Posted on by Cheryl Norman

He’s a Good, Good Father

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 18, 2023

Scriptures: Gem 18:1-15; Ps 116:1-2, 12-19; Ro 5:1-8; Matt 9:35-38, 10:1-8

Happy Father’s Day to our fathers present here and to those who have gone on, we hope, to glory. Remember Paul Harvey? He wrote the following about fathers:

“A father is a creature that is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. A father growls when he feels good and laughs when scared half to death.

“A father never feels worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He’s never quite the hero his daughter thinks; never quite the man his son believes him to be, and this worries him—sometimes. So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough places in the road for those of his own who will follow him.

“A father gets very angry when the school grades aren’t as good as he thinks they should be. So he scolds his son—though he knows it’s the teacher’s fault. A father gives his daughter away to another man who is not nearly good enough—so that he can have grandchildren who are smarter than anybody’s. A father makes bets with insurance companies about who will live the longest. One day, he loses—and the bet is paid off to those he leaves behind. “ (Paul Harvey, quoted by Chuck Swindoll in The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, p.204.)

It’s a touching tribute, isn’t it? I hope that is what your father was/is like. If not, we can all look to our Father God, to understand what a good father—what a really good, good Father is like! Our Scripture passages today make that point clearly.

A. Let’s begin with what Paul tells us in Romans 5:1-8. Paul is instructing us in the great progression of the generous gifts and blessings we obtain—like the one baptized as well as those we receive into our church fellowship today–when we believe in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ:

First, we are reconciled to God through Jesus. This is a huge blessing! Paul teaches, in Romans 1, that we pull ourselves away from God by our sinful behaviors (carnal nature), our rebellious and idolatrous thinking, and by allowing our feelings to dictate our behaviors and our beliefs. Feelings provide us with important data, but we do not want them to direct or compel our behaviors. We live now in an American culture where many people appear to believe it is okay to be driven by their feelings. This kind of behavior is out of control and leads to harm and to chaos. So, often because we do not sense God’s presence, we assume it’s hard to have a relationship with Him! This is just not true! Our Lord is only a prayer away! And He desires a deep connection with each one of us—which Jesus has made possible through His death on the Cross for our behalf.

A second concern, however, is what happens to us as we are drawing closer to God, and engaging in Kingdom work (spreading the gospel, sharing our testimonies regarding our own faith journeys). We encounter trouble! You see Satan leaves us alone if we are not pursuing God or are neutral about the Lord. But when we draw near to God, the evil one comes after us, “tooth and nail,’ trying to turn us against Him. The world and our flesh, inspired by the devil, try to discourage us. These forces work hard to pull us away from Jesus.

If we can hold on to our faith—in the face of trouble—we will emerge victorious. We will have become one who perseveres; one who learns patience; one who develops grit or persistence. This ability to persevere strengthens our character. We become more resilient. Psychology calls resilience the bounce-back factor. Resilient folks recover more quickly from the slings and arrows the enemy throws at us than do people who are not. Resilient people learn that even if we don’t feel God’s presence, we can trust He is with us in our suffering. All of this—suffering, perseverance, and a resilient character–helps us to have hope. We worship the God of all hope. And because our God keeps His promises, this hope does not ultimately disappoint us.

Finally, in verse 8, Paul pens this famous line But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We love and serve a God who has pursued us for relationship, even when we didn’t deserve His attention. This is the height of romance, isn’t it? John Eldredge, a contemporary Christian author, wrote a book called, The Sacred Romance, in 1997. His premise was that we each want to feel so cherished by another that that person would court us/pursue us, and want to live out their life with us. He contends and I agree that our God has done just that. The woman we baptize this morning has said “yes” to God. Each of us who has been baptized has said “yes” to God. Praise God and Halleluiah!

B. We see the miraculous hand of God in today’s story of Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:1-15). Abraham is now 99 years old, and Sarah, 89. They are way past child bearing possibilities! But two angels and the pre-incarnate Jesus visit them to say “the Child of Promise,” Isaac, will finally appear within the year. Sarah laughs at the idea of conception at their ages. (I think I would cry! Of course, they were wealthy and had a lot of servants, so she would have had sufficient help, bless her!) But they are both told (v.14) Is anything too hard for the Lord? It’s a rhetorical question. The answer is, “of course not!” We love and serve an all-powerful God of miracles.

C. Our Psalm (116:1-2, 12-19) reminds us that we appreciate and thank God because He hears and responds to us when we are in distress or trouble. He is our Rescuer, our Redeemer.

D. And our Gospel (Matthew 9:35-38, 10:1-8) demonstrates how He trusts us and empowers us to do Kingdom ministry. He sends out 12 ordinary men and tasks them with preaching the Gospel; warning folks that the Kingdom of God is near [that’s Jesus; Jesus is coming to visit them soon]; healing the sick; casting out demons; and even raising the dead. YIKES! How extraordinary! And He has empowered His followers today do the same.

Chris Tomlin wrote a sang a contemporary worship song called, “He’s a good, good Father.” We do worship a good, good Father, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit. What wonderful blessings we enjoy when we ally or bind ourselves to Jesus Christ:

(1) We experience peace with God and the peace that passes all understanding.

(2) We experience being deeply loved.

(3) We come to enjoy hope, despite our earthly circumstances.

(4) Our characters are developed and strengthened.

(5) We trust that our Redeemer hears and responds to us.

(6) We realize He trusts us enough to give us Kingdom building work to do.

(7) And we align ourselves with the God who works unheard of miracles for those He loves.

Thank you, Lord, for the good fathers you have given us and for modeling what it is to be a good, good father. Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Happy Father’s Day.
Posted on by Cheryl Norman

God’s Bigger Picture

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 11, 2023

Scriptures: Gen 12:1-9; Ps 33:1-12; Ro 4:13-25; Matt 9:9-13, 18-26

Some years back, a TV news show in the Midwest ran a TV ad campaign to try to increase their share of the viewing market. They showed a woman, sitting in her car, reading or writing down something—perhaps a shopping list—minding her own business, oblivious to her surroundings. Out of nowhere, this guy appears who rips open her car door, grabs her, and throws her out onto the ground. At first it looks like a car-jacking, which have proliferated all over the country lately. The viewer is horrified for the lady. We wonder what the attacker will do next. But the camera angle pulls way back, and we note that the car is on fire. The guy wasn’t attacking her, or trying to steal her car; instead, he had come to her rescue. The ad concluded with the following statement in big letters across the screen: ”You need the bigger picture. Channel XYZ gives you honest, trustworthy news everyday.”

(Borrowed from a sermon by Rev. Jenny Salt, “The Big Picture of God’s Faithfulness,” archived by www.preachingtoday.com, 6/9/2023.)

TV news programs may come and go—and some are more honest and trustworthy than others–but we can absolutely depend upon the faithfulness of our God.

Our readings today all speak to this immutable, unchanging characteristic of our God in all three persons.

A. Abraham is the first of the 4 great patriarchs of Israel.

Prior to Genesis 12:1-9, Scripture has focused on events important to the human race: Creation; the Fall and its consequences; the Flood; and the Tower of Babel. Talk about the Big Picture! But from Chapter 12 on, God begins to record His interactions with specific humans, beginning with Abram (whose name He changes to Abraham five chapters later).

In today’s reading, God tells Abram that he intends to make a great nation from him.

1.) The Lord promises to bless Abram;

2.) To make his name famous;

3.) To make him a blessing to others.

4.) And, in verse 4, God promises I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. Wow! What a great set of promises!

How are all people on the earth going to be blessed by Abram? This side of the Cross, we know out of his lineage will come the Messiah, Jesus. This is the Bigger Picture! (By the way, this promise has not expired. Thus, we want to be careful to support Israel, especially praying that they would come to accept Jesus as the true Anointed One.)

Just as with Jesus’ Great Commission, which we considered last week, God tells Abram to “Go.” He was to go to Canaan from the south of present day Iraq. How did he know this? Scripture does not convey the conversations, but we can assume he heard from God. Abram was obedient and went. When he arrived in what would become Shechem, and later, Bethel, God promised him a huge territory 300,000 square miles in size. Even at its height as a nation, Israel has never exceeded 30,000 square miles. This promise is as yet unmet, perhaps awaiting the Millenial Reign of Christ at His 2nnd Coming. In thanksgiving to the Lord, though, Abram erected an altar to Him everywhere he went.

Abram lived about 2100BC, prior to the provision of the Law. He is famous for his faith and obedience to God. He probably suspected that he was missing something in life. He was satisfied that God gave him a bigger perspective. He is famous for his life-changing decision to follow God.

He is famous for his noble, generous character. And he is famous for being a man of destiny—the father of all believers (considered the patriarch of Jews, Christians, and even Moslems). He clearly understood the bigger picture!

B. In Psalm 33:1-12–called an “orphan psalm” because we do not know its author’s name–we are given our motivation to praise God. We praise Him 1st because He is the God of Creation, and 2nd, because He is a “providential ruler.” This means that what He says is always true, so we can count on Him. Additionally, it means He is completely faithful to His promises. Furthermore, He is just and loving in His dealings with us. Nothing—certainly nothing dreamed up by people or the evil one—can thwart His plans. The psalmist concludes (v.12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. This is why we pray weekly that America will return to the Lord. Our country needs to grasp the bigger picture: We were dedicated to Jesus at our founding; we have all but abandoned our faith in Him now; and we will probably not prosper again as a nation until we return to Christ once again.

C. In our Romans 4:13-25 passage, Paul makes the case that God saved Abraham because of the man’s faith. It wasn’t due to his good works, though he was mostly kind and generous. It wasn’t because Abraham obeyed God’s Law. The Law wasn’t given until the time of Moses.

This was years later than Abraham—after the adventures and exploits of his son, Isaac, his grandson Jacob, and his great-grandson. It was only after years of slavery and following the exodus from Egypt, that Moses was given the Law on Mt. Sinai in the Wilderness. God saved Abraham because of his trust in God’s promises. He trusted despite his circumstances—old age! He was 100 when his wife conceived Isaac, and Sarah was then 90!

Paul tells us Abraham was (v.21) fully persuaded—this means he had no doubts—that God would faithfully fulfill His Genesis 12 promises to him. He grasped the Bigger Picture for his life. Oh, that we all only had such unshakable faith!

D. These passages on faith are paired with our Gospel lesson today from Matthew 9: 9-13, 18-26. It may seem an odd pairing but let’s delve into it and search out the connections.

The first portion deals with Jesus’ call to Matthew. It’s Matthew who is telling this story, but notice how he skimps on the details. He may have simply been being modest. What made him answer Jesus’ call? I imagine he had seen Jesus in and around Capernaum. He would have also heard folks talking about Jesus’ teachings and His miracles. I could be wrong, but I think that like a lot of us, he found his life lived his way was bankrupt.

Being a rich tax collector hadn’t led him to happiness. If you have watched the 3 seasons of “The Chosen,” you have noted that Matthew is portrayed as being friendless, disowned by his orthodox parents, and despised by the Romans he served for being a Jew, but also hated and avoided by the Jews for collaborating with the Romans. Undoubtedly he knew he needed something more, something different. Maybe he was desperate for a change. So, somehow, when he looked into Jesus’ eyes, he had the faith to follow after him, and jumped into God’s Bigger Picture.

This is so similar to the synagogue ruler, Jairus. Though he was already a man of faith, he had to have been listening to the Pharisees who rejected Jesus. He knew they saw Him as a blasphemer or worse. Yet, when his precious child fell ill, he remembered all the people who had been healed by Jesus. Like Matthew, Jairus was desperate and Jesus healed his 12 year old daughter because of her father’s infant faith. Jairus, too, jumped into God’s Bigger Picture.

The woman who had bled continuously for 12 years was also desperate enough to reach out to Jesus. She didn’t make a request of Jesus, like Jairus. She didn’t look Him in the eyes, like Matthew. Bleeding people were considered unclean, and could not approach a rabbi. Her family had probably banished her due to her unclean status and guilt by association. She could not attend synagogue. Even Lepers lived in community, but she was all alone. She kept her eyes down and quietly touched the edge of Jesus’ garment. Jesus immediately understood her alienation and pain, healed her, and said (v.22) Take heart, daughter [restoring her to relationship], your faith has healed you. Additionally, as they portray this encounter in “The Chosen,” Christ kindly and lovingly tells her to look up. Her daring propelled her into God’s Bigger Picture.

Thank God we worship a God who is faithful and trustworthy. He is the God of the Bigger Picture and our divine rescuer. He responds to us with love and grace. In response to Him, we want to be persons of abiding faith…like Abram/Abraham; like Matthew; like Jairus, the synagogue president; and like the unnamed woman who had hemorrhaged for 12 years.

I personally stepped into God’s Bigger Picture when my husband of 16 years left me for another woman. Someone at my church suggested I read Isaiah 54 and it changed my life! The prophet is talking about God’s relationship with Israel, but it seemed so very appropriate to how my life was going just then. In verse 4, he identified my shame and humiliation. Then in verse 5, He reassured me For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer…. Having felt abandoned, He comforted me by asserting in verse 10 ”Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, Who has compassion on you. In my grief and heartbreak, I took God at His word, and have never regretted it.

If you are feeling desperate and like life is empty or unfulfilling, please don’t give up on our God. Jesus is still looking for the lost, those who have come to the end of their own resources. Our God has the bigger picture in mind. He sees more than we do. He understands more than we can. He loves us fiercely. He can and does see the forest despite the trees that impede our view. This week, let’s remind ourselves—no matter what happens–that our God sees the bigger picture and will bring about His plans and promises for us (Jeremiah 29:11) ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Amen! May it be so!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Trinity Sunday

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 4, 2023

Scriptures: Gen 1:1-31, 2:1-4; Ps 8; 2 Cor 13:11-13; Matt 28:16-20

Today is Trinity Sunday, traditionally the first Sunday after Pentecost. Many people have come up with metaphors to explain the Trinity—one God in three separate persons—but each of these images falls short somehow. Explaining the Trinity proves to be very difficult. Consider this true story from St. Augustine (396 to 430), Bishop of Hippo or present day Algeria. Many experts today still consider him to be one of the premier theologians of the Christian Church. It is said that,

“One day when St. Augustine was at his wits’ end to understand and explain the Trinity, he went out for a walk. He kept turning over in his mind, “One God, but three Persons. Three Persons–not three Gods but one God. What does it mean? How can it be explained? How can my mind take it in?”

“And so he was torturing his mind and beating his brains out, when he saw a little boy on the beach. He approached him to see what he was doing. The child had dug a small hole in the sand. With his hands he was carrying water from the ocean and was dumping it in the little hole. St. Augustine asked, “What are you doing, my child?”

“The child replied, “I want to put all of the water of the ocean into this hole.”

“St. Augustine asked, “But is it possible for all of the water of this great ocean to be contained in this little hole?”

“And then it dawned on Augustine, “If the water of the ocean cannot be contained in this little hole, then how can the Infinite Trinitarian God be contained in your mind?”

(Borrowed from a sermon by Rev. Gordon Curley, dated November 29, 2010, archived on http://www.Sermoncentral.com).

Again, it is very difficult to explain the Trinity using images like a three-leaf clover (one plant, three leaves), an egg (shell, liquid, solid), or water (ice, fluid, steam) because while these speak to the separateness of the three, they do not adequately describe the unity, the relationships among the persons, or their cooperative work together.

John Wesley (1703-1791), the Anglican pastor who founded our Methodist Church, may have come close. He once used the following analogy to explain the doctrine of the Trinity: He said,

“Tell me how it is that in this room there are three candles and one light, and I will explain to you the mode of the triune God.” “Although each of the three persons of the Holy Community has his own distinct identity, all work together harmoniously as one God to accomplish salvation.”

(Borrowed from Pastor Glen Key from his March 2, 2011 sermon; archived on website http://www.sermoncentral.com)

As it turns out, you won’t find the word Trinity in the Bible. People only began to use this term toward the end of the 2nd century. Theophilos, the Bishop of Antioch in 180 AD, used the term Trias to describe our one God in three persons. Later, the theologian Tertullian (155-220AD) who challenged many developing heresies in the early Church, changed the word to Trinitas. The church leaders who met in Nicea in 325 AD, and later in Constantinople in 381, set this reality as doctrine in the Nicene Creed. It’s a way of describing what the Bible tells us about the reality of God—in essence, One God, but formed of 3 distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

But you will find citations of the three persons of the Trinity:

In John 10:30, Jesus says–>I and the Father are One. Later, in an epistle (1 John 5:7), John says For there are three that testify, the Father, the Word [Jesus], and the Spirit, and these three are one.

The Old Testament also mentions or implies the Triune nature of our God:

Job 33:6 refers to the Holy Spirit The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? [implying more than one person]. The Hebrews never adopted the custom exhibited by later European monarchs of referring to themselves in the plural. If the Hebrew passage said us, it meant literally more than one.

Isaiah also predicts the 1st Advent of Jesus, within Whom will reside many gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-2) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse [lineage of King David]; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit [Holy Spirit] of the Lord [God the Father] will rest on Him [Jesus]—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Our Scriptures today all shine further light on the cooperative functions of the members of the Trinity:

A. In our Genesis 1:1-31, 2:1-4 lesson, two members of the Trinity are mentioned: (1) Verse 1 In the beginning God [the Father planned and directed it] created the heavens and the earth.

(2) Verse 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God [Holy Spirit] was hovering over the waters. Hovering here evokes such a lovely image. In the Hebrew it conveys the sense of a mother hen hovering over/covering with her wings her chicks. It’s a protective and a loving action.

(3) Verses 3-26 reveal the orderly mind of God and His attention to detail. The 1st day (v.3), He—John the Gospeler says this He is Jesus, who speaks creation into existence. In John 1:1,3, he tells us In the beginning was the Word [God’s Word made flesh, Jesus, the Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…Through Him [Jesus] all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. That first day, Jesus spoke light into existence. Remember, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.”

The 2nd day (v.6), He created the sky, separating the waters above (rain, dew) from the waters below (oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.).

The 3rd day (vv.9-11), He separated out dry ground from the waters and made vegetation.

The 4th day (v.14), He formed lights in the sky, the sun, the moon, and the stars. (Notice, light itself was produced before these celestial bodies were placed in the heavens).

The 5th day (vv.20-24), He produced marine life and birds.

On the 6th day (26), He crafted land-dwelling animals and humankind, the pinnacle of His creation. He said Let us [plural, more than one] make man in our image, in our likeness. Adam, Eve, and the animals were to be fruitful and multiply; and Adam was to serve as a steward or overseer of over the rest of creation, as God’s agents.

So, according to the first chapters of Genesis and of John, all three persons of the Trinity were present at creation. God the Father devised the plan; God the Son spoke it into existence; and God the Spirit was both the power source and the breath (The Hebrew word for the Holy Spirit is ruach which means both breath, wind, and spirit).

B. Psalm 8, written by King David, is a hymn of praise to God for creation. It begins and ends with those wonderful words, O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! Then it goes on to celebrate God’s formation of the cosmos, from planets and stars to humans and infants. We could call this a Messianic psalm because it speaks to a time when all persons will revere our Lord. As we know, the names of God and of Jesus are not everywhere honored today; some use them as curse words. But at Jesus’ 2nd Coming, all will know that God is real, that He exists, and that He rules in power and might. They will then either revere Him or be gone.

C. Both 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 and Matthew 28:16-20 are farewell addresses that include references to the Trinity. As Paul says goodbye to the Church in Corinth, he exhorts them to… (v.11) aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, and live in peace.

None of us is perfect, so what he means by this is grow up! In the first chapters of 1 Corinthians, he takes the believers there to task for being infantile in their faith (preferring milk to meat) and acting out of their carnal rather than spiritual nature. So, he is saying, essentially, “Don’t act like entitled children; learn to live a spirit-filled, disciplined life.”

Additionally, he wants them to pay attention to what he has taught them. He encourages them to try to maintain unity in doctrine and beliefs—which we know presently and personally is difficult. And he wants them to live in peace….We can’t create peace—only Jesus can—but we can conduct ourselves in a way that demonstrates we know Jesus can supply us with the peace that passes all understanding. Then he encourages them to greet each other with appropriate affection—no icky or invasive hugs or kisses.

Finally, he blesses them with a benediction that includes each member of the Trinity (v.14) May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God [the Father], and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. What a wonderful sendoff!

Jesus’s parting words in Matthew 28 are strikingly similar. We call His final instructions the Great Commission:

(1) We are to go! Through our neighborhoods, our county, our state, our country, to the entire world.

(2) We are to make disciples for Christ.

(3) We are to teach them about Jesus and that they and we are to be obedient to Him.

(4) And we are to baptize them (v.19) …in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Paul died but Jesus promises us to be present with us (through the Holy Spirit) (v.20)…to the very end of the age.

So what does this mean to us on this Trinity Sunday of 2023?

The story is told of a seminary professor who asked his students to close their eyes and see if they could summon up for themselves an image of God.

“After a few moments he had them open their eyes and, if comfortable, share what they saw. Most of them said the same thing: “An old man with a white beard floating in the clouds, looking down at us.” [The professor] then said, “If what you imagine God to be like is anything other than Jesus, then you have the wrong image of God.” Jesus is beautiful, and so are the Father and the Spirit: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 KJV).”.

(Borrowed from The Magnificent Story by James Bryan Smith, InterVarsity Press, 2018.).

We want to remember that God the Father and the Spirit are spirits. Jesus shows us the loving, grace-filled face of the Father, as well as the powerful, healing and sanctifying presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The truth is that our God exists in 3 persons—all the same God but taking on three personalities or different expressions—all of which is difficult for our finite minds to take in. I don’t understand gravity. I can’t see it, but I know it is real and I don’t plan to test it by jumping off a tall building. I think, until we reach heaven, we probably have to agree with St. Augustine and take the same stance with the Trinity.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Jesus, Lifted Up

Pastor Sherry’s message for May 21, 2023

Scriptures : Acts 1:1-11; Psalm 47; Eph. 1:15-23; Lk 24:44-53

Today is Ascension Sunday, the anniversary of Christ’s departure from earth and arrival back in heaven. Of the 5 major Christian holidays, it is probably the least known or celebrated. We delight in (1) Christmas in which we commemorate His incarnation and birth. Many also celebrate (2) Epiphany, in memory of the visit of the Gentile Magi to the Christ child in Bethlehem. Folks count 12 days from Christmas Day to Epiphany, the 12 days of Christmas, and even give one gift a day for each day as opposed to all gifts on Christmas Day. At (3) Easter, we go all out to celebrate Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead. On (4) Pentecost, which we will celebrate next Sunday, we honor both His gifting all of us believers with the power of His Holy Spirit, as well as the Birth of the Christian Church.

Finally, (5) Ascension Day –40 days after Easter–marks the end of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. The Gospels record 10 specific citings. The point of these was to demonstrate that Jesus really had overcome death and the grave. Jesus ate and drank with folks, thus he was not a ghost, a fake, or an illusion. Then He miraculously left earth. He had completed 1st His mission here. It was time for Him to be reunited with the Father in Heaven. It was time for Him to regain all of the divine privileges and prerogatives He gave up to come to earth.

As we read in our Acts lesson (Acts 1:1-11), He led the disciples to the Mount of Olives, gave them their “marching orders,” blessed them, then “lifted off.” They were to await the impartation and power of the Holy Spirit. They were then to share their testimonies regarding Jesus with those in Jerusalem where they were at that time; then Judea, kind of like the rest of the county; then Samaria, like the rest of the state; then to the all the world. Next, as they watched, (v.9)…He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

To give us some idea of the impact of this often least celebrated event in the Church year, I want to share a true story:

“The story begins with a real life prince, Sao Kya Seng, from an independent collection of states in northeastern Burma. In the 1950’s Seng came to Denver, Colorado, to study agriculture. Since he wanted to experience what it was like to be a student in the US, he kept his identity secret. Not even his professors knew who he really was.

“One of his fellow students was Inge Sargent. Inge was from Austria. Since both of them were exchange students, Inge and the prince quickly found that they had a lot in common. They started to spend more and more time together. Their friendship eventually grew into love.

“Now here is where it begins to sound like a fairy tale, but I assure you it is not. The prince decided that he would not tell Inge who he really was even though their relationship was beginning to get serious. He didn’t want her to love him because of his title, but for himself alone. Even when they became engaged, he did not disclose his secret. Even on their wedding day in the U.S., he did not reveal his true identity.

“However, on their honeymoon they took a ship to Burma to see his family. As their ship docked in his native land, hundreds of people were waiting at the harbor. Many of them were holding up welcome signs. A band was playing; people were tossing flowers at the ship. Surprised at all this excitement, Inge turned to her new husband and asked whose arrival these people were celebrating. The prince turned to his bride and said, “Inge . . . These people are celebrating our arrival. You are now the princess.” (1) Suddenly Inge saw her husband in a new way” (www.sermoncentral.com, 5/10/2023).

I know a little about this kind of excitement. When I was in the 7th grade, and again in the 11th grade, the Navy sent my officer father and us to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii (for two 2-year tours of duty). On both crossings of the Pacific Ocean, they sent us by ocean liner. We slept on what I suspected was the bottom deck, but on an ocean liner, it’s all luxury. When we docked in Honolulu, there was a band playing, streamers blowing, and crowds waving and cheering. In fact, there was a group of naval officers and their wives with a sign saying, “Welcome Adams Family.” These were the men my father would serve with on board a navy ship based at Pearl Harbor. It was a thrilling surprise for me and comforting to know that a community of sorts awaited us upon our arrival.

No doubt realizing that her husband was a prince was both a shock and a delight to Inge. Similarly, seeing Jesus lift off into heaven was undoubtedly a shock and a delight to the disciples as well. Once again, their perceptions of Him were challenged. Just as the curtain separating the Holies of Holies—and our direct access to the Father–was opened up at Jesus’ crucifixion, Jesus’ Ascension removes a veil and confirms for us His divinity.

For one thing, He did not require a rocket to leave the earth’s atmosphere. He was taken away in a cloud, and not just any cloud. This cloud was pretty special: Remember it was a cloud that guided the Israelites in the wilderness by day. Remember a special cloud hid Moses for 40 days as He communed with God on Mt. Sinai. Remember how the glory of God, in the form of a cloud, entered Solomon’s completed Temple, indicating that the Father had taken up residence there. Remember that a cloud, on the Mount of Transfiguration, hid then removed Elijah and Moses following their conversation with Christ. The cloud in all four examples is the Shekinah Glory of God.

Jesus jetted back to heaven, in a miraculous conveyance, upheld by the power and majesty of God the Father. Consider this for just a moment: In John 12:32, Jesus says But I, when I am lifted up, will draw all men to Myself. The apostle John interprets this to mean Jesus’ crucifixion—lifted up high on a cross—will be what draws folks to Him. Rev. Dr. J. Vernon Mcgee believes Jesus’ resurrection—lifted up back into life–is the truly convicting event. Could it be that the three “liftings up”—crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension—all demonstrate Jesus’ divinity and encourage us to believe in Him?

Psalm 47 is a psalm which provides a picture of the praise and worship in the future Millennial Reign of Christ. After Jesus defeats the massive army of evil people at Armageddon (His 2nd coming), the book of Revelation tells us He will establish His kingdom rule on earth. At that time, all nations of the earth will praise God. Verse 5, especially, predicts Jesus’ ascension God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. This psalm predicts that at His glorious return to earth, He will reign, exalted, over all people.

In our Gospel lesson, Luke 24:44-53, Jesus holds a Bible study for the disciples, revealing to them how all the Law and the prophets predicted His death, resurrection, ascension, and 2nd Coming. Then He tells them they are to be His witnesses to those who don’t know Him. They are to testify to the truth of Who Jesus is. Even though our courts have stopped acknowledging their Christian foundations (in Biblical Law and British Common Law), we still place our hands on the Bible and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God, when sworn in as a witness in a court proceeding. Jesus commissions His followers to go out into the rest of the world, declaring what they have seen and learned. He instructs them to wait on empowerment from the Holy Spirit. He then blesses them (prays a blessing over them), and then lifts off to heaven in the Shekinah glory cloud. Their response, like ours, was to worship Him.

Paul does not lift off to heaven, but he does pray for the members of the Church at Ephesus (Ephesians 1:15-23). Do you notice that he did not pray for material blessings for them? In our prayers on Sunday (Joys and Concerns), we often lift up needs for physical healing, comfort from grief—even for jobs, cars, help with tests, travel safety, and etc.

But we also ask for the kinds of spiritual concerns that Paul mentions:

(1) He wanted the Ephesian Church and us to develop spiritual wisdom and revelation about Who Jesus is and why they/we need Him.

(2) He prayed that those who do not yet know Christ will come to know and love Him more deeply.

(3) He prayed that all might know that in Jesus there is hope that—despite the political or economic situation in our country, in any age–He is the God of all hope!

(4) That those of us who love Him may suffer in this life, but we will inherit blessing upon blessing in the next.

(5) Paul also prays that they/we might be assured of God’s amazing power. God had, and still has, the power to raise Jesus from the dead (and us too). Jesus had the power to ascend to heaven (and He has promised to bring us there also).

Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus ascended to heaven when He completed His first earthly mission. That is where He is now, enthroned, lifted up, with the Father. As the Creeds affirm, He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and to rule and reign here on earth.

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly wait until He establishes His kingdom here on earth. Let’s conclude this sermon by singing together “Joy to the World.” We think of it as a Christmas Carol, but from the perspective of Jesus’ ascension and 2nd Coming, it is more than that:

Joy to the world! The Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And heav’n and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Savior reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love.

 (Sir Isaac Watts)

Amen and amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Mother Love of the Father

Pastor Sherry’s message for May 14, 2023

Scriptures: Acts 17:22-31; Ps 66:8-20; 1 Pet 3:13-22; Jn 14:15-21

On Mother’s Day, in America, we try to honor or remember our mothers with love. We tend to think of all the ways they shaped our lives. One humorous soul has listed all the things his/her mother taught (Do any of these sound familiar?):

1. My mother taught me religion. She used to say things like, “You better pray that comes out of the carpet.”

2. My mother taught me medicine: “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.”

3. My mother taught me how to be a contortionist: “Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck!”

4. My mother taught me to appreciate a job well done: “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning!”

5. My mother taught me about genetics: “You are just like your father!”

6. My mother taught me logic: “Because I said so, that’s why.”

(As shared by website www.sermons.com, 5/13/2023)

I found these to be funny and hope you do, too. I remember vowing as a young woman, “I will never say to my children the things my mother said to me!” That lasted until I became a mother myself. Then I was appalled to hear my mother’s words come out of my mouth! (We want to avoid vowing we will never or we will always. These vows can become “word curses,” which have the result of boomeranging upon us until we repent and ask God’s forgiveness.)

Even though today is Mother’s Day, our readings today all focus on our heavenly Father’s love—could we be so bold as to say the “motherly love expressed by the Father?” (When it’s Father’s Day, I promise to speak of fatherly love.)

A. In our Acts 17:22-31 passage, Paul is trying to convince the philosophers of ancient Athens—those meeting, debating, and worshipping on Mars Hill–that they have been revering the Christian God without realizing it. In verse 23, he points out that they have an altar, among the many altars erected to various Greek gods, to…an Unknown God. Apparently they had erected this altar so as not to offend any god of which they were unaware. They thought they were being respectful. They thought they were being inclusive. They thought they were being hospitable. Apparently, they wanted any visitor to Athens to find a shrine set aside to worship any god unknown to the Athenians. What Paul does is to use this altar as a jumping off place from which to tell them about the One True God. He affirms them for being concerned about spiritual matters. They are clearly seeking the truth; but Dr. Luke tells us, back in verse 16, that [Paul] was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. Much like many Americans today, they were intrigued by the supernatural, but invested in empty ideologies (New Age, Satanism, witchcraft, even UFO’s). These beliefs promise power, but they ultimately deliver brokenness, addiction, powerlessness, and heartbreak.

Then Paul begins to tell them about our Lord: (1) He is our Creator, a past accomplishment. He created the physical universe and He created humankind. Paul assures them The One True God doesn’t need anything from us; however, He also doesn’t want us wandering off into idolatry. (2) He is our Redeemer. At the time of Paul’s missionary visit to Athens, that was His present accomplishment through Jesus Christ. And, (3) He is our righteous Judge, which Jesus will accomplish in the future.

Then Paul asserts this majestic summary (v.28) For in Him we live and move and have our being. Our God is the be-all and the end-all. There is no need for all the hundreds of other shrines and gods the Athenians revere. As Peterson paraphrases verses 28-31 in modern American (The Message, NavPress, 2002, p.2005-2006) One of your poets said it well: “We’re the God-created.” Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it? God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and He’s calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right [Jesus’ Second Coming]. And He has already appointed the judge, confirming Him before everyone by raising Him from the dead.

Here is what Paul is saying: “The Christian God is the only God. In His love, He has made it so easy for you, so efficient. You don’t have to worry about placating bunches of gods. Clear them away. You just want to worship, to come to love the One True God.” When I was in seminary, we heard a lecture from an indigenous missionary to India, Rev. Andrew Swamidas. He told us about an event that took place in a city in India. A bus jumped a curb and killed a pedestrian on the sidewalk. By the next day, someone had erected a shrine “to the god of the bus-wreck.” Those poor folks believed they had to appease some kind of bus god to prevent future accidental deaths. There are thousands of gods in the Hindu system, and humans run around trying to keep these gods happy so they won’t retaliate with misery or death. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about doing this with our God. Paul is telling them our God, in His gracious love and mercy, makes it so much easier for us.

B. Jesus, in our Gospel message today (John 14:15-21) tells us essentially that we demonstrate to God our love for Him by obeying Him. Our Lord says in verse 15 If you love Me, you will obey what I command. We can say we love Jesus, but it is our surrender to Him, our obedience to Him, that proves our love. This is truly a case where our actions speak louder than our words.

Jesus continues by describing His gift to us of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is (v.17) the Spirit of Truth. He will live within us and help us to discern what is true and what is not. This is Jesus’ gift to us once He ascends to Heaven. His crucifixion earns us salvation we believers are now in Christ. The Holy Spirit will help transform us or change our behavior to be more like that of Jesus. This sanctification arises out of Christ in us. You could, then, say we express our love for God by cooperating with the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

C. Okay Our Psalm (66:8-20) and our Epistle (1 Peter 3:13-22) readings both warn us that our trust in God will be tested.

Psalm 66, written by King David, is a song of praise and worship. In verses 8-9, David praises God for having rescued him (and us). Then he goes on to list all the ways (vv.10-13) God has allowed His people to be tested: They’ve been imprisoned. They’ve been captured, enslaved as prisoners of war. Their warriors have been run over by enemy chariots.

Figuratively—perhaps even literally—they have gone…through fire and water. These two images are metaphors for severe trials. Think of the tough times in your life: Divorces; deaths of a spouse &/or of a child; handicapping or life threatening illnesses, both physical and mental; losses of homes, health, friends, jobs, cars, money to live on, etc.

God allows these things to happen to us in order to…

(1) Test and refine us/change our behavior Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5 …we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

(2) Increase our loyalty to Him—will we still love Him when things are not going well for us?

(3) To deepen our trust in Him—will we trust Him to then (v.12)…[bring us] to a place of abundance? Remember, God does not save us from all trials, but He does promise to be with us throughout them; and to ultimately bless our faithfulness.

Peter writes in his 1st Epistle that suffering produces Christian conduct. Again, our Lord doesn’t create the suffering—the evil one does. But our God allows it to happen in order to refine our character and deepen our faith. And Peter would know this, wouldn’t he?

Actually, when I truly think it through, the Father’s love is often tough love, isn’t it. It’s sometimes painful. But like the crazy examples I used of what our mothers may have taught us, it is always meant to convey His love and His protection for us. How extravagant and deep is the motherly, fatherly love of the Father for us.

Stuart Townsend is a Scottish, Christian composer who in 1997 wrote the song, “How Deep the Father’s Love for us.” Perhaps you know it.

(1st verse)

How deep the Father’s love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only son

To make a wretch His treasure.

I don’t know about you, but I do realize that I am a wretch. I am a wretch who is loved by God and who has been claimed by God. Let us pray: Lord, thank You for Your great motherly, fatherly love for us! We are so grateful! Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The WHY Questions

Pastor Sherry’s message for May 7, 2023

Scriptures: Acts 7:54-8:1; Ps 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Pet 2:2-10; Jn 14:1-14

Remember when your kids or grandkids played “the Why Question Game” with you? We’ve all experienced it. Perhaps we were driving somewhere in the car, or trying to put them to bed, and they would pipe up with a Why question. Example One: We announce, “Kids, We’re going to stop at McDonalds for lunch.” The chorus from the backseat sings out, “Why?” “Because we all like McDonalds!” “Why?” “Well,” we say, “it’s quick and everyone can get what they want.” “Why?” By this time we are beginning to get irritated. But we’re on to them. We know how this goes, so we put a stop to the game. We say, “No more why’s!” From the back seat, accompanied by giggles, we hear, “Why?”

Example Two: The child has been bathed, teeth are brushed, a bedtime story has been read, and prayers are said. We say, “Good night. It’s time to go to sleep.” Just as we go to turn out the light, and close the door, we hear, “Why?” “Because you’ve had a busy day. You need your rest. ” “Why?” “Because your bones grow mainly when you are asleep.” “Why?” And on it can go, ad nauseum, and ad aggravation.

Actually, it’s a very good thing to ask why! Kids can ask why to manipulate or to irritate, but they can also be genuinely interested in cause and effect, and in finding out how their world works. Someone, somewhere once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” In other words, that person meant that we are not to live without questioning our routine and habitual ways of living out our lives. From this perspective, asking Why is among the most important things we ever do.

We must all answer for ourselves the Great Existential (things related to life and living) Questions:

1.) Who am I? (This deals with our identity.)

2.) Who (or what) made me?

3.)Why am I here? (What’s my purpose?)

4.) How do I know I have lived a good life?

5.) Where do I go when I die?

They are not all why questions but they do try to get at the Why? of our existence and of our purpose.

Peter offers, in today’s Epistle reading (1 Peter 2:2-10) some pretty effective answers to the Why Questions of life. As Christians, we know we are children of God, created by our Lord to know, love, and serve Him. That belief answers the Who made me Question. The answer, of course, is God. It also addresses the Why am I here Question: (1) To come to know God; (2) To develop a relationship with and learn to love God; and (3) to serve God and his people.

Peter also offers us answers to the identity and purposeful life questions: In verse 5, Peter refers to us each as …living stones [who are] being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus is the Rock. He changed Peter’s name from Simon to Peter, which means little rock, or chip off the Rock. As Christ-followers, we too are to live our lives as though we are chips off of Jesus–not just those who follow Christ’s teachings intellectually, but those who imitate Him, in what we do and in what we say.

The Lord wants to use us, as we serve Him, as a holy priesthood. In following Jesus denying Jesus then being lovingly forgiven and received back by Jesus, Peter knows the most important thing for us in life is to be closely connected to Jesus. What is the job/the role of a priest? It is to explain God to people—Who He is and what He wants from us. It is also to help people relate to Him—here’s what helps you draw nearer to Him and here’s what distances you from Him. Finally, a priest assists us to offer sacrifices to God–no longer animals, thank God, because Jesus is the once and for all perfect Sacrifice. But we offer God sacrifices of praise (consider our “Halleluiah Sing” this past Sunday. We each took an hour out of our day to sing hymns to the Lord). We also offer Him our time and talents (to cook, to decorate or maintain the church, to practice and perform music, to operate the Thrift Store, etc.). And we offer to Him money or tithes to help build up His Kingdom here on earth.

Peter goes on to exclaim (v.9) But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Peter asserts that we each were chosen. Here’s a great Why? Question. Why was Israel chosen to be God’s special people? Why were each of us chosen to be Christ-followers? Why did God pick us? While each of us is unique and special, none of us has earned special recognition from God—none of us deserves to be among God’s chosen. So why did God choose us? He chose each one of us because of His love and His grace. It all starts with Him. He initiates relationship and we respond to Him. The “Two Bubba’s and a Bible” say it so well: Why were we chosen, royal, holy [set apart]? Because of the pure, unbridled, unadulterated, unmitigated, unreasoned love of God. Why? …Not why as in, ”Why has God loved us, chosen us, made us royal and holy?” But Why as I, “Why has God called us together, what are we chosen for, what is our purpose, our reason for being?” Peter tells us that God has chosen us so that [we] may proclaim the mighty acts of (the One) who has called (us) out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. (Fairless and Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year A, 2013, pp.126-127).

There it is! Our purpose is to know, love and serve God by telling others about Him. Our purpose—as they say in Cursillo–is to “be a friend, make a friend, bring a friend to Christ.” Our greatest purpose in life is to help make Jesus known to others. We can do this by talking, blogging, or writing, recounting from our hearts how knowing Jesus has changed our lives. We can do this by assisting people in need, then giving Jesus the credit if they try to thank us. We can do this by the way we live our lives.

Stephen (Acts 7:54-8:1) witnessed to Jesus as he was being stoned to death. Saul observed Stephen’s death and scholars believe the way Stephen died subsequently prepared Saul to accept Jesus (in Acts 9) on the road to Damascus. We can fulfill our divine purpose in life by praying that people who don’t yet know Jesus to come to know Him.

Our Psalm (31:1-5, 15-16) and our Gospel (14:1-14) further illuminate our reasons to love and serve God:

Psalm 31 is a prayer for deliverance from trouble. Certainly being dragged out by an angry mob to be stoned to death, like Stephen–or crucified, like Jesus–qualifies as “big trouble.” Both Stephen and Jesus quote this psalm as they are being murdered: Verse 5 Into Your hands I commit my spirit. Both Jesus and Stephen exhibit the kind of faith in God demonstrated in verses 15-16 My times are in Your hands; deliver me from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. They knew that whether they lived or died was up to the Father. Both also forgave their murderers as they were being executed.

In John 14:6, Jesus declares that He is…the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. We love and follow Jesus because He is our only route to the Father. People who espouse other beliefs are offended by what they consider to be the “exclusive claims of Christianity.” Jesus is clearly saying no other set of religious beliefs will get us to heaven–neither worshipping the Buddha, Confucius, any Hindu gods, Allah, Baal, Satan, nor even a political party or “the state,” as communists do, will earn someone salvation. The Gospels and the Epistles proclaim that only Jesus can ultimately rescue us.

Jesus goes on to say in verses 9-10 Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father?” Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in Me? In other words, Jesus is the Face of the Father. The Father is spirit and does not take on human form. Jesus fully represented God the Father on earth.

He gave us a human face to look upon; then, He only said what the Father told Him to say; and He did only what the Father told Him to do. He is what people might call “God with skin on.” So, we know we have lived a good life if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and if we have tried to live a life pleasing to Him, obeying Him and His Father.

One final thought: Our Gospel passage today also answers for us the final existential question—Where do we go when we die? John 14:1-3 is often read at funerals because of the hope and comfort it offers. Jesus promises (per Peterson’s The Message, NavPress, 2002, p.1948) Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust Me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on My way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. Where do we go when we die? If we love Jesus, we go to live with Him forever in Paradise, in a room or a home He has prepared for us.

It’s good to ask “the Why Questions.” But it’s even better to know the answers. All of the great existential questions are answered, for those of us who love Jesus, though our faith in our Him.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Proof of the Resurrection

Pastor Sherry’s message for April 16,2023

Scriptures: Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Ps 16; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jn 20:19-31

The story is told that… “in 1799 the armies of Napoleon appeared on the heights above the town of Feldkirch, Austria. It was Easter Day, and the rays of the rising sun glittered on the weapons of the French, as they appeared drawn up on the hills to the west of the town. The Town Council was hastily called together to consult what was to be done.

“After much discussion, the dean of the Church rose and said, ‘My brothers, it is Easter Day! We have been reckoning our own strength, and that fails. Let us turn to God. Ring the bells and have service as usual, and leave the matter in God’s hands.’

“They agreed to do as he said. Then from the church towers in Feldkirch there rang out joyous peals in honor of the Resurrection and the streets filled with worshipers hastening to the church.

“The French heard the sudden ringing of the joy bells with surprise and alarm. They concluded that the Austrian army had arrived to relieve the place. So they hastily fled, and before the bells had ceased ringing not a Frenchman was to be seen.”

(Website “Ministry 127,” 2023, quoting Walter Baxendale, Dictionary of Anecdote, Incident, Illustrative Fact: Selected and Arranged for the Pulpit and the Platform, 1888.)

There are a number of great lessons in this story, aren’t there? Look at what God can do when we trust in Him for protection. The French had had their revolution (1787), during which they had killed off many Roman Catholic clergy and protestant Huguenots 12 years before. Without anyone to lead worship, provide Biblical teaching, and help nurture and reinforce their Christian beliefs, the faith of the French army had withered to such an extent that they no longer even recognized Easter Sunday! (This is similar to today in America, in that a recent “man in the street” interview in New York City revealed that only one woman out of dozens of interviewees knew the meaning of Easter.) This is why the Napoleonic Army misconstrued the meaning behind the ringing of the bells.

I rang our bell this morning. Bob, the bell ringer when I arrived 8 years ago, has since moved into a nursing home. No one has rung our bell since he left. It occurred to me today that it was beyond time to ring it again. Our bell could also be called a “joy bell.” It calls us to worship and should remind us of the joy we have in Jesus’ resurrection.

Another story is told of a man driving down a country road with his 5 year old son. They passed a cemetery and noticed a large pile of dirt next to a grave that had been freshly dug. The little boy looked and exclaimed to his father, “Look, Dad, one got out!” The person who composed this story remains unknown. Nevertheless, the next time you pass a cemetery…“think of the One Whom the grave could not hold” (also anonymous).

Another unknown person once said, “Christmas is the promise and Easter is the proof.” Our Scriptures today all instruct us in the proof of Jesus’ resurrection:

A. Part of the proof resides in Psalm 16. It is a prophesy written by King David, but which pertains to and was fulfilled by Jesus some 1000 years later. Jesus says (v.8) I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at My right hand, I will not be shaken. From this side of the Cross and Resurrection, we can attest that this was (and is) true of Christ’s life. No one and nothing had been able to deter Him from fulfilling His mission here on earth. The Father communicated often with the Son and because of their love for each other, Jesus persevered through (1) His poverty and homelessness; (2) His rejection by the religious authorities of His people; and (3) through His passion and death, to His glorious resurrection.

In verses 9-10, He states, Therefore My heart is glad and My tongue rejoices; My body also will rest secure, because You will not abandon Me to the grave, nor will You let Your Holy One [Jesus] see decay. Jesus totally trusted in His Father. He knew He would die, but He also knew His body would not languish in the grave. Because of His sacrifice for our sins, those of us who believe in Him can also trust our graves are not our final destinations.

Verse 11 describes His ascension into heaven You have made known to Me the path of life; You will fill Me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

B. John’s account in our Gospel lesson today (John 20:19-31) describes how patiently Jesus proved His resurrection to the 11 Apostles (Judas had committed suicide) following Easter. First He appeared to all but Thomas, who was absent. His resurrection body suddenly manifested, despite the locked door. We are told He identified Himself to them by showing them His damaged hands, feet, side. This was no imposter, nor was He a ghost. He greeted them in peace (they were scared). He imparted to them Holy Spirit empowerment to overcome their fears, and to assist Him to begin to preach the truth of His resurrection to whomever would listen. The sins of those who became born again through their preaching were forgiven (cleansed by the blood of the Lamb); those who rejected Christ would continue to carry the guilt of their sin themselves.

Then He returned a week later to confront Thomas’ unbelief. Thomas was apparently a “Detective Joe Friday” (Remember the TV show, “Dragnet”?) who wanted to see and hear for Himself, “Just the facts, M’am.”

Like a modern day CSI investigator, he wanted physical proof before he would believe. Jesus knew this about him and patiently provided it for him. Thomas saw, believed, then proclaimed, My Lord and my God. Jesus affirmed Thomas (v.29) Because you have seen Me, you have believed. But He also rebuked him and the others Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. These 11 were eye-witnesses to the Resurrection and they believed. But those of us who weren’t eye-witnesses, and still believe, are especially praised.

C. Peter’s famous Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:14a, 22-32) displays his deepened faith. He has accepted the proof of Jesus’ resurrection. In verse 25, he quotes from Psalm 16:8-11. By now, it is clear to him that Jesus fulfilled King David’s prophesy of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. And this is essentially what he preached to the Pentecost crowd in Jerusalem that day. Peter wanted them to understand that Jesus fulfilled King David’s prophetic promise (vv.31-32) Seeing what was ahead, He [King David] spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Can’t you just hear the excitement, the joy in his voice as he proclaimed this? Clearly Peter had become totally convinced and convicted!

D. In his letter, 1st Peter 1:3-9, the Apostle to the Jews of the Diaspora–those who lived outside Israel–is writing to encourage Christ-followers who are experiencing persecution. The time is somewhere during the mid-60’s of the First Century. Emperor Nero (54-68) had begun persecuting Christians in Rome. It is said that he had set fire to the poorest section of the city, but blamed Christians—even using their burning bodies as torches for his garden parties. (Later on, Emperor Domitian [81-96] would extend persecution of Christians throughout the Empire—claiming Christians were intolerant and seditious because they would not worship the Roman panoply of gods nor agree that “Caesar is Lord”).

Peter encouraged believers in the passage we read today to hold on to their hope, despite any persecution or suffering they might undergo. He says in verse 3 that our hope lies in Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead, and is also due to (v.4) …an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power….Despite any persecution we may suffer, we await in faith our own resurrection. Additionally, we happily anticipate joy without limit in Heaven.

Finally, echoing Jesus’ words to Thomas, he commends them (v.8) Though you have not seen Him [Jesus], you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him. We, too, are to believe in Jesus because of His resurrection, the ultimate proof that He was and is God.

The first 2 Scottish missionaries sent to the Island of Aniwa in New Hebrides were killed and consumed by cannibals. Needless to say, it was difficult to recruit others to try to take their place. One fellow, though, John G. Paton (1884-1907)–perhaps distantly related to our army general, George Patton –bravely volunteered to go. When church members, friends, and family tried to talk him out of it, citing the danger of the cannibalistic natives, he said, “I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honouring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer.” Because of the proof of the resurrection, Paton could fearlessly go minister among cannibals. In fact, he served as a missionary in New Hebrides for 15 years and successfully converted the entire island of Aniwa by the time he returned to Scotland.

(Story recounted on Website “Ministry 127,” April, 2023.)

We too can have the same confidence: We can trust that whatever happens to our mortal bodies, we will be raised to have resurrection bodies. We can also trust that we will dwell with Christ and all the resurrection saints in Heaven. The next time you pass a cemetery, think of the One Whom the grave could not hold, and be thankful.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

A Four-Day Journey

Pastor Sherry’s message for April 2, 2023

Scriptures: Isa 50:4-9a; Ps 31:9-16; Phil 2:5-11; Matt 27:11-66

Ironically, over 2000 years ago, the Sadducees had a tradition in which they believed the Messiah would show up four days before Passover. As a result, they kept the gates of the Temple open each year on this date so that He could walk right in and assume His rightful place. In fact, Jesus—the True Messiah–did choose to re-enter Jerusalem exactly 4 days before Passover, and proceeded to pray and teach in the Temple. By this time, many Jews had encountered Him. Many others had heard of His miracles, His healings, and of how He cast out demons. They were so taken by Him that crowds waited with joyous anticipation and with baited breath to see what He would do next.

The fact that Jesus chose that exact day to come back into Jerusalem would have driven the Jews’ expectations for their nation to a feverish height. They were sure He would overthrow the Romans, free them from oppression, and reign victoriously as King David had in ages past. But the Romans, too, would have heard the rumors and thus were anticipating an insurrection. They had called in reinforcements in case of an armed revolt. So tensions were very high in the city that day.

Today, we celebrate that historic day, calling it Palm Sunday–because the crowds waved palm branches in celebration of His arrival—or Passion Sunday, in anticipation of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion, a brief 4 days later. The minor prophet Zechariah had predicted what would happen some 500 years before this event took place (9:9) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This is exactly Who Jesus was—their righteous Savior. This is exactly what happened. This is exactly how the Jews rejoiced: As Jesus rode in, the people shouted Hosanna (actually, Yasha anna in the Hebrew), which means, Save us, Lord! They were quoting Psalm 118:25-29 O Lord, save us! O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD…. The LORD is God and He has made His light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His love endures forever.

On this day, they were excited and delighted! But 4 days later, they were demanding His death! By then, they had realized that Jesus had failed to meet their messianic expectations. As the “2 Bubbas and a Bible” explain it, “He was not 6 feet plus, with abs of steel. He rode into town on a baby donkey, not a warhorse. He went to pray at the Temple, not to protest at the palace. Jesus did not turn out to be their idea of a savior.” (Chilton & Fairless, Lectionary Lab Commentary, Year C, 2015, p.142).

But, as our Scriptures today highlight, He was our Heavenly Father’s Idea of a Messiah:

A. In Isaiah 50:4-9a, we read what is known as the 3rd Suffering Servant Song. Written some 750-700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah predicts, exactly, what Jesus would experience and how He would behave as He faced and endured the Cross. Its theme is that Jesus came to earth determined to save us. He came into the world to pay the penalty for and to redeem us from our sins. He was instructed or trained for this by the Holy Spirit, and by what He read and meditated upon in Scripture (vv.4-5), the Old Testament writings available at that time.

Verse 6 tells us that His trial by the Sanhedrin led to significant suffering at their hands: They beat Him. They mocked Him. They spit in His face. They even pulled out the hairs of His beard. This was all before He was presented to Pilate for round two by the Romans.

What sustained Him? What helped Him to bear up under such torture? First, He knew His purpose. There was for Him deep meaning to His suffering. And, second, He trusted in His heavenly Father to assist and to comfort Him (vv.7-9) Because the Sovereign LORD [the Father] helps Me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame…He who vindicates Me is near…it is the Sovereign LORD who helps Me. His relationship and His intimacy with the Father are what propelled and compelled Him. This essentially kept Him emotionally and spiritually “bullet-proof” against the condemnation and the despicable treatment He received from the religious authorities and the forces of evil at work during His passion.

B. Philippians 2:5-11 is known as “the Philippian Hymn.” Bible scholars believe newly baptized Christians, in the early Church, memorized and recited this brief summary of exactly what Jesus did for us as a verbal profession of their faith. St. Paul included it in his letter because he wanted the church in Philippi (and us) to both understand and follow Jesus’ model of humility and obedience to the Father; as well as to realize the huge significance of what Jesus gave up—His heavenly/godly prerogatives— to become human like us. The One Who spoke creation into existence, the King of the Universe, was entrusted as a helpless infant to a poor, homeless, young couple. He lived His early life as a carpenter, eking out a living in an obscure, back-woods village. He Himself was sinless, but at the Cross He bore all our sins, past, present and future. The Great Shepherd humbled Himself and gave His life for us, His sheep.

As a result of His obedient self-sacrifice, God the Father has raised Him to the highest position of honor. At His name, every creature must bow. No person, animal, angel, or demonic entity has more power or greater authority.

C. Our psalm today (31:9-16) details Jesus’ thoughts on the way to and during His crucifixion. He abides in His Father’s love, praying to and calling out to Him in His mind: (V.9) Be merciful to Me, O LORD, for I am in distress; (V.10) My life is consumed by anguish and My years by groaning; My strength fails….(V.11) Because of My enemies, I am the utter contempt of My neighbors…(V.12) …I have become like broken pottery. He is experiencing despair, extreme pain, and grief, but He does not let it overwhelm Him, or turn Him against God the Father (V.14) But I trust in You, O LORD. I say, “You are My God.” Based on His faith, He goes on to reassure Himself, (v.15) My times are in Your hands.

If only we too could remember, when suffering, to pray to God and to trust in Him to sustain us during difficult, painful times.

D. Matthew’s version of Christ’s Passion is well worth meditating on this Holy Week. Traditionally, it begins in Chapter 26 at verse 14 and continues through the end of our Gospel reading today (Matthew 27:11-66). In today’s portion, we follow Jesus from His trial before Pilate, to His exchange for Barabbas, to His beating at the hands of Roman soldiers to His crucifixion, death, and burial. He had been betrayed and abandoned by all His friends–except John and a few female followers, including His mother. His Father registered His grief and judgment against the Jewish establishment with earthquakes, 3 hours of darkness ending with Jesus’ death; and splitting the Temple curtain from top to bottom. Then, anticipating Jesus’ glorious resurrection, the Father opened some tombs, and resurrected (v.52) …many holy people.

What a journey, in 4 days, from a celebratory welcome parade, to a funeral march, to an ignominious death between 2 criminals. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins because He believed in Scripture, in His purpose, and because He trusted in His Father’s plan and in His Father’s love. By teaching, preaching, healing, casting out demons, dying a dreadful death in our place, He faithfully completed His 1st mission to earth. He has now returned to Heaven and is seated with the Father, awaiting with us the timing of His 2nd Coming. As we wait to greet Him, let us inspire ourselves with the words of the writer to the Hebrews (12:2-3) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him [our salvation] endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Follow Me into the Light

Pastor Sherry’s message for March 19, 2023

Scriptures : 1 Sam 16:1-13; Ps 23; Eph 5:8-14; Jn 9:1-41

My new, favorite, contemporary, Christian song is, “Follow Me,” by Casting Crowns* (Thrive CD, 2013). The lyrics are as follows:

(Look/listen for the repeated themes.)

At the end of myself, I am empty and dry

I have nothing to give, But surrender inside.  

[Jesus responds] Let down your nets, This is not the end

From now on, you’ll be Fishers of Men. [Who is this? Peter, Lk 5:1-11]

Follow Me, Follow Me, Follow Me.  

At the end of myself, Judgment calls out my name

I’ve been looking for love, but I’m swallowed by shame. 

[Jesus responds] Throw away all your stones, Find forgiveness in Me.

Let me be your new passion, My daughter you’re free [Woman caught in adultery, Jn 8:1-11]. 

At the end of myself, I’ve done things my own way;

This world gave up on me, now it’s death I do pay.

[Jesus responds] You know who I am, I’m sin’s sacrifice;

Today you will be… in paradise.  [Thief on the Cross, Lk 23:32-45]

[Any seeker] Who is the man who calmed the seas?

And Who is this man who loves the least of these?

[Jesus responds] I am the Promised One; God gave His only Son.

And those who believe…Will live eternally.

At the end of yourself, just follow Me.

I will give you new life, just follow Me, Follow me.

If at the end of yourself, just follow Me.

You may lose everything, just follow Me.

I will give you new life, just follow Me, follow Me.

The repeated themes are, off course, Follow Me, and, At the end of myself. When we come to the end of our own resources, we know we need Jesus. Another way of saying this is that without Jesus, we are spiritually blind. Two of our Scripture passages today deal with blindness (physical and spiritual) and what it takes to come out into the Light of Christ. Let’s examine them together:

A. John 9:1-41 details Jesus’ healing of the man born blind.

The context is that of a Sabbath Day when Jesus spots this blind man begging before one of the Temple gates in Jerusalem. Blind and other physically impaired persons usually did not make a living—in those days–by practicing a trade. Instead, they customarily stationed themselves somewhere near consistent foot traffic and begged for food money from passersby.

Upon seeing him, the disciples want Jesus to explain the cause of the man’s blindness (a theoretical, theological discussion). But Jesus downplays the issue of who or what to blame, saying (v.3, The Message, Eugene Peterson, NavPress, 2002, p.1937)”You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. Then He proceeds to meet the man’s most pressing practical need, saying (vv.4-5, MSG)We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent Me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. [Remember, this was a predominantly rural culture with no one working past sundown.] For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light. (Other translations say, I am the Light of the World.) The poor guy has lived in darkness his whole life! Jesus isn’t going to stand there and argue the why’s of the fellow’s condition. He intends to heal him.

He also intends for them and for us to realize He is God. He makes an “I AM” statement—to Jewish ears, he was declaring His divinity. God the Father had identified Himself to them as “I am Who I am,” meaning that He has always existed; in a sense, our God is always exists in the present tense. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes many I am statements so that the Jews would realize He was identifying Himself as God: I am the Living Water; I am Manna from Heaven; I am the Way, the Truth; and the Life; I am the Good Shepherd; I am the Resurrection and the Life; etc.

Now, this poor blind man has never enjoyed light in his life, but the One who is the Light of the World is going to bring it to him. He makes a kind of clay from saliva and dirt and places it on the guy’s closed eyes.

Now, consider this: The blind fellow has heard Jesus’ voice; he has felt Jesus’ touch; he has probably even smelled Jesus’ scent. He obeys his unseen Redeemer by going, as instructed, to wash the clay off in the pool of Siloam (which John tells us means “sent.” The man was sent by Jesus to the pool named “Sent”). He seems to trust Jesus, sight-unseen. He chooses to do what Jesus tells him (Contrast this with Naaman the Syrian general who was too proud to dip himself—as the prophet had instructed him—in the Jordan. His servants had to convince him to “follow orders” to obtain his healing.)

Throughout the rest of the incident, the Pharisees are trying to figure out how a rabbi who breaks Sabbath rules against working on that day—which makes Jesus a sinner in their eyes—could possibly work a miracle of God. The guys’ neighbors can’t explain it. Some of them don’t even recognize him since he is now sighted. His parents do recognize him but are afraid the religious rulers will excommunicate them if they celebrate Jesus, so they avoid committing themselves. But the grateful and spunky guy takes them to task! He’s not concerned about their theological issues. He just knows he was born blind but now has his sight.

Then Jesus turns the tables on the Pharisees when He calls them physically sighted but spiritually blind. He has worked a miracle that they cannot accept. In so doing, He has fulfilled the prophesy from Isaiah 61:1 that Messiah would restore sight to the blind. But in their confidence that Jesus cannot really be the Messiah, they refuse to see the evidence before their own eyes.

B. Paul also addresses the topic of spiritual blindness in Ephesians 5:8-14. Of course he (and we) start from knowledge that Jesus is the Light of the world. As Peterson puts it his paraphrase (MSG p.2132), Paul exhorts us You groped your way through that murk [habitual sins] once, but no longer. You are out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it. In other words, prior to accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we lived in spiritual darkness. Once we accept Jesus, we live the Light of Christ. As St. John would say later in 1 John 1:5-6 God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. We demonstrate the fact that we dwell in Christ’s light by living a life different from that of our culture: We demonstrate goodness or kindness to others. We live lives that are righteous as we try to do those things of which Jesus would approve, and avoid doing the opposite. Our words and our manner reflect truth—i.e., we are sincere and genuine.

Finally, Paul urges us to (v.11) have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness….Dark deeds aren’t driven away by preaching or lecturing against them; but rather, our actions speak louder—and are a better witness to Christ—than are our words. Rev. Dr. J. Vernon McGee relates a true story of one of his parishioners. She was a married lady who grieved the fact that her husband was uninterested in Jesus. She wanted him to share her faith and to accompany her to church and in prayer. So she educated, begged, pleaded, nagged, and even resorted to crying through the two meals a day they were together. Dr. McGee told her to stop that immediately. He recommended she pray, fix excellent meals, and deal with her husband with a smile on her face and a loving attitude. It took about six months, but one day he suggested they attend church together. We cannot shame another into accepting Christ (McGee’s commentary on Ephesians, Thomas Nelson, 1991, pp.142-143).

The song I read earlier gives 3 examples of people who chose to follow Jesus: Peter, the woman caught in adultery, and the thief on the Cross. Our Gospel lesson provides an additional one, the man born blind. As with each of them, we often come to Jesus when we come to the end of ourselves; i.e., when we exhaust ourselves trying to save ourselves. We realize we can’t do it on our own. We recognize we need Jesus. Then, like the man born blind, we obey Him out of thanksgiving for His gift of salvation and healing.

Following Jesus means we don’t just claim we love Him, but we live lives that are changed due to our relationship with Him. We come to demonstrate the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22) love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, goodness, patience, faithfulness, and self-control. We live out being good, being right with God, and being truthful.

Dear Lord, help us to live lives that are pleasing to You and that reflect Your Light to a lost, angry, and hopeless world. Help us to truly follow You. May the way we live attract others to You, O Lord, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

*Follow Me by Casting Crowns’ video: https://youtu.be/LraPDltKlvI

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The God Behind the Curtain

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 19, 2023

Scriptures: Ex 24:12-18; Ps 99; 2 Pet 1:16-21; Matt 17:1-9

Today is Transfiguration Sunday, the day the church remembers its brief experience of Jesus in all of His revealed glory.

Typically, when we think of truth being revealed, we tend to summon up images of dark deeds brought into the light: Another corrupt politician or businessman being exposed, or the famous case of the Wizard of Oz. Remember the scene in that classic movie where Dorothy, Toto (her dog), the Tin Man, the Lion, and the Scarecrow encounter the Great Wizard? His voice thunders and his face is projected larger-than-life on a giant screen. Dorothy and friends are terrified until the little dog pulls back the curtain. They see the true, ordinary man, who has used showbiz technology to promote himself as all powerful. In a famous line—now seen as humorous–he cries out, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Too late! His posturing has been exposed.

On the other hand, we also hear of wonderful revelations:

I remember seeing a video of a man who’d not seen color before get a pair of glasses that corrected for his color-blindness. He was able to experience the delight that color added to his previous dull gray or brown life. He appeared to be overwhelmed with joy. Or did you see the video of a baby girl with a severe hearing defect? A hospital in Cincinnati provided her a set of hearing aids that allowed her to hear her mother’s voice for the first time. Like the colorblind man, she reacted with great joy and wonder.

Our Scriptures today celebrate the joy and wonder of some particularly blessed humans when they visually beheld the God Behind the Curtain.

A. Let’s start with Peter (2nd Peter 1:16-21). Along with John and James, Peter was present at Jesus’ Transfiguration. He writes this letter in about 66AD, shortly before his crucifixion. One could say this was his farewell address. Just a few verses prior (vv.13-14), he refers to his earthly body as a tent, which Jesus has told him he… will soon put…aside.

As Peter prepares to die, he reassures his readers (including us) that Jesus’ transfiguration was a real event (v.16) We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Peter saw Jesus in all His heavenly glory. He and the other two saw the True Divine Being behind the curtain of His human flesh. Peter heard the voice of the Father say to them (vv.17-18) This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Peter may have later let his all too human fear override this experience of Jesus, briefly; but in his heart of hearts, he knew the truth of what he had seen and heard.

B. Matthew was not present on the mountain, but he had lived with Peter, James, John (and Jesus), for 3 years and he believed the account the 3 friends revealed after Jesus’ resurrection. Just as Peter later testified, Jesus’ appearance was transformed in a dramatic and otherworldly way. He shone with a tremendously bright light which did not shine down upon Him, but rather emanated from within Him. They saw Him in all his heavenly glory. Later, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus will say of Himself I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. By this He meant He is descended from the lineage of King David, as prophesied, and He is the Divine Light that announces the new dawn.

The 3 apostles also beheld Him with two Old Testament “greats,” the prophets Moses, the Law-Giver, and Elijah, the one who challenged over 800 pagan priests–and who decisively demonstrated the power of God over their demonic gods. Neither one died and went to heaven in the usual way. Moses died as the people moved to enter the Promised Land. Scripture says that God buried him (Deuteronomy 34:6). Elijah exited this life in a blaze of glory in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11-12). It is Luke who tells us (9:31) the Father had sent these two Old Testament saints to confer with Jesus about His impending death, probably to comfort and to reassure Him; and to strengthen and encourage Him to withstand His coming ordeal.

C. Speaking of Moses, our Old Testament lesson, Exodus 24:12-18, features him and his leadership team dining with God. The Lord has just revealed to him the Law, including the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20-23:19). God tells Moses to write the Law down, then read it to the Israelites. Moses obediently does so. The Israelites vow (v.3) Everything the Lord has said we will do, promising obedience. (Yeah, sure, that’s wishful thinking. Their adherence to their vow lasted about 40 days!)

Then God has Moses erect an altar and 12 stone pillars to represent each of the 12 tribes. Young men are then pressed into service to corral sacrificial animals for sin and fellowship offerings. Moses, as directed, collects the blood of the sacrifices and places some on the corners of the altar. He is then directed by God to sprinkle the people with the rest. You may recall that no one can enter into God’s presence with sin on their soul. Sprinkling them with the blood of sacrificial animals symbolizes that the people’s sins are washed away or cleansed. As Moses says (v.8) This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words. (Notice how closely this resembles what we say in the Communion Service over the wine: This is My [Jesus’] blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.)

Following this, Moses, his brother Aaron (the 1st high priest), Aaron’s two eldest sons, and 70 elders are all invited to have a meal with God.

This whole procedure is actually the template for our communion service, established by God the Father over 4,000 years ago. Think about it:

(1) God’s Word is read;

(2) God’s Word is preached or explained;

(3) The people respond, “Thanks be to God.”

(4) Jesus is the once and for all perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 5:7-9), so we need not kill any bulls or lambs. His blood has atoned for our sins, so we are cleansed and can freely come into God’s presence. Communion, a spiritual and physical meal between God and human believers, is served. By the way, the Israelite leadership team did not see God the Father. He is Spirit and we know that no one can see Him. Instead, they dined with the pre-incarnate Jesus.

D. Do you think the leadership team knew they were standing on holy ground? Psalm 99 exhorts us to worship God with our praise. It reminds us that God is holy and totally “other” than us—supreme and exalted over all things, and worthy of our sincere devotion.

When the fleshly curtain of Jesus’ human body is pulled away, we shall see Him in all His divinity, all of His glory. He is the real deal! Some of you may have heard that a revival has broken out on the campus of Asbury University in Kentucky. In answer to our weekly prayers for revival and that God would reach our young people, students and guests from all over the world, have been praising God and worshipping Him, in the university chapel, since February 8th. God appears to be changing the lives of Gen Y’s and Z’s. Praise God! Let’s pray that the Lord brings many to Christ through this new move of the Holy Spirit. Let us, with them, worship the one true God who has revealed Himself from behind the curtain, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen!

©️2023 Rev. Pastor Sherry Adams