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July 19, 2020, 7th Sunday after Pentecost

7/19/2020

Opening Prayer
Creator God, your love, grace and mercy are endless. As we worship today, we thank you for being present both here and in our daily lives. Grant that we hear your word today and heed its commands so that through us, others may come to know salvation through Jesus your Son. Amen.

“When We All Get to Heaven”                      Red Hymnal 542
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojVWilasbfQ

Scripture Reading                         Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Morning Message                 In the Weeds
When Jesus came to earth, and claimed to be the Messiah, the Jewish people who believed him were thrilled. Thrilled that God had finally sent their long-promised Savior and King. But they were hoping for an earthly king, someone who would overthrow the Roman government and bring them back to the wealth and national security their ancestors had experienced.
But God had something else in mind for his kingdom, and His Son Jesus often taught about it in his parables. In fact, about half of his parables in the Gospels are what we call Kingdom Parables. They often start with the words “the Kingdom of God is like….” And then there is a story that everyone can normally relate to. And often, what Jesus describes is far different than what people are expecting. Think of the prodigal son who is forgiven by his father after blowing his inheritance, or the workers in the vineyard. Those who worked an hour received the same daily wages as those who had worked all day. Many times, Jesus’ teaching doesn’t seem fair or justifiable.

The Parable of the Weeds in Matthew 13 leaves us with no doubt of its meaning. Jesus clearly explains the meaning. But some of it still doesn’t make sense.
Let me read part of it again from the Message: “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.”
The farmer sows all good seeds, but an enemy comes along and plants bad seed. When the discovery is made, and thistles are growing among the wheat, the farmer tells his farmhands to leave it all there.
Now I don’t know about wheat fields, but I do know that for the most part we consider weeds to be a bad thing. You don’t leave weeds with the good plants if you can help it.
So, weeds are undesirable and we do our best to prevent them or get rid of them. BUT remember, this parable isn’t about OUR kingdom. Jesus is teaching us about God’s kingdom.
Jesus goes on to explain that the farmer who sows the good seed is God. The field is the world, the good seeds are subjects of the kingdom, the thistles are subjects of the Devil, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, the curtain of history. The harvest hands are angels.
This is prophetic message that God will send his angels to weed out the thistles from his kingdom, pitch them in the trash, and be done with them. They are going to complain to high heaven, but nobody is going to listen. At the same time, ripe, holy lives will mature and adorn the kingdom of their Father.

Jesus ends his explanation by asking, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” In other words, “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
And this is the question for us: are we really listening? Because a harvest will come, and no one but God knows the appointed time.
So, first, this passage is a warning to all people, good and bad seeds alike, and sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the two.
Because we tend to right away jump to the conclusion that we are the good seed and all the people who do not live like we do are the bad seed.
And since we are the wheat, why do we have to deal with all the weeds that are choking the life out of us some days?
Two things: God lets the weeds and the wheat together until the final harvest. You may wonder why. Now think of a parent, friend, aunt, coworker whom you love. You love them dearly, but they do not know jesus Christ. Maybe you have been praying for them for years. Do you want God to weed THEM out quickly? Or do you want God to give them more time so that when the harvesttime comes, by God’s amazing grace, they too will experience eternal security in God’s Kingdom?
Second, consider yourself. If you are hanging your hat for salvation on ANYTHING other than forgiveness through Jesus Christ who bled and died for you, regardless of how “good” a person you are, you are still one of the weeds. If you are counting on your church attendance, your community service, your charitable donations, you basic, overall goodness, you are still one of the weeds. Weeds often live good lives by all outward appearances. Weeds and wheat are sometimes hard to tell apart.
Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Jesus is the only way. And if your faith is real, your life will show it because you will bear good fruit.
We are saved FOR good works and not BY them. Only through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross are you saved and among the wheat. Only the wheat will be spared at the end of time when Christ comes again.

So first, this parable is a warning to everyone. But second, it is also truly a story about the undeniable, unimaginable grace of God, and how deeply he loves his creation. He is patient, and yes, this world will come to an end, and those who don’t know him will spend eternity in pain and suffering completely separated from him and his love. BUT, He doesn’t remove them immediately, he patiently waits, and he send us, his workers, to testify to his love, and to salvation in Jesus His Son
I want to take you back to Genesis and the story of creation for a minute. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” From there God the Creator transforms void and darkness into a beautiful, perfect world. No sin, no sorrow, no pain, and no weeds or thistles in the Garden where Adam and Eve lived and worked. Every day of the creative process, God ends by saying it was good. And after creating the first human beings, he declared creation to be VERY good.
Just like the farmer in Jesus’ parable, everything God planted or created was GOOD. It was perfect.
But in Genesis 3, just like the parable, the enemy, the devil in the form of a serpent, swooped in and convinced Adam and Eve to do the one thing God had commanded them not to do, eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
And sin entered the world. Humans knew shame and suffering, thistles and weeds grew from the ground. They were separated from God.
But then, God’s grace. In Genesis 3:15 God tells the devil, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
This is God’s first promise of a Savior who would destroy the devil and defeat sin and death forever. Christ has already defeated sin and death, and brought the way to salvation to all who believe. Someday he will deliver a final crushing blow to the devil.

And earth will return to its original state. Humankind will live in harmony, with no pain, no sickness, no tears. Revelation 21:5, “Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
God, through our Savior Jesus Christ, is making all things new. Jesus’ parable is about the restoration of the Kingdom to what he intended it to be in the beginning. That’s why God patiently waits and doesn’t remove the weeds immediately. He waits because he loves. He waits because he IS love.
And he has called us to that very same love. I encourage you to never give up on those you love who don’t know Christ. Because there WILL be a harvest someday. I encourage you to make sure your own hearts are right with God, because there WILL be a harvest someday.
And for now, we who love the Lord are called to spread the Gospel of Christ to everyone we meet. We are called to produce good and beautiful fruit for His Kingdom. We are called to live among, and love those still in the weeds, until Christ comes again.

“Because He Lives”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSfLUNxGTO0

Pastoral Prayer
Creator God, you said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’
We pray for those who are crying;
the sad, the depressed and the anxious.
We hope in the promise that God will wipe every tear from our eyes.
We mention in our hearts those we know who are sad and who know tears.
Pause
Lord you said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’
We pray for those who are experiencing the consequences of death,
the bereaved and those who are mourning.
We hope in the promise that death and mourning will be no more.
We mention in our hearts those we know
who are affected by death and mourning
Pause
Lord you said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’
We pray for those who are in pain,
suffering from illness either physical or mental.
We hope in the promise that crying and pain will be no more.
We mention in our hearts those we know who are ill or in pain.
Pause
Lord you said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’
We pray for those who are thirsty for truth, love and grace;
those who seek God and his life with earnest hearts.
We hope in the promise that God will give water to the thirsty without cost from the spring of the water of life.
We mention in our hearts those we know who hunger and thirst for God.
Pause
Lord you said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’
Lord, your words are trustworthy and true.
You are the Alpha and the Omega,
the beginning and the end.
We pray all this in the powerful and hopeful name of Jesus Christ,
Amen.
~ written by Sara Hargreaves, and posted on EngageWorship.org. http://engageworship.org

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

“I’ll Fly Away”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJMKl6ytxC8

Benediction                        based on Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Amen.
Go in peace to serve our amazing God!

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Midweek Devotional - June 8, 2020

7/8/2020

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Scripture: Genesis 45:16-17
Meditation:
In a recent article at www.bibleroads.com, Madelon Maupin writes that as communities begin to reopen after months of quarantine and stay-at-home guidelines, many people are asking “what will be the new normal?”
I hear this a lot, too. I also hear people saying that it will be nice to get “back to normal.” This leads me to believe that they think we will be able to go back to life as we once knew it eventually. Personally, I don’t look for that to happen. I think it is more realistic to embrace whatever the “new normal” is, and then trust that, from that, God’s blessings will continue to flow freely.

Maupin’s article gives us a biblical example of embracing a “new normal,” using the life of Old Testament Joseph as an example. She says that we can learn important lessons from him. Keep in mind that Joseph began his life as the son of Jacob, the wealthy patriarch of the Israel nation. Joseph was also his father’s favorite son. But his life was filled with many changes, some of which were not desirable ones. This is a good lesson, because we don’t always get what is good and what seems fair in life. Maupin says this regarding Joseph’s ever-changing life:

“Maybe it’s because change was the through line of Joseph’s experience – whether it was being thrust into a pit by jealous brothers in Canaan, only to be sold to Midianite merchantmen in Egypt; or coming to prominence in the home of the Egyptian officer, Potiphar, only to be betrayed by a scorned wife whose sexual advances he rejected; or Joseph’s years in prison when he interpreted fellow prisoners’ dreams; and his remarkable rise to command under Pharaoh over all of Egypt as he interpreted the leader’s dreams.

No matter where Joseph lived, or what role he played, his life is a model of the exercise of wisdom and discretion in leadership, regardless of the circumstances. But more than that, he realized that God’s constant presence – even in his physical confinement – provided opportunity for him to experience the abundance his God provided, including the ability to bless others.”

From Joseph we learn two lessons: First, to give no thought to your physical possessions – all the ‘stuff’ of one’s life. Second, that in change, even drastic change, sometimes God plans to give us the very best he has—we need to trust Him and look forward with expectancy, hope and conviction of the blessings that are to come.

Reflection Questions: What will your new normal look like? What blessings have you already experienced because of the changes brought about by COVID-19?
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Kim

*Find the entire article here: https://bibleroads.com/the-new-normal/

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July 5th, 2020 Sermon

7/5/2020

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July 5, 2020, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Opening Prayer
Let’s pray. Gracious and loving God, your love is steadfast and eternal. May our worship please you; may it be an offering that brings you great pleasure. Open our eyes to your light, that we may be a light to your world. In Christ’s name. Amen.

Call to Worship           Unnamable God
“Unnamable God, I feel you with me at every moment. You are my food, my drink, my sunlight, and the air I breathe.” Stephen Mitchell (based on Psalm 16)
With each refreshing rain, each slant of sunshine, each beam of moonlight, each whisper of wind
In every spiraling thought, every turning of heart, every spoken and written word, every action large and small
You steady, you lead, you guide, you embrace, you never let go
One with my soul, one with my life, one with me in first breath, one with me in the last
You know me now, you will know me, always and forever
I remember, I rejoice. Amen
~Joyce Rupp, Prayer Seeds, 2017

“Love Divine, All Love Excelling”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGGcqhKShQ8

Scripture Lesson       Romans 7:15-25a

Gospel Lesson       Matthew 7:28-30

“Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjSRtyCIAjM

Morning Message
Let’s pray. Gracious God, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your truth in faith and love today, and strength to follow on the path you set before us; through Jesus Christ, Amen.

July 4, Independence Day, was yesterday. It’s a federal holiday and has been since 1938, although it was celebrated and remembered in many parts of the country long before that. It falls right in the middle of summer, and for many it’s a day that includes picnics, camping, barbeques, fireworks and parades. So, with everything going on it’s easy to forget the reason we celebrate it in the first place.
I think that as a church, in a country that is based on religious freedom, where we are afforded the privilege of worshipping freely, it is appropriate to take a few minutes and recognize that Independence Day is the day we celebrate our freedom as citizens of the United States of America. It’s the day we commemorate the Declaration of Independence of the United States, on July 4, 1776, the day that the Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies were no longer subject (and subordinate) to the monarch of Britain, King George III, and were now united, free, and independent states.
Perhaps the main thing we need to remember is that this independence and freedom did not come without a cost. Many people gave their lives for our freedom, and many more have given their lives to maintain it through the years, and many today in all branches of the armed services continue to serve for the sake of all of us.
So collectively, as a local church, I invite you into a few moments of silence. I encourage you to reflect on the great price that has been paid by so many, and to give thanks to God for those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, and to give thanks that because of this price that has been paid, we can worship together this morning.
Moment of silence.
Thanks be to God. May we never forget. And may we never take for granted, but instead live in way that honors the ideals our country was founded on.

As we remember the freedom we share as United States citizens, let’s also, as Christians, take a moment and remember another freedom, the freedom we have in Christ, and that freedom, too, came at a great price. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
When we believe that Jesus died on the cross, and that he rose from the dead on the third day, and we confess that we are sinners, and ask him to be Lord and master of our life, we are adopted into the family of God. Romans 8:17 tells us we are heirs with Jesus Christ.
And we are given privileges and riches that cannot be measured in earthly ways. Freedom from sin and death, reconciliation with God our Creator, the constant companionship and guidance of Jesus our Savior through his Holy Spirit. And Jesus, our Savior who now calls us friend, brother, sister. And a home in heaven, eternal security, and a future with no tears, no pain, and no sorrow.
Seriously, what more could a person ask for? When one considers all of this, how do we not live every day filled completely with joy?
How do we end up sometimes like the children of Israel in the desert (poor Moses!) crying out that we don’t have this, we don’t have that, why can’t we just go back to our own personal Egypt, whatever that may have looked like, and be subject to whatever, or whoever, our old master was?
Even the Apostle Paul struggled with this apparently. And Paul is considered by many, including myself, to be one of the greatest and most faithful servants of God to ever live. Yet even he says in Romans 7:24 (NLT), “Oh what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?”
In verse 15 he writes, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Then for the next few verses he says this about five different ways, which leads me to believe that here Paul speaks for all of us. We don’t do what we should do, and we do what we shouldn’t do. Often. Frequently. To the point, that if you truly are trying to have a closer relationship with God, and you want to become more Christlike, it can drive you to the point of giving up and just continuing in sin while receiving the blessings of God’s grace.
In fact, Paul addresses this in the previous chapter. Romans 6:15, “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!”

So, if giving up isn’t the answer, what is? Well, Paul answers that question, too, in our Scripture reading. Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The New Living Translation puts it like this, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
The answer is Jesus Christ. The point is that we can’t do this on our own. In fact, I’m convinced more and more that we can’t do it at all. We must rely on the sanctifying grace of God. When Paul says, “What a wretched man I am” he speaks for all of us. This describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the help of the Holy Spirit. We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it with our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter. Scripture calls him a deceiver, a liar. And really, apart from Satan, we have a great ability to make excuses for our behavior anyway, don’t we?
So, instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin, and that provision is the Holy Spirit who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, he lovingly reaches out to help us back up.
The answer is Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

Just as we often take for granted our freedoms in this country, despite the cost, so we often also take for granted the freedom we have in Christ? Let us never forget.
First and foremost, may we never forget that he willingly gave up his own life so that we may live. Jesus says of himself in Mark 10:45, “45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
May we never forget. And may we remember that we are now called to do the same. We are called to live for Christ by giving ourselves in service to others.
2 Corinthians 5:15, “Christ died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”
Thanks be to God this Fourth of July holiday both for the freedom we have as United States citizens, and as citizens of God’s Kingdom. May we never forget. May we live accordingly.

“Canticle of Christ’s Obedience”       Blue Hymnal 167
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.
   At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
   did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being
   born in our own likeness.
And being found in human form
   he humbled himself and became obedient unto death,
   even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him
   and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under earth.
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

Pastoral Prayer        A Prayer for the Journeyers
O God, our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you.
You are beyond our busy imaginings,
far above our elevated constructions of thought.

Yet you meet us in the dust. Your footprints cross ours.
Behind us and before us you tread the path, you lead the way,
you exult, you bow low, you lift us up.

You look upon us through the face of the poor;
you bless us in the nurture of friendship;
you challenge us in the cries for justice
and the weeping for hope.

Yoked to Jesus your Son, joined in oneness with yourself,
we strain against your direction and we know ourselves irksome;
summoned to follow your way, we burden ourselves and others;
asked to stand up, we cower in our own inadequacy
and our own discrediting.

Forgive us the wrongs we have done to others, to ourselves, to you.

Forgive us our bondage to fixed patterns when they no longer serve you; our surrender to newness when newness is folly;
our failure to listen to the people of this land who are hurting
and hidden beyond our preoccupations.

Lift us from our fear that we may see your vision, know your wisdom
and find our rest in you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Jesus said: Come to me all you who are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens
and I will give you rest.

— written by William Loader, and posted on Bill Loader’s Home Page. Visit that site for many other thoughtful worship resources.

Let’s prepare our hearts to receive communion:

“Jesus Loves Me”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Ue0w45oGs

Communion Scripture       1 Corinthians 11:23-29 (NIV)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves.

Communion Prayer
Holy God, as we prepare to receive your grace through the bread and the cup, we ask for your forgiveness and mercy as we confess silently our sins before you now.
Silent prayer.
Gracious God, pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here,
       and on these gifts of bread and wine.
Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ,
      that we may be for the world the body of Christ,
redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ,
      one with each other,
      and one in ministry to all the world,
      until Christ comes in final victory
       and we feast at his heavenly banquet.
Through your Son Jesus Christ,
      with the Holy Spirit in your holy Church,
       all honor and glory is yours, almighty Father,
now and forever. Amen.

Receiving the Bread and the Cup
Christ’s body broken for you. Christ’s blood shed for you.

The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

“How Firm a Foundation”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Xvr8maR34

Benediction (based on Joshua 3: 7-17, I Thessalonians 2:9-13, Matthew 23: 1-12)
Go now, in the freedom of the gospel of Christ.
Encourage one another to lead lives worthy of God
and walk together in service and humility.
Let your words and your lives be one in Christ.
And may the God of lasting love open the way before you;
May Jesus the Messiah be your one instructor;
And may the Holy Spirit lead you on
into the promised land of God’s kingdom and glory.
We go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
   In the name of Christ. Amen.

©2002 Nathan Nettleton LaughingBird.net

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July 1, 2020 Midweek Devotional

7/3/2020

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Scripture: Psalm 45
Meditation:
Psalm 45 is a historical poem written by the sons of Korah on the occasion of the King Solomon’s wedding. In fact, it was probably sung at the wedding as part of the ceremony. Its verses offer instruction to both the royal groom and his princess bride. But this psalm also has a second meaning because it is a messianic psalm, meaning that it is prophetic in nature and points to the coming Messiah.

As a messianic psalm, the groom represents Christ the Messiah, and the bride represents the Church. The Bible often speaks of the relationship between Jesus and the Church as that of a bride and groom. Ephesians 5:25-27 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

So, what does this mean for us? How does a poem written for a wedding that took place hundreds of years ago apply to our lives? Since the bride represents the church in this psalm, I believe the answer can be found in the instructions given to the bride in verses 10 and 11. Here the bride is told to forget her family, forget her friends and her hometown. Her duty now is to her husband the king. He is her lord and her master and her devotion belongs to him and him alone.

The remaining verses tell her if she does this she will be richly rewarded with wealth, beautiful clothes, and security. Perhaps more importantly, she will be rewarded with the king’s deepest love and devotion.
This, of course, is the same thing God asks of Christ’s bride, the church. Christ wants our devotion and our love. He wants us to make him the Lord of our lives. In return, he promises us heavenly riches, and his deepest love and devotion, a love he has already proven on the cross at Calvary. Like the king in this psalm, Christ has a responsibility to his Bride. The question for us is simply this, “Will we uphold our end of the relationship?”

Reflection Questions:
Will you choose to let go of everything that hinders your relationship with God?

Will you allow Christ to be Lord and Master of your life?
Knowing that you truly belong to God, how has this affected the way you live? The way you love others?

Blessings for your day,
Pastor Kim

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​July 19, 2020, 7th Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Devotional - June 8, 2020

July 5th, 2020 Sermon

July 1, 2020 Midweek Devotional

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July 19, 2020, 7th Sunday after Pentecost