The Emperor Augustus of the Roman empire was the most powerful man on the planet. He was also the wealthiest man in the Empire. He was called son of God, Savior of the world, King of Kings and Lord. Yet while Augustus was ruling, a little baby born in a stable in Bethlehem would have far greater impact that Augustus. Eventually all the titles used for a Augustus would be used to describe Jesus. Today we honor Jesus and not Augustus.
A diverse group of people were drawn to Jesus. Tax Collectors, Sinners, Pharisees and Teachers of the Law were all interested in Jesus. Some thought they were unworthy of God’s love and some thought they had earned their way into God’s love. Both these assumptions turned out to be wrong. Those who knew they were lost were on the right track and those who thought they weren’t part of the lost group were in jeopardy of being lost. In the lost and found chapter of the Bible, Jesus reaches out to both types of people.
God loves you and there is nothing you can do that will make Him love you any less.
Every one of God’s creatures needs water. We certainly know that we can’t survive in the desert for long without water. In a similar way we need the “Living Water” that Jesus offers. Yet, we often choose to drink from other sources which pollute our soul. So where is you watering hole?
It had been a treacherous week. The Disciples ate the last meal with Jesus on Thursday and followed him to the garden to pray. Then there was the arrest, trial and torture of Jesus followed by his crucifixion. The Disciples were grieved and shocked by the progression of events. They knew that everything was over. All they had planned and hoped for would never happen. But then a new day started with an empty tomb.
Easter dramatically changed the lives of the disciples. What they thought was dead was now alive. Everything changed on Easter morning. How might the empty tomb give us a different perspective on our lives? Join us for this conclusion to the “Following Jesus” sermon series. Or maybe it is just the beginning…
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on June 14, 2015 by Rev. Fred Steinberg
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on June 7, 2015 by Rev. Fred Steinberg
Sermon preached at Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, Arizona on May 31, 2015 by Rev. Fred Steinberg
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