Sunday, September 14, 2014

September 14 2014 A Feast - Forgiveness

September 14 2014 A Feast: FOCUS on Forgiveness- *Matthew 18.21-35
Pastor Jacqueline Hines

A man named Joe was on his dying bed. For years he’d been at odds with Bill, formerly one of his best friends. Wanting to straighten things out, he sent word for Bill to come and see him.
When Bill arrived, Joe told him that he was afraid to go into eternity with such bad feelings between them. Then, very reluctantly and with great effort, Joe apologized for things he had said and done. He also assured Bill that he forgave him for his offenses.
Everything seemed fine until Bill turned to go. As he walked out of the room, Joe called out after him, “Now, just remember, if I get better, this doesn’t count.” *
2000 years ago, the disciples were gathered around Jesus just as we are today, the focus of their conversation was forgiveness. They no doubt discussed how to forgive. The answer had to be by the power of the Holy Spirit [# 1 plug] because they could not forgive on their own. [#2 power] They had to have discussed who to forgive. The answer to that was easy. You are to forgive everyone, no matter how much they hurt you, how much they owe you, what country they were from, or how much they don’t deserve it. All of humanity who know the benefits of FORGIVENESS will wrestle with who and how to forgive those who hurt us. [#3 How…forgive]
The question they dared to ask Jesus out loud in their discussion focused on forgiveness [ #4 purple forgiveness ] was how many times should we forgive someone. Obviously, the real question was not how many times do we have to forgive, but how long do we have to wait before we can get what we deserve!  How long will it be before we can get what we really want, and need, and desperately long for? How many times do we have to put up with other people’s mess?  [ #5 loving someone ]
A lovely Christian woman told me she was accustomed to spending time with God in prayer. One morning she was pouring out her heart to God, saying how much her husband got on her nerves with everyday irritations. Clearly, she heard God speak to her heart saying, “And he puts up with you, too.” [ # 6 finger pointing] For every time of trouble, we are more than ready for the mess to end, and we especially focus on somebody else’s mess! [#7 DOG]
The disciples had yet to learn the lesson [ #8 pile of books ] that they were just like the families in Noah’s Ark. There is always plenty of mess to deal with. [#9 gum on sneaker] Those who want to avoid the mess have to do it outside the Ark of safety. [ #10 shark]
It’s true. Life has plenty of messy moments. The only reason we are here today is because we have learned that when life gives us lemons, [ #11  lemon tree] we make [#12 cut lemon] lemonade. [#13 pitcher of lemonade]  It is in our best interest to kneel [#14 kneeling in prayer] before God’s throne of grace every day so we can learn what God expects of us. [#15 kneeling hands open] God can teach us how to act and how to cope during life’s messy situations, situations that are bound to end up with hurt feelings and a need for forgiveness.
Hurt feelings require the healing hope of forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean becoming instant friends because we have to set boundaries. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, because forgetting risks our losing the lessons we learned and the strength we accomplished while wrestling with each other’s demons.
“Jesus, should we forgive someone 7 times? [ #16 wooden 7] After all, seven is the spiritual number for the end, the completion, the finish.” [ #17 people jumping at finish line ]
Perhaps Jesus explained it this way, ‘Now think about it my beloved, anything as messy as our hurts cannot always be resolved in a mere 7 acts of forgiveness.’ God knows it may take 17 times, 57 times, or 75 times before forgiveness has finished its work. If we have forgiven 7 times 70 times and we are still counting, that means we are still forgiving. By the time we get to 490 times we have likely MASTERED the art and the discipline of forgiveness!! The CHURCH is a storehouse of forgiveness. We are not wimps afraid to speak out or draw a line and push any devil who tries to cross the boundaries, but we do forgive.
You would not be here if it were not for your ability to forgive; we cannot stand to be in the house of God unless we are upright, upstanding, and under the rule of the God [#18  bowed in pew] whose mercy and justice and forgiveness are bountiful in our lives. We cannot be “all that” unless we have learned – to one degree or another how and who to forgive.
The man in Jesus’ parable had some tough lessons to learn about forgiveness. He was in deep financial debt [#19 Debt]. As Americans, we know all about debt. We know about student loan debt, [#20 graduate] mortgage debt, and credit card debt [#21 cutting credit card]. We know about the foreign debt we owe to China and all of our oil exporters [#22 pockets out]. We know what terrorists owe us [#23 Obama]
We know about the emotional debt of respect, honor, and love owed to us by our children, grandchildren, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, family, friends, neighbors, ex’s and vexes. Every day we awaken hoping to collect the debt that is due us. We want what is ours and we want it now. [ #24 chalk ]
At the same time how we wish the debt WE owe could be somehow wiped away. It is often our human nature to do just what the man in Jesus’ parable did – enjoy the awesome benefits of God’s mercy and forgiveness, while stingily struggling to give a little mercy and forgiveness to others. [#25 treasure chest ]
When we count our blessings, including the many ways we have been forgiven, when we name them one by one, soon it will surprise us what the Lord has done. When we submit ourselves to the spiritual discipline of counting our blessings, they multiply and we are less able to blaspheme or harass God about what others owe us. Gratitude helps us to see that our lives are full of all the love, attention and gentleness we will ever need. Life has its burdens, but as the songwriter reminds us:

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one…

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Have you learned any lessons on forgiveness this year? Sure you have. By now those lessons are a part of your daily life. Again, you wouldn’t be here if you were not able to forgive. There is no doubt that forgiveness is deeply embedded in every pore of your life. Forgiveness is a part of every breath we take, every beat of our heart.
Through the veil of hurt and tears, we have forgiven and we continue to forgive. [# 26 purple forgive] Like every cell in your body, your forgiveness is microscopic. You don’t even know it is there. Forgiveness may be imperceptible, but every day we appreciate its beauty, its importance, its capacity to generate life in our hearts, our homes, our communities, our country, and in every corner of the globe [#27 anger, rage…. ]
We know we have forgiven when we do three things [#28 key] : First, we have forgiven when we stop angrily trying to get even and resentfully demand what is owed us; Secondly, we know we have forgiven when we appreciate the fact that those who hurt us are human and they too have been hurt too. Thirdly, we know we have finished the work of forgiveness when we can picture those who hurt us in the loving arms of Jesus [#29 in arms of Jesus] and pray that they will be blessed.
We can only do that when we ourselves have been forgiven. That’s why Jesus teaches us to ask for forgiveness. “Father, Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors…. Holy One, Forgive our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” As we confess to God, we are forgiven. I John 1.9 tells us if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The forgiveness we receive is the forgiveness we have to share. We are not orphans; the love we receive from our heavenly father is the love we have to share.
As we journey in the footsteps of Jesus, the hurting people of this world can see the light of forgiveness, shining from our hearts. Whether we are Arab or Jew, Gentile or Greek, gay or straight, accepted or rejected, rich or poor, happy or sad, forgiveness makes us greater than we would be without it. Forgiveness, we have tried it and we like it. [#30 candles ] Amen.


 *How to Forgive by King Duncan – Sermons.com

Monday, September 8, 2014

Feast: Fresh Creation

September 7 2014 - Rally Day - A Feast: Fresh Creation Matthew 18.15-20, Genesis 1.1-2, 2.5-10 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

The Creation stories of Genesis have inspired many songs. One favorite is Hymn [slide #1 of the hymn ]    92 For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. [slide #2  nature scene]
So many times we have jubilantly praised God for God’s wondrous creation.  [slide nature scene #3] Every season brings its special beauty.   [slide #4 nature scene ]  What is your favorite season? Is it spring with its bursts of color and freedom to roam? Is it winter with its frost and early sun downs that put us in hibernation mode? Is your favorite season fall with its reminder and readiness for constant change? Or is it summer when you run to your favorite beach? God creates seasons and each one has its beauty for all to enjoy.
Praising God for God’s creation shows that we understand that there is a power higher than us. [slide #5 mountains]  You remember the story of the genius inventor who studied the human body in detail. So excited about the gifts he had been given, he said to God, I can create a man just like you. So, God said, “O.K. Go ahead. Let me see you do it.” So the man gathered a pile of dirt. Then God said, “Uh uh. Get your own dirt!”   [slide # #6  dirt and shovel]  A creating God is far beyond our understanding. We take pleasure in simply standing in awe and giving praise.
As human beings, we are creators, too. We are made in God’s image, so we create in the same way that God creates. God starts us off with nothing, nothing but at least 6 things as chapter 2 of Genesis tells us - #1 emptiness, #2 darkness, #3 chaos, #4 wind, #5 dust, and #6 water.
Wherever there is emptiness in our lives God wants to create fullness. Wherever there is darkness in our lives God wants to create light. Wherever there is chaos, God wants to create order. Wherever the Spirit blows like a wind, God wants to create a heart that goes with its flow. Wherever there is dust, God wants to create priceless, beautiful diamonds. Wherever God’s word springs up, God wants to refresh and enliven!
God is ALWAYS creating, and because we are children of God, we too are always creating. God #1 fills our empty lives with good things, [slide #7 gas tank being filled]  and we fill the lives of others. We serve, and even sacrifice day and night to bless our families, our friends, our neighbors near and far.   [slide #8 ]  Of the last 365 days all of us have experienced at least one day when it seemed we did not even see one ray of sunshine. There are days when the grey clouds linger all day long. Those are the days God CREATES, #2 light. [slide # 9 light shimmering through trees]  A card of encouragement comes in the mail and brightens our day. A text comes through that leaves us beaming. A door of opportunity opens, illuminating God’s goodness. A window of doubt closes, encapsulating us in shimmering truths.
#3 God creates order where there is chaos. When our life is like a rubrick’s cube, [slide #10n rubrik's cube made in human form] [slide # 11 rubriks's cube pattern on nailpolish] God creates a path for each piece of our life.  [slides # 12 rubrik's cube pattern ] when we are at our lowest, God creates power and protection that pulls us to a place of peace. [slide #13 rubrik's cube pattern of sneaker]
#4 When the Spirit blows a gentle wind like a baby’s breath, [slide # 14 laughing baby] we are inspired and inspired to follow where love leads us. We are quickly aware and confident that the path will be rich and wonderful. [slide # 15 babies on roller skates]
#5 It is the nature of our life her on earth that dust is never permanently eliminated. No matter how many times we dust our homes, our cars, ourselves, dust always seems to reappear. Dust seems to be a nuisance, but when we consider the definition of dust, we are enlightened.   [slide #16] In the Hebrew, the word for dust is “aphar” and it is defined as dry, loose earth or rubbish. It is also defined as “ore,” “a naturally occurring solid material from which a metal or valuable mineral can be profitably extracted.”
Iron ore can be processed until it produces iron. Gold ore can be processed until it produces gold. [ slide # 17 golden eggs]Since dust is defined as ore in the book of Genesis, we know that the dust of our lives when put in God’s hands produces a precious life we could not create on our own. [slide # 18  person standing in vicotious stance]
Finally, #6. Throughout the bible, water is a symbol for life. Life without water is a threat to life. Water is also a symbol of God’s word throughout the bible. It is a known fact that people of faith have rivers of water flowing through them to bring life and refreshment to a thirsty world. [slide # 19 thirsty elephant approaching a swimming pool with people in it]
One of the most memorized verses is Psalm 1. It reflects a refreshed life. “Blessed is that person who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly,          [slide # 20 good and evil direction sign] and does not even stand in the path of sinners, [slides #21] nor sits in the seat of the scornful; [slide # 22]
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates                       day and night.3 He shall be like a tree, [slide # 23  tree near water] planted by the rivers of water,  [slide #24] that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Life happens with God’s word.   [Slide # 25] Whether we read God’s word, listen to God’s word on internet, radio, or television, sing God’s word, preach God’s word, testify to God’s word, debate God’s word, and study God’s word, our life is refreshed, revived, and enlivened [slide #26 nature scene, tree and waterfall] beyond what we could ever imagine. Amen. [slide # 27 amen in script].