Preparing the Witnesses

READ: Luke 1:1-4; 24:13-49

Luke 24:13   Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem,  14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened.  15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,  16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.  17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.  18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?”  19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,  20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him.  21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place.  22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning,  23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive.  24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”  25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared!  26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?”  27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. How many hours of preparation does it take a person to prepare for success?
2. How did Jesus prepare his disciples for their mission?
3. What was the essential core of his message to the disciples ?
4. Could you easily summarize Jesus' message for your next door neighbor?
5. What is the mission of the church? Whose mission is it?
6. Name the power that Jesus promised for our mission.
7. John Stott's book, The Living Church, speaks of his dream of a living church which is a biblical church.  Why is the Bible important for the mission? Could you summarize the message and the mission of the church out of the bible? Check out Luke 24.

I Have a Dream of a Living Church: A Biblical Church

NEW SERMON SERIES AT LPC

This week we began a new sermon series at LPC on John Stott's book, "The Living Church." If you have never heard of John Stott, there are some wonderful resources for you to learn more about his life and ministry.

• Read the New York Times article from 2004 by David Brooks.http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/30/opinion/30brooks.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Who%20Is%20John%20Stott&st=Search
• Read the Lausanne Covenant. http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/lausanne-covenant.html (You can read Stott's commentary if you are interested.)
• Review Stott's 1974 sermon, "I Have A Dream Of A Living Church."  It is printed in the Appendix of his book, "The Living Church." 

You do not have to agree with everything that Stott writes, but one thing for sure he invited us to take the Bible seriously and to allow the church to be informed and inspired by the biblical message.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Luke 4:14-30 – Jesus Begins His Public Ministry

1. Jesus began his public ministry in his hometown synagogue by reading and interpreting the text from Isaiah 61.  This was the practice adopted by the early church and is still at the center of our Reformed tradition.  How important to us is the notion of the authority of the Bible?  In what sense does the Bible's authority impact our personal lives and the collective life and mission of our church?
2. Try to identify with the congregation in Nazareth.  How must they have felt about Jesus?  Did they believe that Jesus was their Messiah?  Why did they become so angry with him?
3. The Bible (and particularly the Luke 4 text) define our identity and the mission of the church.  Who are we as Christians? What is the mission of Jesus and his church? How is this identity and mission being reflected in and through LPC? To what reforms do Jesus' words call us?

Christmas in Fearful Times

Fourth Sunday of Advent

SCRIPTURE:  Luke 2:8-11; Acts 18:7-10

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

Acts 18:7 Then Paul left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized. 9 One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; 10 for I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.

QUESTIONS by Pastor Jerry Tankersley

1. Have you ever been afraid of God?  What caused the fear? 
2. Why might the advent of the Son of God frighten some?
3. Consider the reassuring messages of the angels to Zachariah, Mary, and the Shepherds.  What was the message?
4. How was Paul reassured in Corinth?  What was the content of the message?
5. Does it trouble you that Christians are leaving the Middle East?  Why would they leave?
6. What is there about western culture that threatens the way of Christ?  What do the attitudes of George Carlin and Christopher Hitchens contribute to a hardening to the faith?
7. Jim Wallis of Sojourner’s Magazine writes about the Real War on Christmas. What is the real war?  How does this inform the mission of Christ? 

PRAYER

Generous God,
set us free us
from today’s captivities:
from the need to have more;
from having our identity and self-worth
defined by what we possess;
from the need to be
satisfied without waiting;
from anxiety when
material longings are deferred;
from paralysis and confusion,
in the face of so many needs.

Savior Christ, set us free:
from captivity to anger,
bitterness, and disappointment;
from captivities we cannot speak about, or name.

Savior Christ, Emmanuel,
we meet you now,
in human flesh and bone,
the Word and Wisdom of God
as power in weakness shown.
Savior Christ, come set us free.

The Speechless One Speaks

The Third Sunday of Advent

Read:  Luke 1:5-25, 76-80

The Angel Appearing to Zacharias.  William Blake, 1800.

Questions by Pastor Jerry Tankersley 

(Preaching Pastor on Sunday, December 11, 2011)

A.  Discovering your voice is a life task.  We may be filled with words without connection or meaning.  Our pop culture feeds all kinds of bits of information into us. 

1. Have you ever had a life experience that left you speechless, without adequate words to interpret or to integrate?  
2. Can you think of a book, a novel, a poem, a song that has helped interpret you to yourself?

B.  Maya Angelou told her story in, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.  

1. What caused her to stop speaking when she was 7 ½? 
2. Trauma in a child’s life may shape the rest of a lifetime.  What helped her speak again?  Listen to Maya reading her poem at President Clinton’s 1993 inauguration.  Maya Angelou, 1993 Bill Clinton's Inauguration

C.  Zachariah was encountered by the Angel Gabriel.

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit 

and spoke this prophecy: 

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 

for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, 

as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we would be saved from our enemies 

and from the hand of all who hate us.

Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,

and has remembered his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,

to grant us that we, 

being rescued from the hands of our enemies, 

might serve him without fear, 

in holiness and righteousness

before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

by the forgiveness of their sins.

By the tender mercy of our God,

the dawn from on high will break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness

and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The child grew and became strong in spirit,

and he was in the wilderness

until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

1. What did Zachariah make of the angel’s message to him?  Did he believe?
2. What was the difference in his response to the angel and Mary’s response to Gabriel?
3. He was mute for nine months, but then his voice was restored. What did he say? The poem he proclaimed is called the Benedictus, "The Blessing." Who was blessed? Why God? Why John?
4. Do you need to be blessed?  
5. Who do you need to bless today?

THE LORD BLESS YOU!  BENEDICTUS!

   

What Moves You to Sing?

Read:  1 Samuel 1, 2 (Hannah's Song) and Luke 1:46-56 (Mary's Song)

And Mary said, 
    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
        and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
        Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
        and holy is his name.
    His mercy is for those who fear him
        from generation to generation.
    He has shown strength with his arm;
        he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
    He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
        and lifted up the lowly;
    he has filled the hungry with good things,
        and sent the rich away empty.
    He has helped his servant Israel,
        in remembrance of his mercy,
    according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
        to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 

Questions by Pastor Steve Sweet (Preaching Pastor on Sunday, December 4, 2011)

1. Who was a musician that you connected with in your youth? What do you think it was about their music?
2. What is it about music that has the ability to reach us deep within? What kind of music causes you to sing along?
3. Like Hannah in I Samuel 1 & 2, what is a recent prayer request that you have earnestly brought before the Lord? 
4. Steve said, “No issue too small, no problem too big, to bring before the Lord in worship.” Can you relate to that in your life right now?
5. Reading Luke 1:46-56, what was Mary’s response to the news that she would give birth to the Messiah?
6. What are the similarities in Hannah and Mary’s songs?
7. How would it be for you right now to hear the Lord say your name?

Prayer

O God, rejoicing, we remember the promise of your Son. As the light from these two Advent candles, may the blessing of Christ come upon us, brightening our way and guiding us by his truth. May Christ our Savior bring life into the darkness of our world, and to us, as we wait for his coming. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Pain of Transition

1st Sunday of Advent

READ:  1 Kings 1-2 (The story of King David's death), Psalm 22

Psalm 22:1-2

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from helping me,

from the words of my groaning?

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; 

and by night, but find no rest.

Psa. 22:14-15

I am poured out like water, 

and all my bones are out of joint; 

my heart is like wax; 

it is melted within my breast; 

my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, 

and my tongue sticks to my jaws; 

you lay me in the dust of death.

SERMON:  THE PAIN OF TRANSITION

Questions from Pastor Sizer

This week we completed our sermon series on the life of King David–seeing him in his greatness and in his weakness.  The transition between him and Solomon (his son) was painful.

1. If you could go back to a certain age, or era, what would you choose and why?
2. Does change come easily for you?
3. How high is your threshold for change?  Has it been higher and lower at different times or periods in your life?  Why?
4. Is there something about David's life that encourages you? Disillusions you?
5. Peterson writes, "Death brings out the worst in many people: we'll be treated as a problem to fixed, or as an opportunity to be seized, or as a responsibility to be carried out and put right. Like David. The David story doesn't trade in illusion and doesn't sentimentalize" (224). How does our culture deal with death and dying?  How important is it for the Christian to be a witness to the dignity of death?
6. During Advent we wait for the coming King, the Christ, Jesus. Has this time spent in David's story helped prepare you to live as a Christ follower with more anticipation, joy and integrity?

I Called, God Heard

READ: 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies. - Psalm 18:1-2, NRSV

SERMON:  I CALLED; GOD HEARD

Questions from Pastor Tankersley

1. The conditions within which the kingdom of God grows are not always supportive.  There are enemies both within and without that are resistant  to the good news. C. S. Lewis in MERE CHRISTIANITY, wrote that we live in "enemy occupied territory."  How would you describe the condition of your own heart? Is your life receptive soil for the seed of God’s Word?

2. David was surrounded by his enemies and knew he needed help.  Therefore, he called out to God for help.  Do you remember a time in which you needed help and cried out?  Did the heavens hear?  How did God answer?  Are you still waiting for the answer?

3. Could you write a paragraph personal story of salvation, of how God saved you, rescued you and brought you into a new place?  If you have never done that, give it a try, begin a journal and keep track of your prayers and dialogue with God.

4. Read Laura Hillenbrand’s book, Unbroken.  It's Louis Zamperini’s salvation story.  How did God answer his prayer, “If you will save me, I will serve you forever.”

5. King David could remember many times in which he was delivered from his enemies.  Read Psalm 18, how would you summarize David’s story?

6. Is there a Grand Story, a Meta-Narrative of Salvation, to which the Bible bears witness?  Let me suggest three movements in this Grand Story:  Paradise Created; Paradise Lost; Paradise Restored.  Interpret this movement!

For Prayer 

Make a gratitude list of all God's blessings of your life. 

Take some time to give thanks for God’s blessings in your life.