Gay Marriage, Evolution, and Rock n Roll

Hey guys. Here is my sermon from yesterday. Complete with the video I didn't get to show. We couldn't quite figure out how to get it from YouTube to the screen. In my opinion, it was much better in spoken form. Not that it was good, just better.

John 21:1-19

21After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. ²Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.³Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. ⁴Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. ⁵Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” ⁶He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. ⁷That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.⁸But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.⁹When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. ¹⁰Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” ¹¹So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. ¹²Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. ¹³Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. ¹⁴This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Gay Marriage, Evolution, and Rock n Roll

What a story. But it’s not really a story we can relate to right? Last week we read about Jesus’ appearance to the Disciples. “As the father sent me, I send you.” He appeared to them again a week later. This time Thomas was there. He felt Jesus’ hands and side. Now some time later, we’re not told how long, the Disciples are fired up! They are spirit-filled. They are sent!

So they go…fishing.

Maybe Peter was just hungry? Maybe he wanted to get out on the water and have some time to think. To me they seem unmotivated. They have no direction. They’ve lost their way.

These guys have seen the resurrected Christ, and they want to go fishing?

I wonder if the church today is the same? Maybe we’ve lost our way? Just a little bit.

This is a quote from Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of A Purpose Driven Life.

“Over the last hundred years, the hands and feet of Christ have been amputated. So, basically, in the eyes of the world, we have become a big mouth. Most of the time we are known for what we are against, instead of what we are for.”

There are plenty of other titles I could have chosen. “Sex, Gambling, and Demon Alcohol.” “Abortion, Cloning, and Stem Cells.” There is a lot the Church is against.

Maybe we’ve lost our way. We’ve forgotten what we are called to.

Unfortunately many of the most vocal Christians. Those with the biggest microphones (radio, TV, newspapers) spend most of their time telling the world what we are against. We need to show the world what we are for.

I wonder if we’ve lost sight of who Jesus was? What Jesus was about?

This is the Jesus those big microphones advertise. And often this is the Jesus we believe in. But who was Jesus? What was Jesus about?

John 3:16 is one of the most well known and well publicized passages in the Bible. Remember this guy? Let’s say it together.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but may have eternal life.”

Let’s go one verse further, John 3:17. Jesus says, “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus didn’t come to condemn the world. Jesus came to save it. As followers of Christ, as members of the body of Christ we should have the same goal. We are not here to condemn the world. We are here to save it.

The quote I read from Rick Warren earlier continues: “The church must be mobilized for what it is for, not what it is against.”

So what are we for? What was Jesus for?

Luckily he gave us lots of clues.

The Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers. Blessed are those who are persecuted.”

Jesus was for the poor, the hungry, the thirsty, the outcasts, those who have no clothes, the sick, the imprisoned. The least of these.

How about the greatest commandment? A lawyer asks Jesus what’s the greatest commandment? “Love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind. And the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Then he goes further. A Jew walking a treacherous road is beaten within an inch of his life by thieves. Three of his own race pass see him and move to the other side of the street. A Samaritan, a race hated by the Jews, spots him. Cleans him up. Takes him to a hotel. Pays for his stay. Tells the owner to care for the man and he’ll repay him when he returns. Love your enemies.

The disciples were lost. Jesus sent them out. They went fishing. Then along came Jesus. He fixed breakfast then he reminded them of their mission. “Feed my lambs.” “Tend my sheep.” “Feed my sheep.”

Take care of my people.

How do we do that? How does Edgemont United Methodist Church tend the sheep? How can we show our community what the Body of Christ is for?

We’ve begun. Angel Food is a wonderful ministry. The people who come through that line to pick up food see the love of Christ on every face they meet. There’s got to be more. There are more opportunities just outside our doors. Just down the street. Just across that fence.

What would it look like if we focused more on what we are for than what we are against?

A few weeks ago we had an Easter Egg hunt. Before the hunt the eggs needed hiding. As our people hid the eggs, they noticed they had company. Some kids from the apartments behind the playground were picking up the eggs and taking the candy. Debbie Johnson was in charge of the Egg hunt and the hiding. She saw what was happening and acted.

But she didn’t do what I would’ve done. I would’ve told them to get lost and leave our eggs alone. She invited them to help. Then she invited them to stay and eat. Have their faces painted. Get balloon animals. And they did.

Toward the end of the event, Austin invited one of the kids to church. Chris. Guess what? Chris has been here every Sunday and most Wednesdays since then. Chris was at the Pancake Fundraiser yesterday.

What are we for? Rick Warren continues: “I want to be for the poor, the sick, the lost, and I want to be ‘the friend of sinners.’ That’s a badge of honor.”

How can we return to our place as the hands and feet of God? There are opportunities for us to tend the sheep all around us.