LAST SUNDAY'S SERMON NOTES
Read Peter's preaching notes....
“God Speaks: Do You Listen?”
Acts 26:9-18
10/24/21
You’re here: that’s the first step
When seeking spiritual healing, 1st step is to be where God is
or, to put yourself in places & w/ people where more likely to encounter him
spiritual brokenness = becoming disconnected from source of life
ruptures bond God desires w/ his creation, w/ those he did so much to save
Jesus calls us to remain/dwell/abide in him: John 15:4-5: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Easy to point to others who are spiritually disconnected: distracts from real focus
you’re here: they’re not: pointless to talk about them
more productive to think about selves instead: our own spiritual disconnectedness
At times, desire to be connected w/ Jesus: branches yearning for vine, but can’t find
Ps 77:1-3: groaning for God, unable to be comforted until find him
one suggestion: ask self: in past, what have I done, where have I been, who was I with
when knew connected w/ God?
do that, go there, be w/ those people
like looking for something you’ve lost: go back to where knew had it last
if lost keys, retrace steps from that day
return to where you have encountered God before & look for him there
But disconnection from God more than a feeling: Xnity is a practical, lived faith
as Jesus put it, when connected to him, will bear fruit
ie will be a difference in your life: what you do, how you do it, who you do it w/
When consider spiritual brokenness, & how God can heal, Paul is great example
problem for him (suspect many of us): didn’t recognize his disconnectedness
in fact, considered himself to be as tight w/ God as anyone could possibly be
read his spiritual pedigree to Philippians (3:4-6)
able to check every box in his spiritual checklist
was going like gangbusters for God
Only problem: was going in wrong direction: made it his mission in life to quash church
hell-bent on hunting down everyone claiming Jesus as Messiah, preaching his rez
didn’t just go after in local area: authorization to chase down in other cities
something w/in him that sparked passion to be so devoted to cause of destroying Xnity
suspect because God was nudging him to spread good news he was trying to silence
good chance Paul not even aware that was what was happening w/in him
often, more strident we become about issue, more likely hits close to home
fighting world around you the battle going on inside of you
calls us to produce apples: rather grow oranges, peaches: anything but what God wants
the harder we run from God, the stronger his call is on us: exert a lot of energy to resist
Paul “obsessed” w/ persecuting Xns
better trans “to be filled with such anger that one appears to be mad”
when your reaction is disproportionate to situation, good chance you’re resisting God
May know exactly what God wants us to do: we just don’t want to do it!
run opposite direction: God says go east, we go west: what Jonah did
knew exactly what God wanted him to do: preach repentance in capital city of enemy
Jonah refused: God’s call didn’t line up w/ what thought was right
hopped on boat to go as far away as possible
when cut selves off from God’s desire for us: knowingly like Jonah, unknowing like Paul,
disconnect selves from him: become branch no longer connected to the vine
Think we know better than God: want to live life on our terms, what we think is best
to dwell in X = submitting to will: requires abandoning own idea of what’s best for lives
following what we believe is best is what has gotten us into this mess in 1st place!
to make room for God to work in our lives, must 1st reel in overinflated sense of self
if spirits too full of selves, might open door (Rev 5), but no room for X to come in
hear frustration in Ps 95: “If only your would hear him!”
God prefers to guide lovingly & gently: quiet voice, soft touch to move in his direction
Hosea: God wants to allure/woo back: out of wilderness/desert back into his vineyards
but we resist: stubborn, resistant, or sometimes downright stupid
so he has to employ harsher measures: speak louder, poke bit harder to get our attn
like trying to wake someone up: start w/ quiet “good morning” & tap on shoulder
eventually shouting in ear, pushing until whole bed is rocking
When Jesus spoke to Paul, different image: not waking up from sleep, but driving cattle
“it is hard for you to kick against the goads”
goad = cattle prod: stick/whip/crop to smack animal to move in right direction
often a gentle tap or nudge all it takes, if animal easy to guide
but if obstinate takes quite a bit more
we’re like cattle farmer trying to guide out to pasture: fresh air, luscious grass
but we like it in the barn, thank you very much: don’t want to go out
what’s farmer going to do? give up & just let me stay in dirty stall w/ no food?
no! whatever it takes to get to move: not because mean: wants what’s best for cow
reason why electric cattle prod invented
God loves us too much to let us ignore guidance: keep nudging & pushing until respond
took a giant fish for Jonah, blinding light for Paul to get them finally to comply
for Jonah to preach his word to Nineveh, for Paul become witness to nations
what is it in your life that God wants you to do, that you are resisting?
path of service, change of attitude or activity?
willing to make space in life so can hear him?
he loves you too much to let you ignore him: will keep pushing & calling, harder & louder
Acts 26:9-18
10/24/21
You’re here: that’s the first step
When seeking spiritual healing, 1st step is to be where God is
or, to put yourself in places & w/ people where more likely to encounter him
spiritual brokenness = becoming disconnected from source of life
ruptures bond God desires w/ his creation, w/ those he did so much to save
Jesus calls us to remain/dwell/abide in him: John 15:4-5: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Easy to point to others who are spiritually disconnected: distracts from real focus
you’re here: they’re not: pointless to talk about them
more productive to think about selves instead: our own spiritual disconnectedness
At times, desire to be connected w/ Jesus: branches yearning for vine, but can’t find
Ps 77:1-3: groaning for God, unable to be comforted until find him
one suggestion: ask self: in past, what have I done, where have I been, who was I with
when knew connected w/ God?
do that, go there, be w/ those people
like looking for something you’ve lost: go back to where knew had it last
if lost keys, retrace steps from that day
return to where you have encountered God before & look for him there
But disconnection from God more than a feeling: Xnity is a practical, lived faith
as Jesus put it, when connected to him, will bear fruit
ie will be a difference in your life: what you do, how you do it, who you do it w/
When consider spiritual brokenness, & how God can heal, Paul is great example
problem for him (suspect many of us): didn’t recognize his disconnectedness
in fact, considered himself to be as tight w/ God as anyone could possibly be
read his spiritual pedigree to Philippians (3:4-6)
able to check every box in his spiritual checklist
was going like gangbusters for God
Only problem: was going in wrong direction: made it his mission in life to quash church
hell-bent on hunting down everyone claiming Jesus as Messiah, preaching his rez
didn’t just go after in local area: authorization to chase down in other cities
something w/in him that sparked passion to be so devoted to cause of destroying Xnity
suspect because God was nudging him to spread good news he was trying to silence
good chance Paul not even aware that was what was happening w/in him
often, more strident we become about issue, more likely hits close to home
fighting world around you the battle going on inside of you
calls us to produce apples: rather grow oranges, peaches: anything but what God wants
the harder we run from God, the stronger his call is on us: exert a lot of energy to resist
Paul “obsessed” w/ persecuting Xns
better trans “to be filled with such anger that one appears to be mad”
when your reaction is disproportionate to situation, good chance you’re resisting God
May know exactly what God wants us to do: we just don’t want to do it!
run opposite direction: God says go east, we go west: what Jonah did
knew exactly what God wanted him to do: preach repentance in capital city of enemy
Jonah refused: God’s call didn’t line up w/ what thought was right
hopped on boat to go as far away as possible
when cut selves off from God’s desire for us: knowingly like Jonah, unknowing like Paul,
disconnect selves from him: become branch no longer connected to the vine
Think we know better than God: want to live life on our terms, what we think is best
to dwell in X = submitting to will: requires abandoning own idea of what’s best for lives
following what we believe is best is what has gotten us into this mess in 1st place!
to make room for God to work in our lives, must 1st reel in overinflated sense of self
if spirits too full of selves, might open door (Rev 5), but no room for X to come in
hear frustration in Ps 95: “If only your would hear him!”
God prefers to guide lovingly & gently: quiet voice, soft touch to move in his direction
Hosea: God wants to allure/woo back: out of wilderness/desert back into his vineyards
but we resist: stubborn, resistant, or sometimes downright stupid
so he has to employ harsher measures: speak louder, poke bit harder to get our attn
like trying to wake someone up: start w/ quiet “good morning” & tap on shoulder
eventually shouting in ear, pushing until whole bed is rocking
When Jesus spoke to Paul, different image: not waking up from sleep, but driving cattle
“it is hard for you to kick against the goads”
goad = cattle prod: stick/whip/crop to smack animal to move in right direction
often a gentle tap or nudge all it takes, if animal easy to guide
but if obstinate takes quite a bit more
we’re like cattle farmer trying to guide out to pasture: fresh air, luscious grass
but we like it in the barn, thank you very much: don’t want to go out
what’s farmer going to do? give up & just let me stay in dirty stall w/ no food?
no! whatever it takes to get to move: not because mean: wants what’s best for cow
reason why electric cattle prod invented
God loves us too much to let us ignore guidance: keep nudging & pushing until respond
took a giant fish for Jonah, blinding light for Paul to get them finally to comply
for Jonah to preach his word to Nineveh, for Paul become witness to nations
what is it in your life that God wants you to do, that you are resisting?
path of service, change of attitude or activity?
willing to make space in life so can hear him?
he loves you too much to let you ignore him: will keep pushing & calling, harder & louder
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com