05-06-18 “A Conquering Faith”

New Testament: 1 John 5:1-6

Gospel: John 15:9-17

Laurie Capps of Annandale, Virginia, tells the story of her 8-year-old daughter Grace, an only child. Laurie often hears Grace after she has gone to bed, whispering in her room. Sometimes Laurie hears Grace’s footsteps at night, scurrying around the house, retrieving a doll or stuffed animal.

One day Grace was whispering and Laurie asked her what she was doing. “I’m playing hide-and-seek with God, Mom.”

The Mom laughed and told her, “Gracie, honey, don’t you think that God can find you anywhere you hide?” She rolled her eyes, “Mom, I’m looking for God.”

Each of us, in our own way, is looking for God. For some, the search ends quickly, and for others it is a lifelong quest. The good news is that we can find God in Jesus Christ, the one who is the human face of God. And when we find God in Jesus, we become a member of God’s Kingdom. We cease to be an only child, and become part of an enormous family of faith.

Then John says that everyone “who loves the parent loves the child.” This is a reminder that there can be no distinction between love of God and love of our new faith family. This can be an enormous challenge, especially when our new brothers and sisters are getting on our nerves, but there is an unintended upside to our efforts: Love actually improves our health and happiness. Finding God is healthy.

Debbie and I were walking through the mall recently and I saw one of those massage chair businesses. Here you can just stop in and pay for a massage. As I went by I saw a sign that read, “Great stress reliever.” I thought, “I could use some stress relief these days.” I’ve had some pretty stress inducing moments recently. Stress doesn’t run my life every day like it once did, it comes and goes now.

Finding God helped me to believe Jesus is the calming force in the midst of the stressful storm. I wouldn’t want to live in a storm everyday, nor would I want a completely peaceful existence where I never experience happiness either. There must be a balance between the highs and the lows. God is that great balancer. God is the one who calls us from the depths and from the heights.

Sin can cause us to dwell in the pits too long, or leave us on the mountaintop of self gratification too long as well. God calls us to a balanced life. I’m not talking about balancing sin. A life with sin can never be truly balanced. We can experience happiness and sadness without ever sinning. God gives us time for each, but like sin, stress can create an unbalance that leaves us feeling sick all the time. Finding God can help.

Stress has been called a killer, so has sin. As I looked at the sign in the mall that read, “Great Stress Relief,” I thought about sin. How much stress would there be / without sin. Probably not much. I thought about setting up a table of Bibles with a sign that read, “Great Stress Relief!” I am not sure the Bible would be as popular as the massages. People have come to know that Jesus expects a relationship. The massage chair requires only a few minutes of their time; it doesn’t require a long-term time commitment, the chair doesn’t want to change me from the inside out.

The Bible is forever, the chair is kind of superficial, but sometimes I like superficial, it’s easy. Some people never go looking for God.

In a way, though, that is exactly what the chair is offering. A lifetime dependence on idols that are nothing more than superficial promises and almost zero hope. I assume the massage chair therapist can help relax a tight muscle, and may even relieve suffering, thats not a bad thing. Sin on the other hand is not a sore muscle, it is a real dangerous health issue.

It would be nice if there was a pill to take away sin and stress and other things that cause brokenness. It would be nice to think that a five minute massage would take away the worries and troubles of life. There is no cure, but there is healing. The sign in the mall didn’t read, “Great Cure for Stress,” because it only offers relief. The cure for all problems is Heaven, but we are not there yet. So what we have is healing, working towards being better with God’s help. We need to find Him first.

God is not in the distant future waiting for us only in Heaven. The Holy Spirit of God is here right now waiting to be found. When was the last time you played hide and seek with God? We search so hard to find the relief we need for a variety of ailments. It’s like we are trying to do what John writes, overcome the world. Does it seem some days like the stress you feel is the result of trying to overcome the world? I don’t know how well a massage will hold up when trying to overcome the world.

It may momentarily take you away from the troubles and stress but eventually we find ourselves once again at the foot of a mountain pushing harder and harder trying to overcome. Where is our hope, look to First John 5:5, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Jesus’ answer to overcoming the world was not to fight against it, but to love it. Search for God among the darkness and find that love.

The answer to a more peaceful existence for me,came in no longer judging everything and everyone God created but by learning to simply love. Jesus came to save all, no asterisk, all. God came to show love to all. If we believe in the Son of God, then we must love as he loved, openly, freely, without thought of reward or compensation, simple love. Pure love can not bear sin, there is no sin in pure, righteous love.

John was correct when, in the Gospel of John he wrote,

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love. Jesus love was perfect and sin free. So, go get a massage if that helps you feel better, I might stop in the next time im in the mall. I won’t however, look at a massage as a replacement for God. God way well work within the hands of the masseuse. I close with a short story from homeletics.com that might help.

He was 62 feet tall, rising out of a cornfield in southwestern Ohio. Made of steel, fiberglass and Styrofoam, this statue of Jesus Christ had upraised arms, which make him look like a football referee signaling a touchdown. This mega-messiah, with arms and hands big enough to hold a dump truck, was erected by a nondeminational charismatic church along Interstate 75.

And here’s where the story gets interesting: Not long after the church had the statue erected, the highway suddenly became safe. There were 14 deaths in the two-year period before the sculpture’s appearance. Then there were none. The church’s pastor, Lawrence Bishop, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “Since that’s been up, there hasn’t been one wreck out there. We didn’t build it with that intent, but that’s what happened.”

So maybe this Jesus is a Super Savior. One who has calmed the storm of highway killings. Of course, there may be other forces at work. About the same time that the statue appeared, the state of Ohio spent a million dollars to install a cable that runs down the median. This barrier is designed to prevent vehicles from crossing the median into oncoming traffic.

Says Jay Hamilton, the highway engineer who designed the barrier, “I honestly think that Jesus can perform miracles, but I don’t think the statue was the miracle out here. It was the barrier.”

Take your pick: Whether it was Touchdown Jesus or the state highway department, we can be thankful. Interstate 75 is now a much safer stretch of road.

Where do you find God? Solely in a statue of Jesus or can God also be found in those around us in our faith family. Maybe even those members of our family who erect barriers on the interstate to keep us safe, those who offer massages or in the youngest, moist innocent members of our family. There is balance in God’s plan that when we find God, He is in the physical and spiritual realms. If you are having trouble finding God, expand your search to the unexpected places.

I invite you to come forward this morning to find God waiting for right here at this altar.

Let’s think of that stretch of Ohio interstate as the world we must overcome. Harsh, broken, something to be feared and there is no doubt the barrier that the highway department erected helped, as does the massage chair, as does the little girl, but none can fully  replace the love which God has given us to exist in the world, notice I said exist, not overcome.

We will never overcome the world, God has already done so through Jesus’ sacrifice. We don’t overcome the world we follow and believe in the one who already did. Truly being connected to Jesus would provide the balance we seek. We need to start by looking for God in more than the usual places, the Lord is never hiding but as close your heart.

BENEDICTION

Leader: Go forth in peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all

People: And also with you.

All: Amen

04-22-18 “Laying Down Your Life”
New Testament: 1 John 3:16-24
Gospel: John 10:11-18

When we talk about sacrificing our lives for the sake of Jesus, we need to be clear about what that means. For example, when the Lord says, “You must pick up your cross and follow me,” what does he mean? Are we supposed to line up for mas crucifixion’s? I don’t believe that is what God meant.
Jesus doesn’t require our death, The Lord requires our life. Sin equals death but sin does not automatically separate us from God – nor does it automatically separate us from life.

We are often tricked into thinking our sin separates us from God. That would mean our sin is greater than God. I don’t believe our sin has that type of power. The worst sin may be, however, not choosing God at all. This would lead to sin being our God.

Sacrificing like Jesus for others does not require physical death. When we sacrifice like Jesus we are supposed to be sacrificing our sins. Jesus didn’t give up his life on the cross, he was up walking around three days later. So what did die on the cross if Jesus didn’t. Sin! The Lord needed to destroy our sin to set us free that we may have the life Jesus requires to make of this world what God originally intended.

If we agree that this world is not what God intended, where is the problem? What earthly thing are we feeding that gives us back as much as God. If God’s Earthly Kingdom is not being fed, then what is?
Where do you spend your time other than giving to God?
Where do you spend your money other than giving to God?
Where do you give your talents other than giving them to God?

The Author of 1st John asks us a question: If a person cannot share earthly goods with a needy believer, how can this person have God’s love abiding in him or her?
Jesus might say that if we are upset with the way things are in this world, like violence, drugs and gangs we might be look at how we handle the root causes of much of this ugliness – poverty. What are we willing to sacrifice to make a difference?

In the original Greek, the material possessions John speaks about could mean three things; livelihood, material goods and property. We are not just talking about money. We are talking about sharing Christ with the whole of our life. Yes, we can do that with our money, property, possessions and many other items. The key is that we have Christ aplenty and we are not to keep the Lord to ourselves. We must be able to share God’s love in love in everything

Describing the good life we might include our property, possessions, livelihood among other things. The good life or just life in general is exactly what we are to share. To give away, our earthly lives; not dying but sacrificing just the same.

We don’t die, Jesus died so that we would be free from sin which includes making idols out of lesser things like land, money, possessions. To give your life means to give away these very things we consider of life.

John is alluding not that God blessed us so that we could hoard, but so that we could give it away. God has richly blessed us, not only with land, possessions and money but with the Christ. If we want to share Jesus we must also share ourselves. We cannot separate the two.

In the ancient church this problem of not helping others was obviously a perpetual problem, because it is mentioned many other places in the Holy Scriptures.

It’s like God knew that only a society blessed, richly blessed would be able to generate enough wealth for all to share. This country has been richly blessed with wealth, so, so much money. Why are so many still hurting?

Giving to the needy is not a cure for sinfulness, and the act itself does not free you. The motivation for giving to the needy is love of God not for the hope of gainful return.

I don’t want you to give because I say so, I don’t want you to avoid sin because I say so. The motivation for both should be love of God or even better because God loves you and has blessed you.

I have heard some say only those who are worthy can receive my help. Who is worthy? God saw each of us as unworthy, yet we have been invited. How can we see this any differently?

Jesus’ reward for helping the poor was the crucifixion. I’m using hyperbole, the Lord’s reward was to have all of us in Heaven. Jesus actions were in due to His love of God, not that He felt He was just a good person who was doing good. There is more than just service involved here, if it were rote response to guilt that we do good works, we would have stopped long ago.

We continue because there is something much deeper at work. Love is not superficial, if you have ever loved you know this to be true. Do you know how powerful love is? Look no further than the cross.
Jesus did not teach hatred, yet we have become proficient in hating.
Jesus did not exhibit greed, yet we have become proficient in treasuring our desires.
Jesus did not rely on pride, yet pride directs nearly all of our decisions.

Jesus did not murder, lie, cheat or steal, yet we have accomplished all of these with passing grades.
Jesus did, hear me now, did exhibit love towards his neighbors – How are we doing in the loving our neighbor part? We might be passing but I don’t think we are getting an A. Just like a 7th grader who spends time away from his or her studies, when it comes time for the test they may pass, but not exceed. The student who gives the subject the time it deserves, who spends extra time, who gives it their all, will exceed. You and I spend too much time on subjects that do not equate loving our neighbors or loving God.

The final test each Christian student will take is one that covers deeds and not just words. It is easier to feel a sentiment like love than to actually love. Actual love is costly, it can hurt, it can feel terrible at times, but it is also God’s redemptive manifestation. Jesus was God’s love manifested in human form. We too are God’s love manifested in human form.

It is time we begin to understand that we are the result of God’s love, not destroyed in the fire but saved from it – for a purpose. Too many people think they have three strikes against them. Not true. Three strikes means you are already out. We can only have two strikes against us, because there is alway hope wherever God is involved. I want every child to grow up in a life of hope. I don’t want them to ever think they has three strikes. What children have, as all of us do, is three blessings which are far greater Grace, Love and Redemption.

Why do you call me Lord yet not do what I say? If we are going to call Jesus our Lord we must be willing to pick up our cross and go head long into this world, not to save it but at least make it better by revealing the Jesus that resides in each of us. You have far too many blessings to ignore the fact that you have been saved are saved and will be saved.

BENEDICTION
Leader: Go forth in peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all
People: And also with you.
All: Amen

04-15-18 “When are we perfect?”
New Testament: 1 John 3:1-7
Gospel: Luke 24:36-48

This passage from 1 John is at the heart of John Wesley’s theology of Christian Perfection. Not just this passage, but throughout 1-2-3 John, we find the dividing line between the commonly held theologies of the time and the newer Wesleyan theology. Which is why we also find some of the most difficult to understand passages in the New Testament. What exactly is the author trying to tell us? Especially when he seems to be proposing two opposing ideas.

One idea is, no one who lives in him keeps on sinning. His second idea is if you do sin, Jesus is there as an advocate. We have a perplexing set of ideas that seem confusing. Let’s focus in the first. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or knows him, meaning Jesus. If no one who lives in Jesus is sinning does that make each of us perfect? Wesley thought this was possible, which sets him apart from John Calvin. So the short answer on Christian perfection is no and the long answer, yes. Confused? You are not the first.

Your confusion depends on how you interpret this passage. We are going to focus on John Wesley’s solution for obvious reasons, because we are Wesleyan. However, I am not so Methodist that I cannot question Mr. Wesley. But let’s use him as a starting point.

According to Wesley, we are perfect. It isn’t something we will achieve – it is something we have achieved. This is how he began his understanding. The blood of Jesus is the purifying agent. The blood is not something we look to the future for, it is something in our past we look back to. It has already happened, and all who believe are made clean from that blood. When the author says we can no longer go on sinning, I believe, he isn’t taking about a perfect physical life. He is talking about the perfected spiritual life through God’s grace.

Wesley concluded that a consequence of the new birth was power over sin. Wesley did not, however, believe in an absolute “sinless” perfection, and he disagreed with those who taught that Christians could achieve such a state. Wesley defined sin as a conscious, voluntary breaking of Divine law. The author of 1st John agrees by putting emphasis on different sins, meaning some worse than others. We’ll discuss that later.

Wesley also believed Christian perfection had both gradual and instantaneous elements. In his sermon “The Scripture Way of Salvation,” Wesley emphasized the instantaneous side, stating, “Do you believe we are sanctified by faith? Be true, then, to your principle and look for this blessing just as you are, neither better nor worse; as a poor sinner who has still nothing to pay, nothing to plead but ‘Christ died’. And if you look for it as you are, then expect it now”.

In another sermon, entitled “Thoughts on Christian Perfection,” Wesley stressed the gradual aspect of perfection, writing that it was to be received “in a zealous keeping of all the commandments; in watchfulness and painfulness; in denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily; as well as in earnest prayer and fasting and a close attendance on all the ordinances of God . . . it is true we receive it by simple faith; but God does not, will not, give that faith unless we seek it with all diligence in the way which he hath ordained”.
The instantaneous is God’s work and the gradual is our work.

He believed in stages of perfection and this last stage of Christian maturity was made possible by what he called entire sanctification. In Wesley’s theology, entire sanctification was a work of grace received by faith that removed inbred or Original sin, and this allowed the Christian to enter a state of perfect love—”Love excluding sin”

Even this was not an absolute perfection. The entirely sanctified Christian was perfect in love, meaning that the heart is undivided in its love for God or that it loves nothing that conflicts with its love for God. Christians perfected in love were still subject to conditions of the original fall and liable to commit unintentional transgressions. In consequence, these Christians still had to depend on Forgiveness through Christ’s Atonement.

I Think the author of First John is saying that if you continue living in the darkness of sin you are allowing it to fester under your skin, deeper in your body than just on the surface where others can plainly see it. We hide it where only God can see, but not so hidden we can’t be healed.
Wesley would say, this is not the mark of a Christ follower. What makes us obvious Christian is that we don’t allow the enemy a foothold in our life. In this case we are violating his sacrifice, we are not acknowledging Jesus, in extreme cases, the author of 1 John would say, “we have not met him.”

The Good News here is we have an advocate to cover our debt, to pay our bills or to make our slate clean.

We are not just referring to past debt, but also future debt. Sins we have yet to commit. There is no other pattern or goal than Jesus himself. The Good News is not that Jesus helps us to be “more prayerful, more loving, more compassionate, more trustworthy, more fill in the blank with whatever virtue is missing from your tool box.”

Rather, the Good News is that Jesus himself is the goal and the gift. Jesus is not only the shape of God’s past love toward us through incarnation, cross, and resurrection; Jesus is also the shape of God’s final gracious gift: to conform our lives to God’s perfect love in the Son. All discipleship rests on the declaration of what we already are: loved by God, children now, promised that we will be like Jesus when he appears.

Whatever we dream or vision in our mind about how good the eternal life will be – – has already happened in the eyes of God. Past, present and future seem to co-mingle in the scriptures. We who have limited understandings struggle like the author of 1-2-3 John. Who seems to bounce back and forth between what was, what is and what will be.

Wesley had a unique understanding of the what will be versus the here and now. That is why he could believe Christian perfection is not something we work towards but something we have already achieved.

The original readers of 1 John are NOT simply told to be better, to try harder, or simply get rid of their sin. Even he knew that was not possible. That’s what Jesus came to do. They and we must acknowledge that Jesus has already come, already delivered us, already made us clean. We can’t be any more clean than the day Jesus washed us white with the blood of the cross. If we break the law and sin, we put a smudge on our pure whiteness. Jesus is our advocate, our Tide stick if you will, that if we ask, he wipes us clean again and again and again. In this way we have been perfected already.

We are not perfect by what we do, we are perfect for what Jesus already did. You may be thinking that Wesley is just playing with language and words. May be that the enemy is telling you that so you stop reaching for Jesus’ perfection. If we are convinced that we are not able we may also believe we are not worthy and then we will settle for lesser things.

We have Jesus on the cross, which has already happened. Then we have the Jesus who will return in glory, which has yet to happen. That leaves us in the middle somewhere, but not left without hope. Our hope can be found in the challenge to find ourselves as perfect in grace because of what Jesus did and looking forward to a perfect, peaceful, eternity where we can live out our perfection in Heaven with God. Why wait? Let’s take on the challenge right now to begin living like resurrected, loving Easter Christians today.

Perhaps the tension of this text regarding sin finds its resolution only in the conviction that by God’s grace we will be made like Jesus in the end. Here in Easter season, we have a new identity because of Jesus’ resurrection, and yet we hope and look for that day when the risen Jesus will return and transform us all into his image. In the meantime – Rejoice in the goodness God has given you and allow it to rise up in your life so that it make everything around you seems brighter and more alive.

If I were to ask you if the world was filled with sin you might say yes pastor it is.
If I were to ask if you were filled with sin personally, you might answer, maybe, but not that much.
Perception. How do we perceive the righteousness of Jesus? Do we perceive it as something that we have not obtained or something that has already been given?
Did the cross make us righteous or is that day still far off? John Wesley believed in Christian perfection in this world, right here and now, because of God’s grace. Jesus is no longer just in Heaven, the perfected Jesus is here right now, in us, now and forever.

BENEDICTION
Leader: Go forth in peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all
People: And also with you.
All: Amen

04-08-18 “All Are Forgiven”

New Testament: 1 John 1:1-2:2

Gospel: John 20:19-31

INTRODUCTION

When lists are compiled of things that scare them us, we uncover the usual suspects, public speaking, spiders, snakes, tight spaces, heights, flying, the dentist and the dark. The last one is the one I want to focus on today. Physical and spiritual darknesses are different, but they go hand in hand.

From Psychology Today’s website I found this interesting item about physical fear. “The more scared you feel, the scarier things will seem. Through a process called potentiation, your fear response is amplified if you are already in a state of fear. When you are primed for fear, even harmless events seem scary. If you are watching a documentary about venomous spiders, a tickle on your neck (caused by, say, a loose thread in your sweater) will startle you and make you jump out of your seat in terror. 

If you are afraid of flying, even the slightest turbulence will push your blood pressure through the roof of the plane. And the more worried you are about your job security, the more you will sweat it when your boss calls you in for even an uneventful meeting.”

I have a small fear of banging my big toe into a a solid wooden table leg. When I walk in a dark room my brain conjures up the last time I hit my toe and the pain it caused. I live in a state of fear, even if it is for a few seconds until I reach a light switch or flashlight.

Spiritual darkness is similar yet different, like when we have been hurt by other people, so we fear, perhaps we have been betrayed so we lose trust, maybe we have been lied to cheated, victim of theft. It may be the loss of someone we love, like a child or parent or spouse, those can leave us in the spiritual darkness. In these cases we can begin closing ourselves off. This is a heightened, prolonged sense of fear and it’s spiritual. It can last longer than a few seconds, maybe for a lifetime.

We get into the spiritual darkness when we begin to believe that God is not good because the evidence of the events proves otherwise.

Like I said physical and spiritual darknesses may be different but they go hand in hand quite often. Thankfully God gives us two sets of eyes with which to see.

I appreciate how people without sight or limited sight manage to navigate their surroundings. I recently watched a man get on the Amtrak guided only by a white mobility sight stick and his one outstretched hand. I was amazed at how he navigated up the stairs and down the corridor of seats, even locating the restroom.

I can see all the signs and I still struggle. I was bothering Debbie with questions like, “What did the announcer say?” “What does the board say about our departure?” “How do you know what track to go to?”

In a way Debbie was my white mobility sight stick. Those handy devices are going high-tech. Inventors in France have equipped them with ultrasonic devices that detect obstacles up to nine feet away. Vibrations in the stick’s handle warn users of potential hazards in their path.

When ‘canes’ were first used motorists had a hard time seeing the dark colored canes so they began painting them white with a red tip to help others know you had trouble seeing. We have come a long way since then.

People without physical sight or limited physical sight go to great lengths to protect themselves. Shouldn’t those who have limited spiritual sight do the same. That is to work hard to prevent getting hurt from the dark?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all helped each other navigate in the darkness. Not just those with limited physical sight. I mean all of us who have some degree of spiritual blindness. What a world it would be if we were all watching out for each other.

From 1 John again – “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

Nowhere in the scriptures do I hear God call us to live in competition with each other, to constantly find ways to elevate ourselves over others, to push past all the other people and get to where we are going first, but to be in fellowship.

Doesn’t communal fellowship sound better than pointless and pushy existence? It does me. I used to be one of those pushy people, sometimes I still am. I love the other way of living, the slower pace, slowing down long enough to enjoy the brief moments of light where I can truly see. In those moments of spiritual light, we find ways to help along their journey. Healthy spiritual sight can give us confidence to go forth and change our lives.

As I was walking behind the man with limited sight I thought about helping him. I could tell he was looking for the restroom because he was using his left hand, touching each seat back then feeling ahead. He got to the open door and I was going to say, “turn left.” God hit me and said he was doing just fine, probably better than I was. Then God hit me again, this man was there to help me see, not the other way around. It chilled me for a moment that if I did speak he might have turned around and said, “I know where I’m going, do you?”

That man probably rides that train everyday and knows how many seats are in every car because he takes the time to count them. He probably knows every bump and groove in the floor because it is important for his travel. He is probably more in tune with the sounds the train makes and has a better idea of where he is than I do.

That reminds me of our second sight. The spiritual eyes of faith. That man was using faith to some degree. Meaning he was relying on something other that what his eyes could prove to him. His eyes couldn’t help him so his trust went deeper; to another level. Our physical eyes will very often fail to help us understand faith. Faith comes from walking without seeing. I mean seeing the future, like next year, what will happen tomorrow, what will become if life changes. When we can’t answer these questions we need to have something to fill the void. Faith. We cannot allow the darkness to take over our faith.

Faith will keep us together for eternity, but for the world we live in right now it is about time for you and I to say goodbye. Our District Superintendent called me on Thursday and requested my presence in the United Methodist Center on Friday to hear about my new appointment. I will complete my journey in the Bonfield Grand Prairie Parish at the end of June and Debbie and I will begin traveling a new path.

Thomas was one of those who trusted more in his eyes than any other sense. Didn’t his heart tell him that Jesus was was standing right in front of him? Was he so spiritually blind he could not see his savior. I know you people believe Jesus is with you because like that man on the train I thought I came here to help you see but it turns out you all helped me.

Leah did not make this decision without consulting me which she does every year. I told her I felt it was time for a new challenge. When I received the call it was still a shock because we never know what a day will bring. I ask you know to trust in God, have faith in Jesus your savior. He is standing right here among you and knows the needs of this church. God will never abandon you, He will ask that you walk a while without seeing and have faith that He guides your steps into tomorrow. I want you to be excited about the possibilities that tomorrow might bring.

It was due to Jesus tremendous ability to see God’s light that he accepted the responsibility to come to earth and save us all. Shall we accept John’s challenge to us to shine the light of Jesus wherever we go and have faith in tomorrow? I know that you will. Because where there’s a way there is the Way.

BENEDICTION

Leader: Go forth in peace. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all

People: And also with you.

All: Amen