Study Matthew 24: 36-44

BS Matthew 24: 36-44

Before we even look at this scripture we must learn terminology, for some it will be new and to others old hat, BUT it is necessary to understand this passage.

Apocalyptic Literature – A type of Jewish and Christian religious writing that means “revelation” or “unveiling” and is applied to writing that contains alleged revelation of the secret purposes of God, the end of the world, and the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth. NIV Bible Dictionary

Apocalyptic literature typically includes a number of concepts: 1) time is divided into two ages – the present age is ruled by Satan, the age to come will be ruled by God, the transition will occur very quickly, the end of the present age will happen in the very near future, the transition will include wars, plagues, famine, earthquakes and other natural disasters. 2) There will be a general resurrection of the dead. 3) There will be a final judgment. 4) Satan’s supporters will be annihilated. 5) God’s supporters will enter a period of peace and happiness. We find Apocalyptic Literature in both the Old and New Testament. In the Old it is found interspersed in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Micah and Daniel. In the New Testament we find it in Mark, Matthew, Luke and Revelation. Paul does touch on the subject matter in 1 Corinthians 15: 20-28; 2 Corinthians 5: 1-3; 1 Thess 4: 15-18; and 2 Thess 2: 1-12. Internet - 11/27/07 “Religious Tolerance.org http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_ntb5a.htm

NIV    ³⁶"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴²"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

The Message   ³⁶"But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows. ^{37 -39}"The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah's. Before the great flood everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away. ^{39 -44}"The Son of Man's Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

The primary point of this passage (along with the three parables following) is THE IMMINECE OF HIS RETURN. The point is … Jesus is coming back, it’s really going to happen. The exact time is not important, what is important is we are ready and waiting.

 ³⁶"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Jesus begins with the truth that no one knows when his coming will happen. The expression “day or hour” is used throughout scripture to indicate a GENERAL reference to time.

We see here some of the “emptying” of Christ in this passage. This emptying or in Greek kenosis (found in Philippians 2: 7) contends that when Jesus became flesh he limited the use of his divine attributes so that he could experience the full human life. While He did not in any sense give up his deity, Jesus voluntarily limited the use of these characteristics (Hebrews 4: 14-16).  He voluntarily limited himself and remains uninformed to the time about “that day.”  

³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Jesus uses a familiar story with his audience, the story of Noah. The people in the days of Noah did not heed the warnings of judgment that were given to them. They continued to carry on in the every day activities. Although in Genesis 6: 11-12 the people of Noah’s day were identified as evil, Jesus’ main point in this passage is not necessarily that the people are evil. They were just so wrapped up in everyday living they were caught off guard because they had no concern for righteousness and spiritual realities.  Ouch, does that sound familiar???? By contrast, Noah and his family went through with the preparations for the coming flood, even though they could see no specific signs and did not know the time.  That is Jesus expectation of us…regardless of whether we know the time or not, can see signs or not, we are to be ready and waiting.

⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Jesus gives two other regular daily examples for the people of his time, folks in a field and grinding with a hand mill. The way Jesus relates is amazing. Here he is teaching about future events but he makes it easy, in our day he could have just as easily said, “two people sitting at their computers in an office” or “two people shopping at Wal-Mart.” The point is that the Son of Man gathers his people at his return to enjoy the fullness of his Kingdom, while those left behind experience his judgment.

⁴²"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

“Watch” implies not only to keep looking but also to be prepared. Ultimately the human race is divided into two groups – those who watch for Christ’s coming and those who do not. The principle of separation is illustrated here graphically. The keynote for this passage is “Watch” literally “stay wide awake!” For no one knows when Christ may come. To live without watchfulness invites disaster! A home owner must be vigilant or the thief will rob him. We must remember that the watching of the Christian for the coming of Christ is not that of terror-stricken fear and shivering apprehension, it is the watching of eager expectation for the coming of glory and joy. The spirit which leads to disaster is the spirit which says there is plenty of time, it is a delusion. Watching here is NOT a passive term.

Here’s an example, a fireman. Firemen are really intentional about being ready at any given moment, to the point of having their fire pants fixed perfectly over their boots - so as to simple step into the boots, pull up the pants and run. When on duty they live in this state of complete readiness, they prepare for it, they plan it, they think about it, they strategize about it, etc. So we must ask ourselves what does it look like for me to be watching, ready, prepared? What does it look like for the community of faith I belong to be ready? I think I won’t answer that, because for each of us the answer may be different. BUT I’d like for you to think about it and email me back one statement about what this “watchfulness” could mean for you or for the body of believers you know. Resources: NIV Bible Dictionary, NIV Application Commentary, The Gospel of Matthew by William Barclay, Beacon Bible Studies – Matthew by Ralph Earle, Commentary by Matthew Henry

 

 

Study 1 Samuel 17

NIV    ¹ Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. ² Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines. ³ The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them. ⁴ A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. ⁵ He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ; ⁶ on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. ⁷ His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. ⁸ Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." ¹⁰ Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." ¹¹ On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.          Now, this is a battle scene I would think you would see on an old movie. Soldiers lined on the side of one hill, a valley in between and then the other army on the opposite hill. But unlike a Hollywood movie, instead of running down the hillsides into hand to hand combat, one huge, 9 foot warrior steps out wearing about 150 pounds worth of armor. He’s a crusty, war hardened soldier, “Killing is his business and business is good” to quote Damon Wayans from the movie “Major Payne.” This one warrior challenge would not have been a strange sight in the days of David and Goliath. It was acceptable for one chief warrior to challenge another, then the army of the loser submit. In this particular passage, we note that the Philistines sent their largest warrior. We know from I Sam 9: 2 that Saul was Israel’s tallest and was their envied warrior. But Saul is terrified and all Israel knows it. This brought incredible humiliation to the people. In those days people really believed when they won a battle it was because their god was stronger. Sooooooooooo, when no one from Israel steps out, then the Philistines conclude that Israel’s God is weak and their gods are supreme. So this was not just a challenge for the nation of Israel but a challenge for Israel’s God.

 ¹² Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul's time he was old and well advanced in years. ¹³ Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. ¹⁴ David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, ¹⁵ but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.  ¹⁶ For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. ¹⁷ Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. ¹⁸ Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. ¹⁹ They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."                                                     Often in the Old Testament we find repeated information about heritage and families. We do find statements here about David’s background that has been given in prior chapters, this was a common practice. I don’t think it’s really that uncommon today, often I hear people repeat information when they tell a story, especially if that have what I call part-timers. J  David is sent on a servant’s errand. This is truly a story of an underdog becoming the hero. David is obedient, Jesse could have sent one of his servants but he sends David as a servant. I sometimes talk to Christians who think they are not doing anything for God’s Kingdom because they aren’t a missionary, a pastor, a singer,  they “only” make sure the building is clean and ready for service; they teach five year olds; they empty trash or take meals to the sick – they are “only” servants. Oh, how I wish they could realize what heros they really are. 

    ²⁰ Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. ²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it.                                      David was not a part of this battle and was oblivious to what was happening. Vs. 16 says that every morning and evening for forty days Goliath repeated his challenge and David missed it, simply because he was somewhere else. How much do we miss because we are not at the front lines of the battle? How much do we miss when we are apathetic to what’s happening with God’s Kingdom and His people. When David takes food to the front lines he hears the challenge. He sees the fear, he hears of the reward, he gets in on all that’s going on. And he becomes involved. Are you on the front lines…

²⁴ When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. ²⁵ Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father's family from taxes in Israel." ²⁶ David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" ²⁷ They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." ²⁸ When Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, "Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle." ²⁹ "Now what have I done?" said David. "Can't I even speak?" ³⁰ He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. ³¹ What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.                                                                                                                                                                                  David when he hears Goliath is angered because he trusts God. Maybe it takes someone fresh and new to join the front lines to help remember who’s Almighty. Seeing conversions of sinners ignites a church and a passion to do God’s work. David’s brother gets angry at him. The brother has been there fighting, the brother knows what’s going on, knows who the soldiers are and how they should respond, and David’s not a soldier, how could he possibly make comments! Could folks who have been in the church take this stance with new Christians when they come in with new ideas. David ignores the brother and continues to ask why, why, why? Finally, it gets to the top soldier, Saul. Saul attempts to explain the situation and why they are in fear, the magnitude of the consequences, the strength of the enemy and the inexperience of David. David is right on top of that, unknown to anyone in the world God has been preparing David for battle with his own experiences. How often do we discount new Christians from being part of the “leadership” because of their lack of training or experience or whatever? David has confidence in the preparation God has given him. We see a rare glimpse into the sane Saul, here as he gives permission and blessing. Saul was staking the nation on this boy and his faith in God. Are we courageous enough to stake our church on maybe some of the new believers, or new ideas and bless them?

    ³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off.                                                                                                                                                                              Saul attempts to give David what Saul thinks he needs. How often do I attempt to cram all of my years of walking with Jesus to a new Christian, instead of patience, love and time? David tries to use the armor but can’t, David must rely on what God has equipped him with and Saul has to trust that. David learns he can’t be another person. And Saul, maybe part of the reason he wanted David to wear his armor was because it was suppose to have been HIM fighting Goliath. Could it be that we want others to shoulder our burdens… surely not.

⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. ⁴¹ Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. ⁴² He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. ⁴³ He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"  ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."    ^{48 -49} That roused the Philistine, and he started toward David. David took off from the front line, running toward the Philistine. David reached into his pocket for a stone, slung it, and hit the Philistine hard in the forehead, embedding the stone deeply. The Philistine crashed, facedown in the dirt. ⁵⁰ That's how David beat the Philistine—with a sling and a stone. He hit him and killed him. No sword for David! ⁵¹ Then David ran up to the Philistine and stood over him, pulled the giant's sword from its sheath, and finished the job by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their great champion was dead, they scattered, running for their lives. ^{52 -54} The men of Israel and Judah were up on their feet, shouting! They chased the Philistines all the way to the outskirts of Gath and the gates of Ekron. Wounded Philistines were strewn along the Shaaraim road all the way to Gath and Ekron. After chasing the Philistines, the Israelites came back and looted their camp. David took the Philistine's head and brought it to Jerusalem. But the giant's weapons he placed in his own tent. ⁵⁵ When Saul saw David go out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Tell me about this young man's family." Abner said, "For the life of me, O King, I don't know." ⁵⁶ The king said, "Well, find out the lineage of this raw youth." ⁵⁷ As soon as David came back from killing the Philistine, Abner brought him, the Philistine's head still in his hand, straight to Saul. ⁵⁸ Saul asked him, "Young man, whose son are you?" "I'm the son of your servant Jesse," said David, "the one who lives in Bethlehem."                                                                         The story of David and Goliath are so well know sometimes we can miss very important points.

1. The Philistine was defying God when he defyed Israel, taunting God, in fact. Such arrogance was bound to meet divine punishment eventually; and this gave David a source of faith and courage.
2. David was already well able to protect his father’s flocks from predators. The present situation was not different in kind: the nation of Israel was the flock of God and Goliath was no more than a predator. It is symbolically appropriate that David killed Goliath with a shepherd’s weapons.
3. David did not underestimate the danger, but he saw it in the perspective of God’s purposes and goodness.
4. In the whole episode there is a lesson that God brought the right man on the scene a the right time.
5. David put his whole trust in God; though it is important to note that this did not mean that he would fail to use his own weapons and the skills he had acquired.

The enemy does attack, the enemy will attack. David runs to meet him head on, using what God has given him. He totally finishes the job that God gave him. I wonder how often I have embedded the stone only to leave the head in place of the enemy so that later he can get back up. All of us stumble in our walk with Christ, but we can be defeated if we don’t kill the enemy. Example: if I have battle with gossip and the Lord speaks to me and I repent, then immediately I need to let those whom I talk with most know of my battle and repentance, so they can help me be accountable, kill the enemy. Once the enemy is completely overthrown, the rest of the army scatters. Remember David did this in full sight of everyone, no secrecy in overcoming the enemy. Do we often attempt to keep things secret while we battle? If so we will probably loose, or fail repeatedly. Kill the giant, whatever it may be.

 

Sermon Luke 19: 1-10

Sermon         Luke 19: 1-10  “From a Tree to a Table”

Collaboration of Steve Estep, Nancy Cantrell, Jimmy Skeen

 

     Grooms and grade-school kids. One of the things they have in common is they need someone to tell them where to go. (Be careful).  Example: In most weddings, the groom has needed all the help he can get. Seeing the bride in her gown is enough to cause him to lose his senses. Most get so nervous they don’t even know where to stand. That’s why preachers make them repeat things…  The same thing happens when kids in a Christmas program step onto a platform in front of a crowd, stage fright takes over. They forget what they’re supposed to say, and where they are supposed to go. But we in the pastoring/teaching world have developed a remedy helps both grooms and grade-school kids.

     (Hold up roll of masking tape) Two pieces of masking tape make all the difference in the world. A little X on the carpet marks the spot for a groom to stand if he wants to be in the right place at the right time. When you’re in a wedding, you do not want to be in the wrong place.  A little X on the stage marks the spot for any young actor to be in the right place at the right time. When you are in a Christmas program, you do not want to be in the wrong place.

     When he got word that a celebrity was coming to town he wanted to be in the right place at the right time to see him.

He was used to always having the best seats with the best view. World Series, Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby, Opera (although I must say I’m not sure who would want front row opera tickets) – he never had to worry about not being able to see because his seats were always in the front row. You can do that when you’re filthy rich. He could make money at the drop of a hat.  So what if other people were getting poor, he was getting rich. He was rolling in it. So on this particular day if he could have paid for a seat it wouldn’t have been a problem but there were no tickets for this event. No special treatment.

     The crowd had already formed and there was no room at the front. The same people he had cheated out of their taxes were standing in front of him. And in no mood to give him a free pass to the front. The vertically challenged tax man had a view that consisted of backs, arms, and elbows. More than once he got an elbow on his chin; a heel ground into his toe or a shove from the side.  Those in the crowd weren’t overly obvious, but they did take advantage of the pressing bodies to conceal a well placed jab in the kidneys. How they hated him. It didn’t take much of that for the tax man to be bruised up and looking for a way out. It was totally unlike him to subject himself to that kind of humiliation anywhere, but there was something compelling him to see this particular celebrity.  Somehow he was willing to pay a much higher price for this view than he’d ever paid before.

     Finally, he squirmed out of crowd ran ahead, anticipating the place where the celebrity might cross.  He located a tree, climbed it and found a comfortable place to sit with his feet dangling and his mind racing, he waited to catch a glimpse, not sure of what he would see or even why he wanted to see it.  But he knew this was one day when he wanted to be in the right place at the right time, no matter what.

     Now, this particular celebrity could have gone to the temple and hob-knobbed with the Billy Graham of his day. He could have stopped at the home of the mayor for a fancy sit-down dinner.  He could have just kept going and not stopped anywhere else in Jericho, but He didn’t. When Jesus neared the place where the tax man was perched, he didn’t hesitate. Like a groom on his wedding day or a kid in the Christmas program he was drawn to it. On the ground beneath Zacchaeus he saw it. An “X” marked the spot of an encounter with a short tax man with a fat wallet who was hungry to find more than he could pay for, who was ready for a life-change. Somehow Jesus knew. He always does. He can always tell when people are ready for an encounter with Him.  
     Jesus stopped at the base of the sycamore tree, looked up through the leaves, and called out. “Zacchaeus, come down. I must come to your house today.” Zacchaeus shimmied down the tree like a little kid going down a slide. My house? My house? He’s coming to my house!  Zacchaeus didn’t know what all it meant but he did know this – Jesus wasn’t afraid to go home with him. In fact, He insisted on it. Of course Zacchaeus could have said no, but why on earth would he have done that? It never makes sense to say no when Jesus wants to come home with you.

     The two of them walked side by side, the crook and the Christ, all the way to Zacchaeus’ house, while the bewildered crowd wondered why on earth Jesus would go to the home of a sinner like Zacchaeus. He was a liar, a cheat, and a traitor. But curiosity got the best of them and they kept following. Sometimes curiosity gets us to a place where we can see something Jesus wants to show us about himself. That’s the way it was with this crowd.  They followed all the way to the house and got the surprise of their lives. 

     After a few minutes inside with Jesus, Zacchaeus came out with a wheelbarrow full of money. He told the people to line up, just like the lines they had formed to come and pay their taxes.  Only this time instead of demanding money from them, Zacchaeus was giving his money away, ½ of his money to the poor. He repaid everyone he had cheated 4x the amount he has stolen. You should have heard the crowd then. Instead of saying, “Little sawed-off, thieving weasel” they were saying

“Can you believe this? I sure didn’t expect to walk away with any of Zacchaeus money in my pocket! Amazing! What’s happened here?”  Zacchaeus spends a little time around a table with Jesus and all of sudden his whole attitude towards money changes. Instead of grabbing more of it, he’s giving it away.

The guy spends a little time at a table with Jesus and all of sudden the way he treats other people is radically rearranged. He doesn’t just say,”I’m sorry,” He shows “I’m sorry.” If Jesus can change a guy like Zacchaeus, He can change anyone. He spends a little time at a table with Jesus and his actions cause other people to notice the change! If Jesus can change Zacchaeus, He can change anyone.

Read the text: Luke 19: 1-10 NIV    ¹Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. ²A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. ³He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. ⁴So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.  ⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.  ⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "  ⁸But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." ⁹Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. ¹⁰For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

     Zacchaeus made a little journey that day - from his home, through the town, past the crowd, and beyond all the barriers, to a sycamore tree. Jesus walked through Jericho past the synagogue, the businesses, the priests, the people, to a sycamore tree. Jesus saw an X that marked the spot where He wanted to transform the life of Zacchaeus.

     This morning you and I made a little journey as well - from your home, through town, past the crowd and beyond all the barriers until you arrived here. This morning I believe if you look close enough right between your feet you might be able to see it - an X that marks the spot where Jesus wants to have an encounter with you.  Right here and right now is the spot; the spot where your journey toward Jesus and His journey toward you come together. It’s an encounter waiting to happen, and it’s a lot more than a one-time good feeling or emotional high.  If it’s anything like the encounter Zacchaeus had with Jesus, it can be the beginning of relationship changing everything.

For him, it started at a tree and moved to a table – a table where life was shared and a relationship built. I guess as far as Jesus is concerned, there is no way to come to a person’s heart without going to their home.  Can you hear Him? “Come down from that tree, I’d love to come to your heart today, I’d love to come to your house today.” It doesn’t matter if this is your first encounter with Jesus or a renewing, a refreshing, a healing, a restoring encounter. It’s change all the same.

     (Move to communion table) This is another place where we move from a tree to a table – from the Tree of Calvary, to the Table of grace where Jesus invites us to have life with Him.  More than just remembering, we believe we encounter Him here, here in this sacrament (Break the bread) of love, love that left his body broken, (Hold up cup) his blood shed.

At this table Jesus gives grace –

Grace that accepts sinners; grace that forgives;

Grace that has the power to change the way we handle our possessions;

Grace that has the power to change the way we see and treat people.

That’s the kind of thing that can happen when we spend a few minutes at a table with Jesus. And here, at this table, we’re all invited to a front row seat. 

     Here at this table all are welcome. If you have never been to this church before it doesn’t matter you are welcome. All we ask is that you desire an encounter with Christ, to stand on the X and allow Him to have a relationship with you.

If you would move to the two center aisles tear off a small piece of bread and hear the words, “The body of Christ broken for you.” Then dip it in the cup and hear the words “The blood of Christ which was shed for you.” Then partake right there, knowing you are in the right spot at the right time, experiencing a relationship with Jesus who is already there.

 

BENEDICTION

“Come down out of that tree, I’m coming to your house.” Go forth with God’s blessing. Follow the journey with joy. Walk with Jesus side by side. Share your encounter with the world. Amen