MID-WEEK NEWS FOR JULY 9 PLEASE REMEMBER IN PRAYER: Richard Cowell Family and Friends of Marian McClelland Sandy Zeaman and family Rev. Rick Cepris Amy Mercer, Dan and Bev’s Daughter Ruth Lawson Janice Mitchell’s daughter, Charlotte Doug Mather’s Mom, Peg Tim Nordland’s grandmother, Elsie Bruce Burr – healing Pastor Mike Sperry Bob Peppel John Adolphson Ben Bemis Tina Schwab Hannah Beason Doretta Fleet Danette Tucker Dan Downey Peggy Paul BIBLE STUDY GROUP Wednesdays at 7 PM. AA Meetings Wednesday evenings at 7 PM FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT Camp Please join us at 6:30 in the Church Library. Stay for dessert and discussion following the movie. Next Week’s movie is Puppy Love. PASTOR LARRY WILL BE AWAY Monday and Tuesday, July 14th and 15th COMMITTEES Monday, July 14th at 6:30 PM 150th CELEBRATION MEETING Tuesday, July 15th at 6:30 PM HEALING SERVICE MEETING Tuesday, July 15th at 7:00 PM NEWSLETTER DEADLINE Wednesday, July 16th. Sermon Cliff’s Notes Genesis 25:19-34 Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Last week we dealt with recognizing the revelation of God. This week we are dealing with making choices either for good or for evil. Our passage from Genesis describes choices made by Isaac, Rebecca, Esau, and Jacob that greatly affected the history of several nations. After a long period of barrenness, Rebecca finally finds herself in a problematic pregnancy. God reveals to her the cause of her distress, “And the LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger,”” (v. 23). When the twins were born, God’s revelation became a reality which in reflected in the names of the two boys. One day Esau returned from a hunting trip empty handed and was very hungry. Jacob, always the conniver, took advantage of Esau’s hunger by offering to buy the elder son’s birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. Foolishly Esau agrees to the proposal, as he satisfies his physical hunger at the cost of a sacred responsibility as the first born, “Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright,” (v. 34). The twin’s parents also made poor choices that greatly affected the outcome of nations. Isaac favored Esau, while Rebecca favored Jacob, “Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob,” (v. 28). Jacob would later follow this pattern as he gave his sons, Joseph and Benjamin, preferential treatment. In our New Testament lesson, Jesus shares his third discourse in Matthew’s gospel telling a parable to his audience and later explains its meaning to the disciples. As a master teacher, Jesus used his parabolic stories to impart spiritual wisdom to his listeners without pointing accusatory fingers at the audience. In a parable, the listener remembers the earthly story, wrestles with its meaning, arrives at a spiritual conclusion, and brings judgment upon themselves. Jesus uses today’s parable to caution his listeners about the choices they make concerning the “word of the kingdom” (Word of God) and explains why the religious leaders of Israel do not accept his teachings. Many commentators, preachers, and Christian educators offer various meaning of the parable labeled the “Sower.” A parable is often referred to as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The parable teaches one moral, ethical, or spiritual lesson to the reader or hearer without each item of the story representing something. In a similar genre, an allegory offers a specific lesson but each item of the story represents a different point, value, or character. In today’s parable Jesus teaches the crowd about a prodigal farmer who goes out to plant grain in his field. Along the way seed is dropped on the pathway, a rocky piece of land, and a weedy patch of ground. This seed produces no fruit for three different reasons. Finally the farmer plants the seed in a prepared fertile field that produces an abundant harvest. The main theme of the story is the outrageous crop is harvested through God’s blessing not the efforts of the farmer. The second part to today’s lesson is Jesus’ allegorical explanation to the confused disciples. In this passage, the seed represents the hearing of the Word of God, and the different soils are how we embrace this revelation, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path,” (v. 19). The lesson for us is how we react to the revealed Word of God and what choices we make following this blessing, “But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty,” (v. 23). It is very easy for us to look at others and assign them to a particular soil, but in reality we have the potential to be all four soils each day. Each decision we make we are wrestling with the choice of flesh or spirit as we attempt to live the teaching of Jesus Christ in our daily walk of faith. In the words of Jesus, “Let anyone with ears listen!”
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 14:20:49 +0000
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