Ash Wednesday - Feb 13, 2013
Welcome to Lent
Welcome to Lent
Since our Ash Wednesday service was snowed out I saved this sermon for Sunday the 17th.
Enjoy!
We are ready to move into the season known as Lent.
Lent is a time of prayer. A time of setting things aside.
Lent is a time of preparation for the believer in Christ.
We move through these 6 weeks towards Easter as we prepare to relive the events of Christ's death and resurrection.
Lent is usually observed with fasting.
Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting, where he endured being tempted by Satan.
People traditionally give something up during Lent.
If you have a vice or habit to break, an addiction or you simply realize you need more time with God. This is the time of year the church focuses it attention on setting time aside for the Lord.
It is important to note: it's not about you or I.
This isn't about giving up chocolate for 40 days simply so you can lose weight and get into those jeans you got at Christmas.
This isn't about not swearing for the next 40 days just because you know it's not a good thing.
This is about God.
When I think about the subject of fasting, my mind wanders to a moment when Jesus had to speak with the Pharisees...
Mark 2:23-28
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
We should note here that the importance of fasting is not in what we are giving up.
It is about Who we are giving it up for.
Sabbath days, Holy days are not made for us.
When we gather in here to worship, it is not about us.
It is about God.
Now, I told you in the last post that we would be focusing on the person of Peter through this Lenten season.
We will look at the subject of change as we look at what happened in the course of Peter's life.
The scripture laid in front of me was the moment when Jesus called his disciples from their boats.
It was a moment they would never forget.
Matthew 4:18-20
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
If we blindly read the Matthew passage it might not make much sense for some guys who had never met Jesus to just drop what they are doing and walk away to follow this man.
It helps us to take a glance at some of the other Gospel accounts to see what else might have been going on.
It's important to not that what we see in the Gospels doesn't always happen chronologically.
We have to dissect, pulling apart the events we read and putting them back together in a time-ordered way to see them as they truly enfold.
Jesus actually saw Peter before that day on the beach when he called them to follow.
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).
It helps us to take a glance at some of the other Gospel accounts to see what else might have been going on.
It's important to not that what we see in the Gospels doesn't always happen chronologically.
We have to dissect, pulling apart the events we read and putting them back together in a time-ordered way to see them as they truly enfold.
Jesus actually saw Peter before that day on the beach when he called them to follow.
John 1:35-42
New International Version (NIV)
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter[a]).
John the Baptist is walking down the road. At this point he would have already baptized Jesus.
They are intimately acquainted.
John does not hesitate one second. He sees Jesus and cries out.
Andrew is one of John's disciples.
Isn't this usually how it happens? A family member reaches out to another family member.
The scripture says the first thing Andrew does is go find Peter.
Let me paint a picture here.
Andrew is the disciple. He is the one following.
So, what is Peter? Is he a believer? Does he care at all about this stuff?
Is he out there following and searching? Obviously not.
The scripture doesn't say what he is doing. Just that Andrew went and found him.
Most likely he is working.
Jesus must have followed Andrew at that moment.
"Messiah, follow me for a moment. I'm going to get my brother."
The Savior of souls will not hesitate to let us lead for a moment when the destination is someone we want to introduce to Him.
"We found Him! The Messiah is here, brother!"
"We found Him! The Messiah is here, brother!"
I just picture Peter as this rough, blue color, dirty from working kind of guy.
"Huh? You found who?"
"Huh? You found who?"
"The Messiah, you lug head! Remember? John has been telling us about him."
How many 'meetings' had Andrew dragged his brother to?
Discussion in the synagogue or a baptism out in the wilderness.
What did Peter actually think of all this?
Well, if we are going to take this blue collar approach seriously, then I'd say he was a bit skeptical.
Like any hard working, dirty handed man who tirelessly slaved over nets and boats, as he did, there had to be that hard nosed skepticism.
Maybe he went to reading in the synagogue simply because his brother bothered him about it.
Simply as a way to get his brother to shut up and leave him alone.
Now Andrew comes rushing in and proclaims that they have actually found what they are looking for.
The Messiah.
I can just see a slight frown on Peter's forehead.
Then something happens that Peter could not have been expecting.
This Messiah speaks directly to him.
“You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”
"Huh? Me? ......WHAT?"
We can only imagine what kind of conversations began to swirl between that first encounter and the moment Jesus walks by the their boats, beckoning them to follow.
Luke's account takes it even farther.
Discussion in the synagogue or a baptism out in the wilderness.
What did Peter actually think of all this?
Well, if we are going to take this blue collar approach seriously, then I'd say he was a bit skeptical.
Like any hard working, dirty handed man who tirelessly slaved over nets and boats, as he did, there had to be that hard nosed skepticism.
Maybe he went to reading in the synagogue simply because his brother bothered him about it.
Simply as a way to get his brother to shut up and leave him alone.
Now Andrew comes rushing in and proclaims that they have actually found what they are looking for.
The Messiah.
I can just see a slight frown on Peter's forehead.
Then something happens that Peter could not have been expecting.
This Messiah speaks directly to him.
“You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”
"Huh? Me? ......WHAT?"
We can only imagine what kind of conversations began to swirl between that first encounter and the moment Jesus walks by the their boats, beckoning them to follow.
Luke's account takes it even farther.
Chapter 5 describes in deeper detail than Matthew's account.
Matthew has Jesus just walking by and calling them. They drop all and follow.
Funny what different people remember. Luke got a real catch of a story.
5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Giving things up. That's the emphasis of Lent.
What did these men have to give up? And, how easy was it?
Was it really that easy to just walk away for their jobs?
They leave behind the life that they had known their whole lives so far, the job they had worked everyday, their families and livelihood.
A moment of reckless abandon some call it.
That's a similar emphasis to what we say about Lent.
Here is this thing that I can go without OR i should go without OR I need to go without.
I need to lay this thing aside and focus my time, my attention, my heart on the Lord.
Maybe something went through these men and said to them "We can let this go."
They leave behind all they know and they let the Lord lead the way.
The first step of change is going from the skepticism to being willing to follow.
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
Peter might have been a skeptic to start.
His discipleship will be a time of letting the doubt go.
He will see lots of things. Many miracles. Many confrontations. Hear many sermons.
This man will go from the obscurity of a fishing boat to the center stage of the religious forefront.
And, all because he decided he could go without his nets for awhile.
Matthew has Jesus just walking by and calling them. They drop all and follow.
Funny what different people remember. Luke got a real catch of a story.
Luke 5:1-11
New International Version (NIV)
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
5 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,[a] the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He
got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to
put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people
from the boat.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Giving things up. That's the emphasis of Lent.
What did these men have to give up? And, how easy was it?
Was it really that easy to just walk away for their jobs?
They leave behind the life that they had known their whole lives so far, the job they had worked everyday, their families and livelihood.
A moment of reckless abandon some call it.
That's a similar emphasis to what we say about Lent.
Here is this thing that I can go without OR i should go without OR I need to go without.
I need to lay this thing aside and focus my time, my attention, my heart on the Lord.
Maybe something went through these men and said to them "We can let this go."
They leave behind all they know and they let the Lord lead the way.
The first step of change is going from the skepticism to being willing to follow.
“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”
Peter might have been a skeptic to start.
His discipleship will be a time of letting the doubt go.
He will see lots of things. Many miracles. Many confrontations. Hear many sermons.
This man will go from the obscurity of a fishing boat to the center stage of the religious forefront.
And, all because he decided he could go without his nets for awhile.
