Sermon Notes Sunday 8.25.2019

8-25-19                                                                 “Be Bold! In Our Worship”                                          GFUMC
We are continuing this week with the theme of “Be Bold!”  Last week we looked at how we can be bold and intentional about our own growth a faith development.  I pray that if you are not already part of a Journey Group, that you will get connected to one!  Growth doesn’t happen by accident!
This coming Sunday we are going to focus on being bold in our worship.  What does it mean to worship “boldly” or “passionately?”  Our Scripture for Sunday is certainly an example of a bold and passionate worship experience!  It comes from Isaiah chapter 6…
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2 Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3 And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”  (Is. 6: 1-8 NRSV)
There is an interesting “ebb” and “flow” to passionate worship that is so clearly seen here.  When I say ebb and flow, think of standing on the beach, watching the water come in, and then go out.  Our life of worship is like that in a way. 
The Ebb – when we come aside from our everyday life to connect with God.  Jesus himself often went apart with his disciples – or even by himself – to connect with the Father.  So when we come aside for worship – that’s the ebb.
The Flow – Isaiah saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty…then the Lord’s presence filled the place shaking the house of worship with a holy sound and “holy smoke.”  That’s the “flow” of God into God’s people as they worship.
The Ebb – Isaiah realizes, as he sees the holiness of God, that he is a “man of unclean lips, and living among people of unclean lips.”  How can he stand before the Lord of hosts, whose glory fills the whole earth? 
The Flow – God sends a seraph to take a coal from the altar and touch Isaiah’s lips.  Forgiveness and cleansing flow as a free gift!
The Ebb –  The Lord backs off and offers a question.  “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
The Flow – “And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Will you take time from your busy schedule to “ebb” away and gather with us this Sunday?  Will you come expecting the “flow” of God’s Spirit as we worship boldly?  As we do so, we may ebb back and realize our own shortcomings – but God will meet us, touch us and bring healing.  And then, hopefully we will all flow from this place saying, “Here am I; send me!”
See you Sunday,
Pastor Sam
Posted in

Recent

Archive

 2022
 2021
 March
Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day 13Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day FourteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Day FifteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day 16Weird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day SeventeenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis, Day EighteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day NineteenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day TwentyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis-Twenty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Twenty-EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Twenty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day ThirtyWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-OneWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty TwoWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-ThreeWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Thirty-FourWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-FiveWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SixWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-SevenWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty EightWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis- Day Thirty-NineWeird is the New Normal: A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis - Day Forty

Categories

Tags

3 Encouraging 40 Days Abraham Acts All Saints' Day Apostle's Creed Ash Wednesday Back to School Baptism Be Bold Bible study Blessings Body Build up Build Burden Busy Celebrate Center Christian Christ Church Commandment Communion Connect Four Connected Connect Core Values Core Covenant Dare Discernent Disciple Don't Stop Dreaming Egypt Faith Father's Day Father\'s Day Fear Gentle Gifts Give up Give Go Wrong Goal God Gospel Grace Growing Grow Hard Hear Holy Spirit In Charge Jacob Jerusalem Jesus Wept Jesus John Wesley Joseph Journal Journey Knowing God Labor Lent Listen Lord Love Man Martha Mary Member Ministry Mission Statement Moses Name Obey One Another Paul Peter Pharaoh Plan A Pop Quiz Prayer Psalm 102 Purpose Quiet Rejoice Renewal Saints Samarian Samaritan Sanctifying Grace Satisfied School Scripture Serving Spirit Sufferings Talking Truths Union Unity Used Why Work Yesterday accomplish actions action act admitting all ambassadors angel anger another answer arrogance ask attention attitude bad news bad beautiful before believe birthright blessed blessing boat body of Christ bold break brothers brother calling call candle care carry catch change chat children child choices choice church family circumstace commandments commitment confession consequence content control conversation courage creation cross crucified crying cry death deceiver deceive deception decisions decision dedication defeat dejected demons depth devote devotional die difficult dinner discipleship dispair divine door doubt dreams each other earth encouragement encourage equipped eternity evil excuses experience extraoridnary fair faithfulness faithful faults favor feeling fellowship financially flaw fly followers follow forgive fortune friends fruitful fruit full future generosity gift glory goal good life goodness good grateful growth grudge guest guide happen happy hard times hardship harmony hearts heart heaven help history homes home honesty honest honor hope hospitality human humble humility hungry hurt image impatient imperfect impossible inheritance inivte inspiring integrity intersect jealous judge justice keep the faith keep kept kindness kind knock lament law liar life light live load lonely long look back look loss lost lunchroom make meaning meditate mercy messed up mess minister missed mission and service mission mistakes moment money more mountain mourning mysterious near needy need new year new next notice obedience offering open oppressed others outsider pain part passionate worship past patience peace people perserverance persistent pigs place plan ponder poor position power pray preach prefer prepare prevenient price pride progress prophet protect provided provision question race reaction reap reason received receives redeem reflection reflect relate relationship remember remorse repay repentance require research respond responsible reveal revenge reward riches right risk-taking risky rivers road roll call rotten rules sacrament sacrifcially sad save secret seek self-examination sermon serve service shelter shortcomings sick sign sinners sin situations slove someone else sorrow sorry sow spiritually spiritual steps step store storm strength struggle suffering survey swine sympathize table talents tears tempted ten commandments thankful thanks theology think thoughts ticket to ride time tomorrow trait travel treasure true trust truth unbelief unclean unfaithfulness unhelpful universal unlikely people unlikely places unlikely violence wait walk on water walk wander want waves weep weird welcome when pigs fly where wholeheartedly who why? willing wisdom wise wonder worked worries worship wrestle write wrong years yesterday thinking