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Living With The End (Revelation 1:1-20)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville & Whitestown UMC... Living With The End ( Revelation 1:1-20 )   What do you call it when pigs fly? The aporkalypse   A man on a tractor drove by yelling, "The end of the world is nigh!" I think it was Farmer Geddon.   Mark Twain reportedly wrote, “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Kentucky. They're always 20 years behind everything.”   John's vision of The Risen Lord Jesus Revelation 1:12-16 Today we begin the study of the Book of Revelation, aka The Apocalypse of John. Revelation comes from Jesus Christ in a series of visions to John. John was worshipping in exile on Patmos when he received his visions.   In the first century the western half of Turkey was known as Asia Minor. Patmos is an island 37 miles west of the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Located in this region were seven churches. John names these Greek communities.   Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelp...
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Do You Love Me More Than These? (John 21:1-25)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville & Whitestown UMC... Do You Love Me More Than These? (John 21:1-25)   Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”  John 21:12a A guy tells his bartender, “You know I think my wife loves me more than any woman has ever loved a man!” The bartender asks, “What makes you say that?” The man answered, “Last week when I was on sick leave at home, every time a mail carrier or delivery man came by, she’d run down the driveway waving her arms shouting, “My husband’s home! My husband’s home!”   We are wrapping up our study of the Gospel of John today. The risen Lord Jesus meets his disciples for breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (aka Sea of Tiberius) and after the meal Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?”   There is a lot in life to love. Taking time to list our loves in life is a worthwhile endeavor. It reminds us that even when life is difficult, there is still much about life to love. We likely list ...
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Doubt and Belief (John 20:19-30)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville & Whitestown UMC... Doubt and Belief ( John 20:19-30 )   The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio, c. 1602 “Unless I see the wounds from the nails in his hands,  and put my finger into the wounds from the nails,  and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” John 20:25 On the first Easter Sunday in the evening, Jesus appeared to His frightened disciples behind locked doors. The disciples were afraid that they would be arrested and put to death, just like their master, Jesus. So they hid behind doors shutting themselves in and the world out.   Suddenly Jesus appears to them. He met their fear with peace and purpose. The disciple’s fear turned to overwhelming joy.   Imagine being in the room. The Jewish leaders are determined to put an end to the Jesus movement. You are hiding, afraid for your very life. Suddenly, Jesus appears to you and says, “Hi! How are you?” That’s a contemporary greeting. The He...
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Seeing and Believing (John 20:1-18)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville & Whitestown UMC... Seeing and Believing (John 20:1-18)   What do you call a pink flower that resurrects itself? A rein-carnation.   What do you call someone who resurrects the dead by kissing their necks?   A Neck Romancer.   Why did Jesus appear to women first after the resurrection? He wanted to be sure the news spread quickly.   Because she  thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” John 20:15 Today we’re talking about the resurrection of Jesus. Just as the meaning of the cross has several views, so does resurrection. Some say resurrection is merely a spiritual metaphor for personal transformation. Others consider the New Testament’s witness to the resurrection to be shared grief and the trick the mind play on the human psyche after a significant loss. Others believe resurrection is an actual raising of th...
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The Crucifixion (John 19:1-42)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville, & Whitestown UMC... The Crucifixion ( John 19:1-42 )   Jesus said,  “It is finished.”   With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30 We are talking about the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior. No jokes today. We remember His sacrifice every time we celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. But today we’re going to take a deep dive into the meaning of Jesus’ crucifixion.   Just like one can see different views of an object by adjusting your position, the cross has many interpretations. After the resurrection of Jesus, the Church began to see that God was fulfilling scripture in Jesus. The apostle Paul wrote,   For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. (2 nd Corinthians 1:20)   The idea that God is fulfilling scripture has a rich history in the Church. Even today there are books written telling us how current events in our world are fulfilling scripture...
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