Assorted Passages
May 10, 2020

I remember the longest road trip I had been on. It was the summer of 2002, and I was driving to Indiana from BC to see Shannon. The drive was close to 8000km round trip. It was in the Summer, in a small car with no air conditioning (when that was considered a bonus / luxury feature). I love to drive and explore, so I loved every minute of it. I got to encounter tons of new things, see lots of new states and scenery. I even drove through Chicago for the very 1st time and lived to tell about it (those of you who have driven there know exactly what I mean). The most exciting thing for me was that I knew that at the end of the journey, my girlfriend who I only got to see a few times a year would be waiting.

The longest part was the drive home. In one long day, I drove from a location in Indiana, 2 hours south of Chicago, to Lethbridge AB, just south of Calgary. It was 25 hours straight of driving. I Would never do that now. But I was 20 and invincible. I would have stopped if I could but had no money – even the $39 Motel 6 was too much. I tried stopping to rest in my car at rest areas and truck stops, but I learned something about driving through Minnesota and North Dakota at night. Not only is it humid, but it has big bugs. I had no A/C so I was dripping from sweat inside the car if I tried to sleep. And if I opened the window, who knows what ‘friends’ would crawl in. I was uncomfortable to say the least.

I got an hour here, 30 minutes there for a nap. But kept drinking coffee and driving as much as I could (maybe that is why I like Tim Hortons so much now!). I was eager to get to my relatives in Alberta – to a comfortable bed, to a home cooked meal, to air conditioning. I could see the destination in the distance, but for now was stuck in my car. In my mind, I was asking several times “Are We There Yet?”

A couple weeks ago, looked at how we as the church feel the same right now. The current COVID situation has taken us on a different, inconvenient, and uncomfortable journey. We feel stuck, much like I did in my car with no AC, and big bugs outside. We have been on a long trip (because of quarantine, social distancing, closures), and we just want to get out. We hear the governments talking of a gradual opening, and we can’t wait. But unlike me where I knew where I was going, we don’t.

We know life will be different for everyone after all this, and what the church looks like is no exception. The problem is that we don’t know what this ‘different’ will look like. And that is unsettling to us pastors, to MC, to you as the congregation. Yet, there are some core values that are the same no matter where we find ourselves as a church and what is going on around us. We have a vision and we have a mission that God has called us on, even for such a time as this.

As HMC, we believe we are called to be “Generations Following Jesus Together”. We do this as we “Gather, Grow, Give, and Go”. Over the next several weeks, I want to unpack this more in light of our changing world around us. A couple weeks ago, I started talking about the Gather part, the importance of community. I said that “Practical faith happens in community”. Today, want to spend a bit more time talking about the importance of “Gather” – the need for community. And how:

Authentic community requires intentional participation

The church was designed, not to be a building where people meet, but an authentic community who can meet in a building, or today is meeting online; a community who can meet at any time and any place. But in order for the church to be an authentic community, as God designed it, there needs to be buy in, or investment in it. The church family without participation is not authentic community – just a disconnected, dysfunctional gathering of people.

Why should we intentionally become an authentic community?

Matthew 16:18

1. God created the church with community in mind
   -> There are three different potential applications here to “On this rock”. Not going to unpack them today. But later in this series I want to.
   -> Notice one word… on this rock I will build _ church….
   -> The church belongs to God, and He builds it. Takes the pressure off of us. Not about our methods, philosophies, wisdom, assumptions, ideas. It has to be about what God wants!
   -> First time this term “church” is used in the Bible. And it is Jesus who is speaking of an entity, something He is about to create. A very specific Greek word is used here that goes beyond a light suggestion or casual implication of what the church was to be.

Ekklesia: A gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public space, an assembly. In a Christian sense, an assembly of Christ followers gathered for worship. Root words imply being specifically called out to a different purpose. Implication is that God calls us out specifically to be His community, His church, His family.

-> When we look through the pages of the NT, whenever the word “Ekklesia”/Church is used, it is referring to the group of believers as they come together as a community. It is not referring to individual, fragmented, isolated life apart from the rest of the church community. The church has always been a gathering.
-> The church isn’t what we do, it is who we are when we gather…..
-> Authentic community requires intentional participation. This appears to be what God had in mind when the church was created and named. He created the church with community in mind.

Rom 12:3-8, 1 Cor 12:12-28

2. We find our purpose within the church community.
   -> Both these passages describe something called “the body” that those who follow Christ were a part of. The word used in the original Greek manuscripts was:

Soma: Describes a grouping (small or large) of people who are closely united into one society or family, and in the NT, the church.

-> All who follow Christ are part of a body that is both global – meaning that we are united with all those who follow Jesus around the world – and a local expression.
-> The church is the place on a local level where that family / body identity finds
realization and purpose.
-> It is within this community that each one of us is given gifts, abilities, skills that this community body needs to function to the fullest. Meant to be used and find fulfillment in this community / family.
-> When we do not plug in, we deprive ourselves and the church community of the full potential available. When we do intentionally participate, we and the church are able to become a life giving, life changing, vibrant authentic community where we find purpose and connection.
-> Like the passage says, we need each other, just like the body needs all its’ parts.
-> Authentic community requires intentional participation. We find our purpose within the church community.

3. The church community was intended to be at the centre of daily life
   -> Often times, the church community has adopted a tendency to be separate from life in general. We are pretty good at compartmentalizing.
   -> The church community becomes just something we have to do. Not influential, not important, not a priority.
   -> What happens when the church community becomes compartmentalized is that it becomes irrelevant. When it isn’t a part of our general daily life, it loses its impact in any of our life.
   -> Yet this is not what Jesus intended when He designed His church – the community of His followers who were a united body, who needed each other to function, to find fulfillment in the setting of gathering together. He intended His church to be at the center of daily life.
   -> We see this as we go through the New Testament and look at all the ways in which the church was intended to be a part of daily life.
   -> By no means an exhaustive list. Go home today and google “one another verses in New Testament”. I also likely have a list that I will post this week online. And not going to unpack these today. But gives you an idea.

Where needs were met: Acts 2:44-45, 4:32-35

Where disputes were settled: 1 Cor 6:1-6

Where support was given: 1 Cor 12:26, Gal 6:2

Where encouragement was received: 1 Thess 5:11, Heb 10:24-25

Where accountability was offered: James 5:16

Where prayer together happened: James 5:13-15

-> This is just a snapshot of all the daily things of life in which Jesus intends for His church (us) to rise up, live, and function together as a community, as a family. The church community was intended to be at the centre of daily life. But in order for this to happen, authentic community requires intentional participation. You need to want to plug in, to be involved, to identify here.

SO WHAT??

COVID 19 has completely changed the landscape of the church, and how we function. Community life has now, for the most part, gone online. The physical gathering we used to enjoy doesn’t happen. We aren’t getting together in each others’ homes. We aren’t getting together here at the church building. Our interactions with each other are a lot more limited as today, I really don’t have much of an idea who is watching unless you post in here (and even so, I am not able to pay attention to those things). For me it has been difficult as I don’t get to see you all at the door when you are leaving. I don’t get to see your faces, hear your voices. It is a different world.

In some ways, this has been a change that has been long overdue. For a long time, our culture and society has been online, and the church has been resisting the push to get online. Now, because of COVID, we have been forced to go online. And it has given us cause to re-evaluate a lot of what we do and how we do it. What things actually matter and make a difference? What things don’t? What we do know is that we will continue, even as things shift to allow us to be open, to provide an online presence for HMC in addition to the physical gatherings that we will be running.

With COVID, a lot of us have gotten used to not having to leave the comforts of our house to join into any of the church life. Sundays are super casual now. Being able to watch church from the living room, not have to be dressed to leave the house. And if you sleep in, you can watch it later. Everything else is online. And potentially, you could take in a whole week full of stuff here at the church and never have to physically see anyone (minus on a screen). And take it in when it is convenient. There is a lot of convenience now to how we do our church community gatherings – out of necessity.

As we look ahead though, I want to encourage us, when the regulations lift, to fight the urge to stay isolated and disconnected in our homes. Yes, it is convenient, but we are also missing out on the authentic and life changing community that we were designed to be a part of. We need to invest intentionally in our family. Authentic community requires participation.

Being online can not replace physical connection, no matter how hard we try. A family needs to be more than just a virtual family in order to grow deeper. And as we become more isolated in our homes, not participating in the community, the harder it is for us as a community to live intentionally, as a community on mission together in our communities. As cool as being online is, it leads to us being even more disconnected to each other in this community, and to the larger community in which we live.

Gathering can be anywhere, at any time. It doesn’t have to be Sunday at 10am. It can be in your own home with a dozen others. It can be any time of day, over a meal even. And who knows… maybe this will be the catalyst for us launching a whole bunch of home based churches tied into HMC. I dream…. But however we do it, gathering needs to happen. And it needs our intentional participation. We need to pursue authentic community together.

And of course, if you have never met Jesus personally, never started a personal relationship with Him, He invites you to know Him, love Him, and follow Him. He invites you to become a part of His family, His community, and experience belonging on a spiritual level. A deeper purpose, a deeper connection. If that is you and you want to know more, any of us here on staff would love to be able to help you more with that so that you can experience being a part of the life changing community and family that He has designed us for.

Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47 NLT

42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. 43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Are We There Yet?
1 – Together
Acts 2:42-47
April 26, 2020

Growing up, one of my favourite things to do was to go on road trips with my family. There was something exciting about hoping into the backseat of our 1981 Buick Century, and later on our Caravan to go on a family vacation that was exciting. It usually meant camping along the way to go see relatives in another province. It meant seeing new sights along the way, stopping to do fun things as a family as we travelled, and being out on the open road.

I still love road trips. I still love to get the family in the car and go new places. For me, there is something therapeutic and relaxing about being on the open road. My boys, not so much. There is one phrase that every parent has heard when driving anywhere longer than across town that induces complete frustration: “Are we there yet?” And the more that question is asked, the more likely fighting ensues in the backseat. Reason – because they are bored of the journey. They are excited and just want to get to the end destination.

I can’t help but think we are a bit like kids on a road trip (minus the fighting I hope!). Life feels a bit like a road trip right now in that COVID has come in and nicely taken us from our normal routines and life and placed us inside quarantine which feels like being locked up in a car on a long road trip. We know that eventually COVID will end, but our destination may in many ways look different than where we started. The fear of the unknown has passed, but now we are bored, anxious, stressed, tired, and the longer this carries on the more we want to say “Are we there yet?”

As a church we are likely feeling the same thing. We are not meeting together in person. We are now meeting on Zoom, which prior to this many of us hadn’t heard of. Many of us have signed up for Facebook, and you are watching me live this morning from your home. Some of you are watching through our website now, or will later today. Some of you will be watching this on Saturday evening on the community tv station. Some of you are not even able to watch this, and are resorting to reading the transcript later by email or snail mail. We are making a lot more phone calls, and doing whatever we can to stay connected. And yet, as word starts trickling down from our governments about a gradual reopening of our province and country, we look forward to us being able to do some of the things we did as a church. Yet in the back of our minds, we know that being the church may not quite function the same as it did before. And in this in between time, we find ourselves asking (maybe in frustration, tiredness, and stress) “Are we there yet?”

While this morning, I do not profess to know any of the answers of what the future may look like for us, I do know first of all that we have a God who knows all things and is bigger than our unknowns. We need to go to Him in prayer, trust Him, and follow Him as we walk into uncharted, post pandemic territory. Second, regardless of what life will look like a month from now, even though we wonder in confusion if “we are there yet”, even though this is an all new road for us to drive down, some things stay the same. Our identity, purpose, and calling as the church has not changed. And as we look down the road to our destination, or new normal, our existing purpose, vision, identity, and calling becomes that much stronger.

In January, we unfolded a vision for HMC that I think is even more relevant and important today than it was in January. We want to be, as HMC, Generations Following Jesus Together. I think the vision statement is pretty self explanatory, so I wont spend a lot of time defining it.

How we get there is where we need more help. We have four core values, or mission words that are steps in helping us be Generations Following Jesus Together. They are “Gather, Grow, Give, and Go.” I want to practically unpack those words with you over the next several weeks. In order to do that, let’s look at Acts 2:42-47

As you are turning to Acts 2, I give you this thought: the people of God have always been heading into unknown territory. They have always been wondering “Are we there yet?” We have seen it in the Exodus narrative that we have been looking at with Amos. We see it in the New Testament as the church is birthed. We see it since then all through history, and we see it now. Yet remember this, God is unchanging, and He will bring us to our destination.

Acts 2:42-47

The church does not yet officially exist – it is still too new. Right now it is just the informal gathering of those who considered themselves followers of Jesus, and they are likely trying to figure out where they are going. Life isn’t what it was; it has changed for them. Yet they also have no idea what is in store for them either – if it were today, they would find themselves saying “ARE WE THERE YET?”. A lot has been going on culturally and religiously in that context that turned their lives upside down. In the last couple months, Jesus has been killed and has come back to life again. He then spent 40 days appearing to many and getting His disciples ready to carry on His work here on Earth. He then goes up to Heaven. Ten days later, as His followers were gathered together, God sends His Holy Spirit down to them, they are filled by this Spirit in a way they have never before experienced, they begin to speak in languages they did not personally speak, the message of Jesus went out, and a new movement was born that was drawing in many (thousands) of new followers.

Like us, they were in new and uncharted territory. Yet there were some values that came out of this new community that was changing culture, changing the religious scene, and changing lives that have carried on through the ages and God wants to be a part of our church today.

These verses give quite a list of what the first followers were doing. We need to remember that these verses are less about being specifically prescriptive (as we are sometimes tempted to take them as a method for instant church growth), and more about being descriptive of what was happening. That being said, there are some principles here that I think we need to pay attention to; some foundational principles that the church (in general) often forgets, but needs to embrace more so, especially in these times. As we look ahead, these things will help us make it through this time of transition and will help us be stronger as we arrive.

We need to GATHER; we need each other!
Practical faith happens in community.

As we look at this list of practical things that the followers were doing, I want you to notice something specific that comes out through this whole passage: practical faith happens in community. Community was natural and foundational to practical faith in Jesus being lived out. As we look at the example of the early followers, we see that faith is a community affair that finds its expression as people of faith come together and practically live it out. We see three different examples in this passage that stress the natural value of “community togetherness” as the early followers practically lived out their faith in Jesus.

Vs 42 – Fellowship: Koinonia This is the idea of a community built around a joint share or participation in a cause, where there is intimacy, mutual contribution, and association. As the believers got together, and practically lived out the teachings of Jesus, there was a sense of identity, community, association, and participation together that was natural and engrained into those teachings, that was foundational to those teachings.

Vs 44 – They were together, and shared what they had – The believers chose to be together physically, and share with each other everything they had with those who had need (which was a teaching of Jesus – but more on that in weeks to come). While this is not a command for us to embrace communism, there is a value here we can’t ignore. Following Jesus, when lived out in community, allows us to share life and what we have with each other, it allows us to love each other the way Jesus commands.

Vs 46 – ‘together’ – Of one accord, passion, mind, heart – What united the believers wasn’t a Costco or fitness club membership. It wasn’t an all access pass to the local country club. It was a deep, life changing, heart altering, direction changing set of beliefs in and obedience to the person of Jesus Christ. As they lived out the teachings of Christ, grew closer to Him, and devoted themselves to all the things listed in verse 42 (the apostles teachings, fellowship, sharing meals, remembering communion, and prayer), they did so together, united together because of Jesus. It was in the setting of community that their public faith practically happened.

Does the Bible back this up elsewhere?

1) The Old Testament law expected it: Lev 19:18 – Contained in the Mosaic Law that the Israelites followed, passed down from God, through Moses. What does it say? Don’t bear a grudge or live in bitterness against your neighbour but love them. Practice community with your neighbour. It is expected as a natural part of your faith.

2) Jesus endorsed it: Matt 22:37-39 – When asked by an expert in the law which was the most important command in the OT Mosaic Law, Jesus summed them all up in two ideas: community with God, and community with others. Love God, love your neighbour. Community is expected as a natural part of your public faith expression.

3) We need it to reach our God-given potential: Heb 10:24-25 – The early followers, the early church wasn’t to stop meeting together. It wasn’t so that they could get people to give to an offering to pay the bills. It wasn’t so that they could compete with the other churches for the amount of people they had. It wasn’t to create a social convention or club. It was because it was understood that as we live out our faith publicly and practically, it is hard. There are days where we will want to throw in the towel and quit. We need the support of a community to encourage us on as we live out our faith, and follow Jesus in love and good deeds. Community is expected as a natural foundation of your public faith expression.

SO WHAT?

We feel like we are on a journey. We feel like we have been ripped out from all that was safe, and all that we knew, and now we are on this journey to ‘who knows where’. It is stressful, it is confusing, it is uncertain, we feel anxiety, and we want to know “are we there yet?”

First of all, find comfort! Psalm 46 says “Be still, and in that quietness from all the calamity around, you will find out who God is.” Psalm 23 (which Matt read this morning) reminds us that we have a Good Shepherd who is guiding our journey and will take care of us.

Second, isolation reminds us of who we were meant to be, and how we were meant to function as the church. It reminds us of our identity. If isolation has done one thing for us, it has reminded us that we need community, we need each other, we need to GATHER. That reality doesn’t take a break because of COVID; it just looks different.

If we want to live out our faith publicly (which is a major part of it) in the way that Jesus taught, the way that brings hope and life change to others, the way that delivers joy and comfort in times of stress and fear, we need each other. The public expression of our faith in Jesus does not have a solitary option. Jesus, through his life, death, and life again, has invited each of us to be a part of His body, all united together, and functioning as one. For us to be who He has made us to be, we need to be there for each other, we need to encourage each other, we need to be involved in the lives of each other. We need our family, our community. We don’t work right otherwise. We need to GATHER; we need each other! Practical faith happens in community.

So the challenge to you is invest in others. Be involved in our Zoom Rooms where we share life, we share our needs, we encourage each other, we pray for each other. Call someone up on the phone this week who you need to encourage or reach out to. Maybe even (all be it virtually), find someone this week that you can mentor and shape, and they can mentor and shape you. Maybe you can do a Bible study with someone these next several weeks. If you need more help with that, talk to Pastor Kristina.

Find strength, purpose, and identity in community. Maybe have a virtual coffee over skype or Facetime with people from the church you haven’t seen before. Maybe today, after this service, download the family curriculum that Pastor Amos has made and as a family practice community together as you grow in your faith together (and pastor your homes). Maybe this week, as your individual household family, find another family that you don’t know as well but you can ‘adopt’ – you can get to know them more, talk to them, pray with them and for them, share life. Here is the encouragement: a pandemic with isolation measures that could threaten to tear apart a community because we can’t physically gather could actually be an amazing opportunity to build deeper relationships, and maybe with someone you do not know.

Maybe today as you listen to me, you feel lost, on a journey with no idea where you are going, but you also feel very alone. You hear me talking about being the community, being the family, and us needing each other because that is how Jesus designed the church to function. You want to be a part of something like that, but you don’t know Jesus, and you don’t know how to be a part of a community like this.

Jesus invites you today to find Him, to open your life to Him, to let Him in. Jesus invites you today to let Him transform your life and give you a new hope, purpose, identity, and a sense of belonging. And in so doing, Jesus invites you to be a part of His body, His family, and find community with Him and us. And if this is something you want to know more about, please send me (or any of our pastors a message) on facebook, find us on our website and send us an email, reach out. We would love to tell you more.

Remember, that even in the times of uncertainty where everything looks different, our purpose and identity does not change because Jesus, who our foundation is built upon as His community, His body, His family, does not change.

Sunday, April 5, 2020 – U18 SUNDAY

Exodus 25/Mark 11

Transcript:

[Front Porch]

Welcome to Hanover Missionary Church this morning. I am Pastor Amos, the pastor of children, youth, and family. This is actually a U18 Sunday and it’s Palm Sunday and we’re streaming from my house.

We’re going to start this Sunday off with a Palm Sunday reading from the scriptures. This is coming from the gospel of Matthew and it’s titled The Royal Welcome.

The Royal Welcome
21 1-3 When they neared Jerusalem, having arrived at Bethphage on Mount Olives, Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions: “Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Master needs them!’ He will send them with you.”
4-5 This is the full story of what was sketched earlier by the prophet:
Tell Zion’s daughter,“Look, your king’s on his way,    poised and ready, mountedOn a donkey, on a colt,    foal of a pack animal.”
6-9 The disciples went and did exactly what Jesus told them to do. They led the donkey and colt out, laid some of their clothes on them, and Jesus mounted. Nearly all the people in the crowd threw their garments down on the road, giving him a royal welcome. Others cut branches from the trees and threw them down as a welcome mat. Crowds went ahead and crowds followed, all of them calling out, “Hosanna to David’s son!” “Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!” “Hosanna in highest heaven!”
10 As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?”
11 The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.”

That’s our prayerful scripture reading this morning to start off our Palm Sunday/U18 Sunday service. Now, this is a little bit different. This is weird. If four weeks ago or five weeks ago you’d told me I would be live streaming Sunday service from my house with a selfie stick, I probably would have laughed at you. But, this is where we are in the Covid era and I am really excited to be doing something different in these strange times.

What we’re going to do may feel naturally unnatural, but what we’re going to do, is I’m going to invite you into our home to have church with us this Sunday morning. Today, I’m going to invited into a different form of worship in the form of eating. My family is just sitting down for a Palm Sunday pancake breakfast so we’re going to head inside and continue on from there.

[Kitchen]

We’re having some pancakes, some whipped cream, some coffee.

So, church in the home. That’s where we are this morning. We’re in our kitchen. Church in the home really isn’t that strange historically. Now, it’s odd to us and i feel that this is very very weird that this is our Sunday service, but it’s an amazing opportunity to be together in a new way. But for the historical church this really isn’t all that strange. The early church met in homes. And even in the Jewish tradition, the Jews would go to the temple and the synagogue, it was really the family and the parents responsibility to raise their children up in the law of Moses, so the synagogue was really a secondary thing to normal life in the home with parents and kids and grandparents. And so the church in the home is really naturally unnatural.

So as I was preparing for this service, I couldn’t help but think of my own church experience. I grew up in the church and we were really involved: programs and retreats and camps and Hawaiian nights and youth. It’s where I learned to play the drums, where I learned to play the piano, it’s where I met my lovely wife. And church was just a normal rhythm for our daily life. But if I were honest with you, a lot of my church formation didn’t actually happen within the church building, it happened in something just like this: a kitchen full of people talking, eating, hovering around the island. I think of my own parents, all the countless conversations I had about God with my dad and my mom around the kitchen sink, around the kitchen table. All the times I had conversations with friends, theological discussions and debates. There were all kinds of times in my life, in my own home, where I met Jesus. I even committed my life to Jesus as a grade one in my families living room on my favourite chair which my parents still have to this day. Church in the home was interesting. It even spilled outside of my my own home into friend’s houses and mentor’s houses. I have all these memories of sitting in other people’s kitchens and other people’s houses, talking and learning and forming around Jesus.

Now, there’s one kitchen in particular that I remember with real distinction and that was my Baba’s kitchen. My Baba is my Ukrainian grandmother. I recently got to spend some time with her. She had a stroke in Florida a couple months ago, and so before the pandemic hit, she returned and I went down to visit her and ended up having a great conversation with her. She’s in her 90s, still sharp as a tack. We had a wonderful conversation about the ways she had formed me as a child, and particularly her kitchen. When Baba and Gigi would invite us over as kids to spend time at their farm – I lived in the town and had six other siblings, so the chance to spend time one-on-one time with someone who doted on me hand and foot was a very wonderful opportunity – my favourite thing to do was sit in her kitchen. Now, I got to go to the bush, to play with a hatchet, to build a fort, I went running around the forest with my Gigi, I got to wear mismatched clothes, and I ate really well; but in the morning, my Baba and Gigi would wake up really early and I would sneak into the kitchen and sit in the rocking chair but the wood stove and rock as I listened to my Baba sing and tell stories and tell how God had worked in her life through all these years of having seven of her own children, including my father, stories of provision and the ways the spirit had guided her in her life, and the stories of the Bible. They were incredibly shaping and formational. Baba’s kitchen was a place where I met Jesus regularly.

And talking to my dad, I’d kind of forgotten there was a long lineage of in-home church in my own family. When I was 16, my family and I went out to Alberta and met my Baba and Gigi there, where my Baba was born and had grown up. Her father had immigrated from Ukraine and was given a hundred acre lot that he had to clear. But while he was there, he met Jesus. His life was turned around, and he ended up starting a church in his own home, a little hut where my Baba was actually born. And when the Ukrainian community got established enough, he actually led the building charge for this tiny little Ukrainian church in northern Alberta. And we actually got to go visit there when I was 16 with my Baba.

So, church in the home, while strange and unnatural to us, and the historic unfolding of God’s story through time and history and the Christian church and the Jewish model, it’s actually not that uncommon even though it feel strange and weird.

[Upstairs Studio]

This is probably my favourite spot in the house, this is my studio spot. This is where I do a lot of my work and my drawing.

This is a strange time for all of us and I can’t help but feel a strange connection to the ancient Israelites as we are in this time of being disconnected and lost. It really reminds me of the story of the Exodus. We’ve been going through that story as part of the bedtime story and that just happens to be where we were for the midweek meal before the pandemic hit and we’re continuing on with those which are streaming live at 7:30 on Wednesday nights.

The story of the Israelites is an interesting one. I just want you to pause and imagine that the Red Sea has just folded over itself and Pharaoh’s army has been wiped out and the treat of returning to Egypt through force is over. The Exodus has really begun and the Israelites are standing on the shore of the wilderness. Imagine how that would have felt for them. They had lost everything that was familiar to them. Even though they were slaves and their life was terrible, I think we take for granted the fact that every kind of system they had in place, every kind of routine they had, all the familiarity and similarity of their lives had changed in an instant and they couldn’t go back. Their government, their food source, even their work – even though it was slavery – they did have things to do. It was all gone.

Now if we read the temperature of them, we know this is a strange place for them to be because it didn’t take very long for them to start complaining. They complained about how much food they had, how much water they had, and they actually stated saying they’d rather die in Egypt than die in the wilderness. They were more upset about where they were than where they had been.

And I think it’s because they were scared. I think they were terrified of being in that unknown space, of being in that wild. And I can’t help but feel a similar kind of feeling right now: how strange and weird and uncomfortable and uncertain and that seems to be growing daily.

The Israelites were not alone and they weren’t without a plan. See, God was actually drawing them out of Egypt, drawing them into the wilderness to embed His story and His plan and His image on them. In that moment they were a continuation of a promise God had given Abraham to pass on to Isaac and Jacob. So they’re actually being stripped away from what they’re familiar with to find something new in the wild.

So God choses Moses, Moses leads them through and a pillar of cloud and fire leads them day and night, a three month journey to the foot of Mount Siani where God shows up.

At the bedtime story last week we told the story of God’s thunder and lightening being his theophany. He speaks to them. He gives them the Ten Commandments, these ten new ways of living and being as the first starter of the formation of His image on these people in the wild. And the people are terrified. They had never seen anything like that. Though they knew the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and they knew He was the God of One, they didn’t have much to rely on besides the stories of their patriarchs. They’d been surrounded by the Egyptian gods and the Egyptian god structures, so they’d seen idols, and been told god had presented himself in the form of Pharaoh – that’s what they were told to believe – and these idols the Egyptians would have worshiped around the temples: that is what they would have known. The Israelites would have never seen such a display of God’s power before, of His actually presence coming down on the mountain in the thunderous overwhelming way.

They didn’t like it. They said, ‘Moses, you talk to God. We’re too afraid. You speak for us.’ So Moses ends up going back up the mountain and God reveals a further plan for His people in that moment.

You can read that for yourself in Exodus 25. It continues on. It starts with the ten laws of living and it spills into the priests and the altar and the incense and the lamp stand. There are two critical parts to this revelation that God gives to Moses and it’s actually the formation and the building of the Ark of the Covenant and the building of the Tabernacle.

The Ark of the Covenant was a chest that was to house the presence and spirit of God and would lead the Israelites through the wilderness. And the Tabernacle was a dwelling place where they would set up the Ark every time they moved. And then the instructions were the Israelites were to camp around the Tabernacle. So God was saying, ‘I’m going to dwell in your camp. Your entire civilization will be built around me. Wherever I tell you to go, you will go. Wherever I move, you will move. I will lead you and you will live your live around Me.’

This is a beautiful thing that had happened. The Israelites had gone from having nothing to, within a few months, having this new way of approaching and relating to God. So that’s what they did: they built the ark, the built the Tabernacle, they had these systems of sacrifices that God had instructed, and that’s essentially how the Israelites lived for thousands of years.

In some ways, where I relate to the story, is that a lot of our daily and weekly rhythms have been totally lost. Our way of life, the way we relate to our government, our jobs, our economy, the way we relate to each other, being distanced from each other and isolated – it’s strange, it’s sad, it’s uncertain, at times we all feel lonely, we don’t really know where we’re going. I can’t help but feel like those Israelites when they first entered the wilderness. Where’s this all going? How is this all going to be resolved?

What I find really encouraging is that, just like the Israelites, we’re not alone and the plan has already been put into place. The plan is already in action.

This morning is Palm Sunday. It is a day to celebrate the arrival of the King. I’m going to turn to Mark. I really love the Gospel of Mark and I’m going to read it again. This is Mark 11. This is the triumphant entry of King Jesus.

4-7 They went and found a colt tied to a door at the street corner and untied it. Some of those standing there said, “What are you doing untying that colt?” The disciples replied exactly as Jesus had instructed them, and the people let them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus, spread their coats on it, and he mounted.
8-10 The people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. Running ahead and following after, they were calling out,
Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!
Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David!
Hosanna in highest heaven!
11 He entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it all in.

My friends, it is Palm Sunday. We are in a wilderness, but we are not alone and the plan is already in action. The King has already come. He’s already marched in, He’s already brought God with Him.

And that day was symbolic as Jesus was brought into the Temple there’s convergence of this mosaic of law and God’s Son meeting together.

Christ has given us a new way of living, a new way of approaching God, and it’s actually through His spirit. And what’s actually really exciting about being alive in this time and having Jesus in our life is that the same God that manifested on Mount Siani with all the thunder and the lightning and the power and the thickness of the air and the smoke and the fire; that same God can indwell in you. And if you are a follower of Jesus and His spirit is in you, He is already in you. That same God lives in you. What’s also amazing about that is that it’s not just an individualistic thing. That same God who lives in all of us is actually Tabernacling with us as families: that wherever we are, God’s presence is. We don’t need an Ark of the Covenant, we don’t need a Tabernacle for God to dwell in or a tent. We don’t need to set Him up and move Him around. Wherever we go, He is with us. Wherever we are, His presence is there. Whoever we’re with, the presence of God is there. Which means, wherever you are, it’s actually church. Whether that’s in a building, or in your home, or down at the park you’re not allowed to go to anymore, wherever you are, the spirit of God is with you and He’s written His law on our hearts. His spirit is the one to convict and shape and give vision and lead. And I find that really encouraging. I find that incredibly exciting.

I know we’re going to get back together again someday. We’re going to meet at Hanover Missionary and we’ll have a big old celebration. We’ll have songs and music and good coffee, and I’m promising you ice cream and cake. We will get back together again, but the church isn’t the building, the church is you. The King has already come, His plan is already in place. He’s already filling your home with His love and presence. He’s with you wherever you are.

That’s my encouragement to you this Palm Sunday: the King has come!

THE CHALLENGE:

“Restore” Romans 5:12-19 March 29, 2020

I am glad that God looks with love and pride on His creation, us, who were dented up, rusted out, and a worthless image of what we were created to be, and that He decided that we were worth restoring to who He made us to be.

Romans 5:12-19

Verse 12 introduces us to Adam.

A. We lost our innocence (Vs 12, 16, 18)
B. We gave up spiritual life (Vs 12, 15, 17)

Verses 14 and 15 introduce us to Jesus

A. Mercy and forgiveness (Vs 15)
B. Be set right / justified (Vs 16, 19)
C. Spiritual life (Vs 17, 18)

Jesus wants to restore you to who God made you to be.

Find the curriculum Pastor Dave spoke about on our REIMAGINE page

SERMON TRANSCRIPTION

I can remember my first car; I bought it in September 2000. It only cost me $200. They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because my first car was a big, ugly looking boat of a car; a 1983 Buick LeSabre. It was one of those old cars that those of us who grew up in the 80’s remember that our grandparents used to drive. Big cars that felt like they were floating as they drove. I lived out in BC at the time, but this car had spent the first several years of life in Ontario. Imagine what a car would look like after driving on our salt covered winter roads for several years without underbody protection. It was rusty. The rust was even getting rust! There were many places where the rust had eaten through spots in the panels. The gas tank was even rusted in a spot (so I only ever filled it half full).

If the rust wasn’t bad enough on its own, the car was also quite dented. At least two of the doors, and maybe a fender panel or two were dented in. But I was so proud of it. This was my first car. When everyone else poked fun at my dented rust bucket that shouldn’t have been on the road, I saw the potential that this car had to become a thing of beauty again. Over the next year that I drove it, I poured time, effort, and money into fixing it up. I replaced rusted out parts. I pulled out and filled dents. I sanded out rust, and in some cases rebuilt panels that were eaten away by the rust. I repainted the car. I replaced the rusted-out gas tank. I Resealed the leaking windshield. I was convinced I would restore it to what it was intended to be.

Within the year, the engine began the slow road to death. Aside from a brand-new engine, there was nothing else I could do. I had to park that car once and for all. But the journey of trying to restore something that was beaten up, rusted out, and worthless in the eyes of most was something I took pride in.

Today, we are looking at Romans 5:12-19. I am glad that God looks with love and pride on His creation, us, who were dented up, rusted out, and a worthless image of what we were created to be, and that He decided that we were worth restoring to who He made us to be.

Let’s read Romans 5:12-19

Verse 12 introduces us to Adam

We are introduced first to a character named Adam, the first human God created, the first human to walk the face of the Earth. This connection to Adam needs to be understood in the context of Genesis 2-3. Maybe this is something you can read this week when you have time.

Adam and his wife Eve enjoyed perfection. They walked on Earth as God’s caretakers of His perfect creation. They lived in a utopian bliss where there was no sickness, hardship of any kind, death. The garden was for their enjoyment. They had a relationship with God where He would walk in the garden, and they could enjoy His personal presence in a deeply personal way that was unhindered from any disobedience whatsoever. All was at peace. All was well. All was perfect.

Yet, something happened. Genesis 3 reads how Eve, and then Adam took a bite from the forbidden fruit that God told them not to touch, the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When Adam ate, he blatantly disobeyed God, and suddenly his eyes were opened to the knowledge of good and evil. Sin, defined as missing the mark, was introduced to all of creation. Romans 5:12 says that through that one act of sin by Adam, sin and the resulting death was introduced to all of creation. Romans 3:23 tells us that everyone has sinned, and as a result, missed the mark of God’s perfect and undamaged glory and honour.

We have become like my 1983 Buick that, rather then be the brand new, unscratched, undamaged, not worn vehicle that it was right out of the assembly line, was full of dents, eaten away at by rust, and a worthless representation of what it was created to be. So how do we see this played out in our lives?

A. We lost our innocence (Vs 12, 16, 18)

Prior to Adam rebelling, all of creation had no knowledge of what rebellion, or sin was. We were undamaged by sin. Yet as verses 12, 16, and 18 say, Adam’s sin spreads to everyone. No longer could Adam enjoy the perfect, undamaged creation of God, because Adam was now damaged. He could never look at life the same, or his relationship with God the same as now, rebellion and disobedience had become a part of his active vocabulary. Because of Adam, our eyes are now open to the very same sin and rebellion. We live with the same damage as Adam. As a result of that sin, verses 16 and 18 say that we are no longer innocent but are subject to judgement and sentencing as one who is guilty.

B. We gave up spiritual life (Vs 12, 15, 17)

The three listed verses all say the same thing: death came to everyone. Yes, there is the truth that now, everyone and everything would face an eventual physical death, but there is so much more to it than that. While we are yet still alive, we all face something called “living death.” We may be alive physically, but spiritually, in our relationship towards God, there is a separation or death that happened. Just as Adam was then sent out of the garden with his wife because of the sin, not to live in the personal presence of God with a pure, un-scratched, undamaged relationship for eternity, we too have seen that life eaten away from us like rust eats away at metal. It is gone. While we are alive physically, we have exchanged that eternity with God in His presence for a life of isolation and spiritual death.

But don’t sit in this place of despair long. Don’t look at the hopeless, dented, rusted out, damaged, and worthless image of the life that was destroyed by sin. Why? Because, with love and pride, God looks at you and sees a creation worth restoring. He wants to fill the dents, remove the rust, fix the broken parts, smooth out the rough spots, and restore us to like new. He wants to give us back the life we were intended to have so we can be the people He intends us to be. This is why….

Verses 14 and 15 introduce us to Jesus

The story doesn’t end with a trip to the scrap yard. It ends with restoring what was damaged and destroyed. It ends with Jesus making all things new again. As we come closer to Easter, we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to Earth to die a criminal’s death on a cross, the execution tool of the Roman Empire. But as we know with the Easter Story, Jesus didn’t stay dead, but three days later came back to life again. Through this death and new life, Jesus accomplished for us the following:

A. Mercy and Forgiveness (Vs 15)

Verse 15 tells us that there is a big difference between Adam’s sin, and God’s gracious gift that came through what Jesus did. While Adam’s sin brought death to all, God’s gift through Jesus brings forgiveness and mercy. This means that even though we are guilty of disobedience, rebellion, and missing the mark of the perfection God designed us for, through the gift of God that comes through what Jesus did, we now are subject to mercy and forgiveness.

This means that we can:

B. Be set right / justified (Vs 16, 19)

What does it say here? Though we are guilty of many sins, even though we carry the damage of disobedience and rebellion in our lives, even though the dents and the rust holes are there for all to see, the gift of God that comes through Jesus sets us right before God. That gift takes care of those dents, rust holes, and damage marks in our lives. We are like new. This means that instead of facing spiritual death because of our sin, we now face:

C. Spiritual life (Vs 17, 18)

Adam’s sin brings death, but the gift of God that comes through Jesus brings the opposite, spiritual life. John 1:12 says that this spiritual life is available to all who receive Him and believe in His name. All who do this become children of God with all the rights and privileges therein, regardless of the past failures and mistakes. Regardless of how damaged, dented, or destroyed you were by sin. Regardless of how worthless you think you are, or others say you are.

As I wrap up, this is the encouragement I leave you today. No matter what you are facing today, no matter how life has beaten you down, no matter the depth of your own sin and rebellion, Jesus wants to restore you to who God made you to be. He wants to pull out all the dents from you crashing into the walls of rebellion. He wants to clean and cut out all the places where the rust of sin has eaten away at your life. He wants to fix the places where leaking into you is self sufficiency, independence, disbelief, and a lack of trust. All those places where you have been damaged, Jesus wants to restore into the image of who you were created to be: a child of God, created by Him to enjoy a perfect relationship forever in His presence.

Do you want to be restored?

Romans 5:12-19 New Living Translation (NLT)

Adam and Christ Contrasted

¹² When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. ¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ¹⁴ Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. ¹⁵ But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶ And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

with Pastor Amos and Pastor Kristina

K: Good morning HMC!

A: And Happy Sunday! My name is Pastor Amos

K: And I am Pastor Kristina

A: And we are so glad you have tuned in – on this beautiful Sunday morning! We are streaming to you LIVE from the empty sanctuary at HMC. We are six feet apart and practising safe social distancing – and we hope that you are too.

Truth be told. Pastor Kristina always keeps at least 6 feet from me every time I see her anyways!

K: We miss you. The empty building isn’t the same without you! But our primary concern is the health and safety of you – and of people in our community.

A: That’s right. And because of that – we will be LIVE STREAMING on SUNDAY’s for the time being but we will be following the protocols of our governments and local health authorities!

K: Pastor Lyndsay and Pastor Dave are watching from home.

A: And so is my mom! Hi mom! I made it! I am on camera!

K: You are such a nut-case.

A: Excuse me. You have the next line next.

K: Stop! We want to acknowledge that all of this has happened so incredibly fast. And a lot of the news is scary. And we want you to know that though we can’t meet at HMC – we can meet online. We are here for you!

A: Absolutely. You can contact each of us directly, through email, or through our Facebook page. We love reading your comments and want to answer any questions you have. If you have a specific question in our live stream we are asking that you CAPITALIZE the word QUESTION – so we can quickly flag it through the comment section.

Oh, look at that. Someone just asked a question.

Chris Winkels from Chesley asks – QUESTION: Amos, how did you get so handsome?!
Thanks Chris!

*Pick up phone and pretend to type.
Oh – another QUESTION. This one is coming from… you Kristina.
QUESTION: Amos, how long do I have to listen to you talk?

K: If you are still in a position to give – and want to – you can do so through our tithely app, or direct deposit. If you are planning on giving by cheque, please contact the church office for arrangements and options.

A: Today is an exciting day! There are only two things we need to do this morning.

The first is to roll out plans for our two brand new initiatives at HMC. HMC digital and HMC cares.

And the second is to bare our souls with you in hopes to encourage you through this time.

K: This past week – the staff have been working furiously to create a plan of action for the coming weeks. We are really proud and really excited to roll out the details of that plan with you today. Your patience, support, and understanding has meant the world to us. And know, that as the situation evolves, so will our strategy. So please stay informed. Check the HMC Facebook page and website daily for updates!

Our strategy is two fold: meet digitally and reach out personally.

The initiatives and online schedule are already on our website under the HMCdigital drop-down menu. If you can split-screen, we would be happy if you followed along.

We will give you a moment to figure that out.

A: While we are waiting, should I tell a joke? Kids – you like my jokes don’t you?!

K: Oh please no.

A: Oh – another QUESTION!

This one is for you Kristina!
QUESTION: Pastor Kristina – what is it like working with someone who is so funny?!

K: Everybody ready?! If you don’t have the schedule in front of you – don’t fret. You can always read it later!

A: Our first initiative – HMC digital – is a unique online strategy to meet you and your family in your homes, where you are at. The platform will be multifaceted – trying to reach as many people – with as many variant degrees of technical abilities as possible.

K: The digital platform will be spread throughout the week with both prescheduled ‘online-events’ and impromptu gatherings, live streams and videos!

A: Sunday morning will be a mix – like a hybrid of both streaming and content. Our live stream will start at 10AM sharp.

But the Sunday ‘service’ will actually start in your homes 9:45AM. We are going to offer a Spotify playlist through a link – that has worship tunes to blast through your house before the live stream!

Then at 10AM the livestream will go up. You will see one of the Pastors from HMC – and we will give a 15-20 minute mini-sermon to encourage you, inspire you, and get you into your Bibles!

K: And we are really excited – because each sermon will be transcribed – both digitally – and in hard copies. So if you know someone who is not tech-savvy, or connected, but would still like to be a part of our service – we can mail, or hand deliver the sermon to them – or you!

A: After the livestream our service moves into your home. We will have a digital curriculum for you to download or print to use as individuals, couples, or families.

The curriculum is generation friendly. Content for all ages. There will be a scripture reading – a 2nd Story – play ideas – conversation starters – sacred prayer ideas – sacred Sunday meal ideas – and more. You can find more details on the schedule.

And in the days and weeks ahead there will be online tutorials of how to best utilize the curriculum and how to encourage your spiritual growth!

K: Then again at 11AM we will livestream for a closing benediction and prayer. Following the benediction we will have several ZOOM rooms – which are online group chats – for anyone who wants to connect with a pastor, for prayer or conversation.

Again, there are online tutorials of how to connect into a ZOOM room!

A: I am excited!

K: Me too! Then on Monday – we will be dropping our weekly briefing online. A summary of the what the week has ahead: the schedule, upcoming online events, prayer requests, and church updates!

A: Then on Tuesday morning at 10AM Pastor Dave will be going live with a devotional and a ZOOM room group chat immediately following – for conversation and prayer.

Then on Wednesday night I will be live-streaming our BEDTIME story at 7:05PM – picking up on the meal stories we have been covering at the MIDWEEK MEAL!

Following the BEDTIME story Pastor Dave will be opening a ZOOM ROOM group at 8PM for anyone who wants to chat and pray!

K: On Thursday we will be dropping some helpful hints, encouragements, and challenges!

And I will be going live at 6PM for a new segment called COOKING with KRISTINA! We will be making and baking together some delicious desserts, random recipes and maybe other non-food things! So watch for recipes and ideas!

Then at 8PM I will be opening a ZOOM ROOM group chat at 8PM intended for moms and ladies! Husbands – put those kids to bed so we can chat!

A: Alright! I can do that!

Then on Friday I will be hosting our ZOOM ROOM JRYo at 7PM – and ZOOM ROOM SRYo at 8PM! We are going to have online game nights. Video challenges. Conversation and prayer. It is going to be grand!

K: And then we meet back here – in the digital sphere – for church again on Sunday!

A: I am really excited for the days and weeks ahead. Now – we know the situation around the COVID-19 pandemic is changing almost everyday. So we have put this digital plan in place for at least the next 4 weeks. Again – stay tuned for updates and changes.

K: The second main initiative – HMC cares – is really awesome! Over the next while – we are making it priority one to personally reach out to each and every single person and family. We know that this is a huge task! And so we aren’t doing it alone. We have formed a care team, made up of several key leaders to help make the calls and reach out. And we believe, in fact we know, this is the church in action. We want to hear your voices. Talk to you. Listen to your concerns and note your needs and prayer requests. It is going to take some time to get this team mobilized – but expect a call from one of our HMC cares team soon! Beyond the personal contact – we will have community boards, ways to reach out, ideas – maybe a cookie cares team! Stay tuned!

A: Wow. The church in action. I love it.

AMOS HOMILY:

It doesn’t really need to be said how incredibly surreal all of this is.
For you.
For us.
For everybody.

Our world has literally stopped. Almost the entire globe. Caught in unimaginable panic, and uncertainty. We can imagine how you are feeling right now. Because we feel it also. There is a lot of uncertainty. A lot of unrest and fear. AND It is really strange to be here on a Sunday morning and staring at empty pews! I mean – I am getting about as many laughs I would normally. So that isn’t so different. But we fully recognize the extraordinary events affecting our lives and our community.

In moments like these – I find nothing more comforting than the scriptures. The story of God at work in the world.

If you have your Bibles—which I know you do because you are at home, and haven’t been able to forget to bring them to church—

In ACTS 2 we find the disciples waiting. Some 120 people gathered in an upper room – probably in the temple because they were Jews – celebrating the feast of Pentecost.

They were praying and earnestly waiting for the promise Jesus had made to them. That he would send the counsellor, the Spirit, the helper. When I picture this room, I see pillars holding up the roof. A bench surrounding. A stone floor. And oil lamps scattered throughout. I can imagine the murmur in the room of the disciples praying. Men, women, probably youth and children. A quiet sort of energy. They are pensive; unsure but earnest, when all of a sudden the sound of a mighty wind ripped through everyone gathered had what seemed to be tongues of fire over their heads. The counsellor had arrived! The Holy Spirit had filled them. They were – in that moment – literally radiating God to the world. And I can see these people almost instantly changed.

And when the Spirit filled them they were filled with HOPE. The HOPE OF GOD – an eternal living hope. A hope in the understanding of God’s purpose in the world through Jesus Christ.

They were filled with BOLDNESS. their very purpose of their lives changed in an instant. They fearlessly marched down those steps into a hostile crowd, unafraid – because they now knew that JESUS was both the RESURRECTION and the LIFE.

And I can imagine when they marched down those steps of the upper room,
they flooded into the court of the gentiles and began speaking in languages they did not know, prophesying and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ

The Jews were stunned. Shocked! Just stop and picture this bizarre scene.
Imagine if you were a Jew at the temple that day. You’d likely have heard of Jesus of Nazareth, the hope of his Messiahship, his deeds and death, but surely that movement was over?! Now all of these people are flooding into the court speaking foreign languages and speaking of Jesus being alive?!

‘They are speaking our languages!’ some said in amazement. ‘They are drunk on cheap wine!’ others scoffed.

But Peter – full of courage – stood up on the steps and gave the first spirit-led preach!

That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters;Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams.When the time comes, I’ll pour out my Spirit On those who serve me, men and women both, and they’ll prophesy. I’ll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvelous; And whoever calls out for help  to me, God, will be saved.”

KRISTINA
In the story Amos just told, the Holy Spirit came upon the Christians and filled them with power to go out and bring Jesus to the world around them. After Peter’s speech in Acts 2, thousands chose to follow Jesus and the good news spread like wildfire. People were being healed of all sorts of things, people were selling their belongings to care for each other, prison gates were being miraculously opened, and the disciples who had previously been filled with fear were preaching boldly. God was adding to their numbers daily.

In chapter 5 of Acts, we see that the Jewish religious leaders were growing increasingly jealous. No matter what they did they couldn’t seem to stop this. A pharisee named Gamaliel warned how coworkers that if this was not a movement from God it would just die down but they should be cautious in case it was from God. The others did not listen.

In Acts 8, persecution started to ramp up. Stephen, one of the great church leaders had been just been killed…

At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to vicious harassment. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2 Some pious men buried Stephen and deeply grieved over him. 3 Saul began to wreak havoc against the church. Entering one house after another, he would drag off both men and women and throw them into prison.

Now, I am not going to fool myself into thinking that what we are experiencing truly compares to the persecution of these people were experiencing. But, like them, we are experiencing forced dispersion, fear, and uncertainty. We are waiting on the precipice of something that is beyond our control. That can either cripple us with fear or fill us with purpose.

AMOS
And in this moment, I think I finally beginning to know what it means to be a Spirit-led church.
To be a JOEL 3 church.
to be an ACTS 2 church.

The truth of this story hasn’t changed—my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ, old and young, male and female—we are all scared. We are all uncertain.

If you are a follower of Jesus and the Spirit lives in you:
You can walk in HOPE
You can live in BOLDNESS

You can live out HOPE eternal – because you know that God’s redeeming work in the world is not finished. That even through this crisis God is at work. He still lives. He still moves. He still redeems all that is lost and broken.

My friends, you can live in BOLDNESS – because you have been given the promise of the resurrection because of Jesus. and nothing can strip that promise!

AND – I BELIEVE – MOST IMPORTANTLY
If you are a follower of Jesus and the Spirit lives in you
you are a PRIEST in GOD’s KINGDOM

You are those spirit-led people in the upper room you are the young and old, men and women of Joel who will dream and speak God’s LIFE into the world! You are the priesthood of believers

I speak for our staff team when we say how much we love you
how being a part from you is grieving
how much we loved being your Pastors.
We love being at HMC .

But now – in this moment in time in the life of our church it isn’t our time – it is yours! It is time for you to fully live out your call – as a priesthood of all believers:

mothers and fathers
you are now the pastors of your own home
you are the primary source of faith formation, education, excitement, prayer and story

children
you are the storytellers, worship leaders, creative arts directors! fill your house with play – and songs – and colour – laughter and hugs!

youth, singles, couples, marrieds
you are the prophetic voice of our generation
you are the visionaries who will reshape the world by the values of Jesus!

the old, wise, and grey
you are the counsellors, the wise, the encourages, the prayer warriors,

KRISTINA
We have been a church together for a long time but now we are being dispersed. This is an opportunity to spread the light. To develop our spiritual gifts, as Amos wrote about this week and has spoken about today. Each family is going to need someone to teach, someone to shepherd, someone to show hospitality, and all of the other gifts. This dispersion could mean the extinguishing of all of these tiny lights, (blow out a candle)

or it could mean the start of new ones. (Light some new candles)

We have a chance now that none of us imagined, to be a light in our communities. To be Jesus to our neighbours and to our church community as well. The way we go forward will impact the future of our church in this community, and in the whole world. We can take this time to care for others both in our little family group, in our larger church family, and in the community at large. This is an unprecedented opportunity to use your gifts. Get creative. Take your faith seriously.

Rise up church!

AMOS
Undoubtedly and unequivocally
we are here for you in whatever capacity we have
to call, encourage, resource, facilitate, to equip

but my friends
in this moment we ALL have a profound opportunity to be and act what we already are
EVEN IN CRISIS
EVEN IN TRAGEDY
EVEN IN UNCERTAINTY
EVEN IN DEATH

EMBRACE YOUR LIFE in HOPE because of the Spirit’s work
EMBRACE YOUR WALK IN BOLDNESS
EMBRACE YOUR CALL to be the PRIESTHOOD of ALL BELIEVERS
and when we do we will take on the image of our Master – Jesus
we will become more and more like him!
and we will begin to look and sound and talk and walk like Jesus
and join him in his work of redeeming it!

Blessings and peace be upon you
We love you
And we look forward to connecting with you again soon!

PASTOR DAVE is live streaming this TUESDAY at 10AM

God bless!