Sermon Notes and A Conversation With a Stranger

A kind of an "On Golden Pond" moment...last evening's reflections from the golden sun shining on the trees, reflecting the golden hue upon the water. What I didn't see when I took the picture was the two deer on the other side of the pond...one looking at me...the other eating his dinner. You just never know who may be watching you!

This could be said about our life in general...and our conversations online as well... read on...

The following are excerpts from a conversation on social media with a person I do not know personally, who is a "friend of a friend", in response to the friend's cry out to God, "Jehovah Shalom", our God of Peace...wondering where He is in the midst of all this sorrow and chaos in the world...and wondering what her next steps should be in the aftermath of the Sabbath Day Synagogue shootings in Pittsburgh, PA... read on...

Me: "Pray, Pray, Pray. Then let God lead you. That is what we all need to do. Get on our knees and pray. God will give us answers as we listen to His voice."

Friend of friend: "I realize that prayer helps people, but really, if that’s all we did, well, it all seems futile. Wouldn’t a benevolent, loving god want to fix this horrendous stuff with or without prayer? We must think deeply about this and be prepared to back up our beliefs with action. We must continue to speak out about this and make sure our voices are heard."


Me: "Prayer is just the beginning. Listening to God's voice and not all the voices of the world is the next step. Tune in to Christ, and tune out all the "noise" of the media and chatterboxes out here in social media telling us how to think and what to do. I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I know Who does, and praying helps me to hear what He has to say on these matters. Then I am better prepared for appropriate action. I like the saying "What would Jesus do?" and prayerfully seek His direction before acting and/or speaking out."

Friend of Friend: "But to recommend prayer and faith, even as a starting point, is to assume that anyone who reads your message has the same beliefs that you do. I respect your right to belief what you will, but do remember that there are those of us who carry different beliefs, and that we are not all starting from the same place."

 Me: "I appreciate and respect your response. And I certainly respect the fact that many do not share the same faith and beliefs. Perhaps it should be better said that we all need to take a deep breath, and give serious contemplation to what is truly best for all. I realize that many will come up with totally opposite responses, but we can at least agree to talk rationally and calmly and peacefully to come up with some reasonable solutions. "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me". That is a good starting place."

Friend of Friend: "Thank you. Yes, we can agree on that. There's so much going on, so much agony, and I just feel absolutely lost. I've walked in demonstrations, I've called my Congresspeople, I vote in every single election. I rant and rave on Facebook! And yet none of it seems to matter. It's all so dismal."

Me: "There is a lot of sorrow in our world/nation these days, about many things. And sadly, we are often not given all of the information about all of the positive things that are also happening in our country. There are good things happening, and many many good people working hard to restore our nation to peace and a place of promise and hope for our children's future. When all we listen to or hear are the negative voices we miss out on the positive news. This has been a very sad and disturbing week for our country. Mental illness and people with evil hearts do so much hurt and damage. But these people are not the norm. They are the disturbed exceptions. Our nation is filled with so many really wonderful, good, hard working, loving people. Let us unite together to overcome the forces of evil that are trying to dismantle and destroy our nation."

No further response.

What I wish I could have said: The reason people feel so lost and like nothing seems to matter and "it's all so dismal" is because you are correct. When people do not have faith in God and do not have the hope that faith in Jesus Christ gives us, everything must look dismal.  Without Christ in our world and hearts, there is no hope. Those of us who have faith in Christ can get down on our knees and pray and know that God does hear our prayers, and He WILL give us answers and appropriate ways to help those in need and respond to the crisis around us. I have hope in my heart because I know that God is with us. He is in the midst of all suffering and trials and sorrows, and He is giving comfort to those who grieve.  Without faith in God we can never combat the evil presence that is in the world. Sadly, so many have become a part of that greater evil because they are fighting for the wrong cause...they have allied themselves with the forces of darkness when they continue to fight against all forms of godliness and righteousness.

I have shared all of this conversation as a prelude to my sermon notes for this week. 

Our message on Sunday was taken from the book of Matthew, chapter 9:35 - chapter 10:8

35.  "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36.  But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

37.  Then He said to His disciples,:

"The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

38.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

Skipping down to chapter 10:7-8~

"And as you go, preach, saying, 

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, 

raise the dead, cast out demons. 

Freely you have received, freely give."

• We have great news! I am a part of the church that knows The Shepherd...where people's lives are being transformed!  (We do have the answer to all that is wrong with the world!)
• I want to bring them in so they can hear the Good News of Jesus Christ!
• Who do we belong to? 
• We become harassed by the world (social media especially these days)...and sometimes we give up, lay down, play dead.
• Jesus said seek out those who are without a shepherd...
• Without Jesus in my heart: pills won't help take away the anxiety and fear...(neither will Marching, ranting, calling our congressmen),
• People are powerless to change their own lives...
• Are we reaching out to our "cranky neighbors" (wherever they may be...not necessarily next door)...perhaps they are family members...Who are the harassed and hopeless in our own community?
• Jesus' response is compassion...
• When He sees our world...it through His eyes of compassion.  
• Compassion is the complete opposite of indifference
• Our life as a Christian is more important than football games or other social event...
• Jesus is the only One who can solve the problems of our world today...
• Jesus is the only answer.
• We need to prepare ourselves to live as a follower of Christ...we are called to reach out, step up and step out to His people...
• But we get greedy...we have been given a gift and we want to hold onto it and not share it...the knowledge of Jesus Christ as our Savior and healer and redeemer...Our only hope in this  world...
• If Jesus is calling you...and you just sit back...then who will go?
• Our activities at our churches need to be rooted in the gospel...shared with others... we should share the gospel with others as we share food, clothing, or whatever we give to the needy.
• If not you, then who?
• We may say, "that's not my calling..."
• Then, what is your calling?
• Your calling is not to sit back and watch...
• Compassion is not a spectator sport...it requires action.
• If not you, who then?

As we closed our service, we sang the following song:  Freely, Freely

"God forgave my sin in Jesus' name. 
I've been born again in Jesus' name 
And in Jesus' name I come to you 
To share his love as he told me to. 

He said 'Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give. 
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live. 

All pow'r is giv'n in Jesus' name 
in earth and heav'n in jesus name 
And in Jesus' name I come to you 
To share his pow'r as he told me to. 

He said 'Freely, freely you have received;, freely, freely give. 
Go in my name, and because you believe others will know that I live. 

God gives us life in Jesus' name 
he lives in us in Jesus' name 
And in Jesus' name I come to you 
To share his peace as he told me to."

So I ask you and myself:

If not you, who then?

Go and share the hope you have within you with those who are lost  and feeling so dismal and hopeless. Perhaps they will not listen because they do not have the faith we have, but we can plant the seeds...and perhaps another will come and water...and someday they will be a part of that great harvest.

Please Note : I want to repeat this disclaimer here...the notes, outline, and content included here are based upon my own personal understanding of the message that was being given.  I am not attempting to completely quote or reproduce this message or any other message I've shared previously.  Just as each person reading these notes may glean insights and thoughts that seem to directly apply to one's own situation and interpretation, my own delivery of these messages is skewed by my hearing and translation of what is being said.  Some may read my notes here and wonder if they were hearing the same message as I...and I say, God speaks to each of us as He wills...there are things He is trying to get across to each individual that may be entirely different than what the person sitting next to you in the pew is needing to hear...  That is how the Holy Spirit works! He knows what we need to hear and how to apply it to our hearts.  So it is with that understanding that I present these sermon notes to you.

Sermon Notes from FUMC, Interlachen, FL. Pastor A.C. Meyers, 10/28/2018

Catching Flies With Honey or Vinegar?

Today the son of our Vice President Joe Biden passed away from brain cancer. (Click on link for full story).  When I first heard this news this morning my heart jumped into my throat and my eyes filled with tears.  Not because I am a fan of Joe Biden or any of his philosophy of politics, etc., but because he is a father who has just said good-bye to his beloved son here on earth.  Because he is a parent who is grieving and hurting and in need of comfort and strength that only God can give at a time like this.  Because I too am a parent who has been touched by this same grief.  One year ago I also said goodbye to my beloved son here on earth.

On my Facebook page I posted the above news article with the following statement:

"No matter what your political view may be, when someone loses a child, whether it be to cancer or accident or other tragedy, hearts are broken. My prayers go out to the Biden family today as they mourn the loss of their son Beau. This is not an easy "club" to belong to...the club of parents who have lost a child. I never chose to become a member of this club, and I am certain VP Joe Biden would not choose to be here either. I understand from reading this article that this is not the first child he has lost, in addition to his first wife. May God give this family strength and comfort during this time."

One thing I have learned since going through the loss of my son is that when someone loses a loved one, regardless of their political stance, religious affiliation, race, nationality or even sexual orientation...yes, I said that...now hear me out...regardless of any of that stuff, when a human being has lost someone very dear to them, it is not my place to judge them or make comments regarding how I think they should respond or act or change...it is my place to extend the love of Christ toward them...to pray for their comfort...to hold them  up to the Father with love and compassion...to show them the same comfort that He has shown me in my times of tribulation:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

Who comforts us in all our tribulation, 

that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble,

with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,

so our consolation also abounds through Christ."

II Corinthians 1:3-5

I would hate to think that when my son died there were well meaning people making comments that they hoped his death would cause me to change...or that somehow my son's death was because of my political viewpoint or religious beliefs or because of my or any of my family member's sins.  If anyone felt that way I am so thankful that they kept their opinions to themselves.  If anyone feels like they should pray that God will change my heart or my beliefs or political viewpoint now that my son has died, you may go ahead and pray that if you think that is necessary...but please leave the judging to God.  I recently wrote about this in the following link:"Interesting Insight Today".   Jesus said:

"I have come as a light into the world,

that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, 

I do not judge him; 

for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words,

has that which judges him--

the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

John 12:46-48

And also:

"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world through Him might be SAVED!"

John 3:17

Again, I say that even though I may not agree with someone's viewpoint or lifestyle, etc., it is not my place to judge them...but to LOVE THEM AS CHRIST LOVED THEM AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR THEM.  Especially when they are hurting and grieving.  Save the preaching for another time. Right now just extend the Love of Christ to them and their family.  Pray for them to be comforted as only Christ can comfort them.  If there is any changing to be done in the heart...God knows how to reach them.

You know the old saying "You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"  Well, I think if we as Christians would practice this saying more often, we just might win more "flies" to the Lord.  Yes, there is a time and a place for strong preaching and teaching and exhortation.  But the time of grief and loss is not the time.  This is the time for love and compassion and wisdom.

"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us,

an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."

Ephesians 5:1-2

Amen.

"Faith without Works is DEAD!" Updated

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."  James 2:26

Photo by Michael Belk, "Journeys with the Master"...

Now don't shut me off before I have had a chance to speak here...I am not trying to stir up a theological debate over faith vs. works.  I am not talking about whether or not we are saved by faith or by works...The Bible is very clear in Ephesians 2:8-9 when it says:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." 

No, what I want to talk about is the works of the believer after he has been saved.   In Ephesians 2:10 we are reminded that,

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

So, we were created by God through Christ to do good works...it is something that is expected of each believer.  Not as a prerequisite for salvation, but as an action of the heart, an offering of praise and thanksgiving to God as a result of the salvation that we did not, could not earn...a way of giving back to God out of the humility and gratitude of our hearts for such a precious gift.

I was thinking about the story of the "Good Samaritan" this morning, found in the book of Luke 10:25-37.  I'm sure we've all heard this story before, how there was a certain man who was traveling and fell among thieves. And the robbers stripped him of his clothing, beat him up, and left him half dead along the road.

Along comes a priest, on his way to the Synagogue no doubt,  and when he sees the man lying there in his agony and pain, the priest actually crosses over to the opposite side of the road and turns his head and goes on as if he didn't even see him.   Next there was a Levite, a man of the Law, who also drove by and looked the other way...just couldn't be bothered...I'm sure he was on his way to the court to make lots of money off of other unfortunate people.

Now along came a Samaritan...a stranger in that land...a person who would not have been considered a good religious man or even a person whom one would have trusted because of his national heritage and ethnic background...and when he saw that poor man lying in the ditch crying out for help, he stopped, had compassion on the man, bandaged his wounds, put him on his own animal (or in his own luxury vehicle?), and took him to the nearest inn and personally took care of him!

The next morning, when this Samaritan man needed to get on to his destination, he went to the innkeeper and gave him his own money out of his own pocket, and asked the innkeeper to please take care of the injured man, and when he returned he would repay him whatever more he had spent in his care.

Jesus asked the young man to whom He was telling this story which person he believed was a good neighbor to the man who had fallen among the thieves.  The young man replied, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:37)

So now, dear "Christian Friends", let me ask you this, why is it that oftentimes the people who are the first to come to our aid with offers of casseroles, rides to the doctor for chemo treatments, help with babysitting, thoughtful gifts of encouragement and items to comfort us in our time of need are NOT always the church people, our best friends, or even family members?  Why is it that often times the people who show the most concern, love and compassion are total strangers?  In reality they are often people that we would not consider to be "good Christians", as we judge christianity from our lofty, sanctimonious religious balconies of false piety and holiness.  Why is that? 

Perhaps you don't believe that could be true...maybe you think that since you pay your tithe each week at church and you sing in the choir, and you might even attend an extra Bible Study or serve on a committee that you have done your part.  You must be a "good Christian".  Yes, you are saved because you have accepted the free gift of salvation offered only through faith in Jesus Christ, but have you actually thought about your neighbor? Do you turn your head in disgust when you see someone in trouble, perhaps because of their own folly and inappropriate behaviour you think they deserve what they have gotten?  Do you think that because they have lived a less than holy lifestyle (by your standards) that they somehow deserve punishment, disease, an unwanted pregnancy, bankruptcy, foreclosure, divorce, or whatever else...and that therefore you are not required to assist them in any way?  After all, it's their own fault they got into this mess, so let them suffer? And even if that was a good reason,(which I am not saying it is or isn't...may GOD be the judge) what excuse can you give for your inactivity when the injured or sick person IS a good Christian by all standards, and through no fault of their own they are suffering from a dread disease, divorce, bankruptcy, loss of a dear loved one,  etc.

I am just as guilty of this as the person sitting next to me in church on a typical Sunday morning.  We have all come short in reaching out to our neighbors with the love and compassion of Christ.  I know I have failed in this many times. So what can I do about it?  How can I change?  Maybe first of all by praying and repenting of this sin of omission, asking forgiveness, and then asking God to open my eyes to the lost and hurting all around me.  They aren't just people "out there" somewhere...many of them are right next to us...at work, at church, even in our own families.
Link to "Give Me Your Eyes"    "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath is a song that expresses a lot of what I am trying to say today..."Give Me Your Eyes" for just one second...

Lord...Let me see the people around me the way YOU see them...those right here in my own family, my neighborhood, my office, my church...help me Lord, not just to see them, but to reach out to them in love...YOUR love, Your compassion, Your heart, Your arms...Your eyes.... and forgive me for all the times I've turned my eyes away, crossed over to the other side of the road, and ignored their cries for help.  And thank you, Lord, for all the people You have sent my way in my time of need...for those who didn't ignore your promptings and who came to my rescue.  Thank you Lord, for total strangers  who oftentimes were the ones who cared the most.  Bless them Lord today...and help me to be a blessing to those You send my way.
Amen.

So, What's Happening in YOUR Life These Days?

Malachi 4:2 "But to you who fear My name (says the Lord of Hosts), the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

I feel like I have been hogging the net-waves lately...mostly writing about our son Matthew and the cancer that has assaulted his body, and all of the emotions surrounding such devastating news.  It has been a roller-coaster month.  Thankfully the good news is that the doctors believe they can wipe it out in the course of about a year's worth of extremely aggressive chemotherapy...which started this past week.  The battle plan is quite rigorous and will definitely take a toll on Matthew's body...but we pray that it will do its work and bring about complete healing.  Time will tell...but we are very confident in the power of God to do the healing...as the verse says above, "The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings, and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves."

Interesting terminology.  I love it...and I claim it by faith on behalf of Matthew.  The vision that imagery conjures up in my mind is one of complete health, mighty in strength and vitality; restored in every way to a full, long, and happy life. Wow! Thank you, Jesus, for this picture You have engraved in my heart tonight! I love it.

So, now...back to my original question in the title of this blog!  "What's happening in YOUR life these days?"  I know that many of you have had your own battles to win, challenges to face, and triumphs to celebrate.  There are some of you who also have family members battling serious illnesses, overcoming tragedies, and who may be learning to walk by faith through treacherous terrain.  I appreciate those who, in spite of their own difficult circumstances, have taken the time to share words of encouragement, comfort, and hope for our family. Maybe it isn't in spite of, but because of these experiences you are able to share such wisdom with us.

This reminds me of a young woman whom I had never previously met, who, when she heard of our son (Matthew, again) having surgery to remove a brain tumor (many years ago now), she came to our home the day before his surgery and brought us a cooler filled with all kinds of snacks, beverages and other things that she knew would come in handy for us while we were waiting at the hospital.  I was overwhelmed by her thoughtfulness, especially when I learned that her husband had a malignant brain tumor, and he passed away shortly after that time. In the midst of her trial and tribulation, she reached out to us with the compassion of someone who truly understood what we were going through.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  II Corinthians 1:3-4

Thank you, Lord, for friends such as these.  They are Your messengers of comfort to us during the difficult times of our lives. May we, in turn, be the same to others as You direct our paths to cross.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

What's Your Passion?

If we could go around the "room" and ask each of you what you are passionate about, I bet we would come up with as many different answers as there are people.  Think about this...what is your greatest passion?  Spouse, significant other, children, family notwithstanding...I'm talking about other stuff...like your hobbies, your work, your home, the things you say "you'd just die for"... For some it may be a car, or a vacation in the mountains, or a cruise to the Bahamas, or a ski resort...others may be passionate about a flavor of ice-cream or coffee (Starbucks?), or perhaps a movie or a book you've read that left you breathless and craving more from the same author.  I know many who are passionate about clothes and shoes, or jewelry, or pets, or even... chickens.  My apologies to my new facebook friend with the same name as me...but she is the one who got me thinking about this today...and I do not write this in any way to embarrass or pass judgment on her because I found what she said so very interesting in such a way as to open my mind and eyes to the unique differences in each of us. 

My friend made the statement that "some things are just too horrible to contemplate."  I wasn't too sure to  what she was referring, so I asked.  Her response was that she had a chicken in her bathtub and it wasn't doing too well.  My first reaction, as I envisioned this chicken thrashing around in her bathtub, was actually one of laughing right out loud. It was such a funny picture in my mind that I couldn't begin to grasp the seriousness of her situation.  This is why I am so thankful for the protection of facebook...it gives us a few minutes to hopefully think before we respond in a knee-jerk fashion.  After I composed myself it began to dawn on me that my friend was actually grieving and feeling very sad about this chicken.  You see, she raises chickens and loves them...she connects with them much like I connect with my owls.  They aren't just something to feed, gather their eggs, and later put on the grill for supper...she cares about her chickens. They are special to her, and that's okay.  I need to respect that and understand and try to empathize with her feelings.  I finally came out with a rather lame response, but it was all I could think of..."I am very sorry. I don't know what else to say. I've never known someone with a chicken in their bathtub before.  I will keep you in my thoughts and hope for the best."    A few minutes later she responded, "And just like that, no more chicken in the bathtub, she's gone."  I do feel sad about that.  My friend is grieving for that which she loved. 

See, I never cared much about chickens before...probably because when I was a child I ventured too close into the chicken coop on our farm and was savagely attacked by a very territorial mean old rooster, leaving scars on my legs from his sharp claws and beaks and scars in my mind for the rest of my life. But just because I have been injured by a rooster doesn't mean that I shouldn't sympathize with someone else when they are hurting at the loss of a special chicken...and this can be applied to many other circumstances in life. 

Oftentimes we allow our hurts and prejudices to keep us from caring about others in their time of need.  Or perhaps because we don't feel the same way about a particular subject or haven't suffered the same kind of loss as another person we don't respect their feelings or can't comprehend why they should feel so passionate about something or someone. But we need to try...we ought to remember how others may have comforted us when we were grieving or hurting, even though they may not have completely understood our sorrow or pain...and we need to pass that same compassion on to others during their time of need. Yes, even when they are grieving for a chicken.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  II Corinthians 1:3-4.

Lord, please help me to be more compassionate with others, just as I would want them to be compassionate with me in my time of need.  Help me to take my eyes off of myself and my personal passions long enough to see others the way YOU see them, and to care for them in the way that YOU would want me to care.  Forgive me, Lord, when I fail to show your love to others. I'm still learning...and I thank you for your patience with me.  Amen.