A Place For You

Easter 5

May 2, 1999

John 14:2

A place of belonging is at least a part of what Jesus was telling his disciples; there would be a place for them in his personal future. Where he was, they would be, and they would belong. [The importance of a sense of "place" in belonging. 'This is yours!'] A place where you "fit." A place where you are welcome.

"I'm going to prepare a place for you. ," Jesus said. "You know where I'm going, and furthermore, you know the way to where I am going."

"Oh, no, we don't!" was Thomas' response.

"I am the way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me," Jesus said.

And then Philip chimed in, "Show us the Father and it will satisfy us."

Jesus said, "If you have seen me you have seen the Father."

If you think the place Jesus is preparing is like a mansion or a hotel suite that is fine. It won't be anything less, I'm sure. But the place Jesus has prepared is more than spatial. That place in Jesus' heart for you is available right NOW!

Some years later the apostle Peter in one phrase summed up a big part of what that "place" is that Jesus is carving out for his own people– including you and me. He said, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, God's own people!" It is a phrase so rich we can rush right by and not realize how wealthy we really are if we have trusted in Jesus.

We have a place in A NEW RACE . . A new kind of HUMAN RACE! "We are A CHOSEN RACE"

This has nothing to do with our color, or economics, or nationality here. It has to do with the genetics of Calvary. The Adam of our race is Jesus, who died to sin for us all, and who was "buried to carry our sins far away. But rising he justified freely forever" and so we belong to a life that is eternal, that never "runs down" or "wears out."

We have a place in A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. "We are A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD"

Priests stand between a holy God and sinful human beings and make sacrifices that bring God and people together. Some things we do when we worship are sacramental in nature, and priestly in function. But beyond times of worship, Christians are privileged to stand on that mysterious border between the world we can see and the very real world of fellowship with God. Christians are called to stand between God and people, and somehow make sacrifices that bring God and people together. There is a place in that royal priesthood for every Christian. For YOU!

We have a place in GOD'S KINGDOM "We are A HOLY NATION"

It may sound unpatriotic to say that God's kingdom is NOT identical to our own beloved nation. But it is true! The kingdom of God is not "of this world.," even as Jesus told Pilate. Jesus has the authority to command our first allegiance. Any person or group claiming what we claim without authority would be a dangerous sect. And whenever we waver from belonging to the kingdom we become just that: dangerous to ourselves and to all we meet. But if we say "Jesus is LORD!" we have the authority and the responsibility to be his ambassadors. After all, the Lord's prayer begins "Hallowed be thy name, THY KINGDOM COME! Thy will be done!" We live as citizens of two world.

We have a place IN GOD'S OWN FAMILY!

"We are GOD'S OWN PEOPLE" WE EXIST TO BRING PRAISE TO THE ONE WHO HAS CALLED US FROM DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT God wants to use us to tell the world he is to be trusted - that he is GOOD that John 3:16 is true!

We have a place of our own in God's love while we look for the time when we shall take OUR PLACE in heaven that he has prepared for us.

FINDING OUR 'PLACE' HAS TO DO WITH ROCK-SOLID FOUNDATION

WHAT DO WE DO WITH 'THE ROCK'???

Either Jesus is a stumbling stone - OR the foundation for everything GOOD!

In our difficult times the knee-jerk reaction is "What shall we DO?" "Pass a new law!" Instead of focusing entirely on what is wrong (which is normal and needful) - maybe we should focus on WHAT WAS AMAZINGLY RIGHT WHEN THE STORM CAME!!

Instead of JUST looking at "Harris" and "Klebold" we need to look at the Christian response to anger and evil: an unashamed turning to God in Christ!

[Last week was no time to analyze the horror; it was time to pray for the hurting, and to marvel at the faith of those who showed us Jesus. Cassie Burnell must have been used of God, for many, many pulpits of many points of the spectrum of faith were catching her clear martyrdom faith.

[But if last week as NOT a time to look at possible reasons for our violent society, maybe this week, and this week's scriptures could be at least a starting place.

Maybe instead of just asking "What is wrong?" we ought to ask "What is RIGHT about the Christian response to evil? !!"     [Closing of Sermon on Mount]

Cassie Bernall and Isaiah Shoels and the other Christian teens– the Christian response to the tragedy by parents and community - reveal the sold rock foundation that we can have in Jesus Christ!

I don't know what I would do if a loaded gun were pointed at me and I was asked "Do you believe!" But I would certainly hope that my foundation would be as solid as that 17-year-old young woman who had absolutely sold out to God!

IN THE SACRAMENTS WE COME BACK TO OUR SOLID FOUNDATION

Two Ways to Look at Grace

Grace over and above to be reached for in our need to keep us alive in a hostile world sort of punching holes in a dark sky to let pinpoints of light shine on us. Grace permeating all of creation and life. Sacraments help us to be aware that Jesus IS Lord to be aware that wherever we are, Jesus is already HERE.

The sacraments, all our worship, remind us that Jesus goes before us. Grace is here for you and me today.

#473 The Sold Rock

THE HOLY COMMUNION

The Law Read and Confession Made

The Lord Jesus Christ has said to us: "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This if the first and great commandment. The second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Shall we pray:

Search us, O God, and know our most private thoughts. Try us, and show unto us the deepest motives, the real state of our hearts. Forgive us where we have been selfish, or insensitive, or sinful in any way. We cannot keep the Great Commandment, and truly love You, O God, with all our heart, soul, and mind unless You in mercy grant to us the grace of Your indwelling Spirit. We cannot love each other as we should unless Your love is shed abroad in our hearts.

Brothers and sisters, let us search our hearts. In silence let us ask God to draw us near to Himself so that we can come to his table with confidence.

We do not presume to come to this table, O God, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great mercy and grace. Grant us to eat the Bread of heaven, and drink the blood shed for the remission of sins, that we may live in Christ, and Christ may live in us forever. Amen

Let us confess our faith:

The Apostles' Creed

The Informal Invitation ("This is not my table . . . ")

Holy and gracious Father; in your infinite love you made us for yourself; and, when we had fallen into sin, and were worthy of death and hell, you, in your mercy sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to You, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

The Words of Institution

On the night in which he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had give thanks to You he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, "Take eat: THIS IS MY BODY, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.

After supper he took the cup and when he had give thanks he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you; THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink this, do it in remembrance of me: Amen

We praise you for the mystery of our salvation! We truly believe Christ has died! Christ is risen! Christ will come again!

Bless these emblems, O God, and make them to us the Body and Blood of your Son, spiritual food, and spiritual drink of new and unending life in Jesus Christ.

And now, together, we pray, as Jesus taught us:

Our Father which art in heaven . . .

Now, humbly we receive the Gifts of God for the People of God

(Today we will (please) hold the elements and partake together)