisees who insist that Jesus is not from God and that He does not keep the Sabbath. Second, there is the opinion of those described as “others” who contend that Jesus cannot be a sinner and perform miraculous signs. Thirdly, the man healed of blindness is of the opinion that Jesus is a prophet. Fourthly, there are Jews who doubted that the man healed of blindness was ever blind to begin with. Fifthly, the parents of the healed blind man confirmed he was their son and was born blind but had no opinion about how he received his sight. Is it not just like man when in a world full of opinions, the only time we are likely to be without an opinion is when there are some potential negative consequences for us? Out of fear of the Jewish religious aristocracy and of being excommunicated from the synagogue, the man’s parents directed the Jews back to their son, declaring, “He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself” (v21).
Some are critical of the parents for their apparent abandonment of their son at this juncture. But the truth is that no one can tell your story like you can tell it. No one can give your testimony like you can give it. No one can speak of God’s move in your life like you can. Nobody knows what God has done for you like you know, and there will come a time when you’ll have to tell your own story. So, they call the man healed of blindness again and the Jews put forth yet another opinion that the man healed of blindness is lying himself. The scripture says they say to him, “Give glory to God.” In other words, glorify God by telling the truth about this Jesus because we know He is a sinner. One wise writer said, “People have the right to their opinion, and you have the right to ignore it.” So, the man healed of his blindness said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. [But] One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see."
Yes, we all have opinions, but the only relevant opinion is what we say about Jesus. This man who was blind and now made to see gives us the blueprint from which our opinion about Jesus should emerge. What do you say about Jesus...?
I. Preacher Unlike No Other, verse 11.
A. To preach is to herald the good news of the gospel.
B. The good news for this man came in the form of a mud pie made of the sabbath day, a forbidden day of work, and the washing with water from a legendary pool.
C. He interceded on his behalf such that his darkened world became light.
II. Prophet of Prophets, verse 17.
III. Proprietor of Supernatural Power, verse 25.
Sunday, July 26, 2020 - “A Man Called Jesus”
“A Man Called Jesus”
John 9:7-12
Throughout history, much to do has been made of names. Names have been given to reflect the givers station or status in life. Names have been given to predetermine or foretell the recipients character, destiny or impact upon humanity. Names have been given as promises of prophetic outcomes and confirmation of unbreakable covenants. Names have been given to express praise, offer thanks and convey gratitude to God for the blessing of a child. Names have been used for various and sundry reasons to achieve any number of outcomes.
We’ve even observed names that hard to pronounce, make little phonetic sense and in some cases are really not names at all. There are nicknames, pen names, play names, pet names and even adopted names because a person may not like or appreciate their given name.
But there is one name that stands above all other, a name that is recognized throughout the world, in every culture and by every nationality. That name is the name, Jesus. His name means so much to many, for His name alone has ministered in countless ways. One song songwriter said, “O how I love the name of Jesus, it is the sweetest name I know!” Jesus, O Jesus, there’s just something about that name. The passage under examination brings to mind at least three attributes associated with this man called Jesus.
I. He Loves Unconditionally
II. He Heals Completely - spirit, soul, body
A. You don’t look like what you’ve been through
III. He Saves Eternally
cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under
heaven given among man by which we must be saved, beside the name of Jesus
(Acts 4:11).
IV. I love to call His name
Sunday, July 19, 2020 - “A Miracle Lives Within You”
“A Miracle Lives Within You”
John 9:1-7
Michael Angelo, the mastermind behind the famed Statue of David, and perhaps history’s greatest sculptor, is credited with saying, “I saw the angel in the marble, and I carved until I set it free.” In like manner, I believe there are miracle assigned to and within us, just waiting to be set free. And if you’re like me today, brothers and sisters, you can use a miracle in your life today. Whether healing from a physical malady, a social ill, a financial breakthrough, job security, family restoration or deliverance from a bad habit, most of us could use a miraculous blessing from on high. These times in which we live suggest we need a miracle; pandemic conditions with no endpoint in sight of relief.
I. Absence of Culpability, verses 1-3
A. Freedom from blame. (Complex Good)
B. Undeniable Need
C. The focus is not the sin but the glory of the Savior
II. Time and Timing, verses 3-7a
A. Opportunity—as long as there’s breath in your body.
B. Unrealized Potential—Pass me not O gentle Savior, Hear my humble cry
C. Process—Change can occur in a moment of time or over a period of time
III. Manifestation, verses 7b.
A. Mighty Miracles
B. Mini-Miracles
Sunday, July 12, 2020 - “Jesus: The Great I Am”
“Jesus: The Great I Am”
John 8:56-59
Proposition: Jesus is everything we need Him to be and more!
Jesus’ declaration, “before Abraham was, I Am,” is a statement of summary and one of invitation. “I Am” summarizes all He has declared Himself to be in His public ministry, and all John the apostle wrote of Christ in his testimony of Him. The eternal nature of Jesus, His undeniable role in creation and God’s revelation of Himself through Christ, discloses His divine presence and the active work of God in salvation history. “I Am” tells the story of God’s love for us and invites us to embrace and believe in Him for salvation and eternal life.
The current issues of the day; COVID-19, social unrest, natural disasters, racism, irresponsible political partisanship, injustice and historic corruption at the highest levels of government, violence, poverty, disparities and inequities of all sorts puts front and center our desperate need for Christ and the solutions for life that only He can give. We say we’re living in unprecedented times, but the Bible declares, “there is nothing new under the sun.” If there is nothing new under the sun, then there is nothing new to Him. He holds the key and has the answers to life’s most complex problems and pressing issues. Hence, His ardent appeal to the world to believe on Him and trust Him to navigate our lives and order our steps. No matter what you’re going through or what you’re experiencing, Jesus, the Great I am can get you through it.
Relevant Question: Why does it matter that Jesus is The Great I Am?
I. Jesus Is The Source (Way) Of Life
A. The self-existent one
B. Follow in His path. “There is way that seems right unto man...” (Proverbs14:12)
II. Jesus Is The Substance (Truth) Of Life
III. Jesus Is The Sustainer (Bread) Of Life
Sunday, July 5, 2020 - “Lord of The Second Chance”
“Lord of The Second Chance”
John 8:1-12
Sunday, June 28, 2020 - “What Are You Thirsty For”
John 7:37-39
Thirst is a noun that is often used to depict the intensity and passion exhibited by a strong desire for a cause, to see a change or fulfill an obvious need, wish, want or longing. John Piper (chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, Minneapolis, MN) said of thirst, “The key to Christian living is a hunger and thirst for God. And one of the main reasons people do not understand or experience the sovereignty of grace and the way [grace] works through the awakening of sovereign joy is that their hunger and thirst for God is so small” or lacking. The chief musician of Psalm 42 poetically captures what thirsting, or more accurately, yearning for God look like by stating, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirst for God, [for] the living God...” (Psalm 42:1-2).
I believe two motives drove the majority of those attending the feast to Jerusalem: 1) to honor God for what He had done historically for Israel and 2) to express their thirst to experience God contemporarily or in the present, here and now.
I also believe that for many of them, their praise for the historical God was more passionate than their quest to experience the contemporary God. Why do you say that preacher? They had centuries of practice at ritualistically coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This act had become an automatic behavior. This they knew because it was a practice handed down from one generation to the next. But lost to them collectively was the desire to experience God afresh and in new revelatory ways. As a whole, they weren’t thirsty for a fresh move, a fresh wind, a new revealing, a new thirst to be quenched.
When John the Baptist came on the scene, he ignited a flame and generated a thirst among the people for meaningful relationship with God through repentance and baptism. Jesus came along as the well source through which that thirst could be quenched and satisfied.
Sunday, June 14, 2020 - “When Time Hands You An Opportunity”
“When Time Hands You An Opportunity”
John 7:1-6
William Penn, the Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, once said, “Time is the thing we want most, but what we use worst.” My proposition to you is that some moments in time are so determinative to ones future and destiny that it demands undivided attention and deliberate action[1] . The last 31/2 months have proven to be one of the most dynamic and challenging periods many of us has ever faced. It commenced with a virus that dictates the actions of people and governments throughout the world, and exposed the fissures and fractures in every socioeconomic and political construct, and even to this day, holds humanity in its pandemic grasp.
In this country both national, state and local leadership stumble and falter in addressing the needs of the masses and their messaging, at times, has resulted in more confusion than coherence and more disruption than constructive action. Churches wrestled with closure causing both leaders and laity to stumbled over the essential meanings of faith verses favor and frequently adopted positions that bordered on the boundary of foolishness. If that wasn’t enough, the COVID-19 pandemic then exposed the pervasive perpetual pandemic of world-wide racism when an unconventional martyr was brutally killed in broad daylight on a busy street corner in Minneapolis, MN buy a veteran police office while his subordinates carelessly participated or complicity stood inhumanely by.
The death and scourge of the former and the sense of outrage prompted by the later has ripped the scab from the unattended wound of the middle passage, 244 years of chattel slavery, Plessy vs Ferguson, Jim Crow, Klan terror, Rosewood, Black Wallstreet, Red Summer, unpunished lynchings, ethnic devaluation, economic depravity, denied civil rights, voter suppression, and 401 years of racial oppression and inequality of black and brown people the world over.
Now a world that once condoned racism is eccentrically outraged by racism. Tolerant blacks and indifferent whites have awakened from their slumber and sleep, joined together in peaceful protest, taken to the streets and lifted their collective voices demanding change,justice and correction of this intolerable wrong. Time has handed the world an opportunity. What shall we do with it?
The words Jesus spoke in the first century speak loudly today, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.”
What makes this time, this death, this killing so different? George Floyd is not the first black man to be killed in the street. He’s not the first black man to fall victim to a modern day lynching. He’s not the first black man killed while helplessly uttering “I can’t breath.” He’s not the first black man that surrendered without resistance and yet be killed by police authorities. He’s not the first black killing that was captured on video (Rayshard Brooks). There is nothing new about this killing to any of us. We’ve seen it all before. But what is different is that God is in the middle of it doing a work for the whole world-wide to see. As Rev. Al Sharpton astutely put it, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”
Jesus wasn’t the first prophet to call Israel to account and plead with them to turn to God. It wasn’t the first time miracles had been performed in their midst or witnessed by the Israelites. But this time Jesus, the human embodiment of God Himself, was in the middle of it. Let me suggest to you that whenever Jesus is involved, He suspends time to present an opportunity for what’s broken to be fixed, what is crooked to be made strait, what’s captive to be set free, what’s broken-hearted to be healed, what’s blind to see, what’s lame to walk and what’s bound or tied down to be liberated.
Jesus said, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.” Your opportunity is now! It is...
I. Your Opportunity to Establish a Meaningful Faith (Heb. 12:1-2)
II. Your Opportunity to Build a Beloved Community (Luke 10:27)
III. Your Opportunity to Heal a Broken Country, (Pro. 14:34)
IV. Your Opportunity to Construct a Kinder and Gentler World, (Is. 2:4)
Conclusion:
Jesus time did come. Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (Deuteronomy 18:15). Forty and two generations later, when the time was opportune, God sent Jesus, born of a virgin, full of grace and truth, to save His people and heal their land. He died about the ninth hour one Friday, was buried in a borrowed tomb where He stayed for three days, but early Sunday morning, He arose from the tomb with all power in His hand. Now, as many as receives Him, to you He gives the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name...
Sunday, June 7, 2020 - “Is It Too Much To Ask”
"Is It Too Much To Ask"
Micah 6:6-8
Proposition: God never demands of us what have not the capacity to fulfill.
I. Justice Be Allocated Fairly
A. A popular refrain is being echoed around the globe that says, “No Justice - No Peace!”
B. One would think that justice and peace should go hand-in-hand, and at no point, be in opposition to one another. But time has shown that there are no guarantees that the presence of one assures the presence of the other, yet it’s incompatible to assume that you can genuinely have one without the other. From Plato’s The Republic to Locke, Mills and Rawls, concepts of justice has been posited and debated throughout the ages. Whether it be natural law, a social contract, retributive or restorative justice, the fact remains that where there is no justice, there is no peace, and where there is no peace there likely is no justice. So why is there tension between the two?
C. Let me suggest that justice can be understood as either internal and external. Both speak of the quality of being fair and impartial.
1. Internal justice refers to fairness and impartiality that I expect I deserve or that is due me.
2. External justice is the fairness and impartiality one owes and should show to others.
3. We’re good at the former but not so much the latter.
D. Justice translates the Hebrew term mishpat and it refers to fairness in judgement and respect and honor within the system that judges. It is used 389 times and spans 31 of the 39 Old Testament books. That much word use mean we should pay attention to it.
E. There is something deeply wrong with justice and the system responsible for legislating justice when a U.S. senator (Rand Paul) holdup an anti-lunching law because he feels it to broad in context.
F. So God ask, “Is it too much to ask that you judge fairly and that your system of judging be equitable and allocated fairly also?”
II. Mercy Be Shown Compassionately
A. The word translated mercy in the KJV, NKJV and NIV versions has at least four essential connotations that help us grasp and understand its actual meaning; kindness, compassion, pity and piousness towards God.
B. Mercy in this context has a compassion requirement that demands we consciously place ourselves within the situation of the one seeking or in need of mercy so as to vicariously experience and comprehensively understand the depth of their dilemma. This word is closely related to the word translated as mercy in Psalm 51:1, “Be merciful unto me, O God,...” which means to bend or stoop to an inferior. So it ascribes a degree of power or authority to the one called upon to extend mercy.
C. Showing mercy is a demonstration that we have not forgotten that God has shown mercy to us. James 2:13 says, “For judgement is without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.” Hebrew 4:16 says, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Who among us is beyond need of grace and mercy. God therefore says, is it too much to ask that mercy be shown with compassion?
III. Humility Be Embodied Daily
A. I love The Message translation of this verse. Micah 6:8 MSG“But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what GOD is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously- take God seriously
B. The Apostles Paul gave to us a blueprint, and path that embodies the essential work of humility in 2nd Corinthians 4:11, “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifest in our mortal flesh.”
C. Our conceptualization of humility typically starts and stops with modesty and humbleness. But when we these verses are placed in conversation with one another, we understand that humility challenges us to daily die to self, to die to our inclinations, our proclivities, our habits, our ways, our ethics, our methods, our selfishness, our tendencies, our hate, our desire for revenge, our selfishness, our racism, our sense of superiority, our tending toward revenge and getting even, our arrogance, and our self-appointed authority. We die daily to them that the life of Jesus may be manifest in us.
D. A life predicated upon kindness, gentleness, goodness, mercy, compassion, graciousness, love and concern. A life characterized by care for the poor, the rejected, the stranger, the orphan, the sick, the homeless ,the addicted, the battered, the bruised, the have-nots, the weak, the voiceless and the least of these!
E. That’s what Jesus did for us when He took upon Himself the sins of the world and sacrificed Himself for you and for me on a hill called Calvary.
F. He died to end sins curse, to nullify sins penalty and cancel sins power!
G. So Is It Too Much To Ask that Justice be allocated fairly; that mercy be shown compassionately; that humility embodied daily
Sunday, May 31, 2020 - “Hold On And Don’t Lose Heart - Finding Hope Amidst Disparaging Circumstances”
Hold On And Don’t Lose Heart - Finding Hope Amidst Disparaging Circumstances
Isaiah 40:27-31
I. Because ofWho God Is
A. He from everlasting to everlasting. Without beginning; without end. God always was, is and always will be.
B. LORD -Yehovah - the self existent one; God who exist by virtues of His own volition and will.
C. God is nota sleeper or slacker
D. God’s intellect is beyond human comprehension for who is a God like Him?
II. Because ofWhat God Can Do, verse 29.[2]
A. This is a reality that often escapes oppressors, power structures and power brokers.Psalm 123:4; Ezekiel 16:49; Amos 6:1.
B. Empower the weak (irresolute or too broken down or in spirit to mount a fight)
C. Strengthen the weary (worn out, exhausted and fatigued)
III. Because ofWhen God Acts
A. The writer says, “But those who wait on the LORD...”
B. God has always used time to His advantage in achieving His divine will. Whether its at once as it was against the Korah, Dothan and Abrams during their uprising against Moses and Aaron in numbers 16, or as long as 400 years of silence during the intertestatmental period before the advent Jesus Christ, God sagaciously and strategically uses time to accomplish His perfect will.
C. The bottomline is that Immediacy does not always equal expediency. (Compare and contrast the the immediacy/expediency of protestors to the reaction of political leaders.)
D. Wait translates the Hebrew verb qâvâh which means to bind together as in the twisting of a cord to gain strength, to collect, to tarry, or wait on a thing to happen. Waiting does not imply passive sitting and watching time pass, but rather active attention to strengthening. The implication is that of readying oneself for action, use and involvement.
E. The dangers of acting too soon are fainting, becoming weary and utterly falling or failure.
F. Changing and reforming entrenched resistant unjust systems is a marathon and not a sprint, and you’ve got to be in for the long haul.
G. We may not like it, it may not even make sense to us, but God moves at His timing and not necessarily ours. So we hold on and don’t lose heart for we hear God saying to us through the prophet, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as the heaven are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Is. 55:8-9).
H. We find hope amidst disparaging circumstances because of when God works.
IV. Because ofHow God Works
A. For 70 years they were captive of and exiles of the Babylonian empire. For 70 years they’d cried out to God about their circumstances. At least two generations had perished under the yoke of Babylonian oppression. They felt their way hidden from the LORD and their justified claims passed over by God.
B. God is aGod of reversals. In fact, the children of Israel were on the verge of aGod-ordered reversal.
C. God steps in to reverse their situation, to reverse the particulars of their condition,to turn the table of their circumstances.
D. God is aGod of reversals and the ultimate expression of this blessed attribute is found in the sending of His Son, Jesus the Christ.
Sunday, May 24, 2020 - “The Life-Changing Discover”
The Life-Changing Discover
John 6:63-69
Proposition: Discovering Jesus is the most important of human discoveries.
Unique to humanity are the attributes of reason and discovery. At no other level in the created order does one find the intellectual aptitude to observe occurrences or sets of occurrences in nature and assemble from them conclusions that propel humanity forward. Numerous books the world over chronicle the efforts of men and women who have peered into the unknown with little more than intuition or a few facts to guide them to arrive at scholarly destinations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The ability to reason and discover are the distinct peculiarities that make every ethnicity, nationality and peoples in the human order vital, significant, and indispensable to the other.
The COVID-19 Pandemic imposes it’s presence on every aspect of our lives and has opened the eyes of the world to our common communal existence. Like it or not, each and everyone of us has been confronted with the fact that something as small, yet mystifyingly complex, as a virus demonstrates how vulnerable we are individually, but also how dependent we are on one another collectively. Whether it be the apparent place or origin or the place of final destination, solving the Coronavirus dilemma will take cooperative collaboration from people at every rung of society. The most enlightened academic and scholarly minds among us are needed and necessary to overcome this unconventional nemesis to humankind, but each of us has our unique role to play. The common barriers that divide us; race, creed, color, religion and socioeconomic status must be overcome, and a new era of equity and social justice established to end the scourge of the Coronavirus pandemic. Therein lies the most probable path to worldwide victory, and the sooner we make this critical discovery, the better our lives will be.
Still there is a realm of discovery that speaks to humanity on a level like no other; a dimension where human soul meets the divine and eternal; a sacred space where God reveals Himself in an undeniable way; a place where the spirit is quickened to life and the soul rejoices in unsurpassed fulfillment; a zone of union between the mind of God and the mind of man. It’s in that indescribable place that the discovery of discoveries is made, a revelation to exceed all others, for there we find, Jesus, the Lord’s Christ and man’s Messiah. The Life-Changing Discover.
The texts suggest that this life-changing discovery occurs at three levels of recognition.
I. Recognition that Jesus is the Son of God
A. Jesus is the personification of God in flesh
B. John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
C. In Him we behold God’s self-disclosure to humankind. “No one has seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father has declared Him and disclosed God our creator to us. He reflects the highest virtue of God’s love and is the human representation of a life fulfilled, love, learning and enlightenment.
D. He’s the beginning and the endpoint of truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
II. Recognition that Jesus is the Lord’s Christ
A. The title Christ is not the last name of Jesus, but rather an identifying title attached to His name.
B. Just addressing a lawyer as Attorney Brown or a physician as Dr. Jones relates a description of their profession, field of study or area of work, so does the title Christ identify the work in which our Lord is authorized by God to perform on behalf of mankind. Hence, the title Christ tells us that He is the anointed One of God who takes away the sin (singular) of the the world. John the Baptist revealed His identity and title in no uncertain terms—“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin (singular) of the world” (John 1:29). For “sins” is what we commit, but “sin” is who we are. Now, it appears to me that save from ones sin (singular) of depravity, is far more difficult to achieve than to save from one’s sins (plural) of disobedience.”
C. Yet, discovering that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one who saves; He who came to seek and to save that which is lost; He whose concern for us is so deep and wide that He freely sacrificed Himself at Calvary to save us from the eternal consequence of our crimes, our faults and failures; our depravities and our unworthy actions, in short our sin, is indeed a life-changing discovery.
III. Recognition that Jesus’s Words are Life
A. Jesus’ timeless question sounds out loudly today, “Do you also want to go away?” This question confronts every generation of every era. But Peter’s revelatory conclusion is instructive and life-changing, “Lord to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life.”
B. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (1:1-4)
C. Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
D. So the question to you and me is, “Will we make the life-changing discovery?” Will we choose Jesus the Christ?
E. The songwriter said...The road is rough, and the going gets tough, the hills are harder to climb. I started out, along time ago, and there is no doubt in my mind. I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice! He made a life changing discover.
IX. This life-changing discovery...
The most meaningful of human discoveries is that of wisdom inaccessible by scientific method; wisdom whose genesis is centered in Jesus Christ, the thesis and answer of all virtue and truth.
Sunday, May 17, 2020 - “Bread Like No Other”
"Bread Like No Other"
John 6:41-51
The word believe is a verb that demands action. It calls for assent to and acceptance of something as true or real. It requires that one affirms the presence of a particular quality or ability that cannot be disputed. Such was the challenge before those who followed Jesus in response to the miracles He performed in their presence. More than being regarded as a wonder-worker, Jesus appealed to the multitude to accept Him as the Son of God come down from heaven to impart abundant and everlasting life. He entreated them to receive Him as God incarnate in their midst and the answer to their messianic prayers. Hence,Jesus used the bread of physical life to call attention to their need of the bread that gives eternal life.
Historically, the Jews were familiar withGod sending bread from heaven to sustain them during their 40 year sojourn in the wilderness following their deliverance from the land of Egypt. God feed them with manna from above and saved them from starvation and demise. Jesus compared Himself to this manna and declared that He, unlike the manna in the wilderness which provided life for the moment, is the bread of life that God sent from heaven to sustains life for eternity. “The Jews ate the daily manna and eventually died, but when you receive Jesus Christ within, you live forever” (Warren Wiersby).
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to the entire world. In our country, day after day, we’ve seen food lines of vehicles that stretch for miles of people trying to secure enough food to feed their families and themselves. Grocery stores have shelves devoid of certain food items. The cost of food has risen precipitously while at the same time the number of unemployed people has grown exponentially.Many families have been thrust into the throws of poverty at no fault of their own as the economy struggles to assume some resemblance of normal and stability. Life is vastly different from what we’ve known, and we’re all faced with adjusting to new standards and normals. Yet, in the midst of these trying times, Jesus appeals to us to embrace a better life through Him; a life that not only addresses our needs in time but also in eternity.
No matter what the future holds or what society will eventually look like, we’re still going to need Jesus. Even when food supply and demand find their balance, we’ll yet need the bread of life that only Jesus can supply. Even if we have our daily fill of physical bread; bread that satisfies our temporal existence, we’ll yet need the heavenly bread that satisfies our deepest spiritual longings. This is the bread that Jesus offers to all that believes on Him. What is this bread? It is...
I. The Bread of Redemption, verse 51b.
[1] A. He paid the high cost of self-sacrifice that you and I might be free from the bond age of sin. When Jesus says God so loved the world that he “gave” His only begottenSon...He’s talking about a sacrificial gift to undeserving recipients. B. It was no cost to God to send manna in the wilderness, but it was at great cost to sendHis Son as payment for our sins. C. Paul say sin Romans 3:23-25, “for all have sinned and fallen short of His glory... but being justified (or made right) through redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood.” By the blood of Christ, we can have life.D. He paid a debt He did not owe, and we owed a debt we could not pay. Yes! We’ve been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.E. JessieDixon sang, “I am redeemed, bought with a price. Jesus has changed my whole life. If anybody ask you, just who I am, tell them I am redeemed.”
II. The Bread of Regeneration, verse 47-48.
[2] A. Regeneration means to be born again from above by God. It is the imparting of a new nature and heart, and the production of anew creation. Paul said in 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone be inChrist, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”B. It speaks of a second birth that is of incorruptible seed, spiritual, and from above in contrast to the first birth which is of corruptible seed, physical and earthly.Regeneration is the work of God by the washing and renewing of the Holy Spirit.C. Regeneration is what Jesus referred to when speaking with Nicodemus. “Unless one is born again from above, one cannot see...nor enter the kingdom of God.”
III. The Bread of Revelation, 41-43; 44-46
[3] A. The Jews thought they knew Him, but Jesus was a mystery just as the manna was a mystery.B. It’s been said, “You are what you eat.” The more we partake of the bread or the Word of God, which is the life of Jesus Christ, the more we become like Christ, the more we know Christ. C. The more we partake of the bread, the more God reveals or discloses Himself; the more He communicates that which cannot be known of Him in any other way.D. Jesus opens portals of understanding1. God is constantly at work to draw us unto Himself through through revelation of ChristJesus.2. God conditions the mind and heart to learn and yearn for the manifestation ofChrist in their lives.E. He reveals heavenly truths to our natural minds through the bread of revelation. When revelation comes...• We discover that Jesus satisfies the deepest longings of the soul• We find thatHe holds the answers to life’s complex problems• We find thatHe satiates our cravings• Calms our fears• Relieves our doubts• Settles our restlessness • Abates our anxiety• Removes our depression• Supplies our needs• Comforts our sorrows• Directs our paths• Assures our victory [1] [2] [3]
Sunday, April 26, 2020 - “What Motivates Your Faith”
What Motivates Your Faith
John 6:22-29
Embedded deep within the human spirit is an unquenchable desire to be appreciated, acknowledged and accepted. Few are those who ignore that still quiet inner voice that cries out to others for validation of worth, value and person hood. We all desire to be recognized and made to feel as if we matter and have worth if for no other reason than because we are part of the human family. Do you wish to be appreciated simply for who you are? Is it your desire to be embraced and recognized solely on the merits of your character? Is it not your aim and intent to be liked and welcomed for just being you, and not for what people think they can get out of you?
In this passage, Jesus brings the issue of motivations of the heart to the forefront. What are the motives behind those who followed Him, those who eagerly sought Him? What did they really want and what were they really after? Were they in pursuit of Him that they might believe in Him and embrace His mission,or were they following only for the bread that filled their bellies? They were concerned about their physical needs at expense of their spiritual needs.
These questions have confronted mankind throughout the centuries and ask of us today, what motivates your faith in Christ? Are you following after Him only for what you can get out of the relationship or are you following because you’re in pursuit of Him? Jesus desire that the core of our relationship with Him be a deep abiding desire to know Him and espouse an ever-growing fellowship with Him that transcended personal wants and wishes. He wishes to advance our thinking and understanding to the point of recognizing that pursuit of unity and oneness with Him and the Father will secondarily take care of every need and satisfy every want.
In this unique time in which we are living, many of us have taken more time for bible study, started to attend Sunday school and Bible Study classes or even given more consistently to the finance ministry of the church. All these things are good and should be occurring, but each of us is challenged to answer what motives are behind our recent ascent to observe or support these things. We’re challenged because too often we make short-lived reforms that are gone as soon as the storm has fades away. For some of us, the coronavirus poses a serious question, “are were here simply because we want protection from contracting the virus or are we here because we’ve decided to make Jesus our choice?
This is a valid question because I’ve seen this type engagement with the church before with both “9/11” and hurricane Katrina. Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with God using some event or occurrence to get our attention and turn our thoughts godward. Truth be told, that’s how many of us got saved. Something happened to us, around us, or by us that would have consumed us if it were not for the grace and mercy of God coming to our rescue. We found refuge and sanctuary in the arms of Christ and there we remain.
Good Friday, April 10, 2020 - “Triumph Through Transition”
Triumph Through Transition
Good Friday Sermon
Matthew 27:38-50
A few weeks ago, President Trump expressed a belief, later defined as a hope, that by Easter Sunday the country would be back to normal with life experienced as we’ve always known it. Whether one stood in agreement with his assertion or found his desire naive or sophomoric, the truth is that we all wish to get beyond the scourge of this unprecedented time and see this pandemic come to an end. None of us relish or welcomes trials, tribulations or sorrows, and without question, we yearn for victory over the spread of this unseen enemy and a return to the “comfort” and “ease” of life as we knew it. And we anticipate the euphoria go the “good life” on the other side of COVID-19.
In like manner, Christians anticipate and look forward to the joy that is ours in the celebration of Resurrection Sunday. There is seemingly an unspoken desire to get beyond the agony of Good Friday to celebrate the victory of Easter Sunday. We wish to bypass the harrowing images of Jesus hanging and dying a sinners death on Rugged Cross to the joyful embrace of a loving and all powerful Savior on resurrection morning. But in order to rejoice in what happened of Resurrection Sunday, we have to deal with the reality of what transpired on that dark pre-resurrection Friday. We’ll never fully grasp and appreciate the resurrection of Sunday apart from the crucifixion of Friday, for the reality of Easter Sunday is empty without the triumphal transition of Good Friday.
Transitions, the process of changing from one state to another, are very much apart of the human experience and without them many of us would lead rather dull and mundane lives. Without transitions, many would be stuck in the mire of repetitive rudimentary routines that yield little and lead nowhere. But God imposes and uses transitions to realign, reposition and resurrect our lives to overcome and triumph in victory. He employs the use of transition to move us beyond the inertia of complacency and contentment to achieve within and by us what we would not achieve on our own. God uses transitions to lift us to higher heights. He uses transitions to plunge us to deeper depths of faith, hope and expectancy that would otherwise lie dormant or untapped within us. So what might we learn about life-transitions from the experience of Jesus at Calvary?
I. Some Transitions Are Unavoidable
A. The Salvation Prayer of Gethsemane
B. The high priest mocked at God’s “unwillingness” to deliver Him.
II. Some Transitions Are Uncharacteristic
A. At no time before had Jesus experienced separation from the father. He was one with God. He was in the bosom of the Father. At no point had their fellowship experienced strain or alienation.
B. In this dark and uncharacteristic hour, Jesus experienced what every human at some point comes to know; that without God, life is empty, unfulfilled, lonely and wretched. Have you ever been there? Are you acquainted with that feeling? Do you know the misery of that void?
C. But it’s this uncharacteristic and foreign experience with the Father that makes Jesus the perfect Savior. A Savior whose intimately acquainted with our experience of alienation, detachment, estrangement and separation from God. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
III. Some Transitions Are Unassailable
A. In other words, there are some transitions whose outcomes are not subject to denial or dispute.
B. The deliverables are overwhelmingly convincing and indisputable!
C. For after all:
1. Who can argue convincingly against the fact that on one Friday 2000 plus
years ago Jesus made history His story?
2. Who among us can dispute with veracity the countless lives that has been
saved by Him?
3. Who can deny that through Him - new life is experienced, spiritual strength is
granted and godly motivation is given?
4. Who can contend successfully against the liberating capacity of His
unconditional love.
5. Who can deny that His blood is the propitiation for your sins and my sins?
6. Who can deny that there is power in the blood of Jesus
a) Power to wash away our sins
b) Power to make us whole again
c) Power! Wonder working power, in the precious blood of the Lamb!
Sunday, April 19, 2020 - “Help In the Time Storms”
Help In The Time Storms
John 6:15-21
There is an engrossing intrigue that accompany storms. Whether figuratively or literally, storms possess their own captivating and transfixing identity. From unrelenting rains, disquieting lightening, and boisterous thunder to strait-line winds or unmerciful tornadoes, storms give us pause and forces us to consider and submit to their humbling power.
The physical storms that converge upon the earth are occurrences we’re all familiar with, but I wish to focus your attention to the internal storms that confront and disrupt the equilibrium of our inner state of peace and quietude. I ask you to direct your attention to those life-storms that always seem to show up at the most inopportune time.
Have storms ever invaded your life? Have storms ever unsettled your thoughts, confused your sense of balance and overcome your attempts to gain control over them?
We now live amidst a present world challenge and in a time of storm unlike any other. We’re forced to shelter-in-place,Worship-in-place. We self-quarantine. We’re perpetually on the defensive against an enemy we can’t see. We’re overcome with uncertainty, a degree of ineptitude and crippled by indecision or poor decisions. No easy answers come to mind, no quick fixes seem to work, no reversing formula is apparent and no ready solutions present themselves. We’re living daily in the midst of a perfect storm with an immobilized society and compromised economy or one front, and a persistent evasive health threat on the other. But even in the midst of all these things, I’m here to tell you that Jesus is a present help in the time of storm.
Allow me to share a few observations from the passage with you. The background is worth noting.
I. Storms Come and Storms Go, verse 16-18.
A. I once knew a preacher who’s philosophy was, “In life, you’re either going into a storm or coming out of a storm, but there's always a storm in your horizon.”
B. Obviously, there are exceptions to his philosophy, but it’s a fact that storms come and storms go.
C. Regardless of frequency, duration or intensity,remember, there is no storm that God has not seen before, and that, whatever may characterize this present storm in your life, Jesus can see you through.
II. Storms Reveal Undiscovered Vulnerabilities, verses 19-20.
A. Illustrate: The Power of a Peanut
B. The passage reveals some things about the disciples that we should take particular note of.
C. First, they were vulnerable mentally- their assumptions were incorrect. They assumed they could either beat the storm or handle storm.
D. Secondly, they were vulnerable physically (wind and waves overpowered them).
E. Thirdly, they were vulnerable spiritually (faith was swallowed up by fear).
1. Faith—Conviction - beliefs
2. Faith—Consistency - faithfulness
3. Faith—Confidence - Hope, help, hand
4. Faith—the gateway to favor
a) Favor permits the supernatural to overcome the natural.
III. Storms Double To Set and Reset Relationship With Christ, verse 21
A. Jesus is a necessary companion in trying times!
B. Today is the day to make room for Jesus in your life.The disciples “willingly received Him.”
C. They made a good decision because the danger was in the boat.
D. If you’ve for whatever reason you’re estranged from Jesus, this storm is an opportunity to resent and renew the relationship with Christ.
E. If you’ve never trusted Christ Jesus for your salvation, the storm you’re presently in, is your opportunity to invite Him into your life.
Sunday, April 12, 2020 - “The Other Side of Calvary”
The Other Side of Calvary
Luke 24:1-9
The women and men who followed Jesus believed that God was doing something special through Him on behalf of all humanity. As these women made their way to the tomb with spices to prepare Jesus’ deceased body for burial, they undoubtedly discussed among themselves the horrific crucifixion of Christ and how their dreams had been shattered and their hopes dashed against stones of disappointment. They had seen him heal the sick, feed the hungry, welcome the rejected, teach with authority, zealously cleanse the temple, stand in the gap for sinners and even raise the dead. But as quickly as his reign of good deeds began, they came to a sudden definitive and disappointing end.
Ceaseless questions ran through their minds. “How did we get here? Why do the good die young? How could God allow such a tragic thing to happen to His only beloved Son? What does does it all mean? Where do we go from here?” These questions haunted their conscious’ and informed their conversations as they arrived at an unexpectedly opened and empty tomb.
Perplexed by their findings, two strangers in shinning garments appeared before them and posed the relevant question: “Why do you seek the LIVING among the dead? ”We were sent to give you some good news, “He is not here, but is risen!”Remember His conversation with you in Galilee “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day rise again.”
The Passion Weekend is the historical pivot of Devine involvement by God into the affairs man. No longer would His reach be “limited,” as it were, to a single nation,but rather open and available to the entire world. Through these triangular events of 1) The Cross of Calvary on Friday, 2) The Salient Silence of the Tomb on Saturday and 3) The Triumphant Resurrection on Sunday, God makes The Other Side of Calvary particularly relevant and unquestionably important. In what way is The Other Side Calvary relevant?
I. Represents Life Unencumbered by Sin’s Penalty
A. The crucifixion of Christ was a it’s core a sacrifice to God.
B. The essential function of a sacrifice is to expiate or atone for guilt or sin. The Word of God declares, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and furthermore, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus”(Romans 6:23).
C. Hence the death of Jesus was the propitiation, atonement and expiation for the sin-debt of all humankind.
D. We owed a debt that we could not pay, and He paid a debt that He did not owe.
II. Represents Libration from the Limitations of Temporal Life
A. It’s for freedom that Christ has made us free. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh”(Romans 8:2-3). Freedom means to set at liberty what was previously bound. We were bound, but now we’re free!
B. “For whom the Son sets free is free indeed” (John 8:36).
C. Free to live; free to hope; free to rejoice; free to shout; free to praise; free to pray; free to call upon the name of Jesus no matter the situation,circumstances, predicament...Free!!!
III. Represents the Release of Kingdom Power
A. The resurrection of Christ opened a previously closed portal to divine accessories, resources and assets that would otherwise not be available to the human family. Most notably the Holy Spirit.
B. The resurrection paved the path for the ascension of Christ and eventual outpouring of the Holy Spirit.C. Jesus said, “It’s to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you (JOHN 16:7). And He will be to you a...
1. Comforter and Helper that abides with you forever...
2. The Spirit of truth that will teach you all things, bring all to your remembrance (John 14:26), and ultimately serve as the eternal seal and internal guarantee of our inheritance in the day of redemption by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14).
IV. Authenticates the Promise of Eternal and Everlasting Life
A. The Bible tells us that Jesus humbled Himself and obeyed even unto death on a rugged cross (Philippians 2:8). Because of His obedience, God made Him the faithful witness and firstborn of those who would be resurrected from the dead (Rev.1.5).
B. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” Some may ask, “Why did such good man have to die?” A good man had to die so the rest of us could live.
C. I heard Paul say, “There are those among us, who say there is no resurrection from the dead. But if there be no resurrection of the dead, our preaching is in vain, our teaching is in vain, our faith is in vain and we’re still rapped up, tied up and tangled up in our trespasses and sins.
D. But thanks be to God, we hold this truths to be self-evident; that Jesus lives! Yes! We have an internal testimony for His Spirit testifies with our spirit that He is real!
E. Alfred H. Ackley said it best, “I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living whatever men may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear his voice of cheer, and just the time I need Him, He’s always near. He lives, He lives! Christ lives today! He walks with me. He talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives! Yes, He lives! He lives! He lives in my heart!!!
F. Do you know Him? Have you tried Him? Ain’t He alright!!!?
Sunday, April 5, 2020 - “Turn a Little Into a Lot”
"Turning A Little Into A Lot" John 6:1-14
J Jesus did not perform miracles for the sake of the miracles themselves, but rather to elevate those that witnessed them to a better understanding of His mission, raise awareness of God’s activity among them and authenticate God’s plan of redemption, reconciliation and restoration of humankind through Him. Thus the passage under review today represents, two sides of the same coin. One the one hand, it demonstrates that Jesus is the sovereign Son of God who has power to call into existence supernatural wonders and mystifying signs, but on the other hand, it challenges us to elevate the character and quality of our response to the goodness and kindness Jesus shows to us.
O On last Sunday, we learned that with Jesus, little goes a long way. And I’m sure there are few listening this afternoon who would pass up the opportunity to multiply their blessings, or become the beneficiary of a supernatural move of God on their behalf. But today we’re tasked with discovering how to turn the little we have into a greater harvest of divine assets and abundant blessings.
L Let me be clear. I do not speak today of material things that titillate the spirit but never probes its depths, but rather of a heavenly holdings reserved for us in the safe house of the heavenly depository. I speak today of God-derived assets that satisfy the deepest longings of the soul and empowers the human spirit to triumph through trying times and tough situations.
S So how does one accomplish this transformation in one lives?
I. Stay Connected to Jesus, vv 1-2.
[1]A. We’ve got to give theses people credit for recognizing a good thing when they saw it.
B. What ever their initial motivations, they were astute enough to understand that Jesus could do more for them than they could do for themselves. The signs and wonders He performed on the sick compelled and drew them to Him.
C. What ever initial reasons drew us to Jesus, what remains true is that if we stay connected to Him, we’ll get more out of doing so than we ever fathomed. If you want the quality, meaning and purpose of your life to evolve, stay connected to Jesus! If you need direction and guidance along the way, stay connected to Jesus! If you want hope in the midst of despair,peace in the midst of a storm, joy in times of sorrow, I encourage you to stay connected to Jesus!
D. You can turn a little into a lot by staying connected to Him!
II. Give Jesus Your Best Service, vv 3-9.
[2] A. What ever you do for Jesus, try your best to do your best.
B. If you fail along the way, let your testimony be, “I gave it my all.”
C. Don’t grow complacent, don’t settle for mediocrity, don’t bury you talent in the ground or hide your light under a bushel. Give it your best, keep learning, keep yearning for betterment, keep growing, continue striving and keep pressing your way even if you fail along the way. Get up, and go at it again!
D. The scripture says that Jesus tested them with this question and we’re left only to speculate as to what these disciplines did to take advantage of this opportunity. But the message for you and me is to recognize our season of opportunity and give God the best of ourselves and the best of our service.E. We can turn a little into a lot by giving Jesus our best service!
III. Don’t Compromise in Obedience, v 10.
[3] A. There is an innate tendency within us to insist on our way or that things be done in accordance with our wishes. “There is away that seems right to man, but it’s end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
B. How many of us have seen delays and setbacks due to our failure or unwillingness to follow the path that God has set before us.
C. No matter how simple or peculiar the instruction may be, follow it, and stray not from it, for success shall be your reward.
D. Illustrations:Water to wine, Life at 38, Sight from Spit (Mk 8:23)...
E. You can turn a little into a lot by not compromising in obedience!
IV. Anticipate The Miraculous, v 11.
[4] A. With God all things are possible!
B. Throughout the ages, God has demonstrated his command and power over elements, nature, fire, water, weather, animals, celestial bodies and even human beings. So let’snot limit God. Someone wisely said,“Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.”
C. No matter what you’re facing or what life has through your way, with God through Jesus Christ, anticipate the miraculous. D. You can turn a little into a lot by anticipating the miraculous!
V. Be A Good Steward Of Blessing, vv 12-13.
[5] A. Honor and respect what God gives you, and you’ll discover that you can get more.
B. The lesson Jesus teaches is that we ought not waste or discount what God gives to us. No matter how large or how small, respect it, honor it and be a good manager and steward over it.
C. My nephew Odell says there is something more in verses 12-13. He says in reality, we human beings were no more than mere fragments and discarded left overs. But God saw in us something worth saving, something worth holding on to, something worth gathering up. In essence, while we were yet sinners, God saved us.
D. And he concluded his thoughts by rhetorically asking, “Now what kind of steward are we going to be with our lives?”
E. You can turn little into lot by being a good steward of blessings.
VI. Honor Jesus And Rejoice In His Being, v 14.
[6] A. There is something beautiful about coming into knowledge of who Jesus is; something wonderful in discovering that life is transformed and changed for the better when we see Jesus as savior and sovereign of our lives.
B. There is an unspeakable joy that over takes the soul, puts an awe in the heart and a praise on our lips!
C. I understand now why the psalmist says, “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth...Oh, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together” (Psalms 34:1, 3).
D. I stand in agreement with Paul for, “I am confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”(Philippians 1:6).
E. I echo his sentiment, “...nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I committed unto Him until that Day [when he shall return]” (2 Timothy 1:12). Without question, Jesus does what He does, and we’re blessed because of it. His goodness is enriching and His kindness is without doubt uplifting.Let us do a level best to maximize God’s blessings, Jesus’ goodness and our spiritual advancements. In Jesus’ name. Amen! [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
Friday, April 3, 2020 - “Triumph Through Transition”
Sunday, March 29, 2020 - “With Jesus, Little Goes a Long Way”
"With Jesus, LittleGoes a Long Way” John 6:4-14
Proposition: There is no problem too hard for the Lord.
A few days ago, the US government approved an unprecedented $2 trillion dollar economic aid package to assist her citizens through this turbulent storm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we applaud this much needed effort, many agree that it will likely fall far short of what may be needed to sustain us through the long haul.
Some say “it’s too little, too late,” and other say, “it’s just what the country needs to boost confidence in the nations economy.” But the reality for many of us, is that the money is spent before it ever reaches our bank accounts. For some it has created an emotional paradox with excitement on the one hand because you’re at least getting something, and uneasiness on the other hand because deep down you know it will only help so much, and then what. But, I wish to suggest to you, that with Jesus, even a little goes a long way. With Jesus, little becomes much when placed in His hands. Look closely with me as we analyze how Jesus addresses the shortfalls we face.
I. Jesus Is Aware of Our Needs, vv. 4-6.
A. Nothing escapes His watchful eye. He never sleeps or slumbers
B. He’s aware of our sorrows, our brokenness, our ups/downs, fears, faltering
C. One song writer insightfully wrote, “Yes Jesus knows the troubles I see.”
II. Jesus Is Not Restricted By Our Limitations (Resources) vv. 7-9.
A. More debt than liquid assets
B. We can’t see what He sees, nor do we know what He knows!
C. He will supply our needs according to His riches in glory!
III. Jesus Is A Problem Solver, v. 10.
A. Jesus critically analyzes problems and delivers viable solutions.
B. The disciples were perplexed, but He knew what He would do.
IV. Jesus A Miracle Worker, vv. 11-14.
A. Recant the miracles John records to this point
1. Nathanial under the fig tree
2. Changed water to wine
3. The miracles at Passover
4. The Samaritan Revival
5. The miracle at Bethesda’s pool
B. A tangible and personal miracle; you and me!
1. Sinking deep in sin and far from the peaceful shore
2. Not worthy to live and not prepared to die
3. Lifted from muck and miry clay
4. Planted our feet on rocks to stay
5. If He could do these things, then certainly He can handle the challenges we face today.
Sunday, March 22, 2020 - “Dealing with Difficult Situations”
"Dealing with Difficult Situations"
Acts 16:16-28
Within the short span of only 12 days, we saw our lives change suddenly and dramatically. The stock market crashed,schools closed, businesses modified their hours, grocery store shelves lay barren, shelter in place restrictions were enacted, self-imposed quarantines are practiced, employers have implemented work from home policies, churches have suspended services, restaurants are void of patrons and only offering takeout or curbside pickup. Streets, freeways, highways and byways have become roads less traveled. We’re doing online school, online work, online church, online shopping and online medicine. Hospitals brace for overwhelming numbers,certain medical supplies are in reduced numbers and the nation braces for what is predicted be one of the greatest healthcare delivery challenges of the modern era.
How do we handle the uncertainty of the time, rise above the confusion and maintain amidst the bewilderment? Without question, we’re facing difficult times and no one can predict or say with certainty for how long or to what degree. What does one do...when faced with unprecedented circumstances? What should you do...when challenged by an enemy you can’t see?
What does one do...when confronted with an atypical set of variables or unusually desperate situations? What should Christians do (what does the church do)...when the world as we know it is no longer the same; when there are no spectators to cheer on the choir; no commenters on the grandeur of your attire, no amens to propel the sermon; no house energy to ignite the praise. What do we do when no communal fellowship etherealize the worship; when the church without is forced to modify or surrenders her traditional patterns of public worship and service to new or unfamiliar platforms that reflect more the church within you than the church around you? Let these three observations guide your actions and order your steps.
I. Pray Earnestly
II. Praise Enthusiastically
III. Persevere Endlessly
Pastor Glenn
Sunday, March 15, 2020 - “Not Fear But Love”
“Not Fear But Love”
2 Timothy 1:7
Fear is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause harm or pose an imminent threat to safety and well-being. Fear is often accompanied by inaction, missteps and even over-action. The consequences of fear usually result from a failure to understand a situation, appreciate vulnerabilities and/or failure to embrace opportunities to circumvent potential peril. While fear-evoking situations can result in imminent danger, frequently there are options that allows one to avoid ominous outcomes or subvert hazard, harm and threat. This appears to be the message Paul wished to convey to his young protege, Timothy.
Many of us have attentively listened and watched with great concern the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst political wrangling, mis-information, conspiracy theories and finger-pointing, many have been left either apathetic, confused or overcome with panic and uneasiness.
I, along with the leadership of Chapel Hill, determined to lead in love and not fear. Out of love for this congregation, we arrived at the decision to suspend weekly services at our physical address. Paul said to Timothy, “God has given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). We do not operate in fear for we know that all things are possible with God. Our actions emphasize the soundness of mind to assemble facts and arrive at a logical and reasonable decision. This is the core of Paul’s instructions to Timothy who was facing intense scrutiny from individuals who doubted his readiness to lead, the integrity of his message, derided his unshakable allegiance to Paul and disparaged his youth. Fear of these individuals and their constant verbal attacks had literally paralyzed Timothy and caused his giftedness to lie dormant and unused. Paul called upon Timothy to remember his Devine endowments and to break free of fear through use of his mind, intellect, abilities and the power available to him. Timothy was encouraged to thoughtfully navigate the terrain of their threats and logically reason his way past the disdain of the naysayers to a viable plan of action. His expectation was that Timothy would procure a solution that took into consideration the potential threats, losses and disagreements, but yet derive a solution beneficial to all. It is with the spirit that seeks the good of every member of Chapel Hill that we arrived at this conclusion.
Above all, love is at the core of our decision. Among us are members with sound health whose well-being renders them suited to withstand any risk the Coronavirus, or any virus for that fact, poses. Yet there are those among us who are particularly vulnerable and suffer medical conditions that render them defenseless against this unpredictable and poorly understood pandemic virus. Jesus instructs us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We believe this actions embodies the spirit of His command and does much to protect our congregation as those who are strong are the bear the infirmities of the weak.
Finally, I believe this crisis presents us with a unique opportunity to minister among each other and to the community. Unique to the evolution of the Universal Church has been her power to transition; the capacity shift and change with time and circumstance to yet minister the love of Christ and carry out The Great Commission of the Church.The closings of schools; government, state and county agencies; limited access to banks; poorly stocked grocery stores and other important institutions within the community will likely leave many individuals in need of services and goods that would otherwise be available to them. Some children and adults will go without meals. Some jobs will be lost. Some homes may go into foreclosure. Troubles of myriad kinds will potentially manifest. So I call upon the members of Chapel Hill to be a neighbor to your neighbor. Help where you can, but do so in a safe and responsible way. This is an opportunity to expand the meaning, quality and reach of our worship of God, “move from membership to ministry” and minister to those around us with needs within our power to meet.Share a meal, mow a yard, run an errand, pray for the sick, check on a member, buy a bag of groceries, pay an essential bill, offer a ride or whatever is in your power to do. But above all, whatever you do, do it in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For the church is more than where you gather; the church is you. I conclude with the conviction that if nothing comes out of this pandemic and all the fuss was for naught, Chapel Hill will be better because we acted in love and not out of fear.
Pastor Clyde E. Glenn