Seventh Sunday Of Easter
Preaching
THE WESLEYAN PREACHING ANNUAL 2001--2002
WORSHIP HELPS
CALL TO WORSHIP
Speaker 1: Seek God's kingdom.
Speaker 2: His justice will come to us.
Speaker 1: Learn to live and be content with what you have.
Speaker 2: Rejoice in whatever place you find yourself.
Speaker 1: Call upon the Savior and let Him refresh your spirit.
Speakers 1 & 2: We will frequent the place of prayer.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Father, from the labor of our hands to the love of our hearts we give gratefully. Amen.
BENEDICTION
May the glory of Your Presence be taken with Your people. Let our hearts be filled with prayer. Amen.
SERMON BRIEFS
The Ascension
Acts 1:6--14
General Douglas MacArthur made his famous "I shall return" statement on the night of March 11, 1942, as the enemy approached the Philippine Islands. MacArthur left for Australia, where he directed the operations while his men remained behind and dug in and halted the enemy for many months.
True to his word, General MacArthur returned on New Year's Day, 1945, at Lingayen Beach, liberating the people of the islands.
Centuries before MacArthur's speech, the risen Lord Jesus Christ stood on the Mount of Olives speaking to his men when suddenly a cloud lifted Him out of their sight. Just like General MacArthur, Christ's angels give hope to a troubled group when they relay his message that "I shall return." Luke records the angels speaking to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11 NIV).
I. The Ascension - a before and after picture.
I am a weight watcher. My before picture showed me looking like a bowling ball! I was always embarrassed to have a picture snapped. The after picture shows a different look after losing over 55 pounds. I'm not as embarrassed anymore.
Acts is like a "before and after" picture. The "before" Pentecost picture shows an infant, struggling, developing, unsure, fearful church. The "after" Pentecost picture reveals a maturing, solid, developed, confident, positive people who understood the spiritual side of the Messiahship of Jesus. The fearful become fearless in their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.
The church of Jesus Christ today needs a revival of post--Pentecostalism - the kind of spiritual power that will challenge a world so anti--Jesus. The world needs a church that will stand for righteousness and holiness and oppose evil in all of its ugly forms. The Ascension was the promise of God's Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost and the Lord's return in the future!
II. The Ascension - a picture of the priority of the person Jesus Christ.
The United States Postal Service has "Priority Mail." This means that the postal agents will handle the mail with special attention. It will not be thrown in a heap of "junk" mail and forgotten.
Jesus should be our priority in life. He cannot be thrown on a heap of "religious philosophy" and categorized as the same as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohomet. Jesus is the only One that can bring true enlightenment, spiritual life, peace in the heart, and salvation to the soul. He can satisfy those who hunger and thirst for authentic spirituality.
Bernard of Clairvaux said about Jesus that he is "honey in the mouth, melody in the ear, a song of jubilee in the heart, which leaps to the lips. At the illumination of his name, every cloud flies away, serenity returns." Like Thomas ö Kempis, we can agree that Jesus is the only hope of our eternal salvation.
Our priority is to gaze upon Jesus in pure love!
III. The Ascension - a picture of prayer.
After the experience of watching the Ascension of Jesus occur, the disciples knew that something must happen in their own lives. The Living Bible graphically states, "(They) held a prayer meeting in an upstairs room of the house where they were staying" (v. 13). Prayer is letting the sparks fly between us and God!
Prior to Easter, the Ascension and Pentecost, the disciples seemed to think of prayer as a mental exercise, but after Jesus left and the Spirit descended, they realized that it was a relational experience. They desired to talk to God and to have God communicate back to them. These men were ready to listen.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day."
God is ready to speak and give you wisdom for the day. Will you listen?
Conclusion
The Ascension story takes little room in our Bible, but it makes an eternal impact on our lives!
Derl G. Keefer
The Marks Of A Disciple
John 17:1--11
Introduction
The text for today comprises the opening lines of the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. This is commonly known as the high priestly prayer because it is primarily a prayer of intercession. The prayer is divided into three sections which comprise an ever--widening circle of prayer. First the Lord prays for himself (vv. 1--5), then for the eleven who are with him (vv. 6--19), and finally for all who will come to believe (vv. 20--24).
Consider, first, the time and place for the offering of this prayer. The prayer was offered on the night before the Lord's crucifixion, just prior to his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was following the last supper and the departing of Judas. The prayer was given somewhere between the upper room and the garden. Notice verse 18:1, "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley."
Census records indicate that during Passover thousands of lambs would have been sacrificed in the temple, as the Jews sought for cleansing from sin. The blood from those lambs ran down a channel into a small viaduct that led off into a ravine and on out of the city. That ravine, which lay before the disciples, was very likely red with the blood of the lambs as they and Christ, the Lamb of God, passed over. There was a full moon that night, for it was Passover - both death and deliverance were in the air!
The primary focus of the prayer is the center section which is a prayer of intercession for the disciples who will soon be on their own, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world" (v. 11). This section comprises the focus for today's lesson.
From this passage certain marks of a disciple can be identified.
I. A disciple is one who has accepted Jesus as the Son of God.
This is the beginning point for anyone who would follow Jesus. These early disciples came to see God in Jesus and committed their lives to Him. Jesus had repeatedly taught and demonstrated His true identity to the disciples. He knew that accepting Him as the Christ, the Son of the Father, was vital to their own spiritual being and to the work of the kingdom which would follow His death, resurrection and ascension. To accept Jesus as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord is crucial for anyone who would be a disciple.
Illustration: An older gentleman who was nearly blind and deaf made the effort each Sunday to go to church. When he was asked why he maintained this weekly routine although he could not see or hear much of what was happening at church, he replied: "I just want people to know which side I am on." He was a disciple - a disciplined follower of Jesus.
II. A disciple is a person who hears and heeds the Word of God. (vv. 6, 8)
Illustration: There was an old saint of God whose constant companion was a worn and tattered Bible. One day a friend ask her why she put the letters T.P. beside so many verses. She responded, "Tried and proved."
III. The disciples were to remain in the world (v. 11), yet not "of" the world. (note also v. 14)
Christ was soon to leave the disciples alone in the world and was sending them forth to continue His work.
IV. The disciples of God are under the protection of the Father. (v. 11; also note v. 15)
Notice the word of assurance which Jesus gave His disciples at the end of chapter 16 when He concluded His discourse by saying, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (v. 16:1). As followers of Jesus we need not be discouraged even when difficulties come our way - for we, too, can overcome the world. Jesus prays not that His followers would be removed from the world, but that they should be protected as they go forth.
Illustration: Corrie ten Boom tells of a time when the burdens and cares were weighing very heavily upon her and so she took her situation to the Lord in prayer. "He showed me an empty suitcase and said, 'You possess nothing, you have surrendered it all to me, so let me carry it.' "
V. Disciples are one with Christ and the Father. (v. 11)
Unity is one of the key themes of the entire prayer.
Conclusion
Jesus continues to be glorified on earth through men and women who accept Him as Savior and Lord; who heed His word and carry on His work in the world.
John C. Bowling
CALL TO WORSHIP
Speaker 1: Seek God's kingdom.
Speaker 2: His justice will come to us.
Speaker 1: Learn to live and be content with what you have.
Speaker 2: Rejoice in whatever place you find yourself.
Speaker 1: Call upon the Savior and let Him refresh your spirit.
Speakers 1 & 2: We will frequent the place of prayer.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Father, from the labor of our hands to the love of our hearts we give gratefully. Amen.
BENEDICTION
May the glory of Your Presence be taken with Your people. Let our hearts be filled with prayer. Amen.
SERMON BRIEFS
The Ascension
Acts 1:6--14
General Douglas MacArthur made his famous "I shall return" statement on the night of March 11, 1942, as the enemy approached the Philippine Islands. MacArthur left for Australia, where he directed the operations while his men remained behind and dug in and halted the enemy for many months.
True to his word, General MacArthur returned on New Year's Day, 1945, at Lingayen Beach, liberating the people of the islands.
Centuries before MacArthur's speech, the risen Lord Jesus Christ stood on the Mount of Olives speaking to his men when suddenly a cloud lifted Him out of their sight. Just like General MacArthur, Christ's angels give hope to a troubled group when they relay his message that "I shall return." Luke records the angels speaking to the disciples, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11 NIV).
I. The Ascension - a before and after picture.
I am a weight watcher. My before picture showed me looking like a bowling ball! I was always embarrassed to have a picture snapped. The after picture shows a different look after losing over 55 pounds. I'm not as embarrassed anymore.
Acts is like a "before and after" picture. The "before" Pentecost picture shows an infant, struggling, developing, unsure, fearful church. The "after" Pentecost picture reveals a maturing, solid, developed, confident, positive people who understood the spiritual side of the Messiahship of Jesus. The fearful become fearless in their proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.
The church of Jesus Christ today needs a revival of post--Pentecostalism - the kind of spiritual power that will challenge a world so anti--Jesus. The world needs a church that will stand for righteousness and holiness and oppose evil in all of its ugly forms. The Ascension was the promise of God's Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost and the Lord's return in the future!
II. The Ascension - a picture of the priority of the person Jesus Christ.
The United States Postal Service has "Priority Mail." This means that the postal agents will handle the mail with special attention. It will not be thrown in a heap of "junk" mail and forgotten.
Jesus should be our priority in life. He cannot be thrown on a heap of "religious philosophy" and categorized as the same as Buddha, Confucius, or Mohomet. Jesus is the only One that can bring true enlightenment, spiritual life, peace in the heart, and salvation to the soul. He can satisfy those who hunger and thirst for authentic spirituality.
Bernard of Clairvaux said about Jesus that he is "honey in the mouth, melody in the ear, a song of jubilee in the heart, which leaps to the lips. At the illumination of his name, every cloud flies away, serenity returns." Like Thomas ö Kempis, we can agree that Jesus is the only hope of our eternal salvation.
Our priority is to gaze upon Jesus in pure love!
III. The Ascension - a picture of prayer.
After the experience of watching the Ascension of Jesus occur, the disciples knew that something must happen in their own lives. The Living Bible graphically states, "(They) held a prayer meeting in an upstairs room of the house where they were staying" (v. 13). Prayer is letting the sparks fly between us and God!
Prior to Easter, the Ascension and Pentecost, the disciples seemed to think of prayer as a mental exercise, but after Jesus left and the Spirit descended, they realized that it was a relational experience. They desired to talk to God and to have God communicate back to them. These men were ready to listen.
Abraham Lincoln once said, "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day."
God is ready to speak and give you wisdom for the day. Will you listen?
Conclusion
The Ascension story takes little room in our Bible, but it makes an eternal impact on our lives!
Derl G. Keefer
The Marks Of A Disciple
John 17:1--11
Introduction
The text for today comprises the opening lines of the longest recorded prayer of Jesus. This is commonly known as the high priestly prayer because it is primarily a prayer of intercession. The prayer is divided into three sections which comprise an ever--widening circle of prayer. First the Lord prays for himself (vv. 1--5), then for the eleven who are with him (vv. 6--19), and finally for all who will come to believe (vv. 20--24).
Consider, first, the time and place for the offering of this prayer. The prayer was offered on the night before the Lord's crucifixion, just prior to his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was following the last supper and the departing of Judas. The prayer was given somewhere between the upper room and the garden. Notice verse 18:1, "When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley."
Census records indicate that during Passover thousands of lambs would have been sacrificed in the temple, as the Jews sought for cleansing from sin. The blood from those lambs ran down a channel into a small viaduct that led off into a ravine and on out of the city. That ravine, which lay before the disciples, was very likely red with the blood of the lambs as they and Christ, the Lamb of God, passed over. There was a full moon that night, for it was Passover - both death and deliverance were in the air!
The primary focus of the prayer is the center section which is a prayer of intercession for the disciples who will soon be on their own, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world" (v. 11). This section comprises the focus for today's lesson.
From this passage certain marks of a disciple can be identified.
I. A disciple is one who has accepted Jesus as the Son of God.
This is the beginning point for anyone who would follow Jesus. These early disciples came to see God in Jesus and committed their lives to Him. Jesus had repeatedly taught and demonstrated His true identity to the disciples. He knew that accepting Him as the Christ, the Son of the Father, was vital to their own spiritual being and to the work of the kingdom which would follow His death, resurrection and ascension. To accept Jesus as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord is crucial for anyone who would be a disciple.
Illustration: An older gentleman who was nearly blind and deaf made the effort each Sunday to go to church. When he was asked why he maintained this weekly routine although he could not see or hear much of what was happening at church, he replied: "I just want people to know which side I am on." He was a disciple - a disciplined follower of Jesus.
II. A disciple is a person who hears and heeds the Word of God. (vv. 6, 8)
Illustration: There was an old saint of God whose constant companion was a worn and tattered Bible. One day a friend ask her why she put the letters T.P. beside so many verses. She responded, "Tried and proved."
III. The disciples were to remain in the world (v. 11), yet not "of" the world. (note also v. 14)
Christ was soon to leave the disciples alone in the world and was sending them forth to continue His work.
IV. The disciples of God are under the protection of the Father. (v. 11; also note v. 15)
Notice the word of assurance which Jesus gave His disciples at the end of chapter 16 when He concluded His discourse by saying, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (v. 16:1). As followers of Jesus we need not be discouraged even when difficulties come our way - for we, too, can overcome the world. Jesus prays not that His followers would be removed from the world, but that they should be protected as they go forth.
Illustration: Corrie ten Boom tells of a time when the burdens and cares were weighing very heavily upon her and so she took her situation to the Lord in prayer. "He showed me an empty suitcase and said, 'You possess nothing, you have surrendered it all to me, so let me carry it.' "
V. Disciples are one with Christ and the Father. (v. 11)
Unity is one of the key themes of the entire prayer.
Conclusion
Jesus continues to be glorified on earth through men and women who accept Him as Savior and Lord; who heed His word and carry on His work in the world.
John C. Bowling
