Finding Divine Love While Embracing Death and Living In The Present

Welcome to the First Love Church podcast.

This is a collection of Sunday teachings inspired by the revised common lectionary and recorded weekly in Ocala, florida.

Today in particular is World Communion Sunday.

That's a big deal for the whole world.

We remember that we are one body, that Jesus is Lord over all of us, and so some churches that don't do communion every Sunday have agreed that this would be the Sunday that everyone would get together and that we would remember that we are one, that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and communion allows us to be a part of that.

I was informed about World Communion Sunday not because I happen to know everything, but because Catherine is in Paris and she is serving communion at the church in Paris this morning.

So part of us is in Paris serving communion to the people that are there, and so that's a really beautiful thing that we get to be a part of.

Saying part of us is other places serving communion, saying come to the table.

Jesus has set an incredible feast for you.

We're so glad that you're here and we're glad that you're present with us now.

There's so much that we do together.

As we come, we don't just sing songs and listen to preaching, but we step into an eternal current, that we remind ourselves that when we come to service together, that the light that is in us expands because of the spirit among us and we're able to see things and learn things and practice things that will expand our ability to love the world better.

Amen.

I was pausing for you.

I'm so much to share with you this morning.

He didn't take it, so I'm running on.

I got so much.

There's beautiful liturgy this morning in this, but Carol and I were talking yesterday, you know, we bought those new batteries and then they're in our van, which is sitting at home, which doesn't help.

Well, I'll just use a different mic.

Then let's do that.

Yeah.

Can you get me a point?

that you want me to release.

Yeah, if they are.

If those are charged up, let's check it out.

Yeah, I got a pack of them in my van at home, so we're going to.

Will you put up for me, todd, not the verse in Philippians but the verse in Hebrews, please?

If you'll look on the side, you'll be able to see which one that is.

It's a short verse.

I found it.

Thank you.

No, that's Philippians.

I still want the one that's from Hebrews, please.

I think this might be it.

Nope, we're finding it.

There's a lot of scripture, but that's good.

This is from Hebrews, chapter four.

I'm sorry, it's chapter two.

Miss Carol and I were talking about it and this is just extra.

This is not part of our liturgy.

It was there yeah.

Hebrews again.

At the very end of the slides I saw where it was this time Hebrews, chapter two.

Because God's children are human beings, made of flesh and blood.

The Son also became flesh and blood, for only as a human being could he die and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death, and only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

Such a good word for us to remember that Christ has come to give us life and to give us abundant life, and that life is not only in the afterlife, that life is now in the present, so that we can fully live as we are unafraid of dying, unafraid of future death, but paying attention to the life that is present.

That is right here, that is right now.

So I encourage you this morning with this hope that Christ has come, jesus has been among us, and the work that Jesus did allows us to have great hope and allows us to live in this practice of presence, in this now, not in a fear of the future.

That's so good.

You know, the, that is the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the.

The thing that gets stolen from us the most is just that present with God.

We're distracted by so much.

There's consumerism, there's shows we gotta watch, there's stuff we gotta do, there's plans, there's thinking in our heads, all the stuff, and we miss just this beautiful gift of being present with God.

And so let's allow our times at service together to remind us of that beautiful opportunity that we have to.

You know, because I think that I've oftentimes had the idea that if I got another thing then I'd be happy, only to find out that thing doesn't make you happy because it's missing a couple of gadgets that you gotta get, and then you're gonna be happy, you know.

Or you get to a certain place, you know.

And what if we could take the words of the apostle Paul whether a base or a bound, I've learned in all things to be content.

You know, don't wait.

You know, when you lose five more pounds, then you're gonna be content.

Or when you get, you know, this next raise, because the cost of living is gonna go up just a little, half a percent higher than the raise was anyway.

So it's always gonna be something that you're striving for, or we could cease in that striving and learn to rest in his presence.

I look at that particular scripture and again I'm so grateful for other believers and for people that will remind us.

Hey, this was really good to me this week.

What do you think about this?

And I was thinking about this because I had already been reading more about death, because I love the practice of resurrection and you have to be able to embrace death, to see resurrection.

And death in the Aramaic means this to exist elsewhere.

The existing isn't over, but it's just elsewhere, in another place, another dimension.

But I was thinking how much death we actually have in our own lives and we practice all the time, because if you continue to live in the shameful past or in the painful past, you are existing elsewhere, and that is a certain kind of death.

But here in the present grace is.

Here in the present mercy is Some people don't exist in the past, exist in the future and in this hope that something else will be.

And there is a grace for us to say in this present moment is where the presence of love is, is where mercy is and everything that we have need of.

And so this morning I encourage you that we should live as ones who do not have to fear death.

But that becomes difficult because many people and many of our own experiences tell us that there's a reason to fear death, and here is what I am reminding you about this morning that as we gather, we learn a truer and bigger story.

I don't know if you love the James Webb Telescope, but I do, and I hope that you get updates from the James Webb Telescope.

You can sign up from them, as the scientists do.

And here's one of the things that I love about it, not just because I like astronomy, but one of the things that inspire our worship is awe, wow, something so big or so beautiful or so amazing.

And the James Webb Telescope keeps pushing scientists and what they know, and they keep having to say well, we thought that because that's only as far as we saw, and now that we see more, we have to expand our way of thinking.

We have to change some of the beliefs we have, and that's the truth for all of us as we worship.

The more awe we are of God, the more our beliefs will have to change and they will expand.

We won't get a smaller, god beloved, we'll get a bigger.

God.

We'll get more faith, more love, more hope.

And this is inspiring to all of us that even if we would stand outside in nature and allow it to awe us, the bugs I don't know how that works for you.

Maybe you're inspired by bugs I'm not really that inspired by bugs but nature.

I know they have a job and I'm grateful for it.

But nature in all of its glories, yeah, there are people that love bugs.

I love that about you, kylie.

There are some bugs that she loves.

We were in Wales two weeks ago and there were the biggest slugs, just like six and eight inches long, just by themselves traveling along, and I was like, oh, I bless you, brother, I want nothing to do with you.

I'm glad you live here and I live far away, but they were all kinds of places.

But nature can inspire us and think about how big God's beautiful world is and where we fit in the middle of it.

And then we watch the cycles of nature and we watch winter coming, we watch advent coming and we don't fret because we know spring also comes, that there is a time of reaping and this time of the Christian calendar reminds us this is a time of surrender, but also harvest.

This is a time where we reap some of the things that we've sown, but we surrender to the winter that is coming, and it's a beautiful practice for our souls in remembering that there is a resurrection that we are promised.

You know, I started walking on my property and I've only done it three or four times, but I started looking for mushrooms because I saw this video one time when I was on one of those things where you flip through videos and get stuck in that loop and anyone else do that besides me, Just watch another video in another video and this guy was foraging mushrooms in Florida, right around here, and so I found out these chanterelle mushrooms grow around here all the time, so I decided to walk on my property.

I've never seen a mushroom I don't think in the 12, 15 years we've lived there on that property.

And I went out there and I've already logged.

I got this app and then every time you take a picture to find out what it is.

I found over 40 mushrooms on my property and they say which we had never seen before.

They were not there, and I found those.

And what's funny is, like some of them they're like oh, these are edible, but they look just like the one that'll give you cramps and then you'll die and it's like well, I don't know, is that a good?

So I haven't really tried to eat or anything, but just the learning of it and just to find all of that.

Stuff was on my property the whole time, I'm sure, but until I became aware and started looking, all of a sudden I'm finding all these different species of different kinds of mushrooms just filled in the yard, you know, and so I encourage you to open your heart and ask God what am I missing?

What opportunities, what things are you wanting to show me that are all around me, but I've passed by them unaware.

One of the times we were walking in Wales, we were on the side of this cliff and there was just such abundance in the nature In Wales, that's my property.

Yes, we were in Wales and there was just abundance of food everywhere raspberries and all this lettuce and all of these wonderful things.

And we're walking and I was like there's dandelion right there.

I mean we could have had a spring mix by the time we were done.

We were just walking.

There was lettuces everywhere.

I said we'd make a big salad.

And Dennis kept noticing snails and I was like and there's wild garlic, we could make a great escargot, and then we'd have salad and we'd have escargot.

And we counted, like really quickly, we already had a dozen between us and that's plenty for he and I.

And so we found more.

And we were like we'll invite the leopards because they would also like.

And so then we found more than enough for the leopards.

And so we kept looking.

We thought, well, if the leopards were here with us we would have found even more.

And then if they, whoever?

And so it was this beautiful idea of what we look for.

The abundance is already there.

But if we train ourselves to see it, there is enough for everyone Beloved, there is enough love for everyone, there is enough hope for everyone, there is enough joy in learning how to fully thrive as a human but also recognize our thriving is not just for ourselves but for the flourishing of all humanity, that God so loved the world that he gave Jesus, and when we understand that it is out of this love that infinite generosity created us and that we are God's generosity to the world.

And there's this practice of understanding that what we do matters and how we do it matters even more.

You know I was Heather and I were impressed that that land over there in Wales it just can't help but produce for people and there's just like literally, honestly, when you're walking around, there's just food all around, you know.

And grown wild, you know, and I think that, yeah, you could walk in that abundance, but you have to live there.

You could choose to live in a desert, and then we can become an angry at God why Don't you take care of me.

Well, you move to a desert, you know.

And so I mean that metaphorically, that I think so much of the time we stay spiritually in scarcity when he has abundance for us.

But we have to move.

You follow me to that place where he is, and he is in the presence.

He is in that place where I can just be with him, and my problem is my mind races and I got stuff I gotta do and I can't stay quiet.

And so Heather and I were talking and we kind of have found that what'll help you stay there is like a key word, and for me she has a different one, but for me it's grace, because it's a grace that God just doesn't squash us like a buck.

You know what I mean.

We don't deserve anything, but yet he's so merciful and grace-filled to us, and so I'll find myself wanting to just meditate in his presence and just be in that place where his abundance is.

But my mind quickly races and then I feel like, oh man, I ruined my meditation.

Anyone else feel like that?

Oh man, I just goofed the whole thing up and then you're like, well, I guess I can't meditate, and so what I would do is it would always cut that time short.

And so and that was the gift that Heather gave me is find a word, and for me it was grace.

And so I, when I noticed that my mind is being distracted instead of going well, I ruined it.

I go grace, grace.

And you know what the grace did?

It brought me right back, and I didn't set in any kind of shame because you didn't meditate right, you didn't focus, you were distracted, you were thinking about your stuff, your plans, you know.

So I would just go grace, grace, oh yeah, and it resets me to stay in there just a little bit longer.

And I just feel like, for you and I, that it's the gift that we allow to be stolen from us.

Or we don't even take value in that, we don't unwrap it for ourselves, or we don't cherish it.

You know, we just give it away.

Does that make sense?

And so I feel God offering that to all of us today, to come and set with me, be still, and what?

And no, no, and he's God.

Amen.

From the letter to the Philippians Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ, any comfort from his love, any fellowship together in the spirit?

Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another and working together with one mind and one purpose.

And this portion of the scripture reminds us that this community and our community and all of God's communities are intended to be characterized by fellowship, by compassionate care for each other, by this unity.

And there is a difference for us in recognizing that the original letters were written in another language and so sometimes there is a translation that maybe now, as we can understand more and read more together, we see things differently.

And in this particular letter, this part of it, the translators use the word mind, with one mind.

But that's not exactly the way that it should be, or at least it's limiting, because to us, in our language, the word mind kind of reminds us just of knowledge.

What do you know?

Have you thought with your mind, have you considered this?

But really the word has to do with wisdom, acquired wisdom, and wisdom that would help you know what to do in complicated circumstances.

That's kind of really different than what have you already made up your mind to do Well, we're gonna do good.

But you know what, beloved, you've had them too complicated circumstances, and then we have to go back to where is the wisdom the spirit gave us, when is the wisdom collectively we had?

But he's reminding us, with that one wisdom, we should have one purpose Don't be selfish.

Beloved.

That's the word of the Lord for everyone.

This morning here at church, if you came saying I need a word from the Lord, don't be selfish.

This is good for your marriages.

This is good for your parenting.

This is good for your grandparenting.

This is good for you in the world.

It's good for all of us.

Don't be selfish.

Don't try to impress others.

Well, that's difficult because we live in the US of A and we're really good at trying to impress others.

That's where we spend most of our time.

And so he reminds us that you can come back to belovedness.

You don't have to impress anyone to belong here.

You don't have to impress anyone to receive every good thing from the communion table.

It's yours because you have the image of the divine you know it's, it's the, the path of like consumerism or the path of just our culture that we can take, or we can, we can Follow this different path, you know, because our, our culture really is going to exalt you, you know, the more you can collect, you know you're gonna, they may even put you on a show lifestyles of the rich and famous, or something you know and and you know you can be special and you can, you know.

And so we have this, you know, and I've realized my whole life I've just, I've battled with this longing to be Separate, to be special, to be noticed, to be valued.

Maybe that's because of some of my own issues as a child, or maybe it's growing up in this culture or whatever.

But but you know that really battles with the idea that we'd be in one accord with each other.

In that oneness there's a, there's a real sense of kind of diss, of you disappearing and and for some people that's unacceptable.

And for the longest time that was for me, but I didn't realize how much of an opposition that was to God and his desire to move in my life.

You know I could justify it as he's made us unique, where all these shining stars or whatever.

But and you are, you're beautiful and you're amazing, but but that doesn't mean that you need to have the attention, the glory, you need to have the best cars, you need to have the best stuff and acquire and you know, and, and that just drives that selfishness.

You know, I had this amazing experience with God when I was in Wales.

I was, I Was in this forest and it was that a guy told us to go to it.

It's an ancient forest, it's the oldest forest over there, and so I ancient forest I'm in, so I just was walking around and I don't know what I was looking for, but I just wasn't really satisfied.

I would just kept going it on this hike and you know, heather stayed in the car.

It was a really steep mountains, and so I was going on this hike in this ancient forest, and I was going so fast and I really felt like God told me to walk over by these two trees and take my shoes off.

So what, what happened was I started noticing in these trees that they reminded me of trees that I loved when I was a little kid, these certain trees that grew in my neighbor's yard.

They were beautiful, and as I sat there, I Started to notice that tree, that the whole base of it was covered in these mosses the most beautiful moss I had ever seen and different kinds of moss or Some almost look like succulents that you'd buy a little thing, but it was just massive and and it was growing up the, the, the, the trunk of the tree.

And then then all sudden I saw these thick vines that looked like it was almost choking the tree.

And then, and all these vines were Were, flowered out and and leaved out and were all around and all of a sudden I started noticing that I almost Couldn't notice the tree Because of all the life that the tree was supporting, and I felt, like God said this is an example of what a father is, what a, what a leader of a church is.

Well, you know for me, speaking to me, that that tree didn't need to be seen.

In fact, it was almost covered to the place that it was unrecognizable, what kind of a tree it was, but the life that it was supporting, and it was no less of a mighty tree, it was no less of a shining star, just because nobody could see it.

In fact, it was so much more to all the life it was giving.

And so I thought to myself why do I always try to pursue this stuff that will try to bring attention to me and bring Satisfaction to me, when what really counts is that we bring that kind of life to other people?

And then here I am, sitting in the Forest taking off my hiking boots you know, that takes forever to lace and it's all wet out there and I'm sitting around how I'm gonna get these shoes back on and I really felt impressed just to throw those Boots up on my shoulder and just walk out of the forest barefoot and I'm a tenderfoot, you know.

So what happened was I was like stepping on acorns and out and next thing, you know, that hike that was I was flying through.

I was walking every step so carefully and I decided every step real certainly before I took it, and it took me so much longer to walk out of the that, that ancient forest.

But every step I saw something more beautiful, because I slowed down for a minute, and I believe that God is offering something to us.

It is a different path and other people are gonna look at you and say you're crazy for taking that path.

It's crazy to take your hiking boots off on a hike.

It's crazy to let the trees speak to you, but God is in the mystical, he's in the amazing, he's in the supernatural, but we spend so much of our time consumed by that natural that we miss all the things that are around us.

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Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus has had.

This beloved is correction for me, because I do not always have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

I will confess that now and receive your forgiveness.

I don't always have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had, and this is where, when we come together, we are reminded.

This is the hope for us.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.

Instead, he gave up his divine privilege.

He took the position of a slave, was born as a human being, and when he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on the cross.

Now this verse reminds us of another verse when Jesus said I want you to pick up your cross and follow me.

I want all of you to pick up your cross and follow me.

So this is a moral imperative for us, and while we look at crucifixion and say, absolutely in his heinous, we are so glad we don't practice it anymore, what Jesus is offering us is the other way that Dennis mentioned.

It is the way of the cross.

And here's what the cross has done.

This is what he explains here in this letter to the Philippians Jesus took the privilege that he had been given and gave it away on behalf of someone else.

So what is it for us as followers of Jesus?

To take whatever privilege we have been given and leave it or give it so that somebody else can do this.

And again we see this beautiful illustration even in the time where Jesus offers communion to his brothers and sisters and he humbles himself and washes their feet because dirty feet meant you couldn't come to the table.

And Jesus said I'll remove that for you so that you can come to the table.

And so this is a lifestyle choice for us not to practice self-flagration or any kind of diminishment, but for us to say.

The moral choice is what privilege have I been given, and how do I bestow it on someone who doesn't have that privilege?

How do I look toward the flourishing of someone else?

You know, if I'm being honest, I came to Christianity because I was given some promises and it seemed like a good deal.

You know, I'm a sinner and I know that and I can exchange all that for his righteousness, and so I was in it for the deal and it was, you know, sound like it was gonna be a deal to make my life better.

And I heard a story years ago I don't know if I can do the story good service, but I'll do the best I can that there was a minister he was meeting with I think it was Bonhoeffer or somebody like that.

But he was meeting Bonhoeffer and he said you know, I've been a minister my whole life.

I was young and now I'm old and I've been following God my whole life.

I've been serving him, I've been struggling, I've been just giving and preaching, and now here I am an old person and I'm dying of a terminal disease and it's just not fair.

I can't understand where's God and why isn't he showing up for me?

And he was just waxing eloquent about his frustration.

And I think it was Bonhoeffer, but her it was said to him Tozer.

Oh, it was.

Who was it Tozer?

It was Tozer.

He goes well.

What end do you think?

Where was your Christianity leading you To?

What end did you think you were gonna?

Here's your cross.

Can I tell you something?

Can I let the cat out of the bag this morning You're all gonna die.

Yes, everyone.

And it seems like the worst thing.

But I'm wondering if maybe we're just valuing the wrong things, because when I came to Christianity I thought it's what could be added to me that was gonna make me happy.

And now I find that what's being taken away from me is making me happy.

Wrap your mind around that one.

About a year ago I said to Heather I said I just gotta sell that old convertible of mine.

And she goes.

Who are you and who's taking my husband?

And she goes.

You better think about that for a while, because you've wanted that thing for your whole life.

I just don't want to have to go out and try to get a dead battery going and just try to make some kick, some dream into existence.

Anymore.

I just those things.

They just don't bring happiness and I'm just learning these things, like awakening to something, like I was so deceived by this stuff that I was convinced it was gonna make me happy.

I was convinced it was gonna bring life.

But I'm telling you that when we pick up our cross and we embrace the death by dying to Dennis, I get God.

What?

That is not a deal even worth considering and we hang on to stuff and we hang on to this precious life, like somehow it is better and that we know better than what God has for you, and so we can trust our loved ones into God's hands and we can trust our life into and listen.

He's pride things out of and he's still prying things out of my hands, but it's this process that I believe all of us are going through and hopefully, if I can be a little bit transparent, you can see some things in your life that maybe you feel like you know pouting about or crying about, but maybe it's the best thing for us to turn loose some of these things and let God and when you offer to us that there is an invitation to die to Dennis, it is actually an invitation to die to your egoic or false self, not the true self that bears the image of the divine, not the true self that is wrapped in the beauty of the humanity that God gave us, but the ego that inflates itself and tries to preserve itself.

And this portion of the scripture is so beautiful because, again, I'm a little wound up about the James Webb, but it's like a telescope, this portion right here where Paul gives us a view of how things will be even further into the future.

Therefore, god has elevated him to the place of highest honor and given him the name, above all other names, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the Father.

What a beautiful and hopeful thought.

I mentioned this last week too, but I am suspect in this view of God that says that one day every knee will bow.

If that means to you that the authority will come in and demand that every knee will bow, I ask that you put the telescope maybe up a little further and look at who God is.

God is love.

So I ask that we would consider.

Maybe every knee will bow, because when we see love for what it is, we will swoon.

Our knees will get weak with that kind of love.

They will automatically bow and the love that will be on our lips, the name that will be on our lips, is Jesus, because we are so dearly loved.

That beloved is the hope of the world.

I mean, heather will tell you story after story.

When she met me she got weak in the knees.

But think about that, not that part, because I made that up, but just being in the presence of love how that wouldn't just make you weak in the knees.

Of course you're gonna fall and bow in that and that's what we're.

But not out of fear of punishment, out of embraced by love about knowing who we are.

That love that's too much.

I can't stand in that presence.

I just have to fall down, and that is beautiful.

And so, if we can sometimes allow God to reframe, even though scriptures that we can read, and then we hear something in them that isn't in there, that he's gonna bust in like a Gestapo, he's gonna make you worship him.

That doesn't sound like a love.

But boy, just getting to know him and I fall more in love.

Oh, what a beautiful offer.

We've had opportunity to travel, and most of it doing mission trips and stuff, and very often with people that we don't know very well, but then we meet them there and we become very close to them.

I remember one particular time we had a pile of people with us and I didn't know them all, but I knew that they were with us and we were getting on buses and we were having lunches and I knew that they were with us.

And as the mom of the group there were a lot of young people and as a person who wants to make sure everybody gets on where they're supposed to be going and where they're supposed to be, and make sure everybody gets their lunches, I had done something that I overstepped my bounds and what I had accidentally done was included about 15 people that weren't included in all of the lunches and in all of our travels.

I was just yeah, they're with us, on on, get you, get in front of me, go right ahead, get on, get on.

And the woman said to me later she goes.

While I appreciate your generosity, we haven't prepared for this many people, but I thought they were with us, so I made sure they got on and and here's what I want to tell you the Lord has no scarcity.

He has made preparations for everyone.

All of us can say, oh no, no, there's room for you.

Yes, come eat, come eat.

Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

You want to get on this bus, get on this bus, and.

And so there's an idea that that God has somehow limited resources.

He doesn't love it.

God's love is infinite.

Everyone can eat, everyone can travel, everyone can come.

And so there's this hope for us in learning what Paul is saying to the Philippians and I want to remind you, these are plural commands.

It's for the group of us, all of us.

Don't be selfish, not just you, but all of us.

We can be selfish with who we are, with what we have, with the good news that we have.

You know this idea of service, this idea of what privilege do you have and how can you share it with others.

This is what it looks like for us to hear these moral imperatives and for us to cultivate this deep wisdom, to find out what it takes in complex situations.

So I said to the woman who said to me thank you for your generosity, we don't have room for this, and I said well, what do we need to do?

How can I pay for this?

What can I do?

And she goes, no, no, it's okay, we'll, we'll make do.

And I got a little bit annoyed with that and I thought, oh, we will, will we?

It's like all along these people could have been fed and you were holding out on them, and I think for myself that same way.

Who are you holding out on?

There's enough love for everyone beloved.

Everyone comes to the table, who maybe parts of yourself you're holding out on.

Listen to the call of Christ.

Come back to yourself, to this belovedness, and let love make you weak in the knees with how much God's intention is that you would be whole and holy in his presence, by his love.

I don't know why, but I'm just inspired to share a quick story.

A few years back, Thomas worked at another church.

He was Presbyterian for a short time and he since been healed.

No, I'm just kidding.

But he had a big youth group and so he asked if he could have the Christmas party over at our house.

And so he brought his youth group 50 or so kids and then all of his youth workers and we didn't know the youth workers and they didn't know us.

We didn't know Tom's kids.

I don't think all of his youth workers knew all of the kids, so they were all.

And this several years back, and David was quite a bit littler our son Dave over there.

So what happened was the youth group was going on in our great room there and my son David wandered down and went in our pantry and decided he was going to fix himself some food.

And one of the youth workers went in there and said to him hey, you can't be in here.

We're guests in this house and you just can't go in there and start making your food.

And Dave turned around in the nicest way possible and said to the worker oh, my name's Drake, I can do anything here.

I want to, and I think about that story a lot, because God has so much for us and we have this idea.

Oh no, no, you can't have this.

Wait a minute.

If you know who you are, if you know whose family you're in because, see, dave lives at that house and that pantry is his too, and so any of the food that is at our house, if your name's Drake, you have access to that food.

If your name is Silas, you expect it to be made for you.

But it's there and God has this for you, and I and we sometimes we're the one holding ourselves back from this abundance and this offer.

It is yours, but you need to know of whose you are and what he has for us.

Amen.

Amen, dear friends, you always followed my instruction when I was with you.

You just got shorter, and now that I am away, it is even more important.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation.

Obey in God with deep reverence and fear, for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Beloved, this is such a great hope because this desire for human flourishing, for the flourishing of others, for abundance for the table God is giving us this, and then God is gonna give us the power, by the Holy Spirit, to actually do what pleases him.

And so we're not offered into this place of you, have these expectations but no way to accomplish them.

God is reminding us that God's Spirit energizes us and brings us to these places where the Spirit is made known.

He says work out your salvation, and this is not a personal salvation, because that's secure.

Jesus has already done it.

This is what does it look like for our community to know this salvation.

What does it look like for things that are wrong to be righted?

What does it look like for us to be the people of hope and for God's kingdom, the realm of love, to be established here?

You know, thomas almost had a train wreck at the beginning of service because he said hey, I wanna teach you a different prayer, and that prayer was was it, thomas, that we don't get what we want all the time, or how did you, how'd you word that exactly at the beginning of service today?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And and you know, he almost had a mutiny on his hands.

We didn't like to hear that.

You know, and, and I think you know, in the spirit of that, this verse here really offers a different prayer.

Maybe some of you are praying this, but I don't hear this as the most popular prayer in the charismatic church that that we would ask God to give us the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Our prayers are this is what I need for you to do to please me.

I mean, if we really broke down our prayers, how would they be defined?

I'm asking because this pleases me the king wants you to fan him and feed him grapes.

Who is on the throne here?

Amen, and this really is a is a call to a different kind of prayer, and so, but I don't think it's a sad day, because I believe that that's where contentment is in Christ, in God, in his will, and we find out that, oh, this is what this life was created for.

Oh, this is where this round peg finds its round hole, that where I can fit and where it all starts to make a little bit more sense, that in that place of surrender to God, amen.

And so I'd ask you to consider verse 13, becoming a prayer.

Heather always talks about crocheting it on a pillow.

We could get.

You know, I got a Harley, so we can just get a tattoo of it.

That'd be pretty cool.

Or we could just make it our prayer, for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

There's a verse from the Song of Songs and it says set me as a seal upon your heart and upon your arm that the love that we had wouldn't just be intentional, but upon our arm, a seal upon our arm, a mark upon our arm that says this is how love serves, this is how love behaves.

We are this beautiful invitation.

We're about to celebrate Holy Communion and on this World Communion Sunday, I want to talk for a moment about the table.

The table will be wide and the welcome will be wide and the arms will open wide to gather us all in and our hearts will open wide to receive and we will come as children who trust that there is enough and we will come unhindered and free and our aching will be met with bread and our sorrow will be met with wine and we will open our hands to the feast without shame and we will turn toward each other without fear and we will give up our appetite for despair and we will taste and we will know delight and we will become the bread for a hungering world and we will become the drink for those who thirst and the blessed will become the blessing and everywhere will be the feast by Jan Richards.

This morning.

I remind us that we will become the feast that the more that we come to the communion table, the more that we allow the table to change us.

We will be the bread for the hungry, we will be the wine for the thirsty and we will be the presence of love in the world.

We hope you've enjoyed this week's sermon.

If you would like more information about us, visit us online at firstlovechurchorg.