CMLC 2025-05-11 Sermon

Howdy. So a question that I want you all to have

in your mind today is the idea of who are you

united with? And for the English teachers, please

forgive the preposition at the end. But you see,

today, we are celebrating Mother's Day. And in

many ways, what we see with that is how much

we have needed and leaned on and turned to our

mothers, the ones that we trust, the ones who

take care of bandaging up our wounds and telling

us that everything will be okay when somebody

breaks our heart, or occasionally telling dad

jokes and making us wonder why they've betrayed

us. I'm like, Mom, those are my dad's jokes.

Don't, no, I need some safe place. Help me out

here. But... The thing about our mothers, though,

is to know that it's not just them by themselves,

but also this question of who is it that our

mothers are united with as well? Because our

mothers are also the ones that we hope and pray

will be leading us to know God more fully, more

deeply. Because today, we're asking this question

of who it is that we are united with. As an example,

I have to be honest is that there have been different

times when if I've been united with this group

or that group, I've sometimes been more or less

proud to admit it. There was one job where any

time that I would introduce myself to people

and they would find out who my boss was, I almost

immediately had to say, I'm very sorry, I'm much

nicer than he is. And to the point where even

to this day, years later, if they introduce me

to people, they will also say, he used to work

for so -and -so, but don't worry, he's cool.

But then there was also a time I was teaching

at this one school, and as I was there, and I

would tell people that I was a teacher, and then

I'd start introducing my school, and they would

see and know... what type of a school it was

where children would be staying there and would

have all of these focuses on mentorship and personal

growth and making sure that different families

were provided for. And I was proud of it. I loved

being able to tell people that I was working

there. Because the distinction is this idea of

who are we united with? But sometimes we might

also see the same thing among maybe our relatives

and the like. See, I have a relatively large

family, but there might be this one aunt or uncle

of mine where, as I would see them interacting,

it was sort of like we'd say, oh, hey, is there

more of this to drink or more of that to eat?

And my aunt would say, did your uncle ask that?

And we'd be like, oh, no, we were just hoping

for some of it. And then she's like, oh, OK,

then I'll go grab that for you. And then realizing

that as soon as she found out that it was my

uncle who wanted it, she was like, well, he can

go get it for himself. You know that difference,

that one couple where you're like, it really

doesn't matter what comes up. But because it

came from the other spouse, they're just going

to already have an issue with it. But then I

have this other aunt and uncle where it did not

matter what came up. if they found out that the

other one had already made a decision, then they

already agreed with it. That difference there.

Because we have to ask about this idea of unity

among people. This idea of with whom are we united?

See, the thing is that oftentimes what we're

doing is that we're measuring what we do or don't

go along with based off of the people themselves.

we look at this question of whether we attack

or support because of who we're seeing. But we

can oftentimes ask this question of why that

we do that. Well, it turns out that one of the

things we've seen, there was a study especially

four years ago, but it's come up several times

before and after, is this idea that oftentimes

we base our perception not on what we can test,

or see, but rather on what we feel. Whatever

it is that we feel determines which direction

we want to go. And especially looking at which

people that we're focused on. Now, at the time

when Jesus is there, you notice at the beginning

it says that it was the time for the festival

of dedication. There's another term for this,

it's the festival of lights. Hint, hint. Anybody

know which holiday that we're referring to? Hanukkah.

So what we see here is that it's winter time

and Jesus is in the Colonnade of Solomon because

it's cold. I mean, he's not outside the way he

might normally be. But when we see this season,

we see that they are celebrating what happened

almost two centuries previous. is that at a time

whenever the people of Israel had been overwhelmed,

overcome by the Greek Empire, then they were

looking for someone to save them. See, what we

end up seeing is that Antiochus Epiphanes IV

had come along and had completely desecrated

their temple. He had burned pigs on the altar.

That may not sound like a big deal to us as we

go out today and maybe celebrate with sausage

and pork ribs with our mom, but for them, sacrificing

a pig was the most unclean thing you could do.

And not only that, but they put other idols in

the temple. Well, Judas Maccabeus had come along

and led a revolt, and they ended up pushing out

all of the Greek invaders. And so what ends up

happening is, they go and they cleanse the temple.

They get rid of all the idols. They have to actually

replace that particular altar. You have to put

on these new stones and the like. But also to

cleanse everything with purified water. But the

difficulty was that they were also supposed to

be having oil in the menorah, the lamp stand.

come to find out is that as much as they needed

to spend eight days purifying the temple, they

only had enough of the special oil for one day.

But the miracle of Hanukkah is that somehow,

by the grace of God, it lasted for all eight.

Now, knowing this though, is that the people

at the time are remembering this strong military

leader. This person who had taken back the land.

What was it that they were expecting when Jesus

comes along? They want somebody who is strong

and will push out the Romans. But what do we

end up seeing with Jesus? See, here's the thing

about this, is that the very fact that the Greeks

and the Romans were coming and dominating their

land already proved that things had shifted.

Instead of believing that land in an area belonged

to a particular deity or religion, instead people

realize now that it was more about who was there

and whom it was they were worshiping. It was

less about the land and it was now more about

the people. But then we end up seeing Jesus come

along. And what is it that we end up seeing about

Jesus? Well, the thing about Jesus is that Jesus,

time and time again, emphasizes and shows that

He is united with the Father. He is united with

God the Father, and He is showing it with not

only everything He does, but also with everything

that He says. Time and time again is that He

keeps pointing people back to the spirit of truth

and of wisdom, to bring people back to focusing

on worshipping God on the inside, not just on

the outside. To bring people to a place of restoration.

That He's able to heal in ways that nobody else

was able to heal. And it's so doing to say, even

as you have been healed, go rededicate yourself

to God. And then even looking at the parts where

He's going out and bringing grace and mercy.

And that was something that people desperately

needed from God. But the thing about this is

that even though He was unified with the Father

in being and in purpose, the people still didn't

want to hear it. And they end up trying to use

His words against them. You know what that's

like, right? Whenever there's that one person

and no matter what they say, it's always going

to be wrong. And you can end up having one person

saying something, and it's completely wrong,

and then somebody else says the exact same thing,

and it's totally okay. And you're just kind of

like, wait a minute, what's going on here? The

thing is that even though Jesus was being pointed

to as the Son of God, and they're saying, tell

us, are you the Christ? It really was not something

where His words were truly meant to be heretical

if they were actually looking for the true Messiah.

See, the thing is that we know, and Jesus would

later on in that chapter point out, hey, Psalm

82, it says that people will be gods or sons

of the Most High as they come into authority.

The term itself doesn't necessarily have to be

this terrible thing. Or even knowing the Christ

who is to come is the Son of God. But the problem

that was truly there was they just didn't want

it to be him. Not this guy. Not this guy. We

wanted someone who ended up puffing up and promoting

our goals and our purposes. Not this guy. He's

off doing his own thing. And the problem is that

he keeps doing it well. But the difficulty then

is that even as He is one with the Father, all

of those who follow Him are one with God as well.

Isn't it so true that whenever we see somebody

doing well, succeeding, and maybe in many times

even going in the right direction, and it's almost

like we want to look for reasons to be upset

with them? You know, the times whenever you're

like, why don't they like me? Ah, they're just

jealous of you. Oh yeah, they just can't stand

you because you're so great, you're so awesome.

I see that on Facebook all the time. I need to

post that more often, right? But when we see

this though, is that unfortunately it brings

out the worst in these particular religious leaders.

Because the truth is, is that it ends up showing

what is truly on the inside. They're not interested

in being united with God the Father because if

they were and they saw Jesus They would realize

that he is bringing them to the Father Because

that's the thing about those who follow Christ

is even as time and time again. He says They

were given to me by the Father But that's oftentimes

what we end up seeing in our struggles and unity

with the church as well. See, if we're spending

all of our time looking for unity with one another

just for its own sake, then we end up missing

the point. How often it is that we're trying

to figure out how we can be closer to the people

we worship with, closer to the people that we

want to make happy. The times whenever I remember

going through discussions at the seminary and

with other churches and this whole thing where

time and time again people might say well why

don't we do things this way if it works so well

and there'd be like this one person or this one

group that's like well we can't do it that way

and so then nobody wants to change things up

because you don't want to upset this one group.

But we end up seeing it not just in little individual

congregations, but even oftentimes what we end

up seeing throughout our world is that we can

oftentimes be so focused on making sure we sound

like, we act like, we work well with other Christians

that we sometimes get distracted in asking, yes,

but am I being united closer Christ. Because

whenever we're spending all of our time just

trying to make sure that we're getting along

well with others, but we forget who we were united

with in the first place, then we still end up

breaking and losing track. See, whenever we ask

these questions of who we're meant to be, then

we end up asking what are our true intentions.

Because what's funny is that We can be very much

in agreement with other people, but then the

things we do and say reveal what's in our hearts.

And even though we may sound like the other Christians,

who we are, betrays what's truly happening inside.

But when we're getting back to what God's purposes

are, and not ours, He's the one who changes our

intentions. Because that's the thing about Jesus.

Did Jesus say some things that were pretty extreme?

Absolutely. But the more you ask what God wanted

of you, it ends up drawing you even closer to

Jesus himself. And that's the hard part. Is that

where we are, at any point in time, it must always

be about Jesus himself. It cannot be about trying

to make sure that we look or act whatever we

think is Christian. It must always be a question

of is what we say and do more and more like Christ.

And as much as we wish that that distinction

were not there, the only way to truly bring the

church back to where we need to be is by continuing

to be unified with Christ. When we end up seeing

that a part of our community is going through

an illness, and instead of just saying, oh well,

that's really sad to hear, but instead make every

effort to be there with them, to care for them,

to provide what may be needed, because we know

that's exactly who Christ is. Or whenever we

realize that We're trying our best to do something

good and beautiful, and we realize that maybe

we have different ideas in our mind about what

that should be like. And instead of saying, which

one of us is going to win, and instead saying,

how is it that together we can do this in Christ's

name? Or even beyond that? Is even looking to

say, the words that come from my mouth, and the

emotions that come from my heart, are they being

led and guided by Christ instead of just by my

own desire? See, that's the thing about this

is that unity is not truly unity unless it's

unity in Christ. Because as much as we might

want to cling to other people, that's not the

kind of bond. that's unbreakable. As much as

we may be glad when we find others who agree

with us, it completely misses the point. Because

in reality, the true unity that brings life from

the Father, the true unity of life in the Spirit,

is only when we are united with Christ. Because

Jesus was united with us in our death. Jesus

was united in giving up everything for us. But

in so doing, He also united us with Him in His

new life. So wherever we may be, whatever in

our mind we may be thinking that we are pursuing,

if our unity completely misses being connected

in Christ, and we cannot point to Christ in what

we say and do, then it means we've missed the

point. So my hope and prayer for each one of

you, but also for everything we are here in this

place, is that we would continue to ask, is this

united with Christ? Because if it's not, let's

let it go. And let's go back and say, what is

Christ uniting with us to be and to do as children

of God? Thanks be to God.