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Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (Sept. 17) Athens First UMC

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[It’s hard to believe but the photo above was taken exactly one year ago. It was our first worship service in Fellowship Hall due to the sanctuary renovations. We worshipped in this space for twenty-one Sundays which took us into February. Yesterday, it was in this same space that our children assembled 114 hurricane relief hygiene kits during our Sunday School hour. See photo below.]


Gracious and heavenly King, thank you for forgiving us our trespasses as we have forgiven those who have trespassed against us. Remind us that your grace is like currency and is meant to be received and shared with others.

Thank you for the currency of grace and love that flows through this church family in so many wonderful ways; like through our children and youth Sunday School classes who assembled 100 hygiene kits to help with the Texas and Florida hurricane relief; like through those who prepared and served a wonderful chicken and noodles meal at our Monday Lunch outreach, like through our prayer team who prayed over several prayer needs this past Tuesday morning, like through our dedicated Growing Tree pre-school teachers who provide a safe and loving space for our children to learn and grow, and like through those who blessed us with their inspiring testimonies during last Sunday’s worship services on what it means to them to have a loving, learning, and living faith.

Gracious King, thank you for the positive energy and movement of your Holy Spirit that is flowing freely through this place. Thank you for teaching us as a church that the more we allow your love to flow through us, the more that we are able to see your kingdom made evident here on earth, and right here in our Athens community.

May your freeing love that is present in this place continue to flow freely beyond these church walls to the homebound who are unable to be here in church today, to the people in the south who have lost their homes and their belongings from the hurricanes, and to the children in Honduras where Sophie Mather from our church is serving in mission work this fall.

Whenever we see your cross, may it remind us of the incredible debt you paid on our behalf by sending us Jesus Christ. Thank you that 1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4 Given.

It is in his name that we pray together saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”



[Hurricane relief hygiene supplies waiting to be put into bags by our Sunday School children yesterday in church. Following Sunday School, Martha Sloan invited the children to bless these 114 hygiene kits during worship. In addition to these kits, we also dedicated 75 school supply bags, and thanked God for the $3,800 that our church raised that will all be given toward hurricane relief efforts. Way to go, church!]

Nikos | Sermon (September 17) by Rev. Robert McDowell "But Who’s Counting?"

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     How many of you like math? Great, two of you! That’s a lot more than I thought.

      For some reason, there aren’t a lot of us who enjoy math all that much. Math can be frustrating.

     Here’s a little math trivia. Do you know how to make seven an even number? You just remove the letter, “s.” That will make it “even” just by doing that.

     Why shouldn’t you do math in the jungle? Because if you add 4 plus 4, you get ate!

     Why is 6 afraid of seven? Anybody know? Because seven eight nine!

     Where do two math teachers go on vacation? Times Square.

     I know, I know. I’ll keep my day job.

     Today’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew requires a test of our math skills. And that math problem is, “How many times should I forgive someone who has hurt me?”

     This is the question that one of the disciples asked Jesus. It’s a math question. How many times should I forgive someone who has hurt me?

     Actually, it’s not that difficult of a math problem because Peter already knows the answer to his own question. In biblical times, you were expected to forgive someone up to three times. Everybody knew that.

     Forgiving somebody for something they did to you was seen as a very noble thing. To forgive somebody two times, was seen as the gracious thing to do. And to forgive someone three times was viewed as being very generous. To forgive somebody that many times meant that you were going way above and beyond in being a very gracious and forgiving person.

     Notice that when Peter answers his own question about how many times somebody should forgive, he goes with a totally different number. He throws out the number seven. Wow, seven is more than double what the answer should have been.

     You got to hand it to Peter. He has been paying attention to what Jesus has been teaching. He knows that forgiveness is central to who Jesus is. He remembers that Jesus has already taught them to love their enemies and to pray for those who persecute them. He heard Jesus say that if someone wants you to walk one mile, you should go the extra mile.

     By going with the number, “seven,” Peter is thinking that this will show Jesus that he is one of his brightest students. Peter could have gone with an answer of four or five to prove his point, but he want all the way up to seven times. To Peter’s credit, he did expand the commonly held idea of forgiveness by 133 percent.

     Peter thought he got his own math problem right, but actually, he was still way off from the right answer. Jesus responds by saying, “Not just seven times, but rather as many as seventy-seven times.”

     It wasn’t that Peter wasn’t on the right track. He was.  I think Jesus was aware of this. It’s just that Jesus wanted Peter to see that forgiveness is not bound by arithmetic. Forgiveness is not an exercise of crunching some numbers in your head. Forgiveness is about the heart. We are to forgive others freely from our heart.

     And then Jesus drives his point home by offering us this parable about a man who was in debt. He owed a ridiculous amount of money to a king who wanted to settle his accounts.  One bible commentary I read suggested that the amount owed was probably equivalent to around 150 thousand years of wages. Sometimes, Jesus likes to use wild numbers like this just to get our attention.

     The king demands to be paid immediately or he will sell this man’s family and all his possessions. The man pleads for the king to be patient. Out of pity, the king forgives him of the mammoth debt that was owed to him.

     Can you believe it? The king forgave this man of 150 thousand years of wages! What would you do if you were that man? Kiss the king’s ring? Go home and write him a thank you note? Volunteer to polish his crown everyday for the rest of your life?

     You would be so relieved, that you would probably do something to show your gratitude to the King for freeing you from your debt. But what does this man in the parable do? Immediately after he leaves the King’s palace, the same King that forgave him of that ridiculous amount of money he owed, he runs into a friend of his who owed him some money.

     His friend owed him what was equivalent of half a year of wages.  Now, for sure, that would be a sizable amount of money, but compared to the millions of dollars that he had just been forgiven, it was small change.

     You would think that out of gratitude for what the King had just done for him, he would have been gracious toward this man, but that’s not what happens. Instead, he demands that this guy pay up immediately.

     This man pleads with him to have patience, just like he had done a few minutes earlier with the king who had forgiven him for his debt. We’re thinking that this man who has just experienced the largest bail out ever will reciprocate and pass it on, but he doesn’t. Instead, he throws this man into prison until he pays every penny that is owed him.

     As we hear this story, we are in disbelief that this man would do such a thing even though he was this close to never seeing the light of day. How can someone who has received so much grace, turn around and not offer some of that same grace to somebody else?

     Evidently, this man doesn’t understand the concept of “pay it forward.” Paying it forward means that we share the gifts we have received with others. Paying it forward means that when it comes to living graciously, sometimes we just need to throw math out the window.

     Eric Law is an Episcopal Priest and he has written the book, Holy Currencies. His book is based on four fundamental assumptions about life and faith:

#1 – God owns everything. #2 – God gives abundantly. #3 – We are not to keep God’s resources; we are to circulate these resources. And #4 – God’s blessings are then recycled to create more blessings.

     In his book, he says that the word we often use for money is the word, “currency.” Currency is a word that literally means to run or to flow.  That’s why we this word refers to electricity. Electricity has movement. In other words, money is not meant to be stagnant. It’s meant to move in such a way that it will not only bless you and me, but it will also be a blessing to others. That’s how our economy is supposed to work.

     The problem is when we become like the man in the parable who received so much but was unwilling to share even a small fraction of what he received with his friend who was in need of a helping hand.

      Eric Law’s parents started a music school in Hong Kong in the 1960s which has continued to this day in New York City with the same business model – a sustainable business that never makes much money, but has helped their family to make a lot of friends and has provided livelihood for many people over the years.

     Eric’s father started out as a furniture maker and he assembled pianos. His mother noticed early on that it was very expensive for a child to learn to play the piano especially if a family had to buy the piano and also pay for the lessons.

     She also noticed that children didn’t have a lot of places to go after school and that their parents didn’t have a lot of time in their busy schedules.  This is when they decided to build soundproofed rooms in their apartment and they put a piano in each room and hired teachers to offer piano lessons.

     The parents were charged a very modest amount each month and in exchange, the students received a thirty-minute lesson each week and they were allowed to practice there five times a week.

     The fee that they collected was shared with the teachers. Even though, their company never made a lot of money, it ended up creating jobs for piano tuners and other workers. Eric says that this is why his parents’ business is still going strong to this day. Their business is designed to be a blessing for others.

     This idea of money needing to flow and to not become stagnant is what Jesus is talking about in our Gospel reading this morning. The king’s generosity in forgiving the man’s large debt saved him and his family from going to prison and it helped him to get a fresh start. Just as this act of grace was set into motion, it ended abruptly by the man who was on the receiving end.

     The man who had received a huge blessing from the king was unwilling to forgive the smaller debt of his friend. He didn’t understand that generosity is meant to be shared with others. He didn’t understand the meaning of currency.

     If this is true of money, it’s also true of forgiveness. Forgiveness is like currency. It’s meant to be offered and shared again and again and again. The problem becomes when we treat forgiveness like we do a math problem. We put a numerical value on God’s grace. That’s why Jesus told Peter, “Not seven times, but seven times seventy. That’s how many times you’re supposed to forgive.”

     Of course, we all know that forgiving someone is easier said than done. We might want to offer forgiveness once, twice, or even seven times, but the painful memory of past hurts can become too strong to overcome.

     Maybe this is the whole point of Jesus’ parable. Instead of focusing on the past hurts, maybe we should focus instead on the graciousness of the king. Maybe we should focus on how God, the king of kings has been unbelievably gracious toward us.

     In a matter of minutes, the man who had been forgiven millions of dollars had already forgotten the King’s graciousness. He was only focusing on what was owed to him. He forgot that forgiveness is meant to be a way of life and something to be shared with others.

     Think of forgiveness like the breath you take in any given moment. Your lungs can only breathe in so much air in one breath. At some point, we need to exhale. Just think how silly we would all look if we walked around trying to hold in the breath we just took. We’d all have great big puffy cheeks and we wouldn’t survive if we tried to do that.

     Breathing works so much better when we breathe in and when we breathe out. When we breathe in God’s grace and forgiveness in our lives, we are to also breathe out God’s grace and forgiveness. God’s forgiveness is meant to be shared.

     This past Thursday was Holy Cross Day. It’s always observed on September 14. It’s a day for us to give thanks for what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross for the sins of the world. It’s a day to be grateful. It’s a day to celebrate God’s love for the world.

     The cross is the ultimate symbol of forgiveness. It reminds us that God went to great lengths to free us from our debt of sin. God didn’t just forgive us seven times. God forgave us seven times seventy times.

     I’m glad that Jesus doesn’t count up to a certain number of times that he will forgive us and then say to us, “OK, I reached my limit. You’ve sinned one too many times.” Jesus knows that we are as dependent on forgiveness as we are on needing to take our next breath.

     When we think more about the cross than we do the past memories of how we have been hurt by others, we are able to be forgiving and gracious people. But when we turn forgiveness into a math problem, we’ll end up with an answer that doesn’t even come close to how much God has forgiven us.

     Since we’re talking about math problems, I want to see if you know the answer to this math question. A church member came up to me one Sunday morning and handed me a little note that had this math problem on it. I think this sums up what we’re talking about today. It said, “1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.”

     It’s when we focus on the cross and what God did for us through Jesus Christ, that we are then able to forgive others and yes, even ourselves.

     When we focus on the cross, and receive God’s amazing grace, we might be surprised to discover that we in turn can forgive others not just once, or twice, or three times, or who knows, even as many as seventy-seven times or seventy-eight times, or seventy-nine times, or how about even eighty times?

     But, who’s counting?

     There is no end. There is no end. There is no end to God’s eternal and forgiving love.

     Thanks be to God!


But Who’s Counting
Small Group Questions

Matthew 18:21-35
September 17, 2017

1       Our Gospel reading is on the topic of forgiveness and how many times we should forgive somebody. For some people, once is asking a lot. Peter offers the gracious response of seven times. Jesus counters with the unbelievably high number of 77 times!

      This scripture reminds us that forgiveness is a touchy topic. Why do we struggle with offering forgiveness?

    Jesus often used parables to illustrate what it means to be part of his kingdom. He tells about a king who forgave someone of what was equivalent of 150,000 years of wages. This man who was now forgiven of his debt ran into somebody who owed him a small fraction of what he had just been forgiven by the King. Instead of showing mercy like he had received, he demanded to be paid. 

     What does this parable tell us about who God is (our King) and what does it reveal about who we are?

     Jesus showed us the extreme nature of God’s forgiving love through his interactions with those who were considered outcasts, through his teachings to love our enemies, and through his suffering and death on the cross for the sake of the world.

    Where have you experienced God’s forgiving love? What helps you to remember to offer God’s forgiving love toward others?

     Pastor Robert ended his sermon by offering a math question. The math question is 1 cross  + 3 nails = 4 given. This fun little spiritual math equation reminds us that if we want to be  more forgiving in our lives, the cross is the place to turn because it reminds us of the graciousness of God our King.

      As a small group, find some time to stand in the glass welcome center of our church and face toward the cross that hangs above the altar. Notice how our newly remodeled sanctuary draws your eyes toward the cross and invites you to enter the sanctuary. Walk up the center aisle and offer prayers thanking God for his forgiving and saving love.

      

    

I   




Nikos | Sermon (September 10) "A Loving, Learning, & Living Faith"

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Sermon IntroductionRev. Robert McDowellA Loving Faith TestimonyRon Kozma        A little over a year and a half ago, before I started attending church here, I was passing by Athens First on my daily walk early on a Monday morni…

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (Sept. 3/Labor Day Weekend) – Athens First UMC

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[For our monthly Athens First Saturday outreach, people in our church assembled 75 school supply kits that will be sent to flooding victims in Texas from Hurricane Harvey. On that same day, we also delivered 13 flower arrangements to the local hospital, made 9 blankets for community organizations, and led a worship service for residents at an assisted living facility. Way to go, church!]


Creator God, thank you for giving each one of us opportunities to be a blessing to others at work, at school, and in the places where we volunteer our time. Help us to always use the skills, the gifts, and the knowledge that you have given us to be a blessing to those around us.

Thank you for teachers, coaches, professors, doctors, nurses, first-responders, waitresses, cashiers, carpenters, farmers, counselors, and anyone who help to make our community and this world a better place. May all of our work be done in love.

Thank you for creating us to take care of your good creation. Help us to offer our very best in all that we do and say.

O God, during this Labor Day weekend, I especially think of one of the rescue workers during the flooding down in Texas who said that he does what he does because he cares about the people he is serving. Bless all of these rescue workers, including people from our own United Methodist Committee on Relief who are offering assistance to the many people who have lost their homes and belongings from the storm.

O God, we also ask your blessings upon the many people in our church who work and serve in so many different ways like the Sunday School teacher who plans lessons for the youth class, the greeter whose smile helps people feel welcomed as they enter our church building, the audio/visual operator during Sunday worship, the Stephen Minister who provides one to one confidential peer support for a person going through a difficult time in their life, and dear God, we are especially thankful for the person who baked a cake that had lots of chocolate icing for last Monday evening’s Worship U service. We offer an extra special prayer of blessing upon that person.

O God, as we seek to be a blessing to others in the workplace, in the classroom, by serving at church, and by volunteering in the community, remind us to always remember the Apostle Paul’s words at the end of I Corinthians when he said, “Be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.”

We pray this would be true in each of our lives even as we pray together, “Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (September 3/Labor Day Weekend) by Rev. Robert McDowell "It’s Off to Work We Go!"

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    When our son was about three or four years old, we took him to see the Disney movie, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”  Disney had re-released the movie in the theater and we went to see it as a family.

     And every time Dopey did something silly, our son would just crack up laughing.  He couldn’t control himself.  People in the theater would turn their heads and look at us because he just couldn’t stop laughing.

     And I must admit that Dopey is pretty funny.

     But my question is how were these dwarfs able to be so happy going to work?  “Hi Ho.  Hi Ho.  It’s off to work we go!”  And they would even whistle this annoying happy song as they walked to the mines of all places.

     Studies show that most Americans are not satisfied in their current job.  We don’t often hear people singing, “Hi Ho.  Hi Ho.  It’s off to work we go.”

     Instead, we here people singing, “I owe.  I owe.  It’s off to work I go.”

     Many of us only see our job as a way to pay bills and we find little fulfillment or purpose in what we do.

     According to a recent survey conducted by Conference Board, a New York non profit research group, only half of Americans are happy with their jobs. What’s even more troubling by this statistic is that thirty years ago, 61% of us were satisfied with our jobs.

     When they asked the people what makes them happy at work, it came down to these two things. We are happy going to work when what we do interests us. The second thing that makes work enjoyable for us is was when we enjoy working with the other employees. When these two things are not present where we work, we tend not to enjoy our jobs.

     This kind of reminds me of the university professor who once said, “I would really love my job if it wasn’t for the students.” Or the pastor who said, “I would really love my job if I didn’t have to prepare a sermon every week.”

     Now, it’s certainly normal when we have a bad day or a bad week at work from time to time, but if our job is draining us every single week that could be a real problem.

     It concerns me that most people are not really satisfied with what they do.  And so many of us don’t sing “Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho!” We’re singing, “I owe.  I owe.  It’s off to work I go”almost in a sarcastic tone of voice.    

     According to our reading from the Book of Romans, it sounds like the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to sing these very same words, but from a very different motive

    Paul states in verse 8 – “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

     This isn’t a bad scripture for us to think about during this Labor Day weekend.  “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

     Paul is referring to all of our activities, not just to our jobs, like when we go off to school, or when we volunteer our time somewhere.

      “We owe people our love,” Paul says.  That sounds easy enough.  I mean, how hard is it to love people?  Nothing to it, right?  People are easy to love.  Well, maybe some more than others.

     I was at a clergy and clergy spouse gathering several years ago and this person came up to me and in a not so tactful way she said, “You know, I have never really liked you.” 

     I kind of stammered a bit and then she said, “I don’t know why that is because I don’t even know you that well but I have just never really liked you.”

     And not knowing really how to bring closure to that conversation I said, “Well I don’t know why, because I’m a heck of a nice guy!”

     That was one of the most bizarre conversations I have ever had.  I don’t know if she didn’t like the way I dressed or if I reminded her of someone she didn’t like or what. 

     But truth be told, the same thing has probably happened to all of us at one time or another.  For no good reason, we just make up our minds that we don’t like somebody.  We don’t even give someone a chance because of some unknown reason.

     And sometimes we find it difficult to love people because they have given us a good reason for us to not love them.  Maybe they hurt us in some way or they disappointed us.  Or they let us down.

     No wonder the disciples often said to Jesus, “Following you is really hard.  Can’t you make this thing any easier?”

     Jesus would tell them – love your enemies.  Love those who persecute you.  This is how it is in my kingdom. My kingdom is about love.

     You know, it was around this time last year that the presidential election was starting to heat up. Facebook which is supposed to be a place where you show the most recent picture of your adorable puppy, instead became a war zone where people tossed verbal grenades at each other behind their computer screen on a daily basis.

     Facebook has reminded me that we don’t handle disagreements very well. But it’s not just Facebook. Just read the comments people post at the end of local news articles. I often think to myself, “You know…you probably could have stated your point in a more helpful and less condescending way.”

     Following Jesus and loving others are not as easy as it may sound. Just when we pray for God to help us be more loving to others, that’s when we usually encounter that hard to get along with neighbor down the street. Just when we say a prayer for God to help us be more patient with others, that’s usually when the boss will have you work on an important project with that difficult co-worker who everyone tries to avoid. Yeah, being a follower of Jesus in the work place or at school is not that easy.

     Maybe this is why the Apostle Paul tells us that love is the fulfilling of the law.  He says that all of the commandments can be summed up with this one word, “Love.”

Just look at Paul’s life.  No one could have been more zealous for the strict adherence of the law then Paul.  He was a Pharisee and a law abiding Jew.  But it wasn’t until the risen Christ appeared to Paul as he was on his way to persecute Christians that he realized that something was missing in his life.  And what was missing was love.  The love of Jesus.

     Paul had the law memorized.  What he needed was Jesus’ love.

     What transforms hearts?  Jesus’ love.  What makes a difference in someone’s life?  Jesus’ love.  What changes lives?  Jesus’ love.

     We can be really awesome at all of the outward signs of our faith like going to church and doing all of these religious things, but what will bring the most satisfaction and contentment is when we truly learn to love others, especially those who aren’t always that easy to love.

     The commandments will take care of themselves as long as our focus is on loving others. Paul writes, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

     When we view our work or our time at school as opportunities to owe no one anything except to love one another, we will be more likely to share God’s love in more specific and helpful ways.

     Around this time a couple of years ago, I was having lunch with a friend of mine who attends another church. After we left the restaurant we were walking along Court Street when he said, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to stop in this store and buy some cookies.”

     He then told me that the cookies were going to be a surprise gift for his wife and her colleagues at work that afternoon. Because of his loving action, I felt that nudge from God to do the same so I bought some cookies for Penny and her office staff at work and took them over to them and it really brightened their day.

     Paul writes, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

     The president of a seminary was telling me about all the new renovations that were being made at the seminary over the past few years. As he gave me a tour of the building, he pointed out all the electrical and plumbing work that being done.

     And then he said how during those renovations, he made a point to stop by to say hi to the workers when he had the opportunity, just to thank them for their work. He said how he would even say a brief prayer out loud near a construction worker asking God to bless that person in the work they were doing.

     He said that one day, he went up to one of these workers who was on the floor working on some project.  Standing nearby, this seminary president said a brief prayer of blessing on that person that went something like this:

     “Bless this man, O God as he works on our building. Keep him safe. Bless him and his family. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”

     He said, this construction worker upon hearing this prayer, stopped what he was doing, stood up and with saw dust all over him and with sweat dripping from his brow, he turned toward the president. He looked him straight in his eyes and said, “Well, I’ll be blankety blank. That’s the first time anybody has ever said a prayer of blessing over me. Thank you, sir.”

     Even though he used colorful language in describing his feelings about being blessed while on the job, that’s probably a moment he will never forget, nor will this seminary president. What if we look for those opportunities where we can offer God’s blessing upon those at work or at school? The world might be a better place.

     Paul writes,“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

     Who would do such a thing?  People with a debt to pay.

     People like you who go off to work not just to get a paycheck, but to offer the love of Christ to the people we encounter.

     Yes, we have bills to pay and some of us are in school and have classes to attend and papers to write. But life is so much more than working and studying just so that we can make a living.

     Our jobs, our careers, our studies, are all opportunities for us to share God’s love with the people we meet. So let’s not owe anybody anything except to love one another. That’s all we should owe the people at our work or at school. God’s love.

     “We owe…We owe…That’s why it’s off to work we go.”





It’s Off to Work We Go!
Small Group Questions

Romans 13:8-14
September 3, 2017

According to a recent survey by Conference Board, a non-profit research group, only half of Americans are happy with their job. Maybe this is why instead of singing, “Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It’s off to work we go,” we are singing, “I owe. I owe. It’s off to work I go!” In other words, we see our job only in terms of paying the bills rather than as a positive way to spend our time. 
Does your job or time in school offer you a sense of satisfaction? If you are unemployed, what kind of job would bring you fulfillment?

Our scripture reading form Romans 13:8 says, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” The Apostle Paul is saying that love is the only thing we should owe to the people we encounter.

What difference would it make in our jobs, at school, and with the people we encounter if we would live out Romans 13:8 and simply “love one another” in our everyday lives? Is this the kind of happiness that people are missing in their work?

Pastor Robert shared examples of people who have sought to bless others through their work like the person who bought cookies for his wife’s co-workers and the seminary president who said a prayer of blessing over the construction worker who was working in his building.

Share a time when someone blessed you through their work. What was it about their love and kindness that left an impression with you?

Think of a way that your small group can bless others by showing an act of kindness. What about giving teachers at a local school a little treat to show your appreciation or helping with one of our college student outreach ministries or maybe serving in one of our outreach ministries like Athens First Saturday. After you offer a kind deed, come back and share how it made you feel as a group.

As a group, pray this Labor Day prayer together: Almighty God, you have so linked our lives one with another that all we do affects, for good or ill, all other lives: So guide us in the work we do, that we may do it not for self alone, but for the common good; and, as we seek a proper return for our own labor, make us mindful of the rightful aspirations of other workers, and around our concern for those who are out of work; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (August 27) Athens First UMC

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[There is something very calming and peaceful when you get to church before anyone has arrived and silently pray up in the balcony (top left photo.) There is also something very joyful and inspiring when a little later that same morning, you are with your church family worshipping in that same space! (top right photo.)]

God, this weekend has that feel of a new beginning here in Athens. Students are back on campus, there’s no place to park, and hamburgers and brats are once again being grilled at the frat house next door. We can feel the energy, the excitement, and the anticipation of a new school year.
And so, during this very busy time of year, we thank you for giving us this morning to catch our breath, and remember who you are and who you are calling us to be. Thank you for this church, this haven of blessing and peace where we can gather as your people.

Help us to think of our church as that setting from our Gospel reading where Jesus asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Like the disciples, you want us to think about this question as often as possible. May our church be a place where we grow in our understanding of who you are.

Remind us throughout this new year that Jesus wants to be our Savior, Lord, Shepherd, Guide, Friend, Redeemer, Deliverer, Teacher, and Healer. Lord Jesus, you are all of these things and so much more.

Even as we are excited about what this new school year may bring, we are mindful of those who are anxious about their studies, what their major should be, their future career path, being away from home, and the challenge of not succumbing to negative peer pressure. You care about all of these areas of our lives, and you call us to follow Christ in all that we say and do.

O God, on this beautiful and sunny morning here in southeast, Ohio, our hearts go out to the people of Texas who have been in the pathway of Hurricane Harvey where there has been so much devastation, destruction and loss these past few days. Thank you for the United Methodist Committee on Relief that is already coordinating supplies and identifying churches that are positioned to provide temporary housing for those in need of shelter.

O God, as I offer this prayer, I am reminded of the church member who has experienced Jesus as the one who is the anchor and the seabed in the tempest-tossed waters of life. May the people of Texas turn to you as their anchor in this dangerous and difficult time.

Thank you, Jesus for being our anchor during the storms of life and that with you by our side, we can live each day with courage. And so it is with great confidence in the midst of any storm we may be facing in any given moment, that we join together in praying the words you taught your disciples, and now teach us to pray together…

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (August 27) by Rev. Robert McDowell "The Ultimate Question"

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        Someone went to a rabbi and asked him, “Why do you always answer a question by asking another question?  I just find that very annoying!”

     And the very wise rabbi answered, “What’s wrong with asking questions?”

     You would think that Jesus would have asked the disciples who they thought he was a lot sooner in his ministry.  We find this question in Matthew 16, well into Jesus ministry with his disciples.

     Here, these twelve individuals left everything to follow him, and yet, this question presumes that they just might not have a grasp as to who he is.

     How can that be?

     There are a lot of different ways of answering who Jesus is.  Some folks would give you a long drawn out answer that will make you wish you never asked the question to begin with.

     “Who is Jesus?”  Well according to the Nicene creed, he is the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made and it goes on and on.

     And certainly there is some validity to answering this question with theological language which explains how Jesus Christ can be fully God and yet fully human at the same time.  The early church spent many years reflecting on this ultimate question which is why we have these ancient creeds.
     But the disciples did not have the advantage of this kind of reflection.  They were always on the move with Jesus.  And they, along with so many other people, were astonished at his miracles and the way he was able to teach great crowds of people with authority.  They knew that Jesus was a very special person.

     And they also knew from their time spent with him, that he was the promised Messiah.  The promised one who would hopefully free Israel from Roman occupation.  They saw him as a miracle worker who would perhaps lead the people of Israel into the glory days of old.

     Here in chapter 16 of Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples are with Jesus in Caesarea Philippi, and Jesus actually asks the disciples two questions, not just one.  The first question he asks is –  “What are other people saying about me?”

     And they tell Jesus what they have been hearing.  “Some people think that you are John the Baptist. Others think that you are one of the prophets from of old.”

     There are an incredible amount of opinions out there about Jesus.   It would be an interesting little project to go to some place here in town and ask them the question, “Tell me who Jesus is to you?”

     But Jesus doesn’t want his disciples to settle for what other people are saying about him.  Jesus also wants to know what they are thinking.  And he asks them, “But who do you say that I am?”

     Actually, I’m a bit surprised that Peter was able to give the right answer.  Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
     It’s one thing to give the answer.  It’s another thing to live the answer. To say that we believe that Jesus is the Messiah, means that we are to love our enemies.  It means that we are to forgive others when they hurt us. It means that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.

     Jesus also said things like, “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.” Jesus was crucified on a cross for saying things like this. 

     And what about the time that Jesus said to “Go and sell everything you have and give it to the poor” and if someone forces you to go one mile, go two.

     As the humorist, Mark Twain once said, “It’s not the things in the Bible that I don’t understand that bother me.  It’s the things that I do understand that bother me the most.” Sometimes, I wish that Jesus was more mysterious or cryptic in his teachings.  

     Almost every Sunday that I worship with you in this place, I hear something in the scripture reading that reminds me that I have so much more to learn about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.

     I suppose that we could simply ignore all of these hard sayings and just focus on whatever is appealing to us at the time.  We certainly have the option of forming Jesus into our own image and many people do. There are people who associate Jesus with their political party or within their particular worldview. But that’s not the way of Jesus.  “Narrow is the way into my Father’s kingdom,” Jesus tells us.

     No.  We are left with Jesus’ troubling question.  “Who do you say that I am?”

     I much prefer the Nicene Creed response to that question.  The theology is orthodox and it really says it all.

     Except…it’s not in my own words.  Jesus says to Robert McDowell – “I know what the Nicene Creed says…but who do you say that I am?”

     The first time that I really answered that question was when I was on the playground during recess when I was in the 3rdor 4th grade and my best friend came up to me, and out of the blue, asked me if Jesus was my Savior.  He said to me that if I invited Jesus to come into my heart that I would be able to go to heaven someday.

     Now, you need to understand that I grew up in a bible belt so these were the normal kinds of conversations, 3rd& 4th graders would have on the playground.

     And so, right there on the playground, I invited Jesus to come into my heart.

     That little experienced showed me that Jesus wants to be my Savior.

     Sometime during my middle school years, I attended a summer youth retreat with my youth group at the shore. People form the East Coast call it “going to the shore” instead of “going to the beach.” 

     I’m not “shore” why that is.

     Anyway, I went to this summer youth retreat to the shore.  Each evening, we would gather around the campfire and we would sing all of these campfire songs about Jesus.  And one of those songs was “Pass It On.” 

     “It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.  And soon all those around, can warm up in its glowing.  That’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone; you want to pass it on.”
     After I got home from the retreat, I felt really different.  I could feel Jesus’ love in a very real way.  I knew deep in my heart that He loved me.  I couldn’t stop singing those words over and over – “that’s how it is with God’s love once you’ve experienced it; you spread his love to everyone; you want to pass it on.”

     Not only did I feel Jesus’ love for me, but I had this desire to share God’s love with others.

     From that experience I learned that “Jesus is someone who loves all people and that you can actually feel Jesus love if you just let Jesus love you.”

     Then during my freshman year of college, things really changed for me.  My grades were bad.  I got cut from the baseball team.  I was feeling alone.

     I didn’t feel Jesus’ love anymore, let alone a spark or a fire.  And I certainly didn’t want to spread his love because I was looking for it myself.

     At that point in my life, Jesus only seemed like a nice memory from my distant past, not someone who could help me now.

     I was even angry at Jesus, angry that I didn’t know what to do with my life, angry that I felt alone, and angry at feeling rejected. This went on throughout my freshman year of college, but then something happened toward the end of my freshman year.

      I stumbled across a cassette tape of a sermon that had been delivered at a county wide Christian youth rally.  Without anything to lose, I listened to that cassette tape.  What the speaker said helped me to see Jesus in a whole new way.
     Jesus wasn’t just somebody who offered people a warm fuzzy religious experience.  It was a Jesus who offers a challenge to us.  This preacher used Luke 9:23 as his text in which Jesus says, “If any one would came after me, that person needs to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” And this preacher went on to challenge his listeners to put their total trust in Jesus, to obey Jesus completely.

     I thought to myself, “I’ve never thought of Jesus in this way.”  I always thought that Jesus was kind of like a security blanket who offered comfort when you needed it.  I never thought of Jesus as someone who would challenge me to trust him.

     One day toward the end of my freshman year of college I made a decision to put Jesus first in my life. I told Jesus that I would totally trust him.  That day changed my life because from that day forward, I became much more aware of Jesus’ presence in my life.

     I decided to quit feeling sorry for myself, and to start trusting and living for Jesus.  That led to many, many changes in my life that eventually led me into the pastoral ministry. 

     I discovered during this time that Jesus wants to be first in every area of our lives.  Jesus wants us to follow him to places that we would have never chosen to go on our own.  And the really important thing I discovered about Jesus during that time in my life was that he wants the relationship to be a two-way street. Jesus meets us where we are, but he also wants us to follow him and be willing to take our faith to a whole new level.
     I’m still learning and discovering who Jesus is.  Every day and every year and every new situation provides another opportunity for us to put Jesus first in our lives and place our trust in him. When we do that on a consistent basis, Jesus becomes more than just a warm fuzzy in our lives. Jesus becomes real. Our faith becomes real.

     I’m always interested in hearing how people view Jesus and what Jesus means to them. Hear are some responses that people in the congregation have shared with me.

     Jesus is the calm, eternal center of life. I go to him in times of distress to find peace. I pray to him to restore balance. I ask him to give me clarity in the times of confusion. He is the anchor and the seabed in the tempest-tossed waters. He blesses me again and again.

     Someone shared said that Jesus is like a compass through life. I like that. That shows a willingness to allow Jesus to guide and direct us through our faith journey.

     Another said that Jesus is like a rock, a sword, and a shield. For this person, Jesus provides safety and security.

     I like how someone referred to Jesus as a lighthouse. We need that lighthouse because we are the ship that is in need of direction and a safe harbor.

     A new church member mentioned that it’s because of Jesus that he lives each day with courage. He said that he is not fearful of the future because he knows that he will live with Jesus forever. And his  desire is for people to see Jesus in everything he does.

     Another person said that Jesus is her constant companion.

     This person says something similar. “Jesus is my friend who I talk to in the middle of the night, who always forgives me, guides me, loves me, and so much more.”

     Another person puts it this way: “Jesus is as ever present as the air I breathe and always patiently waits for me to discover his love.”

     I like how someone shared that when he was a child, he felt that Jesus was his heavenly Brother since God was his heavenly Father. As an adult, he sees Jesus as his Savior and the light showing the way on the pathway to God’s kingdom of love and forgiveness.

     Somebody else shared that when he was thirteen years old he became aware that Jesus was his Savior. As an adult, he has found Jesus to be his healer as he has helped him to survive a massive stroke. This person thanks him everyday for saving his life so that he can continue to be a witness for him.

     Those are some of the responses I received from many different people in the church when asked the big question, “Who do you say that Jesus is?”

     Gregory Nazianzus was one of the early church fathers from the fourth century. He was baptized at the age of 30 and became a Christian.  He also went on to become a great theologian. 

          Here’s how he answered the question, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He wrote:

·     He began his ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life

·     Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water

·     Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest

·     Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King

·     Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons

·     Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears

·     Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world

·     Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd

·     Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death

     When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” 

     Later, Peter will be asked this same question in a slightly different way as he warms himself by a fire in a courtyard and with his life hanging in the balance.  “You’re one of Jesus’ disciples, aren’t you?”

     And then while standing on a sandy beach, the resurrected Christ appears to Peter and he asks him not once, not twice, but three times in a row, “Peter – do you love me?” And each time, Peter answers, “Yes, Lord you know that I love you.”

     Evidently, this ultimate question is too important to ask only once. It needs to be asked again and again and again and again.

     Who do you say that Jesus is?

The Ultimate Question
Small Group Questions

Matthew 16:13-20
August 27, 2017

Sunday’s sermon focus was on Jesus’ question to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?”

Who is Jesus is to you?

The disciples’ understanding of who Jesus is grew over time. They saw him as an insightful teacher, a healer, and someone who might lead the people of Israel to freedom over the Romans. Jesus’ death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead forced them to see him in a much deeper way.

How has your view of Jesus changed over time?

The church provides us with many helpful ways to help us answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” One of those ways is the Nicene Creed that is found toward the back of the hymnal.

Read the Nicene Creed together and share what these statements about Jesus mean to you.

Christians have found it helpful to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” by following certain disciplines of the Christian faith which include: participating in a small group, reading the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) on a regular basis, attending worship, serving others in the name of Christ, and sharing in the Sacraments.

How have you grown in your understanding of who Jesus is by participating in these disciplines?

Nikos | Water Bottle Prayer of Dedication – Athens First UMC

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[Every year around this time, we dedicate over 750 water bottles that will be given away to college students and anyone who walks by our church during move-in Saturday here at Ohio University. The labels have “Welcome Bobcats” along with our worship ti…

Nikos | Pastoral Prayer (August 20) Athens First UMC

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[Following yesterday’s 10:30 worship service, Rick Seiter held a greeter orientation meeting in our sanctuary. We are adding new greeter stations to our weekly Sunday morning schedule so we need many more people to help in this ministry. If you are interested in being a greeter, call the church office and we will help you find a station where you can offer people a warm welcome on Sunday mornings.]


You are faithful, O God! Thank you for this first book of the Bible that tells the story of how you were faithful to the covenant you made with Abraham to form a new people so that they would become a blessing to the world.

For these past several Sundays, we nervously watched your promise to Abraham teeter on the brink of disaster. We laughed when you said that Sarah who was past child rearing years would end up having a baby. We were angry when it looked like Abraham was going to sacrifice their child. We were frustrated that it took several long chapters for Jacob to finally get his act together, and our hearts sank in despair when Joseph’s brothers threw him into a waterless cistern to die.

Through all of these adversities, you made a way for your people. Sarah became pregnant. You sent an angel to spare Isaac’s life. Jacob finally got his act together. And Joseph rose to prominence and saved his family from a terrible famine.

Thank you for the Book of Genesis and it’s amazing story of how you were faithful in keeping the covenant that you had made with Abraham.

Remind us of these Book of Genesis stories and how you are always faithful especially as we begin a new school year, as we go about our daily tasks, as we await the results of a medical exam, as we consider serving in a ministry through the church, as we share our faith with a neighbor, and as we speak out against racism and hatred in all of their various forms.

O God, more than ever, you are calling on your people in our day and age to continue to live out the covenant you made with Abraham so long ago to be a blessing to the world. Thank you for entrusting us with this sacred calling and purpose. And now, as your covenant people, we pray the words that Jesus taught his disciples and invites us to pray together saying…

“Our Father, who art in heaven…”

Nikos | Sermon (August 20) by Rev. Robert McDowell "The Story of Joseph: Part II"

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     As I was preparing this message and thinking about how a lot of our young people are getting ready to go to college, I couldn’t help but to think of how famous people got their start.

     For example, the memo from the testing director of MGM, shortly after Fred Astaire’s first screen test read: “Can’t act!  Slightly bald!  Can dance a little!” 

     Come to think of it.  That sounds a lot like me!

     An older “expert” once said of another younger coach, “He possesses minimal football knowledge.  Lacks motivation.”  This younger coach was referring to Vince Lombardi, who went on to become the great Green Bay Packer’s coach.

     The parents of Enrico Caruso believed his teacher, who said he had “no voice at all – he just cannot sing.”  And so they urged him to be an engineer instead.

     Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because they felt that he had a “lack of ideas.”

     Thomas Edison’s teachers gave up on him.  They actually wrote in an evaluation these words – “He’s too stupid to do anything.”

     Before he succeeded, Henry Ford failed and went broke five times.

     The author Scott Peck begins his book, The Road Less Traveled with these depressing but true words, “Life is difficult.”  And he goes on to say that once we accept the fact that life is going to be difficult for each and every one of us and once we begin to incorporate important disciplines into our lives, then we will be well on our way to maturity.
     And so it’s a good thing, that we have stories such as this story from the Book of Genesis – this story of Joseph and his brothers because this is a story of disappointment and failure.  This is a story of setbacks and unexpected life changes.  But it’s also a story of how God is always faithful and how God is always present in our lives as we go through these difficult times.

     Last Sunday, we began looking at the story of Joseph and his brothers.  And this morning, we look at the second portion of this incredible story as we conclude our sermon series on the Book of Genesis.

     We left church last Sunday with seventeen year old Joseph being taken away as a slave to Egypt.  His own brothers, all eleven of them, had sold Joseph to some traveling Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

     They did this because they were sick of Joseph’s ego and how their father, Jacob had given him special treatment.  We are told how their father had provided Joseph with a colorful robe which didn’t go over too well with the brothers. 

     And Joseph didn’t help matters any by telling his brothers about the dreams he was having at night.  You know, there are just some dreams that are better kept to yourself.  Joseph told his brothers about his dreams one day.  “I had a dream that we were binding sheaves in the field one day, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, and your sheaves gathered around my sheaf and bowed to it.”

     And Joseph, not picking up on the negative body language that he was receiving from his brothers over the telling of that dream made matters even worse by telling them this 2nd dream.  “And that’s not all brothers.  Let me tell you about this dream I had.  I had a dream that the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”

     If you would look up the word “naïve” in the dictionary, you will read these words, “See Joseph in the Book of Genesis.”  How can anyone be more naïve than this?  I mean, who in their right mind would ever think that this would have gone over well.

     Once in a while, I will run into a colleague of mine, a United Methodist pastor, someone I know.  And we enter into this one sided conversation in which he tells me all of the wonderful things that are happening in his ministry and in his church.  And he never pauses to take a breath.  It’s one success story after another.

     And this happens every time we meet each other.  I find it hard to believe that he hasn’t faced any adversity or setbacks in his church and in his ministry.  Sometimes I wonder if he lives on the same planet that I do.  Every time I see him, I know that it’s going to be another one sided-conversation of one success story after another. 

     I am reminded of a tongue in cheek comment that the famous comedian, Jerry Lewis once said when he said, “People hate me because I am a multifaceted, talented, wealthy, internationally famous genius.”

     This ego gets seventeen year old Joseph into a lot of trouble.  His brothers almost kill him and they end up selling him to some Ishmaelites who are on their way to Egypt.
     Just listen to this list of misfortunes in the life of Joseph as we pick up the story from last Sunday.

     1) He is almost killed by his brothers and ends up sold into slavery.  2) Separated for years from the father he loves, Jacob, thinking that his son, Joseph is dead, grieves his loss everyday.  3) Framed by the wife of a high ranking Egyptian, Joseph is falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into prison.  And 4) Joseph helps one of his fellow prisoners escape by interpreting his dream but after this fellow prisoner is released, he does nothing to help Joseph get out of prison.

     Scott Peck may begin his book with “Life is difficult” but is life supposed to be this difficult? 

     John Wesley who is the founder of the United Methodist denomination was an 18th century priest in the Church of England.  John Wesley could have settled into a life of comfort in the Church of England, but he felt called by God to help the church reach people that were outside of the church – people that the Church of England were neglecting in their mission and ministry.

     John Wesley was drawn to the Great Commission at the end of the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus tells us to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ.  That’s when the troubles really began in Wesley’s life because many church members in Wesley’s day did not want to reach people for Christ.  They wanted to stay comfortable. 

     And so Wesley’s sermons were often about taking our faith seriously and reaching out to people who weren’t already part of the church and to go to where the people were. 
     Just listen to several of his personal entries that he put in his diary. Here are Wesley’s entries:

     Sunday, A.M., May 5 – Preached in St. Anne’s.  Was asked not to come back anymore.

     Sunday, P.M., May 5 – Preached in St. John’s.  Deacons said “Get out and stay out.”

     Sunday, A.M., May 12 – Preached in St. Jude’s.  Can’t go back there, either.

     Sunday, A.M., May 19 – Preached in St. Somebody Else’s.  (By the way, isn’t that an interesting name for a church?  St. Somebody Else’s?)  Wesley then writes, “Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn’t return.  (Are you sensing the pattern here?)

     Sunday, P.M., May 19 – Preached on street.  Kicked off street.

     Sunday, A.M., May 26 – Preached in meadow.  Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.

     Sunday, A.M., June 2 – Preached out at the edge of town.  Kicked off the highway.

     Sunday, P.M., June 2 – Afternoon, preached in a pasture.  Ten thousand people came out to hear me.

     Life is difficult.  Joseph’s life was difficult.  Our lives are difficult.  How do we handle those difficulties so that we can remain faithful to God’s calling in our lives?

     The story of Joseph begins in Genesis chapter 37 and concludes with the end of the book in chapter 50.  What do we learn from Joseph in how to handle life’s difficulties and disappointments? 

     As I’ve thought about these chapters, it seems to me that Joseph teaches us to never ever stop dreaming.

     The word “dream” or “dreams” appears thirty times in the life of Joseph.  Dreams were a big part of his life and how he handled adversity.  It’s pretty obvious that he didn’t help matters by sharing his dreams with his brothers leading them to become jealous of him.  But even those early dreams as a seventeen year old helped Joseph to see that God had a special plan for his life.

     For there would be a day when Joseph, through his powerful position in Egypt, would end up saving the lives of his family from a terrible famine which had extended from Egypt to the land of Canaan where his family lived.

     It was through Joseph’s God given ability to interpret dreams that helped a fellow prisoner to be set free.  It was through Joseph’s God given ability to interpret dreams that led Pharaoh to release Joseph from prison and appoint him to oversee the land of Egypt.  And it was through Joseph’s God given ability to interpret dreams that he was able to save countless numbers of lives from the terrible famine during that time.

     Joseph reminds us to never ever stop dreaming.

     Joseph could have easily given up on dreams.  His own father criticized his dreams.  It was because of his early dreams that led his brothers to almost kill him and sell him into slavery.  And his own brothers sarcastically said as they saw Joseph approaching them one day, “Here comes this dreamer.”

     Why do people stop dreaming?  Sometimes people give up on their dreams because they don’t have anyone encouraging them along the way.  It’s a lot easier to pop someone’s balloon than it is to fill it.  Have you noticed that?

     Someone shares a new idea, a vision for a better future, a dream – and it’s so easy to take out a pin and just pop that balloon.  “Oh, that will never work.”  “Do you realize how much that will cost?”  “I know of somebody who tried that and it didn’t work.”  “Why don’t you try something else, something more practical?”  “We’ve never done it that way before.”

     I think it’s interesting that following the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, one of the early disciples of the church was given the nickname, “Barnabas,” which literally means, “son of encouragement.” Barnabas was not his real name.  His real name was Joseph.

     Why was he given this nickname of “son of encouragement?”  During a time when the early Christians didn’t want to have anything to do with a man named Saul who had been persecuting Christians, Barnabas was one of the very few people in the early church who was willing to give Saul a chance following his conversion on the road to Damascus.

     While most Christians wanted to keep their distance from Saul, Barnabas went out of his way to find Saul, speak with him, and introduce him to other Christians.  If the early church wouldn’t have had Barnabas, they might have missed out on one of the greatest ambassadors for Jesus Christ who ever lived, because Saul, or the Apostle Paul as we now know him, went on to spread the good news of Jesus Christ all the way to Rome and he went onto write through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, much of the New Testament.

     Encouragement and dreams go together.  God wants us to encourage each other, not discourage each other.
     Joseph did not let the tremendous adversities that came his way discourage him in his walk with God.  Joseph kept dreaming.  Without the dreams, Joseph would have sunk into despair.  But he kept on dreaming.

     A friend of mine sent me an e-mail that shared how he was going through one of the worst times in his life.  It was related to his job and how people were treating him.  I could tell he was really down and I was really concerned about him. 

     Instead of sending him an e-mail reply, I decided to call him on the phone which I did.  I left a message on his voice mail telling him that I had received his e-mail and that I wanted to talk to him on the phone.

     I didn’t get any response for the next few days, so I called him again.  Same thing.  He didn’t answer the phone so I left another message.  There was still no reply over the next few days, but I didn’t want to give up.   So I called his wife and told her that I was concerned about him. 

     She was surprised that he hadn’t returned my call.  But then she told me about some of the things he was dealing with and why he was so down.  And then I asked her why he hadn’t returned my phone call. 

     And she said, “Oh, he’s just being stubborn and he knows you’re busy so he doesn’t want to bother you.  I’ll tell you what.  After you hang up, I’ll call him and tell him to give you a call.”

     Sure enough, later that morning my friend called me and told me what he was going through.  He said how he was getting a lot of criticism at his job and that he was feeling pretty low. 

     I listened to him and when he was done, I simply reminded him of all of his many good qualities and assured him that he was going to get through this difficult time in his life.  And then I prayed with him over the phone.

     Now, I didn’t do all that much, just a few phone calls, some encouragement, and a prayer.  But just that little bit meant a lot to him and helped him through a very challenging time.

     A church member sent me a personal note of encouragement.  It took me by surprise when I saw this hand written envelope in my home mail.  This person was just offering some words of encouragement and thanking me for being her pastor.

     Now, I can’t say that I was down or depressed at the time, but when I received that letter, it lifted my spirits to a whole new level.  I was reminded of God’s love for me and that through God all things are possible.  Guess what I thought about the rest of that day? That letter of encouragement.  Even just a little bit of encouragement from others is how God helps us to keep dreaming.

     The story of Joseph concludes with one of the most heart warming stories in the entire Bible.  The brothers go to Egypt to receive food during the time of famine.  And this is when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers as the brother who they had sold into slavery.  What a scene that must have been of reconciliation and forgiveness.

     God was there all along for Joseph.  God was in that waterless cistern with him.  God was in the prison cell with him.  God was with him all the way keeping Joseph’s dreams and hopes alive.
     And it was those dreams and it was those hopes that led Joseph to inform his brothers at the end of our story that God had remained faithful in the midst of all the adversities, disappointments, and setbacks that he had faced.

     This is the theme of the Book of Genesis.  God is faithful in fulfilling his covenant.  Even with all that life has to throw at us – don’t despair.  Keep dreaming.  Keep trusting.  God is faithful!


The Story of Joseph: Part II
Small Group Questions

Genesis 45:1-15
August 20, 2017

Today marks the conclusion of our summer long sermon series on the Book of Genesis. One of the main purposes of this first book of the bible is to show how God is faithful in keeping his covenant with Abraham to make him the father of many descendants. There are many times in the Book of Genesis where it looks like God’s promise to Abraham would not be fulfilled, but by the end of the book, the reunion of Joseph’s family shows us that God’s plan is still on course!

Share a time where you have experienced God’s faithfulness in your life.

Joseph experienced a lot of adversity in his life, some of which was brought on by himself. This list is long! Here’s a quick recap: 1) He is almost killed by his brothers and ends up sold into slavery.  2) Separated for years from the father he loves, Jacob, thinking that his son, Joseph is dead, grieves his loss everyday.  3) Framed by the wife of a high ranking Egyptian, Joseph is falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into prison.  And 4) Joseph helps one of his fellow prisoners escape by interpreting his dream but after this fellow prisoner is released, he does nothing to help Joseph get out of prison.

How does the story of Joseph overcoming these many challenges give you hope in pursuing your dreams and goals in life?

Pastor Robert shared in his sermon that the word “dream” or “dreams” appears thirty times in the story of Joseph. Joseph was able to overcome his adversities because he didn’t give up on God’s dream.

Who helps you to not give up and to keep God’s dream alive in your life?

What are some ways that you can encourage others to not give up on their dreams? How can the church be a place where we are encouraged to follow God’s dreams?
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