Worship Service – February 13, 2022

Jeremiah 17:5-10

(5) This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord .

(6) He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.

(7) “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

(8) He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

(9) The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

(10) “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”

Luke 6:12-26

(12) One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. (13) When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: (14) Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, (15) Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, (16) Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

(17) He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, (18) who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, (19) and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. (20) Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

(21) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

(22) Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.

(23) “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

(24) “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.

(25) Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

(26) Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.

This is the word of God, for the people of God. Thanks be to God.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, just in case any of you men need something to panic about. Just a friendly reminder for any procrastinators who might be here or reading or listening to my message today.

Tomorrow’s big day reminded me of an article that came out last year about candy hearts. You know those candy hearts that are bright pink and orange and yellow, and they have sappy sayings stamped onto them, “Kiss Me,” “Hot Stuff,” “Be Mine,” etc. It said that the original candy hearts with sayings on them, were first called “conversation hearts”. Today we know them as “Sweetheart candies”. They were created in the 1860s. By 2019, about 8 billion Sweethearts candy hearts were sold each year, with most of those sold in the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Anyway there original name “conversation hearts”, combined with our scripture readings today, got me thinking that we needed to have ,”A Heart to Heart Conversation”, hence the title of my message today.

I believe most people fall into three camps when it comes to Valentine’s Day. There are the folks who love it, plan for it, spend lots of money for it. Then there are the folks who shrug it off. Just another day of the year. And finally, there are those who roll their eyes at it. They hate the idea of a made-up holiday that promotes romance and shopping.

However, it’s a shame that we don’t celebrate love every day of the year. It’s too easy to take our loved ones for granted. No matter which of the three camps you fall into, I hope you take some time every day to notice and appreciate the people who love you.

I read another article that I thought was especially appropriate for Valentine’s Day. One of the most famous landmarks in the world is the statue of Jesus with outstretched arms that overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It’s called “Christ the Redeemer,” and it stands 125 feet tall. It has inspired many visitors to that city. Also in Brazil there is an organization that is funding an even bigger Jesus statue in their town. The “Christ the Protector” statue and it will stand 141 feet tall—16 feet taller than the statue in the capitol city.

One unique feature of the “Christ the Protector” statue is that there will be a lookout room with wide windows installed at about the height of the Jesus statue’s heart. Did you catch that? Wide windows installed at about the height of the Jesus statue’s heart. An elevator will transport tourists up to this spot so they can see views of the city below from Jesus’ heart. Can you imagine what the view would be like from Jesus’ heart?

That’s the goal of the Christian life, isn’t it? To continually grow in our ability to view life through Jesus’ heart. It changes our perspective entirely when we realize that the purpose of our life is not our own fulfillment and happiness.

The purpose of our life is to live as Jesus lived. That means sharing God’s love with others. The purpose of our life is to do, the good works God created us to do. The purpose of our life is to represent Jesus’ character, mission and message to the world. And you thought buying the right Valentine’s present was difficult!

Today’s Bible passages are appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Because both readings are in their essence,”A Heart to Heart Conversation” between God and the ones he loves. We understand that, “A Heart to Heart Conversation” is normally a confidential, intimate conversation. Were two people are opening their hearts to each other. In fact it often refers to a conversation in which one is warning or reproaching the other out of love and concern for their well being.

Jeremiah records for us “A Heart to Heart Conversation“ between God and His Chosen People. “Blessed is the man who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”(17:7) ”I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.”(17:10) Because of God’s love for His Chosen People, he warns them. “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord” (17:5), and “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”(17:9).

In the gospel of Luke 6:20-49 we find Luke’s version of the Sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5-7. Many scholars refer to this as the, Sermon on the Plain. In the NIV we read that it was the sermon on a level place. Perhaps a plateau, which would satisfy both this context and that in Matthew. Although this sermon is much shorter than the one in Matthew they both begin with the Beatitudes and end with the lesson of the builders. But there are some differences.

In Matthew, the Beatitudes serve as the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. There are nine Beatitudes in the Gospel of Matthew. In Luke, the Beatitudes are the preface to what is called the Sermon on the Plain. There are only four. Not only does Luke have less than half the Beatitudes that Matthew has, but Luke’s Beatitudes are much more demanding. Matthew lists the Beatitudes, then he stops, and goes on to something else. Luke lists the four Beatitudes, then he continues with four “Woes”. Much like the reading in Jeremiah, Luke also gives us the warnings. Which makes it more like a heart to heart conversation than a sermon.

So as I prepared for today’s heart to heart conversation, the readings from Jeremiah and Luke prompted me to ask first and foremost. What is your view of God? Do you view him as the scowling judge waiting to convict you? The disapproving parent whose love you have to earn? Because your view of God’s heart affects every decision and relationship in your life.

I’m reminded of a story told about a five-year-old child who approached her mother one day in the kitchen and asked, “Mom, is God a grown-up or a parent?” Her mom was a little puzzled by the question. “I’m not sure what you mean,” she said. “Is there a difference between a grown-up and a parent?” “Oh yes,” her five-year-old answered quickly. “Grown-ups love you when you are good and parents love you anyway.” I know this sounds trite to some of you, but have you ever really come to appreciate the wonder of God’s unconditional love? I dare say that there are some people hearing or reading this who don’t really believe in unconditional love. You have never received it, and you have never given it. Some of you are still trying to earn your way to heaven. And you are expecting others to earn their way as well.

In the Gospel according to Luke we know that Jesus’ teachings come from a place of grace—pure, unmerited, unconditional love. Even his toughest teachings, the ones that make us squirm, the ones that offend us, the ones that challenge our worldview, come from a place of unconditional love. Jesus’ words might seem challenging, even harsh, in this passage. But what if we were to view these words through Jesus’ heart? Would that change how we respond to them?

Before we understand this passage, we need to look at who Jesus was speaking to. Verse 12 tells us that Jesus went out on the mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. He was having a heart to heart conversation with his father. And then when morning came, he called his disciples to him and had a heart to heart conversation with them and chose 12 of them, and designated them as apostles. Verse 17 tells us; “He went down with them and stood on a level place.”

So here, Jesus is teaching with the 12 apostles and a large crowd of his disciples, who came along. Also there was a great number of people from all over Judea, and even from the Gentile towns of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus was popular! His ministry would be the envy of any pastor in our day, right up until the time they crucified him.

Anyway, in the midst of all this excitement, Jesus turns and starts to have a heat to heart conversation, directed surprisingly to his disciples, probably looking at the 12 he had just designated as apostles.

He said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”

Why do you think Jesus direct these words specifically toward his disciples? What did he want them—and us—to know?

Today, I would like to have a heart to heart conversation with all of you. I don’t know if this ‘Sermon on the Plain” was recorded or written based on the “Sermon on the Mount” recorded in Matthew. Because some of Matthew’s Sermon is found in other portions of Luke, suggesting that the material may have been given on various occasions in Jesus preaching.

But let me suggest that the first thing Jesus was telling them was don’t judge your life by your current circumstances. Write that down. It’s important. Don’t judge your life by your current circumstances!

Don’t set your heart on the things of this world. That’s not what you were made for. If you’re healthy, wealthy, popular and powerful now. Good for you. But don’t base your happiness, self-worth or security on these things. Or, perhaps you are poor, grieving, unpopular or persecuted right now. God be with you. But don’t base your attitude or your self-worth on these things. Your circumstances don’t define you. Whether your circumstances drive you closer to God or further from God is what’s important.

Remember, when Jesus had this heart-to-heart conversation with his disciples, Jesus’ renown was growing. Crowds of people follow him wherever he goes. They hang on his every word. They go home and tell their friends and family about him. But Jesus didn’t let his popularity go to his head. And he didn’t want his disciples to think that following him was a great way to reap earthly rewards. In fact, the opposite was true.

It’s so easy to let the good things in life—good health, happy relationships, social acceptance, status symbols, become the foundation for our attitude, our worldview, even our identity. But these pleasures, rather than drawing us closer to God, often drive us further from God.

The second thing Jesus was telling them was God is working in your most painful circumstances. That’s the perspective we gain if we view our painful circumstances through Jesus’ heart. If we search for what God is teaching us in our circumstances, if we rely on God’s power to sustain us in our circumstances, if we open ourselves up to receiving God’s mercy in our most painful times, like a beggar holding out his hands, then we will eventually see God at work in our most painful circumstances.

John Irving, the best-selling author and screenwriter, begins every new novel by writing the last line of the book first. Once he has captured the last line of the book, he is ready to begin telling the story. Because he already knows the ending, he is fully in control of the rest of the story.

That’s the secret Jesus tried to teach his disciples too. He already knows the ending to the story. He already knows that he will die to reconcile us to God and give us eternal life. He already knows that God has a kingdom prepared for those who love Him. And he already knows that every painful circumstance we face in this life can be used to draw us closer to God’s heart and God’s will and God’s purposes, if we will only let it. That’s the second thing Jesus was telling us in this passage.

And the final thing Jesus was telling them was to find their fulfillment, their happiness, their purpose in living for him. There are many ways and places in this world you can seek fulfillment and purpose. But there is only one place you can truly find it.

Do you remember that old gospel song that’s titled, “This world is not my home.” If we view the world through Jesus’ heart, this world is not your home. You were made for eternal life with God, living in a world ruled by God’s values, God’s priorities. Think now, what happens when worlds collide? What happens when you live the values and priorities of God’s world in this world? You won’t fit in. Your habits and your lifestyle will look different to your family, your friends, your neighbors. People will question you. Perhaps talk about you. Reject you.

The disciples didn’t know it yet, but Jesus was calling them to make the ultimate sacrifice, to eventually die for the sake of following him. And he is calling us to do the same. Even if we never lay down our lives for Jesus, we are called to sacrifice our own priorities and values and will, and replace them with the priorities and values and will of God.

We can find happiness in chasing success, health, wealth, status, comfort, security. But we will never find fulfillment or our God-given purpose in those things. God made us to find our purpose, our life in living for Him. It’s not going to be easy. Jesus was very clear about that. So don’t set your heart on the things of this world. Set your heart on knowing God, and living in God’s will, and you will discover the life that God made you for, a life that is both abundant and eternal in its blessings.

Have you ever had “A Heart to Heart conversation with God? His love for you is unconditional. He sent his son Jesus, to die on the cross that you might have eternal life.

Here’s a few verses of scripture to help you in your “Heart to Heart Conversation” with God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord , “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

In His Service,

Pastor Joe

Listen to Audio: Sermon 20220213

Listen To Audio: Service 02132022

Prayer of Confession:    Heavenly Father, we confess that we come to this day of resurrection as imperfect people. Although we may have faith, we also carry doubts and apprehensions. Just as Jesus’s disciples were unsure of his presence with them, we are unsure of your presence with us. We go out into a world of demands without the full confidence that you are our guide and our sustainer, and we are too often motivated by our own shortcomings and anxieties than by your grace and love. Forgive us and help us to see your Holy Spirit’s work in all things. We pray these things in the name of Jesus, who returned to his disciples despite their own faults, and we ask that you hear us as we continue our confession in silence…

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4.  If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at570-267-4570 (cell) or Email: joe.s.travis@gmail.com

Loose change goes to General Fund

Sunday School starts at 8:30am

Choir practice will be on Thursday at 1:00! Please come a join us in singing praises to Jesus! 

Souper Bowl of Caring, ends today.

Men’s Breakfast Wednesday, February 16th at 8:00 A.M.

Session Meeting Saturday, February 19th at 9:00 A.M.

Newsletter Deadline – Tuesday, March 1st, 2022.

Listen to WPEL 96.5 for church cancellation if your internet is down during a storm this winter.