Sunday, April 17, 2016

sermon, "Be Courageous...", by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, Patten, ME, April 17, 2016

April 17, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series:
“When in doubt…read the instructions”
Beware, Don’t Worry
(What did Jesus instruct His disciples then and now…?)
Mark 13:9-11
Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:4-7

“Be Courageous…”

Prayer for God’s Word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

Philippians 4:4-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Worry…worry…worry…how many of you have worry in your life? It seems that so much around us can be so dangerous. All we have to do is to read a paper or listen to the news and our fear is fed once again our fears are fed. From bombings to hijackings, from abductions to war…from fill in the blank…there is a lot to fear out there. But in the face of fear, how are we to react? What are our instructions as we face those fears both named and unnamed? The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

Let me tell you a true but tragic story: A woman was once walking along a riverbank with her child. Suddenly the child slipped into the river. The mother screamed in terror. She couldn't swim, and besides, she was in the latter stages of pregnancy. Finally, somebody heard her screaming and rushed down to the riverbank. The utter tragedy was, when they stepped into those murky waters to retrieve that now dead child, they found that the water was only waist deep! That mother could have easily saved her child but didn't because of a lack of knowledge.

We are all on a reading journey as we read the instructions that Jesus gave the first disciples and what He intended all to follow to do. We are gathering the knowledge that we need to be Christ Ambassador’s in a world in need of a Savior. Now Jesus wants us to “go and do likewise”…to take His example, His instructions and follow them. Some of the instructions may not be words but actions that Jesus showed His disciples. Now I hope you all brought your bibles this morning. If not there are some in the pews. I want us each to look up the instructions…for ourselves…instead of me reading them to you. Who knows, maybe after we are done it is something we will continue to do… just sayin.

Let’s back track for a moment. The first instruction was on Easter Sunday to a woman called Mary Magdalene…Go, tell. Just that simple…go tell the disciples I am alive…tell them you have seen me…tell them to Galilee and they will see me. Go and tell…ministry is an action. The next were stay…wait…witness (stay where they were and to wait for the Holy Spirit, then to witness to and for Him all over the world). Last week it was touch…heal. We may touch lives by our words or actions but either way…it…we…can bring healing to others…

No this week’s may seem a little confusing but once we read the scriptures it will become clear… “Beware…don’t worry”. We are to beware but not worry as we are doing so…how are we to beware and not worry at the same time. Doesn’t that seem a little backwards? Shouldn’t we worry about those things out there we are to beware of? Ok…let’s look at each of these instructions one by one. Beware…let’s read Mark 13 9-11 together as we hear Jesus telling His disciples to beware of something that will happen in their lives and not to worry…read the Mark scripture together…

The disciples needed to be on guard because of what was going to happen to them because of what they would go through and continue to go through even today. Think of how many are persecuted today because they are Christ’s followers. But when they were persecuted they didn’t fear because they laid their faith and trust in Jesus. We, as Christ followers, are to be on guard when those who may not believe approach us. Now I am not saying that you have to take self-defense classes…. What I am saying is to be on guard and trust that when we are questioned about our faith God will give us an answer for them. You never know…in trusting God for the answer…in letting God speak through you…there may be dancing in heaven because another non-believer has become a believer.

The next is do not worry…do not worry…remember that I began with worry but what was the scripture I quoted after? ‘The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Let’s read Matthew together and see what my bible entitles “The Cure of Anxiety” is. It is found in chapter 6 verses 25-34. Read the Matthew scripture together…

Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Speak from the Spirit…
Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith?

Speak from the Spirit…

‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters[b] eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God[c] and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.  Speak from the Spirit…

Maybe…just maybe…if we stopped worrying about the what if’s…our rainy day…maybe we can touch the life of someone who is having a present rainy day with the hope and life that is found through and in Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ…Hmmm…Perhaps if we decided to leave our lives in the hands of God and leave it there with Him, trusting in His goodness and love we just might not  need that full storehouse of the earth and empty our barns with the love of Christ…

Go, tell…stay, wait, witness…touch, heal… be on guard, don’t worry these seem pretty simple things to do right? We as the body of Christ…as the hands, feet, voice and image of Christ in the world…need to understand the instructions and follow them to the point of us truly being that image of Christ. There are going to be times when we forget these instructions but if we spend time daily with the Author of the manual, Immanuel we will have more of a chance of following the instructions for life.

May be if we begin to “be aware” and don’t worry about the “small stuff” and by the way with God…all of our stuff as well as our big stuff small is stuff for Him … We will get back to our roots…You know the ones of the first church. They shared everything…they sold everything and shared what they had with all so that there was no one in need and if there was anyone in need, they reached out to them. We truly can be that church again if we so choose. But it is a choice…yours and mine. I don’t know…what do you think? Can we truly be what our Risen Lord Jesus wanted us to be? I say yes with the help of the Holy Spirit which guides us in all truth…the truth of our God and king. How will you spend your life? In fear and worry? Or in the freedom found in and through the blood of Jesus Christ? Perhaps maybe if we …fill in the blank…

Amen.







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April 17, 2016



April 17, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series:
“When in doubt…read the instructions”
Beware, Don’t Worry
(What did Jesus instruct His disciples then and now…?)
Mark 13:9-11
Matthew 6:25-34
Psalm 23
Philippians 4:4-7
sermon, “Be Courageous…”
text:

video:

by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box

by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
April 17, 2016
&
April 10, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series:
“When in doubt…read the instructions”
(What did Jesus instruct His disciples then and now…?)
Acts 3:1-10 AMP
Mark 6:53-56 AMP
Psalm 30
sermon, “Touch… Heal…”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
April 10, 2016
&
April 3, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Sermon Series:
“When in doubt…read the instructions”
(What did Jesus instruct His disciples then and now…?)
Acts 1:1-14 NKJ
Psalm 150:1-6
sermon, “Stay…Wait…Witness”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
April 3, 2016
&
March 27, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
Acts 10:34-43 AMP
John 20:1-18 AMP
sermon, “On the Third Day”
text:
video:
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Resurrection (Easter) Sunday
March 27, 2016

All of my poems, photographs, and videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 41,180+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

1 comment:

Poetry Where You Live said...

Here is the video of this sermon - https://www.facebook.com/174161846023512/videos/816833511756339/