God is For Us
Good morning. This videos a little late. We had some technical difficulties. And so this is a sermon for May 10th Mother's Day. So if you hadn't heard it happy Mother's Day if that's a word so you missed yesterday's Kathy and I standing behind windows out of the cold while everybody was in the snowy parking lot. It seemed to go pretty well except for the fact that I started to read the wrong scripture and didn't realize it about three-quarters of the way through so it will get the correct scripture and will continue on so we work with are getting to know you series and Luke chapter 18 double check.
So we'll get going or we thank you for it. If it's time to be able to study your word and to hear these words of Jesus and his teaching or a phrase that we would hear what you might have to say to us this day and that we'd be able to to learn about what that means for our lives today in our relationship with you. Say all this in Jesus name. Amen. All right there scripture Luke chapter 18 verses 9 through 14
disarm who were confident of their own righteousness and look down on everyone else. Jesus told this Parable two men went up to the temple to pray one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector Pharisee stood by himself and pray God. I thank you that I am not like the other people or twice a week and give a tenth of all I get but the tax collector stood at a distance. You would not even look up to heaven but beat his breast is that God have mercy on me a sinner. I tell you that this man rather than the other went home Justified before God for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Megan rolled around to confront whoever had decided to help himself as she walked by you see she was towards the end of her shift at the local bar in downtown Austin Texas quickly assessing the drunken state of those tables. You opted to head back to the bar. Only the Piano Player. He was sitting on a Barstool taking a break. I hate it right before closing time Megan rancid as she said her tray vintage glasses on the bar Hopper Jim to take everyone so plastered they can't see straight Tony offered as he finished up his beer. Well, it pays the bills, but I know what you mean. I've been in a funk lately myself and wondering where my life is going. You haven't been quite a mood lately Jim Jim explained. Jim and Pete's Piano Bar, which is located on 6th Street in Austin Texas the live music capital of the world. It's the younger Austin version of Bourbon street where the austinites go from bar to bar to hear music to get together to party. What what's the point? I mean, I'm going to be up in my ears still leading a bunch of drunks and old Billy Joel songs closing down 6th Street Gym set offering him some encouragement, you know how to get people into it. That's why Pizza is always their last stop. They love the way you get them sing. It's a gift and it sells Drake's get back to using your gift and sell some drinks. It's almost closing time. Well, maybe Tony's got a pretty good question when he's asked what's the point? This is a question that bugs me to ask when they're just frustrated with a bad day or a bad week or this can be a question that asked if they began to try and figure out what's going on in their lives and Tony's case. He was very unsettled in his life and he felt like he was on very shaky ground. Why was he simply play music in front of the drunks night after night and then joining in with the party after he's finished play there. He was entertaining and great at what he did sure. It was a lot of fun each and every night, but was he really doing? How can you find out how to get on more solid ground? How would he be able to discover a present in his life that you've been missing? Maybe lost some time ago or never known? I told you this before I think if she read the story when I was in college, I was a Bible major at a Christian liberal arts college in Kentucky. And sometimes there could be a little attitude about the place among some of the students versus when my sister graduated. There was this a Manifesto of Swords placed on the snug in and placed on the president's book about why the college was going to pot. It really wasn't but some folks that took their well what they thought a little too seriously, I guess sometimes and that's a little bit what I encountered with a friend reminder a classmate of mine. I should say I knew or didn't wasn't great friends. She's ugly asked. Why are you friends with who you're friends with? All the friends I had their great friends are still some of the best friends I've ever had and and they would do anything for me and they were great friends. The thing is that maybe they made some choices that she didn't approve of her didn't think highly of maybe it was because they were just a little too loud and boisterous for some but I couldn't believe that she would think to ask that question even that she would ask. Why are you friends with who you're friends with it was as if I couldn't be a Bible major could be a Christian and have the same friends that that I had.
Those types who are Christian or say they they are but don't act like it. She was thinking that this was them which wasn't the case but I couldn't understand is why she hadn't maybe heard my dad's advice while Growing Up live in this world, but still live of this world. You see there's been an unfortunate separation of those in the church versus those outside of the church and this can happen in some instances. There's been the separation of those from this church versus those in that church. However, while we were living we haven't received any instructions prescription to separate ourselves from those who don't know the love of God for those who don't know how to act properly in church or even outside of the church for that matter. You don't have a clue from scripture word from scripture that tell us just to even separate ourselves from those who don't think like us, you know, it's not the church's job just simply say it's their fault for being like that and let them be and maybe shoot up a prayer to God on their behalf early just to make ourselves feel better, but it is the church's job to pray for people like to reach out to them and let them know that God is for us that God is for all of us. We live in a broken and Messi world, but how does any of this change the Apostle Paul tells a messy Church in Corinth the City full of corruption and sin was no plan of of stopping anytime soon. He says this bridge Corinthians chapter 3. I planted the seed Apollos watered it but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who Waters is anything but only guy who makes things grow the one who plants in the one who Waters have one purpose and they will each be rewarded according to their labor for we are co-workers and God service you are God's field God's Building.
We are responsible for making people grow or change or a conform for guys responsible for the growth for the changed Hearts. But we do have responsibilities as co-workers as a co-worker. Our responsibility is the soil we helped create the right soil in which all people can grow and then God causes the growth in dust and in others and soil assembly the environment the culture we find ourselves in churches and religious communities have a distinct culture when someone from 6th Street walks into your church. What kind of soil will he or she encounter if you knew who is Tony was what would be your response if he showed up here this morning the story that Jesus tells us about the Pharisee and the tax collector praying isn't often used story to remind us to not be like the Pharisee the Pharisee definitely had that Us Versus Them attitude as he was bragging on himself and all the great things that you've done and even went so far as to say, I'm glad I'm not that tax collector. The Pharisee definitely had that Us Versus Them attitude of Jesus was trying to destroy this wall break down this particular wall in his day. And so both need to lose the US versus them attitude when it comes to being the church. What are the biggest problems with the religious leaders in the religious leader involved in Jesus day was that they had this religious pretense. The religious leaders didn't like to get their hands dirty. So to speak I like to keep things looking nice on the outside. And so that is what they did and we wasn't always as important as long as everything looks good on the outside and all this created a culture before God and the people there was a lack of a true relationship on the other hand. Jesus love to get his hands dirty. The religious leaders called Jesus a friend of the Sinners as an insult after all you weren't supposed to rub elbows with those people. These issues they still exist in the church today is churches around the country pick and choose who they'll mingle with and who they will help out by giving in to our wants desires and comfort levels and not following the direction. God may be pointing us or no better than the Pharisee who Jesus called out in scripture this morning when we think with the US versus them attitude, we created soil in which nothing can grow in. This soil is Paul talks about is where God's able to work wonders, but when we need to get folks into the soil or they can begin to build a solid foundation and their lives as all of us desperately need God's mercy Grace and power to become who God intended us to be God grows all people in the soil of authenticity. We must lose the US versus them attitude that judges others, but won't lift a finger to help them experience God's love and mercy again in Paul's letter to the Corinthians in that first letter to the Corinthians you reminds the Church of this in chapter 12. You are the body of Christ and each. One of you is a part of it. It's a simple verse but if the church is to be Jesus body in the world then whom do we exist for? Why are we at church the messy sinful broken yet honest people who realize they need God in order to be, who God intended them to be. That's who we're here for so it may mean some of us inside the church already and it's probably going to mean a lot of folks outside the church, but if we're going to create this environment or Messi broken people can come together and let God grow them into the people. He intended we have to become like God who is merciful. We have to let go of judging by external experience appearances. It's not the external sacrifices that we can give but a hard growing in love and mercy that God wants us to offer him because God is a god of Mercy is through God's mercy and Grace that all have the chance to be restored into a relationship with God and God's is this so that we could see the Great Masterpiece that he's created in each and everyone of us. What was God's created this wonderful Masterpiece around So let's not bury it and try not to think about it. For instance. If you found a Rembrandt painting covered in mud, you wouldn't focus on the mud or treat this painting like mud your primary concern when I need to be removed. You need static to have something so valuable in your care. You might damage it but you would carefully bring this work of art to a master who could guide you and how to restore it to the condition originally intended when people begin treating one another is God's masterpieces waiting to be revealed God's Grace Rose in their lives and cleanses them. What do you see first and others the mud or the Masterpiece the Pharisee looked at that tax collector and the Pharisee saw mod. Jesus tells us to love the US vs Toulouse. Excuse me to lose the US versus them attitude that focuses on the mud first instead point out a masterpiece in one another and encourage each other to submit to God's restoration process. That's the soil in which guy grows us all Jesus never condone wrong Behavior instead. He showed people a more fulfilling way to live connected Moments by moments to the God who gives life. That's why I messed up in perfect people were attracted to him. They were never in danger of pretending they were perfect. So they were open to admitting their moms and depending on God. Remember Tony who led the drunk and sing along for years on 6th Street, you live a pretty rough life that eventually caught up with him and he describes his journey toward meeting God and here's a story cuz I'd come to the end of myself and reach the point of a lot of emptiness. My career was empty. I had a lot of bottled up anger. I had this big hole inside of me my boss a bar owner told me about a church and a deep conversation one night and never been to Gateway, but he'd heard it was for people like us when I came to my exploring my face. My life was pretty messy but I didn't feel judge my life. I was a little bit out of whack again. I didn't feel judge no one looked at me for my bar job and and thought any less of me. I felt the warm environment that made me feel like people were honestly glad I was there and it made me want to discover more about their God. JJ gateways music director took interest in me and would tell me things. He saw God doing any long before I can see it. The more I learn in the more I brought my stuff out with God and others the more God met me and healed some of the anger laced wounds as I learn to daily follow Christ as he took some of the desires a way that we're not as well replace them with new desires posted a Tony is now using his gift to sell drinks, but he hopes to lead worship as well at his church helping others experience God's grace and mercy is a come to worship, but it didn't start in our church that started on 6th Street or Jesus still hangs out today, but was God's presence is in this world. What are we doing to help others recognize his presence of God is for us not just some of us but for all of us for those who are hurting struggling and Confused. Please know that God is for you. And for those of us who may know folks who need to be in the fertile soil where guy can work miracles let them get their for God is for each and everyone of us.
