Good Morning Children of God,The Lord has given us a beautiful day today and I hope you are able to enjoy it. During this Memorial Day Weekend we are reminded to be grateful for the many people who gave their lives for this country over the years. Their example of sacrifice for the good of others is especially important today. For us every day is Memorial day. We are a people who are called to always remember the sacrifice of Jesus for the good of all. It is our privilege to follow in his footsteps and share his love with others.Here is your Sunday Message. It is also attached.
May 24, 2020
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Prayer of the Day
O God of glory, your Son Jesus Christ suffered for us and ascended to your right hand. Unite us with Christ and each other in suffering and in joy, that all the world may be drawn into your bountiful presence, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading Acts 1:6-14
Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
Second Reading 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Gospel John 17:1-11
Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
How does one measure eternal life? Obviously, not in years. But, in John 17:3 Jesus suggests that we should contemplate it in terms of relationship, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” A relationship with God means eternal life. You have that relationship now through Jesus. By God’s grace you have come to know him and love him and in him you have come to know the Father.
Knowing “the only true God” has been made possible through the descent and ascent of Jesus. In his descent he came to save us. He revealed himself as God with us and for us. Jesus gave his life on the cross as a ransom to set his sinful people free. Through his resurrection from the dead he broke death’s grip on the human race. Because of the descent of Jesus, we know that God loves us unconditionally and that we cannot be separated from him.
The ascent of Jesus opens the door to knowing God in a way that transcends earth and time. The scene recorded in Acts 1:9 of him being lifted in the clouds and disappearing into heaven before the very eyes of the apostles, opens the mind to a life beyond earth in a home yet unseen. While the descent of Jesus makes known the heart of God, the ascent of Jesus reveals the hope God wants us to have.
We know the only true God and have eternal life because of what happened from Good Friday to Ascension Day. We know God’s heart and in him we have hope. This is the reason that we can press on in our chapters of eternal life which are taking place here on earth; chapters that record the good, the bad, and the ugly of our current existence.
God’s word excels at encouraging us in difficult times. In today’s readings we are told that Jesus prays for us, asking the Father to protect us with his presence and power. (John 17:11). Psalm 68:35 praises God for giving strength and power to his people. 1 Peter 5:7 advises us to cast all of our anxieties upon the Lord because he cares for us. The Lord is continually speaking to us, heart to heart, telling us that everything is going to be all right, no matter what circumstances confront us.
Jesus descended before ascending. He suffered before rising. We are on a similar course. While on earth, we are in our time of suffering, we are in our time of descent. But Jesus has promised that the relationship we have with him and our Father is built to last. It is built for eternity. It will withstand the test of time and suffering. “And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:10) Talk about encouragement!
Clearly, it is our lot in this life to be encouraged by God to the point of being courageous and being able to encourage others. Jesus put it this way, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) Being a witness for Jesus means encouraging others to know God’s heart and receive God’s hope. You witness to others in the way you live your life. A statement for Jesus is made in the way you handle adversity, and help others when they are being tested. The times in which we are living give ample opportunity for us to testify to the only true God who is the help and hope for all people.
In these threatening times many people are longing for reassurance about God’s relationship with them. You have the words people long to hear. You have the words of God’s acceptance and love. You have the words that reveal God’s heart. You have the words that give people hope. You have the words of eternal life. You have words about Jesus. And it is Jesus who calls you to be his witness each and every day.
Witnessing for Jesus is a group activity. Jesus asked the Father to unite his followers in their witness to him; he prayed “that they may be one” (John 17:11). This prayer has been granted. In a time when we are separated it is important to remember that we stand united in our witness to Jesus and that God can take our many individual acts of faith, love and kindness occurring on a daily basis and weave them together in a tapestry of powerful testimony to Jesus. The tapestry God is weaving is even all the more impressive when you consider that we are part of a work that includes the witness of all of the saints of God who have come before us.
I wish to conclude this message with the story of a simple witness by a Christian that inspired the hymn “His Eye is On the Sparrow.” It is an example of how one’s sharing of the experience of God’s heart gives hope to others in unexpected ways. Someone left this in my mailbox at church as the pandemic was just getting underway.
His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.
The Story Behind the Hymn
This song was written by Civilla D. Martin in 1905. Civilla was married to Dr. William Martin, an evangelist. While in Elmira, New York, in the spring of 1905, the couple became friends with Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle. Mr. Doolittle had been bedridden for 20 years. Civilla wrote concerning the Doolittles: “Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day, while we were visiting the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.’ The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The song “His Eye is on the Sparrow” was the outcome of that experience.”
His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Civilla D. Martin)
1. Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
o Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
2. “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
3. Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
Amen.
Be courageous, be strong, let everything you do be done in love,
Pastor Bill
Great message Pastor Bill! It always amazes me how you can tie everything together!