Luke 6:12-26

This past Thursday Night's Sermon was over the verses found in Luke's Gospel Chapter Six verses 12-26.  This passage covers the naming of the Twelve Apostles, the healings on the plain and the beginning of the 'Sermon on the Plain'.  It's interesting that Jesus starts off before naming the Twelve by spending time in prayer and listening to God. Something of this magnitude simply can't be tackled without discerning the guidance of God.

It's interesting to contemplate the diversity of those that Christ calls.  You have represented in the largest number those 'fishermen', those common men, next we have some for whom we really don't know anything about, then we have that 'Tax Collector' that contributor/conspirator to those Romans who are oppressing the Jewish people, then the doubter who some believe may well have been a brother of Christ, another James who some small number actually believe is Jesus brother 'James the Just', then a Zealot one of those violent men who would seek to kill a collaborator (must have made for an interesting relationship with that earlier 'Tax Collector'), another that we don't know much about, and finally the one that would betray Christ to the cross... there are those who believe (and I think they're correct) that Judas Iscariot was also a Zealot.  This rag-tagged, varied, and inhomogenous group of followers... what was Jesus thinking?

Today we often work with church members who have conflicts with one another and this can be extremely upsetting and disruptive to the organization... but... how many of us are working with people in leadership that have sworn to literally kill another member of our leadership?  We just don't know how easy we have it sometimes.  Why would Jesus purposefully set out to select individuals with such built-in bias and actual hatred for one another... kind of makes our trying to work with our church members/boards look easy doesn't it?

This extreme diversity of Christ's number should make those of us who strive for homogenous flocks and denominations to stop and take stock in what we're doing.  If everyone (or even most) of those around you walk in lock-step with you are you really surrounding yourself with the Disciples that Jesus would call?  I have to think not...  I see all around me those that only want to include those that are of the same mind as they.  This is a genuine problem and one that we will need to confront sooner or later.

I'm afraid that our ever more stratified and sorted bodies aren't the model of 'church' that Christ modeled for us in the calling of the Apostles, we need to do better...  

There are more of the topics covered in these verses mentioned in the sermon, it ended up being a rather long sermon for a Thursday night, none-the-less, I hope you'll take a listen.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy

Luke 6:12-26 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles
12 Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
Jesus Teaches and Heals
17 He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.
Blessings and Woes
20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
    for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now,
    for you will be filled.
“Blessed are you who weep now,
    for you will laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
24 “But woe to you who are rich,
    for you have received your consolation.
25 “Woe to you who are full now,
    for you will be hungry.
“Woe to you who are laughing now,
    for you will mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Luke 5:1-11 "Called To Be"

Photo by Christian Begeman

Last Sunday's sermon covered the verses found in Luke's Gospel at 5:1-11; these are the well known "Fishers of Men" verses.  One of the points that I considered in the sermon is that perhaps we should think of ourselves more as the 'net' than the fisherman.  We are the tools that God uses to further His Kingdom and His Creation.  Our calling is to discern and comply to His directions, we do not decide on our own where and when to 'fish', rather we are to do so by His direction and command.

During the sermon, I also contemplated the 'miraculous' catch of fish as found in John's Gospel at 21:4-19.  In John's telling, this miracle happens at the end of Jesus' earthly ministry and after the resurrection.  The emphasis in John's version seems to me to be more on the story that follows and that is the instructions to care for the followers of Christ.  It is not enough that we bring people to Christ, but that we must also tend to and care for them as well.  Our commitments to one another go far beyond just bringing another to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

God bless and as always...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,
Roy 

Luke 5:1-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5 Once while Jesus[a] was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.” 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.

Footnotes:

a) Luke 5:1 Gk he


John 21:4-19 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards[a] off.

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Footnotes:

a) John 21:8 Gk two hundred cubits

Photo by Christian Begeman

1 Corinthians 13 - Sermon Given February 3, 2019 - "Love Is"

Love is the guiding force for us as Christians, we are to observe it as the greatest of all commandments as stated to us by Christ Himself.  The verses that I preached over this past Sunday are probably best known for their use in wedding ceremonies.  Love is... here in 1st Corinthians Paul gives us these verses generally applied to marriage but this is not the context in which he uses these verses in 1st Corinthians.  Though it is entirely possible to impose these verses onto marriage, here they have nothing to do with the love between spouses.  

Here in the 13th Chapter, Paul is telling us that in order to use our gifts as outlined in the 12th Chapter of 1st Corinthians, that we must first use the gift of love.  If we do not, our gifts are simply hollow imitations of what they are meant to be... we are called to love each other and to live and work together in love.  We use our gifts to further the 'Body of Christ', that larger being than ourselves.

Reality can often get in the way of this command to us by Paul.  Among our number are those that are difficult to like, in fact, each of us is difficult for some other member(s) of this body to like... but, we are not called to like each other.  We are called to love each other, we can care for and regard each other even if we don't like the manner or the methods of another.  This I'm afraid is something that has been lost by both sides of the spectrum of the church today.  We need to find again the message of Paul here in the letters to the Corinthians.  Paul has a very contentious relationship to this church, it would have been very easy for him to hate members of this church body.  But, here in Corinthians, we find him reaching to the congregation (even while chastising them) and desiring nothing more than to be reconciled to them.  Paul for all his flaws, warts, and shortcomings understood this aspect of being the 'Body of Christ'.

Let us contemplate this message and try our best to live it daily.

Be a blessing to someone today.

In His Glory,
Roy

1 Corinthians 13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Gift of Love
13 If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast,[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10 but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly,[b] but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Footnotes:
a) 1 Corinthians 13:3 Other ancient authorities read body to be burned
b) 1 Corinthians 13:12 Gk in a riddle

1 Corinthians 12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Spiritual Gifts
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts,[a] brothers and sisters,[b] I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

One Body with Many Members
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24 whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25 that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

Footnotes:
a) 1 Corinthians 12:1 Or spiritual persons
b) 1 Corinthians 12:1 Gk brothers