Home Worship 5/17/20

Sermon

This week's message can be accessed on our FB page here: https://www.facebook.com/Milford-First-Brethren-Church-106750154192984/
Or through our website here: https://www.milfordfirstbrethren.org/live.html (video will post by Sunday afternoon)

Study Guide Questions

After - or even as - you listen to the sermon, try digging deeper into the text by working through these questions:

1. How does Paul describe his calling in 15:15-16 - what is his goal?
2. Read this article as it relates to Paul's mention of "Illyricum". What are the options for what he's saying? When would he have ministered there?
3. How does Paul taking the collection to Jerusalem picture the Gospel in his estimation - 15:25-27?
4. What warning does he give as he wraps things up in 16:17-18?
5. Who does Paul want to be the focus as he ends his letter - 16:25-27?

Worship Songs

Devotional Guide

Let's take a look at other endings Paul writes in his letters to other churches.

Monday - 1 Corinthians 16:10-24

Tuesday - Galatians 6:11-18

Wednesday - Colossians 4:7-18

Thursday - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

Friday - 2 Timothy 4:6-22

Saturday - Titus 3:9-15

Sermon Snippets

I've taken a break from blogging but now I hope to be "back and better than ever" (s/o to Mike & Mike). I'm putting "Music Monday" on hiatus for now and going to bring back "Sermon Snippets" moving forward. 

These posts will feature tidbits and/or last minute cuts from my sermons that I find interesting. One common problem pastors face is deciding what to cut from their messages - or rather, not realizing they need to cut material out to keep their audience focused. I'm writing a commentary on 1-2 Kings currently so there should be plenty of material. But last week was Easter so I will be relaunching this bit with some stuff from my Resurrection Day message. For audio of the full sermon, you can listen here.

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Jesus' first appearances carried personal and theological significance. My sermon (link above) works through the first six times Jesus revealed himself to people. The first one is where I want to focus on today. 

Mary Magdalene is the first person to see Jesus after he rose from the grave (John 20:11-18). Was that fact merely meant to be a footnote in history? What if I argued that there was a purpose and intention behind who Jesus decided to appear to first?

As others have noted, Mary was "last at the cross and first to the tomb". While her male counterparts had almost all fled out of fear, she didn't keep a low profile. She remained faithful even in the face of unspeakable grief as her friend and Rabboni suffered a criminal's death. 

Mary Magdalene's story has gotten confused and misconstrued in a variety of ways. But taking our cues from the Gospels, we know she was delivered from demonic possession early on in Jesus' ministry and she followed Jesus, even financially supporting him and his disciples on their travels (Luke 8:1-4). 

Mary Magdalene is the picture of a disciple devoted to her Savior, even when all hope seemed lost. Her pure heart of worship is revealed by her and the other women's desire to ceremonially embalm Jesus' body to complete the burial (Mark 16:1-2)

So when Jesus honors her by appearing to her first, he's rewarding this dedicated servant. He will soon appear to Peter also, who is very much the opposite of Mary. But her story reminds us that God rewards the faithful. We can cling to our Lord even when no hope seems left - and he will come through!

What an awesome testimony of God's goodness and what an awesome encouragement to be faithful!

Music Mondays

Someone from my church showed me this week's video. I think I'd heard the song once or twice - but it was only at the stage in my head where I liked the song but hadn't really paid too close attention to it.

Turns out, the video grabs your attention and doesn't give it back. Ms. Daigle has an uniquely powerful voice and delivers this beautiful song with conviction. And "conviction" is the word that I'm left with from this single. 

So many of us need to remember what God says about us. So many need to forget the lies we believe about ourselves.

Memorial Day Weekend

Our small town of Milford loves to celebrate Memorial Day in a BIG way. From numerous garage sales, Carnival Rides, a Classic Car Show, Talent Showcases, and all kinds of food, it's a big deal locally. And of course it all culminates in a parade on Monday honoring those who have fallen in military service to our country as well as those who have served.

Our church is located smack dab in the middle of town making this a great opportunity to connect with people. So what we've done for the past several years is cook hotdogs on our 'front porch' and pass out free food and drink to those walking by visiting the attractions. 

It's a neat way to tangibly be a blessing to our town. We've also partnered the Gideon's to pass out their New Testaments - and this year we had some folks from Nappanee First Brethren come and do outreach as well. 

Our goal and supply level was 650 hotdogs, 700 drinks, and over 400 individual bags of chips. 
We ended up grilling around 800 hotdogs, while passing out close to 800 drinks and 500 bags of chips.

We'd been worried about the weather forecast, but our prayers were answered as it turned out to be a perfect day. We were so thankful for the opportunity to show love to our neighbors and plant seeds of the gospel in people's hearts. 

 
And as a pastor, I have to brag on my people who came out to help man the tables and be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

Music Mondays

I have to give props to our Worship Team for this week's selection. I was totally unaware of this song but our worship leader found it and included it in our service yesterday. 

We were exploring Jesus' miracle of changing water into wine in John 2:1-11 and this song and the video it's paired with does a good job describing and portraying this amazing event. I especially like how the song points to the greater significance of Jesus' actions in Cana. It wasn't merely about water and wine, nor was it only about preventing a wedding from turning into a disaster. Jesus was symbolically bringing light to darkness and life to what is dead - that is something to really celebrate.

Sermon Snippets

This article is an incredibly well-written piece on ISIS that will be fascinating to those who are into world politics. 

It is doubly intriguing to me as a Christian pastor who is preaching through Revelation. 

It will probably take you 30-45 minutes but it is worth your time. I cannot comment on its entirety, but I would like to offer one insight as it relates to end times and the book of Revelation.

My insight is this: Koran-based Islam and Biblical Christianity have polar opposite perspectives on the end times. Yes, both share visions of victory for their faithful constituents. Yes, both involve the city of Jerusalem and Jesus. 

But this branch of Islam is unmistakable in its belief that their victory will come through the military triumph of its people.

Biblical Christianity's view, though delivered in the opaque language of the apocalyptic, boldly asserts that God's vindication will come through the suffering and martyrdom of His people. 

Yes, Revelation 19 describes a military conquest of God. But that's a one-man show. 

Try studying what comes before that (more-or-less) in Revelation 6, and then Revelation 7, and then skip ahead to Revelation 11. What do they all have in common? 

You can strip away all the various eschatological systems we've come up with - Pre-mill/A-Mill, Pre-trib rapture/Post-trib rapture - and still plain as day, those passages describe followers of Christ suffering and dying for their faith and God responding with overwhelming justice to vindicate them.

This stark contrast really stood out to me this evening, maybe because I never fully understood Islam's theology. I can't say for sure we're living in the last days...but we're getting closer and I can't help but sit back and marvel at God's providential hand and be inspired to share the message of sacrifice leading to victory that is perfectly described in Revelation and with the Cross.

Sermon Snippets - Philippians 1:12-18a

I grew up in the first generation to experience cultural concern for self-esteem. Our teachers and parents had an elevated sensitivity about how we viewed ourselves. It was a positive development in the area of young people's mental health. Obviously it's not good to have an elevated sense of one's self-importance, but to have a poor view of one's value and worth can be even more damaging. A low self-esteem can lead to depression, self-injury, and suicide. What is needed to avoid those destructive consequences is a proper view of one's intrinsic value.

This is relevant to this week's passage in Philippians because I believe the American Church has a self-esteem problem. No doubt some American churches have a problem with an elevated sense of self-worth. But there is a growing perspective that is just the opposite. Many are becoming concerned that the American Church is dying.

I am of the opinion that the demise of the American Church is greatly exaggerated. Articles like this one by Ed Stetzer provide perspective and balance to the hysteria that believes the sky is falling. I am also of the opinion that Jesus' words to Peter and the other disciples in Matthew 16:18 serve as a promise:

¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

The American Church could die and this promise could still be fulfilled - since it is describing the worldwide Church. But it's not dead yet, and as long as there is life in the American Church, God's Spirit and Power still exist in it. And those are the ingredients that make the Church unstoppable. Jesus is describing it as an invading force overwhelming the Gates of Hades. Satan cannot stop it. Death cannot hold the Church back from advancing. Success is guaranteed!

Paul understood this, which is why he could be so resolute about otherwise adverse conditions (Phil. 1:12-14). The Gospel was going forth and that's all that mattered. Even when it was spreading because of impure motives, Paul was joyful (1:15-18a). The Gospel was advancing - nothing could stop it. The Gospel is still advancing - and nothing will stop it.