Praise the Lord for this last Friday of February. It has snowed afresh and anew this morning. It looks beautiful and brilliant. Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to death by an Iranian court for converting from Islam to Christianity. He is guilty of apostasy under Islamic law. Christians like this are being persecuted for their faith all over the world. In Acts chapter 12, the Apostle Peter was in prison. The church prayed, and while they prayed God sent an angel and rescued him. This Iranian pastor has refused to deny Christ.
Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do you say that I am? Simon's response was seasoned by deep thought and motivated by a gift of faith from the Father. His face, no doubt, was radiant and his voice alive with the excitement and insight as he answered, "You are the Christ." "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Matt. 16:16)
In the midst of all the vacillating voices answering Christ's question, "Who do men say that I am?", He comes to each of us and puts the penetratingly personal question, "But who do you, for yourself, say that I am?" Christ is not even satisfied with how we might have answered years ago, but He is most concerned about whom He is to us now. What would our own answer be? C.S. Lewis focused the issue sharply: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn't be a great moral teacher. He'd either be a lunatic-on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he'd be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is the son of God, or else a madman or something worse. Christianity, if false is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."
The true biblical Jesus, the robust, challenging Jesus, is more than just a comforter. He also confronts us, and He will not accept second place in our lives. He calls us to the exhilarating adventure of dynamic discipleship. Though He meets us as we are with incredible grace, He loves us too much to leave us as we've been. The authentic Jesus of the Bible tenderly cares for us when we hurt, but He tenaciously exposes anything that keeps us from being all He intends for us to be. His love and forgiveness are unqualified, but His demands are unequivocal. He is the Master who holds before us the mandate of the Kingdom of God and the Lord of all life who calls us to commit all we have and are to Him.
Jesus spoke many "hard sayings". They are called hard not because they are difficult to understand, but that they are difficult to live. His ultimate question, perhaps the hardest of all if we want to be absolutely honest in how we answer, is "Who am I to you...really?" That cuts to the core of our being and forces us to evaluate our priorities, values, and attitudes. Can we state unequivocally that for us Christ is indeed our Lord and Savior? If He is that to us, He will raise us up to stand on mountains, to walk on stormy seas, to stand with courage on His shoulders and to be so much more than we ever thought we could be.
The disciple was promised a new name that implied a total change of character. No longer would he be the vacillating Simon, the son of Jonah, but he was to become a rock-like person, Peter. Petros in Greek, means rock. Christ whispers in our souls today, " Who do you say that I am?"
Everything now and for eternity depends on your answer.
In the midst of all the vacillating voices answering Christ's question, "Who do men say that I am?", He comes to each of us and puts the penetratingly personal question, "But who do you, for yourself, say that I am?" Christ is not even satisfied with how we might have answered years ago, but He is most concerned about whom He is to us now. What would our own answer be? C.S. Lewis focused the issue sharply: "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn't be a great moral teacher. He'd either be a lunatic-on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he'd be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is the son of God, or else a madman or something worse. Christianity, if false is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important."
The true biblical Jesus, the robust, challenging Jesus, is more than just a comforter. He also confronts us, and He will not accept second place in our lives. He calls us to the exhilarating adventure of dynamic discipleship. Though He meets us as we are with incredible grace, He loves us too much to leave us as we've been. The authentic Jesus of the Bible tenderly cares for us when we hurt, but He tenaciously exposes anything that keeps us from being all He intends for us to be. His love and forgiveness are unqualified, but His demands are unequivocal. He is the Master who holds before us the mandate of the Kingdom of God and the Lord of all life who calls us to commit all we have and are to Him.
Jesus spoke many "hard sayings". They are called hard not because they are difficult to understand, but that they are difficult to live. His ultimate question, perhaps the hardest of all if we want to be absolutely honest in how we answer, is "Who am I to you...really?" That cuts to the core of our being and forces us to evaluate our priorities, values, and attitudes. Can we state unequivocally that for us Christ is indeed our Lord and Savior? If He is that to us, He will raise us up to stand on mountains, to walk on stormy seas, to stand with courage on His shoulders and to be so much more than we ever thought we could be.
The disciple was promised a new name that implied a total change of character. No longer would he be the vacillating Simon, the son of Jonah, but he was to become a rock-like person, Peter. Petros in Greek, means rock. Christ whispers in our souls today, " Who do you say that I am?"
Everything now and for eternity depends on your answer.
In Christ,
Brown
Friday Feb 24,2012
Our Television Outreach:
Time Warner Cable Ch 4
Time 7.0PM
Saturday Evening Worship Service:
Location: First United Methodist Church
53 McKinley Avenue
Endicott, NY
Sponsored by: Union Center United Methodist Church
Time: 6:00 PM gathering for Coffee Fellowship
6:30 PM Worship Service
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2012
Speaker: Rev. William Turner,
Special Music by Laureen Naik, Emma Brunson. Information : call 607-748-6329
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