2011-05-01 reACTS - Beginnings

***This is a draft of the message for Sunrise UMC on May 1, 2011***

I couldn’t help it – I had to watch. Yes, I’m talking about William and Kate’s wedding on Friday. It really is fascinating to watch events like a Royal Wedding. Of course, for people like us, rebellious colonists (spare Claire), we don’t always have a good idea about the lineage and succession of the Royal Family.

Emily and I got into the discussion about if Kate could ever be Queen. She said yes, and I said no. Turns out, we were both right and both wrong. She can be called Queen, if and when William becomes King, but she will be Queen Consort, meaning she is married to the King, but will not share in his authority.

After Googling for the answer, I found out that there’s a lot of us who don’t have the vaguest idea of who is heir to the throne. So I found this video that explains it.

(Video explaining Royal Succession)

Don’t you know there are some frustrated people in that line? Charles has been waiting for a long time. Harry can be and probably will be bumped. It’s no wonder that the history books are filled with stories of people killing their parents, siblings, uncles, nieces and nephews, all so that they could inherit the throne. There’s something alluring and enticing about having power.

Now, what if I told you that you were in line to inherit power from a King (and you did not have to murder anyone to get it)? Would you want to hear more about such a prospect?

Well, this morning, we begin looking into such a fact. We begin looking into how we fit into such a line of succession.

Over this period of time from Easter (last Sunday) up until the Day of Pentecost (June 12) we are going to be looking at the text and record of the early Church, the successors of Jesus.

Let’s begin by going back and looking at the Beginnings of this movement.

Take a look with me, if you will, at Acts 1:1-11.

Acts 1:1-11

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

[Prayer]

This series we begin today is based on the Book of Acts, but more than that, it is about how we reACT – that is what do we do with this knowledge and power that is given to us.

As we start looking at Acts, many will recall that over time, we have heard that Acts is a history or a historical record of the early church. But to look at it only in that fashion is do it a great disservice. As with any telling of an historical event, it has a purpose. For Luke, the author of Acts, his account of what happened is not just a history lesson, rather it is an account of the apostles fulfilling Jesus’ mandate.

Acts is authored by the same person who wrote the Gospel of Luke, thus we call him Luke. As we see from the beginning of this book, he is writing this as a continuation of what he wrote in the Gospel. He begins basically where he left off, we Jesus’ post-resurrection appearance.

Here is has gathered his disciples together and have told them to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Yet, his followers weren’t quite understanding what Jesus was talking about. So they asked him, “When will you restore the Kingdom back to Israel.” Jesus quickly stops them, saying that wasn’t their business. What they should be and will be concerned about was continuing his ministry.

Let’s take a look back at verse 8 because it forms the crux of the whole book.

Acts 1:8

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Now, I know most of us are not historical geographers, so to help us get an idea on what Jesus is saying, let’s take a look at some maps:

Jerusalem is where the disciples were at the time. So, he is saying, you are going to continue my work here, where you are. This would be the same as if he were saying to us, “You will be my witnesses in Winston-Salem.”

Then he expands the area by also mentioning, Judea. For us, that would be equivalent to North Carolina. But then, Jesus throws a curve.

He says Samaria. I am sure there were probably a few gasps at this point.

While it appears that Samaria was the natural progression in this ever-widening expansion, it was not a place where Jews visited or would consider going to. Galilee, yes! Samaria, no.

Samaria is the region that was located between Judea and Galilee. It was populated by the remnant people who were left behind during the Great Dispersion of the Jews. The people there then intermarried with the people who worshiped other gods, so they were despised by the Jews, looked down upon as less than human.

So, what is it that Jesus is trying to get them to understand? [Allow response]

No one is outside of God’s grace – no one!

Throughout the Gospel of Luke, we see that Jesus lived that out – touching lepers, healing the sick, conversing with the Roman centurion, and yes, forming a relationship with a Samaritan woman by a well. No one is outside of God’s grace!

Luke is conveying that what the disciples witnessed in the Gospel of Luke, they were going to live into and out in Acts.

Friends, that’s out fate as well. What we experience God doing is now our mandate to witness – in Winston-Salem, in North Carolina,

and to the ends of the earth. We are his disciples – we have his mandate.

Two days ago, the question arose about who is in line to be the King or Queen of The United Kingdom. We learned that there is a formula for the Royal succession. But for us here today, we fall in the line of apostolic succession. Jesus has promised us the power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. The power comes from the Holy Spirit. Like our predecessors, we pray as we wait for it. But the Spirit is coming.

While we wait, let’s begin preparing ourselves by asking one another these questions:

1) How is it with your soul?

2) How have you experienced God lately?

[Prayer]

[Communion]

2011-04-24 Thrive (EASTER)

***The following is a draft of the Easter message for Sunrise UMC on April 24, 2011***


Good morning, Sunrise! I hope you are feeling God’s Spirit here with us as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus, this Easter morning!

Today, our brothers and sisters in Christ are gathering all around the world to celebrate this special day with us. It is the most holy of all the days, trumping any other Christian holiday because the resurrection is the crux of our faith.

Last week, as we celebrated Palm Sunday, we journeyed from the celebratory entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem and then gravitated to his crucifixion. While as important as Good Friday is, it would mean absolutely nothing if it were not for Easter. Jesus' death would have meant nothing if the resurrection had never occurred.

But, somehow, the importance of this day is never quite emphasized as much as other days, such as Christmas. Thankfully, we have not secularized it or commercialized it to that extreme, at least not yet.

Still, the passion that should be associated with it is stunningly squelched though. In many churches, pastors are standing before their congregations, boldly proclaiming, “Christ is Risen!” only to be met with a half-hearted, “He is risen indeed.”

Really?!! Is the pinnacle event in human history really relegated to just a humdrum response to a call? If so, there’s a problem; a problem so dire that it threatens the life of Christianity.

Let me ask some of our resident physicians and medical professionals a medical question, “What does the term ‘Failure to Thrive’ mean?

(Failure to thrive can only mean one thing – death. What is death? The cessation of life!)

There are indications that this phenomenon is inflicting many churches in the United States and other developed nations of the world. They are beginning to experience a “Failure to Thrive.”

I have come to believe that probably one of the main causes for this malady is the difficulty we have with the focus of this day – the resurrection. Let’s be honest friends, it is much easier to understand and accept death than it is to try to rationalize someone coming back to life! Now, I know that you know people who were brought back to life after a few moments or minutes. As a former Paramedic, I witnessed this on several occasions. But in the case of Jesus, it was more than that.

Let’s ask our physicians again, “What’s the longest time you have seen where someone was successfully revived after being clinically dead?” [Allow response] “What about three days? In your rationalized professional opinion, is that possible?”

In all four gospels and in several of the letters of the New Testament, the writers all agree that Jesus was dead and buried for three days. Then he was revived! Resurrected! Sounds to fantastic to be true, doesn’t it?

Well, the author of the Gospel of Mark understood this rational dilemma as he wrote his account of the Resurrection. Let’s take a look at this account, right to the author’s original conclusion. You can find this in Mark 16, also on the screen.

1 The next evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene and Salome and Mary the mother of James went out and purchased burial spices to put on Jesus' body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 On the way they were discussing who would roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. 4 But when they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone -- a very large one -- had already been rolled aside. 5 So they entered the tomb, and there on the right sat a young man clothed in a white robe. The women were startled, 6 but the angel said, "Do not be so surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died!" 8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk.

Now for those who were caught the way I phrased something just a moment ago, this is where Mark’s Gospel originally ended. But over the course of 200-400 years, other writers have added alternative endings. Why? Because they didn’t like the way it originally ended.

Friday night, I sat down with my family and watched one of Stephen King’s horror movies, 1408. I found out that the ending that was finally released was an alternative ending because the director’s original ending was considered to be too horrific for audiences, so they amended it to one that would be more appealing.

The same is true for Mark’s original ending. As people read it, they did not like that it ended with the women running in fear and not telling anyone. They did not like that there was not a post-resurrection appearance by Jesus, so they added it in.

The problem with that is that as one scrutinizes Mark’s Gospel, it becomes clear that they missed the point. As Mark concludes his rendition of the Good News, it seems he invites, almost begs you go back and reread or rehear it, this time not just as one who hears of the historical Jesus, but as one who is now looking at where and how Jesus is living and acting in our world today!

Mark’s Gospel ends with the event of the Resurrection. There’s no question about that.

The Resurrection announces that God has not giving up on the world because this world matters. Everything in this world, the things we do, the words we say…matter because God loves you and me…and we matter to God.

But this peculiar ending also seems to be left unfinished. It leaves us with the question, “What happens next?”

I believe that was on purpose because Mark is basically saying, “This Gospel is unfinished because it is now in your hands. What becomes of the telling of the Good News of Jesus is up to you.”

It all comes back to that word, “Thrive.” Will the Gospel become a dull recitation “He is risen indeed”? Or will the Good News of Jesus Christ and his Saving Grace thrive and be a dynamic catalyst for the transformation of the world?

It’s up to you, my friends. It’s up to me.

Jesus Is Risen!!!

He Is Risen Indeed!!!

2011-04-17 Dead Man Walking (Palm Sunday)

***The following is a draft of the massage for Sunrise UMC on April 17, 2011 - Palm Sunday***

Well, it’s just a few more days until the big day – the day we’ve all been waiting on, right? That special day that comes when everybody is looking to see what others are wearing and the celebration of new life being pumped into a tired family. You know what day I am talking about, right?

(Somebody should say Easter).

No! I am referring to William and Kate’s wedding, of course!

Now, let me say, while I am being a bit sarcastic about the royal wedding, I am planning to tune in to the event, because it is intriguing. I mean, it astounds me to think how much time, money, and energy is being put into that one day. So much hype!

Of course, we will be witnessing similar exciting buildup in my hometown of Charlotte in the coming months. The 2012 Democrat National Convention will be hosted there. Even some of the staunchest die-hard Republicans that I know are becoming a bit enthused about it, albeit they are comparing it to a horrific wreck from which you can’t turn your gaze.

If you like it or not, there is something enticing about parades or events that spotlight notable persons. We are drawn into all the excitement and hullabaloo.

Now, I want to thank (whoever said Easter earlier) because really, that’s what we are all about in this place. And this day, Palm Sunday, is the day that is recorded in the Bible as a day of great excitement as the well-known, Jesus of Nazareth, came into the city of Jerusalem.

John 12:12-19

12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. 17 Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.

The passage tells that the people greeted Jesus by waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the King of Israel!” Those were some optimistic shouts to the one they believed would save them.

The word Hosanna is best translated as Help, or Save Me. The palm branches represented true respect for one they saw a victorious king or conqueror. They laid the branches down along the road into the city much for the same reason we “roll out the red carpet” for those we idolize in modern society. It was showing that someone special, someone important was on their way in.

I find a bit of irony in that scene though. Visualize for a moment, Jesus riding on that colt, which signified him being a Prince of Peace, over that roadway covered with those green branches.

(Video clip from The Green Mile shown)

For Jesus, this triumphal entry into Jerusalem was the last journey to the Cross. It was his “green mile”. The Green Mile is the name given to death row. The name comes from the Cold Mountain Correctional Institution where the floor is tiled green. And those on death row knew that though the execution chamber was only a short walk down the hall, it would seem to be agonizingly long on that cold, green, tile floor.

Jesus too, knew that his journey along this green path would lead to his execution, by the hands of those whom now called out for him to save them. He knew he was a Dead Man Walking.

In a way, I believe we are still much the same as those who lined the streets some two millennia ago. We like the spectacle of Jesus coming and we too shout out “Save Me!” without giving much of a conscious effort as to what that means.

Let’s take a look at the symbol of our faith – the cross. For a good segment of society, it has become a fashion statement, nothing more than sanctified bling. Yet for many us, we do look at it as a symbol of our faith, but maybe a sanitized version of it.

Let me explain. The majority of Christianity in the world is comprised of Catholics, Roman and Orthodox. While they have varied symbols or icons of the faith, the central one for them is a form of the Cross, known as the Crucifix.

The Crucifix is a Cross with the image of Jesus hanging on it. The word comes from the Latin cruci fixus, meaning “(One) fixed to a cross.” It shows there central belief is in the passion and death of Jesus.

Most protestant churches don’t display Crucifixes though. The emphasis we place is on the resurrection, the conquering of sin and death. Thus, we tend to sanitize our faith.

We can be seen as guilty of this as we eagerly jump from Palm Sunday to Easter. For most of us, we go from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem directly to his victorious resurrection of the dead. Thus, we omit the period in between.

This also tends to desensitize us to the reason for the passion and death. From our rote memory, we profess that Jesus died for the sin of humanity. We know why, how, and when, but we contend with it as it being a historical fact, one from which we are far removed.

For most of us, the next time we give Jesus more than a passing thought will be next Sunday, Easter Sunday. That’s why today, I want us to be intentional about what this week, Passion week, means.

There is an old spiritual song that is found in our church’s hymnal that tends to draw us into the Passion story. It says this,

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there, when they crucified my Lord?”

Brothers and sisters, I contend that we were there. Although we are physically separated by time and space, we were as much a part of the crucifixion of Jesus as those who hammered the nails in his hands and feet. It was my sin, your sin that fixed Jesus on that Cross.

This morning, I want us to vividly remember the passionate cost Jesus paid for us. Earlier, you were given a tag with “Hosanna! Save _____!” I would like for you to take a moment to think about that sin, that something in your life that separates you from God. Then write your name on the tag and come up and nail your tag to the cross. As you come up, I also invite you to bring your palm branch and lay it at the foot of the Cross, recognizing Jesus' conquering even death.

You and I fixed Jesus to the Cross. Let’s own up to it, remember it, so we can allow God’s mercy to change us as we leave our sin on the Cross.

2011-04-03 At the Core: Treasures

****The following is a draft of the message for Sunrise UMC on April 3, 2011****

I. Introduction: The American Dream [hold up a whole apple]

- Early settlers – 1600’s brought what they needed – food, clothing, tools, seeds

- Seeds of hope – away from oppressive rule of the English Crown

- Hope that ANYONE could come and find success and happiness

- Came to be known as the American Dream

- Did you know that apples are immigrants too?

- All kinds – Fuji, Macintosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala

- But what I learned is that the type of apple doesn't depend on the tree – it depends upon the cross pollination process...it is the outside influence of pollen that determines the type of apple the tree will produce.

- First settlers brought seeds of hope, religious freedom, nurture them

- Then cross pollination – with other twisted ideals

- Land of Freedom – Land of Opportunity – Land of Self-Obsession, Land of Greed

II. Earthly Investment Strategies

- James is believed to have been written in a time of great social tension

- The Roman government had control of Israel – the Jewish territories had been greatly reduced and people had lost their lands. Herod had implemented such high taxes that many had lost their farms and their homes...they were left to labor in fields as tenant farmers – giving most of their profit to already wealthy landowners while they remained poor. Any of that feel familiar yet? James saw that many were buying into the idea that to be wealthy and oppressive meant you were successful – but he knew that being a follower of Christ taught us something very different.

Hear what James has to say about wealth and riches...

James 5:1-6

1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

Wow, there is nothing gentle about that, is there?

James said to the wealthy that their ruined riches testified against them. In other words, their core, their true character, their selfish greed, could now be seen by everyone.

B. Every day, we turn on the news and we can see just what James was talking about – the true character of CEOs, Executives, Politicians, people in authority can be seen by all – their wealth has rotted. In their greed to have it all and keep it all – they have brought down innocent and hard-working people. They have taken the seeds of the American Dream, and cross-pollinated it with greed and selfish pride. Now we bear the rotten fruit of injustice and oppression.

C. Now it's very easy for us to sit here in the midst of our meager middle class existence and point fingers, isn't it? To blame all our problems on the rich and powerful? It would be nice if we could, but the truth is we all have to stop and ask ourselves, what values lie at our core that have contributed to this problem?

· We want something now and put it on our over-extended credit cards

· We take out loans on houses that we really can’t afford

· We want to have the newest car or the widest TV screen

· We steal office supplies from work, and cheat or our taxes

· We step on other people to get in line for that promotion

We are all looking for quick and easy ways to get more of the stuff of this world. And we forget that the stuff of this world doesn’t last. Maybe our core isn’t so different from the CEO’s or the politician’s. We are all valuing the wrong things, and trampling on each other in our hurry to get them.

We have ALL helped contribute to the problem. [pause]

So the question now is, how can we all contribute to the solution? [pause]

OR…maybe we need a new investment strategy for these troubled times??

III. An Alternate Investment Strategy

James, after giving this depressingly true description of the worldly value system that has invaded the core of each and every one of us, goes on the give us some good advice.

James 5:7-8

7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

A. Be patient!

Oh, how we hate to hear this. We want instant gratification. That’s part of how we got into this awful economic mess. And it will take patience for us to get out. As a country, and as families and individuals.

When a farmer decides to grow a crop of productive apple trees, he doesn't just go out one day and up springs an orchard. How is an orchard planted? One tree at a time. How is a tree planted? One seed at a time.

The core holds the promise. [hold up the core] The core is the most important thing because it contains the seed. But in our hunger for the treasures of this world, we have eaten the juicy fruit of the apple and thrown out the core.

How do we change our crop of rotten wealth into a healthy crop pleasing to God? With patience. One seed, one person, one act at a time.

We have to remember to be patient. Things of value mature with time.

B. Keep a Long-term Perspective

Hand in hand with patience comes having a long-term perspective. With investments, you always hear that you are investing for the long-term, not trying to time the unpredictable ups and downs of the market. You want to invest in things that will have greater value in the future than they do now.

James reminded his fellow Christians that the Lord would return. The things of this earth are not going to last forever. Earthly treasure will have no value in God’s coming kingdom. The good crop God is looking for will last into eternity.

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Where we invest our time and our resources shows a lot about our core. We invest our time and resources in the things that are important to us. What are you investing in? Are you investing in things that last, or in the things of this world?

What are the things that last? People. God’s Kingdom. God. If we invest with a long-term perspective, this is where we’ll pour our treasure.

How do we invest in things that last? One seed, one person, one act at a time.

IV. The Kingdom Dream

At the very core of our being are seeds planted by God that are meant to grow us in His image. Some of us have tossed that core aside and forgotten about the image of God that we are supposed to reflect in our lives.

Daric Beiter

04/01/1974 – 04/01/2011

Friday morning, my family learned of another death that has deeply hurt us. Daric Beiter, Cross-Country coach and history teacher at Davie High School passed away on his thirty-seventh birthday. He was more than just a coach and a teacher though…he was a mentor and friend of all those who knew him. My oldest daughter, became like an adoptive daughter of Daric and Michelle. They probably have kept as much contact with her in since she has been away at college as we have. Daric was a truly amazing man.

I tell you this, not just to share the grief that we are experiencing, but also as an example of what we have been talking about. Daric, like the fleshy part of the apple is gone. But the core remains. All the love and the seeds that Daric has planted over the years remains and goes on to grow and reproduce in us…to spread out and touch other lives. That is the core of Daric Beiter, what lives on.

Folks, we have to get back to who we are at the core of our being. We need to remind ourselves what is of eternal value and what is not. We have to remember those seeds in us and in others. We need to be about caring for and nurturing healthy cores in us and those around us. The core is important because it holds the seed. And the seed holds the promise.

Your investment strategy reflects your core. Are you investing in the American Dream which seeks worldly treasures and success? Or the Kingdom Dream, which has the power to transform us from within, and yields treasures beyond measure by this world’s standards. It’s your choice.