Notes for a sermon preached at the Marbury Church of God on May 20, 2007. Today’s readings include the following text:

16:16 And when we were going to the place of prayer, we came across a girl with a spirit which gave knowledge of the future, whose masters made great profit from her power.
16:17 She came after Paul and us, crying out and saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who are giving you news of the way of salvation.”
16:18 And this she did on a number of days. But Paul was greatly troubled and, turning, said to the spirit, “I give you orders in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.
16:19 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they took Paul and Silas, pulling them into the market-place before the rulers;
16:20 And when they had taken them before the authorities, they said, “These men, who are Jews, are greatly troubling our town;
16:21 Teaching rules of living which it is not right for us to have or to keep, being Romans.”
16:22 And the people made an attack on them all together: and the authorities took their clothing off them, and gave orders for them to be whipped.
16:23 And when they had given them a great number of blows, they put them in prison, giving orders to the keeper of the prison to keep them safely:
16:24 And he, having such orders, put them into the inner prison with chains on their feet.
16:25 But about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were making prayers and songs to God in the hearing of the prisoners;
16:26 And suddenly there was an earth-shock, so that the base of the prison was moved: and all the doors came open, and everyone’s chains came off.
16:27 And the keeper, coming out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, took his sword and was about to put himself to death, fearing that the prisoners had got away.
16:28 But Paul said in a loud voice, Do yourself no damage, for we are all here.
16:29 And he sent for lights and came rushing in and, shaking with fear, went down on his face before Paul and Silas,
16:30 And took them out and said, Sirs, what have I to do to get salvation?
16:31 And they said, Have faith in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will have salvation.
16:32 And they gave the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
16:33 And that same hour of the night, he took them, and when he had given attention to their wounds, he and all his family had baptism straight away.
16:34 And he took them into his house and gave them food, and he was full of joy, having faith in God with all his family.
Acts 16:16-34 [+/-]Acts 16:16-34 [16]As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. [17]She followed Paul and us, crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation." [18]And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out that very hour. [19]But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. [20]And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. [21]They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice." [22]The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. [23]And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. [24]Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. [25]About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, [26]and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. [27]When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. [28]But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." [29]And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. [30]Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" [31]And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." [32]And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. [33]And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. [34]Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. (ESV)
BBE

Come back soon for an update to this entry….

The text: Revelation 21:10 [+/-]Revelation 21:10 [10]And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, (ESV)
, Revelation 21:22-27 [+/-]Revelation 21:22-27 [22]And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. [23]And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. [24]By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, [25]and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. [26]They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. [27]But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. (ESV)
, Revelation 22:1-5 [+/-]Revelation 22:1-5 [22:1]Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb [2]through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. [3]No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. [4]They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. [5]And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (ESV)

21:10 And in the spirit he carried me away to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
21:22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
21:24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
21:25 Its gates will never be shut by day–and there will be no night there.
21:26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
21:27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
22:2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
22:3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him;
22:4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
22:5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

We look again today at the church, through the symbolic language of the Book of Revelation.

1. The church’s place is a holy place, and a heavenly place

2. It is God’s own place (v. 22): no lesser lights are needed (v. 21:23; cf. Jeremiah 31:34 [+/-]Jeremiah 31:34 [34]And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (ESV)
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3. It is an international place (v. 24)

4. It is an open place (v. 25)

5. It is an inclusive place (v. 26)

6. It is an exclusive place (v. 27)

7. It is a life-giving place (vv. 22:1-2a) (compare Ezekiel 47 [+/-]Ezekiel 47 [47:1]Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. [2]Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. [3]Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. [4]Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee- deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. [5]Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. [6]And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. [7]As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. [8]And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. [9]And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. [10]Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. [11]But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. [12]And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing." [13]Thus says the Lord GOD: "This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. [14]And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance. [15]"This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo- hamath, and on to Zedad, [16]Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer- hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. [17]So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side. [18]"On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side. [19]"On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side. [20]"On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side. [21]"So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel. [22]You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. [23]In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD. (ESV)
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8. It is a healing place. (2b)

9. It is a place of worship (vv.3, 4)

10. It is a place light (v. 5; also 21:22)

11. It is a place of constant victory (v. 5).

Our text today: Revelation 21:1-6 [+/-]Revelation 21:1-6 [21:1]Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2]And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3]And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4]He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." [5]And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." [6]And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (ESV)

(These notes are abbreviated, and the full sermon was rather more complete. Watch this space for the time we can begin podcasting the sermon itself.)

21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.
21:2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them;
21:4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”
21:5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
21:6 Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

Today we’re going to talk about the hope that God has placed in us. I’m sure each of us has an idea, or an image, in our minds that comes up whenever we think of Heaven, of the dwellingplace of God, of the promise given to believers for eternal life. It’s appropriate for us to make sure that we are fit for heaven. We spend our lives, in a way, doing that. Those of us who work for justice, peace, healing, and equality do so, when we’re at our best, as ones who are mindful that Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come, for God’ will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Ah, but that brings up the question: How is God’s will done in heaven? That becomes relevant for us if we are to even pray properly, and also if we are to recognize when our prayers have been answered.

The first thing we see in our passage is that heaven, and indeed when God is done with it, earth, is something new. There are those who look for God to come and set up an earthly kingdom of some kind, modeled after the kingdoms of this world. Peter says in his second epistle, We look for a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

The second thing we see is that the church of God, designated here as the new Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, is in heaven already, and is not going to heaven. You went to heaven, in a certain way, the day you became a Christian and thus became a member of this Bride, this Body, this holy temple. In John’s vision the church is holy and complete, already belonging to God, every stone and precious pearl in place.

The third thing we see is that God does not bring the people of earth up to heaven, but brings heaven down to us. Where God is, is healing from sorrow and pain.

The fourth thing is, that God makes all things new. He doesn’t just renew what is old, bad, sinful, or wrong; he renews everything.

The fifth thing is, that God gives life freely as a gift to all who thirst for it.

Sermon notes for April 29, 2007 at the Marbury Church of God.

John 10:22-30 [+/-]John 10:22-30 [22]At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, [23]and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. [24]So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." [25]Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me, [26]but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. [27]My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [28]I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. [29]My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. [30]I and the Father are one." (ESV)

10:22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,
10:23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon.
10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
10:25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me;
10:26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.
10:27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.
10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
10:29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.
10:30 The Father and I are one.”

Psalm 23 [+/-]Psalm 23 [23:1]The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2]He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3]He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4]Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5]You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6]Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
23:3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff– they comfort me.
23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

The source of the church’s provision is Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. The church is unlike any other organization in the world, in that it lives under supernatural protection and guidance.

In our passage in John 10:30 [+/-]John 10:30 [30]I and the Father are one." (ESV)
, specifically when speaking of his role as shepherd, Jesus identifies himself with God the Father in the strongest possible terms. His questioners, the Jews (actually the leaders: Pharisees, teachers of the law, chief priests and elders) have challenged him to say plainly whether he is the Messiah. His difficulty is a simple one, though. He is the Messiah, but he is not the kind of Messiah they are looking for: they want a nationalistic leader who will unite their people politically, organize them militarily, resolve their disputes judicially, enforce right behavior autocratically, purify the occupancy of the land ethnically, and restore the kingdom of Israel to the prominent place it had under David and Solomon as the wonder of the world.

But none of those things are on his agenda. Today we still have those who look for a messiah to do all of those things, and are in danger of failing to see that God does not provide the followers of Jesus a role greater than or different from what we saw in him the first time.

If Jesus simply were to announce “yes, I am the Messiah,” without radically redefining for their understanding what the Messiah is and what the Messiah’s purpose is to be, they would remain deceived and would expect many things of him which he had no intention to deliver. He has already refused a popular call to take him by force and make him king. So he has used other words to describe himself and the way in which he has received God’s anointing as David’s heir: he is the light of the world, the good shepherd, the bread of life, the source of living water.

Some things about the way the shepherd provides for his sheep:

First, he provides a calling: My sheep hear my voice. Not just a calling but a response: they follow. And here’s an important point: I know them, he says. Jesus knows his sheep. He can tell when one is missing or gone astray. We know from the parable of the lost sheep that he will go to extraordinary lengths to get one stray back into the fold. We could spend quite a bit of time talking about his care for the individual sheep, and how precious and important each one is to Jesus, but here I want to notice something that almost could go unnoticed, because it almost goes without saying: the sheep belong in a flock, they are called together, they follow together. The individual, personal relationship each of us as sheep has with Jesus does not eliminate our need to move together, under his calling, with others who are called; indeed, it intensifies it.

Next he provides a gift better than all other gifts: I give them eternal life. Eternal life is, in John’s gospel, a shorthand for all that Jesus gives. John uses it the way the other evangelists use “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Kingdom of God.” This is contrasted with the kingdoms of this world, which was offered to Jesus by the Devil in his temptation.

Looking through Psalm 23 [+/-]Psalm 23 [23:1]The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [2]He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. [3]He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. [4]Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [5]You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. [6]Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
, we can see some more about God’s provision for his people: I shall not want = I have everything I need. Whether it be our daily bread, strength for the day, or the spiritual riches we are talking about, those who respond in obedience to Jesus will lack nothing. Next is a picture of shalom: green pastures, still waters; peace and plenty without strife.

He restores my soul. Like the prodigal, the one who hears the voice of of the Good shepherd “comes to himself.” How easy it is to forget who we are! We know who we are when we know whose we are and act accordingly. Look at what James says (James 1:23-25 [+/-]James 1:23-25 [23]For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. [24]For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. [25]But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV)
): Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it” he will be blessed in what he does. It is important to remember ourselves, which we do by hearing and heeding his voice. Then he truly leads us in right paths for his name’s sake. All of this is true not just for us as individuals but for the church as church. If we let ourselves be just another gathering of people with no purpose and no power, listening to our own anxious voices and the voices that clamor around us, without focusing constantly on the word of God and especially the voice of Jesus, we will easily lose our way; but if remember that this church is God’s church, that Christ himself is our chief pastor, and that when he leads us into a new place it is going to be a place of blessing and peace, we’ll not be like that fellow who forgets what he looks like; we’ll move forward with confidence.

But what if we follow him as he leads and instead of seeing ourselves in a place of peace and contentment, it looks like the path is a dangerous one? What if it looks like doing what he says could spell death for the church as we know it? The psalmist keys in on this possibility, that the path on which he leads us may look deadly: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; Isn’t that the key? When we follow him, his presence stays close with us. His correction and direction become sources of comfort; we can feast in the place where our circumstances say we should fear: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. So we become victors in all things. Our Shepherd will supply our needs.

Notes for Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 10:00 AM at the Marbury Church of God

The text: John 21:1-19 [+/-]John 21:1-19 [21:1]After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. [2]Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. [3]Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. [4]Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5]Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No." [6]He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. [7]That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. [8]The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. [9]When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. [10]Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." [11]So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. [12]Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. [13]Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. [14]This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. [15]When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." [16]He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." [17]He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. [18]Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go." [19](This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me." (ESV)

After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.
Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”
He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.
But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.
Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.
This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”
(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

These disciples had a lot going for them. They had been with Jesus for the length and breadth of his ministry; they had not only seen him heal and perform miracles, but had been among those whom he sent out two by two to heal and perform miracles in his name. They had returned to him with joy, reporting that even the demons were subject to them in the name of Jesus. They had eaten of the multiplied loaves and fishes. They had heard his private explanations of his public teaching, the keys and meanings to the parables with which he taught the crowds. They had gone place to place with him, and had entered Jerusalem with him on that final, fateful week where he spent his time teaching in the temple. They had been with him at the last supper, heard him re-interpret for him the Passover celebration, received his instructions about the new covenant. He had washed their feet. Then they had gone with him to the garden of Gethsemane, seen him pray in agony, seen him arrested, taken away, spat upon, lied about, accused of outrageous things, and sentenced to die; and they had seen him die, heard him utter the words of forgiveness from the cross. They had gathered in a huddle, fearful of whether they would be the next target of the authorities, and had then been confronted, first with reports, then with more confirmations that he was alive, and finally with Jesus himself, present with them, showing them his scars, teaching them again, filling their hearts with joy, commissioning them to forgive sins in his name and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

They knew his presence; had received his Spirit; had learned of his power, that it was for them to use to spread the message of forgiveness of sin. But still these disciples, blessed and enriched as they were with all of their experience of Jesus, had no clear purpose. They had all of this going for them, and just weren’t really sure what to do with it. Finally, after a few weeks they had begun to scatter, each to tend, no doubt, to their own affairs, the things in their lives that perhaps had been left behind when they had first forsaken all to follow him. Our scene opens back up in Galilee, by the lake where Jesus had first called several of them. Seven of the eleven are there, perhaps all members of that fishing community: Simon, Thomas, James and John, Philip, Nathaniel, and two others… and they are about to do what people do. Lacking a clear purpose driving them, they just go back to what they are good at, what they enjoy, what they know. They’re fishermen all, and starting with Peter, they are going fishing. He takes the lead, they all get in the boat, and….. nothing.

There is a stage in the life of the church where we can be fully instructed, fully empowered, fully filled with the experience of walking with Jesus and being in his presence, but we still all have our own ideas of what we’re good at, and what way we should best spend our time. We can use our expertise, gathering with some subset of people we get along well with…. not now all the people of God, maybe, but the ones who are most like us, with whom we share both spiritual and natural bonds, who share our interests and abilities…. and we can get involved in things that seem like a good idea; only to find that after a whole night of toil, there is nothing to show.

Into this situation Jesus again appears. He’s not going to scold them for going back to fishing, even though he had called them, once, away from that life. He just asks, calling from a distance: “Children, have you any fish?” Did you catch anything? Are you being successful?

They have to admit: No luck so far.

The situation is much like that first encounter he had with them by that very lake, when he had called Simon and Andrew and James and John to follow him. That time also, after a fruitless night, he had instructed them in how to do what they did best. This time he tells them where to cast their net, and what a catch they suddenly have!

When we attend to the voice of Jesus, success will follow us even in our ordinary tasks.

Now we have two disciples, namely the one identified as “the disciple who Jesus loved— that would be John, who is now telling us this story — and Peter, who begin to suspect that this is Jesus. They both were there that other time, and this event is just too uncannily similar. So John gives Pete a heads up, and Peter, remembering perhaps so many of his faults, has no time any more for fish — he wastes no time in getting to Jesus. Perhaps here we begin to have a clue how he is to emerge as the leader of this group.

The relationship with Jesus is more important even than the task at hand.

So the blessing and instruction of our Lord gives them success in what they have set out to do: the net contains a hundred and fifty-three large fish. He invites them to bring the fruit of their success, but look: Jesus does not depend on their work or their effort for his own provision for them. Yes, their labors have brought them a lot of fish, but Jesus himself has already cooked breakfast.

He’ll do for us infinitely more, even in the meeting of our daily needs, than any effort of ours can do for ourselves or for him.

So now that they know that he can provide for their personal needs, that purpose for their lives is off the table. He can feed them, can prepare for them a feast without labor on their own part. So now, the question turns in a very personal way to what the purpose of their lives is going to be. For the world, the purpose is survival, doing one’s own work, getting successful. He has set all that aside, because success is not an issue, daily sustenance is not an issue, he’s got all of that covered. So now comes the crucial conversation.

Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?

Do you love me more than the familiar things of your life? Do you love me more than the friends you grew up with, the people you enjoy working with? Do you love me more than the work you love to do? Or am I just, perhaps, one more thing for you to add to your list of familiar, enjoyable interests?

do you love me…. more than these?

Yes, Lord, he says….. you know I love you.

Then, says Jesus: Feed my lambs.

No longer is the purpose of Peter’s life to feed himself, or his family, or the friends he loves to go fishing with. Jesus has shown this very morning that all of those needs are well within the divine capability to meet. Now Peter has a new mandate, a new purpose, which is to grow directly out of this special relationship he has with Jesus: Feed my lambs.

How we want to show our love for Jesus in our own private worlds, whether with worship and praise and private prayer, whether with celebrating with family and friends the familiar things that make our lives so blessed! How we so tend to be satisfied to be among the seven disciples that we know how to get along with, figuring those others can get along fine on their own! How satisfied we can be, thinking yes Lord, I love you, and I love the comfort of my life….. until he challenges us with the question, Do you love me more than these? If you truly love me, feed my lambs.

Some of the lambs are strays, that must be found. Some are sick or wounded, and must be tended. Some will need such comfort from you that they will not immediately give comfort to you. But if you love me, he asks again and gives the answer twice more: Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.

You have been called by Christ, and your life is not your own. You have given it away freely when you received his love and declared your love for him. Your purpose is no longer to provide for your convenience, to do what you know best, to stay with the familiar. You have a purpose that will bring you beyond yourself, and it may mean that in the end the needs of others will prevail over your own. The Christ who was crucified, now risen from the dead, calls you to share with him in the willingness to set aside your own will, your own purpose, for the purpose of the tending of the ones he calls his own. They’re not yours, necessarily; but they’re in his flock. “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold,” he said back in his prayer in John 17 [+/-]John 17 [17:1]When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, [2]since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. [3]And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. [4]I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. [5]And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. [6]"I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. [7]Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. [8]For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. [9]I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. [10]All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. [11]And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. [12]While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. [13]But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. [14]I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. [15]I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. [16]They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. [17]Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. [18]As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. [19]And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. [20]"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, [21]that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. [22]The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, [23]I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. [24]Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. [25]O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. [26]I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them." (ESV)
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The church’s purpose: to tend his lambs, to feed his sheep, to care for Christ’s beloved in the name of Jesus, though it cost us our comfort and our familiar ways.

These things are worth loving, but he asks: “do you love me more than these?”

These seven disciples soon rejoined the other four, and the dozens more that formed that first community; and not many days after these events, the power of the gospel went forth with purpose. There’s no record that Peter or the others ever went fishing again, and no record that they regretted it either. They set themselves to live the love for Christ that they professed.

Outline for the sermon preached on April 15, 2007 in the 10 AM worship service at the Marbury Church of God.

Today’s text: John 20:19-31 [+/-]John 20:19-31 [19]On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." [20]When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. [21]Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." [22]And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. [23]If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." [24]Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. [25]So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." [26]Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." [27]Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." [28]Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" [29]Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." [30]Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; [31]but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (ESV)

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.”

Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

We are talking today about the church’s power. In this passage we see that the infant church, consisting on that first Easter evening of a group of frightened disciples, began to be empowered by the risen Christ. This empowerment involved a process begun that night and continuing over many days. It was not to be manifest until the outpouring of Pentecost, but God’s miraculous working is seldom instantaneous with no preparation. So here we will see some aspects of the power the church was to receive. (ref. Acts 1:8 [+/-]Acts 1:8 [8]But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (ESV)
).

The power of Presence
The church’s power begins with Christ’s presence. They had locked the doors in fear, but the risen Christ can penetrate the barriers of fear that arise in our hearts. Just when things seem to be at their worst, when all hope has been dashed, when the worst that could happen has happened, and there seems nothing for it but to cower and hide, try to disappear, forget about the grand hopes of former days and just figure out how to survive — there comes Jesus, ready to provide a Presence that will never leave. “I will never leave you or forsake you“ is his promise, and indeed later he tells this same group, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.“ It’s the same promise he had given long ago to Moses: “My Presence will go with you.” The first evidence to the world of the resurrection of Christ is disciples who have encountered him.

The power of Peace
The church’s power begins with peace. “Peace be with you“ is the first word of Jesus to his disciples. He says it not once but twice that night, and a third time a week later when he greets Thomas. Peace is the beginning-point of all Christian experience. It is the prerequisite for all ministry; and it is the fountainhead of the power of Christ. The church’s power begins with peace.

Today is Holy Saturday in the Eastern and Western churches
a day of silence
of waiting
of mourning
and of selfless service
therefore, a day for women
who do, so it seems, a lot of the above.

The sacred time between the crucifixion and the resurrection
when all paradoxes are at their peak
all contradictions brought into the open
the God of Life participating in Death
Holiness punished for sin
The eternal Word, silent

but on Sunday morning, not with fanfare and blazing glory
but in the silence of an empty tomb
a witness to a life unstoppable is born.

On Sunday, March 25th, we were blessed to have Chadi Melki, Director of Cedar Home, an orphanage for girls in Beirut, Lebanon, as guest speaker. Below are the notes for his sermon.

1. 1.Greetings from Lebanon, Cedar Home, Church
2. 2.Thank you for having me.
3. 3.An Encouragement: Philippians 4:4-7 [+/-]Philippians 4:4-7 [4]Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. [5]Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6]do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7]And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (ESV)
   
• a. A powerful passage.
• b. It is hard these days to give thanks in all things.
• c. Look around, pain, suffering, illness, no money, hardship, war?
• d. Still you should rejoice, WHAT? This is what Paul says
• e. Because our God is all powerful. An Awesome God
• f. The Bible is full with stories of His great work.
• g. Examples:
  1. i. passing through a barricade in van
  2. ii.The elders being stopped at a checkpoint
• h. Still God sometimes does not let us through without any harm.
• i. 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 [+/-]2 Corinthians 12:8-9 [8]Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9]But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)
  
• j. So God says nope, deal with that live in that situation, I am going to make you better, grow you there.
• k. See our God is not a pampering God, But an encouraging God.
• l. You might say how do we rejoice in pain? We don’t.
• m. We rejoice in Christ our Lord even when it is painful
• n. He never promised heaven on earth but He promised GRACE
• o. God loves us more than we can imagine and there is nothing we can do for Him to love us more and there is nothing we can do for Him to love us less
• p. In difficult times we need to remember God’s power in our lives
• q. Lamentations 3:18-26 [+/-]Lamentations 3:18-26 [18]so I say, "My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD." [19]Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! [20]My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. [21]But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: [22]The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; [23]they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. [24]"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." [25]The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. [26]It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
  & Jeremiah 29:10-14 [+/-]Jeremiah 29:10-14 [10]"For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. [11]For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. [12]Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. [13]You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. [14]I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. (ESV)
  
• r. We need to rejoice in the Lord so He will protect our heart and minds from the whispering and thoughts of the devil and people around us so that we do not lose concentration.
• s. Example : opening seen from the passion of the Christ
• t. Dad’s passing
• u. Are you suffering today. Do you have a wide river you are trying to cross, a high mountain. Cling to Him, ask Jesus for Grace. He will be there for you. And always rejoice in His salvation even if you don’t see it.

He drew a circle to shut me out,
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win—
We drew a circle that took him in.
…Edwin Markham.