John

IF YOU FEED YOUR COW MILK WILL IT GIVE HAY?
John 1:35-42
Introduction:

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT. This is one of the most well-known euphemisms. Apparently, it's purpose is to illustrate the need to mind one's own business. The lesson here seems to be that if the cat had not been so curious, and had attended to it's own affairs, the cat would still be alive. But this euphemism doesn't always work. Mom told her son, "Stop asking so many questions! Don't you know that curiosity killed the cat?" Her son thought about this a moment and then said, "What did the cat want to know?" If you think about it, that's a good question. We're curious to know what the cat was curious about. The truth is, it is human nature to be curious. A little boy once went to visit his uncle's farm in the country. Uncle had some cows. After a couple of weeks one of the uncle's best milking cows, developed a severe colic When the vet examined the cow, his diagnosis was that the cow had been drinking too much of it's own milk. After much questioning, the little boy finally came forward and admitted that he had been force feeding the cow milk. Why? Because he just had to know, if you fed your cow milk, would it give hay? Remember when you were a child and you would look under a rock just see what was there. You would mix all the chemicals together in your chemistry set, just to see what would happen. Curiosity.

AND ALTHOUGH, CURIOSITY TAKEN TO THE EXTREME CAN BE DANGEROUS. Curiosity can be a good thing. It has been the curious minds in our history that have brought us some of life's greatest inventions. It has been the curious minds that have solved the unsolvable crimes. Curiosity makes us question and learn. We step outside of our comfort zones and take chances, because we have to know. If you feed your cow Hay will it give milk? We laugh and say, "Of course not." But they laughed at nautical sailors who believed they could sail around the world. They laughed at Benjamin Franklin when he flew his kite in a thunderstorm, and somebody probably laughed when John said, "See that carpenter over there? He's the lamb of God." But two disciples of John didn't laugh, they were curious. So they followed, and the lamb of God asked them a question, and then gave them an invitation.

WHAT DO YOU WANT? Now that's a question that's straight to the point. Here are two disciples of John The Baptist, most likely they had stood on the Jordan river many times. Watching this prophet baptize people, listening to his words of repentance, and a coming future Kingdom of God. Listening to him prophecy of one who would come. One so much greater than John himself, that this great prophet of God did not even consider himself worthy to untie his shoes. And Jesus walks into the story, and notice in John's gospel Jesus is never really baptized. Not that this gospel is suggesting that he wasn't baptized, but John's gospel places the emphasis on Jesus as messiah. Jesus the Lamb of God. So these two disciples leave John to follow someone greater. Jesus turns around and sees them and asks, "What do you want?" And I can't help but wonder if they even knew the answer to that question. Was it curiosity? Were they following because they just had to know. Who is this guy really? What's he going to do? What really happens if you give your cow milk? Or were they looking for something more? Maybe they didn't even know, "What Do You Want?" We need to know the answer to that question, we need to know what it is we want from life. Otherwise we will never be happy. But most importantly, we need to know what we want from God. That we want what God has to give. That our expectations of God doesn’t limit God's ability to be God. Friends, we have to let God be God. We can't put God in a box. If God is God then God will show me signs. If God is God then God will give me happiness on my terms. If God is God, God will answer my prayers they way I want them answered. If God always acted and responded the way we expect, God would not be God. But God would be a genie in a lamp, popping out when we needed a wish granted, and then smoking himself back into the bottle until the next time we called. But God is so much more than that. But to experience all that God is, all that God has for us, we have to respond to God's invitation to.

COME AND SEE!! The two former disciples of John responded to Jesus, question with a question. Where do you live? Again, it might have been simple curiosity, or they may have wanted to become a disciple of this man who was greater than John. But the end result was they went!! And their lives would be forever changed, their curiosity satisfied. Jesus still gives the invitation. The gospel story is the story of Jesus saying to humanity, "Come and see what God is really like." Experience the freedom of real forgiveness. Feel the power of the Holy Spirit. Come and have your curiosity satisfied. Friends, the truth is, we need to be curious about the things of God. We need to have a hunger to know all there is to know of God. Webster's dictionary defines curiosity as, "A readiness to be concerned with or moved by something." Jesus calls us to be concerned about Spiritual things, to be aware that we are more than what we see. Jesus also calls us to free ourselves from ourselves so that we can be moved by God's Holy Spirit. Moved to a place where we have such a desire to know God that we will "Come to God and see" what God has to offer.

WE LIVE IN A CURIOUS WORLD. Only trouble is people are often curious about the wrong things. Oscar Wilde once said, "The pubic often has an insatiable curiosity to know everything except that which is worth knowing." People will watch Jerry Springer, Mother Love, Rikki Lake, because they want to know what's going to happen next. They're curious about these people's lives, but they don't want to get involved in the life of the person who stands on the street corner with a sign that says, "I will work for food." People will slow down to look at a traffic accident, because they're curious. Somebody might be hurt, but you can travel 20 minutes to downtown and watch these same people step over the sick homeless man sleeping on the sidewalk. Friends, Jesus came to satisfy our curiosity. Jesus came so that we could know God. He lived a life asking people, "What do you want?" He lived a life showing people that no matter what they might think they want, what they really wanted, what they needed, was God. And at every opportunity he extended the invitation to "Come and see." Come and see what God has to offer you. Come, experience the freedom of forgiveness. Come and feel the power of the Spirit.

IF WE ARE TO TRULY BE THE CHURCH THAN WE MUST ATTEMPT TO BE LIKE JESUS. We need to live lives that invite people to come and see our God is all about. If you come into this church, or any church, just so you can get what you need. If you just quietly in your seat and hope to soak up something that makes you feel good. You're missing the point. God calls us to be disciples, which actually means students. So that we can eventually become apostles. Which means messengers or witnesses. If we simply come and listen and don't respond to the invitation we miss the point, and we forget who we are as the church. It's like James said. Read James 1:22-25. There are so many things in this life that we waste our time and energies on that just don't matter. It really doesn't matter, if we ever find out what killed the cat. What happens if your feed your cow milk? What does matter is that we know what we want out of life? And that what we truly want we will find in Jesus. It matters that we love God enough that we allow Jesus into our lives. That we respond to his invitation to "Come and See." What matters is that we love those around us enough to say to them. Come and See! Come and See What I Have! Come and See My Loving Church! Come and See Jesus!

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A SECOND CHANCE
John 3:1-17
Introduction:

SECOND CHANCES. Baseball Boy It's the most important game of the season. Bottom of the ninth. Down one run. Bases loaded, and a ten year old boy is up to bat, scared to death. Hitting the ball has never been a strength, and yet everybody is looking at him. Everybody is counting on him. What happens? He stands in the batters box petrified, and watches as three perfect strikes whiz past his bat. For the rest of his life his one wish, if I just had a second chance!
Mother/Daughter She's gotten too big for her britches lately. Never seems to obey her curfew. Doesn't do her chores. Hasn't seen even a "C" on her report card in a long while. And Mom doesn't like her new boyfriend. He dresses like a thug, and reminds her of all the boys her Mom would never let her date. But she doesn't want to be like her mom, so she let's her daughter go to the party. Even though she knows there's going to drugs and alcohol. On the way home the daughter and the boyfriend are involved in an accident and they're both killed. He was driving drunk. All her life her one wish, if I could just have a second chance!

WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE IT WAS THE NICODEMUS WAS LOOKING FOR? Was it a second chance? Did Nicodemus have some past sin or hurt that he wanted deliverance from? What was it that caused him to take the chance of seeking out Jesus? Jesus was the enemy! Nicodemus was a member of the Jewish ruling council. Jesus was threatening their authority. They were looking for ways to get him. It was risky for Nicodemus to talk to this man, so risky that he went to Jesus under the cover of night. Now perhaps it was just curiosity. The Pharisees said Jesus was a fake, but the man could do miracles. He could change water into wine. He healed people. He fed multitudes. And regardless of WHY Nicodemus went to Jesus, regardless of what He was looking for, what Nicodemus found was a second chance!

JESUS IS ABOUT SECOND CHANCES. Jesus came to give the world a second chance. Since the creation all God has wanted was a relationship with humanity. God just wanted to love us, but we rebelled against that love and it started with Adam. Adam and Eve had it made, but they weren't satisfied with the status quo. Living every day in paradise basking in the love of God wasn't enough for them. They did the one thing God asked them not to do, and royally messed up. Proving that they weren't worthy of the paradise God had made for them. Causing God to question if we fallible human beings were even worth all the effort. But God is the God of Second Chances. So God sent the law and the prophets, everything was spelled out. All the people had to do was to follow the directions, and they could once again bask in God's love. But it wasn't enough, again the people weren't satisfied. Instead of following the directions, they said in Effect, "We'll do it our way!" They broke the law, they ignored the prophets. So God sent Jesus; because God is the God of Second Chances. What "born again" in this scripture text means is literally to begin all over again. To be given a second birth, a second chance. That's what this scripture text is about, A Second Chance! A man named Nicodemus came to Jesus by night seeking help. Jesus told him, "Surely you must be born over." Now some of you are thinking, "hold on Bro. Steve my bible says, "Born Again." In fact, we don't even have to look at our Bibles. We've heard it over and over again the phrase is "born again." Isn't it?! But the original Greek word for "again", in this text, also means, from above. Born again would mean to start over, born from above means a heavenly birth. It's clear in Jesus' discussion with Nicodemus that he means both. Born again, and born from above. And if we say, "Born Over," it can mean both. In other words you have to start over again. You get a new beginning, but it's not of your own doing. It's not something you do, it has to be God's work in you, it's a heavenly birth.

AND THE THING IS, THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT IS CONCRETE. There is not a set pattern to salvation. I'm always leery of people who push a specific salvation plan. You've got to say this prayer this way. You've got to fall down on your knees. You've got to have an experience. One of the questions Nicodemus asks Jesus concerns the how of salvation. "How can this be?" "How can a man be born when he is old?" Listen to Jesus response, Read verse 8. What Jesus is saying is, "It's a Mystery!" Some people point to specific scriptures claiming a

set pattern to conversion. Read Romans 10:8-10 Now at face value this scripture seems to be suggesting that a person must make a verbal confession to be saved. So what happens if you're mute. Is there no grace for those who can't speak. Of course if we read on we see that a verbal confession is not what matters. Read verses 8:12-13. The Lord is Lord of all. It does not matter how you call on God, and the heart calls much better than the mouth. We know that the scriptures tell us that to be saved we need to repent and be baptized. But Jesus told the thief on the cross, who simply called out for Jesus to remember him. Today you will be with me in paradise! We have at least two distinct models of salvation in the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul who encountered Christ while traveling on the road to Damascus. His was a powerful encounter. It was blinding. At that instant Paul's life was changed. All throughout his life Paul would look back to that experience, as the moment when he was born over. When he was given a second chance. Timothy had a different experience. Timothy's salvation was gradual. Paul writes Timothy reminding him that, "He has been instructed with the knowledge of Christ since he was a child." It's doubtful that Timothy could pinpoint the exact moment that he was born over. But both men knew who God was. Both men had been given a second chance. Both had been born over.

NICODEMUS CAME TO JESUS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO KNOW WHO GOD WAS. We don't know that Nicodemus ever discovered who God was. Although the Bible never tells us if Nicodemus listened to Jesus words about salvation. He must have been affected by what he heard. In the 17th chapter of John we see Nicodemus arguing for fair treatment of Jesus. In the 19th chapter it's Nicodemus who along with Joseph of Arimethea prepares the body of Jesus for burial. And it really doesn't matter for us today if Nicodemus found what he was looking for, supremely what really matters. Do You Know Who God Is? Has God revealed God's self to you? Have you been from above? Have you been given a second chance? Have you been born over?

DO YOU KNOW WHO GOD IS TO YOU? Nothing really happens in our spirits until by Grace we respond to God in a person-to-person connection. This is what Jesus is trying to get Nicodemus to see. It's not what God is. It's not what God's like. But who is God to you?
John Wesley 259 years ago an Anglican priest went half-heartedly to a small group Bible study and prayer meeting. The study was Romans. The leader read an introduction to the book by Martin Luther. This Anglican Priest, who stood about 4'10", said later that as the leader was reading he felt his heart strangely warmed, and he knew in his heart, that he was a Christian, his sins forgiven, the assurance of salvation certain. BEFORE that moment, this man, John Wesley, knew more about God that most of us will ever know. But IN that moment, something changed, he did not just know about God, he knew God! And his gospel message changed, and he began to go about his preaching with a different emphasis. YOU CAN KNOW GOD! YOU CAN KNOW YOU ARE SAVED! And in the next 50 years John Wesley began a Christian movement known as Methodism, and he changed the course of history. Jesus does not deal in abstract speculation. He asks you if you're ready to live by the breath of the Spirit. He says to you, "Are you born of the Spirit of God?" He says, "You've been given a second chance." Friends, you know that God loves you. You Know that he sent Jesus so that you might have eternal life. But do you really know God? And who is this God to you, right now? No matter who you are, what's you've done, where you've been, who you've hurt, how low you've sunk, it's never too late for a second chance. Because our God is THE God of second chances.

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IF WE ALL CAME OUT AT ONCE
John 11:1-45
Introduction:

SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE. Life Inside The Womb. Once upon a time twin boys were conceived in a womb. The spark of life grew and their brains began to take shape and form. With the development of the brains came feelings. And with the feelings came perception. Perception of each other, their lives, their surroundings. They discovered that life was good and they laughed and rejoiced in their hearts. "We're lucky to have been conceived and to have this wonderful world", said one "Blessed be our mother who gives us life and each other", said the other twin. Each of the twins continued to grow and soon their arms and fingers began to take shape. They stretched their bodies and kicked and churned inside their little world. They explored it and found the cord which gave them life from their mother's blood. And they sang to each other, "How wondrous and great is the love of our mother, she shares all she has with us!" Weeks passed into months and they noticed a change in each other and in themselves. "We're changing", said one, "what does this mean?" "It means", said the other, "that we're getting close to birth." An unsettling chill crept over the two. They were afraid of birth. Because it meant leaving the world they knew behind. Said the one, "If it were up to me, I would live here forever!" "But we must be born," said the other "It has happened to all the others." Indeed there was evidence inside the womb that mother had carried lives before theirs. "And I do believe there is life after birth, don't you?" "How can there be life after birth?," said the first." "Don't we shed our life cord?" "Have you ever talked to anyone who's been born?" And he continued , "What if the only purpose of our conception and our growth inside the womb is to die at birth?" "Then truly our life is senseless." "And if this is true, than there really can't be a Mother?" "I mean, we get our nourishment from this cord." "Our world has always been here." "If there's a Mother, where is she?" "Have you ever seen her?" "Did you ever talk to her?" "What if we just invented a Mother to make us feel safe and secure?" Thus while one raved and despaired, the other resigned himself to birth and placed his trust in the love of his mother. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, soon it was time. They both knew that their birth was at hand. They both feared what they did not know, as the one was first to be conceived, so he was first to be born, the other following. They cried as they were brought into the light. They coughed out fluid and gasped the dry air. And when they were sure they had been born, they Opened their eyes for the very first time. And what they saw was the beautiful eyes of their mother. They were home! It can be hard to believe in what we can't see. And it might be silly to imagine unborn babies, rationalizing the existence of a mother, and fearing the reality of birth. But then again, don't we sometimes rationalize the existence of God? Don't we often fear the reality of death. How wonderful it would be to really have tangible proof. To have an encounter with the miraculous. To experience something that takes away all doubts. What if we could be there for the raising of Lazarus?"

IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE. We're just sitting around doing nothing in particular when we get the news. Lazarus is sick! In fact, he's dying. Now, Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha are friends, Real Friends. The kind of friends that invite you into their home, in spite of the fact that it might make them unpopular with the important people. And so it's surprising when Jesus says, "Let's hang out here for a couple more days." That's not the way you treat friends. Everybody knows Jesus can heal him. He heals everybody. Even people who aren't his friends. But even though this doesn't sit right with you, you breath a little sigh of relief. Because Lazarus lives in a rough neighborhood, people get killed. In fact they've already tried to kill Jesus there. John the Baptist was killed there, those people in Judea are headhunters. But Jesus has to be Jesus, and so after a couple of days he does what you should have known He would do. He says, "Let's go back to Judea." Wonderful! Why did this have to happen now? Just when things are beginning to settle down, we have to march back into a hornets nest. He must want to get himself killed. Well fine them, let's just all go and die with him. And so we travel to Judea. We find out that Lazarus is not sick but he's dead. Been dead for four day, and the sisters are not happy. You can tell Martha's just a little put out with Jesus, "If you'd been here my brother wouldn't have died." And then Jesus says something that doesn't make any sense. "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Surely he's not suggesting Lazarus is not yet dead. He's been in the grave four days. Now it was the Jewish belief that after death the soul would hover over the body for three days, hoping to re-enter the body, but after the third day, when the soul sees the color of it's face has changed. The soul leaves the body for good. No one has ever been raised after the third day. But Jesus is not just anybody! So He leads us All to the tomb, Mary's there and like Martha she says, "Jesus if you'd only been here, he wouldn't have died." And then we saw something we never saw before, Jesus weeps. Does he feel guilty because he waited? Is he just mourning the death of a friend? It's surprising to see the Messiah crying. It's frightening. That anything in this world could bring the Son of God to tears. And just when we start to get concerned over His tears Jesus says, "Take away the stone." There's not a sound. There's no wind, and Jesus prays. Not a prayer asking God for help. Not a prayer of healing for Lazarus. Not a prayer asking for comfort in time of death. But a prayer of victory. "I thank you Father that you have heard me!" And then Jesus spoke with more authority than anyone has ever spoke before "LAZARUS COME OUT!"

CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE? Glorious, yet frightening. We've seen a miracle, but an unsettling miracle. Death is scary, and yet death is walking around. Notice that the author of this text does not say, "And Lazarus came out." The text says, "The dead man came out." It's been said that two things are sure realties Death and Taxes. Except Death is now walking around, trying to be alive. Trying to shed it's grave clothes and look at verse 45. read verse 45. These were not believing Jews. They were doubting Jews. But they've seen a dead man walking. They saw him come out of the tomb, and they believed.

READING A SCRIPTURE TEXT AND PLACING YOURSELF IN THE STORY IS A POWERFUL THING. Today I placed you in the story. I made you one of the disciples. You got to walk with Jesus and experience a miracle. But I put us in the wrong place, because the true place for us in this text. Is not walking with Jesus. It's not mourning for Lazarus. It's not even standing with the Jews and doubting. The truth is we're In that tomb, because the world has entombed us. We lay trapped in many tombs. Some of us are in tombs of physical pain. Others are in tombs of broken relationships. Tombs of financial distress. Tombs of hate. Tombs of jealousy. Tombs of fear over the future. But friends, the real power of The Gospel, Jesus calls us out of our tombs. With his death and resurrection Jesus has rolled away the stone from our tombs, as surely as the tomb was rolled away from his tomb. He's made it possible for us to live, and to live with power. Not just to exist. Not to live just as the People of the crucified messiah. People with no hope. People re-living the death of our God, and mourning what might have been. But Jesus calls us out of our tombs so we can live as a Resurrected people. So we can throw off the grave clothes of this life and acknowledge that all the things that try to destroy our life and put us in tombs: Fear, Pain, Disease. That these things have no power over us because Jesus has called us out. Called us to life. Called us to joy. Called us to the power of his spirit. But sadly.

SOME OF US NEVER COME OUT OF OUR TOMBS. The world entombs us and says, "You're Dead." And we buy into that and we lay down, and the people who don't know God, who don't know Christ, they look at us and they say, "You're dead." "We're all dead." "You're just like us" Friends, Jesus calls us out of our tombs, He says, "Come Out!" The world has no power over you. You're my people. You don't have to stay dead. And when we have the courage to come out of our tombs, Jesus gives us new life. He delivers us from whatever it was that told we were dead . And we're brought one step closer to truly knowing God.

BUT WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING IS HOW IT AFFECTS THE PEOPLE. When somebody comes out of their tomb. You see when people see you come to life for Christ. When they see you live a life of power. When they see you throw off grave clothes and walk in the name of Jesus they believe. Jesus calls all of us out of our respective tombs. Some of you have come out. Others of you will come out. But imagine what would happen, imagine how the world would be affected, if we all came out at once!

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WHAT WE REALLY THINK
John 12:1-8
Introduction:

THERE IS A CERTAIN MINISTER WHO AFTER HE RECEIVES THE OFFERING PLATES FROM THE USHERS. Holds them up to the heavens and offers this prayer of dedication, "O Lord, despite what we say, this is what we really think of you!" I have never said that prayer after an offering. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve not brave enough, or not foolish enough. I don’t believe that there is anything more controversial for a minister to talk about than giving. Because the truth is the only people who want to hear a message about giving are the people who don’t need to hear it. Those Christians who are not faithful in their giving often get very angry when a minister talks about giving, "Giving is a personal thing, my giving is my business, I don’t need a preacher to put a guilt trip on me." I’ve heard this before, or even more often,

"I knew it, all churches talk about it is money." "All they want is your money" Let me be honest with you, we are nearing the end of our Stewardship campaign. Next Sunday, we will have a guest speaker, The Rev. Jay Barnes, from First U.M.C. Dayton. Who will come and speak to you about your giving. At the end of the worship you will be invited to make a pledge of your giving for the coming year. We will never call you or write you and hold you to your pledge. How faithful you are to how you keep your financial commitment will be between you and God. At the end of the worship service you will be invited to attend a catered meal as a celebration. This is all a part of a financial program that we call "Consecration Sunday." This program calls for me, as the pastor of the church, to preach a message to you today about giving. And I have to admit that I have struggled with this, I’ve struggled because I don’t want you to feel like I’m trying to make you feel guilty. I’ve struggled because this church does not look at a person and see only money. I make it a habit never to know what anyone gives because I don’t want to be influenced by that. I’m your pastor if you give $200 a week or if you give $2 a week. But I think I’ve struggled the most with this message because of where we are in the world right now. I’ve worried about talking to you about giving when we’ve just entered into war. At first the idea seemed horribly inappropriate. People are dying, many are guilty and probably deserve death, but some are innocent and are just caught in the crossfire. Some are doing their duty in defending their country. We are at war and the preacher is talking about money. "See what I mean, money is all they care about!" Truth is friends, I agonized over this message and whether or not I should talk about something as trivial as giving to God, while the world is in chaos. But then I realized something, as important as the war with Iraq is, as necessary as it is for us to hear about God’s protection and guidance, as much as we need to hear words of God’s control and omnipotence, we also need to be reminded of the great importance of our mission as the church. Because what we do here is eternal. When Iraq and America have turned to dust and the world as we know it is no more. What we have done here to build God’s kingdom, will continue to have an impact throughout eternity. Our mission as the church is about fighting a spiritual war. A war that has eternal consequences, and if we are not faithful in our participation in that battle. Lives may be lost. Souls may be lost. So good friends, bear with me today, I promise to you that this is the only time this year that I will talk about giving. And I also promise to be as gentle as I can.

There was a man who volunteered to serve on a church's stewardship team. His job was to go out on a stewardship Sunday, with a handful of pledge cards, calling on members to make a financial pledge for the coming year. Later, he was asked about the experience. He said, it was the most eye opening experience of my life. The act of being asked for money evoked from people their true feelings about the church and their faith. The self-centered resisted, the unhappy complained. One visit was to a chief development officer for a major charity, "This should be a piece of cake" the man thought to himself. This guy is well off and he knows the meaning of charitable giving, but to his astonishment, the man would not even let him in his house. He opened the front door an inch, begrudgingly took the pledge card through the crack, scribbled a pittance on it as the other man stood and waited. And shoved it back pulling the door closed almost catching the other man’s hand in the door. The next visit was to an elderly widow on a fixed income. She and her striped cat lived in a modestly furnished apartment. When the man told her he was from the church she said how pleased she was too see him, and asked him inside for a chat. During which time she voiced her appreciation for the church and all it had meant to her. When the time came to pass the pledge card, she took it from his hand with joy, and increased her pledge, which the man knew would mean sacrifice for her. Now no matter how you might feel about pledge cards or Stewardship campaigns, there is some truth in that prayer. O Lord, this is what we really think of you!

HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR GENEROSITY AND DEVOTION IN THIS DAY AND AGE? It often comes from the most unexpected places. In this text devotion does not come from Peter or James or John, and it certainly didn't come from Judas who loudly protested it's extravagance. It didn't come from Lazarus, whose presence at the dinner table was only possible because Jesus had raised him from the dead. Devotion came, in this text, from Mary, who took a bottle of very expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus feet then wiped his feet with her hair. How do we account for such generosity and devotion? Well part of the secret is wisdom. Those who pour out adoration to God are those who have a wisdom about what is truly at stake. About what is really happening in life. They know about what really matters and how precious life is. How precious their faith is. Check out the lobby of any hospital and listen to the patients being discharged, "Great, I'm going to be on crutches for a month and now you're telling me I have to take six stupid pills every day!" While others are full of gratitude and praise, "Thank God I'm going home!" All the patients are going home, but only some have the wisdom to be thankful! In this story from John the room was full of people, but only Mary had the wisdom to discern the importance of Jesus in a way that prompted gratitude. But the issue is more than just wisdom. Mary wasn't blowing up helium balloons to celebrate her discernment of Jesus presence. She wasn't lighting candles on a cake out of gratitude for her discernment of what Jesus meant to her. But by pouring on him the costly ointment, she was anointing Jesus for death. read verse 7. Mary's costly gift of gratitude grew out of the awareness of the cost of Jesus gift of sacrifice, his own life. Do we stop to recognize the cost of our redemption? Are we so desensitized today that we forget the Cost of Jesus great love for us?

THOSE WHO RECOGNIZE THE COST OF LOVE AND REDEMPTION are those who love most freely and give most generously. And so it should come as no surprise when self-sufficient executives shove pledge cards through doorjambs, like tips to bellhops. While widows who can barely afford to feed themselves and their cats, joyously pour out the costly ointment. When Mary anoints Jesus she engages in an act of celebration and adoration, but it is also an act of mourning of marking Jesus death and burial. In just six short days from this scriptural moment Christ will give the most generous gift possible, He will give his life. In six days he will die. The disciples can't discern this, but Mary does. And her gratitude and adoration lead her to the feet of Jesus, with the most valuable gift she can imagine. On the surface her gift was just a well-meaning but overly expensive act of worship, but under the surface it was, Jesus tells us, "a burial anointing." Somehow Mary knew that if she or anyone was to move, like Lazarus, from death to life, then it would require another death. Jesus’ death. Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem for the last time and to offer himself so that the world might have life, and have it abundantly. Of all those there only Mary could see this clearly, and so she breaks out the costly perfume, and she marks this moment with a Holy adoration. She makes it very, very clear, what she really thinks.

FRIENDS WHEN GRACE IS OFFERED AND RECEIVED AND NOTHING CHANGES the Grace is made to be cheap. Because there's no appreciation, no recognition of the cost of the grace. No understanding of the great cost of that sacrifice made in the name of love and redemption. No matter what we say, this is what we really think? There was a minister who tells of going to a local nursing home to lead a communion service. It been a busy week, the message box was full, Sunday's sermon was not even done. Making a nursing home visit was the last thing this preacher wanted or needed to be doing. After the communion was served to the masses, the pastor took communion to several patients who were unable to get around. One of whom was a lady named Lucille Lions, a woman who was almost blind, and very hard of hearing. Lucille had outlived her husband and most of her friends, her health was failing rapidly, and now she was confined to a small room, cutoff from the world. She had lost almost everything but life itself. In Lucille's room things began badly. The preacher tried to be cheerful, but he couldn't understand anything Lucille said. He fumbled through the communion service, spilled grape juice on his pants, "Just one more thing that isn't going right," he thought to himself. And then he closed the service with a prayer, then patted Lucille on the back, and told her God loved her and with relief, started to leave. To his surprise, Lucille began to pray, "Thank you God, for being so good to me. Thank you that I am not forgotten. Thank you for always loving me." What do we really think? It is revealed by our lives and our living. It's measured by the time we spend in holy adoration and worship of our God. It is revealed by the gifts that we give and the discernment and wisdom that is the cause of the giving. O Lord, despite what we might say this is what we really think of you!" Maybe that's a pretty good prayer after all!

WHEN SUPERMAN BLEEDS
John 12:20-33
Introduction:

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN. He was faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. But a few years ago the world was shocked to discover that the "Man of Steel" could bleed. In issue no. 75, Superman, after 54 years of fighting crime, died in the arms of Lois Lane, after giving his life to defeat a spiny monster named Doomsday. Who would have leveled Metropolis. When news of Superman's impending death reached the masses, devoted fans were holding wakes, and donning black arm bands. Some were even holding prayer vigils, praying that somehow, Superman would come back from the dead. We all remember what happened a several years back, with the paralyzing accident of Christopher Reeves. The on screen superman. Most of us remember Christopher Reeves as Superman.

BUT HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST SUPERMAN (THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN?) The old Superman television series starring George Reeves. The Superman of the 1950's, when television was black and white. Do you remember what happened on June 16, 1959? The headlines of the New York Post read, "Superman Is Dead!" And the article recounted the bizarre suicide death of George Reeves, the actor who had so excellently portrayed superman. How in a drunken stupor, he climbed to the top of his apartment building, put a gun to his head, and shot himself. And although I wasn't alive then (believe it or not I wasn’t around until 1960), I can imagine that the world was devastated. Because a heroic icon of Americanism, Superman! Was Dead. And it was an ugly death. And I imagine that there many children who were terribly disillusioned, because of the discovery that Superman, the man of steel, could bleed.

WHAT DO WE DO WHEN SUPERMAN BLEEDS? How are we to react with the discovery that our heroes are not as powerful or as indestructible as we once believed them to be? What do we do when our nations leaders are caught lying under oath? What do we do when our favorite sports figure is arrested for drug possession? What do we do when our ministers are brought up on charges of embezzlement? When our Priests are accused of sexual misconduct? What do we do when superman bleeds? According to the experts we're changing our views as to what makes someone a hero. According to child psychologists, the youth and the children of today don't have heroes and idols based on the big things they've done, but a hero can be anyone who has made it big. Anyone who has fame, money, position or power. And yet, here we are, in the church, preaching a gospel that says. read verse 25. Sounds like a hopeless, pointless gospel to preach doesn't it! I mean, how can we expect to reach a world of lost and hurting souls when the world looks at our message and realizes that Our Superman bleeds!

WHAT MUST IT HAVE BEEN LIKE FOR THOSE GREEKS? They must have heard the stories don't you think? Of How Jesus turned water into wine. How he healed the sick. Making the blind to see. The deaf to hear. The lame to walk. The stories of how he called to a dead man and brought that dead man back to life. Maybe they had even witnessed some of the amazing feats of this Super Man named Jesus. Jesus coming into Jerusalem riding a donkey, while the people were saying he was a king, and laying their coats down for him to ride over. What was it like for them? When they finally got an audience with Jesus, when they finally got to see this mystery man face to face, the man the Jews called their Messiah, the new King who would deliver them with a mighty hand from the Romans. What do you suppose they were thinking when he says, "Now is the time for the Son of man to be glorified." When he speaks to them in riddles, and says, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains a single seed, but if it dies it produces many seeds." How did they feel about superman when they realized, "he said this to show the kind of death he was going to die?" What did they do when they realized, that superman bleeds! Sadly enough we don't know. This is the last and only time the text mentions those Greeks, who came searching for Superman. I would imagine that like so many who came seeking the Christ, they wanted to follow when he was healing people, they wanted to be a part of the ministry, when he was calling dead men from the grave. But when they realized he was heading for the cross, Superman lost some of his luster.

IN SO MANY WAYS WE'RE LIKE THE PEOPLE IN THAT STORY. We have come here because we're seeking something. There are some of you here today because you are seeking a place where God is real, where Gods people live like brothers and sisters. And live lives of love and sacrifice, and if that's you than I can tell you that you will find that here. But I'll also tell you that superman bleeds, that although this church is full of people who love God and love each other that we're also human beings prone to human sins and weakness, and that we're not the perfect church. Because there is no perfect church. Some of you are here today because you're seeking a minister who fits the qualifications of Superman, able to leap tall buildings, faster than a bullet, more powerful than a locomotive. And if that's you I hate to disappoint you, but I bleed too. And if you're looking to me to be your perfect pastor you're going to be disillusioned. And although I do love God with all my heart and I want to do my best to help you know God better, I'm not the perfect pastor because there is no perfect pastor.

And I Imagine That Many of You Are Here Not Because You're Looking For The Perfect Church Or The Perfect Pastor. But you've come here Honestly wishing to see Jesus. You've heard about this Superman named Jesus. And you've come to learn about him so that you can serve him, and tell others about him. And if that's you than I need to remind you of something. True servants go where their master goes, and if you truly wish to follow Jesus there are crosses in your future. Just as there was a cross in his. And if we seek to be disciples of Jesus there are dark times ahead, just as there were dark times for the first disciples. Why? Because those who love their life will lose it. And I realize that's a hard message to hear, and it's a hard message to live. In a world where those who make it big are idolized, and those who sacrifice themselves for others are chumps.

BUT THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS EVERY SUPERMAN BLEEDS? Disillusionment is a fact of life. Politicians will tell lies. Sports figures will get arrested. Christian people will sometimes sin and judge . Ministers will make mistakes and sometimes abuse the trust given them. The church will sometimes neglect to take up our own cross. And Superman Bleeds! But then again, even the Son of God bled. Didn't he? But there’s a huge difference between Jesus and Superman. For one thing, Superman is a fictional character, Jesus is real. Jesus lived and died, but there’s a more important difference. A difference that defines our faith, that makes us who we are today. You see friends, when Superman bleeds, people are disillusioned. But when Jesus bleeds, people are saved!

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FEELING DIRTY WHEN YOU'RE CLEAN
John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Introduction:

DON'T YOU ABSOLUTELY HATE TO BE DIRTY? The feeling that your body is coated with dirt and grime. You've been to the beach. Sand is in your hair, between your toes, in your mouth, and you've got that sticky feeling all over. You've been working outside, car grease up to your elbows. Dirt from the garden in your fingernails. You've been to the Gym, and you've just got that sticky been sweating feeling over every inch of your body. And every article of clothing is sticking to you. Doesn't It bother you? Of course some people don't mind being dirty. It would seem that little boys have an almost religious bond with dirt. You have to force them into the tub. Then you have to double-check and make sure they used soap. And there are unquestionably some adults who don't mind a little dirt. Two members of the Hell's Angels brought their motorcycles to a stop at a crosswalk. A nun with her arm in a cast crossed in front of them. One of the bikers called out, "Hey sister, what happened to you?" The nun explained that she had slipped in the bathtub and broken her arm. When she left, the one biker turned to the other and asked, "What's a bathtub?" The other said, "I don't know, I'm not Catholic."

IT WOULD SEEM THAT SOMETIMES YOU CAN BE DIRTY WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE CLEAN. Think of the Zest Soap commercial. Remember, how some soaps leave that soapy residue, but with Zest, you're Zestfully clean. Totally clean. Really clean. Absolutely clean. Not only looking clean. Not only smelling clean. But you feel clean!

WHAT PETER WANTS IS TO BE ZESTFULLY CLEAN. Tell The Story. Imagine the shock.. What's He Doing? This Isn't Right! Somebody make him stop! He's Jesus, after all. He Shouldn't be on the floor like that. He shouldn't have his hands on other people's dirty feet. It's humiliating. What if someone sees him? Why does he always have to do this? He talks like a King. He heals like a prophet. He has the courage of a warrior. But then he gets down on his hands and knees, this time he's gone too far. Somebody should say something. And of course somebody does. Bold, outspoken, headstrong, loud, opinionated, intense Peter speaks up. Read verse 6. Now that's what this verse says but that's not what Peter is really saying. Peter's not saying, "Are you going to wash my feet too?" What Peter is really saying is, "What the heck are you doing! Get off the flippin floor!" And of course in the next verse we see Peter actually getting closer to the point of his true feelings. Read verse 8a. Now understand that right now Peter sees Jesus as the servant. When Jesus took his clothes and wrapped them around his waist. He assumed the cultural posture of a servant. And the way it looks to Peter, Jesus is in one of those strange modes. He's not making any sense. He's experiencing role reversal, I for one am not going to participate. But then Jesus attempts to clear things up for Peter. Read verse 8b. Now notice that I said attempts to clear things up, because Peter still doesn't get it. Now Peter's thinking, "He means ritual washing." Purification. And so Peter says, Read verse 9. I don't want to just be Clean, I want to be absolutely, totally, completely clean, Zestfully clean.

AND PETER'S RIGHT, THERE'S NOTHING MORE SATISFYING THAN TO BE TOTALLY CLEAN. Especially on the inside. To know deep within yourself that you're O.K. That all the stuff of life that has made you feel so dirty, has been washed away. That It's gone. That all the baggage that has kept you down, secret sins, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, emotional hurt and pain, sometimes even physical hurt and pain, that it's gone! That you're clean, totally. Absolutely, completely clean on the inside. And what Jesus is trying to get across to Peter is that it's not the water that does it. We don't get clean on the inside by ritual washing. Baptism doesn't do it! We are clean when we respond to Jesus invitation for intimacy. Footwashing is a very intimate act. The essence of the foot washing is Jesus offer of himself in love. The transforming power of the footwashing, is the gracious offer of intimacy of Jesus. The call for the disciples is to let themselves be ministered to in this way. To get close to Jesus. To make themselves vulnerable. He's calling His disciples to place themselves completely in his hands. To discard their images of who they think he is. To enter into a relationship with him on his terms. The foot washing removes the possibility of distance between Jesus and his followers. And brings them face to face, with the love of God for them. And when anyone can respond to this offer of an intimate relationship, they become clean. Past sins forgiven, past hurts forgotten. They become truly clean, totally, completely, absolutely and utterly clean.

BUT YOU CAN BE CLEAN CAN'T YOU, AND STILL FEEL DIRTY. Not because you're not forgiven of your sins. Not because Jesus hasn't cleansed you of your unrighteousness. Not because Jesus hasn't forgotten your sins. You can enter into an intimate union with Christ and still feel dirty. Not because you haven't trusted in Jesus, not because Jesus has left anything undone in you.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS WE CAN FEEL DIRTY WHEN WE'RE CLEAN BECAUSE WE WON'T LET THE DIRT GO! Because we have past sins and hurts that, although Jesus has forgiven us for, we can't seem to forgive ourselves. And although Jesus has taken away the pain, we keep taking it back. Jesus gracious love calls us to let go and let God. Let go of your past sins and hurts, lift them up to God and let them go. You've been washed. You've been forgiven. You're clean. But it's not that easy is it? And that's what tonight is all about! Explain the concept of confession. Explain the cross and the nails. Pass out paper and pencils. Allow people time to write. Enter into communion.

THE PASSWORD IS......JESUS!
John 14:1-14
Introduction:

AND THE PASSWORD IS… Do you remember that show? Password? Celebrities were teamed up with contestants. There was a low voice that told the T.V. audience what the password was. While the celebrities and contestants had to guess, for money and prizes. This is the image we used to see when we heard the term, "Password." Or we thought of a military sentry, on guard duty at night, someone approaches to enter the compound, but before they enter they have to know the "password" of the day. Which was usually some ridiculous term, "The fox is in the hen-house." "The river water is green."

BUT TODAY "PASSWORD" HAS A DIFFERENT MEANING. When we think of a password we think of a computer. Password's are the keys that unlock programs. That give us access into accounts, files, the Internet. Without the proper password there are times when you can't get anywhere on a computer, and of course that's the idea. To restrict access to certain individuals people who are special, people who know the password. There is password in today’s text. Not the kind of password that gives money, or prizes. Not a password that one has to know to get past a guard, but a password that is needed to gain access. But THIS password is not kept secret, in fact should never be kept secret. But should be shouted from the rooftops. Because this password is what is needed to gain access into eternal life. And God does not want to restrict access to anyone, because to God all persons are special, and have a sacred worth. And though some secrets that should be kept, there are some secrets that are just too good to keep! And so this text reveals to us today.

THE PASSWORD IS…"JESUS"! Jesus Christ Is the Son of God and the Only Way To Eternal Life. Jesus is the password to gain access to God. Read verse 6. Again, let me say this, we learn almost as much by what a text does not say, as we do by what it does say. The text does not say, if you have a good heart, if you live a good life, through the prophet Mohammed, through the prophet Buddha, through the church. The text says, "Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life, NO ONE comes to God except through Jesus." No apologies. No secondary conditions. No exceptions. And that’s not very politically correct is it? It would seem that today Political Correctness has even affected the Gospel, to the extent that the name Jesus is avoided. Let's say, "Christ." Let's say, "Lord." Let's say, "Messiah or Savior." Because when we say the name, "Jesus" we come across as fanatics, and we take the chance that we might offend someone who's not a Christian. The Rev. Tony Evans is a well radio evangelist. One day Rev. Evans was asked to say a prayer at a city function in Dallas TX. Before the prayer the mayor's aid approaches Rev. Evans and says, "Brother Evans I'm going to ask you not to use the name "Jesus" when you pray; Just pray to God, O.K.? We don't want to offend any Jews or Muslims." Well It came time for the prayer and here's what Rev. Evans said, "O Lord Jesus ruler of the universe. I thank you that you are God's son. And I pray for any person here who does not know you; who does not know Jesus as their personal savior. And I pray that there will come a day when the name of Jesus is lifted up on every street corner of this city. I pray for the day when every knee in this town will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Lord of all. And if there are any who are offended by the name of Jesus, Lord I pray that you reveal yourself to them. That they may come to know that the God who is the creator and the master of all is Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen" Now depending upon your perspective that prayer was either bold or rude. Some secrets are too good to be kept secret! How many people are living a life alienated from God right now, because of a Christian who's afraid of being politically incorrect. Because of a Christian who mistakenly believes that, a person's faith is a private manner. Faith is not a private matter. Read verse 12. Jesus made it a habit of intentionally prying into a persons faith, challenging their concept of God. Forcing them to re-think the place that God had in their lives, proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. This scripture tells us that we are to do what Jesus did. We are to confront the world with the reality of God. We are to lead the world to re-think the role that God plays in peoples lives, and we are to help to build God's kingdom by proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. That Jesus Christ, the Son of God is the only way to experience the happiness and the joy of eternity. And so we tell a world that often exists in misery, "You want to be happy? Come, and meet Jesus!"

EXCEPT THAT THERE CAN BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS THEOLOGY. What exactly does the password "Jesus" gain us access to? We can truly say that Jesus is the only way to gain access to eternal life, but can we really say that Jesus is the only way to happiness? Friends, the world is full of people who live without Jesus, who are happy. We can try to say, "Well you're not happy." "You're not REALLY happy." And these people would look at us from a variety of perspectives. Those with no financial worries whatsoever, who can buy anything their heart desires. Those who are highly educated and can rationalize any problem. Those who are beautiful, who have success and health. These people look at the Christian who's suffering, they look at the Christian who sacrifices his or her life for a belief. They see us give up ourselves for the sake of the gospel. And they laugh and they say, "O Yeah, who's really happy?" And they're right! Jesus is not the only way to happiness. There are people all over the planet, who are blissfully happy, without Jesus. And no they don't just think they're happy, they really are happy. The simple truth is; money, great health, success, these things CAN buy happiness. But you see, this scripture doesn't say, Jesus is the only way to happiness. This scripture says that Jesus is the only way to God!

AS CHRISTIANS, AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS Our claim is not that Jesus is the only way to happiness, just that Jesus is the Best Way. Because if we look at the grand scope of things, this world, the universe, eternity, God, we recognize that although this life is sweet and is meant to be enjoyed, it's only a small part of our existence. Most of eternity will be in another place. A place that truly is beyond our imagination. A place of wonder and joy and peace. A place we refer to as heaven. The place where God is! And the password to enter into this place, is "Jesus!" What's the password? JESUS!

THE SECRET IS NOT IN THE SAUCE!
John 15:1-12
Introduction:

DO YOU REMEMBER THE SECRET SAUCE DUDE? This was way back before The Jack-In-The Box fast food chain decided to blow up Jack. In an obvious attempt to imitate McDonalds, Jack-In-The Box gave out toy characters with the purchase of a meal. McDonalds had "Ronald McDonald" and the "Ham-burglar". Jack-In-The Box had Jack and a sinister looking character called, Mr. Secret Sauce. The idea being that Jack-In-The Box Hamburgers were so good because of the secret sauce. And this too may have been a rip-off of McDonalds because remember the song about the Big Mac, two all beef patties....special sauce..lettuce cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. The Secret Is In The Sauce! It's become a cultural mantra. When something taste extraordinary, the cook will proclaim with a hint of mystery. The secret is in the sauce! WOULDN’T IT BE NICE IF THINGS WERE THAT SIMPLE? If the answer to life were as simple as six words, "The Secret Is In The Sauce." If the only thing we had to know to make life extraordinary, was a secret ingredient, a secret sauce. THE TEXT FOR TODAY REVEALS THE SECRET TO LIVING A COMPLETE AND EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. This text tells us how to have a deep and lasting sense that there is something right about your life. Something that runs deeper than the moment. Something deeper than pain or pleasure. This text reveals the secret to having an inner sense that no matter what the immediate circumstances, somehow, YES, life is worth living. The challenges are worth facing, the successes worth savoring, and the setbacks are endurable. But Friends, the secret is not in the sauce! Jesus tells us that the secret is in the "THIS." Jesus says read verse 11. And the challenge for us today is to determine what the "This" is.

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAYS, "THIS"? Truth is, in this case, it doesn’t take a very deep reading of the text to know. Read verse 4a. Remain in Me! Remain in Jesus. Stay continually connected to Jesus. I'm not going to insult you by suggesting that this is an easy thing because I know that it's not. Truth is, everything in this world is working to keep you from remaining in Christ. Every day our senses are assaulted with people and situations that try to tear us from Jesus. Our jobs demand so much energy and attention sometimes there's none left for Christ and His Church. Our families are so often going in so many different directions that we have to make choices between family time and God time. But regardless, I'm reminded of something my grandfather once said, nothing worthwhile comes easy. If remaining in Christ were an easy thing more people would be doing it. It's easy to bury yourself in your work. Its not hard to be faithful to your kids softball league. Because everything in the world tells you that these are the things you should do to be happy. But we know different don't we? Once you have tasted the complete life of living in Christ, nothing else comes close! And if your soul has been touched by God's love then you know what I'm talking about. REMAIN IN ME! That's the first part of the this that Jesus is talking about, but there's more.

REMAIN IN MY LOVE! What does Jesus say to his followers? Remain in me, and the secret is in the sauce! No! He says, "You are loved!" Read verse 9a. What a support! What a strength that gives to life. As The Father has loved me so have I loved you! We should be able to take on anything knowing that we're loved like that. But there is a catch isn't there!? Because the rest of this verse says remain in my love. And because the first This goes hand in hand with the second This. It's almost impossible for us to remain in the love of Christ if we don't remain in Christ. That's not suggesting that Jesus doesn't love us when we don't remain in him. But it's hard if not impossible to experience someone's love, if we're seldom around them. Do you give yourself time to experience and soak up that flow of love from Jesus? Do you actively seek out Christ and his love. Do you take the time on a regular basis to gather with other believers and celebrate his love in worship? Good friends, we need worship. You need it and so do I. We need to give our affirmations of joy and love to God. But we also need the fellowship. We need the strength of faith that we gain from worshipping with other Christians. And there's more isn't there, because this second this has a condition doesn't it. If You Obey My Commands! Boy when you say that in church you just about lose everybody don't you? "O great! Here we go again with the commandments!" Thou shalt not! You know we human begins are an egotistical bunch aren’t we? I mean here were are with all of our limitations, limited experience, limited knowledge, limited life-span, limited understanding, the Master Creator of all that is gives us a package called life, and we limited human beings want to try to make it run right without consulting the instructions on the box. Friends, When God gives us commandments those commandments are not meant to mess up your life. But to instruct us how to live life the right way, the best way, the way that God the creator of life intended. And if we really look closely we will realize that the commandments that God gives really make a whole lot of sense. In fact one of these commandments, is the final this and the key to living that complete and extraordinary life.

LOVE EACH OTHER! This, good friends, is the major This! Read verse 12. When I was in undergraduate school I learned about something called Maslov's Hierarchy of human needs. The basic needs of a human being to be happy and content with life. It's like a pyramid, the most basic and the easy to fill human needs are on the bottom. While the most important and most difficult to achieve of human needs are at the top. At the base of the pyramid there is the need for food and sustenance. Above that there is the need for pleasure and satisfaction. On top of that is the need for acceptance and relationships, and at the very top there is something that Maslov called the need for self-actualization, simply put the need to love yourself. If you don't love others you can't love yourself. In fact, I would venture to say that the way you feel about you is intrinsically tied to the way you love others. Friends, you cannot experience the love of Christ, or be in Christ, by isolating yourself from God's created people or by not loving that which God loves. Love only grows when it's shared and that is especially true with the love of God.

REMAIN IN ME......REMAIN IN MY LOVE....LOVE ONE ANOTHER. These are the keys to the kind of life which Jesus is talking about. I have told you this so that your joy may be complete, remain in me, remain in my love, love one another. And Yes if we start at the top and work our way down This can be a hard recipe to follow remain in me, remain in my love, love one another. But what if we start at the bottom? What if we first try this secret to a complete and extraordinary life, by listening to the command of the master creator. If we start by loving one another. I think we'll find it easier to remain in the love of Christ. And if we're honestly loving each other than we are in Christ. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete love each other as I have loved you.

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FOR SALE: ONE USED TOMBSTONE
John 20:1-18
Introduction:

USED TOMBSTONES! IS THERE A MARKET OUT THERE, DO YOU THINK, FOR USED TOMBSTONES? It would seem that someone in Wisconsin thinks so! Several years ago there was actually an ad in the Milwaukee Wisconsin, newspaper's classified section that read, "Used Tombstone For Sale. Real bargain to someone named 'Dingo'. For information call. Now I don't know if the tombstone sold or not but it would interesting to find out. Interesting to know if there is a market out there for used tombstones. Now as ridiculous as the selling of a used tombstone might sound, the very idea of selling a used tombstone relays a message. A used tombstone means that the previous owner no longer has any use for it. It has become an un-needed, unnecessary thing.

THE EVENT OF EASTER CONVEYS EXACTLY THE SAME MESSAGE. The tomb is empty! The stone marker is no longer needed! Because Jesus Christ Is Risen! Before the resurrection no one would have imagined the selling of used tombstones. A tombstone was something permanent, once you're down in the ground, that's it! That's the rule, but the resurrection changed the world broke all the rules. And as the church our response should be equally unprecedented. In the face of the Easter event we should begin a celebration of life. We should embrace the living, resurrected Christ, and we should begin to live as a resurrected people. Which means that we should go into the business of used tombstones.

CHRISTIANS, BY DEFINITION, SHOULD BE LEAVING THEIR OWN DISCARDED GRAVE-MARKERS ALL OVER THE FACE OF THE EARTH. The church should be proud to be known as "Tombstone Territory". Read Romans 6:5-11. Friends, if any church is doing it's mission. It becomes a depository for the tombstones of a dead life that it's believers have left behind. The church becomes a graveyard and I'm not talking about the once-common sight of a local churchyard bordering a cemetery. I'm talking about a life in Christ where the things of the world that try every day to entomb us are cast away, and for those of you who have trouble with the vision of the church as a graveyard. Let me remind you, only where there are graves , is there resurrection. And this is good because the church has been accused over and over again as being a dead place. Has it not? Hasn't the church been accused of counting more dead people on a Sunday morning than live ones. Hasn't it been suggested that many people in the church die at forty, but they're not buried until their eighty! Someone once described the average church, as filled with too many people who look like they've just been hit in the face with a smile. The Bible teaches us that God created us little lower than the Angels, but some of us have been getting lower and lower ever since. Sometimes we get so low that we might as well be buried in the ground, buried by our possessions, covered up by our families, entombed by our jobs and our debts. Living corpses just waiting for someone or something to put us out of our misery.

EASTER CALLS US TO COME FORTH OUT OF OUR GRAVES. To become the proud owners of used tombstones, discarded, un-needed, unnecessary things, but in order to qualify as the owner of a used tombstone, Christians have to catch the excitement of the resurrection. Peter and the beloved disciple caught the excitement quickly, they ran to the tomb. Verse 8 says that the beloved disciple, whom most scholars believed was John, that when he was confronted with the evidence of the empty tomb he saw and believed! But Mary Magdalene when confronted with the same evidence could only see a lost opportunity to mourn at the feet of a corpse, because she was entombed by her grief. The struggle of the Christian faith is to be able to bring the cross of Christ into our Faith, but we can only do this through the event of Easter. Because it is only when we experience the Event of Easter that the cross makes any sense. For every Christian there is an Eastering Event, a critical moment when we face the cross and look through it, to the moment of resurrection. Eastering Events are life-changing, grave-raising God moments, that transform the crucifixion for us from a stumbling block, into something that has the power to call us forth from the graves of life. Eastering Events are the moments when we truly become alive. Pauls "Eastering" took place on the road to Damascus, he experienced the risen Christ with such brilliance at his eyes and soul were Son-blinded for days. The "Other Disciple" at the tomb experienced an Eastering when he saw the empty tomb and the leftover unused, un-needed grave clothes of Christ. Mary Magdalene, although entombed by her grief, by the sight of the empty tomb, experienced her Eastering event when Jesus spoke her name, and opened her spirit to a new reality. We cannot live a faith without the presence of Eastering Events, because what will happen is that your faith will eventually die, and you will become a walking, spiritual corpse. Defined not by who you are as a living child of God, but defined by your tombstone. He was born a man but died an engineer. She was born a woman but died a teacher. Every mark of the divine in your life erased and gone, because your soul became cut-off from resurrection joy.

FRIENDS, WHY CAN'T WE GO INTO THE BUSINESS OF USED TOMBSTONES? There has to be a market out there. I can't imagine that people want to be buried alive. That they want to be entombed by, the struggles of their family relationships, a dead-end hopeless job, crushing financial debt. And as we all know these are the things of life in this world. And as we also know, if you try to face them alone, these things can put you in an early grave. The event of Easter reminds us all over again that Christ has conquered death, and that through his victory death has no power over us. And it also reminds us that we're not alone, that even the cross could not keep the love of God from us. And that God does not intend for us to exist as living corpses, but as resurrected people of faith. Living people of the living God. We are the church and we are in the business of used tombstones. We are a band of people who have cast aside the things in this life that keep us from living, and we have embraced the risen Christ. This is not a graveyard, but it is a place of resurrection, a place where we, the people God, experience the event of Easter. And celebrate the experience of life. The Tomb Is Empty! The stone marker is no longer needed! Because Jesus Christ Is Risen!

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WHEN FAITH IS A STRUGGLE
John 20:19-31
Introduction:

THE CHURCH'S RESPONSE TO DOUBTS. A certain college student is taking a class on the Bible. The first day of class the professor walks in and asks this question: "How many of you believe the stories of the Bible?" "How many of you believe in the parting of the Red Sea or the virgin birth?" Assuming that the professor believes, every student in the class raises their hand. At which point the professor begins a tirade, "I can’t believe that educated people like yourselves could believe such dribble." "The laws of physics and common sense can prove that the Bible is not a book of history or fact." "But that it is Jewish cultural folklore and fairy tale." And as he continues the hands begin to go down except for one student. The professor walks up to this student and says, "Young man you are an ignorant fool if you believe the bible to be a book of truth." "What do you have to say for yourself?" The young man smiles and says, "Sir, the bible is kind of like God’s love notes to his children, if you don’t understand it, that’s what you get for reading somebody else’s mail!" Now in some ways that is a great story, because it takes at shot at those who would demean gospel truth. And in a way, it affirms our faith and our trust in the Holy scriptures as the inspired word of God, but that story, and stories like it can also be very destructive. Because they help to foster an attitude within the church to shun and chastise all who doubt.

WHY IS IT THAT WE VIEW DOUBT AS THE ENEMY OF FAITH? Truth is, we use the story of Thomas to reinforce the lesson that doubt is bad. We often dismiss or discount questions of doubt, as signs of an immature faith. Most of us have seen the bumper sticker, "God said it, I believe it, and that’s good enough for me." And although it doesn’t say as much, that bumper sticker implies, if that’s not good enough for you something is wrong with your faith. Do you know what the three words are that we hear least often in the religious vocabulary are, "I Don't Know." Sometimes in our conviction that we have some of the answers, we act as though we have all the answers. And we make Thomas a villain, we say to one another, "You don't want to be a doubting Thomas." But Good Friends, the real enemy of faith is not doubt, the enemy of faith is unbelief. Doubt can have a constructive and positive role in the exercise of faith. We can learn from Thomas, but before we can learn from Thomas we need to challenge some of the misconceptions about Thomas. We need to acknowledge that, Thomas has gotten a bad rap, his reputation as a skeptic is not only undeserved but is the result of too casual a reading of this text. This is not the only place in the scriptures where Thomas is seen in action. Read John 11:7-16. To make such a statement takes courage and commitment. Here’s Thomas willing to lay down his life for Jesus. Why Don't we remember him as courageous Thomas rather than doubting Thomas? The next time we hear from Thomas is in John 14, Jesus is speaking very mysteriously about his death. Thomas is the only disciple who is honest enough to admit that he doesn't understand what Jesus means. Read John 14:1-5. Why Don't we call him honest Thomas? If we read closely we see that Thomas is not the only disciple who doubted the Resurrection of Jesus. The Disciples didn't believe it when they first heard the news. Read Luke 24:9-11. And if we really read carefully we see their doubts in this scripture text that was read today. Mary Magdalene goes and tells the disciples the news, Read John 20:18. Now notice, that there’s no verse saying, "The disciples listened to the words of Mary and rejoiced." Instead we these words in verse 19, "The disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews." Thomas was not the only doubter. Initially, the disciples all had their doubts. In fact, churches are filled with persons who have doubts. We all have moments in our journey of faith when Faith itself is a struggle. And friends, if this is you, that’s O.K.! You’re O.K.! Because doubt can serve a purpose, and when the doubt is wrestled with, when we struggle in our doubts, our doubting often leads to a healthier and a heartier faith!

BECAUSE MOMENTS OF DOUBTING AND QUESTIONING CAN LEAD TO A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH. We can learn from Thomas that even though we don't know where the journey may lead it is enough that the Lord makes the journey with us! Thomas had struggled with doubt for a week, but he still met with the other disciples. He wasn't excluded because he had doubts. Friends, this should be our response to the doubters. Rather than chastise those with doubts, we need to celebrate a person's willingness to express honest doubt. We need to rehabilitate the reputation of Thomas. We need to lift Thomas up as one who had the courage to admit his lack of understanding. How would the world view the church if we affirmed doubt as a healthy way to build on faith? We could help persons see that faith is a belief held in the presence of doubts rather than a belief that removes all doubt. We would empower persons to openly discuss their doubts in their individual struggles of faith. We would be seen by unbelievers, not as people who have all the answers, but as persons, not unlike themselves who hold a measure of faith despite our uncertainties. And in the process we just might give the church a more human face. The believer who never doubted will hardly convert a doubter.

THE STORY OF THOMAS TEACHES US THAT DOUBTS DON'T ALWAYS LEAD TO ANSWERS BUT THEY ALMOST ALWAYS LEAD TO GROWTH. This story is not about doubt and skepticism, but This story is about the grounds of faith. Faith doesn't come by seeing. Faith doesn't come by touching. The bible tells us that faith comes by hearing. The hearing of the word of God, but that doesn't mean listening to Bible scriptures or stories. And accepting everything at face value. You see friends, Jesus Is The Word Of God! Notice what it was that swayed Thomas. It was not touching Jesus that leads Thomas to a confession of faith, but it is Jesus offer of Himself. When Thomas heard the news of Jesus resurrection he said, "Man I’ll never believe that until I see for myself. Until I touch his wounds for myself." Yet Jesus never chastised Thomas for these conditions of belief. Instead he made available to Thomas exactly what Thomas needed to believe. He made himself available to Thomas. And Jesus offers himself to all who Doubt. Jesus offers all of us the gift of salvation and his Spirit, and this is not an intellectual philosophical offer. This is an opportunity to personally experience the real presence of Christ, and ultimately this is why we all believe. Not because we've seen Jesus. Not because others have proven Jesus to us. But because we've felt Jesus in here. Jesus offered himself to us and made his presence real in a way that moved us to faith.

IT'S O.K. TO HAVE DOUBTS. Because doubts can often lead to a deeper faith. A man by the name of Frederick Beuchner once said, "Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, If you don't have doubts, you're either kidding yourself, or you're asleep." Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving. Doubt is a truth of life. Faith is a Struggle. It doesn't come cheap. But faith is available to all who will hear and believe. To all who have the courage to accept the invitation of Jesus, as Jesus offers himself. And when we have the courage to act on our faith, one by one, day by day, struggle by struggle, OUR DOUBTS WILL BEGIN TO DISAPPEAR!

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BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
John 20:19-31
Introduction:

DID YOU KNOW? Believe it Or Not! That in Germany, it is a common practice for business executives and bridegrooms to sit in freezers in their underwear in temperatures as low as 25 below zero to relieve stress. Believe It Or Not! That it is a tradition in Belgium, that on a child's birthday, you wake them up by sticking their foot with a needle! Believe it or Not! That a cottage in Nova Scotia was lifted off it's foundation and set down 1/2 a mile away by a fierce winter storm, nothing in the house was broken, not the bottles on the kitchen counter or the dishes in the cabinets. Believe it or not! That scientists have determined that when snowflakes fall on the ocean, it emits a certain sound frequency that is deafening to porpoises. Believe it or not! Did you know, that a man once walked on the water. That this same man actually turned water into wine. That he fed 5000 people with one loaf of bread and a few fish. That 3 days after he was gruesomely murdered, he rose from the dead. That he appeared to more than 500 people. Believe it or not!

MOST OF WHAT I’VE JUST TOLD YOU COMES FROM THE WORLD OF RIPLEY. Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Which runs a daily comic strip in over 171 newspapers around the world. Every comic strip is supposedly a researched fact and anyone who reads them is forced in every picture. To make a faith decision. Do I believe this or not?

SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE! When the Disciples came to Thomas with the fantastic news of the resurrection. They asked Thomas, would you believe? Would you believe that Jesus has risen? That Jesus who was crucified between 2 thieves is alive. That he has appeared to Mary and to all of us! Thomas' response is an emphatic NO! I could never believe in such an idle tale without a measure of proof. And to this day Thomas is known as the doubting disciple, an object lesson on the kind of faith we should NOT have. But the truth is Thomas was no more the doubter than any of the other Disciples. They all required a measure of proof. Although the scripture tells us that John, the beloved disciple, believed with the evidence of the empty tomb. We’re also told that none of the disciples really understood from scripture, that Jesus was to rise from the dead. In fact, it’s doubtful, that even with the evidence of the empty tomb, that they really and truly believed that Jesus the Christ was risen. Think about it, in this text that was read today, if they believe, why are they hiding in a room with the doors locked? And notice that when Jesus does appear to them verse 20 tells us he SHOWED them his hands and his side. The very evidence that Thomas was asking for. Thomas was no better or no worse than the average disciple. In fact, church tradition, especially the historical writings of the early church fathers, suggest some interesting facts about Thomas the doubter. Historical writings have Thomas carrying the gospel to India. Where, even today, there exists an order known as the Christians of St. Thomas of India. And it is recorded in India, that Thomas was killed there for his faith. But is he known as Thomas the one who suffered as a martyr for the faith? No! He's just doubting Thomas! The patron saint of all of those who are the last to know. And because he was not there for Jesus first appearance to the disciples, and because of this scripture text, Thomas has to walk the corridors of history, known as Thomas the doubter. Perhaps it’s time that we took another look at Thomas. Because I believe that…

THOMAS CAN TEACH US A LOT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BELIEVE. When You really believe in something, you’re willing to take a stand. Even when it’s risky, and the stronger your belief, the greater risk you’re willing to take. Remember the story of Lazarus, after Lazarus had died Jesus decides to travel to Bethany to comfort the family. When Jesus tells the disciples that they’re traveling to Bethany, the disciples can hardly believe what they’re hearing. At this time in Jesus' ministry, there were those in the region of Bethany that had pledged to put Jesus to death if they got their hands on him. Traveling to Bethany would be like placing one's head into the mouth of an angry lion. And when all the disciples argue with Jesus and try to talk him out of going what does Thomas say? "Let us also go, that we may die with him!" To make such a statement, to take such a stand, one has to believe. Thomas was honest in h