11 O'Clock Presentation

well, I think it's a little interesting that What year of the Second Sunday of Lent? Are we supposed to really be intensifying this link to the journey of repentance of the journey towards the cross. That also happens to be Saint Patrick's Day. Now, the history of Saint Patrick's Day, it used to be way back a day of holy obligation. The old Irish for tell you that wasn't a day for party party and that was the day you went to church. And that was your obligation will somehow it's going through that. To Wilderness this great guy who brought Christianity to Ireland. So I've got a great idea. Let's all get drunk and throw up in the Chicago, River to celebrate our conversion to Christianity.

How do I get back to the older meeting? Really the meaning of it really applies best to the blind. Because we're when is the honestly, about our citizen of truth-telling about the many ways we've all sort of, Linda. Is traditionally seen as the season of repentance than in the morning. Not today when we think you're bored and it's usually in response to data to some some loss of a family member or loved one, most of us never week except for maybe we even did it cuz we're confronting that someone has gone to confront our own mortality. American revivalism going out west, Revival pumped up all over the country every will camp meeting and outpost tents were set up Methodist back. Then barely had any buildings at all, and they didn't have any creatures inside the building. They had circuit Riders on Horseback and went from Outpost Outpost from town to town, if you could even call them down. And they preached. the whole rain or snow, or sleet, or son, or Shia, whatever it is, that the The US Post Office says about themselves. They actually stole that from the circuit Riders I'm ready to get out there and do that great work, but it was known and it was common. The didn't go to survivors on the frontier. In those tents, they had what they called the mourners bench. it was like a church pew or a b**** to be up near the front where the think about their sin and to weep and mourn for their sin. And that's not something I think people want to do in church anymore. Show me today where apps to mourn for the loss of someone. We much more than we are at the board for our sins. And we don't really think much about the ways. Our own failings, our own infidelity or Opelika faithfulness. And in spite of God's infinite faithfulness, Saturn Sky. So one thing I want to find out, if we, you know what, you're trying to get to know someone, there's really two things that are important. One is to look at where they find humor, what brings them. What brings in Lancaster? Maybe it's win their favor. National championship. or maybe it's when, you know, their favorite contestant on The Something like that would get really caught up and fixed stories. And even though we can't really talk about sports teams in before they become religious really fast. Are adjectives in a pencil is one of the most powerful atheistic phenomenon since everything. I mean they got it literally just got call, they got movements that everybody.

Even once in a while, I will be rude. But we don't really see that. But we want to get to know someone. You could look at what Briggs enjoy but was also true. As you can also learn a lot about somebody. I would bring them to tears. Maybe it's more than their favorite team. Loses a national chain. Everybody thought of Michael Jordan making. I have no idea. He was actually North Carolina fans, but now if this is all, anybody remembers him. Suddenly we were just got really cares deeply about Carol.

Will. So what causes your joy, and what causes you? You can tell a great deal about the People by what they consider to Marissa's. Funny and delightful and also go by what gives them.

So joy and laughter, find the kickers, the other indicator, our tears. And actually experience is just several months ago, was right after this Sunday, I got back to my office and I was just looking at my phone and I didn't notice a teacher of mine that I have is Chick-fil-A special tutor on lady. I could read. It was teaching me how to read it and she tutored me for 1st 2nd, 3rd grade. What is the spoken to her in fifteen years or so? Had really thought about her, but I got this notice on my Facebook.

And I'm sitting in my office now bear in mind, I did not even go with mrs. Up was that important suddenly on getting all of them. And and I'm wiping my cheek to I'm writing this wrong thing about mr. Wonderful she wasn't I realized for the first time

No, tears to be a great indicator that we really dying you who we really love. I know that my grandmother on my dad's side is Ringwald do. Well she had father my great-grandfather who I never met. I knew that you were still alive for a good part of my childhood but he was just never around. He was kind of a long-lost and an alienated You know, I just heard some pictures of them and everything. Turns out my grandmother was. I learned her story. Her mother passed away.

Her father was a very bored sharecropper paying rent to live in a chicken coop. And so she got passed around from relative to relative eventually ended up in a Methodist Children's Home of rekindling reconnect with her father, my great-grandfather but it seemed like each time she was rebuffed. It just never seemed to to work out the relationship. Never Kendall didn't even in her eighties when she would look at pictures. And she would talk about I'm in the rare cases, you could get her to talk about it, you know. She was trying to be nice but you could tell that, you know, my great-grandfather was just not one of her favorite people. And so you could come and see, you know, something interesting happens to a later date. He passed away. I was a young teenager at the time. I go to the funeral surprised, you're even having a funeral. The guy I've never even met one of those girls were here. Is there anybody that's going to be upset if it's going to be a celebration and I was kind of looking forward to seeing what did this guy look like that? You look like anyone like me or anybody will do know. So we shoot for the funeral and I was surprised to see my grandmother there.

Not see her. Her funeral she Buried. One of her sons. She buried her husband. She heard the wind at all there. So you start to question or maybe maybe my great-grandfather, maybe she really did love him a lot more than we all thought. Maybe he actually was a little more important, so I'd say he has someone appears to be very revealing about what they love about something really value. Most I don't know if Jesus actually broke down and cried and this morning gospel, but I do know that Luke says that Jesus lamented over the state of Jerusalem.

You who kill the prophets, and Stone, Those Who persist to you, how often I have wanted to gather your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks, under her wings, but you did not want that, you were not willing. Matthew says that Jesus wept over Jerusalem and John's gospel says that the Jesus wept over his friend Lazarus and gives us the very shortest verse in the Bible. And we see how important heiser's was. We see how important How important Jerusalem was to him. Hi. How are you? What are you? More directly say that. Jesus, wept, but it's hard to imagine. Looking at the other gospels looking at Matthew looking at John and imagining Jesus, entering these words without an a

These are words. I am truly desire to gather you to gather your children together as a hint gathers, her brood to have you under my wing. But you ordered A lute, doesn't directly State use. Whether you can certainly see, there was grief here. How often did I want to be?

You work out. How often did I want you to meet my people that make you into the people that I am always willing to be to have you under the wing addiction. Do not have you subjected to all the pain and all the stuff to buy for Gentiles that shame and humiliation is compelled their time and time again. I want you to just be For me to be your guide, you to be my people, but you did not.

No, Jesus. In today's hits passage is out there on the road. He's he's in Galloway later around Galilee but he's already turned his face. and this is,

That is where he was going. That is the pain.

Is there an already? The storm clouds are gathering. here it is going to be were the Pharisees and Jesus had this premonition of the rejection that he will suffer in Jerusalem in the capital city. He has a premonition of what's going to happen.

Anymore. How you can tell when people encounter rejection by somebody or some group whether or not they actually love that person by how they respond to the rejection. if you don't really love the person, How are NFL when you say I love you. What you really mean is? I love me and I want to use you to love me even more. Sometimes, that's what I love you baby. And if that's the case.

The response is. Devastating judgement hatred. You are terrible. Everything about you is wrong.

But when there's actual genuine Selfless, Love involves the response to rejection is Greek.

Are you coming here in Jesus? This is not the god.

Sorry, I kind of warrior in there.

Something Beyond anyone's expectations. It's what we have to leave.

The Jesus falls into Lament.

Still looks just like you looked upon.

And you got a Wonder.

What are we do? What's giving him grief? Does he have calibrate? Or does he more like Israel prophets before him? Evaluate. Higher standard.

Hey, we're all doing just fine knowing Jesus says, I have come to seek and save the lost that I have come for Sinners that I have come for the lost sheep of about me.

Do those kind of things that I don't do? Never mind the things I do, those are just mere Piccadilly open.

No, Jesus Grieves. But he isn't coming to us that he's reached out and love and yet, so many of those who have he has called his very own have failed to respond. And so on his way to the Cross, Jesus pauses to limit the state of the holy city of Jerusalem in at people. And Jesus, I believe, still live in state of our communities of our homes and our churches of our nation. There's so much cause If we're really paying attention of, cause to mourn a cause to take a fraction to change to repent. That's not something. I know people want the church to talk about anymore so I promise after this Sunday we only got a few more Sundays and then if this is to be faithful to the gospel, this is what Jesus talk to. This is Wickenburg tell. So Jesus thinks of Israel prophets according to say, you know, they were human beings were unusual inside and God's purposes, and a consistent message of the prophets of the Old Testament. You don't remember, hot God delivered you from slavery in Egypt, God made with you this this great Covenant. Nothing and made you into a great people. He brought you into the land flowing with milk and honey. And look, you have squandered your inheritance. Look how you broke God's covenant with you. The Prophet Jeremiah is most chilling here if he's known as the weeping prophet. And he says that he wishes that his head were a fountain that is eyes to float, a River of Tears. If you'd be today in Des Plaines,

The projects were willing to call even the powerful into account to remind the Kings and the high priests that they served under a just and righteous God, who would hold them accountable, not to their standards. I got some breathing on a curb and hold them accountable for the things that they have done according to God's standards. The caracal, especially when it comes to their appearances of power. And their failure to look after the poor and the vulnerable in the winter, in the orphan. she sometimes though with the prophets would speak that word of judgments but people would You better get a good morning, it was just that judgment sometimes. Instead of eating it, they would ridicule ignore or dismiss. And you can kind of understand why see you in the Old Testament. They didn't have the advantage that we have, is Christian. She is Christians, we have the advantage of knowing the in Christ, God loves forgives and receives, Sinners. But he even invites them to the people. He Neptune. You look at the Old Testament, you know, many foxes that this God who who's giving me sitting at these profits, will we got a top, the group. Stone them to death because they're pronouncing a word of Judge. They're telling us that this guy original

But this God is actually our worst enemy. And in Jesus Christ, we said no that's not. So the god that Vinnie Your enemy is actually. This is the God loves us enough to go to the cross for us. And because of that, We don't.

Avoiding of the prophetic judgment. We can actually be honest about ourselves. Honest about our sins, tell the truth. Tell the truth in love. Is that what Jesus wants to do for us? And that's what he calls us to do. So, we could be honest about ourselves because we know that in God, we have nothing enemy, but we have a friend. Are the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God's people in the people of Jerusalem of Jesus reminds us. Threatened and kill the prophets. They stoned him to death in order to keep their mouth shut to avoid hearing the judgments of God. Today. After I certainly hope you're not going anybody to Death Cure movie of execution. Who we are. I think really good at is keeping her mouth shut not speaking the truth about delving into something fiction about ourselves that we are after all deep down really good people we have no need of repentance and we have no need to Marseilles.

When Virgo competent to intrude upon one another's Mi worth.

In community, become something very, very thin the community of the church might as well be just as soon as they say the business Community or the motorcycle Community, you can't be scarcely. Call it the community or the family of God without the telling of the truth about ourselves and was truthfulness comes. And we get to do that as Christians. We didn't have the blessing of this season of repentance and reflection because we know that in Jesus Christ, God loves forgives and received the others. That's why we can be honest. That's why we have this season. So I don't know, maybe Jesus has the profits on his mind because of a threat against him. I mean that's the way of the powerful people is watching reacting to the judgments of God by making threats by killing the prophets. And then that very fact, the little ones enough to make Jesus weep. And it's not because of what he's going.

Brother Houston. the history people are following the locations of their history. instead of going in big,

they're they're working today. Looking for you and for me. We're not living in the Old Testament. We're not even living in the first century for you. And for me to season of Lent tells us that there is still time to repent. They're still trying to change our ways still time to be by ourselves to ask God, for our forgiveness, to ask God to change our hearts. That's what. That's what life is about. Melinda's traditionally been seeing as this kind of Abdul grab season. Notice that we have this beautiful arrangement of flowers. But they're all dead.

That's cool. A Flinch but I don't think so. I didn't think she would be absolutely the most vibrant time because there's no way to get an infusion of Vibrance

repentance. It involves change. Involves going before, God, and being being humble? And being honest about ourselves. When we look at the state of Our Lives, as well as the state of our nation and our world, I say that there is much to more, there's much failure, but our gospel lesson today is not about our dreams. It's not about our tears. Today's Gospel is all about our Savior, Jesus Christ, in his tears and what makes him more and what that reveals to us about, Jesus.

The Chosen City. Chosen people and he wept. And had he come earlier, I had, he not too, but he came to gather all to himself because he wanted to be like a mother hen gathers, her chicks. And yet responded to his open hand in love with cries of crucify him. Let's put it to a vote. It's a landslide for barrettes.

That's us as we get closer and closer to his time in Jerusalem, we know that. And Jesus wept.

I think they're supposed to be. List of ways we could look at will be the cause of God grief that we should let. You know, there was no great list of seven. Deadly sins, are things particular to watch out for, they're all buried. They are all except

We have done and left, undone their deeply personal, and they are also deeply public in other place. We have areas where we. I can't help but think that maybe Jesus Christ meant for us to be a little better than the way we're currently living. So, what do you think? Just a moment to ponder? Song about our town, Jesus. Thought about you specifically, In what ways were heaver do. What areas would be more? in what areas has ever been faithful and what areas

How many weeks ago is a retired? Minister I do in Texarkana. He recently passed away. He whose name is. It was Reverend howdy Dawson. I can't think of a friend of your name and how did Austin tell a lot about this guy back? How much you love to joke and laugh? He was my kind of guy. When I asked him, how's retirement? He said there is a God. I tell you that wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and now I've been to the promised land And he said, well as you can manage it, let me tell you the whole preacher thing. It's not for everybody. Go ahead and retire. It's really weird that

And he drove the foot. When he passed away recently through things, he wrote about his own call to Ministry, and he wrote a little story, little one. Is there with you? you said back in high school, he served as a US Representative to the official. United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. and as the US Representative,

The parents in that, in the back of the room. Is this singing thing. He said, he remembers. When it was announced that Billy Graham was going to have a big Area Wide, for saying that it was going to take place not far away from their church and the whole town was mobilize every Church in town and been in business for their support. In this executive Council, this exactly

Debate about their congregation. And the preacher. He said our preacher told us told the board that it was a great opportunity. It was a great opportunity for our church for the whole town. I mean, this was Billy Graham coming. You were excited. The preacher said that he would meeting with other clergy and other ministers from other churches for months now and never had the same sort of cooperation so much But the board was having none of it. They refused to Rejoice with the pastor at the prospect of a city-wide Crusade. One of them said, a bunch of bath is trying to get a leg up on us.

And then another one brought up the fact that school Billy Graham's organization, recently released a statement saying that there will be no separation of the races during the meetings and that sealed it. The board voted to protect our church. Have an awesome day. From Billy Graham's racial mixing and refused their own participation.

He said, you know, about the time I was a teenager, I didn't really think much of it. I didn't have much opinions, I didn't say anything.

But I'm very glad that I went through after. That's where I started to get a call to Ministry uses after the meeting. I exited a side door to catch.

I accident through the side door and I was expecting to catch a racially segregated by law bus to get home. But down a dark Church hallway before I left, I heard.

He's like, ripped down the hall. Curious. There was a light coming from an Open Door.

You doing in there. Solve the pastor with his head buried in his hands stopping.

Did keeping up with the righteousness of God? A God who moves in the world, sometimes makes destruction sometimes make this demand, sometimes tells us to acting different ways in d.c. I'm perfectly. Okay, serving. That kind of God is not for the faint of heart. Face is all my life. I said God that I did early age. I got to see what makes preacher cry. and then that I saw the win, this is how God What makes Gon Cry?

I got to steal. And his righteousness is very demanding. what is love is all the more overwhelming a discount

you know, last week we talked about how Jesus is tempted in the desert by Satan and Jesus responds, angrily to the temperature at 10 tonight in Yulee Will today in this gospel, it's in, in the season of Lent. It's as if the gods own people, it's as if you and I are the ones testing Jesus. And he responds.