Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God.  So your experience of God may become your experience of life.  It is wonderful what God can do!

  

 

MAY 22, 2005

Sermon Archive

GOOD NEWS

    

AS YOU MAY KNOW, I OFTEN USED WHAT IS CALLED THE LECTIONARY IN TERMS OF OUR SCRIPTURE FOR SUNDAY. THE LECTIONARY IS A DIFFERENT DESIGNATED SCRIPTURE FOR EACH SUNDAY THAT COVERS THE WHOLE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS.

WE HAVE JUST HEARD THE ONE FOR TODAY FROM MATTHEW 28.

THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SCRIPTURE NOT ONLY BECAUSE JESUS SAID THESE WORDS, HIS FINAL WORDS, TO HIS DISCIPLES BEFORE HE ASCENDED TO BE WITH HIS HEAVENLY FATHER BUT BECAUSE THEY INCLUDE WHAT HAVE BECOME A NEW THEME FOR THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, "TO MAKE DISCIPLES FOR JESUS CHRIST."

AND THOUGH I AM A CHRISTIAN AND A PASTOR, THOSE WORDS HAVE SOMETIMES MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS, "TO MAKE DISCIPLES FOR JESUS CHRIST." IT WAS LIKE WE WERE TRYING TO TALK SOMEONE INTO SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO. AND WHEN WE HEAR OF ARM TWISTING EXPERIENCES OF SOMEONE TRYING TO MAKE A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, IT DOESN'T ALWAYS LEAVE A VERY GOOD TASTE IN OUR MOUTH.

YET, THIS IS OUR LECTIONARY READING FOR TODAY, GOD'S WORD FOR US TODAY. SO, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO WORK WITH IT.

YOU MAY KNOW THAT MATTHEW IS ONE OF THE FOUR GOSPELS. ALSO, THE WORD GOSPEL MEANS GOOD NEWS. IN FACT, THE NEXT GOSPEL MARK BEGINS WITH THESE WORDS, "THE BEGINNING OF THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD."

SIMPLY, THE POINT IS THAT GOD SEEKS TO BRING YOU AND THE WORLD THEN AND NOW GOOD NEWS.

LET'S THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT.

IN THE FIRST BOOK IN THE BIBLE, GENESIS, WE READ "IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, … ."

AND AS GOD KEPT CREATING MORE OF CREATION, HOW DO THE SCRIPTURES READ AT THE END OF EACH DAY? THEY READ, "AND GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD."

THINK OF ALL THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US THROUGH CREATION ALONE.
LATER, THROUGH MOSES, GOD RESCUED THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN SLAVES IN EGYPT TO LEAD THEM TO THE PROMISED LAND, A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY.

I WAS VISITING SOMEONE IN JAIL THE OTHER DAY. I HAD BEEN ASKED TO VISIT THIS PERSON BY A FAMILY MEMBER. AND I WAS GLAD TO DO SO.

THIS PERSON WAS IN JAIL ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES. AND THEY FIRST BEGAN TO TELL ME THAT THEY WERE MAD BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY PUNISHED TOO MUCH FOR WHAT THEY DID.

BUT, THEN THE TONE OF THIS PERSON BEGAN TO CHANGE. THEY BECAME MORE OPEN. AND THEN HE SAID SOMETHING WHAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME THOUGH IN A WONDERFUL SENSE. THEY SAID THAT HE HAD COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAD PUT HIM IN JAIL TO SAVE HIS LIFE, FIRST OF ALL TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM DRUGS.

AND, WHILE HE HAS BEEN THERE, THE CHAPLAIN VISITED HIM AND THEN HE STARTED TO ATTEND THE BIBLE STUDY.

AND DURING THAT PROCESS HE RE-STARTED HIS CHRISTIAN WALK. IN FACT, IN READS HIS BIBLE NOW SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. HE PRAYS. HE HAS LEARNED TO PRAY FOR EVERYONE. HE HAS COME TO UNDERSTAND AND RELY ON GOD AS HIS MOST IMPORTANT COUNSELOR.

ISN'T THAT WONDERFUL? ISN'T IT NEAT HOW GOD CAN WORK AND HELP SOMEONE.

WOULDN'T YOU CALL THAT GOOD NEWS?

HOPEFULLY YOU OR I WON'T HAVE TO GO TO JAIL, TO BEGIN TO REALIZE THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD INTENDS FOR OUR LIFE.

BUT ISN'T IT NEAT TOO HOW JAIL BARS ARE NO BARRIER FOR GOD'S GOOD NEWS MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE?

I WAS VISITING DORIS BENNION IN THE HOSPITAL THIS WEEK. AS YOU KNOW, SHE HAD SURGERY.

I SAW HER BEFORE HER SURGERY AND SHE WAS IN A GOOD MOOD, IN GOOD SPIRITS. NOT EVERYONE, UNDERSTANDABLY, FEELS THAT WAY BEFORE SURGERY.

BUT THEN SHE QUOTED WORDS THAT WERE READ ON HER BEHALF ONE SUNDAY MORNING AS HER SPIRITUAL STORY. SHE SAID, FROM HER HOSPITAL BED, "GOD IS MY REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE," WORDS FROM HER FAVORITE PSALM 46.

SHE COULD EVEN RELAX HEADING INTO SURGERY BECAUSE SHE COMPLETELY TRUSTED GOD FOR WHATEVER WOULD HAPPEN.

DORIS LET THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD REALLY WORK FOR HER. WOW!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES OF JESUS IS THIS ONE, "BE OF GOOD CHEER FOR I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD."

I COULD GO ON AND ON, PUT THE FIRST POINT HAS TO DO WITH GOOD NEWS, GOD SEEKS TO BRING YOU GOOD NEWS.

SO, RETURNING AGAIN TO OUR LECTIONARY SCRIPTURE FOR TODAY, GOD SEEKS TO BRING US GOOD NEWS IN JESUS, NEWS THAT IS SO WONDERFUL THAT WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF THE WHOLE WORLD COULD HEAR ABOUT IT AND EXPERIENCE IT?

FOR WE REMEMBER ANOTHER VERSE FROM THE BIBLE, "GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD … ."

 

YET, THERE IS ONLY ONE PROBLEM WITH THAT. THE SECOND POINT THEN IS THAT WE DON'T ALWAYS BELIEVE THE GOOD NEWS OR THAT THERE COULD BE GOOD NEWS BECAUSE OF THIS OR THAT OFTEN UNDERSTANDABLY DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE.

WE HAVE CRISES IN OUR OWN LIVES. WE SIN. WE SEE ON TV OR READ ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND US, THE CRIME, THE WARS, THE PREJUDICE AND HATE.

IT IS ALL TOO EASY TO ILLUSTRATE AND BELIEVE ONLY IN THE BAD NEWS.

JOHN MILTON, THE GREAT SEVENTEENTH CENTURY AUTHOR AND POET, AMONG HIS OTHER WORKS, WROTE TWO RENOWNED RELIGIOUS EPICS. ONE WAS CALLED THE PARADISE LOST AND THE OTHER WAS CALLED PARADISE REGAINED.

PARADISE LOST IS ABOUT SATAN AND HIS FALL FROM GLORY IN HEAVEN.

PARADISE FOUND IS ABOUT JESUS.


AND, IN LITERARY CIRCLES AND IN THE WORLD, WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK IS MOST REMEMBERED? IT IS PARADISE LOST WHICH IS ABOUT SATAN AND ALL THE HAVOC HE CREATES IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN AND ELSEWHERE.

IT SEEMS AS IF IT IS EASIER FOR US TO RELATE TO EVIL THAN GOOD, TO BAD NEWS RATHER THAN GOOD NEWS.

AND THE BAD NEWS, SO TO SPEAK, HAS BEEN BAD. IN FACT, IT HAS BEEN SO BAD, SO SINFUL, THAT JESUS HAD TO DIE ON A CROSS FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NONE OF US SHOULD EVER TAKE LIGHTLY, WHAT HE DID IN TERMS OF THE COST OF SIN, TO COVER THE BAD NEWS.

SO, AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE IS THE BAD NEWS OF LIFE, SOMETIMES IN OUR LIVES AND ALSO IN THE WORLD AROUND US.

 

SO, RETURNING AGAIN TO THE SCRIPTURE, WHAT DOES JESUS ASK US TO DO?

"GO THEREFORE AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU."

IN OTHER WORDS, IN RESPONSE TO THE BAD NEWS, THAT SAYS TO ME, LET'S GET THE GOOD NEWS OUT THERE. FOR WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY AND WORLD THAT COULD USE SOME GOOD NEWS.

RETURNING AGAIN TO MY FRIEND WHO PRESENTLY IS IN JAIL.

HE TOLD ME SOMETHING ELSE. HE SAID THAT A LOT OF THE OTHER INMATES SCOFF AT WHAT HE DOES. THEY KNOW HE NOW READS HIS BIBLE. AND WHEN HE SUGGESTS THAT THEY MAY WANT TO CONSIDER DOING THE SAME THING, THEY REALLY PUT HIM DOWN.

BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER INMATES WOULD RATHER BELIEVE IN THE BAD NEWS ABOUT LIFE, THAT THERE CAN ONLY BE BAD NEWS FOR THEIR LIFE. THEY ARE NOT READY TO APPRECIATE THAT THERE CAN BE GOOD NEWS FOR THEIR LIFE. THEY DO NOT YET WANT TO CONSIDER THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD IN CHRIST SEEKS TO MAKE POSSIBLE FOR THEIR LIFE.

THIS FRIEND IN JAIL TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS ONE PERSON THAT LISTENED TO HIM. HE WAS A YOUNGER MAN. AND NOW THIS YOUNGER MAN IS ALSO ATTENDING THE BIBLE STUDIES TOO.

MY FRIEND HAS HELPED INTRODUCE SOMEONE ELSE TO THE GOOD NEWS THAT CAN HAPPEN FOR HIS LIFE.

AND I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL THAT JESUS IS ASKING US TO DO, TO INTRODUCE OTHERS TO THE GOOD NEWS THAT GOD IN JESUS HAS FOR THEM.

IT IS OK FOR PERSONS TO FIND HOW THAT GOOD NEWS CAN WORK IN THEIR LIVES. FOR I BELIEVE THAT IT WORKS IN A WAY PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL TO EACH ONE US.

YET, I BELIEVE TOO THAT JESUS IS ASKING US AS HIS DISCIPLES INTENTIONALLY TO FIND WAYS TO HELP OTHERS CONSIDER WHAT THE GOOD NEWS, THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD, JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN MEAN FOR THEIR LIVES.


SO, OUR INVITATION FOR TODAY, WHAT IS GOD , JESUS ASKING YOU TO DO TODAY?

IS THERE SOMEONE GOD IS ASKING YOU TO HELP SO THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THE GOOD NEWS IN THEIR LIFE?

IS THERE SOMEONE JESUS IS ASKING YOU TO HELP SO THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THE GOOD NEWS IN THEIR LIFE?

IS THERE SOMEONE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASKING YOU TO HELP SO THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THE GOOD NEWS IN THEIR LIFE?

 

AND, I AM THANKFUL HELPING YOU DO THAT IS CHRIST HIMSELF. WE CAN BE COMFORTED AND STRENGTHEN BY THESE WORDS. FOR HE SAYS TO THE DISCIPLES THEN AS HE SAYS TO YOU NOW, IN THAT GOOD NEWS PURPOSE, "REMEMBER, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, … ."


 

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