Sunday May 22, 2011
Fifth Sunday after Easter
Psalm 33:1-4 ESV Bible
Acts 7:55-60 Gods Word Bible
1 Peter 2:2-10 Common English Bible
. . . Priceless
The Lord be with you. . .
And also with you. . .
Let us pray. . .
Loving, Compassionate, God, We thank you for your word that you have given us to help us on our journey of life. We pray that you would open your ancient words to us this day. Give us a better understanding of how you would have us live our lives. We pray for your Spirit to move among us as we hear the word you have for us this day. Speak to us in ways that we never imagined. May we have ears to hear, eyes to see and an open heart to you and your will for our lives. Speak Lord. . . your children are listening. . .
Have you ever noticed in life that some things that seem that they are worthless are really worth a lot? I love watching those shows that people bring things that they think are worthless to the show and there are appraisers there and they find out what they have is actually worth a lot. That even happens sometimes in relationships. We are put in the lives of some people and we may think to ourselves that the relationship is worthless; it has no real value to us, just to find out that the worthless relationship has become a relationship that we rely on and is priceless to us. There are other times when we do things, out of the sheer joy of doing them just to find out that what we did was priceless to that other person.
Even in nature we come across things that we think is worthless and find beauty and symmetry in it. We may see a tree stump and think it is dead but when we take a closer look we find small shoots that are coming up out of it. . . new life out of something that we thought was dead. Take this rock for instance. . . (Show rock). . . some might think of it as just a rock. . . it nothing but dead matter. . . but it is so much more than that. Even in the Gospels we hear about persons and things that seem dead but are alive. 1 Peter 1:2-10 talks about a rock in a whole new way. It reads and I’m reading from the Common English Bible. . .
A living stone. . . Christ as a living stone. Now this metaphor that Peter uses seemed strange to me when I first read it years ago. Rocks are rocks and they can’t be alive. . . it’s an inanimate object. . . Well. . . I was so wrong.
Science tells us that a rock is really microcosm of whirling subatomic particles. What Peter may have been saying is that when the stones become living when they are shaped and formed into an edifice, where living takes place. Christ is the corner stone. . . the foundation. . . the living stone upon which the church is made alive. He is the platform. . . the edifice. . . from which our lives take shape and form. . . are constructed. We have a strong, permanent rock that shall never be moved. It is priceless! Christ as our corner stone knits us together as one. Even though Christ was rejected, through His resurrection He was made that corner stone for you and for me.
As we live out our faith in our lives, we never know what will happen when we “pay the price” of being a disciple of Christ, as we live out the Gospel of Grace in our lives even though the world around us is different, even as we suffer humiliation and ridicule from others...and some even to the point of death. The price we may pay may be high but it is a priceless object we get as an end result. We receive our salvation. . . our pardon. . . our adoption in the family of God, princes and princesses of the King of kings. . . our hope for the future and so much more.
In the Acts scripture this morning. . . a man named Saul held the accusers coats as they stoned Stephen. This man is the same man that became Paul after his encounter with the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. This is one of the same people that Stephen asked God to forgive. Was part of Saul’s conversion because of what he heard Stephen do at the end of his life as he asked for that forgiveness? Hmmm. . . As we live out our faith, we may never know how it will affect someone else. We may never know how priceless our actions may be for someone else.
Beloved sons and daughter of the Most High God, this stone can be a stumbling block for us or a precious stone. It all depends on our attitude. Is it not worth it or is it priceless? Is it a stumbling stone of offense or is more precious than silver? Only you and I can decide that. But as you contemplate on this question I want you to remember. . . God thought that we were so priceless that He sent His Son so that we might receive redemption. Christ went to the cross because He too believed that the redemption of humanity was worth the cost. Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross and said “You are worth this much to me. . . ” Which way will you chose?
(The price of a new car. . . about $16,000.00. The price of a hamburger. . . about $2.00. The cost of our salvation. . . 1 human life. Who we are in Christ Jesus. . . priceless. . . )
Amen?!
May 22, 2011
1 Peter 2:2-10 (Common English Bible)
Acts 7:55-60 (God’s Word Translation)
Psalm 33:1-4 (ESV Bible)(Cal to Worship)
Worship Theme: “Proclaiming Christ”
and sermon: “. . . Priceless”
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Suncook United Methodist ChurchSuncook, NH
May 22, 2011
Fifth Sunday of Easter
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