Monday, April 12, 2010



They left a few hours ago....Ella and her parents.

What a weekend.

Ella is holding the weasel...the object that made it into the sermon yesterday. Inside the orange ball is a battery run motor that makes the ball move on the floor. The weasel is tied to the ball and so the motion is rather continual, and random...and looks quite like the weasel is in the chase.

We used it yesterday as a way to describe how life was for the disciples in the week following the resurrection and how it often is for us.

The title: Saints in a Scramble

1. There was public rumor to deal with - see Matthew 28:11-13
2. They had all, at one point, "fled."
3. Judas, one of the insiders, turned traitor publicly
4. They had heard/see/hid from a violent public outburst against Jesus
5. Some had endured the spectacle of crucifixion..horrible to behold
6. It had come to locking the doors and living in considerable fear
7. It had all produced in them a "hardness of heart"
8. Thomas: "I will not believe, unless...." faith with conditions
9. Jesus classified them as "troubled, letting doubts arise"

Instead of the great confidence of post resurrection days, they were saints in a scramble...indeed.

Three things emerge in the text that offer help to them...and us.

1. Help #1 The Peace of Christ
Three times Jesus speaks peace over them in this account. And in other passages as well, we see it repeated:

*Mark 4:37-41 - "peace be still" - to a storm on the lake
*John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you...not as the world gives..let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid"
*Philippians 4:6-7 - "do not let your hearts be troubled about anything but in everything, by prayer present your concerns to the Lord...and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

We then talked about what can tear at our peace...and put a weasel in our lives...
health issues, job security, financial stresses, relational challenges, vocational direction and more....

What we need is to daily spend time in quiet before Jesus, receiving His peace and focusing our hearts, not on the wind and waves (see Mark 4)but on the power and love of our Lord. Nothing is too hard for him. He has complete ability. Our times are in His hands. It is never too late to trust in Him.

We then stopped and spent time in prayer together.


Help #2 - The Blessing...presence, comfort of the Holy Spirit
John 20:21, 29, 31

We were reminded to focus on believing and not fearing or doubting.
Verses to assist us:
1. Romans 10:17
2. I John 5:4-5

Help #3 - Do what gives life...and watch for the Lord.

John 21:1-14 - they fished all night...caught nothing
-they were now tired, hungry, and angry?
Jesus appears:
and with a simple direction (the right side of the boat)..there are so many fish in the net that they have to haul the net to shore with the fish in it - 153 in all!

Amazing...Jesus ability to transform a hopeless situation into triumph
Jesus attention to the normal patterns of our lives - breakfast!
Jesus desire to show up and give us wisdom that releases supply.

So, in the scramble of our lives...
1. We have the peace of Christ to renew our hearts
2. We have faith in the triumph of Christ and presence of His Spirit to energize our lives
3. We have the potential of the presence of Christ in the normal patterns of life that sustain.

1 comment:

jan said...

Thanks for the encouraging words. At times we forget about the peace He offers especially when life gets crazy. Blessings! Steve and Jan