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Sunday, August 28, 2016

sermon, Nothing Held Back, by Pastor Ruth Foss, Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church, August 7, 2016, Patten, ME



August 7, 2016
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Sermon Series:
Risky Business
“Nothing Held Back”
Psalm 146
Mark 1:21-45
Mark 2:1-22


“Nothing Held Back”

Prayer for illumination and for God’s word to be heard through me or in spite of me…

Please stand as you are able for the reading of the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verses 21-45…Listen to the word of God …is Love Letter to His people…

Have you ever done anything that was a little risky but you did it anyway. It mayP have been because you like to be a rebel…or you like the feeling you get being a “little bad” sometimes…or maybe you were standing in the gap for someone wo couldn’t. Whatever the reason you took a chance to do something that you may not have tried before.

We hear of people who have a job that may be a little risky…police, Firefighters, race car driver…just to name a few that take a risk most days in their life. When Jesus began His ministry, He took a lot of risks. He was radical in all that He did and went up against society pretty much on a daily basis. It was Risky Business to be a flower of Jesus.

If Jesus was alive today…He would probably have trouble getting life insurance because of the risk factor of what He was doing. Jesus was constantly doing risky things, rubbing the religious rulers the wrong way, eating with “those” people, touching the sick and the leapers…just to name a few things. It seems that to work for the Kingdom…it requires some Risky Business. The question is…are we willing to take risks for love and justice? What price do we pay when we play it safe? Let’s look at some of Jesus’ risky business encounters to see what He has modeled for those who would become His followers…by the way...that means you and me…

So…as I read the Mark Scripture…I realized one really risky thing…the cat was out of the bag… The demon called Jesus by name. As a matter of fact, others were there…including some of the religious leaders since He was in the synagogue…and saw and heard everything. Now I pretty sure they realized that something was different about Jesus and that HE needed to be watched because He just be a threat to all that held dear. Pretty risky to do something like that in front of others…we are also called to live our Christian life…our call…not behind closed doors but out in the open…

Now even though Jesus tried to keep a low profile it wasn’t going to happen like that. News about His teaching and healing spread fast. She became a celebrity overnight. Some were happy and others…well let’s just say they put a bulls eye on Jesus back… Listen, to call out the demons of this world and to proclaim a message of love and justice in this world is risky business and draws attention to us…maybe more than we want it too. But are we not called to stand for truth and justice no matter the cost. Are we not called to mirror image Jesus’ ministry as we reach out to those around us with the gospel of forgiveness, hope, joy, and salvation?

And Jesus didn’t stay in one spot… verse 38-39, Jesus said “Let’s go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I’ve come.” He went to their meeting places all through Galilee, preaching and throwing out the demons. Jesus went to where the people were and didn’t just sit in Simon Peters house and wait for them to be brought to Him. He went out to the surrounding area to help other and preach the good news that the kingdom of God was near… How often do we try to lower the risk factor by staying in our buildings waiting for the sick…lepers and demon possessed come to us…? There was nothing held back in Jesus’ ministry…including His life…we too should live…should serve with nothing held back.

Mark 2:1-22 tells us that the Good News is risky business because it is not so nice and neat. Listen to the words of Chapter 2 verses 1-22…where do you hear the riskiness of the business… read the gospel

Jesus really shattered the nice and neat world the religious leaders lived. He teaches and heals both spiritually and physically. But this time He has gone too far…He forgives someone sins…invites sick people to get up and walk and be well…He eats with those people…and to top it all off He says the Kingdom of God is so near that you didn’t need to fast but eat. In this day and age…there is no way Jesus was going to get any kind of health or life insurance. He is too much of a risk…

People believed in Jesus and His teaching and healing that they went to extreme measures to have Jesus heal those they cared about…OK…now how many of you would climb to the top of a building, dig a hole through it and lower a friend down…that alone is pretty risky…but the people were willing to take the risk because Jesus was the One who could heal…completely heal others.

The religious leaders…the scribes…the writers of the laws…were blown away…How could this man be saying that…we have a nice and neat protocol and this man is turning it upside down. There is no way man can forgive sins…only God can do that…they were unable to see…they had the scales of law covering their eyes…they could not see God, incarnate, standing right in front of them…He even told them who He was and they still couldn’t see:
“But that you may know positively and beyond a doubt that the Son of Man has right and authority and power on earth to forgive sins—He said to the paralyzed man,
I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home.
And he arose at once and picked up the sleeping pad or mat and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and [h] recognized and praised and thanked God, saying, We have never seen anything like this before!”
They were unable to take the risk of Jesus being who He was because it would risk their whole way of thinking and being.

Jesus was doing risky Business when He first asked a tax collector to be part of His followers and then went to eat at the tax collectors house with “those people”. The Pharisees had it all nice and neat…you don’t associate with those people…Jesus showed another way that they were not willing to look past the laws…past the prejudice…past the outer and deal with the inner soul of those people. When do we live by our church laws and not wanting to get our self-changed…changed to taking a risk to help others? When are we unwilling to touch the leper and make him clean…?

God is calling His people to a new thing. Jesus is requiring something radical of His disciples…His followers…His image in the world. We are called to be risk takers. We are also called to live our Christian life…our call…not behind closed doors but out in the open… There was nothing held back in Jesus’ ministry…including His life…we too should live…should serve with nothing held back. We are called follow Jesus’ example. But…what do we risk if we do not allow Jesus to fee us from the things that hold us back from holding nothing back?

Church…we are called to be part of the risky business of Jesus. We are called to be risk takers for God so that others will know the good news of the gospel… But that means we are going to have to change. We are going to have to step out of the boat onto the waters that are pretty chaotic but cast our eyes upon Jesus…we are able to walk on water to those who are drowning in a sea of despair… We are going to have to forget our nice and neat ways and get a little dirty in the trenches. Jesus is showing us a more excellent way. Lives depend on it…Jesus is counting on us… we too should live…should serve with nothing held back. Is the cost too high for you…Is it too risky to change…? What is the cost of one life to you? What about the cost that was paid for yours on the cross of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ who risked it all?

AMEN








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August 28, 2016


August 25, 2016
what price do we pay
August 25, 2016
willing to take risks
edited August 24, 2016
If Jesus was here with us
August 24, 2016
not matching up
edited/ renamed August 23, 2016
If Jesus was here with us
August 23, 2016
If Jesus was alive today
August 23, 2016
speaking truth to their power
August 23, 2016
their words become lies
August 23, 2016
shattering what they believe
edited/merged August 22, 2016
in the shattering, something new emerges
something new emerges
edited/new August 22, 2016
in the shattering, in the breaking
August 22, 2016
in the shattering
edited August 22, 2016
Love above all else – v2
edited August 22, 2016
Truth to change us – v2
August 21, 2016
love to set them free
August 21, 2016
Love to set us free
August 21, 2016
Truth to change us
August 21, 2016
Love above all else
August 21, 2016
you bless us
August 21, 2016
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Sermon Series:
Risky Business
“Risking It All”
Psalm 103:1-6
Mark 5:21-43
Mark 6:1-29
message: “Risking It All”
video:
text:

by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
and Children’s Message
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
&
edited August 21, 2016
in the face of adversity – 2 – v2
August 21, 2016
we judge, we divide
edited August 21, 2016
How can we love – v2
August 21, 2016
How can we love
August 21, 2016
How can the light shine
August 21, 2016
we must pull together
August 21, 2016
We judge our neighbor
edited August 21, 2016
We damage the fabric – v3
August 20, 2016
in the face of adversity - 2
August 20, 2016
in community we find hope
August 20, 2016
we repair the breach – 2
August 20, 2016
binding the cords
August 20, 2016
stitching the wounds
edited August 20, 2016
We damage  the fabric – v2
August 20, 2016
We damage the fabric
We damage the fabric #2
We damage the fabric #1
August 14, 2016
Worship in the Park (indoors)
Scripture:
Habakkuk 3:17-19
message: “Worship in the Park”
video:
text:

by Pastor Ruth Foss
praise music led by
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church Praise Team
Director, Chuck Loucka
opening prayer
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
prayer over the offering
by Pastor Franklin Randall, Jr.
Patten Pentecostal Church
&
August 7, 2016
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Sermon Series:
Risky Business
Psalm 146
Mark 1:21-45
Mark 2:1-22
sermon “Nothing Held Back”
text

video
by Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s Whisper” blog
Children’s Message from Mystery Box
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
August 7, 2016
&
August 9, 2015
Worship in the Park
Scripture:
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
John 13:34-35
John 15:1-17
Lord’s Prayer
message: “Community”
by Raymond A. Foss
&
praise music led by
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church Praise Team
Director, Chuck Loucka
&
opening prayer
by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
&
prayer before the offering
and songs of praise over the offering
by Pastor Franklin Randall, Jr.
Patten Pentecostal Church
&
Pastor Rodney Lord’s sermon, 2014
Worship in the Park
======
Psalm 133
Psalm 84:5
Revelations 4:11
Revelations 5
Deuteronomy 5:16
Leviticus 19
John 4
1 Peter 3:15
Jeremiah 29:11
Hebrews
Romans 15:13
&
message by Pastor Rodney Lord
August 10, 2014
Patten Academy Park
Patten, ME
&
Pastor Ruth Foss
Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV
sermon
“There is Hope in Community”
Worship in the Park
Patten Pioneer Days
August 11, 2013

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 41,570+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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