11/21/2016
Sermon called “The spirit shows us that God is Great”. Nov 13 2016
Last week, What Happens when life is crazy? Or “worried about anything?
Answer: We will someday find out that God is bigger and greater than our Crazy Life.
The old saying: Who knows what really happened?
Don’t worry. I guess it will come out in the wash.
Interesting information. Did you know the two president candidates (2016) were good friends for many years and that 12 years ago Bill Clinton preformed the wedding of Donald and Melania (MA Lawn E A) and he preformed the wedding for Anthony Weiner married Huma Abedin .
The law is not clear. In new York, former mayors of major New York cities, former city clerks, and retired judges among those legally empowered to tie knots, but makes no mention of former presidents. And even though Bill and Hillary are United Methodist, He is Lay person and has no authority in our Church to perform weddings.
So “Don’t worry. I guess it will come out in the wash”.
Kind of like the mustard spots on my tee shirt. A little dish soap and yep, most of it comes out in the wash.
In our Gospel Lesson we have a New Rule about how the Spirit will change our understanding of the world we live in.
John 16 7 But I am telling you the truth: it is better for you that I go away, because if I do not go, the Helper will not come to you. But if I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God's judgment.
Jesus is saying the Holy spirit will teach us a new definition about 1. Sin, 2. right and wrong 3. Gods Judgment.
VS 13 the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth.
The biggest gift of the Spirit will be the understanding the new definition of Sin , rules and punishment.
And when we are stuck in Worry and How crazy life is, The Spirit will reveal an understanding of the bigger picture and Blessing to Come.
But it is confusing. We live in the world with Laws and truth is defined as a constant. When we tell the truth we have said something that will never change. The Law is Black and White. Look at the 10 commandments. But then Protestant versions of the commandments are different than the Catholic and different than the Jewish. So what version do we put on the wall in a court room?
God gave us rules to live by. Paul said in Romans 7 vs 12 So then, the Law itself is holy, and the commandment is holy, right, and good.
Jesus teaches us about the Law in Matthew 5:17-20
17 “Do not think that I have come to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make their teachings come true. 18 Remember that as long as heaven and earth last, not the least point nor the smallest detail of the Law will be done away with—not until the end of all things. 19 So then, whoever disobeys even the least important of the commandments and teaches others to do the same, will be least in the Kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, whoever obeys the Law and teaches others to do the same, will be great in the Kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, then, that you will be able to enter the Kingdom of heaven only if you are more faithful than the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees in doing what God requires.
So, …Keep teaching the Law, but remember you will need to be heavenly pure in doing what the law requires, to enter the Kingdom of heaven. (impossible)
Do we want to understand the law different? The world way and the Black and white law is impossible. Jesus said - The Holy Spirit will teach a new definition 1. Sin, 2. right and wrong 3. Gods Judgment.
Romans 6 vs 4 By our baptism, then, we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.
5 For since we have become one with him in dying as he did, in the same way we shall be one with him by being raised to life as he was. 6 And we know that our old being has been put to death with Christ on his cross, in order that the power of the sinful self might be destroyed, so that we should no longer be the slaves of sin. 7 For when we die, we are set free from the power of sin. 8 Since we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. (skip vs 9) Vs 10 And so, because he died, sin has no power over him; and now he lives his life in fellowship with God. 11 In the same way you are to think of yourselves as dead, so far as sin is concerned, but living in fellowship with God through Christ Jesus.
To make it simple, As Jesus changed the world, Now the Holy spirit connects us to live in fellowship Jesus.
Yes: God is bigger and greater than our Crazy Life. On of the ways is our new life with Christ. That brings me to Our NEW definition of Sin …is anything that separates us from the Fellowship of heaven.
Yes we still have the Law and the rules of the world we live in. We have to. As all are once children, our brains are stuck Black and white. Yes and No. Logical reason. We do not know any other way
But we Struggle with the how our brains do the math. Is it Old math or New math or old math that has become the new Math.
Today Life is easy. We live with safe math.
It is Not easy to understand any of this. But once it was worse.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer talks about this in detail : Hi**er recruited the vast majority of those assistants from the pews of the Lutheran and the Roman Catholic churches. After being instructed (As Jesus taught) by their clergy to obey the civil authorities of their day, which inevitably led to killing of many people. Pastors preached new life in different ways. Lutherans were led to believe that "grace" would save them, and Catholics were let to believe that its sacraments would save them, as they went about their daily routines of exterminating the Jewish race.
Yes. God is bigger and greater than our Crazy Life.
The Spirit is our Gift. In our Gospel Lesson we have a New Rule about how the Spirit will change our understanding of the world we live in.
John 16 13 When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. VS 14 14 He will give me glory, because he will take what I say and tell it to you.
But we have two voices. One ear to the world and the other to the voice of the Spirit.
It will drive us crazy, We need to keep tuned in to the voice of Jesus.
The other day, I heard the frustration of a young person. Life was so busy and crazy, that they saw no way to get out of the tale spin. Even though the plane was crashing, WE and others are still trying to save our lives by hanging onto the controls.
So God sends the voice of a “Jesus friend”. (you and me) Not to preach but to comfort. Remember how the Angel told Mary to go visit with her cousin Elizabeth. God is sending you to help our children hear the Love and Grace of Jesus. As it is taught to us by the spirit.
From a book about John Westley Grace sanctifying grace : Through God’s sanctifying grace, we grow and mature in our ability to live as Jesus lived. As we pray, study the Scriptures, fast, worship, and share in fellowship with other Christians, we deepen our knowledge of and love for God. As we respond with compassion to human need and work for justice in our communities, we strengthen our capacity to love neighbor. Our inner thoughts and motives, as well as our outer actions and behavior, are aligned with God’s will and testify to our union with God.
Romans 8 vs 23 we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.
BUT IT is Hard. Jesus Knows our heart, and the Spirit helps!
Romans 8 vs 26-27 In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. 27 And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will.
As, we find the world crazy and we are worried about our lives and family and friends. Let us remember , God is bigger and greater than our Crazy Life.
Look at Paul and how he struggled.
Lets end with Romans 7 vs 21-25 So I find that this law is at work: when I want to do what is good, what is evil is the only choice I have. 22 My inner being delights in the law of God. 23 But I see a different law at work in my body—a law that fights against the law which my mind approves of. It makes me a prisoner to the law of sin which is at work in my body. 24 What an unhappy man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is taking me to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who does this through our Lord Jesus Christ!
