Two bowling teams, one of all Blondes and one of all Brunettes, chartered a double-decker bus for a weekend gambling trip to Las Vegas. The Brunette team rode on the bottom of the bus, and the Blonde team rode on the top level. The Brunette team down below really whooped it up, having a great time, when one of them realized she hadn't heard anything from the Blondes upstairs. She decided to go up and investigate. When the Brunette reached the top, she found all the Blondes frozen in fear, staring straight-ahead at the road, clutching the seats in front of them with white knuckles. The Brunette asked, "What's going on up here? We're having a great time downstairs!" One of the Blondes looked up at her, swallowed hard and whispered... "YEAH, BUT YOU'VE GOT A DRIVER!"
Good morning America. I’m Paul Harvey. Stand by for News.
I talk about transforming this community and making a difference for time and for eternity. There is one who can do this, but first, Page One.
Ex-congressman Mark Foley has resigned in disgrace and hopefully will have charges brought against him. There is a lesson here if we will take it. Don't say anything in secret--over the phone or in an email or an instant message or a text message--that you would be ashamed to have written in large letters in the sky.
Don't sin with your lips and you won't have to worry if your messages are plastered on Fox News five years later. Do right and you will sleep well at night. Jesus said “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops."
Page 2
In 1999, the honorable Governor Jesse Ventura said that “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Many Pastors and leaders rebuked him just like Jesus did to Peter before he went to the cross saying, “get behind me satan.” Ouch.
Is he right though?? George Barna did a survey of tweens, those kids between 8 and 12. He found that Overall, less than four out of every ten young people (38%) said that churches have made a positive difference in their life. An even smaller number (34%) said that prayer is very important to them. And less than 50% of pre-teens (43%) rejected the notion that they would rather be popular than do what is morally right. There is upbeat news though. Born-again Christians were more likely to possess an upbeat life perspective and experience. They were more likely to spend time with parents, choose morality over popularity, trust their parents, and accept television and curfew restrictions.
Oh, and one last Barna point. Five years after 9/11 there is no lasting impact on American faith.
Jesus then told them many things in parables saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Page 3
Rosie O’Donnell, on the for-women all-women show “the View” was having a discussion about drinking wine. One of the other host asked “Don’t you start losing your memory when your drunk?” When Rosie replied “Or you just start spouting anti-semetic remarks. Mel Gibson, Come on! You understand.”
And Jesus said “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you for my name. Rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great.
Page 4
Larry King, the CNN talk show host, was once asked who he would most want to interview if he could choose anyone from all of history. He said, "Jesus Christ." The questioner said, "And what would you like to ask Him?" King replied, "I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me."
Now I think he needs to change his question just a little bit in view of what modern medicine can do today. I think he should ask “was he indeed virgin-born by the power of the Holy Spirit”. Why does that change it, you ask? Well… in vitro fertilization was successfully started in 1978 and there have been over 20000 babies born thru this procedure instead of..well, you know. This isn’t a miracle, although when your baby is born you call them “your little miracle”. Aren’t babies so cute.
And now, page 5.
I talked about transformation at the beginning of my sermon. What does it take to transform the world? What does it take to transform a community? What will it take to transform this church? Only the truth….and here it is.
To understand why Jesus, who is God, came to earth to walk among us, we have to go all the way back to Genesis. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, their eyes were opened to the sin (that’s disobeying God) they did, and they were ashamed. They were also naked.
Animals were killed to make clothes for them and to cover their shame. That’s the first blood that was spilt. Every year, the Jews got together to shed blood again to cover their sins. They understood they were not as bad as some other people, but they were not perfect.
The sacrifice which was made, must be an animal with no blemished. It must be “perfect” to the eyes.
You see, in order to be the people of God, the people must be pure and holy.
Look at the 10 Commandments. Let’s just look at 3 of them. Think back in your past. Have you ever stolen anything, anything at all regardless of value? Even a paperclip or piece of gum…you would be a thief and breaking #7. How about this? Have you ever looked at another person with lustful eye? Jesus says right there you have committed adultery and broke #6.
How about have you every use the name of God or Jesus a curse word, an upset statement, or anything else other than responding to the creator? You just broke #2. So right there with just those 3 commandments of the 10, you would be an insincere, lying, cheating, adulterer. The bible says that if you break just 1 of these commandments ANYTIME in your life, you have broken them all and are not worthy to go to heaven.
But God in his mercy came from heaven to live among us. He was perfect (not only to the eye, but inside and out) in that he broke no commandments and focused on God and God’s will alone. He was 100% man in that he understood all our weaknesses and faults.
He was 100% God in that he had the power to forgive us for all of that. So when he was killed, he was killed for all of our sins. The charges for our disobedience to God were not dropped. They were paid for by Jesus. He was the last sacrifice that ever had to be made for the sins of the people.
But the story is not over. You see, he died but then 3 days later he was resurrected by the power of God. That is our hope, and that is the only reason we can have hope. You see, without the resurrection or if you don’t believe in the resurrection, there is no hope for us.
Jesus Christ died with the weight of every sin past-present-future that you and I and everyone else commit. Unless he died with those sins and was resurrected by God clear of those sins, we have no hope, because when we die, we either die cleared of sins because of him or with our sins so we cannot go before God in heaven. If there is no resurrection for him, there is no resurrection for us.
St. Luke, who was a physician, tells us that he did rise from the dead. There is hope for us. In raising Jesus, God shows that our debt was paid. And you? If you gave your life completely over to Christ that he not only has the good part, but takes the bad on, you will be resurrected also.
You are transformed so you can transform. Just like the Apostles Creed says we read earlier,
I believe in the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
In giving your life to Christ, he forgives your sins;
when you die, you are resurrected;
and you have life eternally in heaven.
And that my friends, is the rest of the story.
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