October 13th service

You know how many times I thought about just getting me a chair and setting it down right here with you know, one of those like a drafting table where I could lay on all my books and we just have a teaching session and then I remind myself maybe I'm not a teacher. Well, I want to be. Jeremiah wanted to be a teacher to called by God to be a teacher but he had some troubles because not unlike many pastors that message that you need to tell people isn't one. They want to hear a man. Sometimes I don't want to hear it. I said this morning that I woke up quite early. I have remember looking at the clock. It was 1:30, then it was 2:30, and it was 3 and then it was five. I kept thinking Lord. Why do you have me so trouble this morning? I worry first of all that it was somebody I care about that was in trouble and I needed to pray so I pray. but every hour

I don't know. But I am praying today is we bring this message me and the Lord to you. This starts out.

And Jeremiah just basically says that these are the words of mine. Do you? from him these are the words of the letter that the Prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

because He's not with them. You see Jeremiah has been preaching a message to the people of Jerusalem for a long time. And then they get taken into exile. He's writing a letter to some people that he knows that are no longer with him. He is no longer with them the message in this story is really to settle down. You know.

Getting moved as a pastor in the United Methodist Church is a little bit just settling we get sent to a place. We don't know. And we're told to settle down. or settle in start over You know when you if you were taken hostage wouldn't your first hope be that this is a short time that I'm going to be held hostage.

The words of the letter that the Prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining Elders the remaining Elders, who is he talking about? He's talking about the few people that he could trust that he you know, the people there people in our church that you just look too and you say I know them and they are good people and they support the church and they love God and all those things. You just kind of check the box. He's saying I'm going to talk to those people who I know are still following God there is foul, but they have listened to me in the past and they will listen to me again. That was the king who took them into Babylon and exile.

But I want you to really pay close attention because in this scripture someone's going to take responsibility for their exile. Yeah, you watch the news right? Someone gets taken. Terrible things are happening terrorism is happening all around the world. Someone's always taking credit right because they want to change things. They want things to change and so they do terrible things sometimes and we watch it on the news and the only thing we can do today is turn it off, right? We just don't want to hear it anymore. But that's kind of what the people of Jerusalem did the Jeremiah he was trying to warn them. He was trying to preach the message so they can understand. Ghetto, the world is teaching us whether we wanted believe it or not beat the things that are happening in our world have an influence on us now which way we go and how that influence affects us and how we truly turn it into something. That's Godly. Is our responsibility Jeremiah had taught the lesson. But you know, they just turn the volume down to where they couldn't hear anything. You hear the old saying, I'm going to sing a Solo solo that nobody can hear me.

That says the Lord of hosts the god of Israel to all the Exiles. Who am I have sent into exile? See who just claimed responsibility for what happened? My mom and dad used to send me an exile.

Yeah. Go to your room.

Until you can act like a responsible young man in one of my children. You're going to stay in your room. What kind of sounds funny but it's really quite true. Who am I have sent into Exile from Jerusalem to Babylon? He's not only saying that he did it. He's telling you the whole circumstance you're in Jerusalem, and I sent you the Babylon. I'm sure that the Israelites we're going to point the fingers at Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar. Probably think and look what I did. But God says I did it. That's a little difficult to wrap my mind around in it. Sometimes we can do something or we're not acting correctly and he is our father and he can send us to the bedroom our bed. And you know, when I was growing up it seemed like I was being exiled to another Island somewhere like Patmos. And in mostly it was because I didn't like what they were doing to me, but they had power. But we don't always like what God does for us or to us, but he has the power to do it and sometimes were put into situations. We don't much care for the problem. What is is that I'm brought upon my own Exile cuz I wouldn't listen and there was a lesson to be learned that You know what my old saying was talk to the hand.

seriously Have we not grown up at all? Sometimes I wonder if I will ever grow up because I don't want to get old.

Don't have much control over that situation Dua and it certainly beats the alternative because if we quit getting old well.

He said his build houses and live in them.

plant Gardens and eat their produce Does this sound like a short-term event?

He tells them to. Take wives and have sons and daughters and take your take wives for your son's. This is a long-term plan. If you were taken hostage by somebody and and they gave you a house to live in in in a garden to tend and they sent people over that you could maybe get married someday and you know your thing. Wait a minute. This isn't just about tomorrow or next week. This is a long-term event. You know, God is really saying go to your room and get used to it. Mine usually was not more than an hour or two. I always knew that if I got in trouble 2 hours before dinner. I was out of trouble by dinner because mom wouldn't let me go hungry. I never went hungry as you can tell.

But when someone like God says here's the game plan for the future. Go ahead and tenders Gardens go ahead and eat the produce and and marry and have children you might as well just get comfortable. Because this is your future. In God's time is not like our time is it if I have been put in my room for more than you know a few hours. I would have thought that they forgot me. I was just exiled to a place where I don't want to be and they forgot they put me here. I've actually had that even after about 15 minutes. I'm knocking on my door.

I'm still in here. You surely didn't mean that it had to be an hour or two did it? I'm good. I heard you Mom. I'll be better.

No, not yet. You know an oven bake a baked potato better than the microwave anytime, right? But it takes time you just don't put it in there. And take it out in 5 minutes and it's ready to eat because it's still raw in the middle, right? Don't expect. That you're going to change in and out. No, God says take your time settle in get comfortable. And it's all your own fault. You know, my mama always told me. You know why you're in your room. If you change your attitude, you would never get put in your room. I would rather take a beating than be put in my room when I don't want to be there.

You know as I prepare this year for ordination, one of the things I have struggled to learn is to give in to the process.

There's a process and we need to give in. What do you suppose Israel was doing the whole time while Jeremiah was telling them not to do that? Wait, we tend to glaze right past our part of everything knowing I'm in my room. It's not that I don't understand why they did this to me and I will never understand it, right. I don't understand why I didn't get ordained last year. I don't understand why because I didn't do anything wrong. It's it's their fault. It's not my fault. Right? This is what the people of Jerusalem Israelites are doing right now. They're saying to themselves. I don't know why God is treating us this way. Have you ever felt like that? Why is God doing this to me? Why did I get sent to my room? Why am I in trouble? I didn't do anything wrong. All of my neighbors are acting just like me lots of young people who act like me and then get sent to their room.

This is the part that I find very difficult, but seek the welfare of the city where I had sent you to Exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf. Not only do I get sent to my room, but now I've got to thank somebody for it.

God really wants me to pray for these people. They're not our people. Why they took us captive, you know that when they took them captive. They took the best of them. Makes it took them because they saw some goodness in them that they wanted some talent. I mean, could you imagine if we went over to the Baptist Church in just took a bunch of them hostage and brought them over here because they're all good people. We could use a few good people, right? It's not fair and we tend to get stuck on the it's not fair part. But we never and I am guilty of this. I tend to not learn the lesson. I need to learn so I've been asking myself all year and praying about it all year. What is it that I'm supposed to learn in the process?

You know what? I tell people all the time. Just let go and let God.

I can't do that.

I got to get it done.

The boltons got to be just right and I fall short in that every week surely I can get an amen on that.

But I can't seem to let it go. I can't I take it to bed with me. I'm up all hours of the night. Why in the world did I make that mistake?

You know what? God says to me. Who said it was a mistake?

You needed to do that because you learn when you do things that you shouldn't do. I used to learn a lot when I was little because I got sent to my room all the time.

I guess I learned I learned how to go to my room and shut my door.

And they wouldn't let me have a radio cuz I know what I would have done it, but it turned it real loud. Just anything to annoy them, right? If you know the Israelite people went to Babylon and their intentions were we're going to ignore these people as much as possible until they send us back home.

And God says no you're not. Because your welfare depends on their welfare.

Just like here at church our existence relies upon the welfare of the people who come if the farmers do well and they have a good crop and then get a good price for it. It profits us if the banker interest rates go up and they increase in their wealth chances are we will increase in our wealth?

Pray for those who you feel have exiled you we may get put into situations all the time, but don't feel comfortable to us. And God says pray for those people the hardest thing you'll ever do is to pray for your enemy, right? When the Israelites went into captivity, they were the enemy who they have us held captive. We should be praying that God sets us free. And God says pray for them. What? Know when the people were taken in captivity look and see who claims responsibility, right? Let's go back to that. God tells us in the first verse I did it. My mom didn't have any problem at all claiming responsibility for whipping my butt or sending me off my room. She was proud of it. You don't my dad used to say this going to hurt me more than I hurt you.

Well, I'm not too sure about that.

You must be hurting inside pretty bad because that hurt pretty bad back here. And it seemed as though it was reflective of what his day was like what my weapon was like If Dad had a bad day, and the first thing he saw was me and I've been a bad boy.

Did a lot of learning those days lots of learning. But God claims responsibility for us. If he will always let you know if you ask him. Okay, God. What I do.

What do I need to learn? You see last year, that's what I was messing up with.

I thought I've done everything. I've been to school. I've got my education. I've been preaching I've been serving I've been doing I got this right.

Just when you think you've got it. You take two more steps back.

because what I realize is

I am not capable.

But he hits.

You know, do you ever feel sometimes that you're getting farther away from God? And it takes a moment.

And often it's a very emotional moment.

When you can just take in America. One day and one day when I was golfing. I know many of you are not golfers. You know why? I like to golf. Because nature is all around me. One day while I was golfing and my brother-in-law was there with me and I know he probably thought I was crazy as all get-out but I had a God moment. Just me and a robin. I was trying to Patna Robin was trying to eat. And I looked over and saw this Robin pulling an earthworm out of the ground. The battle between the earthworm wanting to live in the robin wanting to eat was a spiritual moment for me.

I had tears in my eyes.

My brother-in-law was looking at me like what is wrong with you? I needed a moment. And God supplied my needs because I was quiet. I was waiting, you know, these Israelites spent a lot of time 70 years in captivity.

The Hebrews traveled for 40 years in the desert never found their home.

We need to know. That it's not about what God is doing in your life as much as it is that you're paying attention to what he's doing in your life.

How many of you have seen God's hand in your community in the past year?

Be honest. Pray before you go to bed that you see God's hand in our community before you get up.

We oftentimes just travel through life on cruise control.

Perhaps that's what they were doing.

God wants you to know that he has you right where he wants you today.

You come to church because you want to hear the sermon, right? short and sweet

But have you asked yourself today? Why God has you here? Does it matter to you?

My prayer this morning. Wish someone would come today and be moved. the sea America

why?

Perhaps because I need one.

When you get moved, you feel like you're an exile sometimes and I don't want you to take that wrong because it's not about you. You're beautiful people. You're lovely people I am blessed. but even when you are going to a blessed people you can feel like you're being punished. You're an exile. Like my mother just sent me to my room.

And it's not easy to do that. But I tell you right now I pray for you because when I pray for you I get a blessing. And I pray that you'll pray for me knowing that together. We can bless each other.

I don't know why I put this in I get a little political here I said.

Aren't we all in the same game together?

I try not to be blood eagle.

But it's a scary thing right now in our world.

Truth is not evident.

It's irrelevant.

When I invite you to do today is to look beyond the distraction. of Our Lives and to ask yourself. Why does God have me in church today?

What is my purpose?

Having someone else be exiled. So let's look at it this way. I could preach all morning about homeless people in Chicago.

But I don't know if any one of you would be moved to help them.

But if you become homeless.

Your heart will open up to the homeless people. Am I wrong? So now do you know why God exiled his people?

Their hearts were calloused to the world around them. God needed them to feel as the homeless felt or those others. And so he sent you to live with them.

it becomes

hard to do because the first thing I would do is I don't know why I'm here. I don't want to be here. God says well I just need you to learn. I don't want to learn. Send me back to where I was. I was just fine where I was.

If you looked around our community today, what would you see?

Do you see the same people you see all the time? Do you ignore someone who might need your help? Are just oblivious to what's going on? I think I'm new. I don't see anything major going on.

But then I asked. Where are all the people? Why aren't they here?

Where are they? Have we forgotten who they are or where they are? I know they're here. Over 20,000 people in this County course, there are seventy churches.

But I bet you we don't even get 10% and all the churches

4 months I could preach on that. Good night. And you'd get tired of hearing it.

Is it how we deliver the message and I say we because I feel like I have a mouse in my pocket right now. Can you not hear the message? I know you do.

But why are we not doing then?

He told them to take wives and Sons and Daughters to take wives for your son's. Why would you tell them to do this? These are not our people and that you're telling us to get married. It sounds a little bit like us not wanting to be a part of the community around us.

Don't be afraid to go out into your community and Mingle.

I opened a checking account at the bank this last week. I just wanted you all know. I'm I'm here to stay.

Haven't got a cemetery plot yet.

I'm a long way away from dying, but I'm I'm planning on sticking around. So I got me an account now. I'm here. I have to be the same way don't I if I'm going to be who you with you I need to be in you if I'm going to be here in this community. And if I'm going to try to be a blessing to the community that I need them to know and I need you to know that I'm here.

We have an address.

We have the house X don't decrease increase. And that's works for us, too. what US increase

did what was happening? Did the people of Jerusalem sound like a short-term problem? Just like getting people in our church is not a short-term problem. It's not a short-term fix. It's going to require a lot of hardware. I can't do it all.

Who is your neighbor? I'll go with you.

Unless you think I might break the deal.

How can we seek the welfare?

A people who we don't even know.

How can we?

Seek the welfare. Wouldn't that be scary if we were relying on the community around us to support us?

Would that change how we pray? perhaps

you see God has sent me here. And he told me seek the welfare of the people Jesus sent them out two at a time and he said don't take an extra cloak.

Don't take anything extra with you because where I send you they will receive you. And when they receive you they will take care of you. My wife and I are truly blessed and we love you all very very much.

It requires that I follow his word. And it requires that I believe. Now this morning.

That was where I struggled.

because sometimes It's hard to keep believing, isn't it?

And I think if anything I got to be honest.

I went through all this education. And I kept thinking one day. I will be right.

God says not yet.

We talked this morning and I'll finish with this. I am rambling. when the woman that had the Hemorrhage for 12 years She touched the Hem of His Garment. And she was healed in Jesus turned to her and said because of your faith woman you have been healed. faith

father God I believe.

I believe. That you have brought me here. for a purpose

And father God, I believe right here in front of your people. That I will follow your will.

Until your will is done. That is my solemn vow this morning to you. I believe.

Let us pray Lord God As We Gather in your house? And we hear your word sometimes Lord. I don't know whether it's for me or then. Together we learn. Shall we be inspired to follow your word and to know you this morning Father? I just want to know you again. I want to feel your presence on a cu. I pray this morning for that to be in Christ Jesus. I'm in.

You can remain seated with single marching to Zion.

Keep going.

There we go.

Lake Mead

Amazon

boy I I've only made a mistake once now

let me tell you something though. Wait, we worry don't worry sometimes about what we're singing and how it comes out. But God Praises you. We're just singing out. Because he wants to hear his children. He didn't say do anything but make a joyous noise. Sometimes I think that's all I do is make a joyous noise.

If you could see the tears in Jesus eyes this morning wouldn't you praise him all the more?

Well, they used to just throw rocks at me.

That's a good word. If you don't praise me, the rocks will cry out.

Throw aside all of our shame. grown-up attitudes and just praise him, you know the vision I had this morning when we started singing it and what I'd hope was we'd all March.

When I had my rebirth I marched in my job. Sing it Christian Soldiers and they used to look at me and think I was crazy as all get-out. Who cares? Who cares? It's not about me.

Devotion to prayer you can all be seated. I did that one time at our wedding. I'll understand the whole time.

I said what was good enough for the bride and groom. It's good enough for you.

Who do we need to be praying for today?

Sometimes I am so Smitten by the spirit that I'm lost. Where am I at today? Let's who are we praying for today? Yes.

I'm about to sign.

any better

sounds like I need to come and see him.

Sounds like a sinus problem to me.

I've had that when my sinuses were so inflamed. I couldn't my ears hurt that I couldn't even put a head on a pillow but I pray for him. That's not a place to be let us all pray for Leroy. Who else yes.

athlete guys last chemo treatment Pray that that he's in remission.

You know having an illness can be a little bit like having being exiled can it it's hard to pray for somebody if you've never been in their shoes, if you haven't been able to put your head on the pillow because your head hurts so bad or your hair can't you came wash your hair, you know, it's hard to imagine what that's like and so let us pray with empathy for our fellow man and woman. Who else yes. Frankfort Cahalan, she's been buying used to come here and don't stop at Sheetz. Are you get rid of an am not sure what's going on, but there's also another friend lives over this way.

Highway out there and she's had back surgery. Can I sell a Smith? He's getting ready to have surgery on his foot.

Thank you.

Pray for our Cardinals. I mean your Cardinals

that one in there for you, Mike.

Yes.

numbers of increased I guess they have their still taking applications to the 31st. Think anybody. Also, who do you know that needs to feed see the face of Jesus? Who do you know I mean? Tell me somebody. This is all about your neighbor. Some of them will be here for a lifetime and never even know there was such thing as an Emmaus walk. We don't want that to happen. Anybody else? Yes.

Somebody Mark that out. Give me your Bulletin.

I've been trying my best assistant. Kate has been assisting me on the way. So

Anyone else? Let us remember our government. our community our world as we do I tend to skip right over the antenna TV cares victims of Oppression. But let us not forget anyone today.

If there's nothing else, let's go to the Lord in prayer.

father God

help us Lord to have empathy to feel for our brothers and sisters are neighbors our world. Help us Lord as we lift up their names this week. Do not only lift up their names but to pray for them earnestly and lovingly we ask you Lord to give Leroy Comfort to help him Lord to get through this.

We pray for our brothers and sisters in the nursing homes. We pray for those who didn't get mentioned this week. You are having birthdays. We pray father God. for our pastor What's the process? And for our own Exile as we struggle with learning the message in the what you'd have us learn. We pray father God for all the things that have been mentioned today. That we might see your hand at work in our community and that we might work into your will. We pray all this this morning in Jesus. Holy name and now let us pray Our Father's prayer Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us and lead us not into temptation. But Deliver Us from Evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Let us take up our time.

Mike

I'm busy.

Call Ryan.

Father God as we have collected that what you have called forth from us. We praise you father in the storms of our lives and we ask you father to bless us bless this offering today. Bless our eyes that we may see the hand that you have played on our community. And may we be a magelord at what you do with us? We pray this in Jesus name. I'm in now to get an amen to write the closing hymn.

May that be so. How many times do you sing the song then? You really don't listen to the words.

May God bless you today. They change. And he reveal himself to us in Mighty way so that we might see his glory and not be caught up in our own. We pray today Father send us out into your world with all the tools we need. Washers, Clean us up Clovis and white and give us your blessing in Christ, Jesus a man.