Sunday, March 5th, 2023 (Lent 2)

Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:12-21; Romans 4:1-12; Romans 4:13-17; John 3:1-16

SERMON

Introduction: Last week: Temptation

This week, sin.

Lent is about recognizing, exposing, and removing sin.

1. Sin is about disconnect from God, and is therefore a brokenness in our BEING.
   1. The stories of Salvation from our texts (Romans 4, John 3) describe a process that is not centered in what we DO but who we ARE.
      1. Romans 4:
         1. Sin as a debt / blemish

7 “Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the one against whom the Lord will not reckon sin.

1. This language of reckoning describes a debt mark.
2. John 3:
   1. what is born of flesh is flesh, what is born of spirit is spirit
   2. Jesus says that in order to be part of heaven, you have to BE in God.
      1. We are not just born connected to God, we need to be re-born.
3. Salvation is about FINDING GOD again, staying in sin is living separated from God.
   1. Proverbs 8:35-36

35 For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, 36 but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.”

1. John 3: The bronze serpent
   1. Belief for the people in Exodus was about standing near the cast-serpent. Believing in Jesus is about BEING with him.
2. Psalm 33:17
   1. Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him, * and upon those who put their trust in his mercy,
3. Salvation is deliverance from death, sin is letting the (s)infection spread
   1. Romans 4:17 “God gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist”
   2. God uses us to bless (Gen 12:2)
      1. As people and nations
   3. John 3:16
      1. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
         1. The sending of the son is a cascading effect. Eternal life begins to spring out of our love for God and one another.

Conclusion:

Lent: recognizing our sin and our need for salvation.

Opportunity to BE in god’s presence.

AMEN

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In this sermon on February 19th 2023 Bishop Frank Lyons talks about the Transfiguration of Jesus.

In this sermon on February 5th 2023 - Fr. Dan Shoemake talks about inviting the Holy Spirit to empower us.
Sunday, February 5th, 2023 (Epiphany 5)

2 Kings 22:8-20; Psalm 27; 1 Corinthians 2; Matthew 5:13-20

Spirit-Talk, Spirit-Walk

Setting the Scene: 2 Kings 22:19

• The people of God did not live in the way that the Book of the Law commanded. By the time Josiah the King heard the book for the first time he was 26 years old.
• In 2 Kings 23 he has altars, firepits, dedication places all taken down and destroyed, some within the temple itself.
• If this story happened in Jerusalem, during the reign of the Kings of Judah, could it happen today?

The Past: NaCl - the Salt
Kingdom of God without God:

1. I believe that we are living in a time period very similar to the kingship of Josiah.
   1. We have institutionalized and religified apathy, lifeless religion, judgementalism, and giftless ministry.
2. The very same ruler who enslaved the Hebrews before (the Pharaoh of Egypt) is knocking on our door again.

Untasted Salt

1. I think Jesus hits home this message of lifeless religion in his sermon on the mount.
2. “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.” (Matthew 5:13)
3. What Jesus is saying here is that we are not actually savoring the SALT: the Spirit of God. We are preparing a table, scarfing down the food, and not tasting the food.

Question: Why are we doing all this?

1. Why did you drive to Church this morning?
2. I have all sorts of reasons why I COULD go to Church:

The Goal: Falling in Love with our Savior
The Psalm:

4 One thing have I desired of the Lord; one thing I seek: *

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

5 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord, * and to seek him in his temple.

Why are you here?
But if we can re-align our priorities and place God at the center - we will experience the Spirit of God.

1. I will receive all the money that I need from God
2. I will receive true friendship with God
3. I will worship my Lord Jesus.
4. God speaks to me through the liturgy.

The Disconnect of verse 5

1. I think that some of us have never SEEN the beauty of the Lord - we have not sought GOD!
2. If this is the case, we are saltless salt, lightless light, the Children of God with no God.

Religion in the WEST

Decline of religion: Christianity especially
Rise in Spirituality and Belief in God

Pandemic, Economic decline have resulted in an INCREASE in god-awareness/interest.

1. In short - HATE the Religion // Interested in the God.
2. If we actually WALK the WALK and TALK the TALK
   1. Talking and living like Jesus.

Conclusion: The Spirit
Old sermon: Why is the Church dying?

1. When was the last time you saw a miracle?
2. When was the last time you actually SAW the power of God.

Invite the HOLY SPIRIT

Communion, Prayer, Worship - Invite the Spirit in

AMEN

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