Second Sunday of Lent
Worship Theme: promises with a price. . .
Psalm 105:1-3 NRSV Bible
Genesis 17:1-10 NRSV Bible
Romans 4:16-25 NRSV Bible
Mark 8:31-38 NRSV Bible
“The Foolishness of God”
When I was younger, I really liked to watch magicians do their “stuff.” I found it fascinating that they were able to do the things that were “impossible”. They would make things disappear. . . they would saw a woman in half. . . they would do the most “miraculous” things. At one time I even wanted to be a magician’s assistant. I wanted to know how they did these things. . . I wanted to learn their secrets. How amazing it was for me. They could do the impossible.
Last week, we talked about how Lent is a time for new beginnings and how we have a God of new beginnings. When I think about how God works. . . how God does what He does. . . I am in awe of Him. The world round us says impossible but our God says “I am the God of the impossible”. . . the world tells us it can’t be done and our God answers “watch me.” Too many in our society think. . . God is nothing but a bunch of foolishness. . . He does things all backwards. . . God just doesn’t fit into the status quo. We read all through the bible about the “foolish things that God has done”, we even see with our own eyes “the foolishness He still does today.”
In the Genesis Scripture from this morning. . . we hear about Abraham. . . He and Sarah were going to what! Have a baby in their old age. . . be the ancestors of a great nation with so many descendants that the grains of sand couldn’t count them! What foolishness was that! But our God showed His love and compassion. . . our God began a nation through these two barren people. . . praise God for His foolishness. . . and He continues His foolishness today. An answered prayer for healing of a friend when their doctors have told them they had not long to live. . . an answered prayer when a single mother of three are about to lose their home and all of the sudden the money shows up to pay the rent. . . an answered prayer of a church with no way of opening their doors to all of God’s people with a bequest that is just the right amount. . . how foolish it was to pray. . . how awesome is the foolishness of God. . .
In our society we learn at young age you have to work for everything. . . nothing is for free. You are self made people and you can have anything you want by working for it. . . but God says no. In the Romans scripture from this morning, God says I have a gift for you, the price is paid already, and all you have to do is to believe. . . What! No we have to work for what we want. . . nothing is for free. If I take something that I haven’t paid for that’s called stealing and that’s one of the “Big 10”. You want me to believe in something I can’t touch, I can’t see?! The foolishness of our God says “come unto me all who are weary and I will give you rest”. . . For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son. . . how awesome is the foolishness of God.
Even Peter. . . the Rock. . . didn’t understand the foolishness of God. Lets read about this time of questioning God’s foolishness found in Mark 8 verses 31-38 found on page 919 in the pew bible. . . Now this is some “radical Foolishness”
Now Peter had just admitted who Jesus was. . . the Messiah. . . now Jesus was telling them that He was going to die a criminal’s death. Peter must have thought to himself “What. . . no way. You are the messiah and you are going to take Rome by storm and might. You are going to set God’s people free. There is no way You’re going to die like this. . . and what is this denying myself. . . this saving my life by losing it! Really! How foolish is that!” But Jesus rebuked him. Peter. . . get your mind out of what is in this world and get your mind set on the eternal. . . I’m here to be radical not what the world would have me be. . . Such foolishness. . . how awesome is the foolishness of God. Without it I would not be here, redeemed, anointed and appointed to preach the Gospel of Grace. . . without it you and I could not be called sons and daughters of the Most High. . . and some say foolish, God.
Not only has God shown His “foolishness” from the cross but He has also been foolish enough to give us a new name in Christ. . . even though we are sinners we are not laid aside and punished but given a new beginning in Christ. This promise of new life. . . the promises that we receive being descendants of Abraham and Sarah. . . seem foolish to other. . . as a matter of fact impossible to comprehend. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t so. Heck. . . if it wasn’t for our faith we wouldn’t believe in the “foolish God” either. God does the impossible to show His glory. Our God is the God of the impossible. How awesome is the foolishness of God. . . how blessed we are to have a Savior that came to be foolish for you and for me. How awesome to know God is still as foolish today as He was long ago. How blessed it was for our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, to make Himself a fool for you and for me. May we too be a fool for Him and share the foolishness of the Gospel He lived. One of love, hope and peace that still is foolishness to the world in which we live. Thank you God for your foolishness on that cross on a hill so long ago.
AMEN
March 4, 2012
Worship Theme: promises with a price. . .
Mark 8:33
Worship Theme: promises
with a price. . .
Mark 8:31-38
Genesis 17:1-10
Romans 4:16-25
Mark 8:29
Matthew 11:28
John 3:16
Call to Worship (Psalm
105:1-3)
Unison Prayer
Prayer of Dedication (GBOD
Mark 8:31-38)
The Great Thanksgiving for
Early in Lent
and sermon, “The
Foolishness of God”
http://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2012/03/sermon-foolishness-of-god-by-pastor.htmlby
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation
blog
“God’s Whisper”
blog
Suncook United Methodist Church
Suncook, NH
Second Sunday in Lent
March 4, 2012
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