Psalm 84- Bonus- my notes/commentary

V. 3 Refers to sparrows living in the temple-and this being a blessed existence.
Jesus refers to sparrows- we read this in Matt 10:29-31 and Luke 12:6-7
He says that a sparrow doesn’t die without God knowing it- and without devaluing the sparrow God says that we are indeed more valuable to him.
V. 4 Any person or animal that can dwell, that is stay put, in God’s presence is of course blessed for they will always stay and have a life of praise
V.5 Contrasts and relates to verse 4- this says that pilgrims or travelers of faith are also blessed. The pilgrimage is definitely not just literal, put a journey of the heart- a journey to God’s presence.
V. 6 “valley of Baca”- according to Niv study bible- this is likely figurative- meaning weeping also a real place- in the Galilee district- Baca likely is figurative for an arid place- a weeping place or a place of Basalm trees.
V. 6 pools can also be translated blessings- but a pool in an arid place is a blessing. What a beautiful set of images of a faith journey- from arid to springs, rains and pools.
v. 7 Pilgrims end up at Mt. Zion
v. 8 Plea type prayer- asking God to listen- while ascribing honor to God’s name.
V. 9 “our shield” can also be translated “our sovereign” or another way to say “our king” The leader’s presence and leadership were related to the previous themes of this psalm. A strong, healthy, faithful leader would maintain and promote worship of God at the temple and also make it safe for people to travel and have faith journeys- ie pilgrimages. But an unhealthy, idolatrous leader could allow worship to be de-prioritized and protection of pilgrims may be forgotten- attention may be focused on idols, the palace, misguided wars, etc.
v. 10- What a beautiful declaration- it is better to be in the presence of God- even if it is not the inner sanctuary- even to be near God- is better than life without God. Message Translation, “One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek Island beaches.” Being a doorkeeper at the temple is a difficult job. You would have to make judgment calls on who could come in- sometimes you would have to tell people that they would have to take care of something before they could come in or leave something at the door- you would be part of the system of worship, but your attention would be divided. But that would be better than to be off reveling and enjoying selfish and silly pleasures apart from God- living as if there was no God- dishonoring the reason for your existence. Again Peterson’s translation, “I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.” We must look at this verse through the reality of Jesus Christ- that he was a friend of sinners and invited to eat at their homes. He did not go in order to indulge, but rather to be yeast, salt and light. As Christians we believe, humbly, that the presence of God dwells in us- that we are mobile mini-temples- not that we deserve worship, but that through our broken attempts to live like Christ- some folks may see the light, life and love of God through us coming near to them.
V. 11 The Lord is THE light and THE Sovereign- the source of life and the true protector of life
Definition: How do we know what God’s presence is? Whenever two or three come together in my name. Matt 18:20, “Whatever you did to the least of these you did unto me” Matt 25
Points I could make:
1. We are not just animal life that happens to be here- we were created to be in relationship with the Living God. (V. 3)
2. Some of us are settlers and some of us are journeyers- V. 4&5- Some of us were born into a Christian family and living a life to worship and honor Jesus Christ is all we’ve ever known. Some of us have had to have a journey to find God.
3. We are NOT sun (source of life) and shield (protector of life)- Jesus is “our shield” and “our sovereign”- the system of kings has been replaced and we have the king of kings, permanently established v. 9. Where as human kings were imperfect and often idolatrous, Jesus Christ is a divine King. He is at once the presence of God- the object of our worship. V. 11- hints at the reality that God is SUN and SHIELD- He is the source of the light of life- as well as the means of experiencing it. This is one reason why we as Christians put down the sword and turn the other cheek- our only sword as Paul says is the word of God, the truth of God- sharing the reality of Jesus Christ. We would rather give up our biological life and have one day, one chance to tell someone the truth about our loving and living God- than have a long life- behind gates- where we are safe from others and risk nothing. We believe, in faith we hold, that it was God who made us and God will take us in His time- we seek only to use the time we have to walk through life as Christ would have us to.

Aug. 27th, Dwelling With God- Psalm 84

Presence of God- it’s often Said God speaks through other people: A friend of mine was having a bit of marital-tension in his household and was trying to figure-out just what to do about it.
In the course of our conversation, I happened to mention to him that: "You know, quite often God speaks to us through our wives."
My friend looked at me kind-a funny and said, "Wow! I didn't know God used that kind of language!"
Let’s Pray. Background on Ps 84: A song of the sons of Korah, according to the NIV study Bible: they were a “levitical choir made up of the descendants of Korah appointed by David to serve in the Temple liturgy. The Korahites represented the Levitical family of Kohath son of Levi.”
There is a sense of longing in this song. The author would love to be back near the presence of God.Psalms 84
84:1 For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! 2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young--a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. 4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
9 Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. 11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
(from New International Version)Question(s) that need to be answered: How can I dwell with God?
Answer is another question: Where is the presence of God?: (can relate to different phases of life or different individual relationships with God)
OT definition, Jesus Christ’s reinterpretation of God’s Presence
This psalm as pointing to a different understanding of God’s presence.
A. Its at home. Right where we expect it. Where we build our nest. Blessing in being resident where God’s presence is. Home in the figurative sense equates with stability. The ideal is a life where we always and in a stable rooted fashion make God central to our life. Now not all of us here had stable homes growing up- maybe now home isn’t even what we’d call a place of peace. But some are placed with a time in their life where they are able to set down deep spiritual roots. Where life is full of dwelling with God and praising God. The birds were able to nest in the temple.
Notice v. 4 says “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.” The psalmist assumes that anyone blessed enough to have a home in and near the presence of God, would of course always be praising God. That is indeed the ideal. But some folks though they set up a nest with God-[Illustration] they let their relationship with God turn into a lopsided marriage- you know where the one spouse shows affection and the other is totally oblivious, living as if the other spouse doesn’t exist. I think some Christians live their life that way. They set up a nest- that is they enter and started a committed relationship with Christ- and then slowly they drift off and lose affection for God and cease praising him- they no longer nest there in order to praise God- its just kind of habit and convenient. So sometimes God knocks birds like that out of the nest- and says its time you get out- and go on a journey and re-learn what life is all about.
B. Its on the road. Even through valleys of weeping- and dry times- God’s presence is available in times of change and journey. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca [weeping], they make it a place of springs; The RSV and Niv are the most correct english translation in this case they clearly say “make it” a place of springs- not just “find”- in faith they believe that water, a metaphor for life, can be found in dry and desperate places and times.
So advice for the darkest and dryest times: Don’t Despair (give up), Don’t Deny (paint a false picture or pretend), DIG- don’t just stand there on the dry ground wishing you had some water- start moving some dirt and when you tire of digging let your fellow travelers dig for you- If for some reason- maybe pride, maybe shame- you find yourself in a dry, dark valley alone and your soul is tired of digging through the dirt and you are sure that you are Doomed to this terrible valley alone. Drop and Dial. Stop doing it all by yourself- and call someone-Notice the “they” in the psalm, the journeyers are never alone. Christian reality is not one of a journey of complete solitude- but one of community) there are people who love you and if you just told them what you are going through and asked for some help- asked them to listen- asked them for something that would bring you hope- they would drop everything and be there for you. Believe it its true. Church we need to make sure its always true. Brothers and sisters if you ever get a call, or a note from someone in a dark valley asking for hope- whether its someone who is going through an illness, has lost a spouse, needs help with school, finances, a broken relationship- whatever it is- if you get that call you better treat that as if God himself was calling.
Do we have brave enough faith to believe that there are blessings from God even in the dryest most seemingly lifeless places in our journey? And then on top of our digging God graciously adds the rain- so that we have pools of water- in this case pools is a word that can also mean blessings.
Blessing in pushing through and journeying into God’s presence a different appreciation than residence. In faith- God blesses us where we’re at.
C. In common situations (the door keeper truth). V.10 “Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.” What a beautiful declaration- it is better to be in the presence of God- even if it is not the inner sanctuary- even to be near God- is better than life without God. Message Translation, “One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek Island beaches.” Being a doorkeeper at the temple is a difficult job. You would have to make judgment calls on who could come in- sometimes you would have to tell people that they would have to take care of something before they could come in or leave something at the door- you would be part of the system of worship, but your attention would be divided. You would always be at the edge. There is no shame in being “just barely saved” [if time tell the story] as one of my friends likes to say, just far enough into life with God that you are the best person to help people come in further. But that would be far better than to be off reveling and enjoying selfish and silly pleasures apart from God- living as if there was no God- dishonoring the reason for your existence. Again Peterson’s translation, “I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.” We must look at this verse through the reality of Jesus Christ- that he was a friend of sinners and invited to eat at their homes. He did not go in order to indulge selfishly, but rather to be yeast, salt and light. We must see that by the grace of God in faith, and by nothing we do, God can inhabit our daily actions. God cares how well we open doors. God can inhabit how we act in school. God can inhabit how we treat our siblings, our parents our spouse- ignoring not believing these to be places as places that God can inhabit, only prevents the outlets that God’s grace can be shared with the world. As Christians we believe, humbly, that the presence of God dwells in us- that we are mobile mini-temples- not that we deserve worship, but that through our broken attempts to live like Christ- some folks may see the light, life and love of God through us coming near to them. You think your daily actions, your career, your hobbies, aren’t important to God= you think that your career isn’t a spiritual one, your hobby isn’t holy- you better think again- God’s right there ready to shine through- we need only open the door.
D. Lives of ongoing obedience- Sometimes the most pleasurable and spectacular thing we could do in life might also be the farthest away from God we could ever get. And it is very possible that the most simple, obedient task we do- if we do it unto the Lord- maybe the closest we ever get to the very center of the presence of God. This is good news.
Story illustration of the Valentines Dinner...I still hold that was one of the most sacred times of worship I ever experienced and we never sang a song- at least not a musical one..
Micah 6:8 simply says “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And when Jesus is asked what is the most important commandment, he says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul and your mind and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself.” NT: Where is God’s presence guaranteed? Whenever two or three come together in my name. Matt 18:20, “Whatever you did to the least of these you did unto me” Matt 25- God is present in us through our obedient love.
What kind of belief says that one day somewhere is better than a 1000 elsewhere? Isn’t survival always good? No. Our faith says better is one obedient day living in God’s true presence- than years of surviving outside of God. It’s cliche but its true- the safest place to be is in the hands of God. This is true not because we will always biologically survive- that’s not what God promises to save us from all peril and harm. But if we obediently stay in God’s presence God will give into our lives now and in eternity blessings and goodness- it says so right in V. 11.
The good news: God is Sun and Shield- source and protector- God can shine into even the darkest of situations. God is shield/sovereign in the face of any worldly power/enemy. No darkness is stronger than God’s light- no weapon has been formed that can beat God’s shield, we may fall into a valley and we maybe attacked by disease or broken by loss or hatred- but with God these are never the last verse- there will be always be redemption- always. Do you believe it? What is the key to dwelling with God? Trusting God, Believing God is the key to having God’s presence and dwelling with God:
V. 12 “O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man (person) who trusts in you.”
Trusting in God- that is faith- is the road that leads to life with God- for now and life for eternity. Not based on heritage- white trash- super wealthy- all the same to God, intelligence- it doesn’t say “blessed is the person who completely understands you, perfection- it doesn’t blessed is the person who doesn’t make mistakes, or worldly power- it doesn’t say blessed is the person who controls the most people and resources. The simple truth is blessed are people who trust God.
The light of the Sun- S-U-N is available to all just as the love of the Son is available to all who would receive it. There is no better place than to be in God’s presence

Aug. 20th, Jesus is Wonder Bread, part 3

John 6:51-66 [show video instead of reading]
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
What is Jesus Doing?
Teaching a Difficult Lesson to prepare His disciples for His eventual execution- he is not being divisive for the
sake of being divisive- he’s speaking the truth.
Why does he teach a divisive truth?
1. Jesus wants people to live the zoe- life
John 14:6- “I am the way, the truth and the Life- no one comes to the Father except through me.”
There is one holy God- and one way to God- through His son. This does not mean God is exclusive- or cliquey - Our God has opened His arms wide and died for the sins of the world- rejecting the death of Jesus on the cross- means closing the door that God opens to eternity.
2. Jesus is preparing His disciples- to be leaders of the Church
The disciples- this rag-tag bunch of religious nobodies- that stuck around Jesus, decided hey, let’s see what he means about his flesh and blood- he gave us a chance lets give Him a chance
The teaching had offended the majority, Jesus says, "Does this offend you? 62 What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!”- In that one sentence we can see clearly that as He has been preparing His disciples to understand that they will need to believe in His death- He knows that they will miss out on resurrection- on true spiritual eternity-
The disciples who stuck with Jesus- many of them- eventually believed in this flesh and blood. They proclaimed it- they believed the reality of Jesus’ death- deepened the reality of His resurrection- and they spread the good news- They led a movement that celebrated the death of the Son of God- Why?. Why? Because- it a.showed How much he loved us-God is willing to put Himself on the line for us. b. God defeated death and they celebrated His death, because they believed that His death- ended death- He took away the sting of death. Many of the disciples ended up putting their own flesh on the line- rather than deny Jesus as Lord.
Did you know that the early church talked so much about eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood- that one claim noted by Roman historians was that this movement was rumored to be cannibalistic- and that developed into a rumor, because they stressed that God was born into the world as a baby- Jesus- that outsiders eventually said Christians ate the babies and drank their blood. Strange- but this was some of the misunderstanding and propaganda against the church in its first 100 years or so. And the church has never spread so fast.
Personal Challenge:
Have you put Jesus Christ Above All Else?
Illustration- Pete’s Pizza and the use/value of words- the importance of vows
One way to measure this-
What words are most Important in your life?
Boss, Spouse, Friend, a celebrity, or Jesus Christ’s

May we all find life in the words of Jesus Christ- May we all find our identity in being loved deeply by God- May we all see that God put Himself- his own flesh on the line for us. May we live as people who need his flesh and blood as real food- May we never turn away from hearing the truth, and may we walk through the open door to life eternal.
On the cross Jesus placed His love for us Above all other concerns- May we place Him Above All in our life.

August 13th, John 6:35-51, Jesus is Wonder Bread, part 2

Let’s Pray-
Have you ever been invited to dinner somewhere- and when the meal comes out, you really want to ask “what is that?” but you are too polite to do so. Funny egg dish story-
John 6:35-51, Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?"
43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

We don’t get the bread of life teaching if....
1. We miss how radical it is. for Jesus to say He is from Heaven and has seen the Father
Very threatening to Jewish understanding of monotheism.
He probably appeared to be blatantly blasphemous.
2. Jesus is not the nicest guy to walk the earth- that wasn’t his role. Niceness is not a virtue- nice is smiling at someone when you should be telling them the truth.
3.Jesus is the ultimate truth teller- and telling the truth surprises people.
Jesus could have said, “I don’t want to upset them- I will just live life as a clever rabbi and teach them how to have a swell life.” But Jesus knew it is essential for people then and now to know the truth about life. He knew that it was essential for Him to tell people that He was the Son of God- even if it disrupted the nice tradition and theology that had built up- He was here to change history- he was the Living Bread of Life- far better than the manna in the desert and he wasn’t afraid to upset their nice images regarding their heritage and manna.
4. Jesus is committed to doing His Father’s will. V.40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
Jesus knows that telling the truth will one day lead to his execution- though Peter and the disciples don’t even get that- and sometimes we struggle with the truth of the Son of God dying on the cross- the reality is if we look to the Son of God on the cross and believe that His death can make a way for us to begin eternal life now- if we look at the empty tomb- and believe that He was raised from the dead- so that we too can rise out of death- out of troubles addictions, sin and death- then we will live.
The straight up truth is that for true life and everlasting life- we need to trust in Jesus Christ.

I want to talk a bit about listening to Jesus- I think sometimes with Jesus, if we’re honest when we read the New Testament, he gets to spicy for some of us and contradicts long held personal opinions, political ideas or beliefs- and so we find ourselves saying- “What/Who is this?” What am I eating here? And we slab a bunch of gravy or if you prefer- creme sauce- and we cover up Jesus’ radical voice in our life.
When we hear the voice of Jesus calling to us from the scripture- or maybe through prayer- there are 3 usual options
1. We ignore Him- we fake spiritual deafness- practically this means we stop reading the Gospels, or the convicting parts because we don’t want to be reminded of the thing we are ignoring- which might be, “Love you neighbor” or “Pray for your enemy” of “Forgive one another” or “be more generous”- whatever it is one option is ignoring Jesus- and staying away from church, the Bible-
2. We flat out contradict Him- we fake spiritual superiority- practically this means we don’t like what Jesus is saying in the Gospels- like turn the other cheek, or sell all that you have and give it to the poor- or Blessed are the peacemakers- when you serve the least of these you are serving me- you know all humbling- Jesus stuff.- We say Jesus you are wrong. So we don’t close our Bibles- no instead we search out something in the Old Testament and say, “Well yeah Jesus- that’s your opinion- but I am going with the old eye for an eye interpretation.”
3. Of course option three is- we give in- we listen to Jesus’ voice and we make choices and changes in our life to effect His calling to us. We eat His meal- we don’t ignore it and let it grow cold- we don’t dispute it and say we can cook a better dish- we say “alright Jesus, I’m buying in- buy you better help me with unbelief.” We start giving to the poor. We start being more forgiving. We gossip less. We strive to increase peace in our world. We listen to His voice calling from the Gospels- we eat his Words- and we change accordingly.

Funny thing is all three of these options are dangerous. Ignore Jesus or contradicting His call- is spiritually dangerous- It means you are opting for your own works and goodness over and above the grace and calling of Christ. Do you want to stand before God on judgement day and be in a rationalization argument, “Well you see God what I was thinking at the time was that Jesus was mistaken- and that I would experiment with not forgiving my enemies- and see how that worked out.” We don’t want to be there.
But option 3 is dangerous as well. It has dangerous worldly consequences. When you make peace with someone in town that all your friends despise. When you give up an unhealthy habit and your friend or spouse- who shared the habit- just doesn’t understand you anymore. When you start budgeting to give to the poor or to community organizations- and you just don’t have money anymore for those gifts that promoted false peace with your family and friends.
Our choices have consequences. All of our choices are spiritual. Because God inhabits this world- all things can be spiritual. What we watch on TV- or choose not to watch. How we work. How we behave in school. How we treat friends. How we treat our family. How we treat school mates or co-workers.
My challenge for all us- myself included- is to ask ourselves. Am I letting Jesus be who he really is- in my life? Or is he getting cold- Am I pretending to be at His table- but I never really swallow his words. Have I gotten lazy and just started eating any old thing laying around- you know the inquirer, fox news- and forgotten to take Jesus seriously.
Many people who had followed Jesus walked away after he finished the bread of life teaching. After he offered them a spicy radical meal- that if they wanted real life- and eternal life- they would need to eat his very flesh and blood. They said, “shoot, its not worth sticking around to see what you mean. I’ll go find a rabbi that more suits my own ideas.”
How sad. Friends I believe each one of us is here today- because in some way God wants to speak to us. Words we may not understand completely at first- challenging words- that may change our life. Maybe God is calling you to baptism- Maybe God is calling you to watch less TV. Maybe God is calling you to give more. Friends don’t walk away because the words feel harsh at first- Jesus is too loving to be nice to us all the time. He loves us so much He tell us the truth.
So friends may we each hear the truth of Jesus in our lives. May we take it in and digest it and let His words become true life for us. Amen.

August 6th, John 6:22-35- Jesus is Wonder Bread, Part I

Let’s Pray
Use visual aids: toy boat, loaf of bread, toy sign or something- for the context- add a bit about consumerism/imagination/french woman story
John 6:22-35 Jesus is Wonder Bread, part 1.
22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?"
29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"
32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."
35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.

Me: I sometimes follow Jesus out of curiosity, not unlike the crowd in this story. I often enjoy and focus on the benefits of my belief system- what I get out of being a Christian. I don’t always center on Christ. So I can hear Christ saying to me, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” That is I struggle with idols- the works of my faith are my idols. The ideas, the books, the successes, the ministries. I get caught up in trying to impress my way on to God’s good side. I feel like I am saying, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
I wanna do the right thing, in just the right way, communicate rightly and so on- but usually all for my sake, not for Gods- I confess that most days I think more about myself than I do God. What’s in this for me type thinking can dominate my life if I am left to my own resources. Shaping my relationships only for my benefit, doing things in life that I find pleasure in and avoiding the rest- and the most dangerous re-casting God in my image.
We: Can you relate? To this crowd who is following Jesus just to get some more of that good bread? Coffee Hour/Social reality of the Christian church- the people came because they were fed- CONSUMERISM IS HERE IN THIS STORY- I think a lot of so-called spirituality today is about making the self feel better- is about “feeding” the soul without really believing and buying in to the son of God, Jesus Christ. I am not just talk about New agey stuff- I am talking about Fundamentalism and mainstream folks too- We all have the tendency to look at the “small picture” that is our own self, rather than the “big picture”- we follow Jesus because we had an experience- WE CONSUMED SOMETHING- and we want more experiences like that- we want more bread
God: So what does God in Jesus Christ have to say to people like us?
1. He understands us and speaks truth to us: Life is bigger than we think v. 26 “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” We come to worship, we dive into the scriptures- because we need truth spoken to us. We need to be reminded on the one hand of our capability to be selfish and on the other hand we need to be reminded that God sees us as priceless. It is dangerous to live life without a plumb line- without knowing the truth about life- we come to church and Jesus for all kinds of reasons some good and some not so good- but He will consistently speak the truth to us if we are willing to listen.
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: "pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need". Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find. Because he was willing to give up momentary satisfaction, he got all the water he needed. Now the note also said: after you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveller.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “ Please prime the pump, believe me it works”! MORAL OF THE STORY:
Do we believe the signs God has left for us to read? We need to pour in all the water, trust God with everything. We need to really buy in. Buy in to the reality that God loves us, wants us to give our life to living in servant way.
Then once we have experienced what God has to offer, the living water, we need to tell other people, “Go ahead prime the pump, believe me it works”!
2. Life is more than being entertained. 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?” He is Messiah not magician- and this is good news for us. [some W’s] His wonders are worked not for wows but for wholeness. The crowd- folks like us- want miracles and experiences so that we can say our faith isn’t foolish. We want miracles as PROOF in order to save our pride- Jesus does miracles, not so that it is easier for us to believe, but to point to the wholeness, healing and salvation that is His mission. Take this miracle that has just happened- Jesus fed the 5,000- he is not trying to put bakers out of business- he is trying to point to people’s need to depend on God for their sustenance for their provision. He puts it in the middle of the Lord’s prayer- Give us today our daily bread- this is not just about toast and biscuits- this is about our daily need to believe and admit the reality that true life and sustenance comes from God, not from ourselves and not from any other source.
You: [How does this relate to my life? Application] One has to get beyond the physical of the bread and get to the wonder of the bread.
V. 27 “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life [zoe], which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."
V. 35 “Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
First we must realize that Jesus is not being absolutely literal here- he is intentionally, most would say blatantly being symbolic- Food is a means to us staying alive- Jesus is the means for us to be most fully spiritually alive. Jesus is real food and real drink. To live a life of wonder you must embrace that there is a God who wants to live through your life.
God is not against us enjoying life- God just doesn’t want us to enjoy life simply for self gratification and self filling- that’s not the point. The point is to enjoy life while you are in the midst of the reality of God
This means not taking your days for granted. This means taking stock in your gifts and talents. This means looking for ways you can increase life and goodness in this world- through the life God has put into you.
We: So what if you and I, what if the crowds, began to realize that life was more than just appearances. That miracles weren’t for show but to point to God’s plan of healing and hope for the world? What would happen if more and more of us bought into God’s reality every day. What if every day we looked at bread and realized that just as that bread is real so is God real in my life and that I need God and God feeds me in order that I may live on and believe in Him and share Him with others. What if every day we prayed the Lord’s prayer and really believed it and prayed, “Give us today our daily bread” and we were praying for the whole church and the whole world- for physical feeding- but also realizing that more people will physically be fed when more people have spiritual rebirth in Jesus Christ- and come to the realization that life is not to be lived selfishly. God is yearning to reach every corner of this world- every corner of our families- every corner of our community- with this reality. Jesus wants no one to have a spiritually thirsty and a spiritually hungry life. Today we feast on the bread of wonder Jesus Christ- it is not trivial, it is history shattering, though it is small it is awesome and it is life altering. This bread we eat- if we Believe in who it represents- means we believe that we are called as God’s force in this world to love and to share goodness and life- no matter what. I encourage you not to eat this bread- if you don’t want to be part of Jesus’ force. But if you want to be like Jesus- increasing in humility, forgiveness, love and service - please consider consuming this bread and juice today- because with it you have real life and a real purpose- without it- you don’t have life.

July 3oth's Sermon: Psalm 14 "Is there Hope for evil doers?"

Fred was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up drinking."
Miraculously, a parking place appeared. Fred looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one!"
The misuse and denial of God is part of what the scriptures are speaking to us today. David misusing his authority- or the disciples mis-identifying Jesus and misunderstanding him. The psalm we will hear from today- speaks to an intentional denial of God.
Let’s pray
Psalm 14
[Very similar to Psalm 53. A psalm for a society- not directly individual. We should keep in mind this is a song, written by David and his folks. David was far from perfect and through David we learn of God’s forgiveness. So this is a song, composed by David and his people- who got a sense of God’s rhythm of what God’s SONG was all about.]
The fool [nabal] says in his heart,"There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Will evildoers never learn--those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
(from New International Version)

Description of the fool: - What defines an evil doer?
A “nabal” is not someone who is unintelligent, but someone who is making decisions/actions based on a wrong assumption. In this case the “nabal” or “fool” is living life as if there is no God that they will be held accountable. This person, nabal or fool, is saying “in his heart” that there is no God.
Mays, a commentator wrote, Live without praying to God- instead “preying” on others=.
Not so much about atheism as a philosophy as it is about people who are living intentionally atheistically- though they may be part of a religion.
V. 5- the “nabal” does not call on God in his need- because he is confident in his own resources
A nabal- a fool believes themselves powerful and autonomous- rather than humble and dependent on God.
Plot Twist- Who are the evil doers?
v. 3 seems to imply- that we are all susceptible and at times all guilty of living as if there is no God- “all have turned aside”
Paul brings this truth into the new testament. Romans 3- Paul connects this text to Jesus Christ
“ all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” v. 5 says, “God is present in the company of the righteous”- where God is present there is righteousness. Matthew 18:20- Jesus says “When two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.”
How is one righteous?- through Jesus Christ
The big daily choice: A choice of ways to live life- it is a daily choice: Is there hope for evil doers? Yes- and the church is a place for support, direction, guidance
Yes- we all intentionally, habitually and culturally deny God- we do it by not loving others, by not taking care of God’s creation- by getting involved in systems that oppress people.
Power/autonomy vs. weakness/trust- two different ways of living
Can people change?- God can change people.
There is hope by calling on and increasing the presence of Christ in our lives.
how is Christ increased in the world? Practical examples or Righteous Christ-filled living: Ways to live less like a fool this week
By doing good for others. By realizing there are consequences for the wrong we do- and asking for forgiveness. By forgiving others who have done wrong to us. By seeing that our actions- though we may see them as small- that they are all consequential- that how much we drive, what we recycle, where we eat, what we eat, what we say, how we treat people, how we treat the earth- all of these are real actions that we should not live out as if there is no God. God likes the little things. He likes when we give others a cup of cool water or when we simply enjoy life- like a child enjoys life. When we do a good act- without being prodded or forced. When we pray for our enemy- and treat our enemy just like we treat a friend. God smiles at all of this.
We do all this and more- not because we have to do any of it- but because the presence of God with us- the knowledge beyond knowledge of God’s deep abiding love for us- compels us to be people who live life according to God’s rhythm- to God’s song.
If we have one aspiration in life- wouldn’t the best one possibly be- to be in rhythm with God. To be singing the same song as God- to be about what God is about. To live life with God present. May we seek to live a life filled with goodness that pours out of us. May we seek to see our own foolishness, the foolishness of our families, culture and churches- and see to live in God’s reality and not by our own power.
Amen

July 23rd's Sermon: Mark 6:30-44 “How to feed a crowd”.

Mark 6:30-44 “How to feed a crowd”.
Context: We just learned of Jbap’s execution- this story is contrast. What had happened just before this scripture? Jesus has been doing miracles- healing and preaching- he has also just sent out his disciples to do ministry and they have returned to report on what has happened.
Mark 6:30-44
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them [They were recognizing Jesus and His disciples. They were literally so excited- that they outran Jesus to the other side of the lake- have you ever had that excitement for Jesus?]. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. 36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."
37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." [Imperative- this is a command]
They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?"
38 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." [Imperative- this is a command]
When they found out, they said, "Five-and two fish." [- fish and bread- staples of the Palestine area diet]
39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass [indicates spring season]. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. [- 5,000+ was a huge number- and this was just the men- even the large villages in that area would have less than 3,000, - it would have been difficult for this crowd to even eat in a nearby village.]
This story reminds of us of the Hebrews being provided the manna in the desert and Elisha feeding people in 2 Kings 4
Different Interpretations of this story: This is a story asserting Jesus’ messiah-ship- that he is in league with Moses and Elisha- indeed exceeds them There are different interpretations of this story. Some assert that this is not a supernatural event- that the sharing of Jesus encouraged the sharing of the people in the crowd- this may be true- I tend to think that if this was the case we would have a direct hint toward that- some say the leftovers is the hint- if you side with this interpretation that is fine- but it assumes that when Jesus sent his disciples to find food that they did an incomplete investigation. Rather I think the direct evidence is the public went on a longer journey than they anticipated so snacks ran out and people didn’t have any extra. It was just a long day trip- so starvation is not at risk- but there were likely mothers who needed to nourishment to nurse and children who were crying for food
So there are different ways to approach this story- today I approach it simply- God in Christ fed a hungry crowd- What is a miracle?
God did something his disciples thought was impossible- something that is possible by the power of God- and it therefore points to God’s reality
So lets look at the principles involved in this miracle- we don’t know how miracles are done- but we can see and learn from actions surrounding the miracle
Principles:
1. Enter into God’s Kitchen- Believe that God is able to provide- v. 41 “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.” Give thanks to God-
2. Care for the people who are hungry. - You have to care about the crowd- v. 34 “he had compassion on them” Don’t see ministry as an object or an idea- see God’s people, serve out of compassion not obligation- Bonhoeffer community quote
3. Start with the ingredients that you have-
- don’t not start something good- because you’re not sure if you can reach everyone
- $21 through the World Food Programme can feed one adult and three children for one month- $34- can help provide education with the food to help escape the cycle of poverty
4. Be faithful to what God adds in- be faithful to deliver God’s goods. the disciples obviously continued to hand out food even after they realized that the initial amount was served. They understood their calling.
5. Marvel at God’s goodness- everyone was fed 5000 men and many more with women and children. There were leftovers- one basket for each disciple. God had provided for the disciples on their recent missionary adventures. Perhaps jesus was wanting to show them that his Kingdom was not for them alone- but that He is introducing a universal kingdom- where all people are offered forgiveness and compassion. Maybe the biggest barrier for the disciples was believing that Jesus loved each person in the crowd just as much as he loved each of the disciples.
Jesus had a doggy bag left over for each of the disciples. “Remember how I took care of you” he is saying with these leftovers- and in essences he is saying, “my plan is to show love to everyone”
Jesus had told his disciples at one point, “Freely you have received, Freely give.” How can you give this week? I am not going to tell you how- I am going to leave it to you and the Holy Spirit of God to work that out.
May you enter into God’s reality this week- Giving thanks for what God has given. May God stir compassion in your heart for some person or group this week- and may you serve- starting with whatever you have and giving also whatever God adds in. Freely we have received- Freely we give.
Amen