Keep On Looking

Text: Mark 9:2-9

Focus: Seeing Jesus

Function: To help people look at the real Jesus instead of a contextualized view of Him.

Form: The Story with conclusions.

Intro:

This is a great story for Lent because it represents a fundamental shift in the focus of Jesus' teaching of the 12 apostles. It is the beginning of Jesus' focus on the cross.

For the most part, up until this point, the crowd have been hanging out with Jesus while He is performing a lot of miracles and teaching people to be kind to each other.

I need to emphasize that last statement.

It seems to me that the emphasis on the miracles and works of Jesus are not to make Him look fantastic, but they are all, they are always -to me- metaphors for God's love and kindness.

He does two things. First, He chooses to spend time with the ones that did not fit into normal society. And secondly, He performs these miracles on behalf of many people who for the most part are also those who do not quite fit in.

I had a personal campaign about 15 years ago that I titled “Take back queer.”

Queer means odd, or different.

But, it had become a derogatory word used against homosexual persons.

And the thing is this, many of us have ways that we do not feel like we fit in.

All of us are created by God differently and uniquely.

And even though my theology on the issue was different then than it is today, it just isn't -or wasn't- right that people, any people, no matter who they are, homosexual, Muslim, handicapped, women, clergy, laity, liberal, conservative, black, white, rich, poor or any other subgroup gets labeled in a critical way.

Jesus loves every one. Period.

And our language needs to reflect that.

What Jesus is doing is indeed radical!

Here is this Man, who is doing miracles, but He is upsetting the status quo of society because He chooses to be the friend of sinners and the marginalized.

Listen to these words from The Message, Luke 15: ^1-3aBy this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.”

This is new!

Jesus has created a lot of excitement.

Crowds start flocking to Him.

And, it is not easy for everyone.

One Sunday afternoon I got that phone call that pastors often get: “Pastor, I need to talk to you about your sermon. Something really upset me.” She went on: “you said that Jesus let a prostitute wash His feet. There is no way that Jesus would ever associate with a person like that.”

Like I said, this teaching by the example of who Jesus loved and choose to hang out with was radical.

And for a moment, if you will, hold that idea right here. In your mind place it on a shelf, right here, where you can pick it back up again quickly (symbolically place an object on a factitious shelf)

For the sake of the sermon, I need to I segue to the big shift in Jesus 3 year ministry.

The big shift happened 6 days before this event.

The three gospel accounts that report this miracle keep them together because of their specific relationship to each other.

The event was Jesus beginning a new, a sort of private teaching, with His 12 apostles.

The shift in Jesus' teaching is when Jesus begins speaking about his death and resurrection.

References to Jesus' death literally surround the transfiguration story.

Most of you probably remember the reaction to this, don't you?

Jesus said: “I will be crucified...”

Peter says: “never will I let this happen to you...”

Jesus not only rebukes Peter, but He also rebukes Satan for using Peter to try to dissuade Jesus from the cross.

And this idea of this great Savior, who was supposed to deliver the people, who was so popular among the people because He seemed to be the one who was going to deliver them from oppression falls flat on its face because Jesus changes the story with the prophecy of His own death and resurrection.

This has to take the wind out of their sails. And it seems so preposterous that they have a hard time believing it.

And God, being the creator of Human nature seems to know just how difficult it is for them to accept this whole new paradigm for Jesus' ministry, God starts out slowly.

Hence, the transfiguration.

This, to these three apostles, it is the proof in the pudding.

That is a good metaphor for what is happening here.

The proof in the pudding is a shortened version of “the proof -of the quality- of the pudding won't come until one eats it.”

In other words, the experience of it will eventually prove it and until then, one has to take it by faith.

So, until the “until then” happens, Jesus commands them to keep it a secret. I believe it is because not many others are going to understand it.

So, Jesus changes His teaching.

Peter's first reaction is evidently inspired by hell itself.

It was difficult for them to grasp.

Jesus goes on to talk about the cost of discipleship and then tells them what we read in verse 1:

9: ¹And he went on to say, “I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.”

Okay, the story of the change: Peter confesses Christ, Jesus tells them He will die, Peter refutes Jesus, Jesus rebukes him, Jesus tells them the cost of discipleship is the cross for themselves and just as they are trying to grasp all of that, Jesus comforts them with a promise that will prove, beforehand what He has just said: “Some of you will see my awesome glory.”

Then the verse before today's text; 9: ²Six days later...

The big shift is happening.

It is to difficult to grasp initially and Jesus is slowly teaching His disciples this equally important concept.

Go back to that shelf you put that idea on (symbolically grab item off of shelf).

Are you back with the first idea yet?

Jesus has become very popular because He is doing something very new, something exciting and more importantly, something that includes everyone.

He becomes very popular because all of a sudden, instead of the just the rich, or the highly educated, everyone, and I mean everyone has access to this great new teaching of love and acceptance.

He makes it clear throughout His ministry, but especially at the end when He says: “A New Commandment I give you, Love one another.”

Jesus is both showing and telling them that instead of this huge code of the OT law, the 1^st 5 books of the Bible written by Moses, and instead of the addition of the rest of the codes which are inspired by the prophets, there is really only once commandment, in two parts: Love God, Love others.

And right here, the transfiguration happens.

The beauty of this story is the inherent symbolism.

In the transfiguration, Jesus appears to the apostles with the manifestation of the glory of God in all of its brightness.

And, Moses, who represents the OT law, and Elijah, who represents the OT prophets appear with Jesus.

Now, up until this point, Peter, James and John are part of the group.

They are not shining brightly like Jesus, Moses and Elijah, but they are included in the circle.

Peter who always reacts quickly with what seems to me to be statements that he thinks Jesus wants to hear, maybe to get credit for figuring it out, maybe because he is just as impulsive a fellow as I am, but he shouts out to Jesus.

“Great, let us memorialize this event with three monuments.”

Peter catches the significance of the awesome Glory of God being revealed.

This is a big event.

This is Moses on the mountain event.

This is a history changing event in the covenant of God and it should be memorialized. -That is Peter's thinking,

But that wasn't God's plan.

And it appears that as soon as Peter says it, the situation changes.

A cloud settles on Jesus, Moses and Elijah. And apparently they can't see through the cloud.

In a similar fashion to God giving the 10 commandments to the people, God speaks out of the cloud.

And what does God say?

This is my Son. LISTEN to Jesus!

I often wonder if God is telling Peter, stop being so religious and just listen!

I wonder if the James and John are going, “keep quiet Peter, you ruined the moment!”

I doubt it.

I am pretty sure it all happened just as God planned it to happen.

But the fact remains that God has all of a sudden emphasized this great big change in human history with this event.

A new covenant is coming.

A New Testament is here.

Moses represented all the laws.

Elijah represented all the mystics.

And God says to these three men something that we all need to hear: “Focus on Jesus!”

“Listen! Focus on Jesus!”

Let me get back to Peter a minute.

He is a doer. He is a man of action.

He cut off Malchus's ear to defend Jesus when Jesus was arrested.

He promised Jesus that no matter what, he had Jesus' back.

He was quick.

And God is speaking directly to that kind of person.

God loves that kind of person.

But I hear God's response to Peter's desire to build three tabernacles to commemorate this event with a simple phrase:

Peter, stop doing and just be.

Be with me.

Be with me in this moment.

Peter, don't you understand that without me, you are left to your own power and devices?

But Peter, when I am with you and in you, you and I can be so much more than either of us can be on our own.

Peter, stop for a moment and enjoy this.

Peter, stop for a moment and see exactly what is happening.

Peter, stop for a moment and actually look at Jesus.

Listen to Jesus.

It is Lent, and it is time for us to Listen to Jesus. It is time for us to just be with Jesus enjoying the moments of our connection with God.

So, let us finish with that exercise.

Close your eyes with me and listen to Jesus sayings:

Let me give you some of my favorites:

“Come unto me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

“Neither do I condemn you...

“I am the resurrection and the life...

“Blessed are those who thirst for justice...

“Blessed are the poor...

“Mary...

I invite you to add your own...

God's Steadfast Love

Text: Psalms 25:1-10

Focus: God's love and Protection

Function: To help people see the value in developing a relationship with God.

Form: Story Telling

Intro:

30 years ago, we used to sing this Psalm as a praise chorus. We sang it from the King James Translation: (SING) Unto Thee, O Lord, Do I lift up my soul (repeat), Oh my God, I trust in Thee, let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.

I was a new Christian, and as I mentioned last week, I was also recovering from a pretty traumatic event in my life.

And for some reason, this Psalm, and the thought, the prayer, with the confession of trust in God, “Let me not be shamed” resonated, -resonates- with the needs of my soul.

I go through this Psalm and it almost seems as if every line is my favorite one.

Let us start with his confession:

“Oh My God, in You I trust.”

There is something wonderful in prayer when we enter into the personal, when we enter into the loving bond with God.

“My God.”

I heard someone once question the meaning of that phrase: “My God.”

The question was this: “when, or if, you say `My God,' does that mean that you are claiming an exclusive right to God? If God is your God, then is God my God as well? Whose God is it?”

I loved her question.

In one sense, she was pointing out to me what felt to her like arrogance on my part. She was pointing out what felt to her like I was involved in some sort of exclusive faith that was limited to only a privileged sect.

I loved the sincerity with which she asked that question.

Like the rest of the world, we are all on some sort of journey.

She was exploring. She was contemplating for herself her own spiritual journey.

She was wrestling with some of the claims of Christianity and its relationship to the rest of the world, both as a corporate religion and as an individual faith.

We have to be careful in sharing the good news. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to give an accounting of the hope that is within us with gentleness and respect.

Did my claim to God project “Gentleness and respect?”

I hope so. Or at least it appeared that way by the end of the conversation.

And the rest of that phrase, in one very clear sense, gives us what it means to be a believer.

“Oh my God, in you I trust.”

Simply put, a believer is one who places his or her trust in God.

I think at times that my confidence in God has led me to some arrogance. Or, perhaps it has led me to a lack of understanding of where other people are.

To me, in one sense, living by faith in Jesus feels like a privilege.

When I behold the beauty of creation, when I hold my darling grand daughter and see her smile at me, when I hear beautiful music, when Kathy and I are reunited after being apart for a couple of days and I feel the joy of her embrace, when I contemplate the initial successes of the civil rights marches which followed the teachings of Jesus, I realize that the God who is the progenitor of all of that is the God that I trust, the God I call “my God” and I realize that it does feed me with a sort of sense that of privilege.

Walking with God is a wonderful thing.

So, enjoy the meaning of faith, but don't be arrogant about it.

And then, the Psalmist says this in his prayer: “let me not be ashamed.”

I pray that often: “God, deliver me from shame.”

I hate shame, and I am sure that God does as well.

One rather moderate Brethren minister, a sort of mentor of mine, used to drill this idea into my head: “Shame is never from God. Shame is Satanic.”

I never asked him if he actually believed in a literal devil, or if the devil was a symbol of evil.

That belief didn't make a difference to his point.

His point was God's steadfast love.

And shame has no part in it.

Shame, he said to me, has no part in preaching the good news.

My favorite Seminary prof took us through three classes in Spiritual formation.

He was profound.

He asked us to do this exercise.

He said: “Close your eyes and imagine your worse sin, your worse moment. Imagine the one place, or the places, that if others found out about, you would be terrified. Imagine that place or act that would mortify you if your mother, or your pastor discovered.”

Then, he said, “sit there in that place a moment. And now, Imagine Jesus coming to you at this place.”

(pause)

It was a very real experience.

And do you know what?

When Jesus came into the place, I felt no shame.

Instead, I actually pictured Jesus with His arms open. He just folded me up in His arms and held me.

Then the prof said: “at the place of our weakness, at the place of our greatest weakness, at the place that we are tempted to be the most ashamed about, at the place where we experience the messiness and brokenness that is this world”, “That.” He said, “that is the place that Jesus loves us the most.”

The great Social Justice Christian and author, Tony Compolo was once preaching about his deliverance from a shame based faith to one of grace.

He said, “when I was a youth, we weren't allowed to go to movies.

“We would hear this statement: `What would you do if you were in a movie and Jesus returned? What would you do?'

And Tony said this, after he finally understood the meaning of grace, he said: “When someone is shouting a sort of shame was yelling at me, `what would you do?” I guess I wouldn't get to see the end of the movie.”

God's grace covers us. We cannot be perfect. And the sacrifice of Good Friday happened just because of that.

Because of Grace and God's steadfast love, at the place of our greatest shame, or temptation to shame, that is the place where God loves us the most.

As I thought about this professor's exercise I realized something that was profound to me:
“there is no hiding my worse thoughts from God, God knows them anyway... and God still loves me.”

This is the first Sunday in Lent.

During Lent, we take a significant amount of time to do soul searching and contemplation before God.

In light of the cost that Jesus paid on the cross to show us how to live, forgive and to restore humanity -all of humanity- we pray and fast.

It is a good spiritual discipline.

Let us do it in full confidence of the steadfast love of God.

Gotta Tell Somebody

Text: Mark 1:40-45

Focus: Evangelism

Function: To help people understand the importance of keeping a fresh voice.

Form: Story Telling

Intro:

This sermon is one of three that I will be sharing in conjunction with the new book we will start studying in March, I am slipping it in right before Lent.

The sermons will be lectures on what it means to be the 21^st Century Church.

In this lesson, the point is, the gospel message has not, nor will it ever change, but the way we communicate it will.

I apologize to my mom, Libby, Emma and Jim, the writers and English majors that I know of in this group. I apologize for the grammatically incorrect title, Technically, it should read: “I have got to tell somebody.”

However, there is this song by an old Jesus Freak, from way back in the day, Don Francisco. He writes Christian ballads that expose the emotions of these events. It helps me to see and to tell the story of these Biblical events. He, much like the new translation of the Bible, “The Message,” tells the story.

As a matter of fact, the title changed from “Telling the Story” to “Gotta Tell Somebody.”

And Don Fransisco has a song titled: “Gotta Tell Somebody.”

It tells the story of a man who, like this man, has experienced an incredible miracle at the hand of Jesus and is then dumbfounded by Jesus' next command: “Don't tell anybody!”

The man in this song, just like the man from our lesson, can't contain his excitement, love and gratitude for what Jesus has done for him.

He disobeys and starts shouting the message to everyone who will listen.

It is so prolific that crowds of people start following Jesus.

I suppose a fundamental response might be that even though this man was saved by Jesus' compassion toward him, his response was disobedience to Jesus' command.

Was he wrong?

I assume that Jesus knew how he was going to respond and Jesus still healed.

I assume that even though he disobeyed the command to be silent about it, Jesus knew that his excitement and gratitude could not be contained.

Many of us have experienced that enthusiasm. When I came back to Christ, I had this great big belt buckle that said: “Jesus saves.”

I was excited about what Jesus has done for me. I was excited to the point of obnoxiousness.

Warning, this is a PG13 story. It is true, but it is also shocking.

God did something great in me. I was 18, I was promoted to assistant manager of a Big Boy restaurant in Ft Wayne, IN.

The 4^th night, after the training manager left, January 7, 1976, two men came through the back door, beat me unconscious, locked me inside the walk-in cooler, stole the day's deposits, came back to the cooler, where I was now awake and said to each other: “We have to stab him and kill him, he can identify us.”

I lay there. My left hand was shattered from trying to deflect the blow of the club, you can still see the scar from the extensive surgery to repair it. And as I lay there, I was forced with a choice.

At the time, I had turned by back on my childhood faith, rejected the Lordship of Christ to serve myself. I was heavily involved in both drugs and the occult.

And as I lay there, after hearing that conversation, I was faced with my eternal destiny.

I decided to repent and ask Jesus to save me.

He did.

I actually heard Him speak to me.

He said: “you will be alright.”

At that moment, I felt God's presence enter my body. It was right here (point to behind my right ear) and the peace of God flooded my body.

A moment later, I think God moved one of the men toward compassion, I heard the response from the other man. He said: “no, we don't have to stab him, we can kill him with the club.”

I counted 9 blows before I one of them jumped up and kicked with full force right here (point to right side of neck). I think he thought he was breaking my neck.

I was unconscious for about 45 minutes when a ringing phone woke me.

I didn't know that I had passed out. I thought they were still there looking to see if I was breathing or moving.

I was pretty confused, but after what seemed like eternity, I looked up to see that I was actually locked inside the walk in cooler.

That prison was a dilemma. But it might have been part of my salvation. The cold air kept me from bleeding to death. They had to sew patches of skin back onto my head. But, my metabolism slowed down, the concussion did not kill me.

Because I was 18, and my skull was not yet completely formed, it absorbed the shock of the blows without fracturing. (pause) Or, a miracle happened. (pause)

As I lay in that cooler, realizing that I was locked inside and would probably freeze to death before the morning manager came, I had some time to pray.

I thanked God that I was to die there because I knew that there was no way that I could ever give up my drug addiction.

My parents were pretty upset about my waywardness and I knew that they had thousands of people, all over the word who were praying for me. Thanks, Mom.

As a matter of fact, mom was so frustrated she had once prayed: “Lord, if you have to knock him over the head to get him to listen, do it.”

I decided to write them a note telling them that I was saved and that I would see them in heaven.

And here is the next miracle.

It might not sound like much, but I see it as huge.

I was young and into the finer things.

I had received a very fine Cross Pen as a gift for being a groomsman in a wedding.

Those my age and above will remember that Bic pens had this commercial about their 29¢ pen: “Writes first time, every time!”

Being a new manager, with a great work ethic taught me by my father, I went the extra mile earlier that night and pulled out the ice cooler to clean behind it.

I found this Bic pen laying in the grease and grime. And I tested it, it didn't write.

I remember cursing Bic for false advertising and turning around to throw the pen away in the trash bin.

But it so happened that the man washing dishes was taking out the trash and the bins weren't there.

I put the pen in my shirt pocked to throw it away later.

Through the beating, being knocked down, carried into the walk-in cooler and everything else that happened, the Cross pen was missing and that worthless Bic pen was still there.

It still didn't write, so, I couldn't leave a note to my parents. So I went back to praying.

But something happened. As I was praying about my drug problem, again I sensed the Holy Spirit. I heard again, a voice that said: “I am the one who sets you free.”

When I heard that, although I experienced severe blood loss, broken bones, skin torn off my head and this major concussion, somehow strength came over me. It felt supernatural.

I stood up and that worthless Bic pen was just the tool I needed to jimmy the lock keeping me in the cooler.

The door popped open, and there, laying on the floor in front of me were two carving knives.

So, before anyone could judge why I was wearing that great big belt buckle, all I could say was this: “I gotta tell somebody!”

I have shared the story with audiences over a thousand.

I have shared it is small intimate circles.

And, I have shared it often in the Prisons where I have preached.

In that version, I share my perspective toward my assailants.

Two young men. They were misguided youths who were thinking only for the moment. One of them was promised the promotion that I just got, but was fired for stealing. The other, his cousin, the one who was perhaps moved with mercy and said: “no, we can kill him with the club” was allowed to finish High School before his sentence was carried out.

These two young men lost a lot more than me. They served 7 out of their 14 year sentences. And, worse, they are branded as “felons.” They will never be able to get good employment. That mistake ruined their lives. That have now paid for it for 40 years.

And I got eternal life out of it. Well, don't surprise me with a “boo!” I will jump! I don't like sitting at the back of the bus, I get claustrophobia pretty bad. Sadly, growing up in the inner city, that is not the worse thing that has happened to me. (I'll be weeping, look to heaven for strength and take a moment.)

But out of that, I got eternal life!

I share how I pray and fast for their salvation. I have never spoken to them, I didn't go to the sentencing hearing. I wasn't asked to be informed when they were released. About 15 years later, I saw one of them pumping gas in my own neighborhood. I was immobilized with fear. But I forgive them even though this happened to me.

Have you ever wondered what your last thoughts would be when you were dying?

I experienced that. My thoughts were on God. And God saved me!

But now I am sort of reluctant to share the story.

You may think it is odd. But, the story is shocking.

When I shared with with over a thousand people, it was in the height of the age of Modernity.

In that time it was like this: Here was the Christian Church, in a sense with its back against the wall. And we were making what is called “an apologetic” for the Christian faith.

And apologetic is an argument that expresses the logical sense of our faith. It is a defense.

In the age of Modernity, when the world believed that science and reason alone would solve the world's problems, when the world believed that faith in God was most likely ignorant tribal superstition, we defended our faith with proofs of the existence of God.

There were several reactions to that event. Many came forward in that auditorium and gave trusted Christ.

But there were some also who sort of “moved away from me on the bench” as Arlo Guthrie put it in the ballad song: “Alice's Restaurant.”

It begs the question, “why would God do a miracle for him and not save my own son, my own wife, my own daughter?

Or, “does this guy really believe that God spoke to him?”

Those are good questions. And, in the age of modernity, when Christians had to defend the existence of God in order to spread the good news, a credible, first hand story of miracles was a good way for me to share Jesus.

But 9/11 happened and the world has gone and changed.

But not the good news. That message, that “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved,” from Romans 10:13, has never and will never change.

But today, for the most part, people no longer doubt the fact of spirituality. Most people accept the concept of God. In the sit-com “The Big Bang Theory” there are these two genius scientists. Amy Farrah Fowler, one of them, while speaking to the other the first time they met said: “Although I don't reject the concept of a Deity, I can't understand one that takes attendance.”

What people want to know is this: Does God love them?

Brothers and sisters, we have got to tell everybody! (AMEN?)

So, let us go back to th is man who had leprosy and was now healed.

He was a fresh voice shouting out to everyone who would listen the love of Jesus!

God calls fresh voices all the time to share Jesus' love.

In the age of modernity I preached this passage as a miracle that proved that God existed.

But at the point of time that the story actually happened and again today, in post-modernity, the real intent of the story is more prominent.

The man's message was this: “Jesus loves me!”

Think about the plight of the leper in that day.

They had to cover themselves and cry out, wherever they went: “Unclean! Unclean! Get away from me!”

Wow!

He was a person who was excluded from modern society by both civil and religious law.

And Jesus proves His love for this man by healing him. What a story!

I am going to say this next thing, not to shock you, not to cause division, but to bring the story right here into the message of the good news for the 21^st century.

There has been a lot of bickering over the rights of, inclusion or exclusion of, homosexual persons.

As a pastor, I get the question frequently: “what do you think of homosexuality?”

it is a sincere question from most people. But my answer goes right back to this message.

In modernity, we argued the reality of God, the existence of an human soul and the very question of sin, death, judgment, heaven and hell.

I can tell you that the world we live in today is post-Christian. And people don't care about all those things.

The world around us does not want to know if homosexual activity is sin. What the world wants to know is this: “How does God love them? How does the Church love them?”

And we can argue that question, which I refuse to do.

Because here was a man who was excluded from the family of God because of the way that God made him.

And Jesus saved him.

That is now my message. Not that God exists, but that God loves me; God proved it to me.

God loves everyone.

God loves my enemies.

God loves the sick.

God loves those who are very, very different from me.

And the good news, the story that we have to tell to the nations is this: God is love.