Thursday, April 30, 2009

Peace, Purpose and Power

While for us the experience of Easter is one of great joy and hope at what the resurrection of Jesus means for our lives, for the disciples and the first followers of Jesus, the resurrection created a great deal of chaos and confusion. Just as they begin to process the reality of Jesus death – he is suddenly found alive, and trying to make sense out of the resurrection was not easy. Someone has said that for the disciples, trying to understand the resurrection of Jesus was like trying to put the ocean into a bottle. All that they were experiencing and learning with the resurrection of Jesus just didn’t fit their understanding. Things just didn’t make sense. Nothing like the resurrection had ever happened before and the disciples don’t know what to make of it at all, and just when they think they understand what’s going on, Jesus is off moving in a new direction. Literally, Jesus is there one moment and gone the next, and when he is gone the disciples are left questioning what it all means.

The gospel of Luke gives us a glimpse into this kind of chaos and confusion. Look at how Luke describes their emotions in the days following the resurrection. In Luke 24:37 it says that when Jesus appeared the disciples were startled and frightened, later on it says they were disbelieving but filled with joy and amazement. As we can see, their emotions are all over the place. The disciples are afraid because they really aren’t sure who or what Jesus is. They aren’t even sure Jesus is fully human at this point because he will suddenly appear out of nowhere and then just as quickly – be gone. Is he man or a ghost? They are filled with joy and amazement, and yet they are also confused and uncertain, & how frustrating that he never seems to stay around long enough to help them understand.

So the resurrection of Jesus brings an atmosphere of chaos: there is fear and yet joy, faith and yet disbelief and all of this contributes to an uncertain future. What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for the lives of the disciples now? For the last 3 years they had been in ministry with Jesus – was that going to continue? Would Jesus keep on teaching and preaching and healing the sick, or does the resurrection mean that the disciples will begin g to do something new? Should they start heading for home because their work is now over or get ready to keep following Jesus who knows where? Either way, the disciples have to be wondering what their future holds and where they will get the strength and the power to keep going.

Up until this point the strength they needed always came from Jesus who was right there with them and if there is one thing they are beginning to understand about the resurrected Jesus is that he is not always going to be right there with them. He is there one moment helping them understand the scriptures and sharing a meal with them, and then the next moment he is gone. If Jesus isn’t going to be with them all the time, where would they get the strength to carry on in life let alone in ministry. They had always looked to Jesus for strength because he was the one who had the power, literally. Jesus is the one who had the power to calm storms and still the seas. He was the one who had the power to heal the sick and forgive sin, and he is the one who had the power to silence crowds and religious leaders who opposed him. Jesus had a divine power that the disciples knew was always there when they needed it, but it was always there in Jesus, what was going to happen now when Jesus is not there. Where would the power come from? Where would their strength come from?

So here’s the situation for the disciples, they are confused by all they see going on around them, they are unsure of what their future holds, and they are feeling weak and powerless in the face of all the changes. Does any of that sound familiar? Confused by all we see around us; questions about what the future holds; an overwhelming sense of powerlessness in the face of life’s problems; our world and our lives today are not that different from what the disciples were experiencing in the days after Jesus’ resurrection. Whether it’s our health, jobs, family or finances, many of us feel just like the disciples: confused, uncertain about the future and powerless in the midst of it all.

If you can identify with any or all of that, then look at what Jesus offers his disciples.
In the midst of the confusion and chaos Jesus speaks words of comfort and blessing. On more than one occasion Jesus says to his disciples, Peace be with you. There is no better gift in the midst of a storm than peace. The storm for the disciples came from not knowing if Jesus was alive. Was Jesus presence with them a ghost or was he really there? Into their confusion Jesus doesn’t just offer empty words of peace, he proves to them that he is alive and with them by eating with them and showing them his physical flesh and blood. Look at Luke 24:37+

Jesus invites them to touch him so they can be confident that he is not a ghost but is really with them, and then to prove the point he takes a piece of fish and eats it with them in their presence. The peace Jesus offered wasn’t an empty word; it was a peace that came from knowing that Jesus was really with them. The peace we need today comes from knowing that Jesus is still alive and with us. When the world around us doesn’t seem to make sense, when it all gets overwhelming and chaotic, it’s important for to stop and remember that Jesus is with us. Jesus promised that where 2 or more were gathered in his name that he would be there, he said that he would be with us always, even to the end of the age, so we can find real peace today in knowing that Jesus is here with us. He is present with us in worship and he hears us when pray. Knowing that Jesus is with us doesn’t always make the confusion and chaos go away, and some of the questions and situations we struggle with will still be there, but it helps us to know that we aren’t alone. The peace we need comes in being able to trust that no matter what we are going through, Christ is with us.

Jesus not only offered the gift of peace, he also gave his disciples a new sense of purpose and direction. The resurrection of Jesus was going to change the mission and direction of the disciples. For three years all the disciples did was follow Jesus and learn from him, but now things would be different. Instead of Jesus teaching and preaching and offering forgiveness and new life, it would now be the disciples doing this. Look at Luke 24:46-48.
The purpose given to the disciples was to preach and teach that there was forgiveness of sin and new life in Jesus name. They were to share with the world all that Jesus had done and they were start in Jerusalem. While they still had many questions about how this was going to take place, their new mission and sense of purpose at least gave them a direction to go. At least they know now that they weren’t supposed to go home and become fishermen again. Knowing God still has a purpose for them gave them hope and a future.

It’s important for us to remember that no matter how uncertain the future may be for us, God still has a purpose and a plan for our lives. If we have a lost a job, or are in danger of losing a job, or if we are just feeling unsettled about where we are in life, it’s important to remember that God still has a purpose for us. God says in Jeremiah 29, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Even if our future looks uncertain, it’s important to remember that God always has a purpose for our lives. If nothing else, God still calls us to be a witness to the love and grace of Jesus Christ. Part of our purpose is to continue to remind people that there is forgiveness and new life that we can find in Jesus.

As a church we need to continue to share this good news with the world. The purpose of Faith Church today is the same purpose given to the disciples by Jesus in the days after the resurrection. We are to proclaim that Christ died and rose again on the third day and that we can find forgiveness and new life in Jesus. As a church we are to continue to call people to repentance, to turn away from sin and turn toward a new life in Christ. How we teach and preach and bear witness to Jesus Christ in the world may change from time to time, but the message never changes. The purpose of the church never changes – we are called to go and make disciples, and as Jesus says we need to do this in all nations, but we need to start right where we are. We need to be a witness to Jesus Christ right here Bellefonte, and in Zion, and in Centre County, and then we need to spread out to all the world. Jesus called the disciples to preach to all the nations but they were to start in Jerusalem, right where they were, and then they were to slowly move out. We need to give a witness to the love and grace of God right here in Bellefonte, but we can’t stop here, there’s the growing community of Zion right down the road and as more and more people move into Zion, God is calling us to be a witness to them and to share with them that there is life in Jesus name.

So in the midst of our confusion, Jesus offers peace. In the midst of uncertainty about our future, Jesus provides a purpose and a plan, and in the midst of weakness, Jesus offers power. Look at Luke 24:49. Jesus promises the disciples that they will be clothed in power from on high. This must have been a huge encouragement for them because up until this point Jesus had been their sole source of power. Jesus gave them the strength they needed each and every time they needed it, and if Jesus was not physically going to be with them, then the disciples needed to know that power, divine power, would still be available to them, and that power did come. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and it gave them the strength to do things they had never been able to do before. Once the power of God came upon them, the disciples left the upper room and went out into the streets of Jerusalem where they preached that people needed to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus. Even when opposition and persecution came, the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the strength they needed to remain faithful to God and continue to carry out God’s purpose for them.

When we are feeling weak or powerless in any situation, we need to remember that God continues to clothe us with power from on high. The Holy Spirit is in us. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is now part of our lives and so we have the strength to face any and every situation. While there are times when we feel weak and like we just can’t keep going – it is precisely these moments that we need to turn to God and find His strength. In the children’s song Jesus loves me there is that great line that says, little ones to him belong, we are weak, but He is strong. There are times when we are weak that we won’t be strong, we just need to rely upon God to be strong in us and for us. God can be our strength deep within us, if we will allow him to, and when we let God be strong for us we will find that the Holy Spirit we will be able to do more in us and through us than we ever thought or imagined. If we are feeling powerless, weak and like we are unable to keep going, then it is right time to turn and trust in the power of God that is within us.

The truth is that our world today, our lives as followers of Jesus today are no different than it was 2000 years ago. There is a lot of confusion and uncertainty today and there is a growing sense of powerlessness when we look at our lives and our world and our future. What we need to remember is that it is exactly in situations like this that Jesus comes and offers us peace, purpose and power. W need those gifts of Jesus today, so let us open our hearts and our lives to receive them.

The Power of Vision

The English poet Ralph Hodgson said, some things have got to be believed to be seen. But the disciple Thomas would have said, some things have to be seen to be believed. Thomas had a hard time believing that Jesus was alive because he didn’t see him on that first resurrection day. Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus miraculously appeared in the upper room and spoke with the disciples. Even during a week when his friends tried to convince Thomas that YES, we had seen Jesus alive, Thomas continued to say, unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my fingers in the mark of the nails and unless I put hand in the wound in his side, I will not believe. And it is because of these words that we have given him the name Doubting Thomas.

But I really don’t think that is being fair because Thomas was only asking for what the rest of the disciples needed in order to believe. When Mary arrived at the empty tomb, she couldn’t believe that Jesus was alive. Even after the angel told her that he had risen just as he said, Mary couldn’t believe. Mary didn’t believe that Jesus was alive until she not only saw him, but heard his voice calling out her name. Peter and John raced to the tomb and saw the empty grave clothes but they couldn’t believe that Jesus was alive. Even after Mary told them that she had seen Jesus, they could not believe until Jesus himself appeared in front of them. So really, all Thomas was asking for was what the rest of the disciples got, which was the opportunity to see Jesus alive, and the reason Thomas needed this was because there is power in vision. The vision of Jesus that filled Thomas’ heart and mind was too powerful to overcome with just the words of his friends.

Think of everything that Thomas had seen the past 10 days. Thomas saw Jesus betrayed in the garden and arrested by the soldiers. He may have followed behind at a safe distance, but Thomas certainly saw Jesus beaten and nailed to a cross. He knew that Jesus died and was laid in a tomb for 3 days. What Thomas had seen made it hard for him to believe that Jesus could now be alive, so yes, he had his doubts. Thomas needed a new vision of Jesus to replace the old one.
Like Mary, Peter, John and all the rest of the disciples, Thomas needed a vision of the risen Jesus to replace the vision of the crucified Jesus that haunted his eyes, and the eyes of his heart. It is a very loving act on the part of Jesus to return a week later so that Thomas could see and believe. Jesus returned on the first day of the second week and once again appeared to the disciples. Jesus spoke the same greeting & offered the same blessing, Peace be with you, but then he turns to Thomas and instead of calling him out, Jesus invites him in. Instead of being frustrated or angry, Jesus offers to Thomas what he offered the other disciples, the opportunity to not only see him, but to reach out his hands and put his fingers in the mark of the nail. He invites Thomas to reach out his hand and put it into his side. Thomas not only sees, but he truly believes and he exclaims, My Lord & My God.

Thomas doesn’t just see Jesus, in that moment he sees something more, and in that moment everything changed. The vision of the resurrected Jesus not only drove out the images of Jesus on the cross – but the vision of the risen Savior gave fuel to Thomas’ life, because Thomas didn’t just see a friend standing before him, he saw the living God who brings the victory of life over death for everyone. What Thomas saw in Jesus was a new way of life and a new way of being and it was this new vision that would change his life. Vision is a powerful thing, it can keep us in the dark doubting what God can do, or it can open up our heart and mind and show us what life can be like and what God’s plans are for our world.

Vision is a powerful thing, but the kind of vision we are talking about is not just seeing something with out eyes, the vision we are talking about is a clear, precise mental picture of a better future, a better world. The vision that changed Thomas wasn’t just the person of Jesus; it was seeing what God had in store for the world around him. When Thomas saw Jesus alive, he began to see a world where people could find strength and power in a living God. The future Thomas saw was a world where the teaching and life of Jesus that had captivated his own heart and imagination would not only be able to continue, but could become a reality in this world.
But it went even further than that because Thomas began to see himself as part of God’s new work. When Thomas saw Jesus standing in front of him he knew that he could no longer keep the good news of Jesus to himself, he had to share this news with others, and share it he did. Tradition tells us that Thomas took his vision of the resurrected Jesus and his vision of a world where people could find hope and life in that risen Savior and he shared it with people in the East. While Peter and Paul and the early church moved west toward Rome and the entire the Roman Empire, it is believed that Thomas took the good news of Jesus to the East. Centuries after the resurrection of Jesus, missionaries from England landed in India and they were stunned to find the remnants of Christian churches, and while the people in these churches knew nothing of Peter or Paul, they did know about the resurrected Jesus and the knew about a disciple named Thomas. It’s believed that fueled only with his vision of Jesus & God’s vision for the world – Thomas went East to share the love and power of a risen Christ.

There is power in vision. Once Thomas began to see that people around the world needed to hear about the love of Jesus, and once he saw how the power of God which raised Jesus from the dead could touch people’s lives and bring them hope and healing and new life, Thomas’ life changed forever. Like Thomas, we need a strong God given – live-giving vision for our lives. As followers of Jesus we are to know, love, & serve God with all our heart, soul, mind & strength, but how each of us lives this out will be different. God’s vision for our lives will be different. For Thomas, the vision was to take the good news of Christ’s resurrection and the power of God to people living in the East. For Peter and John it was to share the love of God with people in the West. For some of the early followers of Jesus their vision was to teach, others worked to build up the church the apostles established. Some people had the vision to help support the work of the apostles by raising money or offering their homes and food. For everyone the vision was different, but they all had a vision & the power of their vision changed the world.
What is the vision that God has given you? If vision means a clear mental picture of a better future, or a better world, then what is that better world that you are working for? What unique way of loving and serving God are we offering to the world around us? How are we working to bring the kingdom of God and the life of Jesus into our community? If we do not have a vision for how God wants to use us in this world, then the first thing we need is a vision of the risen Jesus.

What gave the disciples a clear vision for their lives was seeing, hearing and walking with the risen Jesus. During the days after the resurrection and before Jesus was taken up into heaven he gave his disciples instructions and direction. He told them to forgive sin, he told them to feed his lambs and tend his sheep, he told them to go and make disciples of all nations – from the West to the East. The vision that formed in the disciples came from walking and talking with the risen Jesus and we have that same opportunity today. If we don’t have a clear vision of how God wants to use us in this world, then like Thomas we need to take some time and walk and talk with Jesus. We need to pray and read God’s word. We need to talk with others who have vision and learn from them. While a vision for the disciples may have started in the upper room, that vision was expanded and defined through times of reflection, conversation and instruction from Jesus. The God given vision for our own lives may start in this moment of worship where we can experience the living God, but it will be expanded and defined through times of prayer, reflection and the study of God’s word.

Once we have a vision of what God wants for us and from us, it will take some effort to make that vision become reality. Again, Thomas shows us what it takes if we want our vision to come alive and the first step is to see that with any new vision comes the need for change. It’s the very definition of vision that tells us there will be a need for change because vision is defined as a clear mental picture of a better future. Better means that it’s not what it is right now, which means that the right now is going to have to change. God’s vision for our lives will always call for change, a change in us and a change in the world around us. There is not one person in the Bible that God called that he did not change and then use to bring change into the world. Abraham had to leave his home and then he became the father of God’s people. Moses went from being the Prince of Egypt to a child of Abraham and was then able to lead God’s people out of slavery. David went from being a shepherd boy to Warrior King who then established a new nation. Thomas went from being a tax collector to a missionary in India who then called people to change their hearts and lives. God’s vision for Thomas called him to leave behind the comfort and security of his home and country, he had to leave behind his family and friends to face the unknown. If God’s vision is to become reality in our lives it will always call us to change, and then it will call us to work for change.

Change is hard for most of us because the status quo is comfortable and the familiar is safe. It’s easier to stay in our safe little worlds where we know what to expect then to step out and see what God might have in store for us. Here’s how hard change is for most of us. Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you sat in a different seat during worship? It may have been last week because with so many people you may have had to find a different seat (what a great problem, by the way) but seriously, when was the last time you worshipped from the front or the other side. When was the last time you decided to sit next to some new in order to get to know them, or invite someone new or maybe just someone you don’t know to sit next to you? Change is hard because we like to stay comfortable, but we do not follow a God who ever played it safe or stayed comfortable. We worship and follow a God that left the comfort of heaven to come into this world. We follow a Savior who never had his own home or followed the same routine. Jesus was constantly on the move and doing something new. If we close our minds to new ideas, and if we close our hearts to new people, God’s vision can never take hold in our lives and the better future that God has for us and for the world around us will never be realized.

God’s vision becoming a reality requires change and it will also require commitment. Are we willing to commit ourselves to God’s vision? We can’t go half-way, and we can’t give up the first time we hit an obstacle. We have to be willing to commit 100% and then step out in faith again, and again, and again. This kind of commitment will call for us to be courageous. Thomas and the rest of the disciples faced the possibility of arrest, beatings and death when they left the safety of the upper room. In fact, it wouldn’t be many months later when Stephen would be stoned for preaching that Jesus had risen from the dead. It takes courage to follow Jesus and it takes a commitment to stand up and share a new vision of how God wants to work in our world.

Now the good news is that the courage required to stand firm does not come from inside of us, it comes from God. Look again at what Jesus says and does on that first resurrection day. Jesus says, as the father has sent me so I send you. And then Jesus breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. The courage that the disciples needed to leave the safety and comfort of the locked room and go into all the world & the share the good news of Christ’s resurrection did not come from within them, it came from the spirit of God. The courage required to turn God’s vision for our life into a reality doesn’t come from our own inner strength but the strength that comes to us when we are willing to receive the Holy Spirit of God.

There is power in vision, and I believe that God is wanting and just waiting to give us the courage and strength we need to follow through on the vision he has given us. If you don’t have a clear vision for your life, then open your eyes and the eyes of your heart to see the risen Jesus because I believe that the living Christ still stands and offers himself to us and I believe that the living Christ is just wanting and just waiting to fill our lives with the power of his vision.

Easter Sunday ~ If God Can Do This!

It’s fascinating to me that the single most defining moment in our faith, really, the single most defining moment in all human history does not have one clear story. If you read the resurrection account in each of the 4 gospels (and I would encourage you to take some time today to do that!), you will find that each one of them is different. Each one looks at the story from a different perspective or highlights a different detail. While they are all different, they do all begin the same way.

Matthew: at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

Mark: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices so that they might anoint Jesus body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.

Luke: On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.

And as we heard from John: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb.

While the details that follow are all a little different, each account of the resurrection begins the same way, on the first day of the week, early in the morning, thee women go to the tomb of Jesus. They don’t go expecting or even hoping that Jesus is alive. The women go to the tomb with spices to properly prepare Jesus body for its final burial. Joseph of Arimathea had wrapped the body in some linen, but because it was sundown and the Sabbath was approaching they were not able to properly wrap Jesus body. So the women go to the tomb expecting to do that. They go expecting to find Jesus to be dead. In fact they ask themselves how they are going to roll away the stone from the front of the tomb because they are anticipating that the tomb is going to be sealed and they fully expect Jesus to be in the tomb still wrapped up in the grave clothes.

Even when they arrive at the tomb and find the body gone, they aren’t thinking that Jesus is alive. Look at what Mary says to the disciples when she tells them that the tomb is open. They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him. Mary isn’t thinking that Jesus could be alive – the only thought is that Jesus is dead and so if he isn’t here, someone moved him, or worse yet, someone stole the body. Even after Peter and John race to the tomb and find the grave clothes lying there they can’t bring themselves to think that Jesus is alive. It says in John 20:8 that they saw and believed, but what they believed was the message of the women that Jesus body was gone, because in John 20:10 it says, They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead. So standing in the tomb and looking at the grave clothes that would have been wrapped around Jesus body, all they can think is that someone has taken the body of Jesus. In their minds, Jesus is still dead. In their hearts, there is no hope. All they see there are grave clothes.

How often in our own lives do we do the same thing? When we look around at our lives, all we see grave clothes. When we look at the problems of our families, or our community, or our world, all we see are grave clothes, dead ends. Too often we make our way through life like the women making their way to the tomb, without hope, but here’s the thing, the deeper message of Easter is that Jesus left the grave clothes behind. Jesus left the grave clothes behind because they couldn’t hold his body in death, so if God can do this… if God can raise Jesus from the dead… if God overcome sin and if God can leave grave clothes behind … think of what God can do in our lives.

If God can do this, then God can forgive us for our sin. If we have come here today feeling burdened by our own sin and weighed down because like the Apostle Paul, the good we want to do we don’t do - but the evil we don’t want to do is always what we seem to be thinking and doing. If that’s how we fee today, wrapped up in the grave clothes of sin, then we need to understand that our sin does not get the final victory. The empty grave clothes tell us that sin has been overcome, so we can experience the new life of forgiveness. It doesn’t matter what we have done in life, it doesn’t matter where we have been or even where we are today, if we are willing to come to God in faith we can experience the new life of God’s forgiveness, because if God can do this… then God can forgive us.

If God can do this, then God can also turn our failures into opportunities. Too many times in life we allow our failures to define us, but there is no failure that God can not overcome. Think about the disciples, the cross and the grave were symbolic of failure. As far as they knew, the movement of Jesus had failed, their mission to bring the kingdom of God and the love of God into the world died with Jesus on the cross and it ended when the stone sealed off the tomb, but if God can do this, if God can raise Jesus from the dead then there is no failure that is final. We might fail in life, no let me correct that, we will fail in life, but if God is for us then who can be against us. If God is for us then he can turn those failures into opportunities. In Philippians 4:13 it says, I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength, so while we might fail the first time, it doesn’t mean we can’t get up and keep trying. Failure does not need to define us and our failures do not need to be final, because if God can do this, then we know that God can turn any of our failures into opportunities. The empty tomb and the empty grave clothes tell us that we can have a second chance, or a third chance, or a 200th chance.

Think about Peter, he had failed Jesus miserably. In fear for his own life he denied that he even knew Jesus, he disowned him three times. He failed, but again on that resurrection day we see that Jesus comes to Peter and forgives him. Jesus stands in the upper room with his disciples and Peter is there and Jesus doesn’t just say, Peace be with you and just offer them forgiveness, it says that Jesus breathes on them, he fills them with the gift of new life so they can go out and continue to build the kingdom of God. Peter’s failure and then the forgiveness of Jesus shaped Peter’s heart and life so that in time he became an even stronger leader in the movement Jesus started. So if God can do this… then God can overcome our failures and our weaknesses.

If God can do this, then God can also restore broken relationships. That’s what is so clear in the story of Jesus and Peter after the resurrection. During Jesus arrest and trial, Peter failed Jesus miserably and their relationship was broken. I’m sure Peter thought, how can Jesus ever forgive me, how can Jesus ever love me again, how can we ever be as close as we were before. I’m sure Peter thought his relationship and friendship with Jesus was over forever. But if God can do this… then God can restore relationships. If there are relationships that need to be mended or if we have relationships that need to be strengthened – there is hope today. No relationship is beyond repair if we are willing to ask God to bring us forgiveness and understanding. No relationship is beyond repair if we are willing to confess our own shortcomings and in humility reach out to the other in love. Every relationship can be restored, because if God can do this… God can do anything.

We begin to see the power of the resurrection when we simply say to ourselves, If God can do this… then God can…
If God can do this then God can bring hope into the despair of broken dreams and shattered lives.
If God can do this then God can bring peace and understanding into the chaos and depression we suffer through.
If God can do this then God can lead us out of financial struggles and into a place of financial peace.
If God can do this, then God can bring joy into sorrow and light into darkness and yes even life into death.
If God can do this, then God can change our lives and help us find victory in all things. In Romans 8 it asks, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine, or nakedness or danger or sword? Is there anything that can overcome us? The answer of course is NO, for in all things we are more than conquerors because if God can do this… then God can do anything.

So how do we get to the place where we are able to these as anything other than grave clothes? How do we begin to see the hope and the possibility that the resurrection of Jesus brings to our lives? Well let’s go back to that first Easter and see what it was that turned things around for Mary. After Peter and John leave the tomb and return home, Mary lingers in the garden and she is actually talking to Jesus and yet she doesn’t know it’ s him. It’s only when Jesus calls her by name that Mary’s eyes are opened and she begins to see things different. It’s when Jesus calls her by name that she knows her relationship with Jesus can be restored, her sin can be forgiven and her entire life can take on new meaning. It’s when Jesus calls her by name that things begin to change and the grave clothes take on new meaning, and it’s when we hear Jesus call us by name that we can begin to see things differently

God calling us by name changes our lives because it’s in that moment that we know we are loved by God and accepted as his child. It’s in that moment that we know that the God of the universe knows who I am and that my life matters to him and so the God of the universe is right here, with me and he is the one who is for me. In Isaiah 43 God says, Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through h the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. Hearing God call out our name changes us because it tells us that we belong to God so God will be with us forever. If it has been awhile since we have heard Jesus call us by name, then we need to listen for him today because he is right here, he’s right here to love us, he is right here to forgive us. Jesus is right here to bring us peace and to breathe on us and into us the breath of new life. Jesus is right here and he has the power to change our lives. We know this because God has done this.

Easter Sunrise Service

When the women arrived at the tomb the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. He has risen, just as he said”. While there are many messages that are proclaimed in the resurrection story from the forgiveness of sin to the victory of life over death, perhaps one of the simplest messages is this: Jesus keeps his promises. I’m not sure I have ever really thought about the resurrection in those terms before, but isn’t that what the angel is saying when he says, Jesus has risen, just as he said. While that line, just as he said, is often just glossed over when we read the story, the message we are being told is that Jesus keeps his word. If we look back in Matthew’s gospel we will see that Jesus did say that he would die and then rise again. Look at Matthew 20:17.

And this wasn’t the only time Jesus said it. He said it on at least 2 other occasions, in Matthew 16 and in Matthew 17. So when Jesus is not in the tomb and the angel says, he has risen just as he said, what we are learning is that Jesus is indeed a man of his words. Jesus keeps his promises.

But it’s not just his promise to rise from the dead that Jesus keeps, Jesus keeps all his promises, and that is something to celebrate this morning because Jesus made a lot of promises. In Jesus’ sermon on the mount he says: Matthew 7:7-9. Jesus promises that when we turn to God in faith and ask – it will be given to us, and when we seek God we will find him and when we knock – when we ask God to enter into our lives – God will enter in. What Jesus is promising here is a relationship with God our Father where we can come to God openly and honestly and share who we are and what we need and even what we want, and when we do God will not reject us. That’s a promise that Jesus makes and so we ask and seek and knock & God will be there.
Jesus also promises us strength in times of weakness. Look at Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus promises that when we come to him in weakness, burdened down by the weight of our sin or simply weary from all the pain and sorrow we see and experience in life, when we come to him, we will find rest. This is an important promise for us to claim today because in so many ways we are weary. We are weary from the financial stress and uncertainty we see around us. We are weary seeing friends struggle to find jobs. We are weary when we hear about another person who has to fight cancer, or another family that’s in need. And we are weary when we hear about all the violence around us, and it’s not just the pirates half a world away, it’s shootings in Pittsburgh and Altoona. The condition and the darkness of the world around us makes us weary and so we need to come to Jesus and trust his promise that when we come to him we will find rest for our souls because his yoke is easy and when we walk with Jesus, his burden is light.

Some of the most powerful promises Jesus makes are found in John 14 because it’s in these words that Jesus promises to prepare a place for us in heaven (14:1-2). Jesus also promises to come back for us and take us to that heavenly home (14:3) And Jesus promises that he will not abandon us or leave us as orphans in this world because he will send to us the Holy Spirit (14:25-27).

In that last promise there is not only the promise of God’s Holy Spirit to lead us when Jesus is no longer physically present with us, but there is the promise of peace – peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, and then I love how Jesus says, and I don’t give to you as the world gives – in other words, Jesus doesn’t give to us and then take it away like the world often does. Jesus doesn’t say one thing and do another, he doesn’t change his mind – he is a man of principle, and a man of his word and his peace endures through all the difficult times we go through. The peace that Jesus gives us is strong, it holds up when we need it and it lasts from one problem to the next. Jesus promises us his peace and so we can count on it being with us today.

Also found in John 14 is what I consider the single most powerful promise that Jesus makes – it’s the promise that often makes me feel the most uncomfortable because it is so daringly bold. Look at John 14:12-14. Jesus promises that if we have faith, we will do even great things than Jesus did, and if we ask God for help – we will receive it. Can we trust that promise this morning? As the people of God, as the Faith Church community can we claim this promise today and begin to allow the power of God to build us up and flow through us into a dark world that needs the love and light of God. You have probably heard or seen the Newsweek article that says the % of people who identify themselves as atheists or agnostics has doubled in the last few years, and that church membership has declined – at a time when many churches are feeling more and more powerless it’s important for us to not give in but to remember that Jesus keeps his promises and so we can do more than Jesus did if we will place our faith and trust in him.

One of the reasons I wanted us to begin this day the song Risen to Reign is because of the line, something is ready to start. Easter brings us new life and new opportunities. The resurrection of Jesus doesn’t just mean that we are forgiven and it doesn’t just mean that the door to heaven is opened, it also means that the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is available to the people of God and so just as he said, we can do more in this world than Jesus ever did. We can change our families, our community and our world if we will have faith in the one who rose from the dead just as he said.

As I have been thinking about Jesus being a man of his word and have thought about some of the promises that Jesus is just waiting and wanting to keep, I began to ask myself why we don’t trust God to keep those promises. Why don’t we step out in faith and trust Jesus to follow through on his word. Why didn’t Mary, Peter, James, John and the rest of the disciples camp out at the tomb and wait for Jesus to rise from the dead – after all – he said he would. Why didn’t they trust and believe Jesus would keep his promise? For the disciples I think part of it was fear. Literally they were afraid for their own lives. I think we forget how dangerous Jerusalem was for the followers of Jesus at that point in time. They had just crucified Jesus so the religious leaders and Roman authority would not hesitate to crucify or at least flog, beat and imprison the followers of Jesus. So maybe it was their fear that blinded them to the promise Jesus made.

Maybe it was their failure. Each of the disciples knew how they had failed Jesus when he needed them the most. Remember, it wasn’t just Judas who had betrayed Jesus, Peter disowned him 3 times and all the rest of the disciples ran away. In fact even before things got dangerous, they couldn’t even stay awake and pray with Jesus. So instead of focusing on the promise of Jesus to rise from the dead, maybe all they could only focus on was their own failure.

Or maybe it was just the depth of sorrow and pain they were going through. They had just seen Jesus betrayed, arrested, beaten and crucified. They watched as he was taken down from the cross and laid into the tomb and they knew the tomb was sealed. Maybe it was the reality of such a cruel and painful death that robbed their hearts of even thinking that Jesus could keep his promise and overcome all of this and rise again.

While we don’t know what it was that kept the disciples from trusting in the promises Jesus made, I think for us today we don’t step out in faith to claim the promises of God because of fear and failure and the reality of the sorrow and pain we see in the world today. Just like the disciples, we are afraid of what others might think if we started living our lives as if the word of God was true. People might think we have really lost it if we start claiming God’s promises, and so we shrink back in fear. We also don’t claim God’s promises because of our own sin and failure. We think, God might keep his promises to someone who is faithful, but I’m a failure, so God won’t help me. But doesn’t the story of Easter tell us the exact opposite? The disciples weren’t faithful, they weren’t there waiting for Jesus to rise from the grave and yet Jesus kept his promise. If we wait until we are perfect until we trust in the promises of God, then we never will trust in them because we will never be perfect. We need to trust in God’s forgiveness and grace today and then ask God to fulfill his word in our hearts and lives, to help us be more faithful and obedient.

It’s also hard for us to claim God’s promises when we see the reality of darkness and evil in the world around us. When so many things are beyond our control, and when the world seems like it is moving quickly away from God – it’s hard to claim the promise of Jesus that says we will be able to do more than he did. But maybe it is for just such a time as this that Jesus made that promise. Maybe it was for today, Easter 2009 that Jesus made the promise, you will do even greater things because I am going to the Father. We need to look at the empty tomb and the risen savior and affirm in our own hearts and live that yes indeed, something is about to start because Jesus keeps his word.

Whatever promise we need fulfilled today, Jesus will do it because he is a man of his word. If we ask – we will receive. If we seek – we will find. If we knock the door will be opened. If we need forgiveness – it is offered. If we need the love of a Father in heaven – it flows to us from Jesus. If we are weary – we are given rest, and if we need strength it is provided. And if we as a church need power to shine forth the light and love of God, a light and love that will make a difference in this world, then we have that power because Jesus has promised us the power of God. So whatever promise we need fulfilled today, Jesus will do it, because he is a man of his word and we know he is a man of his word because he has risen, just as he said.

Palm Sunday

When I was in seminary some friends said they wanted to take me out for dinner on my birthday. We had been watching a basketball game and so once it was over we decided to go to a local steak house. As we waited for a table we ran into some other friends from the seminary and so I invited them to join us. As we were being seated I saw some friends of mine from a Bible Study I was a part of and so asked if we get a larger table and have them join us and then as we were eating some other friends came and in so they joined us as well. I was just amazed at how this spontaneous little party just erupted on my birthday and I was excited and feeling so good and said to all my friends how great it was that they all just happened to be out that for dinner so they could join us. They all looked at me like I was some kind of fool, and then the friend of mine who originally invited me to dinner said, yeah, wasn’t it nice that it just kind of happened to go out for dinner at the same place – at the same time. And then it dawned – the party had been planned. My spontaneous birthday party had been well thought out. My friend even contacted the Bible Study leader I was a part of so they could all be invited. On the one hand I was a little disappointed that my spontaneous birthday party had really been planned, but on the other hand I was really humbled that my friends had gone to so much trouble.

Now I share that story because for years when I read about this Palm Sunday parade, I always imagined it as a spontaneous event. Jesus comes upon a donkey and rides it into the city and as he does people just throw their cloaks before him and wave palm branches in the air. While there may have been an element of spontaneity in the reaction of the crowds, the parade itself is anything but spontaneous. Look again at Mark 11:2-4. Jesus has carefully made all the arraignments for a colt, which is a male donkey less than 1 year old, to be made available to him. Jesus gives his disciples detailed instruction on where to find the colt and what to say to anyone who questions them about brining the colt to him. Jesus has carefully planned this event and he has laid it all out for one purpose – to proclaim to the people, to announce to the world exactly who he is. Many times during his ministry people would profess that Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus would tell them to keep it quiet, but now Jesus is the one who wants to make a statement. Jesus wants people to know that he is the Messiah, but he also wants them to understand what kind of Messiah he comes to be, and Jesus does all of this by how he sets up this Palm Sunday parade.

The first thing we see is that Jesus chose to ride into the city on a colt. This alone is unusual because nowhere else in the gospels do we ever see Jesus riding from one place to another. While there are a few times that Jesus traveled by boat, all the rest of the time we see Jesus, he is walking. He walked along the shores of Galilee when he called fishermen. He walked up into the hillsides to teach or pray, he walked from town to town to preach to the people, he even walked on water, but this is the only time we ever see Jesus riding anywhere, so we know this has to mean something. If we look back into the history of Israel, we see that riding into Jerusalem on a colt was what the king of Israel was going to do. Look at Zechariah 9:9

When Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on a colt, he was making the statement that he was the one Zechariah talked about, he was the one God had promised, the coming king, the Messiah. There is no mistake here. Jesus is proclaiming himself to be the King of the Jews, and the people understand him clearly. We know the people understand because of their response to Jesus. As Jesus rides the donkey into the city the people spread their cloaks and palm branches on the ground. Palm branches were political symbols of victory, they were welcoming Jesus as a victorious king, and the cloaks being spread on the ground, this was also a part of Israel’s kingship tradition. In 2 Kings 9, Jehu is anointed King of Israel and when the people find out that he is king, it says they immediately took off their cloaks and spread them on the ground under him. After that time, when kings rode into Jerusalem, people would lay their cloaks out in front of them as a sign of honor and respect. So the people understand exactly what Jesus is saying. When he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey – Jesus is saying that he is the Messiah. But Jesus did more than choose the mode of transportation that day, he chose the starting point and he chose the parade route, look at Mark 11:1. Jesus started this parade on the Mount of Olives because again, the prophet Zechariah said, the Messiah’s feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives, which lies before Jerusalem. In other words, when the Messiah comes, he would first stand on the Mt. of Olives and then enter Jerusalem from that direction. So it’s not a coincidence that Jesus begins his journey into Jerusalem from the Mt. of Olives. It has all been carefully planned out because Jesus wants to make a statement that would be understood by the people. Again, Jesus is saying clearly that he is the Messiah, he is the king of Jews, but he’s also very clear about the kind of Messiah he comes to be.

For example, while Jesus comes to be king, he doesn’t come armed with swords and shields, there aren’t war horses following behind him, and the crowd traveling with him isn’t looking for a fight. While a strong political leader is the kind of ruler many people wanted and even prayed for at that point in history, Jesus doesn’t come with a show of earthly power, he comes in humility, and he doesn’t come to defeat the oppressive Roman government, he comes to destroy sin by offering himself as the sacrificial lamb of God.

That Jesus came to be the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is also the message clearly stated by Jesus in this Palm Sunday event because not only did Jesus choose the mode of transportation and the route into the city, Jesus also chose the day. We can never forget that all that takes place during holy week, including Palm Sunday, takes place in the larger context of the Jewish celebration of the Passover. So let’s take a moment to go back and remember what the Passover was all about

God had called Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. Israel had been held captive and forced to work as slaves for generation when God called Moses to go to Pharaoh and asked him to let God’s people go. Pharaoh, in the hardness of his heart, said no. So God sent plagues upon the people of Egypt to try and convince Pharaoh to change his mind. There were plagues of gnats & flies & frogs & blood & boils & hail & darkness and through all these plagues, Pharaoh never changed his mind. He simply would not set the Israelites free, so finally God sent one final plague, a plague of death. In Exodus 12 God told His people to prepare for this final plague by taking a lamb without blemish and placing some of the blood of that lamb on the sides and top of the doorframe of their homes and then in Exodus 12:12-13 it says.
So the angel of death passed over the homes of God’s people and it was after this plague that Pharaoh finally set God’s people free.

Each year after this, Israel was to celebrate this Passover with a feast and as part of that feast they were to sacrifice a pure & spotless lamb. And just as they did on that very first Passover, they were to choose that lamb four days before they celebrated the Passover feast. Again if we look at Exodus 12 it says that God called the people to select a lamb on the 10th day of the month, and then on the 14th day of the month they were to sacrifice the lamb and place its blood on the door posts of the house. So each year when the people would celebrate the Passover they would select a lamb 4 days before the Passover feast and that day became known as lamb selection day.

4 days before the Passover was the day that Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Of all the days Jesus could have chosen to enter into Jerusalem proclaiming himself to be the Messiah, he chose lamb selection day. We need to understand what Jesus is saying here. He not only comes to be our King, he not only comes to be a humble king who rides on a donkey bringing peace, but Jesus comes offering himself as the pure and spotless lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Can you picture what this event looked like? People from all over Israel were coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and they were entering the city on this day with their lambs for the Passover feast – and in the middle of all these people with their lambs comes Jesus offering himself as the one and only lamb of God.

Think about it, 4 days later, as Jesus celebrates the Passover with his disciples what does he do? He takes bread and says, this is my body broken for you. And then he takes a cup of wine and says, this is my blood which is shed for you. Jesus makes it so clear that he is the lamb of God whose sacrifice, whose death on the cross, not only takes away the sin of the world, it takes away our sin, yours and mine. In 1 John 2:2 it says that Jesus Christ is the righteous one, he is the pure spotless perfect one, He is the atoning sacrifice for our sin, and not only for our sins but for the sins of the whole world. We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. We are all sinners who can only find forgiveness and new life in the sacrificial blood of the lamb, the lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

So this spontaneous parade was anything but spontaneous. None of it happened by chance. Jesus has orchestrated this event perfectly. He has chosen the means of transportation and the route of the parade to fulfill what the prophet Zechariah had said, that the Messiah would ride from the Mt. of Olives into the city of Jerusalem riding on a colt, the foal of donkey. And Jesus chose the day as well because he wanted people to know that he was the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus still wants us to know that he is lamb of God who takes away our sin. This is what we celebrate & remember in Holy Communion, that it is only the sacrifice of Jesus that brings us forgiveness and new life.

Today is once again lamb selection day and we have a choice to make. Will we choose Jesus as our lamb? Will we trust in Christ alone to take away our sin? Will we place our faith & trust not in our own ability, not in our good works, not in our own self righteousness but in the sacrifice & in the blood of Jesus? We are saved by grace through faith only, so that no one can boast. We are saved by the grace of God that comes to us today through Jesus Christ, the lamb of God. Choose him today. Ask him to save you.

Living a life that counts ~ our relationship with Jesus

He had it all, this man who comes to Jesus. It says he was young, so he had many days in front of him to do whatever he wanted to do. It says he was rich, so he had resources to make a real difference in his community. From this same story in Luke’s gospel we learn this man was a ruler, so we know he was blessed with gifts and abilities in leadership that were recognized by the people around him, and he had developed strong healthy relationships with his family, friends and neighbors. Look at the commandments Jesus asked him if he followed: do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother. Do you notice something about these particular commandments? They all have to do with our relationships with one another, spouses, parents, friends and neighbors. So in essence what Jesus is asking him is if he is making the most of all the relationships God has given him, and his answer is yes. I have followed all these commandments since I was a youth.

If you have been with us these last few weeks you might say that this rich young man was living a life that counted. He was managing well all the days God had given him, all the money God had given him, all the gifts and abilities God had given him and all the relationships God had given him, but there was still something missing and that’s why he went to see Jesus

While on the outside it looked like he had it all and was living a life that really counted, when he looked inside himself, he knew there was something missing and he thought that Jesus might be the one to give it to him. We know this by the way the man approaches Jesus. Look at Mark 10:17, he ran up to Jesus and he fell on his knees before him. He speaks to Jesus with honor and respect calling him a good teacher. It appears that he really is searching for something more out of life and he believes Jesus has the answer. So this young man asks Jesus the question, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Now we might think he is just talking about an eternal life in heaven, but that was not really his question. For the Jews at this point in time, the concept of heaven and eternity was not well established. For them, eternal life was tied into living a life that counted for God in this world. Eternal life began by living a faithful and God centered life here and now. So when this man asks about inheriting eternal life, part of what he is asking is what must I do to live a life that counts, and he knows that it has to be more than just managing well his time, money, gifts and relationships because he is doing all of that for a long time and yet he knows that it just isn’t enough.

Jesus answers the question by saying, go sell all you have and give it to the poor and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me. Many times when we hear Jesus say this we think that getting the most out of life will come when we sell all we have and give it to the poor, but that’s not the key to living a life that counts and the reason we know this is because Jesus met lots of other rich people and he never told them to go sell all they had and give it to the poor. If living a faithful life required us to sell all we had and give it to the poor – Jesus would have told everyone he met to do that, but he doesn’t. So living a life that counts, finding the fullness of life and living for God isn’t found in selling all our possessions, living a life that counts is found when we follow Jesus. Living a life that counts will only be found when we enter into and grow in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

That’s what this story of the rich man shows us so clearly. While managing well our time, talent, money and relationships is important, even vital to living a purposeful faithful life, we can do all of that and still not get the most out of life, and we can do all of that and still not make an impact for God in this world –living a life that really counts only happens when we follow Jesus. This is why Jesus said to fishermen, tax collectors and now rich leaders of the community – follow me. Follow me is Jesus invitation for us to enter into a relationship with him where we will not only begin to experience the fullness of life but also begin to live a life that counts.

So what does it mean for us to enter into a relationship with Jesus?

I asked my sister that recently and I loved her answer, she said, I wonder why we go into a relationship with Jesus so differently than we do with anyone else....while there is the issue of not being able to see him and touch him (not a small issue I might add) the principles are still the same aren't they? You are introduced to someone. You spend time talking and listening to them. You learn from them and are influenced by them. As the relationship deepens there are more demands, struggles and some hard times, but we work through them because we love the other person. That really is what it means to enter into and be in a relationship with Jesus. We are introduced to him and then we begin to spend time talking and listening to him. We learn from him and allow his life, grace and love to influence and shape our lives. As the relationship grows, we find there are often more demands placed upon our lives and there will even be some hard times as we follow Jesus into some difficult places, but we do this because we love him and we know that he loves us. If you are here today, then you are already somewhere in this relationship with Jesus, what I would ask you to do is make the decision to go deeper into that relationship.

Maybe you are here today and are really just being introduced to Jesus. Maybe you are like the rich man who knows there has to be something more in life and you have heard about Jesus and think he has something to offer you. Maybe you know he has the answer for you but you aren’t sure how to find that answers for your life. Maybe you don’t even know the questions you need to ask. If any of that sounds like where you are today, what an exciting place to be, because the truth is that Jesus not only has answers for us, but he is the key to helping us make the most out of our lives and to top it all off, he wants to share all of this with us. Look back to the rich man. He is at that introduction stage himself and he asks Jesus for some answers and what we see is that Jesus is excited to give them. Look at what it says about Jesus, he looked at him and loved him. Jesus loved that this man was hungry and eager to learn about how to live a life that counted. Jesus loved that this man came to him to find the answers and Jesus is eager to invite him into a deeper relationship where he can find those answer the strength to live out those answers. Jesus is eager today to invite all of us into a deeper relationship and if you are in those first few steps of introduction, then ask Jesus to enter into that relationship with you. It really is that simple, we just ask Jesus to enter into a relationship with us. We ask Jesus to walk with us so we can begin to experience the life of God and learn how to live a life that counts.

Just like any relationship, there is great joy and excitement in those early stages of love and friendship with Jesus. It’s exciting to listen to Jesus and learn about his love and grace and the power of God. It’s exciting to think about how much God loves us and how much God wants to be part of our lives. It’s exciting to think that the God of the universe wants to use me to make a difference in this world and to help make my life count for something here and now. It’s exciting to be in those early stages of a relationship with Jesus where everything is new and fresh, but as you know from other relationships, to keep that excitement going takes an investment of time. We have to be willing to set aside time to pray and read God’s word because that’s how we listen to God and learn about Jesus. It’s through prayer and reading the scriptures that the life and example of Jesus can begin to influence our own lives so that our lives take on deeper meaning. It’s in times of worship that we deepen our relationship with God because this is the time and place where Jesus meets us. Jesus said to his followers that whenever two or more are gathered together – he will be in the midst of them, so when we gather for worship we know Jesus is here. When we gather in small groups for Bible study or fellowship or service – we know that Jesus is there and if Jesus is there then we have the opportunity to grow deeper in our relationship with him.

Taking time to be with Jesus is important. If we don’t spend time with people – those relationships will suffer and if we don’t spend time with Jesus, our relationship with him will suffer – so a relationship with Jesus calls for us invest time, but it also calls us to be willing to change and some of those changes can be difficult. Every time Jesus called someone to follow him, they had to make a change in their lives. When Jesus called the fishermen to follow him they had to drop their nets and leave behind their lives as fishermen. They had to leave behind the comfort of their homes and the security of their jobs to follow Jesus. When Jesus called Matthew the tax collector to follow him, he had to leave behind his life as a tax collector and all the financial security that position provided him. Look at the changes Jesus asked of the rich man, go sell all you have and give it to the poor. That’s a pretty radical change, and as we go deeper in our relationship with Jesus there will be times when God will call us to change. God is calling many of us to make changes in our hearts and lives today and like the rich man we have a choice to make. We can make those changes and go deeper with Jesus and experience more of a life that counts – or we can walk away sad.

What are the changes God is calling you to make today? Is it to let go of the faith and trust we place in our finances? Is it to let go of past hurts and be willing to forgive those who have sinned against us just as God has forgiven us? Maybe God is calling us to let go of our hopes and dreams so that we can embrace God’s vision and plans. A few weeks ago at our Sunday evening worship we heard Rob Bell tell this amazing story about his young son who had spent the morning collecting shells and pieces of shells as they walked along the beach. After a while they noticed a starfish bobbing in the water a they told him to go get it, it was his starfish. So their son runs out into the water and just gets his feet wet when he returns to them. They say to him, come on, go get it, it’s your, its yours. So he runs out into the water goes a little deeper before he again turns around and runs back to them on the shore, and again they say, no, go get it, it’s your starfish go get it. So he goes out a third time and gets in a little deeper and then runs back up onto the beach and his parents say, what’s wrong go get your starfish and finally he says, I can’t, my hands are full of shells.

That starfish is our relationship with Jesus and it is right there for us to grab hold of, but too often we aren’t willing to let go of the shells and pieces of shells that we are holding on to. We can hold on to so many things that are good, but in the process we miss out on what is best. We hold on to our money so we can take care of ourselves and our family in an uncertain future, and yet Jesus says, if you would only trust me I would provide for you in amazing and miraculous ways. We hold on to our the brokenness and pain of relationships because we don’t want to let go of the hurt and anger, but as long as we hold onto those broken pieces of life and love – God can’t bring healing, forgiveness, and new relationships into our lives. And we hold on to our own plans thinking that we have all the answers and just need God to bless our ways, and yet Jesus says, if you would just let go and enter into a deeper relationship with me you would find a great vision, a greater plan and make a deeper impact in this world.

Entering into a relationship with Jesus will call each of us at some point in time to make some difficult changes in how we live. Now don’t tell my sister this, but she wrote something very profound in her email to me this week. She said, how do I enter into that relationship with Jesus? That is the easy part....just ask him. Jesus I want to have a relationship with you. The hard part is living it out. Living out that relationship – going deeper into a relationship with Jesus is hard because Jesus will call us to let go of more and more of us so we can experience more and more of Him, and yet isn’t that how we grow in any relationship – letting go of more and more of us so we can experience more and more of someone else.

If that is where you are today, if God is asking you to give away more and more of who you are so you can experience more and more of who He is, do it. Go deeper into that relationship with Jesus because it is only in that relationship that we can find and live a life that counts. Actually, it is only in that relationship that we can find life.