April 20, 2014
Stetson Memorial United Methodist
Church
Sermon
Series on “The Names of God”
Sermon
15 of series-
“The
Sacred Names of God: Yahweh Tsidqenu”
Jeremiah
23:5-6 Gods Word Translation
Matthew
28:1-10 English Standard Version
Spangler,
Ann (2008-09-09). Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide
“Hello My Name Is Yahweh
Tsidqenu”
A
reading from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28, verses 1-10. Listen to and for
the Good News from God. . .
Let
us pray. . . (Pray thanking God for Easter Sunday, for Illumination, the Spirit
to work within us, the boldness to follow where the Spirit leads)
How many of you have
ever had such good news that you just couldn’t contain it? I know I have. It
seems as if I would explode if I didn’t share the news with someone. . . be it
something about myself or someone else. . . I just can’t help but spread the
news! How about if you had a great idea that would solve so many issues? It
might be an easier way to do something or an idea that would help humanity. . .
the possibilities are endless. There is no telling when we might have good news
for some one. The only boundary that it may have is our own imagination. We
might right now have some good news that needs to be shared. What’s stopping
you?
We
have come to the end of our Lenten journey. We have visited the Upper Room and
shared a meal and were given a new command from Christ. . . the command to love
others not as we love ourselves but as Jesus loved and still loves us. We even sat
at the foot of the cross and stood with those who stood by when Christ was put
to death for all of humanity’s sake. But here. . . today. . . we celebrate
Christ’s victory over death and joyfully. . . with enthusiasm. . . with all of
our heart. . . can say “CHRIST IS RISEN”.
. . YES HE IS RISEN INDEED! We can exclaim this because of what God has done. .
. not what we have done.
Another name for God is
Yahweh Tsidqenu (yah-WEH tsid-KAY-nu). . . The Lord is our Righteousness. We
are not righteous on our own but it is the Lord. And because of His great love
for us. . . the work that was done on the Cross. . . we are made righteous!
Because Christ Has Risen. . . HE has
Risen INDEED! Righteousness isn’t a popular word in our culture. Yet
righteousness is essential to our happiness because it involves being in right
relationship or right standing with God. To be righteous is to conform to God’s
character, fulfilling our responsibilities toward him and others. But even
though this righteousness is vital, it’s impossible to achieve, no matter how
much we long for it. It comes only as God’s gift through faith in his Son. In
the Jeremiah from this morning, the prophet Jeremiah predicted the coming of a
King who would be called the LORD Our Righteousness (yah-WEH tsid-KAY-nu).
Jesus fulfilled this prophecy by restoring our relationship with God through
his life, death, and resurrection.
But
is that the end of the story? Are we to just say our thank you’s and good bye’s
to the Cross of Calvary? Or, is there something more? My answer is NO! This is
not the end but only the beginning of the story, the beginning of the new life.
. . the beginning of a new age. Christ went to the cross not just to save you
and me but to save all of humanity and there is so many who need the hope and
forgiveness of the cross I just can’t imagine Jesus wanting us to keep it for
ourselves. God wants all of humanity to be saved and we are here to share the
good news so that it is. That’s part of mine and your mission here. . . part of
the purpose of why we were created. . . to love, to share, to be Christ for the
world. You see I know this to be true. .
. that God wants all of humanity to hear the message. When Jesus died on that
Friday so long ago He didn’t just lay there with nothing to do until Sunday
morning. . . Resurrection Day. On Holy Saturday He descended into Sheol and
ministered to those who had died before His amazing love on Good Friday. God
wanted even those who were already dead to have the chance for the redeeming
grace found in Christ Jesus. . .
There
are so many in the world who feel that they have nothing but death ahead of
them in life. . . they don’t know that there is victory over death in Christ
and this victory is and will be ours through and by faith. We will all face
death at some point in time. . . we will all experience the death of a loved
one at some point on our journey of life and faith. . . we may even experience
death to old things in our lives. . . death to things that just don’t “work for
us anymore.” But, death is not the end. . . it is a beginning of another
chapter in our lives that’s called eternity. . . death can make new things
spring forth in our lives and the lives of others. . .
You
see. . . the old way of dealing with sin with animal sacrifices had to die in
order for God to bring about a new life for His people. It wasn’t really working anyway. In order to spring forth with a
new life that would make His people glad and rejoice in His salvation the sheet
spread over the nations. . . over the people of God. . . needed to be removed.
Death needed to be swallowed up forever. . . now we are not talking about the
physical death but the death to the spirit that was present because of sin. Death, O death, where is thy sting?
This
promise was accomplished through the death and RESURRECTION of Christ that we
heard about in the Gospel of Matthew I just read. Victory over sin and death. .
. victory in Jesus! Even though Jesus had told the disciples He would be back.
. . He would rise again after His death, they still didn’t understand until it
was accomplished on the first Easter Sunday morn. Death, O death, where is thy sting?
OK Pastor Ruth. . . how do you know these
things are true? How can we know that Easter is true? Well let’s play some
CSI and look at the facts of this case. . . (Who are you, who, who, who, who. . . Who are
you, who, who, who, who. . . I really want to know. . . who are you, who, who,
who, who?) Give us the facts. . . only the facts Pastor. . .
a.
Circumstantial
evidence. . . empty tomb® The stone was rolled away. Now this was not just
your every day typical stone but one that probably took a few men to put in
place. They wanted to make sure that none of Jesus’ followers came and took the
body and then claim that Jesus had risen from the dead like He said He would. When
the women got to the tomb it was empty. The burial cloth that Jesus was wrapped
in was sitting there with no body underneath. They looked and did not find
Jesus there.
b.
Witness of God’s
messenger (angel). . . the witness of the Word®Angels
were messengers from God. Some had good news like what was told to Mary the
mother of Jesus and Joseph His father. And some were not such good news like
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels were frightening to us humans
being all shiny. . . glowing with the Glory of God. . . so I don’t blame the
solders being frightened. But the messenger of the Lord said Jesus had risen
from the death and if that is God’s message then. . .
c.
Experience of
the living Christ. . . he is to be seen in Galilee®the
women saw Jesus. The angel told the women that they would see Jesus in Galilee.
. . but even better than that. They saw Jesus on their way back to tell the
disciples what the angel had told them. The best news ever was when Jesus was
actually seen. . . in public none the less. . . by others. These “sightings”. .
. did nothing but only confirm Jesus’
victory over sin and death. They say that seeing is believing and did they ever
see. Death, O death, where is thy sting?
Today,
Easter Sunday, is not the end of the story. Without the Resurrection there is
no hope for life beyond the grave, no assurance that God is on control, no
guarantee that love is greater than hatred. We have the best news ever to
share. There are those out there who haven’t heard the good news and it is our
commission to share this news with all who will hear. Are there people in your
lives or mine that need a little bit of good news? Are there those around us
that are suffering with the penalty of sin that need to be freed from their
oppressor? Are there people in our lives that are frozen in fear because of
their uncertainty of their future of the future of their loved ones? Share the
good news. . . shout it from the roof tops. . . give others a hope for the
future. CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN
INDEED! Christ has conquered death for you and for me. . . for all of
humanity! Yahweh Tsidqenu is the Lord of righteousness and it is through Him we
receive the crown of glory. . . it is through Him that we are made clean. . . it
is through Him that we are worthy. . . it is through the love that was shown on
a dark Friday long ago that we are able to shout loud Alleluia’s. Alleluia He is Risen! He is Risen indeed!
Let
us pray. . .
Father,
We admit that we have sinned and fallen far short of your glory—of your purity,
your justice, your integrity, your mercy, and your love. We have no right to
stand in your presence, except by the grace of your Son through his offering of
love on the cross. Thank you, God, for drawing us back when we were so far
away. Help us to hunger and thirst for righteousness on this earth— that all
men and women might return to you and give you glory through the love and power
and mercy of your Son, Jesus Christ. . .
Amen
April
20, 2014
Easter
Sunday
Sermon 15 of “What’s In A Name. . . ”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Jeremiah
23:5-6, 31, 33 (GODs Word Translation)
Matthew
28:1-10 (English Standard Version)
“Praying
the Names of God: A Daily Guide”
By, Ann Spangler
Names of God and Definitions from Sermon
today:
-
Yahweh Tsidqenu à The Lord Our Righteousness
Communion
and sermon “Hello My Name
is . . . Yahweh Tsidqenu”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon blog
meditation blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 20, 2014
&
Holy
Saturday
waiting, preparing the sanctuary for Easter
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 18, 2014
&
Good Friday service
Prayer
of confession
Assurance
of Forgiveness
Prayer
of Thanksgiving
and
Service of Tenebrae
–
The Service of
Shadows
(with 7 candles)
1. THE SHADOW OF
BETRAYAL
Matthew 26:20-25
2. THE SHADOW OF INNER
AGONY
Luke 22:40-44
3. THE SHADOW OF LONELINESS
3. THE SHADOW OF LONELINESS
Matthew 26:40-45
4. THE SHADOW OF DESERTION
4. THE SHADOW OF DESERTION
Matthew 26:47-50, 55, 56
5. THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION
5. THE SHADOW OF ACCUSATION
Matthew 26:59-67
6. THE SHADOW OF MOCKERY
6. THE SHADOW OF MOCKERY
Mark 15:12-20
7. THE SHADOW OF DEATH
7. THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Luke 23:33-46
Hymn: Were You There. . . (United Methodist Hymnal #288)
FINAL READING
John 1:1-4
John 1:1-4
led by Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 18, 2014
&
Good Friday
prayer vigil,
including reading of article about crucifixion -
“A Physician’s View of the Crucifixion of Jesus
Christ”
by Dr. C. Truman Davis
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 18, 2014
&
Maundy
Thursday
Exodus 12:1-4, 11-14 (NRSV)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NRSV)
John 6:47-51 (NRSV)
Psalm 116:1-6, 12-19 (NRSV)
prayer of confession
foot
washing
Communion
and Maundy
Thursday Reflections,
“A
Teachable Moment. . . ”
including
paraphrase of John 13:1-17
and John
1:29
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 17, 2014
&
watching film: “The
Passion of the Christ”
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April
16, 2014
&
Palm
Sunday
Sermon 14 of “What’s In A Name. . . ”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Isaiah
53:7-12 (The Message)
Isaiah
50:4-9a
Matthew
20:26-27
(Matthew
21:1-11)
“Praying the Names of God: A Daily
Guide”
By, Ann Spangler
Names of God and Definitions from Sermon
today:
-
Ish Makaboth à Man of Sorrows
song
and sacred dance by Erica Berberena
to
“Hosanna” by Kirk Franklin
distribution
of the palms
Communion
and sermon “Hello My Name
is . . . Ish Makaboth”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
April 13, 2014
. . .
&
Fourth
Sunday in Lent
Sermon 12 of “What’s In A Name. . . ”
Sermon Series on “The Sacred
Names of God”
Isaiah
53:1-9 (The Message)
“The
Suffering Servant”
1
Samuel 16:1-13
“God
Looks into the Heart”
“Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide”
By, Ann Spangler
Names of God and Definitions from Sermon
today:
-
Ebed Yahweh à Servant of God
Communion
and sermon “Hello My Name
is . . . Ebed Yahweh”
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church
Patten, ME
March 30, 2014
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