Is This the One?

Have you ever been in the Mall or grocery store and thought you recognized someone so you called out their name? Then when they turn around it is not the person that you thought it was? I must admit it is kind of embarrassing. Have you ever been on the other side of this interaction? What did you do, did you just sit there and play like you were the person they thought you were? I was recently watching "King of Queens" in this episode Doug goes into a grocery store when a guy comes up to him and acts like he was once his best friend. Doug rather than asked the guy his name and how he knows him plays along. It then drives him crazy because he meets him throughout the store on numerous occasions but has no idea who the guy is or even his name. This week we will look at a Scripture that talks about the one that prepared the way. But it is surrounded by the question,"are you the man". Are you the one that the prophets told us about. But rather than pretending to be someone, John tells his followers that soon one will come that I am not worthy enough to tie his shoes. "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
We live in a time and a day when people love to steal other peoples identity. Everyday we hear of someones identity being stolen. To steal someones identity is to totally rob of a person who they are. But John refused to steal the identity of Christ. John instead of "being the man" prerpared the way for the man. My football coach used to tell us that we needed to know our role. Some are starters and some are 2nd teamers. Some play on the special teams. Then there are the scout team players who were lower on the depth chart. He always said that no matter where you were on depth chart or what role you played they were all significant. But in order to be sucesssful you needed to know your role. John knew his role and his role was to prepare the way for Jesus. What role do you play in the Christmas story? Have you found that role yet?

Still Haven't Found What I am Looking for?

I still haven't found what I am looking for? A song made famous by "U2". Have you ever identified with that song? What about at Christmas time? Do you ever find what you are looking for or what you hoped for? So often Christmas is a great big build up and before we blink it is over with. I hate taking down the decorations and putting them up for a year. I then always ask myself, what did I find this year during the advent season. These are some of things that I have found in the past few years. I have found presents under the tree. I have found a stocking hung by the chimney stuffed with my favorite candy. I found a table filled with great food and my precious family sitting around it. I found that I need to take out stock in "Toys R Us" as my children open more presents then they could ever possible play with. I even found an XM Radio channel that plays 24 hour Christmas music from November 1 through the 26th of December. I found that Nativity scenes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. I found that parking spots at the Mall are sometimes hard to find. I also found out that when you go shopping leave the young ones at home. I found that the Holiday season can make some people very cheerful and can make other people sour as month old milk. I found that if it is a gift that you are really looking for then the store is probably out of it. I found that some people will show up to church just because it is the holiday season.
What did you learn from last Christmas and did you learn anything different? I hope that this Christmas you will go with me as we search for something new and different at Christmas. There is just a chance that we may find what we are looking for. A savior had been promised and he slipped into the world and many never even found him. Now days we see signs of the savior all around us but have some still have not found him. Have we truly found a Savior? Not a cute baby or a reason to give presents but have we found a Savior. A Savior that is the only one who can set us free from our sin and shortcomings. Over the next four weeks we will be in search for this one that they call Emmanuel. Still haven't found what you are looking for? You will!

This week we will conclude our series on "stewardship" with our First Fruits Sunday. We have talked the last 4 weeks about how to give God our best through our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. Now this week, we get the opportunity to give back to God. Not to give God leftovers or seconds but a chance to give God our "first fruits". Where does this first fruits concept fit in? First fruits was a Jewish feast held in the early spring at the beginning of the grain harvest. It was observed on Nissan 16, which was the third day after Passover and the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. First fruits was a time of thanksgiving for God’s provision. (Leviticus 23:9-10) The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest. God demands our first fruit because he is the one that has given us everything. We are really just giving back to him what he has given to us.
Consider the following people and events where we give them our first fruits. During Christmas we give the best to our Children. I once heard John Croyle tell a group of people about how a man called him and asked if he would like a bunch of second hand bikes that he had fixed up for Christmas for the children at Big Oak ranch. John said thanks for the offer but for Christmas, he wanted to give the kids the best. He then asked the guy if he would give a used to gift to one of his children. For Christmas we do not give second hand gifts, we give children our best. We will actually do without so that our children can have the best. When we attend a wedding we go look at a registry and then feel great about giving someone the piece of china or crystal that they have ask for and consider the best. When we throw dinner parties we serve the best food and we serve it on the china that we received for Christmas. So why do we not considering give God our first fruits. This week you will have the opportunity to give God our first fruits. I hope that you will be with us as we lay our baskets at the altar.

Servicing your Serve

Service is a word that many of us are familiar with but few ever receive. How often have you been shopping or to a restaurant and received below par service. I have even heard it said, "you just can not get good service anymore." But how is our service? Not that we work in the service industry but Jesus called us servants. How are we serving the church?

Romans 12
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The hardest part about being a servant is that it is so against the pattern of this world. We live in a society where we expect to service. We have people wash our cars, cut our grass and do our heavy cleaning. We have people fill our glass with tea and soda faster than we can drink it half way down. Our life is about getting service with a smile. So maybe because we are so use to being served, it is hard for us to understand how we must serve. But the truth is that the church was set up to let people serve, so where along the way did we begin to look at the church as a Pez Dispenser. Just tilt the head back and enjoy. The challenge that Christ left was a mandate for all of us to become a vital part of the body of Christ. We can not just rely on the pastor and the staff to do all things and be all things. This week we will look at the last part of our United Methodist Church, to uphold the vow of service. We will look at what it means to be a living sacrifice. We will also talk about giving God our first fruits and not serving him leftovers. So be present to hear how you can service your serve.

Gifts for Giving

Have you ever been given a gift that you really hated? You open the wrapping and the person is so excited about what they gave you. After you catch your breath and rub your eyes, you think what the world is why did they think that I would like this or even want this? Then there are those gifts that catch us off guard. They come out of the clear blue. They are not only a pleasant suprise but an unexpected suprise. So, if I asked you what is the greatest gift and the worst gift that you have ever recieved you could probably name off a few things. Then there are other gifts we are given that we love but fail to use. On Chirstmas morning, I watch my children open gifts that they have long waited for and anticipated, they play with them for a few hours and then some are pushed aside never to be played with again. Some even end up at the Church yard sale or local thrift store. But what about the Gifts that God has given us. If we stop and think about all the things that God has given us, we will see that we are truly blessed and gifted people. But what do we do with these gifts? Some o fthese gifts are smart minds or talented hands. Some have been blessed with making wise business decisions. The there are others who have been given athletic or music talents and gifts. Some people use them to gain power, wealth, and prestige. Then there are those who use their gifts to glorify God and to tell God that they are thankful for what he has given them.
Romans 12:1-3
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God calls us to become a living sacrifice. Not to use our gifts to gain the world but use our gifts to make a difference in the world. This week we will look at the gifts that we can give to God and how he is going to use these gifts to build this Church that God has put a comma on.