Proclamation: The Mission



Yes, indeed, it is all "for the Lord!"

For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,

“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
    in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

And again,

“I will put my trust in him.”

And again,

“Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

Heb 2:11-13

 

Today we will gather together at our annual meeting. We will review the past year. Even as we do, may God help us to glean, from that information, insight into how best we can serve our God and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

As we meet this morning let us not just look back; but, forward, considering the mission which God has called us to. We are not a social club. We are a community of saints called by God to proclaim God's name and what He has done and does do for us.

 

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9

 

As we plan for the future serving God and our brothers and sisters in Christ, may God help us to remember our mission. According to the mission statement we unanimously approved at an annual meeting a few years ago: Our mission is to proclaim and teach the true word of God; to nurture members in the Faith; to reach out in witness and service, ministering to the community, and to participate in God’s mission throughout the world.

 

May God help us to be fruitful in the mission He has called us to.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

You Are God's Beloved

"But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Matt 12:48-50 NRSV

We had an awesome dinner last night! Brothers and sisters in Christ gathered together to enjoy a simple; but, delicious meal in the church dining area at Zion. After dinner, we, the children of God, gathered in the sanctuary to worship our Lord.

 

I realize that in today's world "family" is not what it use to be. Many rarely sit down for a meal together. So many families never take the time to talk to one another; to listen to their loved ones. These are people we love. Why don't we take the time to fellowship with our families?

 

When you were baptized into Christ; you became a child of God. All who were baptized into the Body of Christ are members of God's family; brothers and sisters; children of our heavenly Father. Let us not neglect to actually be family, in more than name only. 

 

"And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Heb 10:24-25

God's Peace - Pr. J

Hebrews 2 - Pay Attention; What Is Mankind?!

Hebrews 2 NIV
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    a son of man that you care for him?
 You made them a little lower than the angels;
    you crowned them with glory and honor
    and put everything under their feet.” (vs 6-8)

What indeed is mankind that God would so favor us? Why would God do that? Rest assured there is nothing so great about us. We are favored simply because God chooses to favor us. He chooses to bestow His grace and mercy upon us.

He chose to send His only begotten Son, born fully human, to live among us. He chose to send Jesus to die so that we might live. It was not for His sake or even the sake of the angels that this was accomplished. It was that mankind might inherit places as children of our heavenly Father; as brothers and sisters to Christ. We have done nothing to earn this family status. In fact, we have turned our backs on our Father; our brother, Jesus; and all of our brothers and sisters in Christ a multitude of times.

He invites you to a family gathering. Come and hear the stories of all that our marvelous Father and brother have done for us. When was the last time you joined your brothers and sisters in Christ at the table our Father has set for His children? Come and eat at the table that He has prepared for us. Don't miss the family reunion at your local congregation. By His Word, He calls you to be reconciled to Himself; to live as a member of His holy family.

May we all pay attention to our heavenly Father so that we would not neglect His Word that He has given us in Jesus Christ; so that we will not reject our Father's will for us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

1 Thess 1 - What Are You Thankful For?

1 Thessalonians 1 NIV

Give thanks for Christ is our hope
and salvation!

Paul opens his letter to the Thessalonians by telling them how thankful he is to God for them. Paul is thankful that their faith, love, and hope is evidenced by their witness and service to the living and true God.

What are you thankful for this morning? What or whom do you celebrate? Are you excited because the snow is melting? Or maybe you are thankful for that you get to go shopping rather than work today? Or, maybe you just bought a new "toy"? Or just maybe, you are thankful that you get to live and witness to God's glory today in what you say and do? Are you thankful for the opportunity to serve and glorify God?

In spite of much persecution himself, Paul did a lot of thanking God for the faith and faithfulness of others. He prayed for them. He encouraged them.

My sleep was interrupted last night with dreams of suicide bombers and images of the dead and dying. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted, hunted down, and murdered around the globe, the latest atrocities being committed by suicide bombers at a Roman Catholic and a Christ Church in Pakistan. There are many hate filled groups around the world that are bent on exterminating those who don't agree with them; those who are not like them; those who do not worship as they do. I think we've seen this before and it seems the world has learned nothing from the experiences. Although, not to the degree as in some countries, it appears that hate groups are rearing their ugly heads here in the United States, as well.

We have a lot to be thankful for. This morning I thank God for the faith and faithfulness of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe who are ready to be witnesses to the love of God in Christ Jesus in the face of much persecution; in the face of even death. What are you thankful for?

God's Peace - Pr. J

Mark 10:17-31 Costly

(Mark 10:17-31 NIV)


A wealthy man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. He's kept all the commandments. He's been good. But, Jesus tells him he must sell everything. He must give up everything and follow him.

What does it cost to enter the kingdom of God? Well, for you and me to enter the Kingdom, it cost Jesus his earthly life. Then he says we must follow Him. We must follow him to the cross and through the grave. We must be willing to give up everything in this world. This not only upsets the wealthy man, but his disciples are a bit confused as well. They have given up everything to follow him, after all. Jesus comforts them with these words:

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life." (vs 29-30)

These words, at times, seem to be our only hope. They comfort us in times of persecution and when, indeed, we lose family and friends (as many of us have) for following the path that Jesus has set before us. It is a hard path. There are times when we wonder if it the cost is too great. But, then we remember what it cost Jesus so that we might receive the promised eternal life in the Kingdom of God, in His presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Haggai 1 - Build Up The Temple Of God

A message from the LORD of Hosts through the prophet Haggai: 

“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." (Haggai 1:4-11 NIV)

The people had become complacent; spending all their time caring for their own homes; their own needs rather than trusting God to care for them. Because they worried so much about themselves, they were neglecting the rebuilding of God's Temple.

The message today is simply this: build up the LORD's house - His Holy Temple. Now, I am not speaking of a building of wood or brick or mortar, but the Body of Christ, wherein dwells the Spirit of God. That Body is the Church. We (those who follow Jesus) are the Church. We are to be about building up this Spiritual Temple and we do this by hearing and proclaiming God's word, by receiving and sharing the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Yes, the church building is an important factor in the life of a Christian. It is where we gather to be nourished by God as a family.  A loving family gathers as often as they can at their home and cares for that home and others in it. We, who are members of the family of God; likewise, gather often to be nourished as brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow members of the Body of Christ, for the mutual edification (building up) of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, the Temple of God.

Build up the Temple of God - hear His Word, receive the Sacraments which He has freely given you by the very death of His Son, Jesus Christ our LORD. And... do not neglect to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 43-44 - God's Glory

The temple is to be made perfectly, according to God's design, and the LORD will fill it with His glory. The people will see and be reminded that even as God is perfect, we are not. Yet, God calls those who are not perfect and sanctifies us. He calls us who were not holy; sanctified through the blood of the everlasting covenant, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

According to the Book of Ezekiel, the regulations and laws of the temple must all be followed. Those laws include:  “A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself." (Ezek 44:25 NIV)

All I can say about that is: the position of priest has drastically changed since the advent of Jesus the Christ. Through Jesus the Christ, we are now all members of a royal priesthood. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:8-10)  Who then, if not the priests or pastors (shepherds) would pray with the dying or hold them as they breathe their last earthly breath as they enter through the gateway of death into eternal life?

We declare the marvelous praises of Him who has called out darkness into His light and we are with our brothers and sisters in Christ (for in Christ, all are our brothers and sisters) even as they enter into God's glory most fully.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Ezekiel 23 - The Tale of Two Cities

The tale of two sisters presents a pretty colorful picture of prostitution and whoredom. It is an allegory that presents idolatry and adultery as one and the same. The two sisters are in actuality the two cities of Samaria, which is the capital of the northern kingdom and Jerusalem, which is the capital of the southern kingdom. Both cities have fallen under condemnation for their idolatrous ways. These have lusted after and played the harlot with foreign men of power. They have prostituted themselves in that they have allied themselves with other cities and countries that do not worship God. They have been unfaithful to their Husband, who is their Creator. (Isa 54:5) Ultimately, they will fall for their unfaithfulness.

How often do we play games with men and/or women of power to get what we desire? Maybe it is for riches or maybe it is for more power and prestige for ourselves. The tale of two sisters or the tale of these two cities should remind us that there is only one God, who is our Maker and Redeemer. He is our all. There can be only one first love and from Him we should not stray.

God's Peace - Pr. J