The Wound of Compassion, Part Two

Last week we started talking about the wound of compassion. Julian of Norwich prayed: "Lord, wound me with the wound of contrition, wound me with the wound of compassion, wound me with the wound of very longing after God." Week one: The wound of contrition - when God lets you see your sin clearly, when you're broken by what you've done, and that wound becomes the doorway to grace. Last week: Steps 1-3. You treasure Christ. You're filled with grace and truth together. You overflow toward Him in worship. That's vertical. That's the foundation. Because you cannot overflow to others what you haven't first received from Jesus. But all of that is still between you and Jesus. That's beautiful. That's essential. But it's not compassion yet. Compassion happens when the vertical becomes horizontal. When your overflow stops being just between you and Jesus and starts moving toward other people. Today we're walking through steps 4 and 5. And by the end, you'll be standing at a threshold. Next week, we'll talk about what happens when you cross it. But before we dive in, I need to tell you something I've been wrestling with. Something that's changed how I understand my own brokenness, my own past, my own struggles. For years, I thought the goal was to get past my wounds. To heal from them. To move beyond them. To get to a place where they didn't matter anymore. Where I could minister despite them. Where I could lead from a place of having it all figured out. But I've discovered something that turned all of that upside down. You don't minister to people despite your wounds. You minister through your wounds. Your past emptiness, your remembered pain, your ongoing struggles - these aren't disqualifications to loving others as Christ would. They're your credentials. They're what give you access to other people's wounds. Think about it. The great illusion is thinking we can lead someone out of a desert we've never walked through. That we can offer water to the thirsty if we've never known thirst. That we can guide someone through darkness if we've never been blind. But that's not how it works. You can't. You enter the desert with another person. You walk into it with them. And you stay there until grace begins to rise out of the dry ground. That's what compassion is. Not standing at the edge of the desert, giving directions. But walking into it. Staying. Waiting for grace to spring up. And that's going to be woven through everything we talk about today. Because when your fullness meets someone's emptiness, it's your memory of being empty that makes you capable of compassion instead of judgment. It's your wound that becomes the bridge. So turn with me to Luke 7. Same passage, but we're going to see something we might have missed.

Step 4: Your Overflow Encounters Someone Who Lacks What You Have

The Collision Point

This is where everything shifts. Up until now, it's been vertical - you and Jesus. You're treasuring Him, you're being filled by Him, you're overflowing toward Him in worship. That's beautiful and essential. But now something happens. Your overflow collides with reality. You encounter someone who doesn't have what you have. And everything changes. Look back at Luke 7. The woman is at Jesus' feet, weeping, worshiping, pouring out her perfume. She's full. She's satisfied. She's tasting grace and truth together, and it's transforming her. But there's someone else in the room. Simon. And Simon is empty. He doesn't see what she sees. He doesn't taste what she tastes. He's got religion, but he doesn't have Jesus. He's got knowledge about Christ, but he doesn't treasure Christ. Verse 39 tells us what Simon is thinking: "If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner." Simon is evaluating. Judging. Calculating. He's completely missing it. And Jesus - Jesus sees it. He sees Simon's emptiness. Later in the passage, Jesus will point it out: "You gave me no water for my feet... You gave me no kiss... You did not anoint my head with oil." Simon has nothing to offer because he's empty. He's not overflowing because there's nothing inside to overflow. That's the collision. Two people in the same room with Jesus. One full. One empty. One overflowing. One withholding. One treasuring. One evaluating.

The Nature of This Encounter The collision happens in moments. Specific moments. With specific people. You're not suddenly burdened for "people in general" or "the lost world." You encounter someone. A person. And something shifts inside you. You realize: they're dying of thirst. They're starving. They're empty. And you have living water. You have bread. You're full. Here's what happens: Your satisfaction in Christ collides with their desperation to satisfy themselves without Christ. You're tasting something real - not perfectly, not completely yet, but genuinely. And then you're standing in front of someone who's still desperately reaching for things that can never fill them. And you can see it. You can see the emptiness behind the performance. The thirst behind the consumption. The hunger behind the achievement. Why This Is Different from Before Before you treasured Christ, you couldn't see this clearly. Remember what Romans 1:18 says: sin suppresses truth. When you're empty, your vision is darkened. You can't see reality clearly - not about God, not about yourself, not about others. You might notice suffering, but you interpret it through your own brokenness. You might feel sympathy, but it's filtered through your own emptiness. But now? Now you've been filled with grace and truth together. Now your vision is clearing. And when you look at people, you begin to see what Jesus sees. You see the glory they were made for. You see the emptiness they're trying to fill with everything except Jesus. You see the thirst they're trying to quench with everything except living water. And can I just add something here - seeing as Jesus sees isn't blind faith. It's not a faith where you just go, "I believe in Jesus" and that's it. Because remember, last week we said there's believing and there's receiving. Believing acknowledges facts. But receiving treasures Christ as supremely satisfying. And when you treasure Him, when He becomes your satisfaction, your eyes open. You start seeing people the way He sees them. The Memory of Your Own Emptiness And Here's what makes this encounter so powerful: you remember. You remember what it was like to be empty. You remember the desperation of trying to fill yourself with things that couldn't satisfy. You remember the exhaustion of performing, achieving, consuming, trying to prove your worth. You remember the darkness of not seeing Jesus clearly. You remember the suppression of truth. The woman at Jesus' feet - she remembers. She remembers being "the sinner" everyone whispered about. She remembers the shame. The isolation. The emptiness. And, yet, now she's full. Now she's forgiven. Now she's loved and accepted and secure. But she hasn't forgotten what it was like. And that memory is what makes compassion possible. Think about it. If you've never been starving, you can't really understand hunger. You might see it, feel sorry about it, even give money to address it. But you don't feel it. You can walk past it without being gripped by it. But if you've been starving - if you've known what it's like to have your stomach eating itself, to be so weak you can barely stand, to be willing to do almost anything for food - and then someone feeds you, gives you bread, restores your strength... you can never again walk past someone who's hungry without that bread in your hand burning. You remember. And the memory compels you. The Collision Creates a Crisis This is where it gets uncomfortable. Because when your overflow collides with someone's emptiness, you can't just walk away. You can't un-see what you've seen. You can't forget what you now know. There's a crisis. A decision point. What are you going to do with what you now see? Simon faced this moment too. Jesus told him the parable of the two debtors - one forgiven little, one forgiven much. And then Jesus said, "Do you see this woman?" That's the question: Do you see? Really see? Do you see her as a person made in God's image, capable of treasuring Christ just like you? Or do you see her as "the sinner" who's beneath you? The crisis is this: Your fullness has made you aware of their emptiness. And now you have to choose. Will you overflow toward them? Or will you protect your fullness, keep it to yourself, stay comfortable? What You See vs. What They See Here's what's remarkable about this collision. You see their emptiness, but they might not. You see, Simon doesn't think he's empty. He's a Pharisee. He's got religion down. He knows the Law. He keeps the rules. He's invited Jesus to dinner - that's pretty spiritual, right? He doesn't see his own need. The truth is, he’s blinded to the needs around him. He's like the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:17: "You say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." So the collision isn't just between your fullness and their emptiness. It's also between your vision and their blindness. You can see what they can't see about themselves. And that creates a dilemma. How do you love someone who doesn't think they need what you have? How do you offer living water to someone who thinks they're already hydrated? The Temptation to Judge This is where Simon fails. He sees the woman's sin - her emptiness, her past, her reputation. And he uses her sin to coerce his lack. Because, instead of compassion, he feels judgment. Look at what he says… "If Jesus were really a prophet, he'd know what kind of woman this is." Simon sees, but what he sees doesn't move him toward her. It moves him away from her. It reinforces his sense of superiority. And here's the danger: when you're full and you encounter someone who's empty, you can default to judgment too. You can think, "Well, if they would just treasure Jesus like I do..." "If they would just stop trying to fill themselves with that..." "If they would just see what I see..." And suddenly you're Simon. Full of knowledge, but empty of compassion. The collision should create compassion, not condemnation. The memory of your own emptiness should create humility, not superiority. You should look at them and think, "That was me. That is me, apart from grace. The only difference between us is that God opened my eyes and filled me. Not because I was better. Not because I was smarter. Not because I tried harder. Because of receiving grace.” The Specific Nature of the Encounter Now, Let me ask you something. When was the last time you encountered someone's emptiness and you actually felt it? Not just noticed it. Felt it. When was the last time you saw someone striving, performing, achieving, consuming - and something in you stirred? Not judgment. Not frustration. But recognition. Memory. Compassion. Maybe it was in a conversation where underneath all the words you heard the same desperation you used to carry. The same thirst you used to have. The same ache. Maybe you saw someone making choices, building their life around something, and you recognized it because you did the same thing. You built your identity on that. You tried to find your worth there. And you remember - not intellectually, but viscerally - what that emptiness felt like. The collision doesn't happen in categories. It happens in moments. Specific moments. With specific people. And you can't predict when it's going to happen. But when it does, you'll know. Because something shifts inside you.

The Question This Raises

So here's the question this encounter creates: What are you going to do? You're full. They're empty. You have what they desperately need, even if they don't know they need it. Are you going to overflow toward them? Or are you going to protect your fullness, keep your distance, stay comfortable? Because here's what we haven't said yet: overflowing toward them is going to cost you something. It's going to be inconvenient. It's going to be messy. It's going to interrupt your plans. It's going to require vulnerability. You're going to have to risk rejection. You're going to have to enter into their chaos. You're going to have to be patient while they figure out what you already know. You're going to have to love them while they're still empty, still blind, still trying to satisfy themselves with everything except Jesus. And that's scary. That's uncomfortable. That's why many Christians stay at step 3. They treasure Jesus. They're filled with grace and truth. They overflow in worship. But they never let that overflow collide with anyone's emptiness. They keep it contained. Safe. Comfortable. Sunday morning only. But if you let the collision happen - if you really see people's emptiness and let yourself be gripped by it - something shifts. And that's step 5.

But before we get to step five I have one thing to say… everything we have learned up until now is still not compassion. Compassion comes next. But it can't come without this collision first. You can't have Christ-like compassion for people you don't actually see. You can't overflow toward people you're avoiding. The encounter has to happen. The collision has to occur. Your fullness has to meet their emptiness face to face. And when it does, you're at the threshold of the wound.

Step 5: You Cannot Rest While They Remain Empty

The Holy Restlessness

Now, This is where the wound begins to form. This is where awareness turns into ache. You've encountered their emptiness. You've seen their need. You've felt the collision. And now something happens inside you that you can't control and you can't turn off: you cannot rest while they remain empty. This isn't pity. Pity looks down from a position of comfort and says, "Oh, that's sad. Poor them." Pity feels bad for a moment, then moves on. This isn't sympathy either. Sympathy feels what they feel from a safe distance. Sympathy says, "I'm sorry you're going through that," then goes home and forgets about it. This isn't even empathy. Empathy enters into their experience, feels alongside them, truly understands their pain. But empathy, but here’s the thing about empathy… it can still walk away when the feeling becomes too much. So what is it? What do we call this ache, this compulsion, this inability to rest? If not sympathy, if not empathy, of not pity….. what is it? It’s called, a "holy restlessness." It's what Julian of Norwich was praying for when she asked to be wounded with the wound of compassion. It's a blessed pain. A sacred ache. A compulsion you can't escape. The Biblical Language for This Paul gives us the language for this in 2 Corinthians 5:14: "The love of Christ controls us." That word "controls" in Greek is συνέχω - synechō. It means to hold together, to constrain, to compel, to hem in. It's the same word used when Jesus is pressed in by the crowd. When Paul is "constrained" to preach the gospel. It's not a gentle suggestion. It's a force. A pressure. A compulsion. The love of Christ has gripped you so completely that you are compelled. You cannot NOT overflow. You cannot NOT care. You cannot rest while they remain empty because the love that has filled you will not let you rest. It's controlling you. Not in a manipulative way - in a compulsive way. Like gravity. Like a river finding its level. Like water seeking the cracks in a dam. The Difference from Human Compassion And its… totally…. Different than Human compassion… because human compassion is emotion-based. It comes and goes. You feel it one day, not the next. It's triggered by what you see, what you hear, how you feel that day. You watch a documentary about poverty and you feel compassionate. The documentary ends, the feeling fades, life goes on. You see a homeless person on the corner and you feel a twinge of sympathy. Then the light turns green and you drive away and forget. Human compassion is also selective. We feel it for people we like, people who are like us, people whose suffering makes sense to us. We feel it when it's convenient, when we have energy, when we're in a good mood. But We don't feel it for people who annoy us, people who "brought it on themselves," people whose choices we disagree with. But Christ-like compassion? This is completely different. This is overflow-based, not emotion-based. It flows from fullness, not from feelings. And it's compulsive. It won't turn off. It won't let you rest. It won't let you walk away. Think about the woman at Jesus' feet. She's not overflowing because she feels compassionate in that moment. She's overflowing because she's full. And fullness overflows. It has to. It's not a choice. It's the nature of Christ like fullness. And here's what makes this kind of compassion sustainable: it's not dependent on your emotional state. You don't have to work up feelings. You don't have to manufacture care through guilt. You're full, so you overflow. Naturally. Inevitably. Even when it's inconvenient. Even when you're tired. Even when they're difficult. Because overflow isn't about them deserving it. It's about you being full. The Ache That Won't Stop Let me describe what this feels like. You're going about your day and you think about that person. That neighbor. That coworker. That family member. And you feel this... ache. This holy restlessness. This sense of "I can't just leave them there. I can't just let them stay empty. I have to do something." It's not anxiety. It's not guilt. It's not religious obligation. It's more like... have you ever seen someone you love heading toward danger and you can't just watch? You have to warn them. You have to intervene. You have to do something. That's the feeling. But it's not about danger. It's about emptiness. They're dying of thirst and you have living water, and you cannot just watch them die. It interrupts your comfort. You can't settle into your satisfied life while they're still empty. You can't fully enjoy your fullness while they're still lacking. It's not guilt - you're not responsible for their choices. It's not savior complex - you're not the one who saves them. But you cannot rest. You cannot be satisfied in your satisfaction while they remain empty. Why You Can't Rest And I ask myself… why can’t I rest? Why can’t I just leave them alone, and leave and go about my day? Why is it, when I am at Starbucks and a single mom comes in and she’s got these lovely little lambs with her, and you can tell she’s tired, but also a strong woman, and my heart just wants to leap out of my chest in… can I get your coffee. Can I buy that bear cake pop for the little one…

Here’s why: because the thing that has satisfied you…. is a Person. And that Person is passionate about them. Jesus isn't satisfied while they're empty. Jesus isn't resting while they're still dying of thirst. And you're full of Jesus. So His restlessness becomes your restlessness. His longing for them becomes your longing for them. His refusal to give up on them becomes your refusal to give up on them. Think about it, in Luke 15. Jeuss tells of Three parables - the lost sheep, lost coin, lost son. In each one, there's restlessness. The shepherd can't rest while one sheep is lost. He leaves the ninety-nine and goes searching. The woman can't rest while one coin is missing. She tears the house apart looking. The father can't rest while his son is gone. He watches the road, waiting, hoping, longing. That's Jesus. That's His heart. He cannot rest while people are lost. While people are empty. While people are dying. And now you're full of Him. So His restlessness is filling you. His longing is becoming your longing. His "I cannot rest" is becoming your "I cannot rest." The Refusal to Be Satisfied Alone There's something radical happening here. Your satisfaction in Christ is creating a dissatisfaction with their lack of Christ. You're full, but you're not comfortable being full alone. You have living water, but you can't just hydrate yourself while they die of thirst. You've found treasure, but you can't just sit on it while they live in poverty. This is the mystery of Christian joy. It's a joy that won't stay selfish. It's a satisfaction that refuses to be solitary. It's a fullness that must overflow or it feels incomplete. C.S. Lewis said it this way: "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea." That's the emptiness you're seeing in others. They're making mud pies when the ocean is available. And you've been to the ocean. You've tasted the saltwater. You've felt the waves. And you cannot rest while they're still in the slum making mud pies. The Compulsion to Share This creates a compulsion. Not a duty. Not an obligation. A compulsion. You HAVE to share what you've found. You HAVE to tell them about the treasure. You HAVE to offer them living water. Not because you're supposed to. Not because that's what Christians do. But because you cannot NOT do it. It's like finding the cure for cancer and then walking through a cancer ward. You can't just keep it to yourself. You can't just think, "Well, I'm healthy now, good for me." You'd be compelled to share it. Driven to tell everyone. Unable to rest until everyone who needs it has access to it. That's what treasuring Christ does. It makes you unable to rest while others remain empty. Unable to be satisfied alone. Unable to keep the good news to yourself. The Pain of This Inability to Rest And Here's the thing: this inability to rest is painful. Thats why we call it a wound. It hurts to care this much. It hurts to see their emptiness and feel so burdened by it. It hurts to long for their salvation, their fullness, their joy in Christ, and not be able to make it happen. You can't force them to treasure Jesus. You can't make them drink living water. You can't open their blind eyes. You can only overflow what you have inside of you, and You can only offer what you’ve either treasured or been given … You can only witness. And that's agonizing. Because you know what they're missing. You know what they need. You have what would satisfy them. But you can't make them take it. This is the wound starting to form. Within this holy restlessness. This blessed pain. This ache that won't stop. You cannot rest while they remain empty, but you also cannot force them to be filled. So you're stuck in this tension. This longing. This compulsion that can't be resolved by your own efforts. The Difference from Codependency Now, Let me be clear about what this isn't. This isn't codependency. Codependency says, "I need them to be okay so I can be okay." That's making your peace dependent on their condition. That's unhealthy. That's trying to control what you can't control. That's taking responsibility for their choices. In all of my years of pastoring, this is often what hurt people do. Hurt people try to control so they don't get hurt again. They build their peace on managing other people's choices, other people's responses, other people's lives. And it destroys them. It destroys relationships. It's exhausting, and It’s unsustainable. This holy restlessness is different. You're not responsible for their choices. You're not taking on their burden as if it's yours to carry. You're not trying to be their savior. You're already at rest in Christ. You're already full. You're already satisfied. But your satisfaction in Christ creates a longing for their satisfaction in Christ. Your rest in Christ creates a restlessness about their lack of rest. It's like Paul in Romans 9:1-3: "I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh." Paul is saying something stunning. He's so full of Christ that he wishes he could be cut off from Christ if it would mean his brothers could know Christ. That's not codependency. That's not unhealthy attachment. That's the overflow of being so satisfied in Christ that you cannot be satisfied while others remain empty. That's the wound of compassion. What This Restlessness Produces And so, what does this restlessness - this inability to be satisfied alone - produce? Well it produces several things: First, it produces prayer. You start praying for them. Constantly. Naturally. Not because you're supposed to, but because you can't help it. You're thinking about them, so you're talking to Jesus about them. You're burdened for them, so you're lifting them up. You're unable to rest, so you're bringing them to the One who can give them rest. Second, it produces presence. You start showing up. Being around. Making yourself available. Not in a weird, stalker way. But in a consistent, faithful way. You're at the neighborhood gathering. You're accepting the coffee invitation. You're saying yes to the dinner. You're staying after the meeting. Because you can't overflow toward them from a distance. Overflow requires proximity. Third, it produces patience. You're not in a hurry. You're not trying to force a moment. You're not manufacturing opportunities. You're just consistently there, consistently full, consistently overflowing. And you're willing to wait. To be patient. To let the Spirit work in His timing. Because you know: you can't make them thirsty. You can only be available with water when they are. And I think this is one of the greatest dilemmas within our church culture today. The church is not patient. There are gimmicks and ideas that stir the emotions of people, and churches celebrate mass baptisms and big response moments, but very few stop to ask what happens next. We love the speed of Acts 2, but we do not embrace the slowness of Acts 2:42 to 47. We celebrate the moment, but we avoid the process. We crave fast fruit, but discipleship is slow. Listen, Formation takes time. The apostles did not panic when three thousand people came to Christ. They simply devoted themselves. They taught. They prayed. They shared life. They trusted the Spirit to shape what He had started. But today, instead of trusting the Spirit, we rush. We try to manufacture spiritual maturity overnight. We chase results instead of relationships. And the tragedy is that we end up producing converts who have no one walking with them. Patience is not the enemy of revival. Patience is what keeps revival from collapsing.

Fourth, it produces persistence. You don't give up. When they reject your overflow, you don't walk away. When they push back, you don't quit. When they don't respond, you don't stop. Not because you're stubborn. Not because you're trying to prove something. But because you cannot rest. The compulsion won't stop. The holy restlessness won't let you give up. The Testimony of This in Scripture Think of Jesus in John 4, with the woman at the well. He's tired. It's noon. He's sitting by a well. The disciples go get food. And a Samaritan woman shows up. Jesus should rest. He should eat. He should take care of Himself. But He can't. He starts a conversation. He offers living water. He persists even when she deflects. He doesn't rest until He's overflowed toward her. And when the disciples come back and say, "Rabbi, eat," what does Jesus say? "I have food to eat that you do not know about... My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." He's saying: Overflowing toward her satisfied Me. Offering living water to someone dying of thirst was food for My soul. I cannot rest while people are empty, and when I overflow toward them, that fulfills something in Me that food can't touch. That's the holy restlessness. That's the inability to be satisfied alone. That's what happens when you treasure Christ, when you're filled with grace and truth, when your overflow collides with someone's emptiness. You cannot rest. And that inability to rest - that ache, that blessed pain - that's the wound forming.

CONCLUSION What's Happening Next Now, I need to tell you what we're doing with the rest of this series. Next week we have our Thanks For Giving dinner, and then we move into Advent. So instead of rushing through the final part of this series or making you wait until January, I'm going to do something different. I'm going to finish this series through a video sermon that you can watch on your own time. Part 3 will cover what happens when you cross the threshold - when you let yourself be pierced by their pain, when you become willing to be wounded for love's sake, and what those wounds become. How they mark you. How they identify you. How they become scars that prove you belong to Jesus. It'll be available online, and you can watch it during Thanksgiving week, during Advent, whenever you're ready. Because this is important, and I don't want to rush it. The Question for This Week But today, I want you to sit with this question: Who is God bringing to your mind right now? As I've been talking about collision, about encounter, about seeing someone's emptiness - who came to mind? That restlessness you feel? That inability to be satisfied while they remain empty? That's the love of Christ controlling you. That's the Spirit. That's compassion beginning to form. Don't ignore it. What to Do This Week Pray. Not a quick prayer. Wrestle with God about them. Tell Him you can't rest. Be present. Accept the invitation. Show up. Make yourself available. Overflow requires proximity. Be patient. Don't force it. Just be consistently full, consistently overflowing. Trust the Spirit's timing. Be honest. Are you judging them? Then go back to contrition. Remember your own emptiness. Remember grace. Standing at the Threshold You're standing at a threshold today. You've encountered their emptiness. You cannot rest. You feel the compulsion. But you haven't crossed yet. Crossing that threshold is scary. It's costly. It's going to wound you. But this is where compassion is born. Not in the comfortable place where you're full and safe. But in the uncomfortable place where your overflow collides with emptiness and you can't walk away. Jesus didn't stay in heaven. He descended. He entered. He made Himself available to be wounded. And that's what saved us. He's calling you to do the same. Not to save anyone - He's the Savior. But to love like He loves. To overflow like He overflows. To let your fullness collide with someone's emptiness and refuse to walk away. Closing Prayer Father, help us see people's emptiness clearly. Help us remember our own. Give us Your holy restlessness - the kind that won't let us be satisfied alone. The kind that makes us unable to rest while others remain empty. We're standing at a threshold. We're scared. But we know this is what we were made for. Prepare our hearts for what comes next. Because we want to love like You love. We want to bear Your image. We want to carry Your scars. In Jesus' name. Amen. *

Love Your Enemies

Father, Your Word says that in Your presence there is fullness of joy—joy forevermore. As I prepare to give Your word, I confess that my heart desires to find my joy and satisfaction in You alone. But sometimes I feel the weight of hurt, the sting of rejection, the struggle to forgive—and it reminds me that I am still alive and living in a fallen world. But Lord, it is here—in the ache of life—that Your call to love shines brightest. Not love that comes easily, not love that flatters me, but love that stretches me. Love that looks like Jesus. So as I open Your Word today, I ask: strip me of every distraction in my heart, mind, and soul. Silence in me the noise of pride or fear, and ready my heart—and our hearts—to hear You clearly. May this not be about my words, but about Your Word, alive and piercing, healing and freeing. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

The Most Radical Command I want to invite you to open your Bibles with me to Luke chapter 6, verse 27. Let me also welcome those joining us online—we're honored to gather with you to hear what one writer has called the most radical, most difficult command Jesus ever gave. Another said these words are the summit of Christian love—the highest peak of the mountain. And rightly so. Because in a perfect world, love would be easy and natural. In a perfect world, there would be no evil, hurt, or pain. But that's not the world we live in. C.S. Lewis once wrote in Mere Christianity: "Everyone says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive.” Think for a moment how radical the idea of forgiveness really is. We live in a world that says "An eye for an eye." A world that celebrates getting even. A world where the person who hurt you first is supposed to pay. It's in our books, our movies—all around us we're taught to get what's yours. But then Jesus shows up and flips the script entirely. He tells us to love one another, and through this love, people will know we are His disciples. And I think about this, and I go... man, loving the people who have hurt me is so unnatural to me. It’s not in me. Maybe you feel that too. It’s easy to nod your head in church and say, “Amen, love your enemies.” But it gets a whole lot harder when the face of that person flashes in your memory—the words, the betrayal, the wound—and you feel it all over again. That’s where this gets radical. Real, Christ-like forgiveness is not some shallow idea—it’s one of the highest, hardest calls of the Christian life. It’s what I’d call the ascent of love. It’s love climbing higher than your wounds, higher than your bitterness, higher than that instinct to get even. And you might ask, “Okay, but what does that even look like?” Let me give you just one example…

The Text: Luke 6:27-31 "But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks you, and from someone who takes your things, don't ask for them back. Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.”

Let's unpack this. If you're taking notes, write this down: "Here's the call: Because you’ve been loved without conditions, you can now love without conditions. Jesus is saying love without holding back. Full love. No reserves. No condemnation. Not the kind of love where you smile on the outside but secretly resent on the inside. He's talking about a love that goes deeper than feelings, deeper than politeness—it's a love that pours out even when it costs us. Let's be honest—that kind of love requires something we don't have in ourselves. We don't naturally bless those who curse us. We don't naturally pray for those who mistreat us. Our natural response is to protect, fight back, defend ourselves. What Jesus is calling us to here is not just higher morality—it's a supernatural reality. It's the Spirit of God producing in us what we could never produce on our own.

What Jesus Is NOT Saying Before we dive deeper, I need to pause because I know some of you are thinking, "Wait a minute, Pastor. Are you telling me I'm supposed to be a doormat? Should I just let people walk all over me? That's a fair question, because Jesus's words could be easily misunderstood. Let me be clear about what Jesus is NOT calling us to: First, Jesus isn't saying we should never resist evil. If the devil is prowling around trying to destroy your life, your family, your faith - what do you do? Resist him! —Later in the Bible, James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” So Jesus is not saying, don’t resist evil. Second, Jesus isn't saying we should be okay with evil. Romans 12:9 says we should "abhor what is evil." That word means to hate it, to be disgusted by it. Third, Jesus isn't telling us to never confront people doing wrong. Jesus himself gave us a process in Matthew 18 for addressing sin. But remember—being confrontational isn't about proving you're right. It's about making a wrong heart right. It's not about winning an argument; it's about winning a brother or sister back into relationship through love. Fourth, Jesus isn't saying we should never separate from dangerous people. Sometimes love means creating distance. If someone is abusing you or your children, loving them doesn't mean staying in harm's way. Finally, Jesus obviously supports justice. When someone commits a crime, they should face consequences. So Jesus isn't asking us to be pushovers or enable evil or ignore injustice.

What Jesus IS Saying So what is Jesus saying? Look at the context. Jesus is talking about personal relationships. He's calling us to selflessly love the people who do evil to us personally. Look at the illustrations: If someone slaps your right cheek (Kid, mom rings? ) —likely a backhanded insult—instead of taking revenge, absorb it and turn the other cheek. If someone wants to unjustly sue you, don't take things from them—be generous. The picture in all these illustrations is selflessness. The only person who can react these ways is someone who has died to themselves. Think about how upside down this is. You mean give what I have to someone who hurt me? Release my grip on what I think I deserve, and instead pour out grace on the one who least deserves it? Yes. That's exactly what Jesus is saying. Because that's exactly what Jesus did, and continues to do for us. Listen, churhc, Love is easy when it costs us nothing. But when love requires us to lay down our rights, our pride, our need for payback—that's when it becomes truly Christlike. But how is that possible? In a world so different from what we've been taught our entire lives, how do we accomplish that? How can we be like that father in the video? Well, look at the five verbs Jesus says in our text…

The Five verbs: A Pathway to Supernatural Love 1. Listen (Verse 27a) "But I say to you who listen..." That sounds familiar, right? Last week we talked about the Shema: "Hear, O Israel." That word "hear" meant more than sound bouncing off your eardrums. It meant hearing in such a way that your whole life bends toward obedience. To hear is to do. To hear is to let the Word take root in your heart until it transforms you. To hear is to let the Word ignite a love for God so real, so consuming, that it spills into every part of your being. And when that love takes root, it doesn't stay contained. It overflows into your hands, your words, your relationships. It's not just love you feel toward God—it's love that reaches other people, even the ones who don't deserve it. This is what the glory of God is—His holiness put on display through His people. When you forgive instead of retaliate, when you bless instead of curse, when you love without conditions—that is God's glory being seen in you. That's exactly what Jesus prayed in John 17: "The glory that You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one even as We are one.” The very first verb matters so much: Listen. Because if you don't hear His Word, you'll only hear your wounds. But when you hear His Word, it births worship, and worship births love.

2. Love Your Enemies (Verse 27b) "Love your enemies..." This is agape love—sacrificing love. Love that gives without expecting anything in return. But here's where Jesus meets us. Last week we talked about original sin—the bent of our desires toward disobedience. But before original sin, there was something even greater: original love. So, Don’t miss this: Before you ever fell, you were loved. Before you ever sinned, you were loved. Before you could perform, before you could impress, before you could even respond—you were loved. And think about this, we sometimes hurt others, or we get hurt and we go strait to the pain. The hurt. But what if we first, went strait to the source who loves us? I just think we try to forgive others, in our own love. In our own understanding. But that kind of love is always transactional. I’ll forgive if you change. I’ll love if you love me back. I’ll give if I get something in return. And that kind of love can never survive the weight of real pain. But what if, forginvness flowed from God first? This is the voice of God over you: "I loved you before you could love Me. I loved you before you were capable of receiving love from anyone else. You are not loved because you performed well. You are not loved because people approved of you. You are loved because you are Mine. Think about those words, you are mine. You are the Beloved of God. You belong to Him. He chose you. He set His affection on you. He is jealous for you. Last week we were in Deuteronomy and in chapter 6, if we would have went down a little further into verse 14 and 15, God tells them as they are about to enter into the promise land, “You shall not go after other gods…for the Lord your God in your midst is a jealous God.” He knows the heart can love anything else other than God. Jealousy is not a picture we usually associate with God. For that matter, jealousy is not an attribute we think about positively at all—and with good reason. In our lives, jealousy is most often wrong. It’s often driven by pride or covetousness or some kind of insecurity in us. But there is a good sort of jealousy that is driven by love, which is exactly what we see in God. God is not insecure. He knows He is infinitely good. He loves His people so much that He wants us to experience our greatest good. He knows that when we focus on gifts and wander after other gods, it will not be good for us. He wants to keep us from that. Remember, God’s covenant with His people is like a marriage relationship. I think about our marriage. I love my wife. I want good for her. She and I both know that God has designed our marriage for both of our good. Which means I am jealous for her affections. Even the thought of her giving her affections to another man is not good. That’s why anyone or anything that threatens to steal her affections from me as her husband will be met with the strongest of opposition. Is that clear? This is good. This is the way marriage is supposed to be. This is the way our relationship with God is supposed to be. He’s infinitely good. He’s infinitely loving. And He’s called us to experience that love in a relationship with Him, because it’s in that relationship that we will experience our greatest good. God has created us for a wholehearted love relationship with Him. Before the world rejected you, before people failed you, before wounds shaped you—God's jealous, pursuing, steadfast love had already claimed you. And that love is unshakable. Which means you don't have to spend your life begging from others what only God can give you. If I'm honest, this is where I see myself so clearly. I feel that need for affection, that pull for affirmation. And if I'm not careful, my life can start to orbit around those needs. Maybe you know what that feels like. You finally hear the words you longed for—and for a moment it feels like water to your soul. But then anxiety creeps in: Was it real? Will I hear it again? Again, I think about our marriage. My courtship with Alicia began with flutters in the stomach, the hunger to always be near her, the "I love yous" and "we complete each other" feelings. But over time, deeper needs for affirmation surfaced in our marriage. Different needs began to rise and we had no clue how to go deeper than, I love you… Over time, One says, "I don't feel seen." The other says, "You don't take us seriously enough." And suddenly, what was meant to bring life begins to feel like a weight no one can carry. Why? Because we start asking another person to do what only God can do. And so, in my own life… Beneath my longing for praise, I've recognized embed within me was rejection—that deep wound that whispers, "You're not enough. You're not really loved.” And listen, Whenever any of us try to live out of that wound, or any wound for that matter, we become needy. But here's the gospel: before rejection ever scarred me, before anyone ever failed me, God's love had already named me His. That's the first love. The original love. The love that says, "I loved you before you could love Me." And, This love is older than any sin. Before Genesis 3—before original sin—there was Genesis 1: "And God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good." That’s the Original blessing. Thats the Original love. So, let me ask you… What’s the hurt you keep replaying in your head? Maybe betrayal that still blindsides you. Maybe words that cut so deep you can still hear them. Maybe rejection that makes you wonder if you'll ever be enough. But what if you stopped hitting "replay" on the pain and started rewinding further? Before the wound. Before the betrayal. Before the rejection. Go Back to the beginning. When God looked at creation and said, "It is good." When His first word over you wasn't guilty but good. Listne, churhc, When your heart is focused only on the wrongs done to you, bitterness feels justified. But when your heart shifts back to God's first love, you realize His love is greater than the hurt. You don't have to carry revenge. You can forgive. You can bless. You can even love an enemy. Not because it's natural, but because God's love is more real to you than anything else. So here is our lesson, You can't always control what happens to you. But you can choose to anchor your life in God's love before it happened to you. When we touch the first love, we touch that center of our being where we feel totally loved without condition. When we know the first love, we're free to love people without asking for anything in return. That's not what worldly love is about. Worldly love is transactional. But Jesus says, "Give without expecting anything in return." And here’s the thing: that kind of love never just stays hidden inside. It always moves. It always acts. It always leads us into doing.

3. Do Good to Those Who Hate You (Verse 27c) "Do what is good to those who hate you..." Do you see the progression? Listening roots us in God's love. That original love frees us to love without conditions. But love that never takes shape in action,…….. is incomplete. Jesus doesn't just say "Feel love toward your enemies." He says "Do good to them.” Feeling something and doing something go hand in hand. Its our love for Christ, through his original love, that drives us to do. Or you can get technical and say, it drives us to obey. When someone wounds you, the natural instinct is to pull back, to build walls, and sometimes ot run the other wya… But Jesus says the exact opposite: don't step back—step toward. Move toward them, with good. This is the heart of the gospel. Romans 5:8: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." While we were enemies, Christ came near and went forward. He didn't wait for us to prove ourselves. He did the ultimate good—He gave His life for us. … Think about the cross. While enemies poured out judgment on Christ, Christ held fast to His first love. Soldiers mocked Him, leaders condemned Him, friends abandoned Him—yet His heart never wavered. He kept loving from the original love. Above all the wounds, on the cross of sacrifice, was Jesus loving the Father, and those who were wounding him. And Because His love for the Father never broke, His love for us never failed. That's why He could pray with nails through His hands, "Father, forgive them." The cross wasn't weakness—it was worship. The Son delighting in the Father's glory, even as He bore our sin. That's the love that now lives in us by the Spirit. A love rooted in God's glory that is stronger than hate, stronger than sin, stronger than death. So, Love without conditions doesn't stop with feelings. It acts. It moves. It gives. What does this look like? Well, Refusing to celebrate when the person who hurt you stumbles—and instead quietly asking, "How can I serve them?" Sending a text to check on someone who betrayed your trust. Helping a coworker who bad-mouthed you. Doing good doesn't mean erasing boundaries or excusing sin. It means refusing to let bitterness dictate your steps. You live in the economy of the kingdom—where mercy triumphs over judgment. And Every time you choose to do good to someone who hates you, you declare with your life that God is more satisfying than revenge, His glory sweeter than bitterness, and His Spirit stronger than your flesh. But Jesus doesn’t stop at what you do. He presses into what you say.. Look at verse 28…

4. Bless Those Who Curse You (Verse 28a) "Bless those who curse you..." This gets even closer to home. Most of us may never face someone trying to kill us—but we will face words. Words that cut. Words that curse. Words that stick to the soul. Jesus says: don't return curse for curse. Instead, bless. Speak life. Doing good touches our actions, but blessing touches our words. And words carry enormous power. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). When others weaponize words against you, you turn your words into instruments of grace. When others curse you, you speak blessing. When others cut you down, you build up. That's what Stephen did in Acts 7. As stones crashed against his body, his final words weren't curses but blessing: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 3:9: "Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." Blessing your enemies is not optional—it's your calling. And when you bless, you don't just release life into them—you step into the stream of blessing God is pouring out on you. Blessing instead of cursing is how heaven's vocabulary breaks into earth's conversations.

5. Pray for Those Who Mistreat You (Verse 28b) "Pray for those who mistreat you." Why end here? Because Jesus knows something about us. On our own, our actions will eventually run dry. How long can you love someone who consistently hurts you? How many times can you do good to someone who returns evil? We all have a breaking point. Our patience has limits. Our kindness has boundaries. Prayer is different from all the rest. Prayer for your enemies is one of the deepest forms of love, because it means you really want something good to happen to them. You might do nice things for enemies without genuine desire for their prosperity. You can fake actions. And words But prayer? That's in the presence of God who knows your heart. You cannot fake that before an all-knowing God. Prayer does two things: First, prayer takes the burden off your shoulders and puts it on God's. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." You don't have to play God. Second, prayer changes you. When you pray for your enemies, it's almost impossible to keep hating them. God softens the bitterness. Instead of being chained to revenge, you walk in freedom. Prayer isn’t meant to change your enemy, it’s meant to change you. Prayer pulls poison out of your heart. Prayer loosens hate's grip. Prayer opens the door for God's love to flow where your love has run out.

The Call to Supernatural Love Jesus isn't just giving us a list of nice religious verbs—listen, love, do, bless, pray. He's showing us what love without conditions actually looks like in real life. Listen—because if you don't hear His Word, you'll only hear your wounds. Love—because you can't pour out what you haven't first received from Him. Do—because love is more than feeling; it's a choice that moves toward the other. Bless—because love changes your words, even when they don't deserve it. Pray—because love will always run out in your strength, but never in His. Love without conditions means that even when evil comes, you answer with love. Not because it's natural—it's not. Not because it's easy—it won't be. But because you've been loved first. Loved with an original love, a love older than your wounds, stronger than your bitterness, deeper than your rejection. Here's the call: stop trying to manufacture it. Stop trying to prove you can do it. Instead, anchor your life in the God who is love. Because when His love fills you, it doesn't stop with you. It flows through you—to friends, to family, and yes, even to enemies. Church, this is the mark of true discipleship. To listen to His voice above the noise of our wounds. To love from the overflow of His first love. To do good where evil is expected. To bless when curses come. And to pray—not because we're strong enough, but because He is. This is the way of Jesus. This is the glory of God in us. Because you've been loved without conditions, you can now love without conditions.*

The Shepherd on the Emmaus Road

Good evening, friends. It's good to be here with you tonight. You know, I've been thinking a lot about shepherds lately. And one thing I know about shepherds... ...is they don't wear boots like these when they're sitting around a fire telling stories. They probably wore something more like... well, maybe not exactly like these... ...but something comfortable. Something worn. Something that says, "I'm here to stay a while." There we go.

Much better. Oh.. I lets not forget this….. This is a tallit. A Jewish prayer shawl. Shepherds like Simeon would have worn something like this. Not exactly this—this one's newer, cleaner than theirs would have been. But the idea's the same. In the Jewish tradition, these fringes—the tzitzit—remind you of God's commandments. God's faithfulness. God's covering. When you wrap yourself in a tallit, you're saying, "I'm about to pray. I'm about to enter sacred space.

I'm about to tell a story that matters." Lets begin here… This chair... This chair has a story too. It used to belong to Alicia's grandparents. Sat in their living room for decades. It was new once. Beautiful. The fabric was clean, the cushions were firm, and it probably smelled like furniture polish and hope. But now? Now it's dingy. Stained. The fabric's faded. The cushions sag. You can see where people sat—right here—night after night, year after year.

And you know what? I love that about this chair. Because the best stories—the ones worth keeping—they get handed down like this. Worn. Used. Passed from person to person, generation to generation, until they're so familiar you could tell them in your sleep. Tonight, I want to share with you a poem I wrote. It's about a shepherd. You know, when you read the Christmas story in Luke chapter 2, you meet these shepherds who see the angels, run to Bethlehem, find baby Jesus, and then...

they disappear. Luke tells us they went back to their flocks "glorifying and praising God." And that's it. We never hear about them again. But I started wondering... What happened to them? Did they just... forget? Did they go back to normal life and never think about it again? Or did they tell the story? Did they tell their children? Did they tell it over and over, even when no one would listen, even when people called them crazy, even when the years went by and the baby never came back?

And then I started thinking about the road to Emmaus. You know that story, right? Luke chapter 24. Two disciples are walking away from Jerusalem after the crucifixion. Their hearts are broken. Their hope is gone. And a stranger joins them on the road. They don't recognize Him. But He walks with them. Talks with them. Explains the Scriptures to them. And later—later—they say, "Didn't our hearts burn within us while He talked?" Luke tells us one of them was named Cleopas.

But the other? We don't know. Scripture doesn't say. So I started to imagine... What if…the other disciple on that road was one of those shepherds.. grown up? What if it was a boy who saw the Light come into the world when he was ten years old, told the story his whole life even when no one would listen, watched that same Light die on a cross forty years later...

...and then met Him again on a dusty road outside Jerusalem? What if the fire that burned in his chest as a boy—when the angels appeared—burned again on the Emmaus road? That's the story I want to tell you tonight. It's not exactly in Scripture. But it could be. And I think... I think it's true in the way the best stories are true. It's about a boy named Simeon who never stopped telling the story, even when the world forgot.

It's about a father who passed the flame to his children. And it's about a man whose heart burned twice—once at the birth, and once at the resurrection. So if you'll indulge me for the next few minutes, I'd like to read it to you. This is called The Shepherd. The night was cold. The stars hung low // And distant. Young Simeon didn't know // That heaven planned to tear the veil // Between the worlds.

The wind was stale // And still. His father sat nearby— // Old Matthias, teaching. Every sky, // Every sheep, every lambing time, // The boy was learning. In his prime // The father was a shepherd still, // Keeping watch on Bethlehem hill. "You think Messiah's coming soon?" // The boy asked, mesmerized by at the moon. "I don't know, son. But God knows when." And then—without a warning—when // The sky split open and the night // Exploded into blazing light, // Young Simeon hit the ground.

His face // Pressed to the earth. In that fierce place // Between the terror and the glory, // He heard the angel tell the story: "Fear not! Tonight—in David's town— // The Savior's born! Go hurry down // To Bethlehem! You'll find Him there— // A baby, wrapped with tender care, // And lying in a manger bed." And then—as if one voice had said // Not half enough—ten thousand more // Appeared and sang.

The endless roar // Of "Glory! Glory! Peace on earth!" // Shook Simeon to his core. The birth // Of something bigger than his mind // Could hold. And when the stars declined // To normal and the dark returned, // He lay there trembling. Something burned // Inside his chest. "We go," his father said. They ran. Young Simeon couldn't keep // Up with his father. But the steep // And rocky path—he didn't care.

// His lungs burned. Still he had to share // In this. He had to see. And when // They found the stable, Simeon— // This boy, this dirty shepherd child— // Knelt down beside the mother. Smiled // Through tears. "It's true. We saw the light. // The angels came. And they were right. // He's here." The baby's eyes were closed. // The mother held Him. Simeon froze— // A moment pure and crystallized.

// The Light of heaven, humanized. // Messiah. Here. In flesh. In time. // And Simeon—just a boy—could climb // No higher than this moment. Here // Was everything. The waiting year // On year his people longed to see— // And God had shown it first to he, // A shepherd boy. At dawn he ran // To tell the town. "He's here! The plan // Of God! Messiah's born!" But they— // The adults—smiled and turned away.

// "How sweet. The dreams of just a child." // "Go home, boy. Tend your sheep." Defiled // By their dismissal, still the boy // Kept telling. Every bit of joy // He'd seen, he shared. But no one heard // A shepherd boy's unlikely word. The seasons passed. The decades turned. // Young Simeon grew up. Still burned // The memory. The glory. Light. // And still he told it.

Every night // He'd speak of it. But people tired // Of hearing what the boy desired // To share. "Simeon, let it go. // It's been ten years. We all know // The story. Move on with your life." But Simeon married. Took a wife. // They had three children. And each night // The little ones would beg. "The Light! // Tell us, Father! Tell us how // The sky broke open!" Even now, // Though thirty years had come and gone, // He'd close his eyes and carry on // The tale.

His wife would smile and say, // "Again? You tell it every day." "Because it's true," he'd answer back. // "And no one else will fill the lack // Of memory. The world forgets. // But I won't let them. No regrets— // I'll tell my children what I saw. // The glory. Heaven's perfect law // Descending. Light." His youngest son // Would ask, "But Father, where's He gone— // That baby?" Simeon would sigh.

// "I don't know, child. But by and by, // I think we'll see Him come again." And then the rumors. Now and then // He'd hear the stories. News would come // From travelers. "There's someone from // Up north—from Galilee—who heals // The sick. Who makes the lame man feel // His legs again. Who multiplies bread. // Some say He even raised the dead." The name was Jesus.

Simeon's heart // Would quicken. Could this be the start // Of something? Was this Him? He'd hear // The stories and he'd feel the fear // And hope collide. Something. Like waking // Up into a dream. The aching // In his chest—the same he'd felt // That night. "If this is You— // Then let me see before I'm through." That spring he left for Jerusalem— // The Passover.

And everything felt strange. // The crowds. The air. The way the change // Of mood swept through the city streets. // The whispers. Then one day he heard // The shouting from outside. The word // Was spreading fast. "They're crucifying Him." A chill ran down his spine. "Crucifying who?" "That Jesus. From up north. The Jew // Who claimed He was Messiah." No. Simeon left his family. Slow // But steady, climbed to Golgotha— // The hill of skulls.

The brutal draw // Of crowds. The mockery. The blood. // And then he saw them. Where they stood— // Three crosses on the hill. He couldn't // See the middle face at first. He wouldn't // Let himself believe. The crown // Of thorns. The blood that trickled down. // But then the man looked up. And Simeon's // Heart stopped in his chest. He knew. The Light he saw that night—the new // And blazing glory—it was here.

// The same. The baby he held dear— // This broken man. The manger's bed // Replaced by wood. The angels said, // "Peace on earth!"—but now the sky // Went dark at noon. No lullaby— // Just gasping breath. Not glory's song— // But soldiers mocking. All along // The road from Bethlehem to this // Had led to crucifixion's kiss // Of death. And Simeon fell. His sobs— // The same sobs from that night—now robs // Him of his breath.

"It's Him. The Lamb. The Light. // The baby from that holy night." The man // Upon the cross turned. Through the span // Of blood and tears, He looked at Simeon. // And in that gaze—a recognition. "You came," He whispered. "You were there. // That night. I saw you. Shepherd—prayer // Is what I need. Don't leave Me now. // You ran to Bethlehem. Stay. And bow // Before what glory always meant: // Not just the coming, but the descent.

// Not just the birth, but this—the death. // I am the Lamb. My final breath // Will ransom many. And the peace // The angels sang will never cease— // But not till this is finished." Then— "It's finished!" Jesus cried. And when // The words left Him, the earth shook. // The sky went black. And Simeon looked // Up at the darkness. All the Light // Had gone.

He stayed there till the night. // They took the body down. He wept // For hours. Then he slowly crept // Back to his family. Could not sleep. // Three days went by. He couldn't keep // His grief inside. The third day came. // At dawn the women went. The same // Tomb where they'd laid Him. But they ran // Back shouting, "He's alive! The plan // Of God!

The tomb is empty! Come // And see!" But Simeon stayed numb. // He couldn't hope again. Too much // Had broken. He'd lost his touch // With faith. He told Cleopas, // "I have to leave. I cannot stay In this city. Let me go // Back home to Emmaus. I know // The tomb is bare—but where is He? // I can't bear this uncertainty." And so they left.

The seven miles // From shattered hope. Through all the trials // Of Friday still hung heavy, dark. // They walked in silence. Then remark- // ably, a stranger joined the two // And walked beside them. "Tell me—you // Look troubled. What are you discussing?" Simeon stopped. "Are you just passing // Through and haven't heard what happened // Here? The things that we have grappled // With the last three days?" "Tell me." So Simeon spoke.

"The prophecy— // We thought He was the One. Messiah. // Jesus—crucified by the higher // Authorities. We watched Him die. // Three days ago. And now we try // To make sense of it. Some women // Said the tomb is bare. But no one // Has seen Him. So we're going home." The stranger spoke. "Why do you roam // In unbelief? Don't you recall // What Moses wrote?

What prophets all // Declared? That Christ must suffer first // Before the glory? He was cursed // To bear your sin. But didn't they // Say He would rise the third day?" And then—for miles—the stranger taught. // He opened Scripture. Every thought, // Every promise, every word // From Moses to Malachi stirred // Inside Simeon's chest. That burn— // The same he'd felt! The way the turn // Of glory blazed inside him when // The angels came—it burned again!

They reached Emmaus. "Stay with us," // They begged. And so—without a fuss— // He came inside. They sat to eat. // He took the bread. And there—replete // With recognition—Simeon saw // The hands. The scars. The breaking. Awe // Exploded in his chest. "It's You!" The stranger smiled. And then—He flew— // Or disappeared—or something—gone! But Simeon and Cleopas—drawn // By fire and joy—looked at each other. // "Did not our hearts burn?" "Yes, my brother!

// The whole way here! While He explained // The Scriptures—everything He claimed— // The fire! The same fire from that night!" "We have to go back! We must fight // Our way to Jerusalem! They need // To hear! The Lord is risen! Speed— // We have to run!" And so they ran. // The seven miles. And Simeon— // Now forty years from that first night— // Ran like the boy who'd seen the Light.

// The boy was back. The fire again. // The Light had won. They found the men— // The eleven—gathered in a room, // Doors locked. But when they heard the tomb // Was empty and that Jesus came // To them on the road, they all exclaimed, // "The Lord has risen! He appeared // To Peter too!" And Simeon shared // His story then. How as a boy // He'd seen the glory.

Every joy // Of Bethlehem. How no one heard. // How he kept telling. Every word. // How he became a father, told // His children. How he'd grown old // Still waiting. Then how on the hill // Of Golgotha, his heart went still— // He'd watched the Light go out. But then— // The Light came back. Because again // The fire burned—the same as when // The angels sang.

And now he knew // The story. Birth to death. The true // And final path of glory meant // The Light must die and then descend // Into the grave. But death could not // Hold Him. The chains of darkness fought // Against Him—but the Light broke free. "From Bethlehem to Calvary, // From manger-bed to empty tomb, // From glory's birth to death's dark room, // To resurrection—I have seen // It all.

And now I know what meaning // Heaven had in mind. The Lamb // Was born to die. And I—I am // A witness. From a boy to man, // I've watched the fullness of God's plan. // And now my heart burns once again— // The same fire. The same Amen. The Light has come. The Light has died. // The Light has risen. Crucified— // But not defeated. Death is done.

// And I will tell it. Everyone // Must hear: The peace the angels sang // That night when all of heaven rang // With glory—it will never cease. The Light has come. The Light is peace. The Light will save." TRANSITION - GETTING UP & PUTTING BOOTS BACK ON You know... Simeon put his sandals back on that night too. After he met Jesus on the road. After his heart burned.

After he ran back to Jerusalem. He had to put his shoes back on. Because the story wasn't over. It was just beginning. He had to go tell people. He had to run. He had to carry the Light. And so do we. In just a moment, we're going to sing together. And then we're going to light candles. But before we do, I want you to understand something. This isn't just a nice tradition.

This isn't just something pretty we do on Christmas Eve. When we light these candles tonight, we're doing what Simeon did. We're passing the flame. We're saying, "The Light has come. The Light has died. The Light has risen. And the Light will never go out." Every time you tip your candle toward your neighbor tonight and share the flame, you're telling the story. You're saying, "This is real. This happened.

And it's still happening." The Light that burned in Bethlehem, burns here. The Light that blazed I n the hearts of those on the Emmaus road, blazes here. The Light that conquered death, is here. So let's sing. Let's declare it. And then let's light the world. Would you stand with me and sing Light of the World? CANDLE LIGHTING The Light of the world is here. This flame represents Christ—born in Bethlehem, crucified on Golgotha, risen from the grave.

And now we pass it. Row by row, we'll share this Light with one another. When it comes to you, tip your unlit candle toward the flame. Receive it. And then turn and pass it to the person next to you. As we light our candles, we'll sing Silent Night. And as you sing, remember: You are holding the Light that shepherds saw. The Light that died for you. The Light that rose again.

The Light that will never go out. Let us sing. BENEDICTION Look around. This is what Simeon saw. This is what the shepherds saw. Light breaking into darkness. Not because the darkness is gone— but because the Light has come into it. Friends, you are the light of the world. Not because you're perfect. Not because you have it all figured out. But because you carry Him. And tonight, the Light goes with you.

So go. Tell the story. Pass the flame. Live like people who've seen the glory. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit— Go in peace. The Light is with you. Merry Christmas. Be light, go shine. *

His Way or My Way

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me back to Lukes gospel and find chapter 5. As we have been led to spend this year of 2025 focusing our eyes, ears, hearts, and lives on Just Jesus, we will continue that custom today as we want to See Jesus, …Hear Jesus, …Love Jesus, …and Live Jesus! We have been in a series called Into the deep. So today we continue in this series by looking at a moment between Peter and Jesus that begins this road to total surrender for Peter. Now, I have one primary question I want to ask you, are you willing to come to Jesus on His terms? Are you willing to come to Jesus on His terms? The reason I ask that is because I think, without realizing it, we’ve often built a version of Christianity that lets people approach Jesus on their terms. It’s subtle, but it’s there. You can see it in how we talk about salvation, how we pitch the gospel in quick encounters, and how we define what it means to follow Christ. And sometimes I wonder if, in our urgency to make Jesus accessible, we’ve accidentally made Him optional. Like, “Just pray this prayer, sign this card, raise your hand, and you’re good.” Earlier this week, our small group went to the fair. And while we were walking around, we saw this tent—big, bold letters, men’s ministry, free gifts, and the goal was to win souls. Now, on the surface, it seemed like something any Christian would cheer for. And don’t get me wrong—I believe the intention was sincere. But as I looked closer, I couldn’t help but remember a time I was invited to be part of a similar ministry at another fair years ago. I’ll never forget it. We were told to share the gospel with people passing by, and if they said yes—great! We’d put their name on a list, give them a burnt stick, and move on. And that was it. Their names were collected. Their heads were bowed, they prayed a prayer and we sent them off to be devoured by this world. But no one followed up. No one discipled them. No one walked with them. And I remember thinking: Is this what we’ve reduced following Jesus to? A prayer, a pamphlet and a free gift? This year, as I walked past that same tent, I saw a man and a teenager bowed in prayer—what looked like the “sinner’s prayer.” And I’ll be honest, my heart just sank. Not because I doubted God’s power to save in that moment—but because I couldn’t help but wonder: Does this young man know what he’s walking into? Does he know who he’s giving his life to? I wanted to make sure his heart was really there—not just repeating words to get something free. You see, that kind of approach doesn’t build a life of surrender. It builds a list of names and leaves people spiritually homeless. This is what in think… this kind of evangelism offers Jesus as an accessory to your life, not the King who lays claim to your whole life. The truth is: the gospel doesn’t just invite us to believe something—it demands that we surrender everything. Ot pick up our cross and to follow Jesus.

So here’s what I want us to consider: the gospel isn’t an accessory to your life—it’s a call to radically reorder it. And it all starts with a moment like this one in Luke… Look with me in your Bible to Luke 5, where Peter has just returned from a long, fruitless night of fishing. He’s exhausted—deeply honest—and he says, in verse 5, Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Now, what does it mean that the gospel isn’t an accessory to your life—it’s a call to radically reorder it.

Peter could have chosen not to reorder his own life. Jesus, no. Jesus, I need sleep. But no, I sense this is Peter’s beginning to trust with a love that will eventually become superior. This act of obedience is a seed. Its a new beginning for Peter. But, when I read this, I just feel like there is just something is stirring in Peter that keeps him from choosing his own way. Part one, is this.. Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. That’s real. That’s his frustration talking. That’s his fatigue and disappointment. I love it because to me… that’s Peter being honest. But then… he follows that top with this.. “But because you say so…” That’s the hinge. That’s the shift from Peter’s way to God’s way. That’s not about fish anymore. That’s about trust. And what I see happening here is this, there is a slow birth for a superior love for Jesus. He doesn’t know it yet. He doesn’t even know that Jesus is going to tell him to throw down your ents and follow him… He doesn’t know he’ll follow Jesus to betrayal, denial, and eventually a cross of his own. But somewhere deep inside, in this moment, Peter is beginning to lean toward a Person more than a plan.

There’s a new beginning begin planted here… and its love. This is the beginning of a super love for Jesus. Let em show you… In the book of Luke, a few chapter later in chapter 14, Jesus would be talking to the crowd that is following him. And he’s about to give them some hard hitting requirements of loving him. One that would shatter anyone who’s following Jesus for themselves… Jesus in verse 26, says.. 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. That is some radical request isn’t it? Think about how it would grab anyones attention. What does he mean to hate my mother and father. Wife and children, bofrthers and sister. Like I don’t get it it.. aren’t I supposed to love them. Love my neighbor as myself. Should we not honor our mother and father? And how can someone honor but hate them at the same time.. Im confused. And to bring my wife and kids into it? Aren’t I supposed to be at one with my wife. And to live my wife as Christ loves the church. Yes. We are. Now lets take a road trip. If we flip back just a bit to Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10—Jesus says something very similar, but in a way that helps make sense of it. In Matthew 10:37, Jesus says, “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Ah.. so now we begin to see something right? It doesn’t seem so harsh like it did in Luke. Jesus is saying: “Your love for Me must be so supreme, so superior, that every other love in your life—even the most precious ones—looks pale in comparison. This is what I mean by “superior love.” It’s not about hating others in a literal sense—it’s about reordering your affections. Its about saying, Jesus… you’re not just a ;part of my life. You’re not just a part of my routine. Its, Jeuss you are my life. Above all other things, you are everything to me. And that’s what the gospel does. It doesn’t ask to be added to your schedule like a new hobby or a weekend activity. The gospel comes in and says, “I am the center now. (Funny I am the captain now) Rebuild everything around Me.” That’s radical. But it’s also beautiful. And here’s the truth and what I love about the gospel…. : ……. when Christ becomes your greatest love, your other loves don’t disappear—they get purified. They don’t get weaker—they become stronger, holier, healthier, more selfless. Your love for your spouse, your kids, your friends—it all deepens when it flows from a heart rooted in Christ. Men, how do you play out Ephesians 5:25? Love your wife just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. How do you do that if love for Christ is not supreme in your life? You can’t. You can’t love your wife without a radical love for Christ. And hear this church… do you radically love Christ like that? Has your heart, your life, your affections, your emotions been conquered by a far radical love for God? B Because I think—if we’re honest—many of us know very little of that kind of love. Church becomes routine. Faith becomes a list. And before we know it, following Jesus turns into behavior management and spiritual performance. We try to measure our faithfulness by how often we show up, how many verses we read, or how well we’ve avoided certain sins this week. You hear it in the way we express our faith… We say I know I need to be in church. I know I need to take my kids to church. I know I need to pray. I know I need to study the Bible. Listen,. That is not christianity. At all. There is nothing in that kind of faith in Christ where he is all in all. It’s not guilt-driven, checklist Christianity. And I know.. we have the Scripture that says, if you love me, you will obey my commands. But we can’t forget what he says first.. if you love me, then you’d obey. It starts with love. The obedience flows out of a heart that’s captivated by Him. The more you love Him, the more you want to follow Him. And if you don’t love Him—if your affections are somewhere else—obedience will always feel like a burden instead of a joy. And so, when we read Luke 14 again, when it says “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. Listen to what’s being said, this picture of radical love, isn’t to hate but anything that is NOT Christ centered is you not loving the other person in the way they should be loved, because any other kind of love we offer anyone outside of our love for Christ is like hating them. And I believe, right there in Luke 5, we’re seeing the very beginning of that kind of love taking root in Peter’s heart. He’s not all the way there yet. He hasn’t left his nets. He hasn’t denied Jesus or preached at Pentecost. But in that tired, confused moment—when he says, “Because you say so, I will”—he’s leaning into a trust that’s more than logic. What is it? It’s love. I believe Peter in this moment had a love for him, theres no way anyone would leave behind all they know to follow Jesus unless they loved him. Un less they were centered on him. … And because of that moment, when Peter says, because you say so…. It became the seedbed to being able to listen to what Jesus as asking for him to do. Even when he was tired, and even when he was frustrated… his ears were still listening and his heart wasn’t cold.

And that should change our perspective on our faith from what I want my faith to be, to Jesus I want to be centered on you so that I can truly love those around… Because when we have a love for Christ, and it starts to grow—when it starts to stir something deeper in us—it also starts to challenge the parts of us that are still clinging to control. And maybe you're like me… you’ve had that moment where you feel something rising in your soul and you ask, "Am I afraid to surrender to this kind of love? Am I afraid to be fully captivated by Christ?” What will cost me to step out into the deep and to say, If you say so? Death. Thats the cost. There is no other way to explain it. It will kill you… and that is why so many followers are shore bound. Listen…….

Surrendering to Christ means dying—dying to your dreams, your control, your comfort, your preferences, your reputation. It means laying down the life you thought you were building, the image you were trying to maintain, so that He can raise up something entirely, new in you. That’s why Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Not weekly. Not occasionally. Daily. Because this death is not a one-time altar call—it’s a daily invitation to let go and trust Him more than yourself. But the flesh in us wants to avoid that kind of death. Thats where fear has take up residence.. in our flesh. It’s not the Spirit that’s afraid. It’s not the new man in Christ who resists surrender. It’s the old man—the flesh—that clings to comfort, control, reputation, safety, and self. That fear you feel when God nudges you to give something up, when He calls you deeper, when He whispers, “Trust Me…”—that fear isn’t from the Spirit. That fear is the last breath of a dying flesh trying to stay alive. Because the cross doesn’t just kill sin—it kills self. And the flesh knows it. And it will resist it at all cost. That’s why you feel the fight in your soul. That’s why surrender doesn’t come easy. Thats why we stop at desire but yet we have yet to delight in Christ. It will argue, it will bargain, it will delay. Because deep down, it knows—Jesus doesn’t do halfway. He doesn’t just touch part of your life. He comes for it all. And that’s the scandal and the beauty of surrender: It feels like death… because it is death… But it leads to life. Real life. And let me just say, there is deceit at every turn in our life… You have been deceived by this world. By the enemy of your soul. What would it take to surrender your heart today and say “I am yours, and I want to be as free as I can be from sin, and as fruitful as I can be in glorifying you. What would that take? You’re afraid that saying , I surrender will have consequences you don’t want. Your dread is a deception. You’re not unique in this; I’m not pointing my finger at you, because millions of people deal with this. Including me….. … My young life was rooted in what I wanted Christ to be, for me, not what he wanted to do in me, to free me. My heart had a desire but no delight in it. Because I was deceived. I was deceived to want what I wanted. And it teamed up with the devil to keep me from being surrendered so entirely that it if I want to go from what I want, to……… Father, what is your will for my life. That it would harm me in some way.. that death to self meant not freedom, but bondage. But that’s was a lie. My heart and the enemy teamed up… because my heart was sick and it needed to be renewed. Jeremiah says, says that the human heart, and your heart, “is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it. When God says “the heart is deceitful,” he’s reminding us that the heart is the seat of sin. And sin only has power by deception. That’s the only way sin can work… by deceiving you. Thats what hebrews says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Thats how hardness in our hearts work.. we are deceived so much, that it becomes calloused to the love of Christ. And the fear rules our lives to fear a surrender so deep, so captivating that we fear living our nets and walking away. Thats why we learned, to seek, and to put off in Colossians last week. Put off your old life. You’ve got desires — desires to avoid something and desires to embrace something — and they’re deceiving you.

And here’s the dangerous thing about deception: it doesn’t always feel like rebellion. Sometimes it just feels like fear, or hesitation, or logic. But underneath it all is a lie—that if you give yourself fully to Christ, if you say, “Yes, Lord, I’ll do whatever You ask,” then He’s going to make you do something you really don’t want to do. That’s the falsehood that destroys. The lie that obedience equals misery. That surrender means loss. That God’s will must somehow be opposite of your joy. But what if the opposite is true? What if the thing you’re afraid to surrender is the very thing that’s holding you back from joy? What if your fear is lying to you—whispering that death to self is the end, when really, it’s the beginning? The truth is, God never calls you to surrender just to break you—He calls you to surrender so He can raise you. You’ve got to let go of what you want to do, so you can finally do what He’s calling you to do. And the Spirit of God won’t just force you into it. He’ll transform your desires until obedience isn’t just duty—it becomes delight. So yes, surrender feels like death. But the lie is that it ends in sorrow. The truth is it leads to joy. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.” The old you has to die for the new you to live.

What if Peter believed that lie in Luke 5? What if he had said, “Jesus, I’m tired. I’ve already tried. I’ve already failed. I don’t need a sermon—I need a solution. I’ve done it my way all night. I’m done.and he waled away? Thank God he didn’t say that. He kept to the calling… even when it hurt. Even when he needed forgiveness.. even when he had messed up and made mistakes.. he clung to Christ and was made even more into his image and done great things in the name of Jesus. Thank goodness he said, Because You say so, I will let down the nets. ”That was a moment of surrender. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud. It was quiet, tired, obedient trust. And it went against all of the deception of the heart to not surrender. And that little act of surrender didn’t just lead to a boat full of fish. It led to a life full of purpose. It led to Peter leaving behind the very thing he thought defined him—fishing—and following the One who would give him a new identity as a fisher of men. You see, Peter had to lose the life he had built to find the life that Christ was offering. Luke 5 is proof: surrender may feel like death—but it always leads to resurrection.

amen? As the worship team comes back up…

I just want to finish with this.. how do we defeat deception? How do we silence the deception that say, “Surrender will ruin you... Obedience will break you... Giving up control will rob you of joy”? Well first, We look to Jesus. Listen, what you behold will shape what you believe. Fix your eyes on him. We live in a world filled with distractions, comparisons, and false treasures. But if you’re constantly looking at the world, it will constantly be shaping you. What you behold with your heart will eventually determine what you chase with your life. That’s why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that when we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed. We are made new. We are being made into the very image of Christ… in our minds, body strength, heart and eyes. Swe;rew becoming image bearers. The more you look to Jesus—not just glance, but gaze—the more the Spirit will transform your fears, loosen your grip on control, and free you to love Him above all. You will never surrender to someone you don’t treasure. But when you see Jesus for who He truly is, surrender becomes joy.

Pray for Eyes to See. Ask God to awaken your heart to His beauty. The enemy would love nothing more than to keep you spiritually blind. David says, open my eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things of your law. Open our eyes.. let the blind see. Not just physical blindness, but even those who are spiritually blind. And that happens through prayer. Surrender begins with a posture of prayer. Not performance. Not willpower. But humble, desperate prayer.

And thirdly, Surround Yourself with a community of Truth-Tellers. If there is one thing the enemy wants to do is get your alone. And so, what we learn is this.. Isolation breeds deception. Let godly community sharpen your faith and speak truth into your blind spots. Sin grows in silence. Fear thrives in isolation. But God didn’t design you to fight alone. Hebrews 3:13 says we must exhort one another daily so we aren’t hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. That means we need people in our lives who love Jesus enough to call us out, build us up, and remind us of what’s true when we forget. We need brothers and sisters who won’t let us settle for shallow faith or spiritual compromise. Small groups, teens.. these are opportunities to grow in confidence in Jesus. We need people in our lives who love us enough to tell us the truth. So let others in, and create a space for grace for one another.

And that’s exactly what we’re about to do as we come to the Table. This moment—communion—is not just a personal reflection. It’s a shared confession. It’s a family meal. Church, the call to follow Jesus is not casual. It’s costly. And yet… it is the greatest joy of our lives—to belong to the One who gave everything to make us His. At the center of that call… is the cross. And this table we’re about to come to—it’s not just a moment to remember. It’s an invitation. To surrender. To trust. To say again, or maybe for the first time: ‘Because You say so, I will.’ We don’t come to the table because we’ve earned it. We come because He offered Himself in love. This meal is the invitation to reorder our lives around that love.” “In just a moment, I invite you to come forward, take the bread and cup, and serve one another. Look that person in the eye—maybe your spouse, maybe someone you've never met—and say: ‘The body of Christ, broken for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you.’

“Jesus, we come not just to remember… but to reorder. We lay down our preferences, our plans, our pride. We say: not our way… but Yours. As we eat the bread and drink the cup, let it be a declaration: You are enough. You are worthy. We trust You. Because You said so, we come. Amen.” *

Buds of New Life

Good morning church! He is not here! He has Risen! He has risen indeed! (Say it with me) He is not here! He has Risen! He has Risen Indeed! Amen... Do you believe that? I mean, do you really believe it? Like, if someone were to ask you tomorrow at work or school, "Why do you seem different?" would you have the courage to say, "Because Jesus is alive"? That is the absolute truth, and today there is no doubt that Jesus has risen and he has risen indeed. It is so good to be able to celebrate Easter together here at the church. You know, it's amazing how much our gatherings have changed over the last 6 months. Looking around at all your faces this morning reminds me of how precious community truly is. I don't know about you, but I never want to take this for granted again. Just being here together... it's a gift. And I'm reminded that wherever Jesus is, there is going to be life. Not just existence, but actual life. Speaking of life, I've been walking and trying to get more steps in lately. Anyone else tracking their steps these days? My Dr. keeps telling me I need to move more, so I've been trying! But as I've been walking, I've been doing something else too. I've been looking for signs of renewed life. Signs of Easter. Signs that remind me of the resurrection. This week, I got to spend a sabbatical day of rest at Glen Eyrie. Anyone been there? It's this amazing place just outside Colorado Springs. And as I was walking around the property, I began to think about all the new signs of spring. The turkeys there were full of gusto and excitement. And the trees were blooming everywhere. But then... I noticed something that just opened up my soul to the thought of new life... (voice softens) I saw this budding tree. Just a simple tree with tiny buds. Nothing spectacular by the world's standards. But in that moment, God used it to speak to my heart. I was reminded of that Scripture in Luke where Jesus says: "When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near." (Luke 21:29) You know what struck me about those blooming buds? They were coming from branches that looked completely dead. If you'd seen that tree in January, you'd have thought, "That thing is done. It's over." But God... God had a different plan. Under that seemingly dead surface, life was stirring. Preparation was happening. Renewal was coming. And isn't that just like Jesus? To bring life from places we've written off as dead?

I believe with all of my heart God led me over to that tree. Not by accident. Not as some random coincidence. He led me there intentionally because He knew that I forget things easily. Anyone else struggle with spiritual amnesia sometimes? God led me to this tree to minister to my soul—to remind me of something so fundamental to our faith: Jesus takes barren things, things that are dead, and He puts buds of new life within them so they can grow. Think about that for a second. The God of the universe cares enough about my spiritual growth that He'd use a simple budding tree to teach me that life can come from dead things. You know, it reminds me of that powerful truth we sing about—how we were once spiritually dead but now have been made alive through Christ. That transformation from death to life isn't just something that happened in the past. It's happening right now, today, in your life and mine. See, I stood there looking at those tiny green buds pushing out from what looked like dead branches, and I thought, "That's me." That's all of us. We were dead in our transgressions and sins. Dead. Not sick. Not struggling. Dead. And there was nothing we could do about it on our own. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love—He makes dead things live. He takes what's barren and breathes His Spirit into it. And suddenly, where there was nothing, there's life sprouting up.

That's the kind of God we serve. And in the midst of this—this perceived death that the tree represents and the challenges we all face in life—I was overwhelmed with remembering that God spoke this tree into existence through His Son, Jesus Christ. The same Word that created everything we see is the same Word that brings dead things back to life. You know what happened? I stood there.., looking at those tiny buds, and my perspective began to completely shift. It was like God whispered to my heart these words: "There are buds of new life happening all around you, and Jesus is the gardener who is bringing all of these buds into full bloom." Do you see it? Do you see the new life trying to break through in your own story? Maybe it's just a tiny bud right now. Maybe you've been feeling spiritually dormant. Maybe you've been looking at your life thinking, "This area is dead. It's over." This relationship with that person is done…. But what if—just what if—the Master Gardener is already at work beneath the surface, working on bringing life to that moment or situation?

If you have your Bibles with you, and I hope you do, let's open them up together to John chapter 20 and find verses 11-18. Go ahead and turn there. If you don't have a Bible, don't worry - just lean over and look on with someone near you. Today, we're celebrating something radical - that the power systems of Sin, Self, and Shame have been completely broken. Think about that! Because of the resurrection of Jesus, these strongholds that once had full control; over life - sin, shame, and the self-centered life - they can no longer hold you in bondage. Death has been arrested. The enemy can no longer keep you where you are. You know what that means for you and me? It means you've been saved! You've been resurrected in Christ! And that's why we're here today celebrating that the tomb is empty and the stone has been rolled away. Three days passed since Jesus was laid in that tomb guarded by Roman soldiers, and then - BAM! - everything changed. And here's something we often forget - when there's real change, there's usually confusion that follows. Isn't that true in your own life? Think about every morning when you wake up… often times we never wake up completely aware. It takes time.. sometimes it takes coffee or a hot shower to get us fully functioning. But with every change, there does come confusion. And it’s the same with our faith. When God does something unexpected, doesn't it sometimes mess with your mind before it blesses your heart? This particular adversity isn't about physical strength - it's adversity in the mind. It's confusion. And there was plenty of confusion lingering in the air that first Easter. Let's read our text to find out what was going on. (Read John 20:11-18)

So the book of John gives us John's firsthand experience of the resurrection. And have you noticed something interesting? He doesn't actually name himself in the account. Instead, he shows this little bit of humility by calling himself "the other disciple." But - and this makes me laugh - I don't know if it's actually humility, because did you know in this very chapter he makes sure to include this one part where this, “Other” disciple was the fastest disciple? It’s true…. Look with me at verses 3-4: "Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first." Isn't that just like a guy? If I'm going to write a book, I'm definitely going to throw in some sort of competition! I can almost guarantee you that if Peter had won that race, "The Other Disciple" would have never mentioned it. But… why am I pointing this out? It's because details matter! Its true.. details matter. John isn't just throwing in random facts. He has important things to share with us, but he can't tell us everything. There's actually too much to tell. He admits this himself in John 21:24-25 where he writes: "This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written."

Don't you find that amazing? Jesus did so many incredible things that all the books in the world couldn't contain them! I like to believe that Jesus did a lot of things we have no clue about. (Voice gets thoughtful) I believe Jesus told jokes and laughed. I mean, why not? He was real and authentic, just like you and me. Don't we all have joyful moments in our lives? Times when we experience something and feel this deep joy within our hearts?

I know a lot of people have there own thoughts about the series the chosen, but what I love about it is that it gives me a very good example of the human side of Jesus. There are so many scenes, that are scripted in that show that shows Jesus having a sense of humor. It's refreshing, isn't it? To see Jesus portrayed not just as this solemn, serious figure, but as someone who laughs, who enjoys life, who has this incredible warmth about Him. Here are two of my favorites.

I think about those scenes where Jesus is just hanging out with the disciples, or that moment when He's talking with the children, and there's this genuine joy on His face. It changes how we see Him, doesn't it? You know, the Bible doesn't explicitly say "And then Jesus told a joke and everyone laughed," but when you read between the lines - when you see Him with children, at weddings, in homes with friends - I can't imagine those moments without laughter and joy. Think about this, Jesus is the originator of love and joy - …. So of course He experienced not just our sorrows but our joys as humans too. The Bible says He was tempted in every way we are - don't you think that includes being tempted to take life too seriously and forget to laugh? I know personally, I struggle with that sometimes. Getting so caught up in responsibilities and problems that I forget to experience joy. But here's what's amazing about Jesus being the Gardener of our lives - He doesn't just want to fix what's broken. He wants to bring life, overflowing jo to our lives and in our lives. He wants our lives to bloom, not just survive! And so, Details matter. And one detail in this resurrection story has captured my attention for years. Let's look at it together. If you don't mind, go back to chapter 20 and find verse 15. It says: "Dear woman, why are you crying?" Jesus asked her. "Who are you looking for? She thought he was the gardener. 'Sir,' she said, 'if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.’" In this conversation, John writes something remarkable. And if we don't slow down, we'll miss it completely. You see, in the midst of this exchange between Jesus and Mary, John inserts this little insight, this little detail that's easy to overlook. Notice how Jesus speaks to Mary with such tenderness. Two direct questions: "Why are you crying?" and "Who are you looking for?” Ya know, I am never surprised by how Jesus is always just so tender and kind to people. Especially people who are deeply hurting. When was the last time someone approached your pain with that kind of gentleness? I think we all need to learn to be kinder to others. Especially in our words towards one another. But here's what I really want you to see today. Before John gives Mary's answer, before he tells us her reply to Jesus, he includes and inserts these six words: "She thought he was the Gardner."

I dunno about you, How many times have you read this passage and just glazed over these six words? I have! I mean, don't they just seem like a throwaway detail? Like, John is just giving us some background information before getting to the important stuff? But John isn't just writing a book for the sake of it. He's writing his account of Jesus, and every word matters. Every little detail is important for us to grasp the bigger story. Remember what we just read? John couldn't possibly write down everything Jesus did - the world couldn't contain all those books! So when he chooses to include something specific, it matters. What John includes in this gospel, in this moment, in this conversation - it's important. And it teaches us two things: a place in time and a radical truth.

Let's look at the first one - a place in time. The first thing John is pointing out is that "Mary's assumption that Jesus was the Gardner shows us an important insight about the location of the tomb.” Do you see what he's telling us? When Mary thinks Jesus is the gardener, it's not just a case of mistaken identity. It's John's way of letting us know exactly where this encounter is happening. Her words tell us a location. And not just any location - a location with deep significance. When we read Mary's words, we immediately should see that Jesus and Mary are in a garden. And it's not some tiny garden - it's big enough for Mary to assume there's an actual Gardner working there. John gives us another crucial detail about where they are in the previous chapter. In John 19:41 it says: "The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.” The tomb is in a garden. You know, I've been to the garden tomb in Jerusalem. I've stood in the tomb that they believe could have been the tomb of Jesus. And I can tell you - there really is a garden there. It's absolutely beautiful, big enough to need a gardener, and yes - there is a tomb, and it is empty! IN fact, my first ever communion as a pastor was in the garden of Gethsemane. As I took my turn to go into that tomb, I can't really explain the feelings that washed over me. Before I left for Israel, a woman in our church who has this amazing prayer life told me I was going to meet God there. She said that while I was in Israel, God would meet me in a special way. And of course, I was like most of us would be - I was waiting for writing in the sky or some theological mind explosion. Something extraordinary and unmistakable. But what I actually received were two quiet moments that became really special to me. The first was on top of Masada, just before we went into Jerusalem. I got my picture taken and there was this dove behind me with all wings spread out. And then while I was in Jerusalem, something incredible happened. I strolled away from our tour group for a moment, and this stranger just appeared out of nowhere. He walked up to me and began teaching me a parable about a caterpillar. Then he just looked at me with the most gentle eyes, said "Shalom" and walked off. I believe with all of my heart that in that moment, I met Jesus. He was teaching me about patience. After these two experiences, as our time in Israel was ending, I walked into the garden and into that tomb. And I began to get emotional. Because there's something so intimate about believing in Jesus, believing that the tomb is empty, and then standing in that place - witnessing both the reality of Jesus and the empty tomb in a place where He actually walked, and prayed. It was such a humbling moment because it reminded me that I was standing in a garden... and guess what?….all of humanity began in a garden too. But that first garden was called the Garden of Eden. You see, today I want you to see Jesus not just as a gardener, but as THE gardener. I want you to grasp the significance of seeing Jesus as our Gardener. It begins all the way back in Genesis. In Genesis chapter 2:7 it says: "Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground." Did you catch that? We see God playing in the dirt! Then look at what the Bible tells us… "He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person. Where did he place the man? Well, look down in verse 8… Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.”

Now, fast forward back to the garden with Jesus and Mary. Where do we see Mary? Standing in a garden with tears running down her face. I can just imagine her pain. She has this deep hurt within her heart. She's crying so hard that her eyes are overrun with tears - they're red and swollen. I can picture those broken eyes, filled with tears that are literally impacting her ability to see clearly. And now, you and I can begin to understand why John includes those six words in the middle of Jesus and Mary's conversation. I believe it was to show Mary as representing the brokenness of sin, the fall in the garden. Mary's brokenness represents the broken world around her. A broken woman, broken by sin, standing in a garden from the old creation. And that gives us something intense - a truth that we can take with us today.

Mary's assumption that Jesus was the gardener gives us greater depth in discovering the truth of the Resurrection. And Get this - stay with me here. John is about to tell us about the broken-hearted Mary who is standing in the middle of a garden assuming Jesus is the gardener. But could her assumption actually be correct? What if it wasn't a mistake at all? You see, Jesus isn't just "a" Gardner but he is "THE" Gardner. Our English translations tell us that very reality. Go ahead, read it again in your Bible... I bet you in your translation of John 20:15 it says she thought Jesus was "the" Gardener. WATCH THIS… In the King James Version: "She, supposing him to be 'the' gardener, saith unto him” ESV: "Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him” Let's get radical.. right lets throw in with some paraphrased Bibles… The Complete Jewish Bible says: "Thinking he was the gardener, she said to him” The Message paraphrase says: "She, thinking that he was the gardener” Isn't that amazing? All these different translations, with different approaches and philosophies of translation, all agree that these six words have meaning and they can't change them. What if Mary was truly right in her assumption that Jesus was THE Gardener? "What do you mean, pastor?" Get this... in the midst of the two of them standing in the old creation, there is something new beginning to bud. A new tomb was sitting in an old created garden. Mary weeps because of her reality in the old creation. She is painfully aware of the price that was paid for Adam and Eve's rebellion against God. It's death... a death that she has experienced throughout her entire life, with loves ones and friends and strangers. The old life, the sinful life, the life that had rejected God was full of brokenness. Brokenness was a regular part of her life, and let's be real... brokenness is truly a part of our lives today too, isn't it? And here is Mary, who thinks Jesus is a gardener. And then John is choosing to share this detail in his story is not an accident or wasted words. It's intentional. I believe with all my heart that John is intentional in these six words. What John is doing is linking together the present reality of the resurrection with the beginning of the story of creation. In the midst of that old creation is a new tomb. No one has ever been put in this tomb before Jesus. This new tomb was a borrowed tomb... why? Because this was a unique death that no longer followed the rules of the old creation!

Out of the new tomb comes the resurrection and the life. There is a new creation bursting forth in the midst of the old! You know, for many of us... we can totally relate to this story. For me, it hit home when I was just walking around Glen Eryie and even where we live. God literally guided my eyes to these little buds on this tree that looked completely dead a few weeks ago. And it was like He was saying to me, "See that? Life can come from death. That's what I do.”

But here's the thing - and let's be real with each other - you and I, we both live in a broken world, right? It's all around us. We see it every single day. The death, the hurt, the pain, people we love getting sick, relationships falling apart, dreams dying... all these fears of what might happen next... they just seem to be constantly trying to crash into our lives the moment we let our guard down. Anyone know what I'm talking about? But in the middle of all our tears... in the middle of all our brokenness and grief that we're facing... God is whispering something to us. He's calling us to see this amazing truth: The Master Gardener specializes in growing life where death seemed certain.

Can I tell you something crazy? I actually believe that. I really do. I believe that the same God who raised Jesus from that tomb is looking at the dead places in your life right now and He's saying, "Oh, I can work with that." He's not intimidated by your impossible situation. He's not shocked by your failures. He's not giving up on your broken relationships. Or even the dreams he has placed in your heart. Churhc, He’s the Master Gardener! This is what He does! He brings beauty from ashes and life from death.

And I'm asking you this morning, on this day—this day we celebrate the resurrection—don't you see it happening? (Voice softening) Maybe not fully yet... maybe it's just the tiniest little bud right now in your life. Maybe it's just a shimmer of hope left in your heart that your relationship with your spouse or your boyfriend or girlfriend can be restored. Maybe there's still a dream flickering inside you that this relationship can be transformed. You know what? The Master Gardener isn't finished with that relationship. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to bring life back to what looks dead in your marriage. The same God who rolled away the stone is capable of rolling away the hurt and pain that's built up between you and that person you love. Maybe it's not a relationship. Maybe it's a dream you had that died. A calling. A purpose that got buried somewhere along the way. And you've been standing at the tomb of that dream weeping, just like Mary asking God, where’s the life in all of this? But what if—what if today is the day Jesus calls your name? What if today is the day you turn around and realize it's not just some random gardener standing there, but it's THE Gardener who specializes in resurrection? Can I tell you something? He's already at work. There are buds of new life happening all around you, even in places that still look completely barren to your eyes. Because that's what resurrection is all about—life bursting forth where only death seemed possible. Look at us and where we have come form in the last 6 months… Every Sunday, I get to wake up and come here and see the buds of faith and love happing in your life. The buds of excitement and joy and anticipation of what’s to come. I hear it in all of your voices when you speak of relationships being mended and forgiveness being offered, I’m literally watching life bud among us. There are buds of new life happening all around us and Jesus is the gardener who is bringing these buds into full bloom. The Master Gardener specializes in growing life where death seemed certain. And so, as Peter comes up to lead us in our closing… I need to ask… Have you responded yet? Have you truly responded to this resurrection message? You see, church, what happens next in the story is what gets me every time. It's found in verse 16. Jesus calls Mary by name with an exclamation! He doesn't just say her name casually. He says, "MARY!" Like He's breaking through all her grief and confusion in a single moment. And what does Mary do? She responds by clinging to Jesus and calling out His name. "Rabboni!" Teacher! Master! She recognizes Him. But then, Jesus says something that might seem strange at first. He says, "Don't cling to me because I haven't yet ascended to the Father." And then He gives her instructions - instructions that Mary immediately fulfilled. We read in verse 18: "Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, 'I have seen the Lord!' Then she gave them his message." What message? What message did she give them? She gave them the message of Resurrection! He has risen! He has risen indeed! You see, in that moment, Mary's perspective was completely transformed. The death and brokenness that surrounded her was changed in the blink of an eye. All she could see before was the brokenness around her as she stood in that old garden. But then Jesus - THE Gardener - shifted her focus from the old creation to the new creation that is found only in Him. Her perspective was changed... and because her perspective was changed, her message to others changed too.

Should we not have the same reality in our lives if we've heard the message of Christ? We believe in the resurrection because of our faith... but what are we doing with that belief? Jesus gives us the same assignment He gave Mary - to go and tell others about His resurrection. To be witnesses of new life. Instead of looking at the death of the tomb, our hearts, souls, and minds can focus on the life buds of Jesus Christ - and we can be gardeners for THE Gardener of life! You know what that means? It means we don't just celebrate resurrection on Easter Sunday - we live it out every single day! It means when we see people trapped in brokenness, bound by sin, weeping at tombs of dead dreams and relationships, we don't just walk by. We say, with our hearts aflame.. and passionate, "Hey, let me tell you about the Gardener I know. The one who specializes in bringing dead things back to life.” I once was dead.. but now I am alive…

Who needs to hear that message from you this week? Who in your life is standing at a tomb weeping, not recognizing that Jesus is right there with them? Maybe it's a coworker who's lost hope. Maybe it's your neighbor whose marriage is falling apart. Maybe it's your child who's walking through a season of doubt. God has positioned you - yes, YOU - to be a gardener for THE Gardener in their lives. To point them to the One who brings resurrection life. How will you respond? Will you respond like Mary did? Will you go and tell them, "I have seen the Lord!"? Will you share the message of resurrection with a world that desperately needs to hear it? The tomb is empty, friends. And that means there's hope for every dead place - in your life, and in the lives of everyone around you.

Instead of looking at the death of the tomb,…… our hearts, souls and minds can focus on the life buds of Jesus Christ and we can be a Gardner for the Gardner of life. Lets stand together, and pray, and then worship one last time. *

Won't You Be My Neighbor - Week 3

I want to invite you to open your bibles with me to Marks Gospel, and find chapter 2. We’re in week three of our series called, Would you be, our neighbor where so far we have asked, Who is my neighbor and What does neighboring look like. Last week we examined three very important practices about building healthy communities. Today, I want to explore a question that will not only help us set healthy boundaries when caring for others, but it will answer a question that I believe is important when it comes to compassion…

How far do you go in helping others? I have a good friend that began to do something absolutely amazing. He had heard that there was a kid that needed a kidney and for whatever reason, felt compelled to go to the dr.s office to get tested to see if he would be a match for her. He went through all the testing, for months. Kept getting green lights after green lights, but then right towards the end, the committee that overlooked the operation said that they felt it would be better to not approve the donation.

Thankfully, not too long afterwards the lilt girl did finally find a match and had her transplant. Its moments like this where I want to ask… How far is too far in loving your neighbors like yourself? Think of Jesus… When I have a hard time feeling loved. Or believing the God loves me….. I like to think of the time Jesus said, I love you. Did you know that? That Jesus tells you that he loves you?

In his prayer before the cross, we call them the high priestly prayers in Johns gospel. IN John chapter 13, he says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Jesus loves you. And he calls us to love those around us. And I think of this truth, and I take stories like my friend, and I hear Jesus saying, Love your neighbors as you would love yourself.

And I think of my friend who’s christian walk at the time would be questionable, and I ask, would what they were trying to do for that little girl, wouldn’t that be a great example of loving your neighbor as yourself? I think if you were to ask me what would you want.. and I would say, I want to live. Just as anyone else wants tomorrow live. Is that going to far in loving your neighbor as yourself?

Its really a serious question. I know Alicia and I have helped countless people. We’ve given things, and prayed, and help many people. Theres a lot of people that we have given money to, and food, and given to those in need, and many of them left without a trace. Never to be seen again. And you’ve got to ask.. was we gullible? Was we taken advantage of? Or was we led by the Holy Spirit to plant seeds of hope?

Or was it both? What about Momentum Church? How far are we wiling to go to help those in need? As a church? What are we willing to sacrifice to be known as a church that is compassionate? What does loving your neighbor well look like for us? These are real questions, but they are also questions that need the discernment of the Holy Spirit. In Marks gospel, we begin to find some answers to those hard questions that we’ve asked, lets read Mark chapter 2 together, beginning in verse 1.

When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them. 3 They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’? 10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he told the paralytic— 11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.” 12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone.

As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” Cappernaum was Jesus’s headquarters. It was one of the places I missed on the Israel tour because I was laying in bed sick form drinking water from a fountain at the place called, the Valley of Armageddon. Or the valley of death.. iu wont be doing that again. Not the best choice from me.

I know. But this moment was at the height of of Jesus’s ministry where the word was getting out about his ministry, and people where flocking around him. Mobbs of crowds were surrounding him. iN this story, 4 men had a friend that was paralyzed and laying on a mat. So they, each grabbed a corner, and began to make their way towards Jesus who was in a house giving a sermon.

Houses in these days were typically one story, but they had these stairs that would go up to the roof where people would hang out in the early morning, or late evening. It was like how in the country without AC, many people would rock on the front porch to let the house cool down form the heat of the day. But think about what these 4 friends did for the paralyzed man.

First, they disrupted public. They made a scene. I think we all would agree, that usually if we’ve got other say something in a crowd, or speak louder than the crowd, I know for myself, I get nervous, and I get that lump in my throat. But to do what they needed to get their friend to Jesus, they had to create a moment where every eye would be on them…

Secondly, They took a risk for those watching to think, they were just going to far, and being extreme. Everyone has an opinion.. if you don’t believe me, get on social media. Because there you will find plenty opinions. But these men took a chance of people looking at them and, well.. being critical. Thirdly, They destroyed someone else property, and would be, by always responsible to repair, fix or compensate the owner in some way.

But the remarkable thing was this… their faith paid off. They went above and beyond for their friend and he ended up getting healed. Thats amazing! But even better, his sins were forgiven and revival broke out because everyone was amazed and praised God, and said, we’ve never seen anything like this before. How far are we wiling to go of our neighbors? How do we love our neighbors in a responsible way that shows great faith?

Well, first, we need to prepare to be uncomfortable. Peter knew what it was like for uncomfortable faith. In Matthews account, in chapter 14, Jesus said to Peter, come. So Peter got out of the boat and walked not he water and came to Jesus. There are times in our faith where Jesus tells us to come. Right.. we believe by faith that God goes before us. Before you arrive in any situation or place, God has already been there.

We call that prevenient grace. If you recall in Deuteronomy chapter 31, the Bible says, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” God goes before you and He is with you.. but in our generation after the resurrection of Jesus and pentecost, we live int he truth that he also lives within us.

When it comes to loving our neighbor as ourselves, sometimes, maybe often, maybe not, but sometimes, God will call you to come, and for you to get out of the boat and go. It’s a moment where, when we walk by faith, we are walking to a place where we know GOd is already is. We’re walking to a place where he has already prepared for us. All the while, still with us and within us.

He calls us to step out of our comfort zone. I can say, by my own experience, “Faith doesn’t mean comfort, but it can mean peace.” These four friends… If I was one of them.. I know for a fact I would be uncomfortable in what we were going to do… Disrupt public, make a scene, tear up property? Thats not me. I’m usually the one that assess the situation and finds the easiest and most safest way to do it…

I’m the defensive driver kind of guy. Im the guy that drives behind 5 below to go to target because I don’t want to take a chance of getting hit or hitting someone in the front of the strip mall. But often times, faith requires us to become uncomfortable and helping people usually requires us to get out of our comfort zone. The first time I sat with a dying member who died in-front of me, I was scared.

I was terrified. I was called to come visit and as I sat there all I could do was watch someone take their past breath and there was nothing physical I could do for them. Thankfully, God knew I was a new pastor… and he sent a seasoned minster to come and sit with me throughout the situation. Even right now.. I get nervous speaking in public. The bottom line is this..

Loving your neighbor as yourself for most of us means pushing past those awkward feelings and doing the opposite of what feels comfortable. Another way for us to neighbor well is to count the cost before we help. Listen to what Jesus says in Lukes gospel chapter 14, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:28 Faith is stepping out into the unknown… thats true. But often times we step out without really counting the cost. How many times have you stepped out by faith to do something, and didn’t get the reaction you expected? Or the love you thought you deserved? How many times have you cared for someone and they blew you off, or didn’t reciprocate the same generosity when you were in need?

Often times, instead of praying, and listening, and preparing, we jump into situation with selfish motives and selfish expectation. I believe we all need to learn patience. And before we jump into helping someone, we need to learn to count the cost before we help. In our story today, the four men didn’t just do this out of a whim. They had plan. And when that plan was blocked by the crowds of people, they improvised by going up to the roof to get the job done.

What we find, is often times, we walk in this life with our emotions as our guide, and not as our Gauge. Our emotions are never to be used to guide us.. They are meant to report the situations around us, not dictate our actions. And thats hard for people like me… I’m an emotional person. Emotions are built into us to help us feel. Emotions like, anger, and delight, and joy, and affection, and even fear, are important to us because they reveal what our heart loves, and trust.

Did you know, You can tell a lot about someone by recognizing what they pleasure in. I’ve once heard it said before, pleasure is the measure of your treasure, because the emotion of pleasure is the gauge that tells others, what you love. Sometimes, we help others as a knee-jerk emotional reaction to the moment. There have been times when I said yes, but I didn’t have all the resources or time, or expertise to meet their need.

I jumped in without praying, or thinking through. When our emotions are used as a gauge, and not as a guide, we learn that helping people in a Responsible way means praying about it, thinking it though, taking the time to really listen to them, and then, if you can, bring others into the situation to help or guide them to others who can help Thats why I love the church community.

We’re called to gather together, lift one another up as a family. Each one of us have a gift, or a season in life that we can testify to.. and most often our testimony of what God has dine in your lives is what another needs to hear to get thorough their moments of doubt, or fear., or even healing. Thirdly, Help others with the goal of them not needing your help anymore.

Listen to what Paul writes to the Thessalonians in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 3, And now, dear brothers and sisters…Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us…We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you…Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 Do you think the plan for these four friends, was to get their friend healed so that they can still carry him around?

When we look at Pauls letter to the thessilonans… there was a major issue. These people believed that Jesus was going to come back soon. And so, there were some people in the church that decided to not do anything anymore. Then there was other people who were still working, and supporting those who decided not to work. Why work? Jesus is coming back and its the end of the world!

Can you imagine that today.. its the end of the world… why work. Why do anything.. wars, and rumor of wars. Famine, disease, fire, earthquakes… lets all just stop working and wait till Jesus comes back.. Can you imagine life today if we did that? And so, Paul writes, yo.. people.. you cant do that. Don’t be idle… you need to contribute. And we need to get you to a place where you can work for yourself.

Your goal should be to help people get to a place where they can help themselves. Its not being harsh, its teaching people to be healthy so they can help their neighbors too. Fourthly, be aware that over helping can hurt. Paul tells the Galatians, Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ… for each one should carry their own load. Galatians 6:2,5 Right off the bat you may think theres a contradiction here.

First he says to carry each others burdens. But then he goes, for each will carry their own load. Which is it? DO I carry other peoples burdens, or should they carry their own. Well, the answer lies in understanding what Paul was saying in the original language. The greek word for burden in verse 2 refers to an eternal significance. Its a character flaw, or a sin that weighs you down, an issue you struggle with.

These kind of burdens are never meant for us to carry alone. A burden is lightened when its carried with others. James tells us, “confess your sins one another.” Think about out the burdens we carry when we don’t forgive each other. Then theres the greek word for load in verse 5. This word in greek refers to a responsibility that are unique to us and must be carried by us alone.

For instance, it is my job to be Alicia’s husband, and its my job to be a father to our kids… its no other mans job. Spiritually, my journey of holiness can not be transferred to another. These are my responsibilities. Lastly, We help the most by bringing people to Jesus. The best gift you can give people is to bring them to Jesus. Most often that means something as simple as praying for them.

Lifting them up before the throne of grace. You may not have the time, the talents or the resources to help them, but you do have prayer. James tells us in chapter 5, that prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. I want to close today with some deep questions for you to pray over. What keeps people from helping more? I think, a lot of people stop helping others in a sacrificial way because they’ve been burned in the past.

How do we let go of past hurts of being burned by others in the past? The answer is found in our story. When the friends lowered him down to Jesus through the roof, Jesus, seeing their faith said to the man, Son, your sins are forgiven. Forgiveness is the real story of this story. You see, the men opened a space of the rood of a house to get to Jesus, but Jesus opened a space in your hear and mine wide enough for forgiveness to be let down into it.

So, if anyone has taken advantage of you, of someone has hurt you when all yo wanted to do was help them, do exactly what Colossians 3:13 says, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Dont let a past hurt, of someone taking advantage of you deter you form help[ing others or even holding onto it.

Be graceful when it comes to the faults of others. So, who need your help[ this week? And how can you help your neiughbor in a responsible way? Lets pray. *

Two Doors

Imagine with me a moment, a crossroads in your journey, where two doors stand before you. Which one do you take? It’s hard to make that decision isn’t it with so little information. But the truth is, there are only two doors. There's a door to life, and there's a door to death. The door to death will present itself in many different forms, in many different doors, to try to lure and to try to please and to try to gratify, but in the end, it leads to death and destruction.

The door to life is one door, one way, one man: Jesus Christ. Where do you find yourself this morning? What door do you find yourself entering into and pursuing today? Last week we read Jesus saying, I am the light of the world, and we learned how Jesus pushes away the darkness and that ”The darkness is not so deep that the light of love cannot penetrate it.” The week before that we examined the verse where Jesus says, I am the bread of life and we examined how every one of us is on a journey to find something to fulfill our life, and we concluded that God wants to be the center of our desires.

So our journey always leads us to Jesus. And God always fulfills our every need, in Jesus. Personally, I don’t want a competing King in my heart. I don’t want division in my heart, I want Jesus to be lifted as the king of my heart. I guarantee you most anxiety and doubt and division we see within the christian today is from this war being waged over whether or not we will bend the knee to Jesus, as our savior and Lord.

That’s why, in prayer I tend to say Lord a lot. It’s my way of affirming His lordship over my life. I yearn for his presence. But I’ve also learned that I need to say Jesus more often, because I need to be able to receive grace as well. He promises us that. He promises us to be with us to the end of the age. He promises to dwell with us, and in us, that We will be with him.

And he will be with us. I yearn for that to be in my heart as much as I yearn for it to be true in your heart this morning. But for that to be true you must choose a door because there is NOTHING is more important in your life than the awakening of this desire. And so, this morning there are three things I want to share with you the we find in our text.

I’ll share an introduction, We're going to see Jesus Christ introducing himself to the Pharisees. Next is the invitation. We're going to see Jesus standing before these religious leaders, giving an invitation. And thirdly, illumination. Upon coming to faith in Jesus Christ, salvation, there are promises Jesus says here in the text that we have as we enter into the door of Jesus Christ. Before we jump into the text this morning, let’s begin with a little context.

Last week in chapter 8 we saw Jesus say, I am the light of the world. He was talking to two groups of jews. One group is believing and following him, while the other group is is not believing him. And So you have Jesus there talking to both of these groups about truth and freedom, and there’s little foreshadowing of his prayer in what we call the high priestly prayers of Jesus later in the same gospel of John.

He begins to give us a sneak peak on abiding in Him, as he aides in the Father. Jesus says, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus is saying, My words, my life is truth, and this truth gives eternal life. Then we come to chapter 9. In chapter 9,This is one of those chapters where you go…

really! I mean I get it.. we get to look at it through a birds eye view and these people were experiencing all of this chapter first had. Here is what’s going on. Jesus ends up spitting into some mud and smearing it on this blind guys eyes and telling him to go wash it off in a pool. So, what does this blind man have to lose? Other than being humiliated by some street preacher known for miracles putting spit mud on his face.

He goes to the pool and washes off, and guess what. He’s healed. He can see. I mean, if there was ever a time to sing the song amazing grace, I once was blind but now I see… it was here in this moment. BUt listen to what happens. Jesus heals this man. He heals this man, and the city goes crazy. Totally nuts. His neighbors.. people that would see him every day, begin wondering and asking..

is this that beggar guy that was once blind? And the guy kept saying, I’m the one… its me. I’m the one that got healed. And I laugh every time I read it, because in verse 10 and 11, they ask him, how did you get healed.. and he doesn’t say one thing about Jesus spitting into mud, he just says, Jesus made some mud. Smeared it on my face and told me to go wash it off at this pool, and so I did.

So in this story, they take him to the pharisee. Now this is important because regardless of any healing. No matter how drastic or amazing it was… before one could be redeemed back into the community, one had to be examined but he priest. We see this all throughout Scripture. Jesus says all through the gospels “go, show the priest”. In Luke 5, Jesus heals the paralyzed man and tells him to tell no one, “but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” In Luke 17, 10 lepers yell out from a distance, Master, Have pity on us, and Jesus tells them to, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.” 9 went to the priest but one can back to worship Jesus.

This was Jesus’s way of making sure that per the law, they would be redeemed back into the community. If you have yet to learn, the body, the community is very important to Jesus. Community is important to Jesus. So, The Pharisees approached this blind man, and they asked him, "How are you with sight?" This blind man testifies, "A man by the name of Jesus healed me." The Pharisees are upset.

They're angry that this blind man is healed. They bring his parents in, and his parents know, if they say the wrong thing, they too will be excluded from worshiping. Can you imagine that!!.. one wrong testimony and you can’t come to church. No grace, no mercy… don’t show up to church next week. Go hang out with the Samaritans. I bet that’s what they probably would say. Go hang out with those weirdo’s.

So his parents say, well go ask him for yourself. He’s of age. And the pharisees go and ask again, who did this.. who healed you…. and guess what the once blind man said? Jesus did it. And They're so upset that this once blind man testified that the Lord Jesus Christ healed him, they excommunicated him. Do you want to know why this is worse than being blind to me…

because we’re designed to be people of worship, and regardless of what current trends say about online church… We’re called to be the gathering of the body of Christ. And to be excommunicated from the body, is the same as dying. This is where I want to stop for a moment and put a pin into what we’re learning together. Because I want to help us understand what shame does to a worshipper.

Shame is an unspoken epidemic in our country. Brene Brown says, “Shame is the swampland of the soul.” And how we walk through the door of shame is through the little or major tragic moments that are out of our control. Think of this, Shame was available because this man who was healed, it was out of his control. He just followed Jesus instructions. He walked by faith, and instead of seeing a man healed, the pharisees saw him as an outcast.

Shame is such a powerful emotion. Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging. What it does, is that it attaches to our identity and it begins to impact our sense of self. Who we are, and who’s we are. When shame gets a hold of us, what it does, is that it opens the doors to anger, self disgust and all kinds of negative ways that we view ourselves.

And I love what Jesus does in this moment… He doesn’t let this man become blind again. I’m not talking physical blindness… that’s not what I mean… Jesus goes looking for him when he heard that he was thrown out and not only is his physical eyes are healed, but his spiritual eyes are opened as well. Jesus goes looking for him. Church, Jesus never stops looking for anyone! No matter where you are, no matter how dark life seems to be, no matter how much shame you carry..

Jesus has never stopped pursuing you. And I believe you’re here today because Jesus is pursuing you. You’re not here because you got up and decided to come, you’re here because the Spirit has led you here. And just like we can lead a horse to water, we can’t make a horse drink it. The Spirit has led you here, whether or not you find Spiritual food is dependent upon whether or not you take a seat at the table.

The question is, how thirsty are you for Jesus and forgiveness and grace? So here’s the introduction… lets read together John chapter 10, and verses 7-11. "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” The first part is this..

Jesus says, I am the door. Jesus is actually correcting the pharisees here. He’s saying, for years, you have been the gatekeepers of righteousness. And, let's be honest.. you priest have not been that loving, and caring, towards others. If you recall, in chapter 9, they had no desire to celebrate with the once blind man. They kept asking questions, "Why? Why is it he is healed? How is it he was healed?

Who healed you” And he kept giving the same answer, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Not once do they realize that as priest, this was one of their sheep. This was a person, seeking to be reestablished back into his community. They were the gatekeepers for that to become a reality. But they didn't celebrate the very fact he was healed, but what they did do is they exiled him from the community of the Jews.

And so, Jesus, goes and finds him, and he reintroduces himself as, the door. And Jesus as the door is different than the one the Pharisees were supposedly looking after. Jesus as the door is different. First, the frame on Jesus as the door is full of grace. He says, In my very frame, there's grace." Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved… "In my very frame, there is mercy." Ephesians 2:4: "But God, who is rich in mercy…" "In my very frame, there's forgiveness." Colossians 1:14: "In whom we have redemption…the forgiveness of sins…” "In my very frame, there's joy.

There's peace. There's patience." Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit…” This whole time, Jesus was communicating to these leaders, to these Pharisees, that the only way to a right relationship with the father, is through a door with the very same frame as the one he’s claiming. The only door that leads to life, is through him. We find 10 chapters later this truth, Jesus would go upon the cross and bear our shame, to defeat Satan, and self and he takes our sin that is rightlyfully due to us, and he goes, Tetelsi, It is finished.

The power of Satan, the power of Sin, the power of shame and self.. it’s over. They no longer have any hold on you, in the name of Jesus. And the same power that raised Jesus from the grave gives us the power to live in freedom! You see, in Jesus, Forgiveness is available. Love is available, and the truth is, John would go on to write in one of his letterers, the letter of I John, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In my life, in my own experiences, We may not feel forgiven immediately, but we are.

I sometimes wonder, we become so effectuated with the door of Jesus, that we forget to walk into new life. And let me just say, that’s dangerous… because if we do not walk in the newness of life that Christ offers, we will eventually fall back in love with the darkness we once knew and loved, and we will turn from the door of salvation. When Jesus forgives us, we are truly forgiven.

Once we’ve confessed our sin to Jesus and repented, it’s time to stop living in the sin we once knew, in the old lives that we loved so much, and through the power of the Holy Spirit now in us, we live as redeemed people. That’s what Jesus wants. Look in verse 9, he says, if anyone enters by me. That’s the invitation. Jesus even invites his enemies to come. It’s an invitation to eternal life.

It’s an invitation to a deeper relationship with the father. Can you imagine, living by faith before Jesus came, and seeking, and yearning, and living by the law. There is nothing these pharisees would want more than to be near God. But yet, in this invitation, they reject it. IN all of there studying, in all of thier judging, and seeing.. they were actually blind to what God had done and is about to do…

God had stepped away from glory to walk with us, with humility, to show us the way. How Many of us right now in this place are just like the Pharisees? What keeps us from entering into the door of Jesus Christ? You see there are so many doors we have in life, we fail to actually seek the one that gives eternal life. What doors are before us that present themselves as giving us life, but they find their end in death?

Some of us may not struggle with works like the Pharisees. I know a lot of Christians that struggle with works. They think all the work they produce is going to get them into heaven, and they miss just seeking and waking in God’s presence. I know people that are just consumed with thier work that they count it all righteousness, but yet they, in thier life do not know Jesus and they fall prey to false doors..

What are some of these idols we may wrestle with? What about the idol of perfection? "I have to be perfect. Everything always has to be good. Everything needs to be right. Then there is the idol of power…looking for and striving for authority, for control. "Everything always has to fit in the way I want it to fit. Everything always has to go the way I want it to go." Thats desiring power.

What about the idol of success? You're never content and always striving for the next benchmark. The idol of finding the perfect spouse… give that up.. my wife already found me. Ha! Isn’t that the idol of pride. There is the idol of children. "My life is my children. My child can do no wrong. My identity is in my kids. What about the idol of intellect. I want to pursue all the knowledge I can.

Think of Paul to the Corinthians, If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Do you know what he’s saying… Paul is telling us that we can walk through so many doors, but if that door isn’t the door of Christ, the door that we walk through where love originates, I gain nothing in this world. And so this invitation, when Jesus says, if anyone enters by me, it’s truly an invitation to experience the fullness of Love, through Jesus Christ. Have you entered into that door?

And if you say yes… Hallelujah!!!. Praise the Lord. Because there are two types of people… there are two type of sheep. The first sheep are those who are cared for and saved by Jesus Christ. The second set is the sheep who are consumed by sin and darkness. And just like sheep, we need help. We need guidance, we need a savior. Apart from Jesus Christ, we are destined to death.

Someone might say, well hell sounds cool, and it’s be a big party… no it wont be. The bibles says hell is a lonely place. It’s a place void of the presence of God. And think of this.. everyday we’re around people everyday and we still feel lonely. Everyday, we’re around others, with the most technological devises in our homes and hands, but yet there is an epidemic of loneliness. Hell will be full of non believers, but yet still be the loneliest of places that we will ever experience.

This invitation, the Jesus offers isn’t just a get out of hell free card, but it’s an invitation to not be alone. That’s what Jesus promises through the door of life. He promises us his presence. Let me ask you as a believer in Jesus Christ. In the midst of darkness, in the midst of death, and knowing that there's hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do you still play with the other doors?

Why do you still pursue the things of this world? I belive with all of my heart there are many people here today, and even listening online that you’ve come to see the door, you examined the door, you find the door to be beautiful. It’s even been opened for you, Jesus says, Knock (and keep knocking) and the door will be opened for you. You don't even have to open the door….

Our savior is a servant… he opens it for us… Why haven’t you walked through yet? Why is holiness so scary to you? I think of that verse in Matthew 7 is interesting… knock and the door us open to you.. but it never stops there.. what does Jesus say, …he says, to seek. Why have so many stopped seeking in their life? Why is prayer such a bore to you?

Why is going to chruch on sunday such a hassle for you? Why is reading the word, and spending time with him such a struggle for you?.. I’ll tell you why… beucxase you keep wondering what’s behind the other doors. It’s gonna be a sad day, when the trumpets sound, and millions upon million of people are going to be raptured up into the heavenly realms as God takes up his holy people, but yet there will be millions of people standing there with invitation clutched in their hands.

The invitation is for you to enter… and to seek, not just to stand there and admire. Jesus doesn’t want an admirer… he wants a follower. DO you know what the difference is? The admirer never makes any sacrifices. They just stand still and admire. The admirer plays it safe. Though the admirer knows the songs, and prays the prayers, and praises Christ they renounce nothing. There is no turning from thier sin.

Do you know you can give confession without repentance. You can confess your sin.. Lord, Im a bad man.., Lord, Im not a good woman… and still not turn and repent from it. All you’ve done was bragged about your sin, to a holy God. What will you do with the invitation you’ve received? And that lets me to the last thing we learn.. let me ask you… do yo want to know why so many refuse to enter?

Jesus said in John 3, , Because they love their darkness. When Jesus says, I am the gate, he goes, they will be saved and will come in and go out and find a pasture. The very first promise Jesus gives us as we enter into the door, is salvation. This is Jesus illuminating the path for us. Romans 5:8 and 9 says, "…but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” That is, upon the gift of salvation, our eyes are open to sin and darkness. When your eyes are open to your sin and the darkness you live in, you flee from it… You will want nothing with it. You delight in His righteousness. You crave his goodness.

Just like the other day, as I as walking to the church at night, I heard a rustling in the trees, and thought something was after me, I was scared… I came running for the light. I didn’t want my phone light.. it wasn’t bright enough for me.. I didn’t feel safe until I got into the fullness of the light inside the church. It’s the same promise we have in Jesus Christ…

Men and woman of light don’t go paying around in darkness. They flee from it… Im gonna go to that altar, and I’m gonna pray as I did last week. I’m gonna pray that God blows the doors off of his church, and the people within will go deeper. Im gonna pray that you’ll not be found sitting with an invitation in your hand, but that you will open it up, and see that Jesus is offering you a better life than you have now…

All you go to do, is come, Knock, and the door will be opened for you… Jesus is a servant, he opens the door, and then start seeking Christ… and when seek Christ, I guarantee it, you’ll be found, and invited into the community. *

Go and Tell

I would like to ask you to open your Bible up to Matthew chapter 28 and I wanna read where we were last week… Matthew chapter 28, beginning in verse 5… 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. (Now here is the invitation) Come and see the place where he lay.

Mary and Mary have just received one of the greatest invitations of their life… to see and witness, in fact that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, for he has risen! And it’s another sermon for another time, but one thing I wanted us to know is this, ”The most fulfilling journeys begins with a simple invitation to come and see.” Invitations are generally moments where others are requesting for us to go somewhere or for us to do something, but often these invitation doesn’t call for us to experience it alone.

When it comes to receiving an invitation, many times, we’re being recognized and chosen by someone who sees value in us, and whenever we see value in one another it creates a sense of connection and belonging. By Accepting an invitation, it can lead to new opportunities, crazy experiences, and new relationships that can enrich our lives. But let me ask, “Have you ever experienced the joy of sharing your journey with someone else?” Whether it’s a spouse, or a parent, or a really good friend, we find all throughout Scripture that God invites his people into this great story, but he never calls us to be in it alone.

Let’s dive right back into the story and see how this invitation turns from the invite into doing life with others, and spreading the gospel message. Let’s continue our Scripture in verse 7… 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” What’s interesting about this story is that God invites these women into the conversation of the good news that Jesus has risen and he tasks them and offers them to go and tell the disciples that Jesus lives.

They are literally bringing good news to the disciples of Jesus. Have you ever brought good news to someone? I remember when Alicia, a little after a year into our marriage, called me into our bathroom and showed me that little stick with two lines… She brought me the good news that we were going to have a baby. There’s a Scripture in Romans chapter 10: verse 15 that says, “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?

As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Mary and Mary through this invitation to come and see, now have a choice to make, whether or not they will indeed go and tell, and bring this good news to others. Everyday you and I are invited into this relationship with God, and everyday we choose whether or not we will go and tell others about Jesus.

But the pinnacle moment for these women, and for us this morning is this… Have we been faithful to the invitation that Jesus calls us into to come? You see, faithfulness isn’t just about being loyal to our commitments. Faithfulness isn’t just about keeping the promises we make. it’s also about staying true to our values and beliefs even in difficult times, even when others might not believe the message we’re bringing.

Mary and Mary had a huge task to bring the news that the messiah, the one everyone watch die on the cross is not dead, but alive. There was a chance of unbelief from those hearing their message. But in spite of that, they were faithful… To be faithful, there must be courage, and perseverance, and a strong sense of purpose. But when faithfulness comes to relationships, there is one more key that is required when it comes to growing intimacy between a group of people from different kinds of lives and backgrounds, and it’s curiosity.

I learned a new phrase recently that I thought would be beneficial to our call to have beautiful feet, as we’re being sent to go and tell this good news, that Jesus lives and share it with others… and it’s this… Be curious, not judgmental. You see, Curiosity opens avenues of understanding and guides our hearts to appreciate those we partner with on this journey of faith. Curiosity helps us understand one another and to be patient with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences just as we want others to understand ours.

Curiosity, helps us to deepen our connection and grow with one another in the relationship of discipleship. And the reason it does that is because curiosity keep our conversation open and fresh when we talk with others. I like to think of it like this… When we are curious about something, we’re interested in it… and when we’re interested in something we tend to lean into a little more than anything else.

BUt when we are judgmental about something… We tend to lean back, and shut ourselves off from others and then assume that we already know everything there is to know about them. When we judge, we limit our ability to understand the perspectives and experiences of others, which can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts in our relationships. Think of it like this… Every time I think of being judgmental I think of my momma.

My mother would not, for the life of her, eat Chinese food. Wouldn’t touch it.. and because she wouldn’t touch it, I wouldn’t touch it. We actually believed, the our local Chinese restaurant would go out to catch stray cats and dogs to use for their food. Now, of course we do know there are cultures out there that think cats and dogs are a delecacy, but I’m thankful were not one of them….

But Then one day, in college, my college girlfriend wanted Chinese and I found myself with her eating General Toa’s chicken and I loved it. It began a beatnik relationship between me and Chinese food, and eventually I began to try other things. Wontons, egg rolls, sweet and sour sauce… But my mom would not go out with us.. it actually took years until recently, she finally went to the Chinese place in Clarksburg with a friend…

and tried it… and guess what…my mom now loves Chinese food. You see churhc…. When we judge, without having conversaiotn, we limit our ability to understand the perspectives and experiences of others. But here’s the good news: Curiosity opens the door for conversation, and when we are having manful conversation, conversation opens the door for transformation. Isn’t that true… Because I was curious to try something, I found I was transformed into living something I thought I wouldn't like.

It’s the same with our faith. I was curious about Jesus… well, honestly, I was curious about a girl and by following her to church, I found my curiosity for her, led me into a conversation with Jesus. I was curious. And through my curiosity, I began to ask more and more questions, and the more I asked questions, the more I began reading the Bible. Those questions were then discussed with those around me.

This is true when budding relationship with others who are curious as well. I learned that when we’re willing to be curious in the lives of others, and we approach others with a curious heart, a heart that is beating affectionally and passionately with Jesus. It creates space and opportunity for us to share good news with others. I’ve leaned that… Curiosity creates a space for their stories to be heard by me and for my story to be shared with them.

This weekend on Friday our son went to prom with his girlfriend and her family took our family out to eat with them to an amazing diner. When we arrived, we walked passed bar area and went to our table and sitting there was an elderly man, I would say in his 80’s eating alone. In our conversation at our table, it every quickly turned from, I just ordered my food, did you see that amazing dessert cooler when you walked in..

I mean.. every dessert you could think of and cheap too… So, I got up went back up front to take a picture to bring it back to our table, but on the wya back, that older man turned towards me, and I said hi, and he, with this smile said hi.. and it seems as if he wanted to say more, but in my excitement to bring back the good news of all the amazing desserts they had, I kind of just smiled and walked passed him.

Until, the Spirit said, Matthew, dont you believe in no indivisible people. I said yes. Dont you believe that everyone has a story to tell, I said yes. Go and sit two seats down from that man at the bar… And so, I did. I got up and excused myself from our table. Went to bar, sat on the stool two seats down. Ans right in front of me was another cooler that I had missed filled with cheesecakes and other desserts…

But more importantly, was the older man sitting two seats down. Then I knew why the Lord sent me there… to be curious. I said, sir… there seems to be a lot of desserts here… I saw you ate the carrot cake, do you have any recomadations.. And comes to find out, he was a regular. He ate there everyday for dinner and everyday had a dessert. He told me all about all the different kinds of desserts, and what he liked.

I found myself then moving one chair closer to him. And we were laughing and talking. Now, I know those I was with could have been bitter because they were paying for my families meal. But they are good christian folks and they knew me… “I talk to everyone.” That man name is bob, and I told bob that I appreciate his kindness to share his experience with me, I asked if I could pay for his dessert for tomorrows meal, and I don’t think he believed me at first, but he finally nodded yes, he picked out what he wanted and the waitress gave me the bill.

I paid that bill of 4.99 with a 20 dollar bill…. And I looked over and saw the work schedule. I said, “I see you have the work schedule there… who will be serving bob tomorrow? who’s working the bar counter?”… and the lady said I am… I handed her the change of 15 dollars and said, here’s your tip for tomorrow for serving my friend bob. Alicia has come to understand, money doesn’t mean a whole to me when I know God is moving my heart into conversation with people.

She’s learned that when the Spirit Moves me, I go. You see, yes I am talking about curiosity that leads us into conversation, but being Jesus to others also means there needs to be generosity as well. But I tell you that story because in that moment, because I was curious, I was able to hear his story and it created an atmosphere for him to hear mine. Sharing stories has been a part of relationship building since the beginning of time.

Early man shared stories on cave walls. Most of the Old Testament was a story told by the older generation to the younger. Everyday we tell stories… We tells stories by how we dress. We tell stories by what we do for a living, and how we live, and who we live with. Every moment of our lives is a story. Just by my family being here this morning, We are increasing our story.

We don’t know what God wants at this moment, but we do know this.. God has a plan, and we plan to be in it. But for our family, our number one place to communicate our daily stories, is around our dinner table. Like last night.. because of your generosity, we had all the snacks we could ever dream of… and we ordered pizza and our family sat around the island in the kitchen, eating snacks, drinking soda’s and sharing stories.

Jesus did the same thing around a table as well. He shared stories.. I guarantee that when Jesus sat around the table with sinners and saints, he shared stories. Stories of life, and hardships. Stories of love and the good times. I bet you Jesus laughed out loud and as we know, Jesus wept as well. And no matter how bad things got for Jesus, it never stopped him from living out his story and sharing his story, all for the glory of His abba Father.

How we live out life, tells a story. Mary and Mary was tasked with sharing the greatest story of all time, and they did. They ran with fear and Joy the scriptures say, the ran to the disciples to tell them, Jeuss has risen. But not everyone believed in that story did they? Do you remember the story of the Emmaus road. In Luke 24, we find two people walking away from Jerusalem, but I think even more hurtful is that they are willingly walking away from the relationship with others because they have lost their curiosity to keep asking questions.

I often wondered, how did these two people just wonder off without anyone coming after them? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but if you ever wanted proof that Jesus leaves the 99 to go after the one, we’ll here’s proof. Just in this story he’s leaving the 98 to go after 2. But in this story of these two people walking away discouraged. What did Jesus do? He shared his story with them.

Look with me in Luke Chapter 24, and find verse 26…… 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Jesus begins sharing the story of the Bible with them. Which is what? His story. From Genesis to revelation, It’s God’s story… and from the Old Testament to the new, there is one truth weaved into every moment and every page and in every life, it’s Jesus.

Everything points to Jesus…. Look with me at what happens, The hour is getting late and so these men ask Jesus to stay, and he does…. And guess where this story ends… around the table… look with me in verse 30….. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.

32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” It’s an amazing story… because Jesus shared his story with them. We all have a story to tell. The fact that I am here, with you… reminds me that you dont know my story and I dont know yours either. What if, we had the willingness and desire, to share our story with one another?

To go and tell each other about Jesus, and in the midst of our sharing, we shared this with those outside of this church our story. Our stories of addiction. Our story of short comings, or those moments when our internal fuse is short and we have and outburst of anger. What about those moments where we were disappointed with someone.. maybe even someone in our own church. Perhaps we too, like Jesus, can share stories around our dinner tables, inviting people or a meal, or when we speak to others at work, or at the park, or when we are at school.

Perhaps, ”Our story might be the very thing that someone needs to hear to take their next step toward the invitation of coming to Jesus?” Our story is full of struggles, and love, and letdowns, and joy, and hurt.. it’s this pool of experiences that can connect with others and help them see that they are not alone in their journey of faith. Think of what the psalmist writes: Psalm 107:2 says: "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe." Speaker and activist Christine Caine once said, "God never wastes a hurt, and your story may be the key to unlocking someone else's prison.” Just remember this..

if we believe that every soul matters, we should also believe that every story matters too… I just want remind us that your story might be the key to leading someone to Jesus. And let’s be honest, life is messy at times. But he question is.. just like Jesus on the Emmaus road, has curiosity leaned you forward into actually showing up in someones life? A well known movie directer once said, showing up is 80% of life.

I want to read this excerpt from a book called showing up… and I hope it helps you see why, if we’re willing to show up in peoples lives, God can use our story for HIs glory.. let me read this… {Read book} To care.. Honestly church…. If we really want to see a church grow and the seats filled… the greatest key… is to genuinely care for others. That’s it…

Sounds simple doesn’t… but yet, the question is this… Are we willing to be there for others? Are we willing to get messy with others. Are we willing to let those we think are different into the conversation? Are we willing to let go and let God take control… and are we willing to simply show up into the lives of others to share the gospel with them.. that Jesus cares.

Listen, church… there should be no invisible people in this town. There should be no person we deemed unworthy of the gospel. Paul himself reminded Timothy, “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." To be Present? If we’re willing and we’re curious, God will use each of us. And let me just add, we don’t need any special gifts…

deep within every person here, is a story, we just need to be curious, which means to be present with others to tell it, that means sharing life together. Sharing the ups and the downs. Sharing our misunderstandings with them. Our lips should be dripping with grace for one another. In fact, as a Jesus believer filled with his holy presence, we too often underestimate the power of simply showing up in others lives.

All we need to do is what Jesus did many times —- just be there. The greatest story we carry with us is being present, as we bring Jesus’s presence, into the present lives of those who are around us. Did you know every one of us has the same story…. NO matter our age. No matter if our body isn’t what it used to be.. every person has something for the kingdom…

and it’s this… Our greatest ability is our availability. Just show up. But maybe you’re a little scared to show up in another persons life… conversations can be scary… Why don’t you go and be the Church this week? go and tell someone some good news of Jesus. If we go back to Romans chapter 10: verse 15 it says, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But let us also remember that it says, 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?

Well, you’re being sent now.. you’re being sent to be light in a dark world… hear the words of Jesus……. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

So here’s your instructions, just like Mary and Mary and many before you…. Be light, and go shine. *

I AM the Door

I want to invite you to open you bibles with me to John Chapter 10. You know those home projects that are supposed to be simple? The ones where you think, "Oh, this'll just take an hour or two?" Well, that was exactly what we thought when two men from church came over to the house on Thursday to install a screen door. I mean, how hard could it be, right? But here's what happened - and I bet some of you can relate to this. One of them starts looking at the old door, and he notices these gaps in the weather stripping. And I'm not talking about small gaps - I'm talking about gaps big enough that we had our own little wildlife sanctuary moving in! Box beetles, spiders, ladybugs... it was like we were running a bed and breakfast for whatever could get inside of our house. He, being the thorough guy that he is, tries fixing the stripping first. And you'd think that would solve it, Right? But the gaps just wouldn't go away. And that's when we discovered the real issue. You see, whoever installed that original door - bless their heart right? Thats the southern way of saying they were wrong… - but whoever installed it, they just didn’t get it quite right. The frame wasn't secure. It wasn't even level. Now, I don't know much about door installation, that’s why I am thankful for these two men who had the knowledge,, but even I know that its pretty important to have it level and secured to the house! So, What started as a "quick" screen door installation turned into the two of them basically rebuilding the whole entrance. And, You know, as I stood there watching them work - and yes, I was supervising, God started speaking to my heart. It reminded me of something Jesus talks about in John chapter 10, Because just like that door at the parsonage, sometimes we think we've got everything figured out in our spiritual lives, but the frame of our life isn't quite right.

Before we dive into our text, can I ask you something? And I want you to really think about this - what kind of door are you counting on in your life right now? Is it secure? Is the foundation solid? Or are there gaps letting things in that maybe shouldn't be in your life? Let's read together John chapter 10. We're going to start at verse 7… 7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me[a] are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

You know, as I think about that door at the parsonage, I can't help but get excited about what I want to share with you this morning. Because in our text today, we're going to discover three things that will completely change how we view Jesus as our door. First, we're going to see Jesus introducing himself to some religious leaders called the Pharisees. Then we'll look at an invitation - because Jesus doesn't just tell us who He is, He invites us to experience who He is. And finally, we'll explore what I call the illumination - these amazing promises Jesus gives to everyone who walks through His door. But before we dive into all that, we need to understand what's happening here. Because this isn't just some random moment where Jesus decides to talk about doors. There's a story here. When we look at the chapters before this moment, we see that Jesus was speaking to two very different groups of Jews - one group believing and following Him, the other... well, not so much. And right there, in the middle of this tension, in chapter 8 Jesus starts talking about truth and freedom. One of my favorite lines that Jesus says in chapter 8 is “if you continue in my word, you really are my disciples.” Its about remaining and and abiding in him. Then comes the story in chapter 9 about the blind man.

Listen to this story. … Jesus takes mud - not just any mud, but mud mixed with His own spit - and smears it on this blind man's eyes. Ewww gross right? That’s defiantly not Covid protocol. Then He tells him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." Now, put yourself in this blind man's Jerusalem joggers for a moment. What has he got to lose, right? Other than his dignity, being led through the streets with mud on his face? And I can imagine the conversations on his way to the pool: "Hey, what's that on your face?" "Oh, you know, just some stranger's spit and dirt. He said it would help me see!” But here's where it gets good - he goes to that pool, washes off the mud, and… Bam! He can see! For the first time in his life, he's seeing colors, faces, the sky. I dunno… maybe even seeing his own reflection in the pool for the first time! If there was ever a perfect moment for someone to burst into "Amazing Grace" - you know, "I once was blind but now I see" - this was it! And it was a moment of celebration. But watch what happens next, because this is where things get really interesting. The whole city goes absolutely nuts! His neighbors - people who'd walked past him who saw him begging every single day - they can't even recognize him. Thats what is happing here… People are doing double-takes, "Wait... aren't you that blind guy who used to sit and beg?" And I love his response - he keeps saying, "Yep, that's me! I'm the one!” And You want to know the funny part? When they ask him how it happened, he gives the shortest testimony ever. Think about this… Not once… in this whole story does He go into detail about Jesus's spit or anything of the sort. He just says, "The man called Jesus made some mud." …… That’s it! Short and sweet. When I read this I’ve always wondered, why did he leave that part out? I dunno. I just wondered that. But here's where the story takes a serious turn. They bring him to the Pharisees. Now, this wasn't optional. In the jewish culture, if you were healed of anything, you had to be examined by the priests before you could rejoin community life. You see, the priest were there gate or the door back into community. And We see this pattern all through Scripture. Jesus often told people He healed, "Go, show yourself to the priest." For instance, in Luke chapter 5, when He heals a paralyzed man, or in Luke 17 with the ten lepers. Why? Well, Because community was incredibly important to Jesus. Still is. But watch what happens when the Pharisees get involved. Have you ever shared something incredible with someone and they didn’t seem to care, the Pharisees, Instead of celebrating this miracle, or celebrating that fact that this man is now able rot rejoin community, they're upset. They're actually angry that this man can see! They even drag his parents into it, and his poor parents are terrified. Because here's what you need to understand - one wrong word, and you're out. One wrong statement and they too would be excommunicated from community. Not just "don't come to church next week” kind of out, but completely cut off from your entire faith community. So his parents do what scared people often do - they punt, they deferred back to their son by saying "He's old enough, ask him yourself!" And when they ask the man again, you've got to admire his courage. He doesn't back down….. Jesus did this. Jesus healed me. I spent some time with the York family this week, and if you haven’t heard their testimony you need to call up and schedule a visit sometime and hear Jeffs testimony. I’m not gonna tell it because it’s his to share, but thats the expression, and the passion, and the heart I felt when I heard it… Jesus did it. But, their response? What did they do? They excommunicate him. Now, let me tell you why this is actually worse than being blind - because we were created to be people of worship, designed for community. And regardless of what our current online church culture might suggest, there's something powerful about being physically present with the body of Christ. To be cut off from that? That's like a kind of death. And for those of you listening online.. can I just plead with you.. we’re not the same without you. But the blind man, who can now see, heard these words… you were born entirely in sin, and are you trying to teach us…. The Bible says in chapter 9 verse 34, they threw him out.

And this is where I need us to stop for a moment. Because this is where I want to put a pin in our story and talk about something that affects every single one of us - and its called, shame. Because what's happening to this man isn't just about losing his community; it's about shame being heaped on top of a blessing. Brené Brown, a sociologist who's studied shame for years, calls it "the swampland of the soul." That's a pretty good description. Shame is that intense feeling that tells us we're not just wrong - but we're fundamentally flawed and unworthy of love and belonging. Thats what shame does. Think about this man's journey for a minute. He didn't choose to be born blind. He didn't choose how Jesus would heal him. He simply told the truth about what happened. Yet here he is, facing rejection and shame from the very people who should have been celebrating with him. And so, they shut the door on him and sent him away. Maybe you know what that feels like. Maybe you've experienced: The shame of a broken relationship The shame of a failure at work The shame of a past mistake Or maybe, like this man, the shame of being different in some way. But here's where the story takes a beautiful turn. Look at what happens next in chapter 9, and in verse 35: "Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him..." Stop right there. Don't miss this - what did Jesus do? ………..Jesus went looking for him. Church, I need you to hear this today: Jesus never stops looking for anyone. Ever. No matter how much shame you carry, no matter how dark life seems, no matter who has rejected you - Jesus is actively pursuing you. I know this personally. There have been times in my life when shame has felt like a heavy coat I couldn't take off. But just like Jesus found this man who was cast out, He found me. And He's still finding people today. I sat listening to Chucks testimony and I’m sure Chuck would stand today saying, Jesus found me, and he changed me, and he has invited me into this community. And Im sure this room is filled with people who would agree, and online those of you listening who would say, when I was lost, he found me. Luke 15:24 tells of parable of the lost son, Jesus says. : "For my beloved son was once dead, but now he's alive! Once he was lost, but now he is found!” Thats my life.. Think about this - our God has galaxies to sustain, universes to uphold, and over 7 billion people to care for. Yet, heaven doesn't throw a party over cosmic wonders or universal mysteries. No - do you know what makes heaven explode with joy? When one person... just one... comes home to God's love, through Christ. Let that sink in for a moment. The God who spun stars into space, who painted sunsets, who carved oceans... This God stops everything to pursue you. YOU. And that's not just beautiful - that's revolutionary. Because while religion says 'Find your way to God,' Jesus says 'I've come to find you.’ And that's exactly what we see in our text today - Jesus, as the Door, who doesn't just wait for us to find Him, but actively seeks us out…" he brings the door to us.

Now, lets look at what Jesus says in John chapter 10, verse 7: "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Jesus isn't just making a statement here - He's dismantling an entire system. These religious leaders? They'd turned God's house into an exclusive club, and they were the bouncers at the door. For generations, they'd appointed themselves as spiritual gatekeepers. Yes, God had established the law and the priesthood, but they had twisted it. Instead of guiding people to God, they were deciding who was worthy enough to approach Him. Remember our door at the parsonage? That faulty frame that let everything in that shouldn't get in, and kept everything out that needed to get in? That's exactly what the Pharisees had done with God's law. They had built a religious system with a catastrophically faulty frame: It looked impressive on the outside They knew every rule, every sacrifice, every letter of the law But here's the tragedy - their frame wasn't secured to God's heart. They were so busy protecting the door, they missed the Door Himself standing right in front of them."

But Jesus? The frame of Jesus as the door is completely different. When Jesus says "I am the door," He's not just talking about any ordinary entrance - He's revealing the very character of God wrapped in the framework of grace. Think about His frame... Every detail crafted by Christ-like love, every element designed for our redemption:

His frame is full of grace - "For by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:8) His frame overflows with mercy - "But God, who is rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4) His frame holds forgiveness - "In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14) His frame radiates joy and peace - and The fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

What we realize is that Jesus as the door isn't just a door of religion - it's a door of constant relationship. It's not just an entrance - it's an embrace. Every other door in your life will eventually close on you, but Jesus? He's the door that will never shut you out, never wear out, and never let you down. Every door in life has a closing time - except Jesus.

But here's where we need to be honest with ourselves. If Jesus is the true door, why do we keep trying other doors in our life? Let me ask you something - and I'm preaching to myself here too - what doors are you still playing with? Maybe it’s: The door of perfection - "If I just get everything right…" The door of control - "If I can just manage everything…" The door of success - "Just one more achievement…" The door of approval - "If people just accept me…" The door of self-sufficiency - "I can handle this on my own..." Truth be told, these are the doors God has been working in my life. He’s always working in them.. the question is… am I leaving the door open for him? And You know what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13? He tells us we can walk through all these doors, gain everything the world offers, but without love - without Christ - we gain nothing…….. You know, the other night I was walking around outside of our house in the dark. and I Heard something rustling in the trees. My phone flashlight wasn't cutting it, and here I am - your pastor, a grown man - 43 years old and what do you think I did when head that sound? I ran for the bright lights of the inside of the house. Do you know why? Because when you know what real light is, you don't settle for shadows. Just like that man who was healed from blindness - once he experienced true sight, he couldn't go back to darkness. And once we experience Jesus as the true door, these other doors just don't satisfy us anymore.

Lets look at verse 9 together.. Jesus says, - "If anyone enters by me..." Do you know what that is? Its an invitation. Notice He doesn't say "if any perfect person" or "if any religious person" or "if any deserving person." Or any person made whole, or any person without a disabilities, or anything else… what does he say??? ………..He says “anyone.” Do you understand how revolutionary this was? In that moment, Jesus was speaking to everyone: To the once-blind man who'd been thrown out of community. To the disciples trying to understand And yes, even to those Pharisees who were plotting against Him I bet, he even was talking to the samaritans and the gentiles that may have been listening. Church, I wonder today - where do you find yourself in this story? Because some of us have become professional admirers of Jesus. Let me show you the difference: An admirer stands at a distance; a follower draws near An admirer takes pictures of the door; a follower walks through it An admirer knows about Jesus; a follower knows Jesus An admirer has information; a follower experiences transformation The invitation isn't just to admire the door - it's to walk through it. And this invitation? It's for ANYONE... which means it's for you, right where you are, right now. Can I speak to your heart for a moment? And I'm asking this as someone who deeply cares about your soul: If Jesus is truly THE door to life… Why are we content just standing here, looking at it? Why has our prayer life become a task to complete rather than a Father to meet? Why has our worship become a routine to endure rather than a King to celebrate? Why has God's Word become a duty to fulfill rather than a love letter to cherish?

Could it be... that we've been seduced by the world's fancy doorways? Those doors with their flashing lights and empty promises? Living off the words, when one door closes another opens.. why not follow a door that never closes? But here's what I know: You will never find satisfaction standing in doorways - any doorways. Because you weren't created to be a doorway inspector. You were created for something far greater… You were created to walk through THE Door - Jesus Himself - into the very presence of the father.

That's exactly what the Pharisees did - they were professional door admirers. They had memorized every detail, could quote every Scripture, knew every rule... but they refused to walk through the door standing right in front of them.they made their entire life about knowing the father, and the one chance to really known him personally, they refused to walk in that door. You know, I've been thinking about their work on our door. They didn't just fix it and check it off their list. They didn't just patch it up and say 'good enough.' No - they made absolutely sure that door would serve its purpose. They wanted to make certain that anyone - whether they were coming or going - could use that door freely, safely, without struggle. To be honest, they reminded me of what a Christ like life should look like. While others build barriers, they removed them While others might say 'close enough,' they went the extra mile While others might create obstacles, they created opportunities

That's exactly what Jesus promises when we enter through Him - freedom to go in and freedom to walk out and to find pasture where we find peace and rest in him alone, as our shepherd. Look at what is promised in Romans 5:8-9: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” Notice what this actually says... 'while we were still sinners.' Not after we got better. Not once we proved ourselves worthy. Not when we finally had it all together. WHILE we were sinners. That means right where you are, in whatever state you're in, Jesus is saying, 'This door... MY door... it's for you.’ Maybe you're carrying shame - This door is for you Maybe you've failed a thousand times - This door is for you Maybe you feel completely unworthy... this door is for YOU You know what that means? It means the very things you think disqualify you from coming to Jesus are the exact reasons He's inviting you to come through His door. Because here's the beautiful truth - Jesus doesn't wait for you to be perfect to let you in. He lets you in so He can perfect you. This is what Wesley called 'going on to perfection' - not a perfection of performance, but a perfection of love. With every step through this door, with every moment in His presence, He's transforming our hearts until we love as He loves. That's why this moment is so crucial. God's prevenient grace has led you to this door. His justifying grace opens it. And His sanctifying grace? That's what happens when you walk through it - day by day, moment by moment, being transformed from glory to glory.

As Peter comes, let me close with this… There are three kinds of people here today, and I believe God has a specific word for each of you: Some of you have never really walked through the door of Jesus. You've studied it, thought about it, maybe even admired it - but you've never given Him your life. Today isn't just another Sunday; it's your day of salvation. Stop admiring, start entering. Others of us - and I include myself here - we've walked through the door but we're still playing with other doors. Those backup plans, those old habits, those "just in case" exits. Here's the truth: You can't experience the fullness of Jesus while keeping one foot in other doorways. Why not go deeper? And for those carrying shame - feeling excluded, rejected, or not good enough - hear this: Your shame says "hide" - Jesus says “come”\ Your shame says "not worthy" - Jesus says "I made you worthy” Your shame says "alone" - Jesus says "never leaving” "The door is open. The invitation is clear. And you don't have to walk through it alone. I'm here - we're here - ready to walk this journey with you. Before you leave today, let's talk. This could be your moment to move from admiring Jesus to following Jesus. Church, can I hear an Amen?"

Let's stand if you are able, and pray together… Father, I stand before You right now, and I'm reminded of that blind man who encountered Jesus. Lord, in this room today, there are people standing at different doorways, and I pray for each one of them. For those who have never walked through the door of salvation - Lord, I pray that right now, in this moment, You would remove every barrier of pride, every wall of fear, every hesitation that's holding them back. Give them the courage to stop being admirers and become followers. You have great things in store for this body… but to accomplish it, we will need people who are all in. Help us Lord, and bring to us people with hearts burning for you, but lead us to those who need you. So that they too can taste and see that you are good.

For my brothers and sisters who know You but are still playing with other doors - Jesus, we confess our divided hearts today. Forgive us for thinking we can have it both ways. Give us the strength to close every door that leads away from You, to nail them shut, and to run fully into Your arms. Bring us together Lord, to be a community. You’ve pursued us, and found us, and saved us.. all for your glory. In your precious name, amen.

Go forth today, not as admirers, but as followers. Not as spectators, but as participants. Not as those who simply saw the door, But as those who walked through it and found life. Until we meet again, keep walking in His grace, living in His mercy, and resting in His peace. Amen. *

Burning Heart of Worship

Read 25 - 34 Luke 24… - When I was serving as a discipleship pastor at my first associate position. I spent some time with a friend that was heightened to the presence of the Holy Spirit. He was experimenting with fasting and in his testimony he said that one day, he decided to include reading his Bible and praying during his fasting. And in a moment as he did this, he had testified that it was like God’s presence came upon him and the only way he could explain it was, it was like sticking your mouth to a fire hydrant and then turning it on…

that’s but an ounce of how over whelming this experience of being in God’s presence was. We’re talking about a guy who dint take faith serious before that. Some time had past and January of that year he had invited me to a Bethel training conference. As we walked into this conference I knew the songs they were playing but people were worshiping a little different than what I’ve ever experienced before.

There was a lot more swaying going on. I liked over towards the front of the stage and there were people crying. I looked to another spot and there were people laughing out loud hysterically. There were your typical arm raisers and chair praisers. Those are people that just sit and watch others… Which was me my first night at this event. I went back to my hotel that night frustrated.

Because I didn’t worship. The message was good, the music was edgy and familiar and modern. But as I stood and sat in a room full of people worshipping…I asked myself… Why didn’t my heart burn within me for Christ like it was so evident in the lives of others? It was saddening. The Jesus I’ve said that I love and adore, there was nothing bursting within me that was longing and adoring for Him.

It wasn’t just saddening but it was defeating. I’ve come to worship, and people gather to worship together but the only thing for the first night I got was a huge let down. I was disappointed. And I was defeated and felt alone. At a worship conference. That was supposed to uplift and encourage. And lead others in worship. - I’m sure you’ve dealt with moments like that. Have you ever gone into a worship setting and just didn't feel like raising your hands?

Maybe you looked around and saw others deeply engaged while you felt disconnected Perhaps you questioned if something was wrong with your faith Or wondered why everyone else seemed to "get it" while you were struggling Have you ever gone into a time of prayer in your home, and just got side tracked and ended up endless scrolling through social media? Started with the best intentions to spend time with God.

Found yourself 30 minutes later reading about something completely unrelated. Then what happens? The feelings of guilt begins to settle in about your lack of focus. Or, has there ever been a moment in your life where you were going through a crisis moment, and you found it hard to worship? When the doctor's report wasn't what you hoped for When your relationship fell apart When financial pressure was mounting When loss and grief made praise feel impossible We've all experienced these spiritual dry spells: Times when our hearts feel cold and distant Seasons when worship feels more like a duty than a delight Moments when we wonder if we're the only ones struggling to connect The beauty is, we're not alone in these struggles: Even David, a man after God's own heart, experienced times of spiritual drought The Psalms are filled with honest cries of "Where are you, God?” The disciples themselves sometimes struggled to stay awake during prayer These moments of disconnection are part of our shared human experience: They don't define our faith They don't determine our value to God They're often the very moments that prepare us for deeper connection or a deeper life of abiding in Christ.

- “That's good news, we're not the first people to struggle with this. Luke 24 has 4 events but I want to focus on just one that will help us answer the question, why does not my heart burn within me for worship? Tucked between the Resurrection and Jesus appearing to the disciples, is this interaction that the Bible calls, “the road to Emmaus.” The scene opens with these two men on the road shortly after the crucifixion, lamenting over the death of Jesus and by the time we get to verse 21, we see that they had lost hope.

They had a perspective of what they thought was going to happen and when it didn’t happen to how they wanted it to happen, they were hopeless. Then Jesus appears and walks alongside them, but they don’t recognize him. And Jesus begins a Bible study with them on the road. "One of our greatest battles in our faith—and the key to igniting our hearts for worship—is that we're not always Christ-Centered.

Or to put it simply: Worship runs cold when anything else takes the throne of our hearts." Jesus begins his walking podcast with the two disciples and he calls them in verse 25, “foolish and slow in heart.” Now that’s not very pastor like is it? Can you imagine if I came up along side of you and said, hey, you’re foolish and slow in heart. But there are two things we need to remember…

Foolish means to make poor judgments and slow in heart means you can’t be easily persuaded. And both of these men testified to Jesus that they were in fact foolish and slow in heart. Now How do we know? First the woman of their group came back with the report that the tomb was empty, Now be reminded that that’s a Physical testimony. Then these women not only saw angels but they heard them speak that Jesus is alive, that’s a testimony of the Spiritual and then their hearts leaped with faith declaring Yes, Jesus is Alive.

But then men didn’t believe it…. Because once the woman came back, she did they do? they sent men from their group and look at their testimony in verse 24… Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the woman had said. Their report was only physical.. there was no reports of angels, there were no reports of speaking with angelic beings proclaiming that Jesus is alive…

And so, Jesus calls them foolish… which means they were lacking judgment.. and slow to heart because they were not easily persuaded. What we realized was that these men were practicing self belief. they were trusting their own understanding, their own expectations, their own interpretation of events—rather than trusting in God's word and His promises." So Jesus comes along side of them and he begins reveling to them the old testament Scripture.

“Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” It’s a beautiful moment… because Jesus was teaching them how to interpret the Bible.. and what was his main point of this on the road Bible study?…He was pointing them to himself. Verse 27: Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

These men were not practicing a Christ-centered life… They had fallen into the trap that we all fall into.. A self centered hope. Have you ever had a moment where you said.. well that didn’t go as expected? Or a moment where you had made all of these plans and you barley accomplished any of them? How may times have we read the Bible but didn’t believe in what it had said?

How many times have we listened to the word of God in church service but it went in one ear and out the other? How many times have we heard that in the end times, the people will be lovers of self, and have itching ears of preference in sermon style and worship style but we fail to understand and believe that we could ever willingly or even unwilling fall into the trap of self pleasing or self centered hope?

And not only that… but think of this… How many times… have we been in the very presence of Christ…. But we ourselves didn’t recognize him? That’s a serious question… Is it possible to be in the presence of Jesus and not even recognize him? Lets take a minute to pause and let that sink in for a moment… I believe so… I believe anyone can come into a church service and not meet Christ because we’re experiencing just what those two men experienced…

they were centered on themselves. When I was at the conference and I wasn’t worshipping. For me it wasn’t the music. It wasn’t the venue… Jesus came to the road I was standing on and he met me at the crossroads of my own heart and held a mirror to my heart and said… Matthew, what are you centered on? I was looking over to that person and asking why are they laughing hysterically.

They were crying, laughing shouting, dancing and I was not… What was I missing? I am a Christian. I am a licscends minister. I love Jesus… I’m a follower… just like those two men were on the road to Emmaus. But Until Jesus met me on my Spiritual road of Emmaus and told me to stop making much of me, and in what I had hoped for…. And center my hope on Him, I find out I couldn’t worship when all I did was center my hope and heart on myself.

- If worship is going to passionately burn within us, we need to ask the very important question, “what am I centered on and am I making much of Jesus in my life? We all need to answer the question…and I hope before we leave here today it will be answered…… “Is my life Christ centered or am I blind too?” We all need to answer this question before we leave here today: "Is my life Christ-centered, or am I blind too?" Listen carefully: becoming holy as Christ is Holy can only go as far as we're willing to surrender and focus on Jesus Christ.

If we make church about what we hoped or expected it to be, our hope will always end in disappointment If we make much of our desires rather than our desire for God's presence, we'll never recognize Jesus's presence Think about this: If we can't recognize His presence here at church, how will we recognize Him out in the world? What are you willing to surrender to make much of Jesus this morning?

Our greatest battle for a heart burning for worship isn’t preference… the greatest battle is us. The battle for worship isn't in the song, or the style, or in anything else - the battle for worship is in the soul Your worship barrier isn't the music - it's the mirror So I ask you today: Are we centered on Christ? Are we making much of Jesus... together? - I want to close with some application…

as we ask… how can we together, here in this worship setting…… Make much of Jesus? There’s a verse in an old hymn called Come, thou fount of every blessing… and it goes on to say, Tune my heart to sing thy grace. I was watching my son one day tune his bass guitar and I began thinking… Every time you take a guitar out of it’s case it needs to be tuned.

And once it’s tuned it can be left on a stand for a few days and when you pick it up again.. it needs retuned. It needs tuned because there are forces outside of its control that effect it. The wood may shrink or expand by the rising or lowering of the humidity. the strings may be new and not so stretched out. Or they may be old and too stretched to hold a tune.

A guitar left alone will always fall out of tune. Our hearts and minds are the same. Between Sunday we spend countless hours centered on ourselves. We get knocked around by life. Sin and the fallenness of humanity sends our hearts and emotional and thoughts in all different directions… But when we come back to worship together, and the Holy Spirit begins to strum the strings of our hearts, we hear an unharmous melody.

Hearts always require tuning. And hearts always require returning as well. So how can we together tune our hearts for worship? Well first… "Start your worship engine at home" You know, there's a beautiful promise in Lamentations that shapes how I start my day. It says 'His mercies are new every morning' (Lam 3:22-23). Think about that - every single morning, God has fresh mercy waiting for you. David understood this.

That's why he wrote in Psalm 143:8, 'Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love.' He wasn't just rolling out of bed and hoping to catch some spiritual momentum on the drive to church. No, he was intentionally starting his engine of worship before anything else. What would change in our worship if we treated every morning like David did - as a fresh opportunity to fuel up on God's love?” Try starting tomorrow morning with just five minutes of worship before checking your phone” For me personally, I put my phone in my bathroom to charge over night to keep from endless scrolling at night as I fall asleep, and I begin as I fall asleep to just lay in bed, and lay my hand over my heart, and say, Father, this is yours.

"Quiet your newsfeed, amplify your soul" "We live in a world of endless notifications and constant noise. But here's what's fascinating - when God wanted to speak to Elijah, He didn't come in the earthquake or the fire. He came in what 1 Kings 19 calls 'a gentle whisper.' Sometimes we need to turn down the volume of life to turn up the volume of God. Jesus knew this. That's why in Matthew 6:6, He didn't say 'check your phone first thing in the morning.' He said, 'Go into your room, close the door and pray.' Maybe the reason we struggle to hear God in worship is because we haven't created space to hear Him in the first place.”” What if we took the the next 15 minutes of our day to be still before God instead of scrolling through social media?" Third…

"Make space for grace" You know what's interesting about King David? This was a guy who literally lived in a palace, but in Psalm 84:10 he says, 'Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.' He'd rather be a doorkeeper - literally the first one there and the last to leave - in God's house than anywhere else. Why? Because he understood something we often miss: waiting on God isn't wasting time.

Isaiah 40:31 promises that 'those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength.' When we make space - when we show up early, when we prioritize His presence - we're not just killing time. We're creating space for grace to work in our hearts." So many times we come to church not alive ourselves… come early and get a head start on worship. "Could you commit to arriving 10 minutes early just to prepare your heart for worship?” What if we showed up and we all just gathered for coffee, and snacks and prayer together?

And finally… Let your first breath be surrender" "Psalm 100:4 gives us this beautiful picture of entering God's presence: 'Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.' Notice it doesn't say 'Enter his gates checking your watch' or 'Enter his courts thinking about lunch plans.' The psalmist understood something vital about those first moments. And Paul picks up this theme in Romans 12:1 when he talks about offering our bodies as 'living sacrifices.' That word 'living' is crucial - it's not a one-and-done thing.

It's our first breath and every breath after that being surrendered to God's purposes." "What if we started each worship service by consciously surrendering our expectations and agendas?" "You know what ties all of this together? Psalm 42:1-2. I took this picture on our beautiful property this week. Which encouraged this message today. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” Our faith isn't just about following a checklist of spiritual habits.

It's about cultivating a genuine thirst for God's presence. When we start our worship engine at home, when we quiet our newsfeeds to amplify our souls, when we make space for grace, and when we let our first breath be surrender - we're not just going through religious motions. We're positioning ourselves to experience the living water our souls are truly thirsting for.” "What are you truly thirsting for this morning?

For me... it's to experience more of God's presence in my own life. What about you?"*