Pentecost: Thursday, June 15, 2006

Old Testament Lesson

Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

So much of this book tell us that there are just things that we don't understand. We cannot fathom the mind of God. We can't know all of His thought are all of us ways. This is comforting because we know that no matter what happens, God has a plan in it. But, it also worries us, because we'd like to understand, we'd like to know, we don't like the fact that we can't understand why things are happening. The Christian group Caedmon's Call has a great lyric that says "The only problem I have with these mysteries is their so mysterious."

These mysteries, though, require faith. We don't know exactly what God is doing, but we know Him. We don't know exactly his purpose or plan, but we know Him. We don't know how things will always turn our, but we know Him. Or, at least, we should know Him. And knowing Him is not merely knowing about Him, but knowing Him on a deep and personal basis, a daily knowledge, a growing knowledge.

You will never know all the mysterious of God. But, you can know God. Today, do you know Him as you should?

New Testament Lesson

Galatians 5:16-24

You could preach many sermons on this passage, the fruit of the sinful lifestyle and the fruit of the spirit. There is so much we can learn from this passage and I would encourage you to read it on a regular basis to just "check up." I would say that the one thing that we can take from it is that our lives will have fruit. We will have the fruit of sin or the fruit of the spirit. Each day, you produce fruit. Each day your words, your attitudes, your very life is a fruit of some sort.

And this fruit is there for all to see. If you say you are Christian, but you are producing the fruit of the this world, what does that really say about you? I know some folks that claim to be Christian, yet few have seen any fruit from them. John Wesley called the type of persons "So called Methodists," meaning that they were Methodists (or insert your denomination) in name only.

Today, are you are Christian? Is their evidence of it? Are you producing the fruit of the spirit? The Word doesn't leave wiggle room, the spirit will produce, as will sin. Today, the question is not are you producing fruit, but what type of fruit are you producing?

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 16:13-20

We see here the classic question. First, who do others say that I am, then who do you say that I am. I doesn't matter for you what I think about Jesus, what you mom things about Jesus, what you co workers think about Jesus, what your friends think about Jesus. That's not the question He is concerned about today. Today, in this moment, who do you say that He is? Is He your savior? What does your life say? Is He your Lord? What does you life say? Today, the Lord doesn't care what others say, today, who do you say that He is?