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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In this sermon on January 29th 2023 - Fr. Dan Shoemake talks about the four-letter word O.B.E.Y.

Sunday, January 29th, 2023 (Epiphany 4)

Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 37:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

SERMON

the Talk & the Walk: God-Talk, Human-Walk: Obedience

Two Weeks Ago: Walk the Walk

Last Week: Talk the Talk

1. Walk Humbly - (Micah 6:8)

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good,

and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice and to love kindness

and to walk humbly with your God?”
“Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers," Jesse Ventura

• How do we respond to Gov. Ventura?

YES, you're right! We are weak!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

• CS Lewis - “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”
• Don’t be controlled by your impulses.
• Stop being surprised by your sin!

Tell what God is doing - (Matthew 5:1-11)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

Dave Furman on Weakness and Suffering

https://www.crossway.org/articles/dont-miss-what-god-is-teaching-you-in-your-pain/

How do you talk about your suffering?

1. Rejoice in Suffering (Matthew 5:12)

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

• Story of Suffering Priest

If we are the Church - all we need is Christ.

If we are the Church - all we have is Christ.

If we are the Church - all we are is Christ.

AMEN

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In this sermon from January 22nd 2023 - Fr. Dan Shoemake discusses the importance of talking to God about others and to others about God.

Sunday, January 22nd, 2023 (Epiphany 3)

Amos 3:1–11, Psalm 139:1–18, I Corinthians 1:10–17, Matthew 4:12–22

SERMON

the Talk & the Walk: Talk the Talk

Last Week: Walk the Walk

Bringing the bright light to a dark world.

• The WAY that we Talk changes PERCEPTION
• Problems in JUSTICE (Cancel culture)
• Problems with IDENTITY (any political movement)
• Problems with TRUTH (relative truth vs objective)

What does this have to do with RELIGION?

• Our religion calls us to speak TRUTH in LOVE (Ephesians 4:15)

1. Talk TO God (Ps 139) - Prayer

• Not information, but conversation
• Not transactional, but reactive
• Goal = make God look good

2. Talk about what God DOES (Amos 3:8-9, 11) - Testimony

• Changing the narrative
  • COVID is about people, or about SAFETY
• Addressing Conflict with Truth
  • Miracles
  • Evil
  • Suffering

3. Talk to others ABOUT Jesus (Matt 4:17, 19; 1 Cor 1:17) - Invite

• Our religion is about Jesus not about Jesus-followers
  • Story of anger toward Churches
• Jesus takes US and uses us for his Kingdom

AMEN

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In this sermon on January 15th 2023 - Fr. Dan Shoemake talks about living a life where we see ourselves as an embodiment of the Law of God.

Sunday, January 15th, 2023 (Epiphany 2)

Exodus 12:21-28; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42

SERMON

the Talk & the Walk: Walk the Walk

The Talk and the Walk is a sermon series about Religion:

Why we are talking about religion: there is a common theme I am hearing

Secular: organized religion is a problem - it is the source of evil in the world. “Christian”: Jesus did not come to establish a religion, he came to break people free from religion

Identifying the Problem

What IS religion?

1. Many things can be called religions even though they are radically different.
2. Religion can be identified as any belief or practice.

Religion as a HAMMER

Three Ways we can Misunderstand or Misuse a Religion

1. Using the Hammer as a Screwdriver

• Worship as entertainment
• Sermon as TED talk or pep talk
• Church as Country Club

This has lead to Wrong Conclusion: 20th-21st century ambiguity: Whatever you believe or DO is a valid religious practice.

*Image* MEGACHURCH

*Image* Decline of Christianity since 2007

• Liturgical Churches hold water better than non traditional

Screwdriver Conclusion: The Three Streams of Anglicanism

• Evangelical, Charismatic, and Catholic

2. Not using the Hammer because you hit your thumb

• “Hammers are supposed to build houses - not to break thumbs”
• “I am not good with hammers, so I’ll leave that to someone else”

Diagnosis: People have a problem with People

When so-called Christians say “the problem with the Church is …”

They are actually talking about themselves. They ARE the Church.

Church is supposed to be difficult. It causes us to grow. People butt heads. Feelings get hurt - that is what it MEANS to BE the Church.

Correcting our Understanding

Understanding what RELIGION is

Re-legere (to say or read over and over again)

Re-Ligare (to bind or connect to)

Or - Deut 6:4-9

6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God,

the Lord alone.

5 You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul and

with all your might.

6 Keep these words

that I am commanding

you today in your heart.

7 Recite them to your children

and talk about them

when you are at home

and when you are away,

when you lie down

and when you rise.

8 Bind them as a sign on your hand,

fix them as an emblem on your forehead,

9 and write them on the doorposts

of your house and on your gates.

TRUE Religion is about THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED.

The Passover Religious Practice: Walking the Walk

The Passover Sacrifice is All About Jesus

AMEN

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In this sermon from January 8th 2023 Fr. Dan Shoemake talks about the work of breaking free of the shackles of fear and anxiety and living in the joy of Jesus.

Sunday, January 8th, 2023 (Epiphany 1/The Baptism of Jesus)

Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 89:1-29; Acts 10:34-38; Matthew 3:13-17

SERMON

Bringing Heaven to Earth: Finding your Happy Thought

Watching Hook - If possible, play clip show images of movie

Pan’s journey - from cynical lawyer acrophobic flying, fighting, crowing Pan.

The “Happy thought” gives birth to a joyful and carefree life.

Jack’s Journey - from carefree baseball player, to cynical emo kid.

Breaking the watch - fear of time

Matthew’s Happy Thought

When you embrace God, he embraces you. “This is my Beloved!”

Peter’s Happy Thought

Everyone is valued by what they DO, not who where they’re from..

Q: What Happy Thought is pointing you to Jesus?

Just as Jesus’ baptism showed us who we CAN be - so let us allow our new Happy Thoughts to show the world who Christ is.

AMEN

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In this sermon from January 1st 2023 - Fr. Dan Shoemake unpacks the heart of putting on Christ, as he put on human flesh./

Sunday, January 1st, 2023

Isa 61:10—62:5 Ps 147:12-20 Gal 3:23—4:7 John 1:1-18