Acts 1:6-14 Ben...
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Acts 1:6-14
Ben Campbell Johnson used to be a professor of evangelism at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He told the story of how he once attended a church conference, where he was introduced to a woman he hadn't met before. Early in the conversation, he mentioned that he was a seminary professor.
"What do you teach?" the woman asked, with great interest.
"Evangelism," he replied.
"Oh," she responded with a sigh. "And I thought you were such a nice man!"
At his ascension, Jesus tells his disciples, "You will be my witnesses." It is our task to find a way to witness that is inviting, rather than turning others away.
Acts 1:6-14
The disciples didn't get it.
Jesus had just spent three years teaching them about the ways of God and what they needed to do to be doing God's work. They'd watched him be crucified (from afar) and buried, and then rise again on that first Easter Sunday. And then he'd been with them for forty days, giving them his final instructions about how to carry on his work after he was gone.
And now he was ready to say farewell to them and go back to heaven, and what was their final question to him -- their final, final question?
They were tired of being oppressed by their Roman conquerors; they wanted political freedom, so they asked, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Is that our main concern today -- temporary things? Or have we caught on to what Jesus has been saying to us?
Acts 1:6-14
Gail and Patty have been friends for many years, dating back to their days in high school. The two women have been having lunch on a regular basis for many years. Over the years, they talked about many subjects ranging from dating and being engaged to raising children. They also talked about politics and matters of faith, as well as many other topics.
One day over lunch, Patty asked about Gail's son, Jared. Jared was an elementary school teacher in the community. Gail told her friend how well he related to the children in his class. As they spoke, Gail recalled an incident when Jared was ten years old. Their church had a missionary speak one Sunday. The missionary told of his work with people in Africa. Later that day, Jared announced that he wanted to be a missionary and tell others about Jesus. With that Jared left the house to play with his friends.
The next morning, as Gail was about to leave for church she noticed that on their driveway and the next-door neighbor's and the neighbors across the street, that Jared had written with chalk, in large letters, "Jesus loves you." He was a missionary sharing his love of Jesus with his neighbors and friends at a young age. From that incident, Gail says she is more intentional about sharing her faith with friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Her ten-year-old son set an example for her and continues to live out being a missionary in faith and in teaching young children.
The risen Lord Jesus charges all believers, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We do not have to travel far to share our faith in Jesus Christ. Our mission field begins at the end of our driveway.
Acts 1:6-14
Jack tells the story of his limp in this way: I suppose if we knew the outcome of our actions before we undertook them, we would act differently. But that would be a mistake. I knew it was risky to attempt the black diamond slopes when I had only just learned to ski. But I was 21, full of confidence, short on common sense. Besides, my buddies dared me. So down I went, over moguls rather than around them. I was soon out of control, and before you could yell, "Watch out," my skis caught the snow and I plowed right into a rock outcropping. I shattered my femur in three places. I was airlifted to the hospital where I my leg was pinned and I went through extensive rehabilitation. One of the nurses, a recent graduate, caught my eye, and it wasn't long before I couldn't wait for her shift to begin. By the time I was released from the hospital, we were an item. We have been married these past twenty years, and have three beautiful children. If I hadn't foolishly skied down that hill, I would never have met her. Despite the pain, despite the limp that never went away, I wouldn't change a thing.
I think of Jack's story each time I read Acts 1:7. It is not for us to know the times or the seasons. It is for us to live by faith and experience all that comes our way.
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Many Christians in Germany suffered for resisting the idolatry of Nazism. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer went so far as to plot to assassinate Hitler. He was arrested, held two years, and executed in April 1945 -- just days before his prison was liberated by advancing Allied troops. Within his cell, he maintained some contact with the larger Christian church. He took consolation that faithful Christians around the world prayed for him and also that his fellow conspirators never confessed to fully implicate him.
Bonhoeffer's Christian witness brought comfort and good news not only to his fellow prisoners, but also to the prison personnel. His last act was to lead a religious service. His last months and his last day witnessed to God's strength present when we know our "brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering."
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
"Unconventional! Crazy! Unworkable!" That's probably what Peter thought the first time he heard the advice that he gave in this text. He first learned it from Jesus himself in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you." Peter probably scoffed thinking that it would never work in the real world, especially among his fellow fishermen. Still, Jesus preached it and practiced it, not wavering even as they unmercifully drove spikes into his hands and humiliated him on the cross.
Jesus also expected Peter to live that way. From New Testament accounts it took Peter years to adapt to Jesus' demand. According to Acts 3-5 though, Peter finally came to terms with it. Some of us have been reading the Beatitudes for decades and still hesitate, if not refuse, to find joy when people revile us for believing Christ. Have you learned to experience that pleasure yet?
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
I believe the writer here is pointing out that persecution is inevitable. It is not easy to be a Christian. Generally, here in the United States we have not faced persecution for living the Christian life. There are occasions when being fully Christian means we will face pain and persecution, just because we try to live the Christian life.
We need to remember that the motto of the great Benedictine order of monks is four letters -- IOGD, in omnibus glorificetur Deus. These Latin words mean, "in order that in all things God may be glorified." A new dimension of grace can come to us when we give ourselves in service to others.
After the pastor had spoken strongly against sin, a member came to him and asked, "I know sin needs to be confronted, but we don't want you to be harping about it in such a pointed way." The minister went to the cabinet where drugs were kept and brought back a bottle labeled, "strychnine, poison." He took the poison label off and placed it next to some nonpoisonous drugs. How true, that the milder you make the poison, the more dangerous it is.
Peter's warning here needs to be taken seriously. In chapter 5 he compares the power of evil to a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.
John 17:1-11
Anthony de Mello tells this story.
"What's so original about this man?" asked a visitor. "All he gives you is a hash of stories, proverbs, and sayings from other masters."
A woman disciple smiled. She had once had a cook who made the most wonderful hash in the world.
"How on earth do you make it, my dear?" she asked. "You must give me the recipe."
The cook's face glowed with pride. She said, "Well, ma'am, I'll tell yer: beef's nothin'; pepper's nothin'; onion's nothin'; but when I throws myself into the hash -- that's what makes it what it is."
Jesus has given us the words (John 17:8). Yet, the words alone won't carry the message. We must throw ourselves into it, as well.
John 17:1-11
Everyone knows John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
Here in chapter 3 of the gospel of John, Jesus tells us what we need to do to inherit everlasting life: We need to believe in him -- which means more than just to agree that he exists. Jesus invites us to have an actual relationship with him, a relationship such as we might have with one of our closest friends. He invites us to walk with him and talk with him each day.
In our gospel for today, John 17:1-11, Jesus says the same thing. He says: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Jesus invites us to know him and his Father. How do we get to know someone? By spending time with them each day.
John 17:1-11
Fred began attending Sunday school when he was just a baby. "My family lived a mile down a dirt road from the church," he recalls. In those days, Fred explains, the church played a central role in the community. His father and other leaders in the community taught Sunday school. Fred remembers his teacher's names and how seriously they took their responsibility for teaching. He credits them for helping him form the basic beliefs he still holds some seventy years later.
Fred continues attending Sunday school, and teaches one month each year. His lifelong interest in Sunday school came from his upbringing, "I knew Sunday school had to be important because it was so important to my parents and my teachers." Fred credits his parents for instilling the importance of attending Sunday school each week, "whether I wanted to go or not." Today, many years later, he is thankful for his parents and their example that continues to influence him.
In our gospel lesson, Jesus is praying for his disciples knowing that his time with them would soon come to an end. He is praying that they will continue living out their faith. Jesus prays, "For the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me."
John 17:1-11
What greater joy for any church than to have a faithful Sunday school staff. These women and men take the children who are entrusted to them each fall, teach them Bible stories, share their faith with the students, and most importantly, model the Christian faith in their lives and by their words. In many ways, these teachers can pray Jesus' high priestly prayer (John 17) themselves, on a simpler scale. Although these teachers do not ask to be glorified by and in front of the congregation, a token of thanks and appreciation is certainly in order.
Ben Campbell Johnson used to be a professor of evangelism at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He told the story of how he once attended a church conference, where he was introduced to a woman he hadn't met before. Early in the conversation, he mentioned that he was a seminary professor.
"What do you teach?" the woman asked, with great interest.
"Evangelism," he replied.
"Oh," she responded with a sigh. "And I thought you were such a nice man!"
At his ascension, Jesus tells his disciples, "You will be my witnesses." It is our task to find a way to witness that is inviting, rather than turning others away.
Acts 1:6-14
The disciples didn't get it.
Jesus had just spent three years teaching them about the ways of God and what they needed to do to be doing God's work. They'd watched him be crucified (from afar) and buried, and then rise again on that first Easter Sunday. And then he'd been with them for forty days, giving them his final instructions about how to carry on his work after he was gone.
And now he was ready to say farewell to them and go back to heaven, and what was their final question to him -- their final, final question?
They were tired of being oppressed by their Roman conquerors; they wanted political freedom, so they asked, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Is that our main concern today -- temporary things? Or have we caught on to what Jesus has been saying to us?
Acts 1:6-14
Gail and Patty have been friends for many years, dating back to their days in high school. The two women have been having lunch on a regular basis for many years. Over the years, they talked about many subjects ranging from dating and being engaged to raising children. They also talked about politics and matters of faith, as well as many other topics.
One day over lunch, Patty asked about Gail's son, Jared. Jared was an elementary school teacher in the community. Gail told her friend how well he related to the children in his class. As they spoke, Gail recalled an incident when Jared was ten years old. Their church had a missionary speak one Sunday. The missionary told of his work with people in Africa. Later that day, Jared announced that he wanted to be a missionary and tell others about Jesus. With that Jared left the house to play with his friends.
The next morning, as Gail was about to leave for church she noticed that on their driveway and the next-door neighbor's and the neighbors across the street, that Jared had written with chalk, in large letters, "Jesus loves you." He was a missionary sharing his love of Jesus with his neighbors and friends at a young age. From that incident, Gail says she is more intentional about sharing her faith with friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Her ten-year-old son set an example for her and continues to live out being a missionary in faith and in teaching young children.
The risen Lord Jesus charges all believers, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We do not have to travel far to share our faith in Jesus Christ. Our mission field begins at the end of our driveway.
Acts 1:6-14
Jack tells the story of his limp in this way: I suppose if we knew the outcome of our actions before we undertook them, we would act differently. But that would be a mistake. I knew it was risky to attempt the black diamond slopes when I had only just learned to ski. But I was 21, full of confidence, short on common sense. Besides, my buddies dared me. So down I went, over moguls rather than around them. I was soon out of control, and before you could yell, "Watch out," my skis caught the snow and I plowed right into a rock outcropping. I shattered my femur in three places. I was airlifted to the hospital where I my leg was pinned and I went through extensive rehabilitation. One of the nurses, a recent graduate, caught my eye, and it wasn't long before I couldn't wait for her shift to begin. By the time I was released from the hospital, we were an item. We have been married these past twenty years, and have three beautiful children. If I hadn't foolishly skied down that hill, I would never have met her. Despite the pain, despite the limp that never went away, I wouldn't change a thing.
I think of Jack's story each time I read Acts 1:7. It is not for us to know the times or the seasons. It is for us to live by faith and experience all that comes our way.
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Many Christians in Germany suffered for resisting the idolatry of Nazism. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer went so far as to plot to assassinate Hitler. He was arrested, held two years, and executed in April 1945 -- just days before his prison was liberated by advancing Allied troops. Within his cell, he maintained some contact with the larger Christian church. He took consolation that faithful Christians around the world prayed for him and also that his fellow conspirators never confessed to fully implicate him.
Bonhoeffer's Christian witness brought comfort and good news not only to his fellow prisoners, but also to the prison personnel. His last act was to lead a religious service. His last months and his last day witnessed to God's strength present when we know our "brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering."
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
"Unconventional! Crazy! Unworkable!" That's probably what Peter thought the first time he heard the advice that he gave in this text. He first learned it from Jesus himself in the Beatitudes: "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you." Peter probably scoffed thinking that it would never work in the real world, especially among his fellow fishermen. Still, Jesus preached it and practiced it, not wavering even as they unmercifully drove spikes into his hands and humiliated him on the cross.
Jesus also expected Peter to live that way. From New Testament accounts it took Peter years to adapt to Jesus' demand. According to Acts 3-5 though, Peter finally came to terms with it. Some of us have been reading the Beatitudes for decades and still hesitate, if not refuse, to find joy when people revile us for believing Christ. Have you learned to experience that pleasure yet?
1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
I believe the writer here is pointing out that persecution is inevitable. It is not easy to be a Christian. Generally, here in the United States we have not faced persecution for living the Christian life. There are occasions when being fully Christian means we will face pain and persecution, just because we try to live the Christian life.
We need to remember that the motto of the great Benedictine order of monks is four letters -- IOGD, in omnibus glorificetur Deus. These Latin words mean, "in order that in all things God may be glorified." A new dimension of grace can come to us when we give ourselves in service to others.
After the pastor had spoken strongly against sin, a member came to him and asked, "I know sin needs to be confronted, but we don't want you to be harping about it in such a pointed way." The minister went to the cabinet where drugs were kept and brought back a bottle labeled, "strychnine, poison." He took the poison label off and placed it next to some nonpoisonous drugs. How true, that the milder you make the poison, the more dangerous it is.
Peter's warning here needs to be taken seriously. In chapter 5 he compares the power of evil to a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.
John 17:1-11
Anthony de Mello tells this story.
"What's so original about this man?" asked a visitor. "All he gives you is a hash of stories, proverbs, and sayings from other masters."
A woman disciple smiled. She had once had a cook who made the most wonderful hash in the world.
"How on earth do you make it, my dear?" she asked. "You must give me the recipe."
The cook's face glowed with pride. She said, "Well, ma'am, I'll tell yer: beef's nothin'; pepper's nothin'; onion's nothin'; but when I throws myself into the hash -- that's what makes it what it is."
Jesus has given us the words (John 17:8). Yet, the words alone won't carry the message. We must throw ourselves into it, as well.
John 17:1-11
Everyone knows John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."
Here in chapter 3 of the gospel of John, Jesus tells us what we need to do to inherit everlasting life: We need to believe in him -- which means more than just to agree that he exists. Jesus invites us to have an actual relationship with him, a relationship such as we might have with one of our closest friends. He invites us to walk with him and talk with him each day.
In our gospel for today, John 17:1-11, Jesus says the same thing. He says: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
Jesus invites us to know him and his Father. How do we get to know someone? By spending time with them each day.
John 17:1-11
Fred began attending Sunday school when he was just a baby. "My family lived a mile down a dirt road from the church," he recalls. In those days, Fred explains, the church played a central role in the community. His father and other leaders in the community taught Sunday school. Fred remembers his teacher's names and how seriously they took their responsibility for teaching. He credits them for helping him form the basic beliefs he still holds some seventy years later.
Fred continues attending Sunday school, and teaches one month each year. His lifelong interest in Sunday school came from his upbringing, "I knew Sunday school had to be important because it was so important to my parents and my teachers." Fred credits his parents for instilling the importance of attending Sunday school each week, "whether I wanted to go or not." Today, many years later, he is thankful for his parents and their example that continues to influence him.
In our gospel lesson, Jesus is praying for his disciples knowing that his time with them would soon come to an end. He is praying that they will continue living out their faith. Jesus prays, "For the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me."
John 17:1-11
What greater joy for any church than to have a faithful Sunday school staff. These women and men take the children who are entrusted to them each fall, teach them Bible stories, share their faith with the students, and most importantly, model the Christian faith in their lives and by their words. In many ways, these teachers can pray Jesus' high priestly prayer (John 17) themselves, on a simpler scale. Although these teachers do not ask to be glorified by and in front of the congregation, a token of thanks and appreciation is certainly in order.
