Sermon in The Park

 (Today's service was in the pavilion at Tipton City Park)

The past several weeks we have looked at some of the lesser-known heroes of the Bible.  Today's hero is mentioned, though briefly, in all four gospels.

There are three categories of Christians.

Have you ever tried to be something you are not?

First category: Counterfeit Christians.  There are too many fake Christians.

Second category:  Closet Christians.  Today we see a closet Christian in the Bible.  This was Joseph of Arimithea.  This Joseph was a secret disciple.  He was a prominent leader among the people.  He came to be a believer in Jesus, but he feared the religious leaders.

Being a good person does not mean one has a relationship with Christ.

Joseph, the closet follower of Jesus, was changed when he saw Christ crucified.  He now became a member of the

Third category:  Bold Christians.

Though Jesus was crucified as a criminal, Joseph recognized that he should be honored with a proper burial.  He went to the authorities, claimed the body, and boldly prepared it for burial and entombed it in honor.

Joseph went bold as a believer.  That is what the world needs.

Being a closet Christian is dangerous.  People need to see the bold believer.

How many times have you missed an opportunity to be bold for Jesus?

If you live boldly for Jesus it will radically change not only your life, but the lives of those around you!

People are seeking hope.  We cannot serve our God out of fear.

Romans 3:23   Bad news, good news.
²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 5:8  
⁸ But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23  
²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 10:8 

 ⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

"God knows you are a sinner but He sent His Son anyway!"

What is keeping you from being "all in" for God?

(Following the message, eight people were baptized, thus "going bold" for Jesus!) 

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday noon

Not a Joke

When does the  air-conditioning unit fail?

On the eve of the hottest day of the year.


Knock, knock.
Who's there?
BRS Mechanical!

Back up and running by 3:00 p.m.  Thank you, BRS.

I Believe in the Healing Power of Jesus

Because I have seen it.
Because I have experienced it.
I believe the healing power of Jesus is available to us today.

The scripture lesson is from John 5:1-15 in which Jesus walking by the pool beside which are waiting the afflicted for the troubling of the waters so that someone might be healed.  There Jesus saw a man, crippled, doubtless dirty, unable to get into the pool unaided, yet for thirty-eight years he was shunned, stepped over or stepped around.  But Jesus saw him and asked of him, "Do you want to be well?"

The man, shunned and ignored, a social outcast, possibly embittered, had for years hoped for healing, yet he was still hoping.   Jesus said, "Pick up your mat and walk."

Jesus speaks possibility into impossible situations.

 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."  Matthew 19:26

Jesus sees you.  God does not see us or define us by our affliction, our disease, our addiction.  He knows the you you are designed to be.  He knows your name.  He does not step over you, he sees you.

Jesus knows your struggles, your pain.  He wants to take your story and merge it with His. 

Your identity is defined in Him.

We are paralyzed by fear, by regrets, by bad habits.  Jesus can save us in the midst of the paralysis.

He says, "Get up!"

At the conclusion of the outline card, Pastor asked me to write a prayer of how I need Jesus to help me.

Dear Jesus, I need you to rule in my life that I might reflect You according to your perfect will.

Love,

Bob

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

Definition of a Miracle:

When God's story comes in contact with a human story and something changes.

Keep a civil tongue in your head.

We often give grace to idiots simply by keeping our mouths shut and moving on with our life.  This is as it should be, for our judgmental "idiots" may be totally off-base; we've no idea what they have been through today.  And how often might we be in need of the same grace when viewed by others?

If you've nothing nice to say, say nothing. 

To follow this advice could contribute greatly to civility in our land.

Praise, Worship, and Contemplation

Today I attended St. Mattress Cathedral while the Mrs. worshiped at Bedside Chapel.  Following this we both found ourselves refreshed.  If you cannot sleep at night, you have to sleep sometime.

To spend a few extra moments with Jesus on this Lord's Day, here are some observations by vanilla and his Beautiful Beloved Better Half.

 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.  --Psalm 24:1

More about Aging

The mind says, "Yes, you can,"  and still ya
Hear your body say, "Do it and I'll kill ya."

"Listen to your body." --My physical therapist.

Ancient?

Young woman hurried around me to get to the door ahead of me.  She reached out, opened the door and with a smile indicated that I should enter ahead of her.  Young lady holds door for poor old man.

I am officially old now.

Lydia's Hospitality

The Scripture lesson is Acts 16:11-15 in which is related the story of Lydia coming to Paul and bringing her family to be baptized.

"Imagine if you will, close your eyes if need be and picture a quiet, still pond.  Then throw a small stone into the  pond and watch the effect.  The ripples move out in every direction, moving across the pond until all the pond has been affected by the stone.

"The pond is the world.  The stone: each and every action you do every day which will affect someone."

The story of Lydia who appears in only seven verses of the Bible is important to us today.  Lydia was a businesswoman, a seller of purple, the head of her household.  She clearly possessed stature in her community.  She heard Paul's message and she was completely changed.  She recognized that she needed Jesus and she knew that her family needed Him, too.  She went to Paul to be baptized and presented her family to be baptized as well.

She worshiped God; she opened her heart, and something happened to Lydia.  Paul brought the message, but it was the Holy Spirit who softened her heart.

Lydia persuaded Paul and his entourage to come to her house. (v. 30).
This gathering represents the first church plant in Europe.  
*We may be gathered here today because of Lydia'a hospitality.*

Missionaries are really amazing people; missionaries and missions are often confused.  The mission field is the world, and our own neighborhood is part of that  world.
We are all called to be missionaries.
We are not just saved from the past, we are called to something, that is, to be witnesses for Christ, to tell others of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus died for me and for the world.  The mission field is all around us
Every broken life has potential.  Think of the ripple effect that your life has.  If you are not leading others to Christ you can't call yourself a Christian.  We are called to much more than comfort and ease.  We are not called to be comfortable.

*If you are not bearing fruit you are dying.*

We must share our story.  The Holy Spirit does the work; we just have to show up.

Three steps to sharing our story.

1.  Look for lost people.  Think Lydia's family.
2.  Pray for those lost people and tell them.
3.  Craft your story and share it often.

"I know God, He knows me, and I want to know Him more every day.

"That's my story.  What's your story?"

 

Pastor Joe Deckard

Sunday morning

From Great to Good

Pastor Johnnie announced that this is the first in a series of sermons on "Hidden Character."

Today we study Barnabas; lesson is based on Acts 11:20-34.

Why was Barnabas considered "Good"?

Barnabas was a good man.  What does that mean? What does it mean to be "a good man"?

1.  Barnabas was good when it came to money.
     His first appearance in scripture is as a generous giver.  Generosity is a sign of goodness.

Barnabas was trustworthy in handling money for others.  How we handle possessions is a sign of goodness.  Good people have integrity.

2.  Barnabas was good in dealing with outsiders.  He sponsored the new convert, Saul, who would later be the Apostle Paul.  Saul tried to join the Christians but they were afraid of him, justifiably so, given Saul's history.  Barnabas witnessed in Saul's behalf.  He sponsored Paul, an outsider.  Barnabas took seriously the call to "Go, make disciples.:
Barnabas is called the Son of Consolation.

3.  Barnabas was patient with others.  Barnabas gave John Mark a second chance, and in opposition to Paul.

SO, DO YOU SEEK TO BE GOOD-- or would you rather be great?
Greatness has more to do with fame and worldly success.  Goodness has to do with moral excellence. 

Ordinary people can be good.

Even great people can be good. 

 SO HOW DO WE BECOME GOOD?

     Goodness can only be achieved through the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Johnnie Blair

Sunday morning

Too many people have the gift of discouragement.  

They are like vacuum cleaners.  They are really

loud, and they really, really suck.

Sold Out to Mammon

Dear Grandson,

As you launch your career following your recent graduation from university, we wish you a long, happy and fulfilling life.

Counsel?  Of course, and I know you did not ask.  But here's the thing.  I have lived a long time and have observed many things, so please attend to this.

It is an admirable thing that you will launch yourself into the work force at a starting salary of 50k and money is the thing that will provide you with the wherewithal to keep body and soul together.  But many people I have known sold their time too cheaply.  I do not mean in terms of money, for I know a man who is sixty years old and has a salary of over 300k.  He has sold his time too cheaply.  Not because the salary is too small, but of what he gave up to achieve it.

He is a husband and a father of two children.  He possesses a fine residence on Snob Hill with four-car garage, and each bay home to a Mercedes model or a Land Rover.  My point is, he does not want for stuff.  What he does lack is a relationship with his children, and whatever he once had with his wife is long gone.  How did this happen?  He sold his time too cheaply,  In order to climb the corporate ladder to his current level, he sacrificed his family.   He never had time to play pitch-and-catch with the kids; he never had time to take the family on camping trips.  Oh, he did take them along from time to time when he was sent to an exotic place by his company, but he never spent any of that time with his family, either, unless you count the time sealed into the tube of an aircraft.

The man sold his time too cheaply, sold it for a high-powered salary and a semblance of power and influence.  Sold out, one might correctly say.
My advice?  If you have read this little account, ponder it and decide carefully what you are going to get in exchange for your time.

Love,
Grandpa Bob