Transcription downloaded from https://services.pcumc.org/sermons/27479/acceptance/. Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions. Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt. [0:00] There Your Xu.arez If15 15 I ultimately 17 10 12 I 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 26 36 13 13 16 16 17 17 17 20 Thank you. [1:00] Thank you. [1:30] On the back, you can put prayer concerns, blessings, or notes to the staff and place in the offering plate. Enjoy the service! Good morning. [1:41] This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day. [1:56] This is the day. That the Lord has made. That the Lord has made. Let us rejoice. Let us rejoice. [2:08] And be glad in it. And be glad in it. This is the day. That the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. [2:23] This is the day. This is the day. That the Lord has made. Shall we pray? [2:34] Dear God in heaven, please pour a special blessing into this place. To fill our hearts. To touch our souls. To empower our songs and all that we are and all that we do. [2:45] That we might experience you in this place. For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'd like to invite you, if you're able, to stand as we sing together, Christ for the world we sing. [2:56] Christ for the world we sing. [3:20] The world to Christ we bring. With loving zeal. The poor and them that mourn. [3:30] The faint and overboard. Sin, sick, and sorrow, mourn. Whom Christ does heal. Christ for the world we sing. [3:45] The world to Christ we bring. With one accord. With us the world we sing. [3:56] With us the world to share. With us the world to share. With us the world to share. Christ for the world we sing. [4:09] The world to Christ we bring. With one accord. With us the world to share. [4:20] With us the world to share. With us the world to share.اه ären it. With us the world to share. With us the world to share. With us the Lord to share. With us the world to share.ischen. The Lord be with you. [4:59] I'm also with you. Please be seated. Hi, I'm Cheryl Lepsch. I am the clothing room coordinator at the Buffalo VA Hospital. [5:12] And this clothing room supplies our sick and injured veterans with items that they need. I am here to give you a little bit of an insight on what we do here in volunteer services at the VA Hospital. [5:29] This is a clothing room. And a lot of our patients will come in in the middle of the night. They don't have anything but boxers on. And obviously, we can't let them leave without dignity. [5:41] So this room that you see, we have shirts. These racks usually hold all sweatshirts. But this year, we are low on sweatshirts. That's all we have. [5:52] We supply socks, underwear, t-shirts, personal care items, the toothpaste, toothbrushes, all the things that you have been collecting for us for months, we're so appreciative of. [6:03] Our shelves are getting extremely low. Any financial donations that we get. We personally have a tax exempt to go out to Walmart and purchase these sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts and underwear, shorts in the summer. [6:23] And this year, we're in extreme need of coats. We normally hand out approximately 300 coats. So anything that you could do to help us would be greatly appreciated. [6:34] And I'd like to thank you for your support in the past and your future support. It's greatly appreciated by our veterans. Amen. Good morning, church. [6:46] Please, your attention to the clipboards. There are a number of things that, some things the church is doing and some things that you can volunteer to help with. Also, check out on your way out the door the Ministry Connection site and see if there's a clipboard out there that's speaking to you about what you, what God would be having you do in service. [7:05] We do want to honor our veterans this morning. It is a blessing to know that folks have put their lives on the line so that we can have nice things and a safe place to be and a safe place to worship. [7:19] Amen. Do we have any veterans in the house today? Would you stand for us so we can recognize you? Because we're blessed. We are blessed. Thank you so much for your service. [7:33] We are blessed. Amen. Amen. Amen. Do we have any other praises of the people this morning that you'd like to shout out? Yes. Yes. [7:44] Ariel made it through her lung procedure very well. Amen. Ariel made it through her lung procedure well. This is a praise report. What else do we have that we're praising God for this day? Yes. [7:57] Granddaughter turning one-year-old. What a blessing. And it is a blessing to be able to celebrate with all of our families what's going on with our family. What else do we have this morning? Yes. Yes. You could read this because I don't have a mic, but it's more of a prayer and a praise. [8:14] Is this for later? Is this for when we, the other thing we're doing? Is this for the other thing we're doing? Okay. Then hang on. Yes. Yes. Amen. [8:47] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [8:59] So thanks for neighbors, for first responders, for our church family responding and being the church. Amen. Amen. Any others this morning? Well with all of these thanksgivings and praises, let's continue in our worship as we bring our gifts, tithes, and offerings before the Lord. [9:16] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. [9:28] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. [10:07] Thank you. [10:37] Thank you. [11:07] Thank you. [11:37] Thank you. [12:07] Thank you. [12:37] Thank you. [13:07] Thank you. Thank you. [13:39] In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Please be seated. And I'd like to invite Leslie Wagner to come up and share a word with us. Thank you. [13:56] I'd like to just share with you a concern that we have the Congregational Care Committee and your grief support group has been very concerned that with all of the things that have been happening in the world, the floods and the hurricanes and the shootings, that this may be a very difficult time for people who have already experienced loss and just for Christians in general who just don't know what to do or especially at this time of the year with the holidays coming up feel very burdened. [14:27] So please pray for the upcoming event this Thursday evening at 7. You're all welcome to come. We've planned something very special in way of a memorial, candlelight service, and an acknowledgement of just the things that make it heavy on our hearts. [14:47] And we recognize that at this time of the year it's hard for people that are grieving to begin with, but I think we all are grieving the losses that so many face right now. [14:59] So please pray that those in need will join us and for a time to spiritually refresh in preparation for the most wonderful gift in the world, Jesus Christ. [15:11] Thank you. Amen. Thank you, Leslie. And we have some prayer needs that need to be lifted up this morning. The family of Bob Schroeder who died earlier this week, we want to lift them up. [15:25] Ed Simpson is experiencing health concerns. And as June mentioned earlier, Gene Smith took a bad fall, but he's home recuperating and has had lots of support from the church and the community. [15:39] Are there other concerns to be brought up this morning? All right, well, I know that you have concerns in your heart whether we are speaking them aloud or just lifting them up before God in our hearts. [15:54] Let's turn to the Lord in prayer, either in your seats or join me at the rail. Let's pray. [16:28] Lord, Lord, we ask that you would be with those people who are sick and infirm, who are in need of a healing touch from you. [16:40] Be with them and bless them. Be with their caregivers, Lord. Help them to have hearts of compassion and patience to be able to deal with those healing needs that are in this community. [16:56] Father, we pray in Jesus' name for those who are grieving losses. Oh, Lord. How their hearts are missing the ones who have gone on before them. [17:13] We just ask that you would bring them comfort and peace. Envelop them by your Spirit with your arms of love and help them to know your great mercy. [17:28] Father, we pray for all of our veterans. We ask, Lord, in Jesus' name that you would uphold them, that you would protect them, that you would strengthen them, that you would send help for those who have no homes, for those who are hungry, Lord God, for those who are cold, for those who, even though they may be in warm houses with all the physical things that they need, are dealing with difficulties, who have troubling memories, who are just having trouble getting through life, Lord. [18:09] We pray for you to comfort them, help them, draw them to yourself. Let them know that you are there and that you love them dearly. [18:20] Be with their families, Lord God, as they sometimes struggle too. Lord God, help us to be a light in dark places, to be a comfort where comfort is needed, to bring joy and peace into the hearts and lives of the people we meet. [18:43] Help us to bring a word prompted by your Spirit that's just for them, that they know that it's God who's meeting their needs. [18:57] Be with us this day as we worship, Lord God. Allow your word and the music and the time of hearing the message from Pastor Tom to be that which transforms us, makes us more like Jesus, draws us to desire to become more like Christ. [19:18] help us to surrender ourselves, Lord, so that we can be closer to you. Bless our worship. [19:32] Bless the word coming from Pastor Tom. And let all of our worship bless you, Lord God. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. [19:45] Shall we hear from the word of the Lord? Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good morning. [20:11] Our scripture reading this morning is from the book of Acts, chapter 11, and verses 1 through 18. The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. [20:26] So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them. Starting with the beginning, Peter told them the whole story. [20:41] I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheep being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. [20:54] I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds. Then I heard a voice telling me, Get up, Peter. [21:05] Kill and eat. I replied, Surely not, Lord. Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth. The voice spoke from heaven a second time. [21:17] Do not call anything impure that God has made clean. This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. Right then, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. [21:31] The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, Send to Joppa for Simon, who was called Peter. [21:48] He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved. As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said. [22:02] John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So if God gave them the same gift he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way? [22:17] When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, So then, even to Gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life. [22:28] This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Thank you, Jan. I read a speech one time by a military general where he said, In the military they bleed green. [22:44] What they mean by that is that they don't see the differences, they see what draws them together. Today is Veterans Day when we honor what the people in the military have done for our country, and usually we think in terms of what they've done in fighting the wars, but in many ways what they've done to bring us together as a nation and to look aside from the differences and beyond them and see what the purpose of mission is, is one of their most powerful contributions. [23:14] It's hard to look past differences. There's a story in the Bible about a little guy named Zacchaeus. They said he was short, so short that when Jesus was coming through his town, he couldn't see Jesus, so he climbed up in a tree to see Jesus. [23:28] See this grown man in a tree. It was actually a wealthy man. Here he is up in a tree, embarrassing himself. Jesus stops and looks at him. Probably made his heart sink. He said, Zacchaeus, come down. [23:39] We're going to your house for dinner. I like that. That means I could say to any of you, hey, we're going to your house for dinner today, right? And so they went to his house. And when they get to the house, the people, the good people of the town, are muttering, I can't believe that Jesus is here with this sinner. [23:57] Now, honestly, it never says that Zacchaeus is any more a sinner than anybody else. He's a tax collector, which means he worked for the Romans, and the Romans were considered kind of an occupying force, and he was wealthy. [24:10] And I think mostly they didn't like that he was wealthy, and especially a little short guy after all. And so they called him a sinner. He said that he was going to give away half of his wealth to the poor. [24:25] That if anybody had been cheated by him, he'd repay it four times over. Not exactly the actions of a bad guy. But the very appearance he gave sent a message louder than anything we read in the Bible. [24:43] That happens a lot. Have you ever felt that you didn't belong somewhere? You ever walk in a group of people into a room where you feel like, you know, you just don't fit there? [24:56] I think most of us have had that feeling, right? When I went to seminary, I learned right away I didn't belong there. As soon as I got there, they decided that I was from some backwaters, and I was ignorant, and I was not very well versed in the world. [25:14] And mostly it was because I wore white socks. For those of you who only come Sunday, you know, once a week I wear black socks or colored socks. I'm allergic to the dyes. Twice I've had this infection that causes me to be unable to walk for two weeks and be in incredible pain. [25:31] And I'll tell you what, just because you want me to wear colored socks, I'm not doing it, you know? So I wear white socks. But the fact that I wear white socks demonstrated to them immediately that I didn't belong to them. [25:45] We might not be aware of it, but most people that go to seminary come from the middle class or the upper class. That makes sense. Who has the money to go to eight years of schooling? It takes a little bit of coin to be able to do that. [25:59] And so by and large, most of the people come from the middle class, and I found out I didn't quite fit. I was a little too loud. I wasn't quite the right person for that setting. [26:11] You see, I was raised in a bilingual household. My mother was middle class and my father was working class. Now, you would say that's not really any different, right? [26:22] But if you think there's no difference, you've never walked in the other world. My father talked like this. My mother talked like this. My father acted out physically. [26:37] Because in the working class world, you show physically how you feel. So you walk like you mean it. My mother had manners. [26:49] So for my father, I knew how to bowl my way into a room. And for my mother, I learned which fork to use when I got there. I'm bilingual. There's differences in our culture, and there are times when we feel as if somehow we have not fit in. [27:11] Driving while black is real. If you happen to be a person of color and you're in a white neighborhood, believe me, you will be watched by the police. You'll be watched in the stores. [27:23] You'll be reacted to differently. And even though we like to pretend it's not true, women don't have the same advantages as men in this world. [27:36] In my profession, I'll say it's clearly true. The number of women that are accepted as senior pastors of large churches, you could count on one hand. [27:49] It's true. My wife's a pastor. I know that. The world is not meant for people who are too short, too old, too young, too wide, who don't fit the image that we have of what we're supposed to be. [28:06] We make boundaries in our culture that lately are starting to separate us out more and more and divide us into our own little enclaves and our little bubbles where we get in echo chambers and listen to only what we already believe. [28:25] Do you know what the most trusted institution in the United States is? Anybody know? It's not Congress. You knew that. Right? It's not the media. It's not business. [28:38] It's not even the church anymore. We used to be. It's the military. The guys with the guns are the most trusted people in our culture. [28:51] Actually, the church shooting in Texas, one of the biggest shocks for people in America was not that it was at a church, was that it was somebody that actually had something to do with the military because we've decided they're the most trusted institution. [29:06] And why not the church? Well, because the church also sometimes draws boundaries that divide. It's a part of who we are. Peter broke a rule and they called him the headquarters. [29:20] It was a scandal. He was actually associating with the wrong people. You know the people I mean, right? The people that if they came in and sat down next to you in church, you'd say, ooh, move over a seat or two. [29:33] Like what happened when I came dressed wrong to Easter service a couple years ago. He broke the rules and the boundaries, believe me, they have a purpose. [29:44] They're necessary. If we believe everything and if we accept everything, then we really believe nothing and we stand for nothing. They keep us safe. They keep us in the place where God wants us to be. [29:58] But he also said, if God gave them the gift that he gave us and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ who was I to think I could stand in God's ways. [30:11] Boundaries are necessary. Rules keep us safe. But sometimes we need to recognize what God is doing as well. Peter was given a vision. The sheet was let down from heaven and there were all kinds of animals in it and a voice from heaven said, Peter, get up, kill, and eat. [30:31] He said, no, Lord, this bacon smells good, but I'm not touching it. I know I'm supposed to eat kosher. This is what changed the kosher rules, by the way, right here in this passage. That's what most people know this passage about. [30:42] But it wasn't about kosher eating or anything like it. Peter said, is this a test? Really? You're just pushing me to do something I know I'm not supposed to do. [30:56] What would you do if God asked you to do something you knew was wrong? I want you to think about that. What would you do if you knew that God was speaking to you, but it was something you knew you shouldn't do? Wouldn't that freak you out? [31:09] It would freak me out, but that's exactly what happened to Peter. I don't get it. I don't understand. It must be wrong. [31:20] God must have made a mistake because I can't get my head around it. Right? Religion draws boundaries. It's part of what we do. [31:32] It's our job. Otherwise, we won't know how to define ourselves. There has to be something. We've got a whole book of rules as Methodists to tell us why we're Methodists and not Baptists or Presbyterians or anything else in the world. [31:48] But God draws souls. God can do what we can't even imagine. When they heard Peter talk, they said, then even the Gentiles, even those crummy Gentiles, which, by the way, most of us are Gentiles. [32:05] I don't know if you knew that. Even the Gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life because God can do what we can't even imagine. Have you ever watched America's Got Talent? [32:17] You know, I love that show for two reasons. One, because you see some really weird things. I saw a guy blow a bubble and step into it. Now that's weird, right? [32:28] And two, because they show the bad acts. So you really never know what's coming because the people can be really, really bad or really, really good and you're just not sure. [32:39] And sometimes you can't tell by even looking at them. Hello. How are you? I'm good. How are you? I'm nervous. Very good. Don't be nervous. Thank you. What's your name? My name is Christian Guardino. [32:51] And Christian, how old are you? I'm 16 years old. Okay. Tell me, tell me who you're here with, Christian. My mom's here with me. Okay. What do your school friends say about you coming on the show? [33:01] I only told, like, a few people, like, my very best friend. Your very best friend. Yeah. Okay. Are you a singer? Yeah. And tell me when you first started singing, Christian. Um, I've been singing for as long as I can remember. [33:14] Okay. I have a good feeling about you. Uh, we've got rid of the nerves now. We've got to know each other, right? Yes, sir. Okay. Simon, not sir. Sorry, Simon. Okay, Christian, best of luck. [33:25] Thank you. Thank you. [34:05] I sit around with my head hanging down And I wonder who's loving you Life without love is also holy I don't think, I don't think I'm gonna make it Who's loving you I wonder Who's loving you Thank you so much. [34:59] Christian, I need 10 seconds here because I've actually, I don't know what to say right now. [35:14] I mean, what just happened? What just happened? When he walked out there the first time and I actually saw this on live TV and I thought, what? [35:26] Where'd that come from? That guy doesn't look like he could sing like that. Right? Because see, we do this. We have an idea of what people can and can't be and God has other ideas because God can make a place for everyone. [35:45] And God has something he expects of everyone and God wants us to expect the unexpected. You know that passage, John 3, 16, where it says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever, whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [36:06] We focus on everything in that verse except for the whoever. Whoever! You want to know who God is interested in? Whoever! Everyone! [36:18] Anyone! People we wouldn't imagine God wants to bring everyone to his grace. So God sent an angel to a Roman centurion. [36:29] I mean, really, I want you to think about it. He's an occupying soldier. He's a bloodthirsty killer. You don't become a centurion in the Roman army unless you kill a lot of folk. [36:43] He commands a hundred soldiers. He is the definition in this culture of a bad guy. And God sent him an angel so that he would be saved. [36:58] Jesus said, Zachariah, salvation has come to your household. Not you other mumbling people over there. Peter. Oh, Peter. [37:09] The bumbling, fumbling fisherman who gets up and says things without thinking. If you read Peter, I love Peter because Peter makes me feel like I'm okay, you know? He's all the time opening up his mouth or stepping out or doing stuff where you're going, dude, don't do it, don't do it. [37:24] But he does. And God loves him anyways. I grew up in a church in this area. And we really only sort of fit. [37:40] I went there all my life. But I remember like it was yesterday, we went to a men's group meeting and my father sat me down before we went and he said, now, Tommy, you don't talk much. [37:52] What you got to understand is these people are golf and we're football. These people are martinis and we're beer. So we don't talk a lot about much of anything when we come here. [38:03] Just keep your head low and you'll be okay. Kind of a fascinating situation. My wife fit in like a hand in a glove because if you haven't met my wife, she's the epitome of class. [38:18] Maybe not quite so much. We actually got invited to a wine and cheese tasting party by the pastor. So we went. I brought my big bottle of Yacobazzi Lambrusco. [38:32] You know. It's what I like most. And a big hunk of extra sharp cheddar cheese from Tops. And when I got there, I realized my bottle was bigger than four of them put together. [38:43] And the cheese, I didn't even know what that stuff was. I put it on the table and I slinked over into the corner and just figured, keep your head low, Tom. [38:56] Until another guy walked in with a bottle of Rianiti Lambrusco, put it on the table with his hunk of mozzarella cheese and said, that's my man right over there. Now they were a loving church. [39:09] They never really treated me bad. But when I went to coffee art, it was hard to find the people that I could actually talk to in that crowd of people. But God made a place for me. [39:25] And God made a place for you. No matter who you are, where you come from, what you've been, what you've done, what you look like, how much money you have, how much money you don't have, what you do for a living, where you've been, where you grew up, and whether you know to walk on the outside when a lady walks down the street or not, God makes a place for all of us. [39:49] In our church, we say we have open hearts, open minds, and open doors. Because the grace of God is for everyone. And the idea is we're trying to learn how the experience of God changes the way we love people. [40:04] And we need to learn how to love people. But of course, to do that, we also need to learn how to experience God. You see, because rules, religion, only can change the outsized. [40:17] And God isn't looking for just an outside change. He's looking for a full, total, complete change of who and what we are. And that comes from the inside out. [40:29] I did grow up in the church. But what I realized about a lot of church people is a lot of church people know all about religion and don't know God at all. And so it's been a part of my ministry all my life to try and introduce Jesus to people who've been worshiping Him all their lives. [40:47] To try and help people who know all about the rules but don't know anything about God. Pete had a vision. Cornelius had an angel. [40:58] They all prayed and had the Holy Spirit working with them. They experienced God and so they changed their whole outlook on life. This shooting down in Texas was awful. [41:13] It was tragic. Our trustees have actually been meeting for some months with law enforcement to say, what could we do to be safer? But I'll tell you, everything we could change, every rule we could change, both in our church and in our nation, will not be as powerful as if we change the hearts and souls of the people in this country to God. [41:35] Honestly, if we have people who change from hate and anger and division to love and hope and possibilities, can't you see how different it would be? [41:49] Because we're moving towards a civil war. Now I'm not trying to proclaim any politics. I'm just telling you, we're fighting. We're fighting everywhere and all we see is differences and all God wants to see is people. [42:05] Some things change, some remain the same. Seminary professor said that to me. He said, the real question in life is which are which and why? Why? [42:17] And how do we know when something needs to change? Well, God will make it very clear if we listen. Peter was about three. Three times he denied Jesus. Three times he had to confess Jesus. [42:29] How many times did the vision appear to Peter? Three. And immediately, how many men came to see Peter? You see, God knows how to talk to what we can hear. [42:42] He saw a vision. The Holy Spirit confirmed it. He said six other believers agreed with him. And an angel showed up. [42:55] It's an amazing thing what God can reveal to us if we open our hearts and open our minds. Isn't that why you came to church this morning? I hope you didn't come to see what I might do. [43:06] I hope you didn't come just because you wanted to sing a song or because you just wanted to see your friends. I hope you didn't come because you had nothing else to do this morning. I hope you came here to experience the living, almighty, wonderful God. [43:24] And you know, so we're going to do something a little different. I'm going to have you pray. Right now. For a couple minutes. I know it'll freak you out because I'm not going to say anything. [43:36] And I don't want you to say anything either. We already did that praying to God. I want you just to listen. Can you take two minutes to listen to God? [43:46] Amen. Amen. [44:39] I know that wasn't two minutes but some of you are already freaking out. [45:07] being quiet in church. It's just hard to do, isn't it? Just actually sitting and listening for what God has to say. God wants to open up your heart and pour His Spirit into it so that it will change not just who you are with Him but change how you love other people. [45:35] in the King James Version of 2 Kings it says to us when He had departed thence He lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet Him and He saluted Him and said to Him Is Thine heart right as my heart is with Thy heart? [45:52] Jehonadab answered It is. If it be give me Thine hand and He gave Him His hand. from this the one who founded our communion John Wesley said if your heart is like my heart if you have the same Spirit in your heart that I have in mine then extend me the hand of fellowship and let's not make these little differences amongst us divide us. [46:23] God wants us to trust really trust the Holy Spirit. who do we think we are that we could stand in the way of God Peter says because little by little God reveals to us His truth. [46:44] The military is one of the most enlightened organizations we have in our culture isn't that interesting? I actually I have a house out at Silver Lake it was built by Colonel Patchen Pond you all know him right? [46:55] I didn't know anything about him until we read up on him and we found out he started the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester which was kind of neat and then we discovered that he was the commander of the first colored cavalry unit in the Civil War. [47:08] Well that's really kind of cool you know until you realize that the reason he was commander of the first colored cavalry unit is because they didn't trust any of the people in that unit to lead them themselves. [47:21] Well the military has learned and grown since then and that's the same with all of us isn't it? The truth is as I go through life I realize more and more what's wrong with me anybody else have this problem? [47:36] You know I used to think I was pretty bad and I had to learn what was wrong with me and fix it but every time I fix something God gives me about two months to figure that out and enjoy it and then he shows me something else that's wrong with me and when he does I go really seriously dude I didn't know that but God is intending to lead us all to the same place there's no one that fits or doesn't fit there's no one that's good or not good enough don't call anything impure that God has made clean I'm a wasp anybody know what that means? [48:14] White Anglo Saxon Protestant and I'm a male by the way have I been discriminated against? Yes I have but I gotta tell you the truth my clan rules the world so even though sometimes I notice the little things that people pick on me about I also know that I'm the one that's gotta watch out the most about what I'm doing who I am how I act towards other people because we can find ourselves not loving and not even knowing it Zacchaeus every sermon I've ever heard on him in every church I've ever gone to everywhere I hear I've preached they say the same thing they say he was a dirty rotten sinner who found Jesus and I'm thinking it doesn't say that he's just a short guy who couldn't see Jesus who gave away most his money he's not a bad guy but they're determined to make him out to be a bad guy I guess it makes us feel good if we can point somebody else back and don't get me started on Mary Magdalene who was not a prostitute and really the only thing wrong with Mary Magdalene is she had some mental problems which God [49:19] God cleared up when Jesus healed her okay that's it she was wonderful wealthy kind and loving woman that has been disparaged throughout history why I don't I don't know God calls us to find his grace in verse 12 it says the spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them our ministry is to share the love with everyone with everyone and add in the power of the Holy Spirit to this world the soldier believed in an angel did get what God wanted him to and it says that the Holy Spirit poured out on them a baptism of the Holy Spirit so powerful that people could see it people could feel it people knew it was different and that's what God is calling us to be people is people who appear different completely because of the way we are what we are and whose we are amen and God is calling us to be so baptized in the Holy Spirit that it's obvious and how do you know how do you know which ones are which do they show love joy peace patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness gentleness you know the last one don't you self-control you could have said them with me you know that made me feel so lonely up here if we start exhibiting those attributes it will change the world [50:52] I wonder who's loving you now I'll tell you who is Jesus is then centurion was changed Peter was open to hearing the word of God and that word that message of salvation changed him changed a soldier changed their culture and brought the faith to you and me forever turn along where worked I don't know how you have no let's never know how are you I'm finding myself at a loss for words [52:05] And the funny thing is, it's okay The last thing I need is to be heard But to hear what you would say Word of God speak Would you pour down my grave Washing my eyes to see Your majesty Please still unknow the door in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak Finding myself in the midst of you [53:12] Beyond the music Beyond the noise And all that I need Is to be with you And in the quiet Hear your voice Word of God speak Would you pour down my grave Washing my eyes to see Your majesty To be still and know That you're in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak Would you pour down my grave Would you pour down my grave Washing my eyes to see Your majesty [54:13] Your majesty To be still and know To be still and know That you're in this place Please let me stay and rest In your holiness Word of God speak Word of God speak Word of God speak Word of God speak God Scout Gold of God be Word of God Jesus Moist Yam με Abdul easily Dinxio Mozambique Are you anything Is to be the beloved This one Glen meet you in this place? [55:14] I see you face to face. Will you show me? Reveal yourself to me because of your mercy. [55:32] I fall down on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me. [55:44] Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Caught up in the wonder of your touch. Here in this moment I surrender to your love. [56:00] Caught up in the wonder of your love. You're everywhere I go. [56:11] I am not alone. You call me as your own. To know you and me alone. [56:24] You are holy. And I'll hold out on my knees. And I can feel your presence here with me. [56:40] Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Caught up in the wonder of your love. Here in this moment I surrender to your love. [56:55] I surrender to your grace. I surrender to your love. [57:07] I surrender to your love. I surrender to the one who took my place. I can feel your presence here with me. [57:18] Suddenly I'm lost within your love. Suddenly I'm lost within your beauty. Caught up in the wonder of your touch. Here in this moment I surrender to your love. [57:35] Now I've got to tell you the truth. [57:50] The whole point of the Christian faith is not that we're going to get it right. It's that we do mess up. Each and every one of us. It's not those people over there that are doing something wrong. It's us. [58:01] Don't worry about fixing everybody else. Fix you. And then see how other people start to react to that. And the way we do that is we come to God and we say, I messed up. Fix me. Help me to be better. [58:12] That's what God is calling us for. Not to be perfect, but to be forgiven. Let's pray to God, shall we? Dear God in heaven, I have sinned again and again. [58:26] Forgive me, Lord. You know what's wrong with me. And so do I. Teach me, Lord. Guide me. Guide me. [58:36] To be more loving. To be what you want me to be. To be what you want me to be. In Jesus' name we pray. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. [58:48] God is so amazing. That he decided to forgive you before you even asked. He decided to love you in spite of the fact that you're you. And I'm me. [58:59] In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. Glory to God. Amen. And as forgiven children of God, let's greet one another with the peace of the Spirit. [59:11] Amen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. memang has forgiven. [59:23] Thank you. Thank you. This is Goducker. Thank you. Amen. Thank you. [59:33] It's your name. Let's lift me. Amen. A thousand times I fail Till your mercy remains And should I stumble again Still I'm caught in your grace Everlasting Your light will shine When all else fades Everending Your glory goes beyond all fame Your will above all else [60:43] My purpose remains Out of losing myself In bringing you praise Everlasting Your light will shine When all else fades Everending Your glory goes beyond all fame My heart and my soul I give you control Consume me from the inside out Lord, let justice and praise Become my embrace To love you from the inside out Everlasting Your light will shine When all else fades Everending Your glory goes beyond all fame And the cry of my heart Is to bring you praise [61:46] From the inside out Lord, my soul Cries out From the inside out Lord, my soul Cries out To you, Lord Amen Amen Amen And this is the place We come We come to the table To remember To remember the place Where Jesus broke All the barriers There is no reason That anyone Who is seeking God Cannot Come to God And be reconciled To relationship with God It happens at the table It happens in our hearts It happens when we come together So come to the table This morning Everyone is welcome [62:46] If you love God Repent of your sin And seek to live in peace As a disciple Of Jesus Christ You are welcome to come To walk through The place where the barrier Was broken So that you can approach God In an amazing and wonderful way Come to the table this morning The Lord be with you Lift up your hearts Lift up your hearts Lift up your hearts Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks To the Lord our God It is right and a good And joyful thing Always and everywhere To give thanks to you Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth By your appointment The seasons come and go You bring forth bread From the earth And create the fruit of the vine You formed us In your image And made us stewards Of your world Earth has yielded Its treasure And from your hand [63:47] We have received Blessing on blessing And so with your people On earth And all the company Of heaven We praise your name And join their Unending hymn Holy Holy Holy Lord God of power And might Heaven and earth Are full of your glory Hosanna in the highest Blessed is he Who comes In the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Holy are you And blessed is your son Jesus Christ Though he was rich Yet for our sake He became poor When hungry And tempted He refused To make bread For himself That he might be The bread of life For others When the multitudes Were hungry He fed them He broke bread With the outcast But drove the greedy From the temple By the baptism Of his suffering Death and resurrection You gave birth To your church Delivered us from slavery To sin and death And made with us [64:47] A new covenant By water and the spirit On the night In which he gave himself Up for us He took bread And he gave thanks To you He broke the bread And gave it To his disciples He said Take and eat This is my body Which is given For you Do this in remembrance Of me And when the supper Was over He took the cup He gave you thanks And praise And gave it to his disciples He said Drink from this All of you This is the cup Of my blood The blood Of the new cup Poured out for you Poured out for many For the forgiveness Of sin Do this as often As you drink it In remembrance Of me And so In remembrance Of these Your mighty acts In Jesus Christ We offer ourselves In praise And thanksgiving As a holy [65:47] And living sacrifice In union With Christ's offering For us As we proclaim The mystery Of faith Christ has died Christ is risen Christ will come again Pour out your Holy Spirit On us gathered here And on these gifts Of bread and wine Make them be for us The body and blood Of Christ That we may be For the world The body of Christ Redeemed by his blood By your spirit Make us One with Christ One with each other And one in ministry To all the world Until Christ comes In final victory And we feast At his heavenly banquet Through your son Jesus Christ With the Holy Spirit In your holy church All honor and glory Is yours Almighty Father Now and forever Amen Shall we pray together The prayer Jesus taught us Our Father [66:47] Who 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 Who trespass against us And lead us not Into temptation But deliver us From evil For thine is The kingdom And the power And the glory Forever and ever Amen Will those who are serving Please come forward This morning To make sneaker [67:48] Lord To make this Welcome To make zaog Thank you. [68:22] Thank you. [68:52] Thank you. [69:22] Come and join us with the Lord. Thank you. [70:22] Thank you. [70:52] Thank you. [71:22] Thank you. [71:52] Thank you. [72:22] Thank you. [72:52] Thank you. [73:22] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. [73:58] Thank you. Thank you. [74:32] Thank you. Thank you.