NOV 10, 17 and 24 ALL THINGS NEW and what it means to be a teacher, a disciple or an ambassador

John 3: 1-9

 ⁵Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

John 13: 33-36

³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

Second Corinthians 5: 16-21

²⁰So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

What does it mean to be a teacher, the son of God and being born of the Spirit?  Three questions asked by Nicodemus of Jesus, and yet what Nicodemus really wants to know is where does Jesus fit on the team?  Rev. Jason added the context for this interchange- Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, Nicodemus asks these rather roundabout questions, and what preceded this text in the Bible are the episodes of the water being made into wine and tables that are upended in the temple.  Nicodemus’s approach is that the physical explains what the spiritual.  It is defined, it is legalistic.  Jesus responds that the spirit is inborn- a Christian cannot just expect to be spiritual but needs to be moved or lead by God. 

And what does it mean to be a disciple? Rev. Jason described the lesson Jesus wanted his Disciples to know, and the setting for Jesus’s calling them “Little Children”.  This phrase is really a tender admonition to tell the Disciples, “wait, wait- don’t strive to be grown up or even ready to accept what is coming”.    Jesus and the Disciples have now been together for 3 years, and Rev. Jason explained that in this time, the Disciples have grown almost quite literally from “little children” who know nothing to Disciples who are a reflection of Jesus, His teachings and His love.    At the end of this passage, the challenge is you must love to show that you are a Christian.  Rev. Jason’s challenge to the congregation:  Are you willing to prove to the world who you are?

And what is an Ambassador for Christ?  The historical context, as defined by Rev. Jason, is that an Ambassador was critical to politics and power in the days of Jesus.  Distance was a huge factor in placing an individual who could represent his country and manage the relationship. 

In the spiritual realm, God relies on us to be His Ambassador- for what we have to share and what we each have to offer is unique.  Rev. Jason reminded us that Jesus did not heal the blind, the lame or the deaf in the same way twice, underscoring that each of us is unique. 

A member of our congregation gave a powerful testimony of his learning to be a Christian, and his development into an Ambassador.  He stopped asking “where should I go?  what should I do?” and became that spokesman for God- showing love, faith and leadership.

 

Believing in God and being His representative, this is what each of us has to share.  Be a teacher, be a disciple or be an ambassador- just bring the Word of God to your life.

I am, a Renewed Christian  

NOVEMBER 1 All Things New and vocabulary

Matthew 26:26-30

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

“… ‘Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. “

http://bible.oremus.org/   

Covenant:  1. (noun) a solemn agreement, a legally binding agreement, a lawsuit for breach of agreement, mutual promises of God and Israelites.

                   2. (transitive verb) meaning to promise legally to do something.  [Encarta Dictionary]

Rev. Jason started with a very interesting analogy of learning to read and at the same time, adding to acquired vocabulary, by way of marveling at how his daughter gained a vocabulary without knowing it just reading the “Fancy Nancy” series for girls and then comparing it to his own reluctant practice of SAT words. 

Wouldn’t we all rather learn with ease? 

Or in the case of comprehending the meaning of Covenant, learning not just the definition, but becoming the Christian believer you want to be or develop into? 

Rev. Jason then explained how the word COVENANT appears in The Bible 290 times.  Covenant evolves over time in The Bible, starting out with Noah, and God’s promise not to flood the Earth again if Noah will believe and create the Ark to save man and animal.

For Abraham, the word covenant now comes to mean a blessing of the generations to follow.  For Moses, covenant becomes official- documents are drawn up, rules fashioned, obedience defined.  The Ten Commandments become the standard of being Christian.

And then Rev. Jason related covenant to communion and brought forward the ideas of how Christians today need to look at the importance of communion as a way of reinforcing covenant and Jesus.  Rev. Jason named two principals:  that communion is the symbol of God’s sacrifice of His only son and the forgiveness of sins.

The challenge for many of us is to make the promise to be a better Christian and to re-affirm our beliefs.  Communion is a gentle reminder of our commitments to God and should add to the vocabulary of faith, and not just word by word. 

I am, a Renewed Christian