The Gospel of Action Part 1 - from 2010 message series

Peninsula Christian Center of Pacific Grove
Pastor Carl Friedel
January 10, 2010
Mark – The Gospel of Action
The Beginning of the Good News

Wrapping up a new year in 2009 during the holidays we looked at the Advent of Christ and its fulfillment in the birth of Jesus. I thought, “What could be a better way of starting the New Year and a new decade than by reviewing the rest of the story that changed everything. This morning we will pick up right after the birth of Jesus following the evangelistic writings of the Gospel of Mark – what people refer to as the Gospel of Action.
The gospel of Mark is widely believed to have been written by a man named John Mark. John Mark was not the most interesting of characters in the early church, but he sure did spend time with some of them. John Mark of course was the companion of Paul and of Barnabas on their missionary journeys– you will remember that he fell out of Paul’s good graces when he deserted them and even caused a rift between Paul and Barnabas as Barnabas desired to extend grace to John Mark. Of course we know that Mark and Paul must have patched things up later because Paul mentions him in good company later in his letters to the Colossians and then to Philemon, a member of the Colossian Church.
But John Mark was also known to be in the company of a man of action in his own right the Apostle Peter. In 1 Peter 5:13 Peter greets his fellow Jewish believers from Rome and refers to Mark as his son – which showed a great deal of affection had emerged between them – Mark was not his son by birth but and adopted spiritual son in the faith – Peter was Mark’s mentor. Most NT Biblical scholars place the writing of this gospel at or near the death of Peter, probably during the turbulent times of Nero’s rule in Rome between A.D. 55 and 65 – It is most commonly considered the first of the three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) to be written by which the other two used as a reference. It was also penned from Rome the place where Mark is associated with Peter and the place where Peter was executed by crucifixion upside down around AD 64 in connection with the burning of Rome which Nero started and then in a cover-up blamed on the Christians. Many biblical scholars conclude that the words penned by Mark are in fact the teachings of Peter – the disciple who walked on water with Jesus, who drew a sword and cut off the ear of the soldiers who came to take Jesus in the night, who Jesus named as the rock upon which He would build His church, the same one who denied Christ three times before the rooster crowed the night Jesus was tried and the same one who jumped off of his boat and into the water to quickly meet the resurrected Jesus on the shore in order to receive forgiveness for his denials in the gesture of grilled fish cooked by Jesus for breakfast. This is the gospel from the teachings of Peter – the apostle and first-hand eyewitness of Jesus ministry.
Peter was a quick spoken – to the point – action-oriented guy. His personality often got him in trouble, but it was also his greatest asset. Here in the book of Mark we see the gospel from his perspective – Jesus the man of action. Where the other gospels focus a lot more on Jesus teachings this gospel focuses on what He did in His ministry.
In the Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary – it describes this gospel in its introduction in this way…
“Action—moving, doing, helping, getting going, making things happen. Some people think, some talk, but a few get involved, not content to observe from the sidelines. They get into the game—they get into life! This is the picture of Jesus that Mark presents in this Gospel.”—Life Application Concise New Testament Commentary
It is this view of Jesus as a man of action that the writer of Mark portrayed and it is this view that I want us to grapple with in the coming weeks as we go through this gospel together – Jesus was a man of action and He is calling us in this New Year to action.
Let’s begin in chapter one – you will notice that Mark wastes no time as he dives into the telling – there is not even any mention of his birth or childhood here. He starts with the event of Jesus calling in to His ministry…
Mark 1:1-11 (NLT) 1 Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
No time is wasted here with greetings and pleasantries. You can sense the excitement and urgency with which Mark is writing these things. Immediately he states his purpose for writing – “Here begins the Good News”. The reason this is being written down is to present the beginning of the Good News. Often news is important to us for a day, a week or a month and then it is often forgotten – it is a solitary event that comes and passes. This Book is only the beginning of the Good News – Good News which is still being played out today. This is a Good News that has relevance to each of us now. I want to challenge you this morning to…
Allow your life to be a chapter of this Good News which is still being written.
You can do this by simply opening yourself up to God and praying something like this: God I trust You with the direction of my life. Forgive me of my sins and make me a new creature. Make my life a testimony of Your great and glorious truth, Your Good News, Amen.
Mark 1:1-11 (NLT) 1 Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. 2 In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, "Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: `Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming! Make a straight road for him'! " 4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5 People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey. 7 He announced: "Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.
Mark explains to his Roman audience that God had a plan long ago to send a herald – a prophet if you will to announce the coming of the Messiah – the Christ. Mark quotes the prophetic passages of Isaiah and Malachi here as proof of this plan.
The Romans, the originally intended recipients of this gospel, who heard/ read this message were not well versed in the scriptures of the Jews. They came from a different background and had little training and education in the law, but they did understand the picture of a king being announced. With much fanfare a messenger would arrive moments beforehand to announce that “The King is here!” In their culture dignitaries arrived with great expressions of Pomp and Circumstance – parading their own perceived glory for all to see.
We talked about the way that Jesus came in a stable laid in a manger and that his birth was heralded by angels to not the elect, but to shepherds in their field. Even in this passage in verse 9 it reminds us that Jesus came from Nazareth, which was a despised town, later bystanders would say of Jesus home that nothing good comes from Nazareth. Jesus came as a servant, but He is also the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and God planned these events long before – so that a prophet/ rabbi named John the Baptist would come and declare the arrival of the Messiah. 400 years had past since the days of the prophets. There are 400 years between Malichi and Matthew mark Luke and John. Israel had not heard from God for a long time, but John arrives on the scene and fulfilling what was foretold he points people toward the coming Christ and admonishes them to make themselves ready.
John in fact readied himself. He was a Rabbi with a greater following and greater power and anointing in his teachings than any of the other religious leaders of his day. It is no coincidence that we find John, not in the synagogues or the temple, dressed in religious garb, but that he separated himself from the rest and went out in the wilderness, dressed in camel hide, eating the “bugs and honey” (part of a nutritional breakfast) and laying his hands on people, not worried if they would somehow make him unclean like the other religious leaders did. And as he baptizes them he instructs them to repent. As John’s ministry takes off and people crowd around to hear his message – he could have fallen into the trap of all the teachers of his day and made a name for himself, but instead he fulfills his destiny as a mere announcer to the real deal that would be coming – the Messiah – saying…
Mark 1:1-11 (NLT) 7 …"Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"
This morning have you made yourself ready to receive from Christ? He is here today. His Spirit is alive in this place and wanting to work in your life. Have you prepared your heart for Him to have His way?
We need to…
Anticipate the work that Jesus wants to do in your heart and life today and every day.
We need to do this. The Spirit of God is here and He is willing to work in our lives. He is ready – are we?
Back to the story – As John the Baptist – the Messiahs herald – busied himself preparing people for the coming Christ, one day an amazing event took place. Jesus himself showed up at the banks of the Jordan. He had arrived to take His place…
Mark 1:1-11 (NLT)9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. 10 And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you."
This passage absolutely amazes me. John had been saying that he could baptize with water but the one who is coming will baptize with the Holy Spirit – and here we see in this monumental event in Jesus life the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove as He ascends out of the baptism waters of the Jordan. And then God the Father speaks audibly - now remember 400 years had past with no word from God and no prophecies. John shows up on the scene in difficult times and the people are hungry to hear something from the Lord.
Many people today are living in desperate times. There stress levels are at an all-time high. We have this gospel of peace. Maybe they have been calling out. They feel as though they are in a wilderness and God, if there is a God, He isn’t speaking…
I challenge you to…
Avail yourself to be God’s witness and herald His good news to the hungry people in your life.
Your neighbors, your co-workers, your class-mates and students, the people that you meet in the marketplace and of course your family. Become like John the Baptist – a messenger who prepares the way for people to experience the salvation power and miracle of Jesus in their life.
Remember John was filled with the Holy Spirit as a baby in the womb…
Luke 1:39-45 (NLT) 39 A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town 40 where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. 41 At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, "You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. 43 What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! 44 When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice! 45 You are blessed, because you believed that the Lord would do what he said."
John did not operate in his own power, but in the power of the Holy Spirit the same Spirit that God offers to us.
You say how can I. I am nothing like John the Baptist…
Back to the story…
John is preaching this coming event. The people are eating up every word that John preaches. They love what he has to say. Some of them probably were ready to proclaim him the Messiah, even though he was pointing them in a different direction. Sometimes we are so enamored with the fanfare that we miss God in the subtleties of everyday life. We think God is in the events – a worship service, a prayer meeting or a conference – no doubt God can and does meet us there, but don’t miss Him in the opportunities of each day. Opportunities which he brings to serve someone’s needs, those moments when we catch a glimpse of his magnificence in the beauty of a blooming flower, a sun setting or in the twinkle of our children’s eyes. God shows up often, we just usually miss it.
But now on this day in this occasion there is nothing subtle about it. I find it hard to believe that any of them could have missed this. God says after 400 years of silence– “You are my beloved son and I am fully pleased with you.” Wow, we just had a visit from the Holy Trinity here in this passage - God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and God the Son – three in one.
In the Rabbinic tradition – if a man had proven his worth as a teacher and debater of the law – He could submit himself to a series of questioning in the hopes of being promoted in a sense to the status of a Rabbi – or Master Teacher. Among the Jews in Jesus day there really was no more coveted status than to be a Rabbi. It was like being called up to play in the Major Leagues in Baseball – only the cream of the crop make it. When a man had achieved this status and passed the tests going forward three rabbis would ceremonially lay hands upon the man and confer an anointing power upon them to carry the message of God in life-long ministry.
Jesus baptism represents not only the beginning of this story and the beginning of His three year ministry on earth, but the most amazing version of that Rabbinic ceremony as John the Baptist full of the Spirit of God– the messenger in the wilderness lays hands on Him and baptizes Him in water. As He ascends the Holy Spirit Himself also confers power upon Him, ascending upon Him as a dove and God the Father confirms who He is and what His status is - Jesus the Messiah the greatest prophet, rabbi of all – the Son of God.
Remember though that this is only the beginning of the Good News. Jesus life and His sacrifice is only the beginning of the Gospel.
Mark 1:1-11 (NLT) 7 …"Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"
“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” – the same spirit that ascended on Jesus with Power will be conferred upon us as believers and messengers of this Good News. The Rabbinic Tradition continues as God – the three persons of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – anoint or set apart you and I, our lives for this message.
Accept His anointing upon your life today to be His witness to the world around you.
Today we are going to have an anointing service. About a year ago we did this and many of you came forward to be anointed and prayed over for the anointing of God upon your life.
Not too long ago I had a special prayer time with one of my mentors. He led me in a time of dealing with some lies that I had allowed to manifest in my thinking. As a young man I grew up mostly without a father, although God has brought some great men into my life. I found myself always seeking approval and desiring to hear those words, ‘good job’. Guess what in the ministry sometimes those words can be few and far between and sometimes the opposite of those words can be crushing. Deep down I guess I had come to believe the lie that I was not much good for anything and that my life and ministry were destined to mediocrity and what would be labeled as second-best. I didn’t live my life with this conviction everyday and I certainly wouldn’t have shared that sentiment aloud or even in private, but deep down it was there dictating my life. This mentor encouraged me to share these crushing feelings with God, so in a moment of desperation and pain I let it all out with great weeping. Then my mentor told me to just listen to the voice of God. He prompted me saying, “What does God say to you, about this?” I listened and God immediately spoke to me saying, “You are My son, and I am proud of you.” Wow, it changed my thinking. It changed my perspective. It changed my life.
He adopts us as His own as it says in…
John 1:12 (NLT) 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.
No matter what the world is telling you, no matter what your past says, no matter what you keep reciting in your mind, God loves you and He has a plan for you. Accept Him at His word today. Just as He spoke to me in that intimate moment of prayer, just as He proclaimed aloud about Jesus at His baptism in the waters of the Jordan – He is saying to you now, “You are My child – My son/My daughter – I’m proud of You.” Receive that in your hearts today – its the Good News.
As an act of faith in response to His calling on your life I want you to come and allow us to symbolically anoint you even as He has already done so in your life - to be His messenger.

Acupuncture

My entire life I have struggled with seasonal allergies. As a kid I remember large periods of time feeling like my nose was plugged up with corks and my head ready to explode from the pressure build-up. There are days when pollens and other "demonic" forces are floating through the air conspiring together in a perfect way to keep me sneezing without restraint. I start rubbing my eyes. My wife gives me that all important advice, the same advice I give her when her allergies flare-up, "Don't rub your eyes! It will only make them worse. Did you take an allergy pill?"

About a year and a half ago I was having an especially hard time. My sinuses were completely plugged-up and I was unable to hear a thing because my ears were clogged. I know, gross, huh? One of the men in our church asked me if I was willing to try anything to be rid of this mallady. I was desperate. I said, "Absolutely, yes! What do you suggest?" He said that he had been a chronic allergy sufferer himself for years until he discovered the healing remedy of acupuncture.

ACUPUNCTURE??? What, you mean those guys that poke you full of holes? How in the world is that going to make any difference with the way my nose responds to seasonal alergens? Well I went and within weeks my sinuses were cleared up and my allergies held in check. Unbelievable, huh?

Last week I went to my weekly acupuncture appointment. As Dr. Peter Pi began routinely poking me with needles I noticed something. Some of the spots he poked seemed to be more painful than usual. Usually there is a quick pinch and then you relax and hardly notice the needle is there for the next half hour. This time it was more noticeably painful. Not unbearable, but definately uncomfortable pain. At the end of my session when Dr. Pi was relieving my skin of the needles, I mentioned to him this sensation. He responded to me, in his Chinese accent which reminds me of the great wisdom associated with characters like Mr. Miyagi or the Master in the old tv show Kung Fu, saying; "This is good. Pain is good. The more sensitive, the more effective."



That last phrase really stuck out to me. It was as though God was speaking through this statement about acupuncture and relating it to all of life and ministry. "The more sensitive (you are) the more effective." In application this truth reveals the heart of what it takes to remain focused on the very mission of Christ Jesus. The more sensitive we are the more effective we will be. We need to be sensitive to peoples needs, senstive to their hurts or joys, sensitive to our communities demographics, sensitive to their passions, sensitive to our own needs, sensitive to the needs of our family, sensitive to the truth, senstive to sharing mercy. How do we do all these things? By being sensitive to the Holy Spirit. When we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God He makes us sensitive to the world around us.

Sometimes being sensitive can be painful. Being sensitive leaves us vulnerable, exposed. It is from this posture of availing our feelings and senses to the elements of Christ's mission field, laid out before us, that we are able to accomplish great things and fulfill His greatest destiny on our behalf. Sure there is risk involved, but pain produces possibility. Often through pain comes the greatest possibility for new possibilities. That is a lot of possibilities.

The opportunity for great pleasure comes through our availablity to being sensitive. Not a fleeting, self-focused pleasure, but a pleasure of seeing lives transformed in the power of the Holy Spirit. Seeing others, that we have cared for and about, that we have invested our emotions and time into, become sensitive themselves to the Spirit of God and to their world surrounding them. Seeing them heal from the chronic allergens of sin, guilt, shame, disease and distortion. Seeing others fulfilled becomes the source of our greatest fulfillment and pleasure.

Jesus ultimately brought healing to our world through pain. His wrist and feet and side and brow were punctured for the purpose of redeeming and fulfilling us. Matthew's account tells us that at one point in the passion story centered around the crucifixion Jesus was offered a drink mixture of gall and vineger, soaked in a sponge. This mixture was not for refreshment. It was a common narcotic, produced and given to those in great pain to try and deaden one's sensitivity a bit, in order to take some of the edge of the pain off. You know what Jesus did. Once he realized what was being given to Him it says He rejected it (Matthew 27:34). Jesus recognized that here in this situation "Pain is good! The more sensitive, the more effective." Jesus did not allow himself to be shielded in any way from the pain, because out of that pain brought the great possibility of seeing His greatest creation fulfilled.

You might be saying that is quite a stretch, acupuntucre and Christ's crucifixion. You might be wondering what kind of doctrine I am creating here drawing some parallel between this allergy treatment and the cure for mankinds separation from God. No I am not saying that we all need to go out and do acupuncture as a means of spiritual and mystical communion with God, not at all. No new doctrine or religious expression being pushed here. Just a simple analogy to ponder. I simply want to acknowledge the truth of that simple statement that sometimes "Pain is good!" Pain is never fun. Sometimes we want to protect ourselves and avoid being sensitive, especially us men. But being sensitive can be the pathway to our greatest acheivements in the Lord. In the words of Dr. Pi, "The more sensitive, the more effective."

How do you tackle a yard full of weeds?

Last September my wife and I realized a dream that we thought would be way off in the distance. We were able to buy a house. We were able to take advantage of this foreclosure/ economic crisis happening all around us. The house we bought had sat empty for over a year and the bank that owned it just didn't seem to have the time during those twelve plus months to do anything with the yard. So we inherited yards full of weeds. We live on the central coast (in Salinas), which is a farmers paradise. Guess what, weeds grow good here too. Our front and back yards are a testament to that fact. We have weeds - big, ugly, hairy weeds -weeds with deep roots. In the front yard I scattered weed and feed the weeds just gobbled that stuff up. I started ripping up the weeds in my lawn, now the front yard is patchy, somehow the weeds still are thriving. It is going to be a long haul.

Last night I was pulling out a small jungle on one half of my backyard. The roots were so deep and there were so many that I had to dig three holes four feet deep to get them out of there. As I was working it hit me, if you want to see something good in the place of something that has been infested with weeds it is going to take a lot of hard work, tenacity bordering on outright stubbornness, and when you are about to give up you just need to buckle down and go at it again.

A beautiful garden or lawn just doesn't evolve from a weed infested wasteland overnight. Neither does a growing and thriving ministry. When you take on a ministry in decline often it come with its own thorns and dare I say even weeds. The ground needs to be prepared, it needs to be nurtured. This takes an incredible amount of time, more than likely it will take more time and energy and investment that you probably originally counted the cost for. You will see great strides take place only to become dismayed by new setbacks from time to time. But tending to this work of God requires that you stay the course even when the task seems beyond your reach.

I was dreaming of a beautiful, weed-free yard yesterday. I was envisioning that day when I will be able to put in an hour or so a week just maintaining it, pulling a small weed or two and occasionally pruning things back. The reality is that for the kind of growth that you desire in a garden or lawn it takes work. Growth is not maintenance. If you maintain it it will all die and eventually be taken over again. This is true in the church as well. We are never here to just maintain, we are here to grow a beautiful church. Our worship leader Chris Bohrman said to me in his own words yesterday that he sensed that maybe we were starting to maintain a little bit after this great push we just had over Easter. Its time to pull out the shearers and shovels and go back to work.

Good Friday Message

Peninsula Christian Center of Pacific Grove
Good Friday, April 10, 2009
Pastor Carl Friedel

Rebirth
John 2

This afternoon let’s take a journey through the gospel of John. We often make the point that Jesus somehow gave his life freely as a sacrifice for mankind. CS Lewis childhood story of Aslan taking the place of the sons of Adam in the Chronicles of Narnia illustrates this sacrifice.
Narnia – video clip of Aslan approaching the stone table freely
Jesus had this conversation with Pilate once the Jewish people had made it clear that they wanted Jesus dead…
John 19:8-11 (NIV) 8 …Pilate…went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
Passion of the Christ – video clip after Jesus had been beaten
Jesus is purporting some kind of authority here in the face of what appeared to be His own death at the hands of these Jews and the Roman authority. He claims that it could not happen apart from His own will.
Did it really happen that way though?
What we find in studying the gospel is that Jesus understood this plan as a part of His mission early on and repeatedly revealed this plan throughout His earthly ministry. Looking at John alone this afternoon – let’s examine whether or not Jesus really laid down His life or whether it was taken from Him.
In John 2 we find Jesus early on in His ministry. He had just assembled His twelve disciples calling them to follow Him, by the chronology of this account He had just performed His first miracle, although it is possible that He had done more to this point as John is not an exact history, but rather a commentary of Jesus life. Jesus had found the temple being used as a common marketplace…
John 2:13-22 (NIV) 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."
Jesus was not exhibiting great tact – He was no politician – He saw error and set out to correct it with the truth…
18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 19 Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
It is obvious by this gospel testimony, that although Jesus disciples and the Jewish people of that day had not the foggiest idea what Jesus was saying, Jesus clearly understood what lay ahead for Him saying, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
This is in the very beginning of His ministry, possibly 2.5 to 3 years prior to His crucifixion – Jesus prophecies to His own sacrifice.
Later in John 6 Jesus teaches a confusing message that only becomes clear as the focus is adjusted after the lens of the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus tells the Jews…
John 6:48-59 (NIV) 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
The result: many labeled this a hard teaching and many of His disciples left Him, and it is a hard teaching, when you are on the other side of the cross.
Have you ever gone though something in life and wondered to yourself, “God why are you allowing this to happen – often once time has past and more history has been made between that event and the present, God’s plan becomes more and more clear.
Jesus is not talking about eating His skin and blood as cannibals – He is referencing His sacrifice saying, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." In other words it is His own flesh that He will give to beaten and broken in order that we may experience life – only as we accept His sacrifice – His gift. This imagery is repeated in the Last Supper when Jesus tells His disciples to eat the bread – His flesh - and drink the wine – His blood – and to do this in remembrance of Him. Even at the time of that final supper – the disciples did not clue in to what Jesus was talking about.
Time and again Jesus referenced His future sacrifice…
John 7:33-36 (NIV) 33 Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come."
John 8:21-22 (NIV) 21 Once more Jesus said to them, "I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come." 22 This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?"
John 13:33-38 (NIV) 33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." 36 Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."
John 16:16-22 (NIV) 16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." 17 Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" 18 They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying." 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? 20 I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
One day when Jesus was having dinner with His friends, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus whom Jesus had raised from the dead, took a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus feet…
John 12:1-8 (NIV) 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. 7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. "[It was intended] that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."
Here again Jesus points toward his upcoming death as this woman in her expression of love unknowingly was used to anoint Him in advance for His funeral. Jesus said…
John 15:12-14 (NIV) 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
Jesus knew His mission toward sacrifice and He pursue it out of His great motivation of love for us. Jesus revealed His heart toward us…
John 10:10-11, 14-18 (NIV) 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
John 12:23-33 (NIV) 23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. 27 "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!" Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. 30 Jesus said, "This voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." 33 He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.
So Jesus clearly knew His mission and knew that He would die. Other great leaders have had this kind of premonition. Martin Luther King Jr., John F Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln are often quoted as knowing that they would die an early death at the hands of a murderer. Is it possible that Jesus had a similar premonition that someone would take His life. We believe that Jesus freely sacrificed His life for us – it was not taken from Him and the gospels support this important distinction between Jesus and other leaders.
When soldiers came in the middle of the night for Jesus here is what took place…
John 18:2-11 (NIV) 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. 4 Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 "I told you that I am he,"…
This full detachment of soldiers were made powerless by the very words of Jesus proclamation, “I am, he.” It says that, “…they drew back and fell to the ground.”
What an amazing picture of Jesus power – Here these men were made powerless before Him and yet He places Himself in their custody. Countless times before the Jewish leaders tried to seize Jesus, but were unable to, because as Jesus said it was not yet His time to die. The time had now come and Jesus freely submits to their chains. He attends their kangaroo court and does not raise an objection to their false claims. He surrenders Himself to the whip, to the humiliation of being stripped before everyone, spit upon and ridiculed, nailed to a criminal’s cross – a tool were countless executions of murderers, thiefs and traitors had been placed before Him. He did this willingly to provide for us new life.
This was His mission – He fulfilled it perfectly – He never lost control – He had full power and yet He gave Himself up passionately to this purpose…
John 19:28-30 (NIV) 28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Communion:
Jesus extended Himself on our behalf. He offered Himself freely. He repeatedly foreshadowed His sacrifice, unveiling the truth to His followers. He sat around a Passover meal with His Disciples. He knew that in a matter of hours, He would be bound and beaten, tried and crucified. The disciples were clueless, despite His constant preparation. Hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it. Today Jesus would remind us that He has a plan. What needs rebirth in your life? What needs to be revived in the power of Jesus’ sacrifice? Perhaps you have sin that needs to be redeemed? You have made mistakes that are weighing on you in unrelenting guilt and a wake of damage. Maybe you have been beaten down by life’s circumstances? Allow Jesus sacrifice to bring to you new life, today. Have you been hurt? Have you been focused on the insatiable, unquenchable desires of what this world has to offer? Be reborn today in Jesus offering for you!
Jesus said…
John 6:48-59 (NIV) 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." 53 Jesus said… "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
Jesus gave us Himself – Died in our place –
Let’s take and eat the bread together – in remembrance of Jesus sacrifice – His broken body for you and me.
Let’s drink this juice together – in remembrance of Jesus sacrifice – His spilled blood for you and me.
Thank you, Jesus.

Community

I serve as a Pastor with my wife Sarah in Pacific Grove, CA but reside in the nearby Salinas Valley. We were able to buy a home recently in S. Salinas, due to the influx of forclosures and the stress of this Great Recession that we are in. Somehow all of this mess has benefited some of us.

Pacific Grove is a beautiful coastal town. This past weekend we were involved in a city-wide festival here called Good Old Days. The entire weekend we experienced temperatures in the high 70's and the sun shined bright against the backdrop of the crystal blue bay with the occasional refreshing breeze. It was a gorgeous display of the towns quaint character and the bays grandeur. Meanwhile in the news once again I heard about the violence exploding on the streets of my new hometown Salinas, an agricultural hub of California just a 30 minute drive away from PG.

PG is known as the last American Hometown. The streets are quiet after 6 PM. Crime-rates are practically non-existent or at least kept quiet, yet often people can be so wrapped up in their lives that deep relationships are hard to be had. In Salinas we just came off of a year that had the highest homicide rate in its history and this year we have already seen 12 killings take place in our city at the hands of Gang Violence, yet I find that people are warm and considerate as a rule in the day-to-day marketplace, and despite the violence people are hopeful and prayerful for a new day.

This is the picture that people have of these two towns. In one we imagine our kids riding bikes through the neighborhoods and in the other we have the impression that there is a war exploding on the other side of our front doors. neither is completely accurate

Let me share with you a story. A few weeks ago I lost my wedding ring. I have been working really hard these first few months of 2009 to lose weight (24 pounds so far). On a Saturday afternoon my wife and I took our kids to a park near our house (Mission Park). We played with our kids on the slides and pushed them on the swings. I wouldn't realize it till Sunday morning when I was getting ready for church that I had lost my ring. I was out of the house very early so I just trusted that it somehow ended up on my dresser or nightstand. Not wanting to disturb my wife's last minutes of sleep I saved my search for that afternoon. When afternoon came and I was back at home after a great morning worshipping together with my church, I tore my house apart looking for my ring with no luck.

I retraced our steps the day earlier. Sarah and I and the kids went to Starbucks in the morning, a class at the Quadrangle Building on Main Street in Salinas, lunch at Chevy's and the park. I drove to the park and searched around the swings. One lady pushing her daughter on a swing looked on at this man searching frantically in the dirt. I was thinking this looked odd and to put her concerns at ease, I told her that I had lost my ring the day earlier and thought it might be here. She sympathetically said, "oh, I am sorry." I left the park empty-handed, ring finger still barren. That night at a prayer meeting I told one lady from our church about my lost ring and asked her to pray that I would find this treasure once again. She agreed she would.

On Monday morning I called Chevy's, Starbucks and the instructor of our class to ask if my ring had turned up in any of those places. No one had turned it in. I was depressed. This ring has donned my finger for 13 years and now it was gone. I checked back at those numbers on Tuesday. Nothing turned up. Wednesday went by. My wife told me, "Don't worry about it, it is just a thing. We can get you another ring. This doesn't change our love for each other." These were words I knew to be true, yet this was still heavy on my heart. I exchanged vows with my wife and this ring was a part of that ceremony. This ring although just an object stood for something to me. It represented those vows and the love and life that I share with my wonderful wife. On Thursday morning, having given up all hope, once again I prayed to God, "Lord, I know it is improbable that I will ever see my ring again, but if it is Your will would you please bring it back to me somehow!"

That night I received an e-mail from the lady in my church who I had asked to pray with me that I would find my ring. In her e-mail she asked if I had found my ring and then asked, "Did you go to Mission Park this weekend, there is a lost and found ad in the paper for a man's ring found at Mission Park." I quickly e-mailed the lady in our church back and then called her trying to get the number. Sarah, my wife, jumped online perusing the Herald's lost and found ads. Finding the number I placed the call, despite the fact that it was after 9 PM. I left a frantic message.

10 minutes later the person who left the ad called back. She asked, "Are you the man that I talked to at the park on Sunday afternoon?" I started putting two and two together. this was the lady who was pushing her daughter on the swing. She was the only one that I had talked to in the park that day. 15 minutes after I had left the park she found my ring. She drove around the neighborhood looking for my white van, because she didn't know my name or my phone number, but she saw me leave in my white Sienna. She called the police, but did not want to relinquish it to them for fear that it would wind up being sold at an auction. It became her mission to get this ring back to the man that was desperately looking for his wedding memento in the park on Sunday.

The only person I talked to in the park that day was this woman who "coincidentally" stepped on my ring and placed that ad looking for me, it's owner.

The woman that I had asked to pray for me, was the only person in our church who I had talked to that Sunday night about my ring, and she prayerfully found that ad burried in the back of the Herald.

That Thursday night at 10:30 PM the woman who had found my ring pulled up to my driveway and handed me my wedding ring. I was in awe. Both of these ladies were my heroes. They are both a part of my community. One lady a native of Pacific Grove and faithful prayer warrior in our church, the other a concerned neighbor who took on the desperate mission to return my ring.

I love my community, where I work and where I reside. My community is where I live my life. The good and the bad, and these elements exist in both locales. Beyond that my community is my family. My wife was so gracious to me that I had lost this token of her love for me, which she had placed on my finger.

Finally my community is God Himself. He had the whole thing under control. How does a ring find its owner? God my advocate, my friend, my fellow church member, my neighbor, my family - He had the steps for my ring's return lined out for me.

This is a snapshot of community. I love mine.

Beginnings

Hey I am finally trying my wings on the blogosphere. I am an amateur at a lot of stuff.

This period of my life is full of new beginning. Our church is experiencing new beginnings. We had a Grand Reopening just six weeks ago. I have been preaching about Rebirth and how when God interacts with our broken and often dead selves we experience transformative rebirth in Him. Along the path we see the effects of that not only in our personal existence, but in new life all around us. It is exciting, fresh, organic and freeing. Seeing a church that was ready to close its doors having a newfound impact on a community is evidence of this work of God being real. This is what I am experiencing and it is changing me. Seeing new friends of mine becoming new in Christ is further evidence. baptized not only in water some of these are bathing in the promises and mission of Christ. This is changing me.

As a Christian I am an amateur. As a pastor I am an amateur. As a person I am an amateaur. The longer I live and breathe and work the more I realize this. The world is old and has been spinning long before me. The world continues today and will be moving rapidly well past my brief seconds here. When I am grey headed I will still be experiencing new beginnings, rebirth - I will still be an amateur. I hope I will be able to recognize that.

In this blog I will document from time to time the thoughts, events and musings of life and ministry in a little church on the coast. I will also submit sermons I have preached and interesting things that I have comeby in my new beginings -each day.

Thanks for listening to an amateur.