What Are You Hiding?

A recent survey revealed that ‎76% of parents with teens on Facebook have “friended” their kids. 29% of teens say they would “unfriend” their parents if they could get away with it, and they are twice as likely to want to “unfriend” Mom than Dad. One young lady I saw interviewed on television said, “I don’t want my parents to know everything I’m doing!”  What I find ironic is that they are willing to post things on the internet for the whole world to see, but they don’t want mom and dad to know what they are doing!

We all have things we would like to hide. When we know we have done wrong, we react like Adam and Eve in the Garden, wanting to hide from God. What we forget is that our loving Father only wants what is best for us at all times. He wants us to know His love, His mercy, His compassion, His forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. When we try to hide our sins, He sees right through us. However, when we confess our sins, He covers us with the righteousness of Christ and sees us as cleansed and forgiven.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.  (Psalm 32:5)

Hide me, Lord, in your Holiness.

Military Bible Sticks

Our mission project for September – November is to provide Military Bible Sticks for our active duty service men and women. The Military BibleStick comes pre-loaded with the entire New Testament. It is rugged enough to withstand tough weather conditions, can be used in low-light situations, and it easily fits into uniform pockets. It comes with headphones and runs on a single AAA battery. Each kit also includes a CD of the same files that can be loaded on to a computer, as well as a mail in card to have a free CD of the New Testament sent to a spouse or child back home. This entire kit, produced by Faith Comes By Hearing, can be provided to our troops for $25 each. The kits are sent to Chaplains who then distribute them to the service men and women. They are only given to those who request them, and right now the requests far outnumber the funding available.

All the offerings for Sunday School and Midweek will go toward this for this quarter. Anyone who would like to make extra contributions for this project can place it in the regular offering and mark it “Military Bible Sticks.”

May God bless our troops and our efforts to provide them with His Word!

Sunday Morning Bible Classes

We have two Bible Classes for Adults meeting on Sunday Mornings at the current time. DD Pappas is leading a study of the book of Romans. Pastor is leading a study on The Lord’s Supper. You are welcome to join either class.

New Member Welcome

In our worship services on September 19 we will publicly welcome into membership those who have joined our congregation this year after attending membership classes or by transfer from another LCMS congregation. There will be a potluck luncheon after the late service to welcome these newest members of Grace in a less formal atmosphere and give all our members the chance to introduce themselves. Please plan to join us. 

Being with Jesus – An Example

August 22, 2010   Luke 19:1-10

Being With Jesus.  So far we’ve considered how the first disciples were changed because they had been with Jesus and that being in a faith relationship with Jesus is what makes all the difference in one’s life. After all, the Pharisees had been with Jesus, but it did not have the same effect on them as it did on those who believed in Him. So today I want you to consider another Biblical example of someone whose life was completely and radically changed as a result of being with Jesus. And His name is Zacchaeus.

In the modern translations he is called a “chief tax collector.” He was an important man. Probably not popular, but important. To get an idea of how they viewed tax collectors in those days, imagine the worst politician you can think of, add to that someone who is known to take bribes and extort money from people, and who does all of this with the blessing of the ruling authorities. That was Zacchaeus. He fit right in with all the other social misfits with whom Jesus was always spending His time: prostitutes, outcasts, lepers and the like. It was for sinners that Jesus came. He laid aside all His might and power and glory and majesty to become one us of.

 [He] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7 (NIV)

He came to be with sinners. He came to be with you.

Zacchaeus was wealthy, but that didn’t mean he was happy or content. The same is true today. People may live in big houses with good incomes, have nice cars and all the latest electronic gadgets, all the trappings of the “good life,” but that doesn’t mean they are content. These are people for whom Christ died as well, yet without a relationship with Jesus, they will never find what they need most. Having things doesn’t fill the void in your life.  Being with Jesus does.

For all his prominence and power, Zacchaeus was unable to see Jesus when he came to town. There was a parade of sorts, but Zacchaeus could not see Jesus. He had a physical limitation – he was short. He couldn’t see over the crowd. But he was not going to miss out, so he did what he had to do. He climbed a tree to get a view of the one who was passing by. Why did he go to so much trouble? He had probably heard some of the stories about this young, charismatic rabbi. But maybe there was more. Maybe Zacchaeus felt the void in his life. Maybe he knew that he was far from where God wanted him to be. Maybe he wondered if Jesus had something special to offer him. We don’t know exactly what was going through his mind as this important man climbed a tree to get a glimpse of this passing celebrity.

Nor can we know what he felt when he was up in that tree and he heard, “Zacchaeus. Come down. I want to spend some time with you at your house.” Could it be true? Jesus said, “I want to be with you.” Jesus called out to Zacchaeus by name. Jesus wanted to be with him, to go to his house, to establish a relationship with him. He wanted to make it personal.

I’ve wondered what all was said during their time together. We don’t have a record of it, so we can’t know. But being with Jesus changed Zacchaeus forever. He resolved to change his life for the better. Salvation was not dependent on his actions, and we can say confidently that Zacchaeus continued to sin in his life. But because of the relationship he had with Jesus, he would be different. He pledges to make amends with those he has wronged and do better in the future.

Jesus wants to be with you just as He wanted to be with Zacchaeus. He knows who you are. He knows your failings and shortcomings. You may not be up in a tree, but He calls out to you, “I want to be with you. I want to be in your house. I want to spend some time with you. I want to be with you when you eat. I want to be with you when you get up in the morning, as you go through the day, when you lie down at night. I want you to know how much I love you, that I died in your place to pay for your sin. “ Jesus wants to make it personal.

If you take this step, being consciously aware of His presence and being in a faith relationship with your Savior, can you imagine the change it will make in your life? Maybe you’ve been in this relationship for a long time already and just need to recommit yourself to it and reenergize your life as His disciple. Take the step. Zacchaeus did, and he resolved to repay all those he had defrauded and then some. Understanding who Jesus is, all that He did to earn our salvation, and having a relationship with Him makes a response necessary. How will you express your gratitude?

• A word of encouragement and kindness to someone hurt by life?
• An act of generosity to someone not expecting it and in the eyes of the world not deserving of it?
• Signing up to be a part of one of our Mission Trips to share God’s love in tangible ways?
• Having an attitude of forgiveness that follows the example of the one who ate with sinners and tax collectors?
• Will you offer yourself as a living sacrifice? Will you offer your talents and abilities and skills to be used in serving God and others?

How will you express your gratitude in your life?

Jesus acknowledged Zacchaeus to be a son of Abraham, which was not simply a reference to his bloodline. Rather, he was declaring that Zacchaeus was an heir of the salvation promised to Abraham. And Jesus says the same thing to you. Because of your faith in Jesus, you are a son of Abraham and entitled to the same salvation.

Jesus wants to be with you. He does not want to just to stop by your house for a visit or a meal. He wants to be with you forever. Always. That is what He was saying to His disciples in the Upper Room.

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:1–3 (NIV)

Being with Jesus now and being with Him forever. That’s where we need to be.

MidWeek

We’ve got a children’s ministry that meets on Wednesdays through the School Year from 6 – 8 p.m. We start by feeding the kids (and anyone else who shows up) a great dinner from 6 – 6:30. After that, the kids have time for Bible stories, games, crafts, and lots of other stuff. We’d love to have you join us. 

Youth Service

On August 29 at both worship services the Youth and adults who attended ”We Believe”,  the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, will be sharing their experiences with us. You won’t want to miss this!

Fall Sunday School

The new Sunday School Year begins September 5. We are excited to see all the children come back for their new classes. We have classes for all ages. Those aged two up through Confirmation Age will be using “Growing in Christ” materials. This quarter, the lessons will all be from the book of Genesis.

Sept. 5     God Creates the World

Sept. 12  God Creates Adam and Eve

Sept. 19  Sin Enters the World

Sept. 26  Cain and Abel

Oct. 3      Noah and the Flood

Oct. 10    God Calls Abram

Oct. 17   Abram Rescues Lot

Oct. 24  God’s Covenant with Abram

Oct. 31  Abraham’s Visitors from Heaven

Nov. 7     Abraham and Isaac

Nov. 21   Jacob and Esau

Nov 28     Jacob’s Dream

Fellowship Brunch

August 29 is the time for our quarterly Fellowship Brunch during the Education Hour. There will be no Bible Class or Sunday School on that day. Instead, we will offer a fellowship opportunity for those who attend the different worship services to sit down and enjoy a time of food and visiting. If you are able to bring brunch items to share, please do so. If not, join us anyway! This is your time to visit with your brothers and sisters in Christ here at Grace.

Being With Jesus – Relationships

Last week I started a series of messages called “Being With Jesus.” I asked you to think about how consciously being with Jesus makes a difference in your lives. We know in our heads that Jesus is always with us. But having a conscious awareness of His presence in our hearts is what makes a difference in our daily walk. We talked about the impact Jesus had on the lives of His first disciples, recalling when Peter and John healed a crippled man and the boldness of their witness (Acts 3-4). The Jewish leaders took note that these men had been with Jesus. As we continue to think about this today, I want you to consider the effect that all of our relationships have on our lives.

I know I’ve told this story before, but I remember leading chapel services at Concordia College in Austin during my sophomore year. It just so happened that the Board of Regents of the college was meeting on campus that day, so they attended chapel. That added to my anxiety when I walked in and saw all those leaders of our church in Texas sitting there with the professors and students. Carl Heckmann was our District President at that time. As he was walking out of the chapel after the service I heard him ask one of the professors, “Say, isn’t that Fred’s boy?” That is how I was known through college and seminary to many of my professors: “Fred’s boy.” Even when I got to my first parish in Oklahoma, many of the pastors there knew Dad, so I was still “Fred’s boy.” And of course, coming back to Texas, I lived with that legacy. It gave me a relationship with people who otherwise did not know me. They made a connection with me and I with them because of someone we both knew.

When my daughters went to Concordia, they experienced the same thing. They often groaned, “everywhere I go people ask me ‘are you Mike and Cheryl’s daughter?’” Our oldest daughter, Rachel, told me about a weekend while still in college that she went to worship in a Lutheran church in Houston. After the service, the pastor was greeting people at the door. When he asked her name, she said she purposely didn’t use her last name. The pastor kept telling her how familiar she looked. She finally admitted, “Well, my dad’s a pastor in Denison.” And he said, “Mike Mattil?” She was then mortified to hear the pastor call his wife over by saying, “Hey, this is Mike and Cheryl’s daughter.” I had gone to seminary with the guy.

A few years ago I was asked to preach at Homecoming when Rachel and Bethany were both students at Concordia. The bulletin announced that the preacher was “The father of Rachel and Bethany Mattil.” When I first started getting involved with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League here in Texas, I was known as Cheryl’s husband.  

Relationships identify us. They help define who we are: spouse, parent, child, neighbor, friend, acquaintance, teacher, student. Most of the relationships we have in our lives are positive. They enrich our lives. When people have a connection with you, they will be more likely to help you, even going out of their way to do so. Our youngest daughter is finding out how true that is these days. Ten days ago her parents were willing to drive to Austin, spend seven hours moving her into her apartment and classroom and drive back home that night. Her mother went back down there Friday to spend some more time getting everything ready. Ed Dieterichs was going down there this weekend to visit his grandchildren, and he was willing to deliver a washer and dryer down there and install them in her apartment. You do these things because of relationships.

People around the world know this to be true. All of you could no doubt easily come up with multiple examples of how relationships with other people have enriched and improved your lives. And those of us here today share a deeper bond, greater than being acquainted and related. You are reminded of that bond, that relationship, when we begin our worship in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, echoing the words spoken when the waters of Baptism splashed over us. We share the bond of having been claimed by God as His dearly loved children. We share the bond of God’s grace that reached out to us in our sinful condition. We share the bond of having been led by the Holy Spirit to faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are in a relationship not just with each other, but also with Jesus Christ. 

You can never overstate the impact this has on your life. As important and powerful and meaningful as your relationships with other people are, your relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in your life. Without Him, you would be lost and condemned for eternity. That’s what each of us deserve because of the lives we live, because of the sinful people we are. Any kind of examination of your life reveals that to be true, whether you think about the things you have not done that you should have done or the things you have done that you should not have done.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We do it every day, time and time again.

• The harsh word.
• The lies and deception.
• The laziness
• The malicious thoughts
• The gossip

This and so much more is sin, and God tells us very plainly what these sins deserve:

Romans 6:23 (NIV) …the wages of sin is death…

However…the story is different if you have a relationship with Jesus.

Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is yours because God established a relationship with you. When mankind fell into sin and went away from God, He went out of His way to do what needed doing. He was willing to lay aside the power and majesty and splendor of heaven in order to encounter us on our level, in flesh and blood, to be God with us and God for us.  Paul spoke of what the God/Man Jesus Christ did for us this way:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The relationship you have with Jesus means that He took your place in punishment, all the way to death, and puts on you His perfection. God sees you as being not guilty of sin for Jesus’ sake. It is because of the faith relationship you have with Jesus as your Savior.

1 John 5:12 (NIV) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

If you have the Son, you are in a faith relationship with him. And that guarantees you life. You have the Son in your life. You are with Him and He is with you. We’ll talk about this again next week.

Next Page »