Sermons from "The Old Rev" Mark Matthews - Concordia Lutheran Church Berwyn

[Juliet]

Names are important to us.  My Son, for instance, is named after my Brother and my Dad. Our Grandson, Marco, is named after his Grandpa. The new one, born this past week is Matteo, like Mark & Matthews, huh?  My old Secretary from New Jersey is named Cherie. Her daughter is named Cherie. Her son is named Cherie. The dog is named...you guessed it...Cherie.

I heard a story of a burglar walking through a house one night when a voice called out, "Jesus knows you're here."  He almost jumped out of his skin. He saw no one, so kept taking things until he heard "Jesus is watching you." Shining the light, he finally located a parrot. "What did you say?" he called to the parrot. "Yes," said the parrot, "I'm warning you that Jesus is watching you."  "Who are you to warn me?" the burglar called out. "I'm Moses," replied the bird. "What kind of people would name their bird, Moses?" "The same kind of people who would name their Rottweiller, Jesus," the parrot replied.

This morning, as we get closer and closer to Christmas, there is a special name I want to look at and that name is Immanuel. Immanuel, the Bible tells us, is a name for Jesus that means; God Is With Us. When that little Baby was born in Bethlehem "God Is With Us" was in the manger for all to see. What a blessing for Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and later the wise men when they could see and touch "God Is With Us" for themselves. What comfort, peace, and hope was theirs, knowing "God Is With Us" on earth. The time had come and God fulfilled His promise to send a Savior Who would suffer and die for our sins to save us from sin and open up a heavenly home for us. God did this by sending His Own Son, Jesus, Immanuel; God Is With Us.

The manger brings hope, while our sinful human nature focusing on worldly things brings sadness and pain. Sin tells us to look to ourselves for answers and we see that we are alone in our hurt. We are lost and hopeless. We suffer alone. No one understands or cares. We become brokenhearted. We are filled with fear as we face life or death. How sad that so many feel that way when the answer is as close as looking to the manger where Jesus, God is With Us, is born.

Faith in Jesus as your Savior brings many blessings, including comfort and hope now and eternally.  Those things in life that would normally crush us, destroy us, or overwhelm us, no longer have that power. We read in the Bible about Moses, not the parrot, facing the Red Sea. Moses trusted the Lord, knew "God Is With Us" and walked through. Daniel faced the Lion's den for his faithfulness, yet felt no fear knowing "God Is With Us." David faced his Goliath with faith, knowing "God Is With Us." His enemy was defeated.

What about you? Lost a job? Remember there is hope because (people shout) "God Is With Us." We are facing illness and death, yet have hope because........ We fear what the future might bring, whether young or old, yet find courage because.......Whatever we have to face in this life we remember that if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it because...........

We know that God Is Good...All The Time because through faith in Jesus, we have eternal hope and joy because.............. amen, pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Don't you really enjoy the decorations of Christmas? I know that I do! We see the beautiful round wreaths which remind us of God's eternal love for us and the eternal life we have in Jesus. The trees point to heaven, have three sides for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and are evergreen; again a reminder of life and life eternal through faith in Jesus.
This morning for Christmas Day as we celebrate Jesus' birth, I want to look at another symbol of Christmas, the mistletoe. 

Up until this week, all I knew about mistletoe was that most women avoid getting under it with me. The unwritten rule is that a boy and girl will kiss when under the mistletoe. Way before that kissy thing began, the mistletoe was a favorite plant of the Druids who lived hundreds of years before Jesus. Apparently the Druids held oak trees and the mistletoe that grew from them to be sacred; even having healing powers to make one fertile or bring health to someone who was poisoned. What's interesting is that mistletoe is a parasite that lives off the oak trees. It attaches itself to the tree and draws its life from the tree, yet was seen as holy. 

A legend tells the story of a goddess who restored her son to life and the tears she shed become the little berries and the mistletoe was now a symbol for love, the healing of relationships, and new life. We stand under the mistletoe and exchange a token of love; a kiss.

It's not unusual for Christians to find God's love in things like trees and wreaths, so why not mistletoe? A plant that draws life from another could remind us of our faith in Jesus which attaches us to Jesus.  Like the mistletoe, we have life only when attached in faith to our Lord. Trusting in Jesus Who died on a tree and rose for us brings forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Standing close to Jesus, under Him if you will, in faith brings His love for us and a love we can share with others. The blood of our Lord heals us from the hurts of this life and the sins that could send us to hell. Jesus conquered death and all who trust Him, hang around Him, live under Him, will have a place in heaven with Him.

Because God is Good....All The Time, He wants you to live under His Son now and eternally. Mistletoes can remind us of His love and a reason to share that love, especially as we remember; K.I.S.S. KNOWING IMMANUEL SAVES SINNERS. How sweet is that? Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Sometimes we think we're pretty smart, don't we? I read a story of a visitor to a mental asylum asking the Director how they determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "We fill up a bathtub with water, and then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup, and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub." "I'm pretty sharp; I understand," answered the visitor, "A normal person will use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or teacup." "No," said the Director, "A normal person will pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

OOPPSS! Not so smart, huh? That's one of the reasons I've always liked the story about Solomon. Of all the things Solomon could have asked God for, he chose to ask for wisdom in the sight of God. He wanted to be able to discern between good and evil so he could be a blessing to his people. God answered his prayer and gave him much more; which is what God does anyway.

There is a pattern for wisdom in God's sight. . Number 1, who do you listen to for advice? Number 2, what are you asking for? Number 3, what will you do with it?

Remember how discerning good from evil got its start? Yes, in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve first listened to the Devil. They asked for the knowledge to discern between good and evil. They wanted this gift so they could be like God. What does this teach us?  All of that Devil-provided knowledge led to sin, death, and destruction. Listen to the Devil; get something for yourself, use it in a selfish way leads to death and destruction. 

Solomon, on the other hand, called out to God for help. He wanted to know good from evil, not for himself, but to help his people. God answered the prayer of Solomon because this king trusted God, believed in Him, and wanted to bless others. 

What we learn from Solomon's faith applies to the visitor to the asylum. Solomon didn't want to fill himself with Satan's selfish lies like Adam and Eve. Solomon listened to God and wanted what was God-pleasing in his life. What does that say to each of us?  Like the bathtub, our lives are filled with sin. Like Adam and Eve, we enjoy seeking to be like our own gods, doing what we want that makes us happy. If we ever feel like we should confess our sins and ask for forgiveness, the teaspoon is the way to go because we don't want to empty the tub of sin. Sin is too much fun. God says that this is not smart. 

Solomon trusted God as we can trust in Jesus. Confessing our sins before our Lord is like asking Jesus to pull the plug and free us from those burdens. Jesus came at Christmas and died and rose to pull the plug on our bathtubs of sin and take the burden away. This is wise in God's sight.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to grow in wisdom. How do we grow? We grow in wisdom as we seek out God's help when we study His Word, attend Holy Communion regularly, worship, and pray. Now that's smart in God's sight! Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Remember the movie "Independence Day"? Aliens are destroying the world and are intercepting all communication. The earthlings discover that the aliens don't know the Morse Code and begin using that Code to defeat the enemy. The Morse Code is a series of dots and dashes invented by Samuel Morse in the mid 1800's. Many remember the old signal for S.O.S. which is ... --- ...

I read a story this week about a young man applying for a job to be a Morse Code operator. He answered an ad in the paper and ended up in a large office with many telegraphs clacking away in the background. Job applicants had to complete a form and wait to be called to an inner office. He did so and sat with another of other applicants. Suddenly he got up and walked right into the office. The others sitting there couldn't believe how bold this guy was being that he was the last to apply and no one had called them in for an interview. A few minutes later the boss appeared with the young man and thanked the others but the job had been filled. The others couldn't believe it. What had happened? That wasn't fair! We never had a chance to be interviewed. The boss then told them that while they were sitting there the whole time, the telegraph had been ticking out a message; "If you understand this message, come right in. The job is yours." They hadn't understood the message.

As we watch Jesus being baptized in Scripture this morning, we realize that He did this to take the burden of our sins on Himself. We hear the words of His Heavenly Father, "This is My Beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased."  Do we hear God's words? Do they make sense to us like the Morse Code did for the young man?

These words from God are found in the Bible in two places.  "This is My Beloved Son" comes from Psalm 2:7 and speaks about the coming Messiah. "In Whom I am well pleased" is from Isaiah 42:1 speaking of the beloved Servant of God Whose prophecy finishes in the suffering of Isaiah 53.

Our heavenly Father is sending us a message; this Jesus being baptized here is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  God is pleased with Him because He is the perfect Servant Who will suffer and die on the cross as our Substitute, to take the punishment we deserve for our sins.

Faith in Jesus is faith in God's Son, the Savior, Who will take away our sins and open the kingdom of heaven for all believers.  Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants you to know; .--- . ... ..- ...   -.. .. . -..   ..-. --- .-.   -.-- --- ..-! Get the message? Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read a story about a lady who became a Christian. It seems that her past was filled with all kinds of trouble and bad decisions. She had literally hit rock bottom when a friend reached out and took her to church. She was welcomed by many others at the church and began to attend on a regular basis. She started going to Bible Class and get involved with activities. She even started praying. For the first time in her life she realized that God loved her, in spite of her past sins. She found great comfort knowing that Jesus died for her sins, forgave her, loved her, accepted her, and valued who she was. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, the whole idea of God's "Amazing Grace" changed her heart and her life. She told her pastor, "I'm so excited to be a Christian that I have a strong case of the "can't help its.""

We read about Andrew the disciple in John 1 and discover that Andrew was so excited and thankful that he had found the Savior, Jesus, that he had a strong case of the "can't help its" as he reached out to his brother, Peter and invited him to meet Jesus. Andrew just couldn't help it!

We come to Church, some stay for Bible Class or Sunday School, some help with activities, but why do we do these things? Do we have hearts filled with guilt and say "we gotta do it" or grateful hearts that wanna do it and say "can't help it?" There's a whole different world for gotta or wanna. Gotta isn't motivated by faith, more like scoring points with God or other people. I gotta help so I'll look good to people at Church. I gotta help Grandma so she'll leave me in her will. I gotta go to Church or God will zap me. Gotta comes from a sin-filled guilty heart that comes up short. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith in Jesus, we can't please God. God wants His people to be wannas who serve Him and others out of faith because they "can't help it."

Knowing all that Jesus has done for you should bring out the "can't help its." Like the woman in the story, we come to our Lord as poor, miserable sinners deserving only punishment and death for our sins. God loved us so much He sacrificed His Son on a cross for those sins, washes them away, welcomes you into His family, and loves and accepts you as His Own child. A heart filled with true thanksgiving and faith in Jesus is also filled with "can't help its." Giving thanks to God shows itself in our "can't help its."

We want to worship and pray because we can't help it. We study God's Word faithfully because we can't help it. We show love and forgiveness for unlovable people because we can't help it. We volunteer our time in the Lord's work because we can't help it. We share our faith and invite others to church because we can't help it.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He loves and forgives us, why? Because He can't help it! Amen, pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read a story that included some statistics for mainline Christian churches from a few years ago. According to this article a middle-aged church member who attended church fairly regularly had heard over 1700 sermons, sung over 5200 hymns, and given an offering over 1500 times,(can't figure out how sermons heard isn't the same as offering given) and hasn't ever introduced anyone to Jesus. How many of us have ever shared our faith with a non-believer? We're not really good fishermen or fisherwomen Jesus wants, are we? We bait the hook, go out into the lake, we float along yet never put the bait in the water. Do we expect the fish to jump into the boat?

The story is told of an old fisherman out in a boat with sticks of dynamite. He'd light a stick; throw it in the water and BOOM, fish float to the top to be netted. One day the Game Warden saw him and was angry. The Game Warden went out in his boat to confront this old guy. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I'm fishing," the old guy replied. "No one fishes that way. I'm gonna fine you for this," the Game Warden replied. At this the old guy lit a stick of dynamite, threw it to the game Warden and asked, "Are you gonna fish or just sit there?"  His approach was unusual, but effective. At least he was doing something.

In our Gospel lesson from Matthew 4, we read that Jesus approached these fishermen and told them that if they follow Him, He will teach them to be fishers of people. In other words, a disciple is a fisherman or fisherwoman; that's the job description for a follower of Jesus. The word disciple comes from the same root word as discipline. A disciple is a disciplined follower of Jesus. We trust in Jesus as our Lord Who died and rose for us and then are led by the Holy Spirit to study His Word, worship and pray, and invite others to get to know Jesus. We're not here to save them, just introduce them to Jesus. Like the old adage, YOU CATCH THEM; HE'LL CLEAN THEM! 

In 1904 a man named Ole took his girlfriend Bessie for a picnic on an island in Lake Michigan. Bessie told him that she had a craving for the ice cream. Ole jumped into his rowboat and rowed 2 ½ miles to shore. Unfortunately, in the summer heat, when he returned the ice cream was a globby mess. Embarrassed, he decided to do something. He invented and patented a one-cylinder engine which became the outboard motor. Ole's last name was Evinrude and the Evinrude Motor Company was formed. Bessie later married him and became the manager of the business. Ole saw a need and did something.

Do we see that need in our world today? Every day people are dying and going to hell because they never tasted the sweetness that is Jesus. They never heard that He loved them and died for them. They never heard of His forgiveness. They never heard that God is a God of second chances. No one ever threw a stick of dynamite their way. It's interesting that the Greek word for dynamite is dunamis. Dunamis mean power. In Romans 1:16 Paul writes that he is not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the dunamis, the power of God for the salvation of everyone. The message of Jesus is the dynamite of God.

So, God Is Good...All The Time and He tosses you the Good News of Jesus in the Bible, which is His Dynamite and asks, "Are you gonna fish or just sit there?" amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Many years ago, Art Linkletter had a show called "Kids Say The Darndest Things." For instance, kids ask questions about God such as; "Did Eve have a belly button? "If God made spiders, why do people squish them?" "Will there be a McDonald's in heaven?"

On a Sunday drive coming home from Church, a little girl asked her mother, "Mommy, can I ask you a question about what the Pastor said?" "Sure, what is it?" mom asked. "Pastor said that God is bigger than we are. That He's so big that He could hold the world in His hand." She wondered. "Yes, that's true, honey." Mom replied. "He said that when we believe in Jesus as our Savior, God comes and lives inside of us." Mom again told her she was right. The little one then asked, "If God is bigger than us and He lives inside of us, wouldn't He show through?"

The beatitudes found in Matthew 5 are about God showing through in our lives. The word beatitude has to do with a blessing, happiness, bliss, and the peace that God gives us that shows through. For instance, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." To know that we are poor in spirit, weak in faith, helpless before God, needing to trust in Jesus leads us in two directions. First, we realize that true happiness does not come from the things in this life, and second, we become attached to Jesus through faith and find the real hope and peace we need. Being poor in spirit tells us that the stuff of this life means little and that God means everything.

What makes that so difficult is that the world around us focuses on "How great I am, how great I am."  What does it take for you to become an American Idol? What does it take for you to Dance With the Stars? What does it take for you to be a Survivor? Our sinful nature revolves around me. Like the word EGO, we simply Edge God Out of our lives and focus on what we want.  The world's goodies are fun for a while, but never offer lasting joy, peace, and hope. If they were enough, why do we need more and bigger things? Why are we not happy with what we have, and why does our neighbor have the greener lawn?

Being "poor in spirit" lets God show through as we trust Jesus as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for us, "blessed are the merciful" lets God show through as we deal with others. In Aramaic, the word for "merciful" means "to get under someone's skin."  In other words, merciful is to wear another's skin, see things from their perspective, and wear their shoes. Kind of like the famous preacher who was giving a seminar and noticed that the guy in the front row kept falling asleep. I know for a fact, just looking around here today, that people falling asleep really bothers a speaker. The preacher kept thinking all kinds of bad things about the guy. During the lunch break, a lady came up and apologized for her husband's drowsiness. "You see," she said, "My husband's taking chemotherapy and with the meds he takes, he becomes very sleepy. He told me he wanted to be here because he didn't know how much longer he could gather together with God's people."  Now the preacher understood; he felt rotten for his thoughts, but now he could get under the man's skin. He found mercy that could show through.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to have a child-like faith as He asks us the question, "If you truly know and trust Me as your Creator and Lord, why don't I show through in your life?" amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

On this Scouting Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday too, I am reminded that I used to be a Boy Scout. I only made it to Second Class, but I learned to appreciate all that Scouting does. Part of the Scout oath deals with a willingness "To help other people at all times.' I like it. A Scout is a person of action beyond camping, Jamborees, and the rest, with a dedication to God, the USA, and to helping people. We often picture Scouts helping old ladies across the street. I like the idea of action for others.

I like the story of the little girl visiting her grandparents on a Sunday. Being the Lord's Day, there was no activity around the house. You couldn't run, watch t.v., pick flowers, and swing on the swing or anything on Sunday. She was allowed to walk slowly to the front gate. As she did, she saw an old mule with its head bowed and eyes shut. She said, "Poor fellow, have you got religion too?" Sadly, many see Christians that way. Faith needs to be more than how pious I am. Christianity isn't supposed to be the faith of stick-in-the-mud people or old fuddy-duddies. In Matthew 5 when Jesus calls us to be salt and light; there is action involved there.

It has been said that if the house is dark, you can't blame the house; where's the light?
If the meat is rotting with bacteria, you can't blame the meat; where's the salt? If the world is a dark, cold place, stinking from corruption, violence, pornography, abortion, and lack of respect for one another, you can't blame the world; where's the church?

Like the Scouts teach us, as His church on earth, God wants us to do something with our faith. He has chosen each of us who trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior Who died and rose for our salvation, to be salt and light. With Jesus as the Light of the world, John 8, we reflect His light to those around us like reflectors on the highway reflect headlights and keep people safe.

The storm of 2011 teaches us about the importance of salt. As we have seen big time this week, salt melts and salt gives traction. Snow can be like our sins. A little seems like fun, but a lot becomes deadly. Lots of snow can be a burden that causes the loss of power, leaves us in the cold, and causes us to slip, fall, and even death has occurred.  We've seen that at Concordia with three members breaking wrists, and others falling and hurting their heads. Salt melts ice and snow just as the message of Jesus as Lord and Savior can melt cold hearts filled with sin. The cross of Jesus brings heat to the snow of sin and the ice of iniquity only when it is shared with others.

Salt also gives traction to the roads and sidewalks. Sliding in the wrong direction can be painful and expensive. Sliding cars can be dangerous to the driver and others. As we share God's Word with people in our lives, they can find traction and a way to hold on for their lives. The traction that God gives us through His Word brings hope to the hopeless, a song to the sad, and worth to those feeling worthless.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants us to reach out as salt and light. A Peanuts cartoon shows Peppermint Patti telling Charlie that on the first day of school she was sent to the principal's office. "It was your fault, Chuck," she told him. "How can it be my fault? You tell be that everything's my fault." She replied, "You're my friend, right Chuck?" You should have been a better influence on me." That's what salt and light is all about; the influence we can have on others. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

My Grandson, Marco just turned 2 years old this week. For most of that time, he has been the "little guy" in our family. Now with Matteo around, it's easy to see how Marco has grown in size, in his language skills, and his ability to do stuff. Matteo is good for some milk, a diaper change, and a nap. Humm...sounds good to me. Marco, on the other hand likes reading about and playing with Thomas the Train, playing in the snow, and pancakes, pizza, agua, and his fruits and veggies. Just as Marco has grown, God wants us to grow as His children. Paul writes to the church in Corinth that in Chapter 3 that they are still at the Matteo milk stage and it's time to grow up. All these petty things between them; jealousy, ego, and which Pastor they like the best, etc.  are signs of an immature faith. Paul tells them that it's time to grow up! 

A Pastor asked his congregation to read Mark 17 before next week's sermon. Next week arrived and he asked how many had read the Chapter and almost everyone raised their hand and said yes. He then told them that there was no 17th Chapter in Mark. Their words were empty. Time to grow up!

There is a wonderful story of a third grade boy who suddenly noticed a puddle at his feet and that the front of his pants were wet. This had never happened before and he knew that everyone would make fun of him and think he was a baby. He prayed that God would help him. Looking up he saw his teacher coming towards him as well as a classmate, Susie, who happened to be in his Sunday School class, carrying a fishbowl filled with water. Just before the teacher arrived, Susie tripped and dumped the water in his lap. As the boy was pretending to be angry, he was saying thank you to God at the same time. He became the subject of sympathy while Susie was called a klutz and made fun of by the class. At the end of the day he walked over to Susie and whispered, "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie whispered back, "I wet my pants once, too." For a young girl, Susie showed how much she had grown up as a child of God because she was willing to take the heat for the boy. Her faith had shown through. She understood the old line that "Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car." Her faith in her Lord Who died and rose for her salvation was showing not just at church, but at school, too. No one had to tell her to grow up.

Very much like Susie in the story, our Lord took the heat for us on the cross. He was ridiculed so we could be free. He spilled His blood on us so that we would be forgiven and find new life and hope. He laid it all on the line so that all who trust in Him will have forgiveness and eternal life. He groaned on a cross so we could grow up in faith.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He calls us to grow up! We do that very much like our little guy. We grow up through the work of the Holy Spirit as we read God's Word and share it in Bible Study. We grow up as we worship, take Holy Communion, sing and pray together. We grow up as our faith shines through at school, work, the store, wherever we are. We can pray for love ones and not-so-loved ones. When we can forgive those who have hurt us with God's help, then God won't have to say to us, "GROW UP," for we have shown how much we are growing in the Lord. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read a story of an eagle flying over a lake and suddenly swooped down to grab a two-foot long, 10lb fish in its talons. It flew up to around 1000 feet and suddenly spun down and splashed into the water. Later both the fish and the eagle were found dead. Apparently the talons were so deeply embedded in the flesh of the fish, the eagle couldn't let go when it got too heavy. The eagle helps us understand that what we grab, grabs us.

When our sinful nature takes over and we grab things that will hurt us; they grab backand hold us like the Chinese Handcuffs. If we grab for cigarettes, they grab us back and can kill us. If we grab for alcohol, it grabs back and can kill us. If we grab for more pills, they grab us back and can kill us. If we grab for pornography, it grabs us back and kill us spiritually. We can grab for too much fast food and it grabs back and ruins our health. We can grab for gambling, and it grabs us and leaves us bankrupt.

I saw a movie on SYFY this past week about bacteria from out space that fed on metal. It would adhere itself to iron or steel. If a person gets curious and touches it, it drains all the iron and minerals from the blood and kills you. Grab for this bacteria and it will grab you back and kill you. Sin acts the same way. We get curious about this or that and it can grab hold of us and can kill us.

The wonderful thing about what we grab, grabs us, is that it's true for our relationship with God. Faith grabs hold of God's blessings. Jesus died on the cross for our sins some 2000 years ago. Faith puts my sins there on Jesus so His blood washes them away.  Faith brings His forgiveness to me. Faith assures us that when we are grabbing God, He grabs us. John 10 tells us that no one can snatch His sheep from His hand. He holds on to His sheep. Isaiah 49 tells us that our names are engraved in the palm of His hand. He grabs hold of us. Romans 8 tells us that nothing in all of creation can separate us from His love. He grabs on for eternity.

As a kid, I would walk on the ice with my Dad. I would hold his hand and he would hold mine. With dad holding my hand, I never fell! It's time for us to let go of those things that hurt us in this life and cause us to fall and grab hold in faith to our God Who loves us and wants to keep us from falling too.  Through His Word, Holy Communion, prayer, and all Jesus has for us, He can help us loosen our grips on the evil that grips us back, free us from evil's hold so we can hold to Him even more. In the Lord's prayer, we pray "deliver us from evil." Lord, help us let go of things, people, habits, that grab us and hurt us and give us hearts filled with faith to hold to You and Your word and Your will for us.

Because God is Good...All The Time, He wants nothing more than to hold us here and forever. When we grab hold of evil, evil grabs us back and can lead us to death and hell. With God's help, and only with His help, can we open our grasp from evil in our lives, just say no and let it go. Now, reach out to God, giving thanks for Jesus our Savior and He will lead you in this life and walk with you to heaven. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

With grandbaby Matteo still struggling to sleep through the night, I read a story about a worrying wife who would wake up her husband every night, "Get up honey! Go see why the baby is crying." All this loss of sleep really took its toll on the husband. A friend told him about a book dealing with infant massage. He tried the technique and gently rubbed the baby's back, arms, head, ears, legs until the baby was totally relaxed and had fallen into a deep sleep. Climbing back into bed he was hoping for a well deserved full night of sleep. No way! In the middle of the night his panicked wife woke him up, "Get up honey! Go see why the baby isn't crying." Does this sound like anyone you know? We just have to worry about something or we're not happy.

It has been said that worry is taking upon yourself something that belongs to God. Worry is a sin of pride that says that God can't handle it, so I have to! Worry keeps us from sleep, from smiling, from good health, often from worship, and certainly from giving a generous offering to the Lord. Worry tells us that we can do a better job than God can do. We don't trust that God can make it happen; we have to do it ourselves.

Living in worry and fear is commonplace in our world today. We fear terrorism hitting close to home. We fear that we might get Cancer. We fear that something might happen to our children. We fear that we might lose our jobs, not be able to find a new one, and get thrown into the streets. I bet you can think of other fears that people deal with, huh?

It has been said that for a child of God, trusting in Jesus as Lord and Savior, FEAR is
False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is one of Satan's favorite weapons against us. When we fear, we're not trusting Jesus. When we're not trusting Jesus, we fear. This is a vicious circle that can lead us to look at ourselves as our own saviors, rather than to Jesus Who died on the cross and rose for the forgiveness of our sins.

I was reading that according to the U.S. Dept. of Standards, a dense fog that covers seven city blocks, 100 feet deep is composed of an 8 ounce glass of water divided into 60,000 million droplets. An 8 ounce glass of water can tangle up traffic and stop airplanes from flying. Worry and fear do the same thing to us. Things seem bad, but there's really not much there.

What do we need to remember? What can help? What is Jesus teaching us in Matthew 6? We Trust or we rust. The T in trust looks like a cross. We trust or we rust. We trust Jesus or we rust away with worry and fear. I read a story from the Holocaust where Nazis put people in concentration camps, worked them until they couldn't work anymore, and then killed them. A father, his wife, and two children were imprisoned. One son was disabled and couldn't do too much. Each day the mother and sons went out to work and the father was taken to a different camp. After a few weeks of this, the father returned to camp and found only one son. "What happened? He asked. The surviving son said that his crippled brother couldn't work anymore and was being taken away. Crying out loud, the little guy clung to his mother. "Don't be afraid," the mother told him, "I'll go with you." With that, she took him up in her arms and carried him to their execution. 

Because God is Good...All The Time, He sent Jesus to be our Savior and Friend. No matter what we face we don't have to worry, Jesus tells us to not be afraid, He'll go with us.
Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Many people look at the Lenten season as a time to give up something. Over the years I have given up caviar, expensive champagne, and trips to the Bahamas. What about you? Do you give up something for the strengthening of your faith or do you take something on?  You could take on the responsibility of attending each Wednesday Lenten service or read a devotional each day. Sad to say, many people could care less about Lent whatsoever and forget about God and sin and concentrate on the fun things of Spring. 

There is a story of one of our members who was late for a meeting. He was driving around this building again and again looking for a parking spot. He decided to pray, "Dear Lord, help me find a parking space and I'll go to church every week and quit drinking beer." Miraculously, a spot opened up. He looked up to heaven and said, "Never mind, I found one."  It's so easy to forget about God's blessings and just think that we're L(ucky).  We find it easy to take God for granted.

The same can be true as we face temptations to sin. The Native American, Iron Eyes Cody, famous for the tear running down his cheek as he saw the pollution in the world, is quoted as sharing this story of a young Indian brave. A young man went out into the wilderness to prepare for manhood. Out in nature he wanted to test himself so he climbed up a mountain. Once at the top, he swelled with pride as he looked around at the beauty around him. Suddenly, at his feet, he saw a rattlesnake. He jumped away as the snake spoke to him, "I am about to die from the cold and lack of food. Please take me up into your shirt and take me down to the warm valley." The youth replied, "I was warned about you rattlesnakes. Your bite could kill me." "No, I'll treat you differently. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you." After a while the young man picked up the beautiful snake, put it in his shirt and carried it down the mountain. At the bottom, the snake suddenly coiled up and bit him deeply on the leg. "But you promised..." replied the young man. "You knew who I was when you picked me up" said the snake as it slithered away. We find it easy to take sin for granted in the same way.

When we read of the temptation of Jesus, we see that Jesus never took sin for granted. Jesus fought against every little temptation Satan put in front of Him. Jesus knew that if mankind believed there was no sin, there would be no need for a Savior from sin and they would be lost eternally. It has been said that Satan's greatest trick is convincing mankind that he doesn't exist. We rationalize sin as simply the choices people make, mistakes, boo-boos, so they're not bad at all. We gladly give Satan an inch, not realizing that he'll take a mile. Jesus was smart enough not to take the Devil for granted and give him an inch, and we shouldn't either. Now is the time to confess and repent of our many sins before God.

Jesus never took His Heavenly Father for granted either. During temptations and happy times, Jesus was committed to staying close to His Father. From the time He was a young man in the temple doing His Father's work, to His death on the cross for our sins when He committed His spirit to His Father, staying close to His Father kept Him strong for the battle against sin as our Substitute. If Jesus needed strength, we do too. Devotionals, Bible Class, worship, prayer, and all that God gives help us to keep us close to God and strong during our temptations

As the Union Pacific Railroad was being built, an elaborate bridge was built over a canyon. To test the bridge, a train with a double load of cars was placed on the bridge for a day. It was asked if they were trying to see if the bridge would break and the builder replied, "I'm trying to show it won't break." Because God is Good...All The Time, He allowed Jesus to be tempted to show that Jesus wouldn't break. With Jesus really living in your heart through faith, sin won't break you either. Amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read a story this week of a young boy who owned a small, off-road motorcycle. Occasionally he would ride it on the highway, but the real adventure came when he went off-road into the woods; around the trees, down dark trails, and through weeds and bushes where there was a risk of losing control and falling. This was the adventure. This is what Jesus was talking about with Nicodemus late one night. Nicodemus was a highway kind of guy who wanted to hold on to the old ways and the safe lifestyle. Jesus, on the other hand is the Off-Road King Who teaches us that faith and risk are intertwined for the child of God. 

The whole idea of being born again speaks about a new beginning, a new birth through faith in Jesus that brings us into God's family. Our new birth to faith in Jesus Who died and rose for us might have been as a baby in Baptism or as a Baptized adult. This new birth, being born again of water and the Spirit leads to the risk of faith, the risk of a Christian life that goes off-road with Jesus, not always the safe old highway.

Like Nicodemus, visiting Jesus at night in John 3, we like to visit with Jesus in a safe place like Church or home rather than risking it at school, our job, or restaurant. Pray at McDonalds?? Well I never!! We like talking with Him, on our terms.  Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit blowing in the wind to lead us off-road to new adventures of faith for Jesus. We like the quiet, safe highway. We like being behind the scenes like the etching of Rembrandt "The Descent From The Cross" with Nicodemus back in the shadows not holding on to our Lord in the light.

At best, our sinful nature likes the sameold-sameold child of God. Like we mentioned last week in our sermon, Satan doesn't want us to think He's around at all. We can get into our rut of faith that includes occasional worship, occasional prayer, occasional Bible Study, and rarely, if at all, any mention of Jesus to other people. This is the comfortable highway for a Christian to travel. This doesn't cause Satan any grief at all.

Jesus speaks to Nic at Night and to each of us that it's time for the adventure, time to go off-road and take a risk of faith. The Holy Spirit often leads us to dark, scary places with dark, scary people; your family? We risk slamming into a tree of trouble, a weed of worry, a bush of belligerence, or a trail of trials, but our Off-Road King, Jesus, will lead us through to the Sonshine of everlasting life.

Nicodemus, the highway guy was the first to hear the words of John 3:16. For God so loves you, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever trusts Him and follows Him through the off-road of faith and risk will have everlasting life.  Jesus wants us to step out in faith, read a devotional every day, risk the off-road experience and share your faith out loud, invite someone to sit with you in church or Bible Study, reach out to make a difference in someone's life by praying for them and with them. Risky business, huh?

Because God Is Good...All The Time He promises to ride with you. Trust Him and He'll take the controls. Trust Him and hold on! The adventure is ahead! Amen..pastor matthews   

[Juliet]

I read a true story this week that happened in 1995 between an American Navy Captain and some Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland. The conversation went like this;
AMERICANS; Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid collision.
CANADIANS; Recommend that you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.
AMERICANS; This is the Captain of a U.S. Navy ship and I say again, divert YOUR course.
CANADIANS; No, I say again, you divert YOUR course.
Americans; THIS IS AN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THE USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN OUR ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS, AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
CANADIANS; This is a lighthouse. Your call.
Well, Captain, time to change course, huh? I like this story because it not only speaks to the Samaritan woman in our Bible story from John 3, but to each of us too.

The woman in our story had led quite a life. She has had five husbands and is living with some guy. She is obviously looked down on by the village because she came to the well alone, and not with the other women, and came during the heat of the day. I'm sure she was referred to as the tramp of the town for her lifestyle. She went through men like Matteo goes through diapers. Though this was the course her life had taken, God had a new plan for her; she met Jesus. Jesus was kind and caring. He spoke to her while others avoided her. Though He knew her lifestyle, He was there to offer forgiveness, hope, and a change of course.

Hearing His words, her heart was touched as she raced back to the village and told them Who she had met. People from the town could tell that something had happened to her by her words and came out to meet Jesus themselves. The Bible tells us that they believed in Jesus because of her words. Her life had taken a real change in course after meeting the Light of the World. She changed course and became a follower of Jesus, not on a course of doom and destruction in sin. 

What course is your life on at this time? Like the woman at the well, do you find yourself being led by your own sin, greed, anger, selfishness, and pride? Are you feeling rejected, alone, hurt, empty and used by others in your life? Is it time to change course and go to the well? In our reading, Jesus calls Himself the spring of water that leads to eternal life. Other refreshments from this world leave us dry. While Jesus; His Word, His love, His body and blood, and His forgiveness bring us life, peace, and hope eternal. We find refreshment in His Word.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He wants you to change course in your life before it's too late. No matter big we think we are, Jesus, God's Light, is bigger. Now is the time for each of us to change course and go to the well of the Word, at worship and Bible Study, confessing our wrong course filled with sin, and asking for His love, His water of life, His light to light our way. In other words, we need a change of course. Amen...pastor matthews   

[Juliet]

Our sermon hymn "Amazing Grace" is a familiar one to many of us. Written by John Newton back in the 1700's, it tells his story that began as a slave trader, taking men, women, and children from their homeland in Africa and selling them into slavery around the world. Many people suffered and died in the hold of his ship until John came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. By God's amazing grace, John read the Bible and through the Holy Spirit understood God's forgiveness found through faith in Jesus and turned his life around. John became a pastor and finished his life sharing the freedom found in Jesus and His death and resurrection.  In the song, John writes that he was blind to Jesus and His love, but by grace, he can now see Who God really is in his life. John could now see Jesus and others in need of the Good News about Jesus.

The story of John Newton, and perhaps our own can be summarized in the words of Helen Keller when someone said to her, "What a pity you have no sight." Helen answered, "Yes, but what a pity that so many have sight but cannot see." Most of us are blessed and are able to see the world and people around us. We can see the sunrise, the stars, our favorite sports, flowers, and the faces of loved ones. This sight is indeed a blessing from God. But, as Helen reminds us, if our sight is limited to the things of this world, we miss out on seeing Jesus and those things that are eternal.

Because of our sin, we limit our sight to the Sun up above, but not the Savior on the cross. We see flowers in the field but not God's forgiveness. We see the sky at night yet miss those in need. We see the people who love us and miss out on those Jesus wants us to love.

Our spiritual blindness can lead us to question God and His wisdom. Our lack of understanding, of seeing God's plans, can lead us away from Church, away from prayer, and even away from Jesus altogether. I had a funeral this week for a little baby girl who lived only two hours. I don't see the reason, the family didn't see the reason, but in God's sight, it will be o.k. We trust that to be true, and we trust that He will stay with us. Even though we can't see why, we trust Him, as 2 Corinthians 5 tells us, "we live by faith, not by sight"  and that's why we know  that God Is Good...All The Time.

C.S. Lewis tells the story about a time he was a medical aid during the bombing of London. A little girl was brought into the first-aid station with a leg so mangled, the doctor knew the leg must be removed immediately at the knee or she would die. The doctor saw the pain in her father's eyes as the father held his little one down on the table. The little girl screamed in pain as the saw cut through skin, muscle, and bone, so the little girl might have life.  God, our Father, loves us the same way. He is there with us as we cry out with pain. God sees and understands what we go through and it pierces His heart. We are blind to God's plans and call out, "Why, God! Why?" When we do, God shows us the cross and reminds us that He still loves us. Though we don't deserve it because of our sins and fears, but through faith, we can see God walking with us through the pains of this world right to our heavenly home. That's His amazing grace! Amen  pastor matthews 

[Juliet]

While planning this week's sermon, the idea of coats came to me. We call them coats or jackets and in Bible times, cloaks. The story is told about a blonde lady who was tired of people thinking blondes weren't that smart. She decided that when her husband is at work, she would paint a couple of rooms in the house. Her husband left for work and she began her work. He returned home at 5:30 and noticed the smell of paint. Walking into the living room, he found his wife lying on the floor in a pool of sweat. She was laying there wearing a ski jacket and a fur coat. He asked if she was o.k. and she was. She told him her plan to prove that blondes were smart by painting the house. He asked her why she was painting while wearing a ski jacket and fur coat? She replied that as she was reading the directions on the can it said; FOR BEST RESULTS, PUT ON TWO COATS.

Her heart was in the right place, wasn't it? Just as her two coats made a statement about her painting just as the cloaks worn by people at Bible times made a statement about who they were.  I was reading that at Jesus' time, the cloak was so important that even if you went to jail to pay your debts, they would take everything you had except your cloak. The cloak was something that was personal. It said something about who you were in life. A cloak could offer warmth and protection. It could become shelter from the elements. It covered your nakedness. It could serve as your pillow at night. A cloak could not be taken, but it could be given. 

We might not treat our coats or jackets in that way, but there are many different things that are cloak-like in our lives. There are things that are cloak-like and warm our hearts like the warm feeling of money in our pockets or stuff we can buy. We find cloak-like comfort in our job or family. Our home or car can be cloak-like and offer protection in a storm. We get very possessive about our cloaks, don't we? We hold on to what is ours and object to having to share with others or even with God.

The Bible highlights cloak stories. Remember Joseph and his cloak of many colors? It showed how special he was and became an object of jealousy by his brothers. The Bible tells us that when Jesus was healing Bartimaeus, the blind man threw his cloak away and opened himself in faith to Jesus. He threw away the old life for a new one.  In Matthew 5 Jesus tells His disciples that if someone wants your tunic, offer your cloak as well as a sign of love.

The story of Palm Sunday is a story of cloaks given to the Lord in faith. We know that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to die on the cross for our sins. He rode on a donkey. The Bible tells us that His disciples threw their cloaks on the donkey for Him to sit on for the ride.  This was an act of humility and faith as they gladly gave something special of themselves to Jesus. Arriving in Jerusalem, people placed palm leaves on the road; palm leaves are easy to give up, but many spread their cloaks, a real act of devotion to their King. 

This Palm Sunday, are waving palm crosses enough for you or are you ready to make a commitment of faith and offer Jesus your cloak today? Waving palms is easy, but a cloak offered to the King Who would die and rise for you is a real act of faith. Your cloak thrown down before Jesus today tells Him that you're ready to give your time in His service; you're ready to serve in His church or the community in His Name. Your cloak tells Jesus that no longer will you hold back on your offerings for His Kingdom to grow. Your cloak tells Jesus that you know that God Is Good...All The Time and you're going to show that in your life. So take your coats off when you paint, but throw them down to praise your King. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I've always been interested in Thomas the disciple; while the other guys were given nicknames like "Sons of Thunder" and "The Rock" poor Thomas was "The Doubter" for history. I wonder what my nickname might have been; "The One Who Snores" or "The Talker?" You probably have some for me that are not fit to repeat with children here. 

I've always thought that it was so great that Jesus didn't forget about Thomas. Jesus made a point of coming to him and helping him through his doubts. This reminds me of the man having dinner at a restaurant as he noticed this beautiful redhead at the next table. He wanted to talk with her but really afraid. Suddenly the redhead sneezed and her glass eye came out of its socket. He grabbed it out of the air and returned it to her. "I'm so sorry," she said, "Let me buy you dinner." They had a wonderful meal, followed by a movie, and a late night drink. As he drove her home they time for a few kisses and hugs. He was amazed that this beautiful girl could fall for him. He asked her, "You are just the perfect woman, are you this nice to every guy you meet?" "No," she replied...."You just happened to catch my eye." Thankfully, we catch God's eye too.

We have our doubts and questions too, don't we? There are times we doubt what God is doing. We know that God is Good...All The Time..but it doesn't always show through the way we would want it. Our sinful nature has its own ideas. My Godson Marcus and his dear Elizabeth are struggling as their unborn baby has passed to her heavenly home.  Why God? I was only 17 when my Dad died. Why God?  My Mother-in Law is a woman of faith in the midst of Alzheimer's. Why God? I'm sure you have questions and doubts too, huh? Why God? Why God?

In the midst of our doubts, there are two things we can learn. First of all, doubts are not necessarily a bad thing. It has been said that doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep us from getting lazy by sending us to church, reading the Word of God for His will, praying, attending Bible Class as we look for answers and strength. The Beatitudes in Matthew 6 assure us "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will we added unto you." If your doubts keep you seeking the Lord, this is a God-pleasing thing that will bring you peace and hope in God's time and God's way.

Secondly, like with Thomas, our Lord Jesus seeks us out. He doesn't forget us or turn His back on us just because we're confused. Psalm 55:22 assures us to "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Who are those righteous? All who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb because they believe that Jesus died and rose for their salvation.

Yes, God is Good...All The Time. Through faith in Jesus, we'll see those nail pierced hands for ourselves, just like Thomas did, as they hug us and welcome us into heaven because He loves us and we caught His eye. Amen...pastor matthews

[Juliet]

Edgar Allen Poe, in his poem, The Raven, wrote, "Quoth the raven, nevermore." That's pretty much all I knew about ravens until I did some work on this sermon. Ravens are mentioned in different places in Scripture. Ravens are large, black birds with a wingspan that can reach 50 inches. They are considered quite intelligent and are scavengers eating everything from fruit and berries to rabbits and rats and the flesh of dead animals. Because they will eat anything, when people are really hungry they are called; ravenous. A pretty girl with black hair is called a raven-haired beauty. Ravens were also considered unclean in the Bible. 

What's really neat is that God had a purpose for these birds. He used them to faithfully do His will. We read in Genesis 8 that God's man Noah sent out a raven to check out the lay of the land after the flood. Noah knew that a raven could take care of itself. Later on in First Kings we read about the prophet Elijah. God told Elijah to go a rest by the Jordan River. God would command the ravens to come and feed him. We can only wonder how Elijah felt as these big, black birds flew towards him. Knowing what they ate, what could they be bringing for him to eat? It's kind of like scraping up road kill around the zoo and eating it?  I'll have some fried raven and mashed potatoes? Again in the New Testament, ravens are used as an example in Luke 12 to teach us that we don't have to worry. Jesus tells us to look how even the ravens are cared for by our Loving God. If He cares for the ravens, God will certainly care for you.

What's the message out of all of this? The message is that all women in our lives, like the raven, no matter how young or old, how pretty or plain, are special to God. It doesn't matter how good or bad you think you might look on the outside; a heart on the inside that loves and faithfully serves the Lord is beautiful to God. Like a raven, no matter what others might think of you or say about you, you are special to our Lord. Like the story from CNN about the young man dying of aids. He was in great pain and weighed under 100 pounds. When asked how he handled it all, he responded that he would close his eyes and imagine that he was a little boy in his mother's arms. This was the comfort he needed

Sad to say, there are many who treat their moms more like the unclean raven than the servant of God. Ladies, you might be "dished" by others but you are always desired by God. God promised this in Joshua 1 when he said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." When the world tells you that you are useless, your Lord tells you that like the raven, you are useful to God's kingdom. When loved ones push you away, God pulls you closer. The world says that you're too old or crippled to be worth anything, your God tells you that like that raven, as you trust God's word, there is always work for you to do for Him.  Romans 18 assures you that anyone who serves Jesus in faith is pleasing to God.

We know that God Is Good...All The Time and He is there for each of us in a special way. Like the raven, God calls you to serve and to have value in His sight. So if Satan tries to make you feel lost and worthless, tell him that with Jesus, you'll feel lost and worthless "nevermore!" amen..pastor matthews

[Juliet]

I read that there was a story on one of the nature shows on T.V. about a mother black bear giving birth to two cubs. One cub died right away and the mother died soon afterward, leaving the young cub to fend for himself.  The camera showed a mountain lion in the area and hinted that this little guy was a walking buffet. One day the cub encountered a giant male black bear. Realizing the cub was alone, the big bear gave the cub a friendly nudge and the adoption papers were signed. The father bear proceeded to teach the little one about eating insects, how to fish, and the art of scratching ones back on a tree.

One day they became separated and the cub panicked as he looked for the father bear. His search led him to the stream where he learned how to fish. He looked up and saw the mountain lion who had stalked the cub for the entire show. With no father bear around, the little guy was in trouble. As the lion approached, the little guy could only mimic what he was taught, so he stood upon his hind feet, bared his teeth and let out a growl that he thought would shake the trees. Instead the best he could do was a squeak.

Now is the time to hide the children's eyes as you expect the worst to happen. However, the lion turned and ran off in the opposite direction. The little guy stood there rather proud of what he had done. It was then that the camera panned back to what the little cub couldn't have seen; there was his father bear standing behind him at full height, claws out and his sharp, white teeth bared for the lion to see. He hadn't made a sound but his presence was felt. Even though the little guy couldn't see his dad, the father was there protecting him. The little cub had a power available to him greater than anything he could produce on his own.

Like that little cub, we all feel alone and scared from time to time. Our sinful nature tells us that no one cares and even God is too busy for little, old me. Like the little cub, we are buffet for the mountain lions of this world; terrorism, gangs, politics, the cost of gas, the interest rates of banks, the cost of health care, and the Devil Himself wherever he rears his ugly head. We can yell and scream all we want but our screams, like the cubs are squeaks in the wind. On our own we are lost and helpless in this world.

Because God Is Good...All The Time, He promises us to be there like the father bear. God has sent His Son to die for us, rise for us, and take away the punishment for our sins. Because of that sacrifice, He's not going to hang us out there to be Satan's buffet. In Joshua 1:9 He tells us to be strong and courageous. Don't ever be terrified or discouraged because our Father is with us wherever we go. We might not see Him, but Satan does and runs away. Stand up for your Lord with your life. Stand up with your Lord in worship, prayer, and Bible Study, and when evil runs from you, simply say, "Thanks, Dad!" amen..pastor matthews   

[Juliet]

There are times in life that we feel lost and confused. A man went to his Doctor suffering with a headache. The Nurse, a very strong-willed person told him to go into the Examination Room and take off his clothes and to put on a gown. He told her about the headache, but she insisted. When he arrived at the room he found another guy there, sitting on the Examination Table in a hospital gown. Putting on the gown he said to the first guy, "I don't know what I'm doing here. I just have a headache...but that Nurse, Wow!" "You think you're bad," the first man answered, "I'm just here to read the meter."

Sad to say, Life can push us, force us, or gently coerce us into a place we just don't want to be. It's easy to feel lost and confused in life. The disciples of Jesus had seen Him leave them and ascend up into heaven. They were lost and confused when He was with them...what will happen now? Jesus had told them to go into Jerusalem and wait. Waiting for the unknown can be very disturbing. I was with a young couple this week who had been waiting for the birth of their first child. They might have felt a little lost and confused, but as we know, God Is Good...All The Time and they are now filled with great joy and hope as God gave them a beautiful, big, healthy baby boy.

As the disciples sat together lost and confused, because God is Good...All The Time, God sent His Holy Spirit to them through wind and fire and their faith in Jesus as their Lord and Savior became clear and strong and they were empowered to preach the Good News of Jesus with great power and hope and joy.  They knew that Jesus died and rose for their salvation and they wanted others to know this too.

Many of you traveled many miles to get here today. Many of us have a GPS we use to help us find our way. Without the GPS we could really find ourselves lost and in trouble. Spiritually, the same is true. We need our spiritual GPS to find our way in life and to life eternal. GPS stands for God's Perfect Spirit. Led by God's Perfect Spirit found in the Bible and our Sacraments, we find direction and hope in this life and to life eternal through faith in Jesus.

This balloon I'm holding is a "dead balloon." It does nothing but lie here, empty, worthless, with no direction. However, when I fill it with air something happens. It grows in size and when let go, makes all kinds of sounds as it flies around the room. Without the Spirit of God, we're lost, confused, and dead too. As the Sprit of God fills my life through God's breath brought in His Word and Sacraments, I am ready to go to those in my life with the Good news of Jesus.  I was lost but now I'm found.  I want to make noise for Jesus.

There is a story of a little girl lost in New York. A policeman finds her and begins driving her around the City hoping that she'll recognize something familiar. Suddenly she looks up and sees a steeple with a cross on it. "That's my church," she cries out, "I can find my way home from here." Because God is Good...All The Time, we just need to see the cross too. Once we see the cross, in spite of trials, troubles, or strong-willed people, we will be led by God's Spirit and find our way not to just read the meter, but to find our heavenly home.  Amen..pastor matthews