Rose Park Sunday School (Adults and Children) at 8:45 a.m. / Worship at 9:45 a.m.

Madison Sunday School (Adults and Children) 10:15 a.m. / Worship at 11:15 a.m.

Sermon Notes 100922

Oct 23, 2022 | Sermons

Sermon Notes 100922

Suggested Lectionary Passages

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 66:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 

2 Timothy 2:8-15

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David–that is my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful– for he cannot deny himself.

14 Remind them of this and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

Luke 17:11-19

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Living Out Loud

Last week we considered how to boldly worship God! Today, we will continue in this theme through which we will consider both the inward and outward dimensions of our faith. The passages in Lamentations and the Psalm both shared devastation as the Israelites viewed the destruction of the temple through the lens of its former glory. Woe is me! What will we do? In our passage from Jeremiah, we see seeds of hope being planted as the Israelites in exile are called to rebuild: settle, garden, and start families. Why would you do this if you were only going to die in captivity? God is redeeming the faithful. 

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WA 2 Timothy, Paul is sharing or restating his Gospel: the creed by which he has lived his life since the encounter the Road to Damascus. A creed represents our inward dimension of faith. The Apostle’s creed is a profession of faith in God as revealed by Jesus, so it includes articles about each of the three persons of the Trinity and the principle truths that follow this belief. In short, the creed summarizes what Christians believe and have believed since the time of Christ. In other words, The nuts and bolts of what we believe. 

Invite to join in the Apostle’s Creed. p.881.

There is no uncertainty about Paul’s conviction. He believes and will follow his beliefs until his own end, no matter what the consequences. 

Let’s reread vs. 9 . . .  I get goosebumps reading vs. 9. But the word of God is not chained. Or cannot be chained. This reminds me of a special celebration. Remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem when the Pharisees asked Jesus to quiet the crowd. 

He answered, “I tell you, if they were silent, the very stones would cry out.” In saying that the stones will cry out, Jesus indicates that the people’s acclamations should be encouraged, not suppressed. The people of Jerusalem are expressing great joy, and that joy is so appropriate, so necessary, that, if they did not express praise, it would be appropriate for inanimate objects to fill the void. Colossians 1:16 says that all creation was made for God’s glory. Everything in creation declares His praise. However, humans are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), so we are the ones who should be praising God.

The idea of rocks crying out in praise to the Lord is poetic, startling imagery, and magnificent use of personification.  Throughout Scripture are similar poetic passages that present inanimate objects praising God. For example, in Psalm 114:6, the mountains leap. Isaiah 55:12 says, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” There are countless examples, especially in the Psalms: the sun, moon, stars, heavens, water, sky, animals, and people. 

As certain as Paul is of his own salvation, he is equally sure of what is to come for those who believe. 11 The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; 

Those sound great! Then comes the more concerning part. 

 if we deny him, he will also deny us; Many will be called, but few are chosen. Why would anyone deny Christ? 

  1. Don’t need a Savior: We’re Good People
    1. Secular society-Children not even exposed.
  2. What will others think? A lot of powerful people do not believe. Ashamed
  3. More interested in earthly treasures, than eternal ones.

Then comes the Good News: 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful– for he cannot deny himself. No matter what. When we have doubts, Jesus is faithful. When we turn our backs, Jesus is faithful. When we cry out in despair, Jesus is faithful. 

This is where our Gospel lesson comes in. Luke’s text is a story about getting it right. 

  • Ten people with leprosy. 
  • isolated from their families and feared by their community. 
  • See Jesus as he enters their village. 
  • Call out for mercy, Jesus tells them to go to the village priest. 
  • Disease disappears. 
  • They are free. They can go home. 
  • Nothing can stop them from breaking down the synagogue doors!

How can they repay their debt? No response was sufficient to repay that debt, but one man knew that something had to be done before he saw the priest. He went and thanked Jesus for giving him his life again. All ten of the men with leprosy had their bodies made clean. But only one was made whole again. (Another example of a Samaritan, a gentile, being saved) He was the one who got it right!

There is a difference between being cured and being healed. The cure went to all. You might say a temporary fix like taking cold medicine to mask the symptoms of a cold. The healing came to the one who recognized the Healer. This one man understood his own vulnerability. He learned that every day is a gift, an opportunity to live fully, not only for himself but for others. Every day is a gift! Live each day to the fullest. Don’t miss the opportunities before you. Most importantly don’t miss the miracle of salvation. 

Every day is a chance for us to get it right, to thank the One who gives us life and to reach beyond ourselves and care for others. 

The lepers asked for mercy, which they were given. Nine of the ten willingly accepted the cure, but they did nothing to invest themselves in Christ so that they might be healed. Paul tells us that we must present ourselves to God. Present ourselves! We can’t sit like passive spectators. If we want to be rescued from this broken world, we must claim our healing through faith. Those who fail to act are subject to the winds of fate and the frailties of their own lack of commitment. (as was the case for the nine who were cured) As soon as the cold medicine wears off, you’re back to hacking and coughing. No, we are called to lean in, to grab hold. The tenth leper reached out and claimed his healing. 

In response to our gift we need to live out loud, to be walking billboards for Christ. We are called to be unafraid of failure, to take risks in living out the call of our faith. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Yes, we are being made disciples of Jesus Christ; it is not by our power but by the transforming work of the Spirit within us. 

We must surrender ourselves to the power within us and become a partner with that Spirit. As partners with the Spirit, we are called to make disciples of others, but this isn’t the end. By our example, we nurture others so that we claim our commission to make disciples for the transformation of the world. “Do your best,” the mentor tells Timothy and us; do your best to present yourself to God. To live out loud!

This is not about us being worthy, and this is not about encouraging God to choose us, to claim us. The claiming has been done; the being made worthy has been done. It was done on a cross on a hill called Calvary. It was done in a graveyard in the light of the risen sun on Easter morning. We are resurrection people: We are chosen. We are declared worthy. We are claimed by the creator, redeemed by the savior, sanctified by the sustainer.

Still, do your best. At what? If we’re already worthy, if we’re already claimed, at what do we need to do our best? Can we sit back and wait. Again, we must surrender ourselves by living the life that Christ modeled for us. Living Out Loud means letting the joy of the Lord exude from every essence of our being. We must let the evidence of our salvation show in how we act, what we value, and how we respond to everything that happens, for good and for ill. Do your best to let the light within you shine forth from you. “There is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Amanda Gorman. Present yourself to God with the best that God has placed within you. Present yourself to God by loving the ones Jesus came to walk among. Present yourself to God by letting every word from your lips be words of praise and invitation. Present yourself to God with joy in every circumstance. Present yourself to God. Live Out Loud as we worship God with our lives, as long as we have breath.

I Will Worship My God

Living Out Loud: First, we must know in whom we believe. (the inward) Second, we must be recognized as believers. (The outward)

Lord, we thank you for the wondrous ways in which you have healed and restored us. There have been countless times when we wondered if the trials and struggles of our lives would overcome us and swallow us up; yet you have reached out to redeem us. Just as in the scriptures when Jesus healed the ten people afflicted with leprosy, one, when he saw that he had been healed, returned to Jesus, praising God for the healing that had taken place. Make our faith as strong as the one of that man. Give us the wisdom to know the source of healing is not in our pleading, but in our acknowledging your love and power. As we bring before you the names and situations in our hearts that are filled with strife and trouble, we ask for their healing as well. We know that you hear the cries of our hearts and respond always in love. Help us to place our complete trust in your never-ending compassion. For it is in Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN

Lord, in the midst of suffering, I find your strength. In adversity, I find resilience. Your presence through hardship and jubilation is my comfort. Thank you for your eternal faithfulness. Amen.

Benediction

Having opened your hearts to God and received God’s healing love, go now into this hurting troubled world with the good news of God’s presence and compassion. AMEN.