05/10/2026
Due to technical issues, the worship for this morning May 10 was not recorded.
Here is Pastor's sermon ...
Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5,15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
Beloved in Christ, grace to you and peace from God our Creator, Jesus our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit who is our Strength.
Let us pray. Jesus, your kingdom becomes real when we live in your love. Help us to live fully in your love, now and forever. We pray in your holy name. Amen
Imagine this scene … Paul is hauled to the local theatre and dragged up onto the stage. He is surrounded by military guards, and the seats are packed with thousands of angry citizens from the town. A magistrate comes forward and announces for all to hear, “Paul, you have been accused of treason and blasphemy. Defend yourself, if you can. Recant your beliefs, and take back your claims. Or you will die right where you stand. So, what do you have to say for yourself?”
How would you respond, if you were in Paul’s sandals?
Keep in mind that Paul had been in the position of that magistrate many times. He started his career by pursuing followers of “the Way” (that’s how followers of Jesus of Nazareth were known in his day). He tracked them down in the streets and even in synagogues throughout Judea. He would bring them into this very situation. He told them to recant or be stoned … like Stephen had been … You may remember that Paul – previously known as Saul – was present when Stephen died.
So, here stands Paul – on the stage – facing an angry audience and accusations that could lead to his ex*****on. Paul does not recant, however, and he does not even claim that the people have misunderstood his statements! He begins by praising the people for their faithfulness! It’s a faithfulness that extends even to things that they do not understand.
“You have an altar to an unknown god,” Paul says. “Obviously you are deeply religious people.” He goes on to quote a Greek philosopher who says people are the offspring of God. And then he adds, “You are absolutely right! We are all children of God. We are children of that unknown god to whom you have dedicated an altar. Let me fill you in on just who this God is! This God is the creator of all that exists. This is the God who gives you life. This God is nothing like the statues made of silver or gold or stone. This God is so far beyond human imagination that no artist’s image could come close to capturing this God’s nature. This God can AND HAS raised a man from death to eternal life!”
Give the man some credit! Paul’s got guts! Rather than deny God, he claims that the people who are accusing him of blasphemy are already worshipping the very same God! They simply don’t know God’s name or realize just how powerful God is.
Is this how YOU would have responded to such an accusation?
1 Peter reminds us that we all need to be ready to do exactly what Paul did. We need to be ready to “make a defense to anyone who demands it,” because such a defense is not about defending yourself from the accusation. The defense is “an accounting for the hope that is in you” … listen to that again … The defense is “an accounting for the hope that is in you.”
Do you have hope?
Do you have faith that gives you hope?
Do you believe in God and in Jesus? Does that faith give you hope?
Do you believe that Jesus was raised from death to new life? Does that faith give you hope?
Do you believe that God has promised the same new life for you? Does that faith give you hope?
Do you believe that God gave the promise of new life to you personally through the waters of Baptism? Does that faith give you hope?
So, then, you DO have hope in you! Paul and Peter are both saying that you need to be ready to give an accounting – an explanation – of that hope. You need to be ready to explain why you can have such hope within you. No matter what is happening in the world – no matter what circumstances you are dealing with in your own life – even if or when you are facing your own death, you have hope.
Are you ready to give an accounting for the hope that is in you?
Is that a terrifying thought? That you might have to give an accounting for your faith? Is it terrifying that you might have to explain why you have hope for this life which is the beginning of eternal life? Is it scary that you might be called upon to speak about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead?
Statistics say that the two biggest fears people have are the fear of death and the fear of speaking in public … but NOT in that order! People are more afraid of public speaking than dying, so being in Paul’s position – given the option of speaking to the crowd or being killed by the crowd – dying might be the less scary option!
However, there is another way for you to give an accounting for the hope that is in you. There is another way to explain your faith to someone who might not understand it or might not share it. That other way is to LIVE your faith.
Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will give you an advocate – a counselor – a companion – who will be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth who will live in you and give you all the strength that you need / as you live out your faith and defend your faith – your hope – in the presence of others.
Imagine this scene … you are standing or sitting beside someone who has just found out that you are a Christian – maybe it’s because they saw you coming out of worship today – maybe it’s because you have a little fish symbol on your car – maybe it’s because you have greeted me as “Pastor” when we met in the store or somewhere else – maybe someone accused you with the words, “she’s a Christian!” or “he’s a member of that church!”
And this someone turns to you and says, “Why should I believe in YOUR God? What difference does it make that YOU believe in God? How does that impact YOUR life? Why should I believe in YOUR God?”
What would you do?
How would you respond?
Today, I want to suggest that you have already responded. Your response is not the words you speak in that moment of confrontation. Your response is not even a willingness to die for your faith. Your response is your life – the life you have already lived – your life and how you live it now and in the future.
What difference does it make that you believe in God? What answer has your way of life already given to this question?
How does your belief in God affect your life? Seriously, where do you see the effects of your faith in your daily living?
Why should I believe in YOUR God?
Why do YOU believe in YOUR GOD?
I cannot answer that question for you. You need to determine your own answer. You need to examine your own faith in order to respond to these questions. You need to examine your own life to see how you have already responded to these questions.
Today, I want you to know that my God – the God I believe in – my God believes in you. My God – the God I believe in – my God loves you. While I’m not perfect in living it out, my God has asked me to love you, because GOD loves you. The God I believe in loves you enough to die for you. I hope my actions and my whole life reflect the love that my God has for you, because my God wants to be YOUR God and to bless you beyond your wildest imaginings.
In fact, my God has already promised to bless you. That is how much my God loves you. Before you were born, God loved you and died to give you an abundant life.
Because God loves you so much, I have hope.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
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