Sermon Video: The anguished prayer of Jesus before his Passion - Luke 22:39-46

In the hours before his Passion began, with less than a day before his agonizing death on the Cross, Jesus spent intentional time alone in prayer.  That he made this choice is a powerful example to us, as is what he prayed for: deliverance.  It wasn't going to come, it couldn't, for only Jesus could complete the plan of Redemption as the God/Man, but Jesus asked anyway.  Why?  Not because he was anything less than fully God, he asked because he was also fully human.  The wondrous mystery of the Incarnation here reminds us that Jesus felt the anxiety of the road ahead, as any person would, and yet his divinity ensured that this moment would also include an iron commitment to what was needed to save humanity.

Sermon Video: The Sham Trial of Jesus - Mark 14:53-65

Sham/Show Trials are a common feature of autocratic governments, but 'free societies' are not immune to them.  The most famous sham trail in history is that of Jesus Christ.  After a series of false witnesses failed to lead to conviction, even after men had twisted and warped Jesus' own words to try to use them against him, the High Priest himself was forced to move the trial to the question of whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.  In the end, then, Jesus was convicted for telling the Truth by a group of religious leaders who had already decided that Jesus was, "Not my Messiah!"

For the people of God, this trial offers a warning: When we choose underhanded tactics, and false testimony, as our tool against 'them', we sow the seeds of our own judgment.  Also, when faced with provocateurs and fools, the best response is often silence, until they asked him about the Truth, Jesus said nothing.

Sermon Video: Jesus leads the way to the Cross - Mark 10:32-34

 For the third and final time, Jesus tells his disciples that death awaits him in Jerusalem.  This time, however, Jesus is leading them there when he says it.  Demonstrating tremendous trust in the will of the Father, Jesus leads the way despite knowing in detail what is coming.  Even though he knows that none of his disciples will be able to stand with him during his Passion, Jesus continues to lessen their anxiety and fear by explaining once again what is about to happen.  Lasly, he ends his prediction with the reminder that death will not be the last word; that three days later he WILL rise again.  As we face uncertain futures, we too know that death is not the end, that the Father holds us safely in his hands, and we too seek to build up the faith and trust in God that will enable us to lead the way, following in Jesus' footsteps.

Sermon Video: Jesus loved to the end - John 13:1

 Contemplating the Last Supper (in our celebration of Maundy Thursday) through the eyes of John's commentary at the start of his extended section regarding Jesus' passion. For all of John's deep philosophical and theolgoical material, this introduction to the culminating days of Jesus' mission on earth has but one theme: Jesus loved his friends. What was on Jesus' mind when Judas approached with the mob, when standing before the Sanhedrin, when being mocked and beaten by the soldiers, when hanging in agony from the cross? His love for his friends. A simple truth, but a profound one.

Sermon Video: The Glory of Jesus revealed - Mark 9:1-13

 After telling his disciples that he must suffer and die, and that they must take up a cross and follow him, Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see the divine power and glory that made those sacrifices both possible and amazing. On the mountaintop Jesus' divinity was revealed, momentarily not cloacked by his humanity, but Jesus could not stay at the top of the mountain. That experience would be strength and encouragement for the road ahead. Moses, Elijah, and the Father all spoke to bolster Jesus for the Passion that was coming. For Jesus was indeed a king, worthy of glory and honor, but he would set that aside in order to give his life as a ransom for many.

Who is this Paul guy anyway?

What do you say about someone whose influence upon Christianity has been felt throughout Church history and continues to this day?  What is it about Paul that has elevated him above Peter, James, or John in impact if not in esteem as well?
The thing that separates Paul from others in the Early Church is his zeal.  Zeal is a slippery quality, it can lead us to triumph against incredible odds, and it can paint us into a corner before we even know it.  Paul as a young man, back when he went by Saul, was full of passion and conviction for the LORD.  He was consumed with the idea of purifying the faith of his ancestors in order to save his people.  It was a noble cause that the prophets had attempted time and time again, but with Saul it turned ugly.  Passion quickly turned to persecution when Saul learned that there were still people preaching in the name of that discredited Galilean rabbi, Jesus.  For Saul there was no need to know anything else, these men and women were threatening that which he held most dear.  The answer was also simple, persecute them; kill them if necessary.
That Saul didn't end his life a bitter man with blood on his hands that he couldn't wash clean is a testament to the grace of God.  There have been plenty of men like Saul in history, those too consumed with their own self-righteousness to understand mercy.  Zeal, when is runs out of control, is easily turned to hatred; hatred doesn't need much convincing to become homicide of genocide.
God, in his wisdom and mercy, had another ending in mind for Saul's life.  It would take a dramatic change to turn such a passionate man around, but God specializes in those.  A face to face meeting with the risen Jesus was just what Saul needed to finally see the Truth; God added in temporary blindness to make sure that Saul got the point.  When he emerged from his meeting with Jesus, Saul was no more, Paul had been born again.
From that point forward in his life, Paul retained his zeal, his single-minded passion for God, but now it was tempered with mercy.  No longer would he scream for the Law to rule all, Paul would become the champion of Grace.  His efforts to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ would take Paul back and forth across Asia Minor, Greece, and Italy.  Eventually his efforts would rouse jealousy and suspicion from local Roman officials and begin Paul down the road that led to his trial and execution.  In the end, God didn't remove Paul's passion, he simply redirected it.
So why do we find ourselves drawn to Paul's writings 2,000 years later?  That same willingness to do anything and everything to save the Lost that drove Paul onward inspires us today.  We too want to be on fire for God, we want to feel the Spirit of God burning within us, and we too want to be champions of Grace.

Does God want us to do the Wave?

From time to time I’ve heard grumbles that the enthusiasm shown to sports teams is not in turn shown by Christian for our faith.  We yell and shout when an athletic contest goes our way; we moan and wail when it does not.  Outside of the Charismatic movement, Christians rarely show such emotion for their Church.  Is that because we hold the Church less dear, or because the type of emotion that we heap on our beloved Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings is not what God requires of us?  The love that a fan shows for his favorite team(s) may be over-the-top at times, but it is also in many ways, shallow.  When our team isn’t playing, or during the long regular season, we often lose some of our interest.  We care more about games against heated rivals than against other foes.  We lose heart when our team stinks, and become fair-weather fans.  Yes, our passion boils over during a close playoff game, and we dance around like maniacs when our team wins a championship, (Indeed, how crazed would I be if the Lions win the Super Bowl; perhaps I’ll never know) but is this the sort of passion that the Church of God needs?

            The Church needs passion that works 24/7/365; passion that works when times are good and when times are bad.  God requires of us a changed LIFE, and not simply a burst of enthusiasm from 11:00 to 12:00 on Sunday.  If you want to get excited while at church, that’s fine with me, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ve fulfilled your obligation to God.  It is on those quiet somber days that God requires the fire within us the most.  In acts of kindness when nobody is looking; generosity that costs me dearly, and love that endures through the mountain top and the valley.  I’m sure that God loves the guy who wears the rainbow wig and holds up the John 3:16 sign, but in the end, it’s the helping hand extended in love that shows where our true passion lies.