Theological Status: ACTIVE HERESY
Biblical Parallel(Archetype): Thyatira
❓ What do these grades mean?
🔍 Biblical Discernment: The 7 Church Parallels
The Cold Orthodox Parallel
Ephesus
Teaching that upholds doctrinal precision yet parallels the loss of the "first love"—the vital, motivating power of the Gospel (Rev 2:4).
The Compromised Parallel
Pergamum
Teaching that parallels churches tolerating the "doctrine of Balaam" through cultural accommodation (Rev 2:14), characterized by weak boundaries, sloppy theology, and worldly compromise.
Why strictly "Mark & Avoid"?
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
We do not issue this rating to attack the speaker, but to protect the listener. This ministry's overall teaching trend consistently deviates from sound doctrine. As per Romans 16:17, we identify these patterns so believers can guard their hearts.
🧐 Overview
Theological Verdict & Summary
Sermon Summary: While the sermon effectively challenges the congregation to embrace new spiritual opportunities, it fundamentally compromises the integrity of the Gospel by inviting unbelievers to the Lord's Table and reducing Christian obedience to social activism.
Pastoral Analysis: The sermon demonstrates strong homiletical engagement and relevant illustrations regarding change and tradition. However, it contains a Critical error in sacramental theology by violating the biblical mandate for self-examination before communion. Additionally, it exhibits a Major error in sanctification by promoting a Christless moralism that relies on human effort rather than union with Christ.
Biblical Parallel (Archetype): Thyatira — The sermon exhibits active sacramental heresy by inviting all persons to the Lord's Table without the requisite self-examination and faith, effectively dissolving the boundary between the church and the world in a manner that compromises the holiness of the ordinance. This aligns with the archetype of Thyatira, which tolerated practices that undermined the distinctiveness and purity of the covenant community.
Big Idea: God is constantly making new ways to include more people and stretch our faith, challenging us to follow His lead even when it means doing things we have never done before. [00:49:44 ▶️ 📄]
🎨 The Visual Metaphor
The indecipherable runes signify the mystery of God's methods that exceed human logic, while the open threshold invites believers to step into the unknown stretches of faith He provides. The vast, misty landscape captures the awe and vulnerability of following a Divine lead that transcends the comfort of familiar traditions.
📖 How they Handle Scripture & Jesus
- Primary Text: Acts 10:1-48
- Usage Classification: Thematic
- Text-to-Talk Ratio: High
- Pulpit Decorum: ✅ PASS - The pastor maintains a respectful and engaging tone throughout the sermon.
✝️ Christological Focus: Moralistic/Imitative
"Christ is presented primarily as the initiator of change and the model for obedience, rather than the sole source of sanctifying power through union."
Scripture Saturation: Verses Read: 16 | Referenced: 2 | Alluded: 2
Passages Read Aloud:
-
Acts 10:1-16
[00:30:35 ▶️ 📄]
"In cesarea there was a man named cornelius a centurion of the italian cohort as it was called he was a devout man who feared god with all his household He gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God. One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius. He stared at him in terror and said, what is it, Lord? He answered, your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with Simon a tanner whose house is by the seaside. When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him. And after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa. About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up to the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the heaven open and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air. Then he heard a voice saying, Get up, Peter, kill and eat. But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean. The voice said to him a second time, What God has made clean, you must not call profane. This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up into heaven."
Key References: Acts 9:10-16, Acts 2:1-4
💧 Liturgy & Sacraments
Fencing the Table (Communion):
- Believers Only Stated: ❌ No (Open Table Risk)
- Warning Against Unworthy Manner: ⚠️ None Detected
- Open Invitation: 🔴 Active Commission (Unbelievers Explicitly Invited)
- Verbatim Warning: "And if you've never received communion in a United Methodist Church before, we practice open communion. That means everyone is welcome. because it's Jesus who makes the invitation. So you are welcome at this table."
🎙️ Sermon Content & Delivery
Word Count: 2,396 words
📌 Key Topics Addressed
-
Resistance to Change
[00:38:25 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor identifies the phrase 'we've never done it that way before' as a primary human resistance to new ideas, both in technology and faith. -
Cultural and Technological Shifts
[00:34:15 ▶️ 📄]
> Illustrates how society has adapted to new technologies (GPS, texting, banking) to show that change is inevitable and often beneficial. -
Church Tradition vs. Divine Vision
[00:39:37 ▶️ 📄]
> Lists historical church resistances to change (mixed seating, organs, guitars, women preachers) to parallel the biblical story of Peter. -
Biblical Narrative ([Acts 10](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10&version=KJV))
[00:30:35 ▶️ 📄]
> Retells the story of Cornelius and Peter, focusing on Peter's vision of unclean animals and his initial refusal based on tradition. -
Divine Vision and Change
[00:43:26 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor argues that God's dreams and visions are designed to change established habits and comfort zones, citing biblical examples like Jacob, Solomon, and Peter. -
Inclusion of Gentiles
[00:47:42 ▶️ 📄]
> The sermon details how Peter's vision broke down barriers between Jews and Gentiles, showing that God's mission includes those previously considered 'unclean' or outsiders. -
Personal Application and 'Next Steps'
[00:50:34 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor challenges the congregation to identify what God is putting on their 'picnic blanket'—new challenges or calls to action that stretch their faith. -
Communion as Spiritual Fuel
[00:53:43 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor frames the Eucharist not just as a ritual, but as 'fuel for the journey' that reminds believers God is present as they embark on new, unfamiliar paths.
🖼️ Illustrations & Stories
-
Sermon Illustration
[00:34:15 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor engages the congregation by asking different age groups (under 40, 40-65, over 65) to share technologies or conveniences they never imagined possible, such as GPS, ordering food from phones, and self-driving cars. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:37:45 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor illustrates the decline of formal written language by showing a text message conversation between two people about donuts that contains almost no vowels, contrasting it with the past expectation of complete sentences. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:39:08 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his mother, who was tech-savvy but still insisted on writing checks because she 'never done it that way before,' highlighting the stubbornness of habit. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:39:55 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor lists historical examples of church resistance to change, including men and women sitting separately, segregated Sunday schools, the introduction of organs (called the devil's instrument), drums, guitars, women preachers, jeans, coffee in the sanctuary, and online worship. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:44:16 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor recounts the biblical narrative of Peter's vision in Acts, where God commands him to eat unclean animals from a sheet, challenging Peter's lifelong adherence to Jewish dietary laws and leading to the inclusion of Gentiles like Cornelius. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:47:17 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor uses the analogy of a 'picnic blanket' full of food (including doughnuts) to represent the new, perhaps uncomfortable, opportunities and challenges God places before believers. -
Sermon Illustration
[00:53:50 ▶️ 📄]
> The pastor references the Last Supper, noting that Jesus shared the meal with friends who were about to embark on a journey they had never been on before, using it as a parallel to the congregation's current spiritual journey.
🚀 Calls to Action (Application)
-
Pastoral Charge
[00:51:18 ▶️ 📄]
> Invite others to join the church community. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:51:40 ▶️ 📄]
> Engage in local justice work for marginalized people. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:51:49 ▶️ 📄]
> Volunteer for specific church ministries or pursue personal spiritual milestones like baptism. -
Pastoral Charge
[00:58:58 ▶️ 📄]
> Stay at the altar for prayer and reflection after receiving communion.
🧭 Biblical Alignment Dashboard
Overall Verdict: Fundamentally in Error
| Category | Status | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Gospel Presentation | ❌ FAIL | The Gospel Engine is compromised. The sermon fails to anchor sanctification in Christ's finished work, instead promoting behavioral obedience and social activism as the primary evidence of faith, which risks leading believers into self-sufficient moralism. |
| Soteriology | ⚠️ WEAK | The sermon lacks a clear distinction between the call to faith and the call to works, potentially confusing the congregation regarding the basis of salvation and the source of sanctifying power. |
| Bibliology | ✅ PASS | The sermon references Scripture appropriately, though the hermeneutical application to communion is flawed. |
| Hermeneutic | ⚠️ WEAK | The hermeneutic prioritizes cultural relevance and change over the specific theological constraints of the biblical text, particularly regarding the Lord's Supper. |
| Theology Proper | ✅ PASS | The sermon acknowledges God's sovereignty and leading, though the practical outworking is distorted. |
| Sacramentology | ❌ FAIL | The sermon explicitly invites all persons, regardless of faith status, to the communion table, directly contradicting the biblical requirement for self-examination and faith. |
| Confessional Depth | ❌ FAIL | The sermon relies on general spiritual platitudes and cultural analogies rather than deep theological exposition of the ordinances and the nature of sanctification. |
⚙️ The Core Gospel Framework
What is this? This section checks if the sermon contains the essential building blocks of the Gospel. We look for explicit, substantive mentions of God's holy standard, human inability, and Christ's finished work on the cross.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
Why it matters for the final verdict: A complete Gospel framework protects a sermon from becoming man-centered. If a preacher gives commands for good behavior but leaves out the grace and atonement of the Gospel, it often results in a 🔴 Critical or 🟠 Major error for Moralism (teaching human self-improvement rather than reliance on Christ). However, if these Gospel elements are missing simply because the pastor is preaching a highly focused, practical message to mature believers (e.g., instructions on biblical marriage), our system applies a "Safe Harbor" pardon, graciously reducing the omission to a 🟡 Minor error.
❌ The Law And Wrath: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ Total Depravity And Inability:
"We confess that we don't deserve a place here. We ask for you to clean us up and by your mercy make us worthy" [00:55:29 ▶️ 📄]
❌ Active Obedience Of Christ: Not observed in the sermon.
✅ The Cross And Atonement:
"this is my body which is given for you do this in remembrance of me and when supper was over you took the cup you gave thanks and you shared it with your disciples and you said drink from this all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sin" [00:56:19 ▶️ 📄]
✅ Commendations
Homiletical Engagement | Effective Use of Illustrations
The pastor skillfully uses relatable illustrations, such as technological changes and personal anecdotes, to engage the congregation and make the theme of 'new ways' accessible.
Pastoral Care | Invitational Tone
The pastor demonstrates a warm and inviting spirit, encouraging members to participate in various ministries and social justice efforts, fostering a sense of community.
⚠️ Theological Concerns
🔴 Open Communion Violation (The Error of Unrestricted Table Access)
Root Cause: The Error of Unrestricted Table Access: The belief that the Lord's Supper is a general social gathering rather than a specific covenant meal for believers, ignoring the necessity of faith and self-examination.
"And if you've never received communion in a United Methodist Church before, we practice open communion. That means everyone is welcome. because it's Jesus who makes the invitation. So you are welcome at this table." [00:58:22 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
🟠 Self-Sufficient Moralism (The Error of Human Effort)
Root Cause: The Error of Human Self-Sufficiency: The belief that Christians can produce spiritual fruit and obey God through their own moral effort, rather than through dependence on Christ's life within them.
"Maybe it's actually taking that invitation challenge that God has put before us as a church family, taking it seriously and saying to people, hey, there's great stuff happening in the name of Jesus at Central United Methodist Church. and I just want you to be a part of it. Maybe it's working for justice for people who are on the margins right here within a block of this corner." [00:51:18 ▶️ 📄]
Correction: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
📜 Full Sermon Transcript (Audit)
Use the 📄 icons next to quotes above to automatically jump to their location in this raw transcript.
[00:04:40] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:04:40] ...and a hush fell over the crowd. Morning Central! Welcome on the snow and back into the pew. So glad to see all of you. 18 years of ordained ministry and the last two weeks is the first time ever canceled two weeks in a row of church. I didn't even know how to act. So I missed you guys. I'm so glad to see you. If you're joining us online from wherever you are, we're glad to see you as well. If it's your first time in worship here, we're so glad that you came. We pray that this would
[00:05:14] where you would meet Jesus and that your life might be transformed by that encounter. And we're just so thankful that you're here. So, uh, fill out a connect card there in the pew in front of
[00:05:24] you, drop it on the table in the lobby on your way out or here in the offering buckets at offering time. And we would just love to connect with you. Thank you so much for worshiping with us today.
[00:05:36] A couple of things you need to know. If you are volunteering and serving in the community, don't forget to write those hours down and drop them in the bin in the mission room back here to my left and help us to continue to serve our neighbors in this
[00:05:53] community in any possible way cake auction isn't that Jennifer's line the last time we met it was a month away now it's next Sunday next Sunday is cake auction so we will bring all of our baked lovely goods cakes cookies all
[00:06:17] kinds of things bring them to the fellowship hall downstairs at 930 so that they can be ready for us the youth will lead worship next Sunday and then we will have lunch after church and do this amazing cake auction and if you've
[00:06:31] never been part of it don't miss it it's like second in line to Easter around here it's a big deal and all of the money that we raise goes to support our missions and our youth
[00:06:44] and our youth going to cross connection this summer so please plan to be here next week in the pew you have a white piece of paper at the end of the pew that is our scripture writing for
[00:06:56] february um that's something we're trying this year to kind of keep us engaged in opening the scriptures every day if you haven't done it yet that's okay just pick up today today is actually a rest and pray day so there you go but sometimes writing down that scripture helps it to sink in
[00:07:16] and helps it to to stay with us through the day so that's a really good way to connect with god and i hope you'll give that a try while you are at home thank you for being here let's worship
[00:07:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:07:27] God together. All right, stand if you would. Let's sing. Three. Father God, as we come into your
[00:10:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:54] presence today to worship you, we just pray that you are with us, that your guiding hand is placed directly on us. We all come here searching different things, Lord, but they all end with connection to you. And we pray for that connection in the name of Jesus. Amen. All right, let's sing
[00:11:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:11:16] again. Have a seat. If we have kids who want to go down to Lighthouse Kids, Melissa is here and ready for you. Come on along. And Miss Amy, sorry. Hey, Amy. Thank y'all so much. As we pray this
[00:15:05] morning, we just sang the answer is always you. Who's going to love us all our lives and never leave our side. And when we come to God in prayer, we come with that kind of hope. We come with that
[00:15:25] kind of promise. We come with that kind of joy that the one we pour our hearts out to has promised to never leave our side. That's good news, isn't it? Are there things, situations, joys, concerns
[00:15:46] you want to lift up to this god who never leaves our side anything amen felt like it was reunion time this morning yeah it's so good to be back together anybody else yeah debbie grandkids
[00:16:10] grandkids wonderful yeah yay the corley family and the teague family absolutely absolutely what oh happy birthday Toby Toby turned to our favorite mascot yeah would you open your hands and your heart and let's pray gracious and loving God it's good to be
[00:16:51] in this place to lift our voices to lift our hearts to remember that you are God you are holy and you are worthy of our praise and our Thanksgiving in our glory Help us to remember always your power and your presence among us.
[00:17:14] Make us more aware that you are always near and will never, ever leave our side.
[00:17:24] God, we give you thanks for the chance to just be back together.
[00:17:30] We give you thanks for this incredible community of faith.
[00:17:36] And we ask your continued blessings as we seek to serve you in this world.
[00:17:40] God we pray for this world we pray for this world that we walk out into each day that seems more chaotic than yesterday more divided than yesterday more crazy than yesterday and we ask for your guidance we ask for your strength
[00:18:04] we ask for your wisdom about how to be your people in this time and in this place we pray for forgiveness for our complacency for our apathy but God sometimes we just don't know what to do or what to say so come close forgive us
[00:18:35] when we refuse to seek justice and love mercy and walk humbly with you turn our hearts back in your direction and show us how to do those things on a Monday through Saturday, every day kind of basis. Problems seem bigger than us. They are bigger than us.
[00:19:04] But God, remind us that your love and your mercy works through us one person to one person at a time. And through the power of your Holy Spirit, we can be part of bringing your kingdom here.
[00:19:21] so give us that power give us that courage to share kindness and share love person to person day to day wherever we find ourselves Lord some of us hold great joys in our hands this morning and some of us hold deep challenges most of
[00:19:46] us hold both so we bring all that to you Oh God and we ask for comfort where we ache healing where we're broken promise where we're hopeless joy where we're sad and your abiding presence in all of the things touch our souls Oh God set your
[00:20:20] dream alive in us light our path and help us to take the faithful next step in your name whatever that is hear our prayers we lift them all to your throne of grace and we offer them in the mighty name of Jesus the Christ our Savior who
[00:20:41] taught his followers to pray our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
[00:21:00] trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
[00:21:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:21:08] thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. There are all kinds of ways we do
[00:26:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:26:27] God's will, right? We worship, we share kindness in our community, we give gifts of time, treasure, self so as you come this morning to bring your gifts drop those gifts here in the offering plate
[00:26:47] here in the toolbox you can give at the qr code there on the screen and remember that giving is such a blessing it is a place of god's spirit overflowing from us back into the world and back
[00:27:04] to God as just a way to say thank you God for all the ways that you bless us and move us to be about your will in this world come bring your gifts of money come bring your gifts of prayer come
[00:27:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:27:20] bring your gift of self and let us worship together I know who I am because I know who you are The cross of salvation was only the start Now I am chosen, free and forgiven
[00:27:58] I have a future and it's worth the living I wasn't made to be tamed in a grave I was called by me born and raised back to life again I was made for more so why
[00:28:31] would I make a bed in my same when a fountain of grace is running my way I I know I am yours, and I was made for more.
[00:28:46] I know who I am, because I know who you are.
[00:28:58] The cross of salvation is only the start.
[00:29:07] Now I am chosen, free and forgiven.
[00:29:14] I have a future it's worth the living as I wasn't made to be tending a grave I was called by name born and raised back to life again I was made for more so why would I make a bed in my same
[00:29:51] When a fountain of grace is running my way I know I am yours And I was made for more As I was made to be Tend in a grave I was called by name Born and raised back to life again
[00:30:16] I was made for more
[00:30:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:30:21] So we finish up our series today.
[00:30:35] of dream on living for a god who can we've been dreaming since the very first sunday of the year how many of you that feels like yesterday how many of you it feels like six years ago yes both
[00:30:53] sometimes right yeah but our scripture this morning comes from the 10th chapter of acts starting in the very first verse this story is about a centurion named cornelius and an apostle named peter in cesarea there was a man named cornelius a centurion of the italian
[00:31:20] cohort as it was called he was a devout man who feared god with all his household He gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.
[00:31:33] One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius.
[00:31:43] He stared at him in terror and said, what is it, Lord?
[00:31:50] He answered, your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
[00:31:55] Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter.
[00:32:02] He is lodging with Simon a tanner whose house is by the seaside.
[00:32:07] When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him.
[00:32:15] And after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.
[00:32:19] About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up to the roof to pray.
[00:32:27] He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
[00:32:35] He saw the heaven open and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
[00:32:43] In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.
[00:32:48] Then he heard a voice saying, Get up, Peter, kill and eat.
[00:32:55] But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.
[00:33:03] The voice said to him a second time, What God has made clean, you must not call profane.
[00:33:12] This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up into heaven.
[00:33:20] This is the word of God for the children of God.
[00:33:23] Thanks be to God.
[00:33:25] Let us pray.
[00:33:26] gracious and holy one open your word to us open our minds hearts ears and souls that we might meet you where you have come to meet us we pray in the mighty name of Jesus amen so I wonder are there things that you do today that are almost
[00:33:54] like second nature but you would have never ever dreamed they were possible when you were younger so I'm gonna start with the under 40s in the room under 40s in the room what are things that you can do today that you never imagined
[00:34:15] possible before maybe that technology has allowed you to do or whatever anybody willing to say out loud your job there you go and now you are awesome Wonderful. Anybody else? Awesome. Anybody else? Things you never imagined. All right. 40s to 65-ish
[00:34:51] people. What are things you're doing now that you never imagined? Amen. At 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, right? Yes. Yes. What else? The GPS. We were talking about this before church. Matt said, I can get to a gig without having to have five pages of MapQuest in my front seat.
[00:35:18] order food from your phone and have it delivered to your house yeah not having a landline phone yeah yeah my bank is in the palm of my hand I have no cash I very rarely write a check right Pluto is no longer a planet that's the thing
[00:35:48] since since we came along what about over 65 folks what are things that you never imagined possible what vehicles that drive themselves like the Jetsons right what anything else everybody has a computer yeah what go yeah keeps you connected to the world doesn't it yeah
[00:36:34] which we could have never done before yeah yeah yeah some of us remember when you had to make a collect call and hang up real quick so they'd know who it was right so you could call it you
[00:36:54] you guys under 40 have no idea what i'm talking about that's okay the point is things change right that's a fact i mean look at written language just as an example we used to actually hand write
[00:37:07] things now if you want to confuse somebody who's under 20 just hand write them a letter they can't read it now we dictate yeah and there's this big thing about cursive i don't want to get into that
[00:37:21] But now we dictate or we type.
[00:37:25] It used to be rude and uneducated and unprofessional to not write messages in complete sentences.
[00:37:33] Now we want bullet points.
[00:37:34] And we even write whole conversations where vowels are generally optional.
[00:37:41] Take a look.
[00:37:45] Hello?
[00:37:46] There it is.
[00:37:48] Whole conversation.
[00:37:51] Y'all know what it says?
[00:37:54] Donuts.
[00:37:55] Yeah.
[00:37:56] Wait, for real?
[00:37:57] Yep, for real.
[00:37:57] Okay, never mind. See you there. I mean, that whole conversation, very few vowels, right?
[00:38:05] In order for us to adopt new ways of understanding and doing things, current ways get challenged, don't they?
[00:38:12] They get brought to light as either incomplete or insufficient or inefficient somehow.
[00:38:20] And when that happens, what do we as humans generally say?
[00:38:25] here it comes anybody that gets it five bucks not you we've already talked what's that mean what do we say when we get challenged with new stuff I'll get you started we've never we've never done it that way before right we've never
[00:38:49] done it that way before my mom who was very savvy on her phone and online and that for her age she hand wrote checks for all her bills and when she could no longer do it she expected us to do the same why cuz well I just never done it
[00:39:08] that way before just never done it now flip the script from texting and maps and TV to faith and church what if when have you heard this infamous line we've never done it that way before when it comes to faith in church anybody brave
[00:39:37] enough to say out loud are you gonna make the pastor do that I'm it we've never allowed men and women to sit on the same side of the church before did you know that was a thing back in the old days churches had if you go to
[00:39:55] really old churches you'll see there's two doors the men came in one door and the women came in the other. And there the two shall meet. Even when they got to one door, they'd divide the pews. And the men sat on one side and the women sat on the other.
[00:40:13] We've never had men and women in the same Sunday school class. Some of you remember that. We've never had black people and white people worship together. Sadly, that is still way too true. We've never had an organ in the church. Did you know that when the organ
[00:40:37] was first introduced in the church it was considered the devil's instrument and it was associated with pagan practice and roman frivolity we've never had drums or a guitar in the church and we've surely never had a woman as a preacher before and we have never worn jeans
[00:41:15] to church why can't people just dress up like they're supposed to these are all things i have heard to my face in my years but but but we've always had a a pulpit in church it's not church
[00:41:34] without a pulpit we've never allowed coffee in the sanctuary before blasphemy we've never allowed children to serve communion we've never had words on the wall in church before we've never had online worship before why should we start now we've never had to actually go out in our community
[00:42:13] before why don't people just come to church they know they're welcome we've never done it that way before. This one sentence has been the death of many a God-sized dream in many a church.
[00:42:37] And that isn't so much a judgment as it is an honest assessment of our humanity.
[00:42:44] It is so hard for us to see beyond things as they currently are, isn't it? In any part of our lives, not just in church but everywhere we are wired for our comfort bubble we like to live in it and
[00:43:01] we don't want anybody poking on it we like what we know but fellow dreamers and followers of jesus let me tell you something we can rest assured because this scripture and everyone we have encountered through this whole year so far teaches us painfully clearly sometimes that dreams if
[00:43:26] they are God's dreams will change what we've always done. Think back to the Bible characters that we've met over these past few weeks who have encountered God in a dream. The wise men were given
[00:43:41] a new path home after visiting the newborn king. That's been a long time since the first Sunday in January, hasn't it? Jacob was promised a great future, one that was very different from his shady
[00:43:54] be passed. Solomon was given wisdom for his role, his brand new role as king. Ananias was launched out of what he'd always done to take a message of healing and redemption to the enemy, Saul, who became Paul. And now today, Peter has a vision and a command from
[00:44:16] God to kill and eat what had previously been considered unclean food. And Peter says it Peter says it himself in verse 14.
[00:44:27] But Lord, I've never done it that way before.
[00:44:31] By no means, Lord, I've never eaten anything profane or unclean.
[00:44:36] To which God says three times.
[00:44:39] And we know that three is that biblical number for completion, right?
[00:44:43] Perfection.
[00:44:45] God says three times.
[00:44:46] Yes, it's different.
[00:44:48] But I've made a new way.
[00:44:50] So you're good.
[00:44:53] Just follow me now.
[00:44:57] Follow my lead now.
[00:45:02] Now, mind you, Peter's faith is not lacking.
[00:45:06] He's solid.
[00:45:07] You know, Peter was the one who Jesus said, You're the rock on this kind of faith.
[00:45:14] I'm going to build my whole church.
[00:45:18] And God is even taking that kind of faith and stretching it and expanding it.
[00:45:24] God is showing him a broader, different, more inclusive way.
[00:45:28] you see the whole point of visions in the book of Acts is to get people in the right place at the right time so that they can receive God's message again in this story we have a double vision just like Saul and Ananias connecting two
[00:45:46] people from from different worlds and getting them together on God's page Peter and Cornelius have separate visions about the same future God's future one that will change what's always been done for both of them and
[00:46:03] for all the communities and people they represent Cornelius was a centurion that means he was a Roman soldier in charge of a hundred men remember what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus okay so we've come a long way but we have this Roman
[00:46:24] soldier who is not a Jew but he is a follower of the way he's a follower of God who has adopted the idea of the one true God and he is living a faithful life we hear that in the story these people were called God fearers
[00:46:40] Cornelius was a God fearer and he was deeply respected by the Jews and God comes to him and tells him to go to Joppa and listen to Peter and Peter at noon on the very next day he's hungry this is another way the Bible tells us
[00:46:59] that that Peter is faithful because he's hungry probably because he's finishing a time of fasting it's showing his devotion to God so his faith is not lacking it's just being stretched Peter has this vision of a picnic blanket full
[00:47:17] of food that would be considered unclean probably some doughnuts on there like we just all had a little while ago. And in that vision, he discovers this mission to share the good news with the Gentiles. He's able to see and make the connection between those unclean animals
[00:47:42] that God's made clean. He's able to make that connection and say, oh, these Gentiles, These folks who are uncircumcised, they will share in Israel's blessings and have the power of the Holy Spirit just like the Jews.
[00:48:05] Now they have surely never done it that way before.
[00:48:09] Never.
[00:48:10] Gentiles were outsiders.
[00:48:11] They were not privy to a relationship of the one true God.
[00:48:15] They were uncircumcised.
[00:48:17] They ate unclean food.
[00:48:18] How could they be included in God's mission?
[00:48:22] It just is so far out of the realm of understanding at that time.
[00:48:30] But God says to Peter in this dream, they are my children too, because I say they are.
[00:48:45] They've never done it this way before.
[00:48:47] And if you read on past this story, you will see that there's almost like a little Pentecost that happens.
[00:48:54] And the Holy Spirit comes on the Gentiles.
[00:48:56] And Peter says, and they want to be baptized, and he says, how can we not baptize these people?
[00:49:02] They are God's people, just like us.
[00:49:09] God comes and sets things before us that we've never done, never seen, never even thought about before.
[00:49:18] And these visions from long ago show us today that the Lord has a next step for all of us.
[00:49:27] The Lord has a next step for each one of us.
[00:49:32] God wants to broaden our understanding, to stretch our faith too, and to give us more than we had ever asked or imagined before.
[00:49:44] We cannot forget that we live for a God who can.
[00:49:49] A God who can make new paths and fulfill big promises and give us wisdom to do God-sized good.
[00:49:57] to give us courage beyond our comfort zones, to stretch us for his good and for his glory in new ways that we've never been stretched before.
[00:50:07] We live for a God who can do all of those things if we as God's people will just be willing to be shaped by that hand.
[00:50:20] We started our conversation a little while ago with, what's second nature today that you never dreamed possible before?
[00:50:26] Well, what if we apply that question to our faith journey?
[00:50:34] What's second nature today that never seemed possible before?
[00:50:39] Maybe we haven't even considered that.
[00:50:42] That's okay. Now's the time to think about it.
[00:50:45] What is it that's on your picnic blanket?
[00:50:50] What is God putting before you that stretches you in your faith so that someday soon something you never dreamed possible before might be second nature to you by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through you.
[00:51:10] What's on your picnic blanket?
[00:51:12] Never done that before, God.
[00:51:18] Maybe it's actually taking that invitation challenge that God has put before us as a church family, taking it seriously and saying to people, hey, there's great stuff happening in the name of Jesus at Central United Methodist Church.
[00:51:37] and I just want you to be a part of it.
[00:51:40] Maybe it's working for justice for people who are on the margins right here within a block of this corner.
[00:51:49] Maybe it's a call to preach or teach, to lead a small group, to invest in a hospitality team, to get baptized, to volunteer at the prison, to you fill in the blank.
[00:52:03] What's on your sheet?
[00:52:08] Or you say, God, I've never even considered that before.
[00:52:12] God has a next step for each and every one of us.
[00:52:21] And the best news is that we don't take those steps alone.
[00:52:25] We take it in the footsteps of a mighty God who can and does come to us in remarkable ways.
[00:52:33] So when God reveals a new way for us and we instinctively shout, wait, wait, wait, but God, I've never done that before.
[00:52:45] My prayer is that will God give us all a vision to understand that the God who can is always making a new way always to include more to stretch our faith to grow God's kingdom our work as God's people is to follow
[00:53:07] God's lead now now whatever that means for right here right now going forward If we've never done it that way before, it's okay.
[00:53:23] God knows what's next for all of us.
[00:53:29] Our job is to follow now, one step after another, after another, amen, amen.
[00:53:43] One of the best places to start that journey is right here at this table.
[00:53:50] You know, when Jesus shared this meal with his friends, all of them were about to embark on a journey that they'd never been on before because Jesus was not going to be physically present with them. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know how to behave. They didn't know
[00:54:11] what they were facing. And Jesus gives them this meal and says, don't forget, I'm always here.
[00:54:24] Remember me and follow me now. What a beautiful, beautiful reminder and feeling of God's Holy Spirit. From all the way back then till this day, God is doing a new thing that we've never done
[00:54:46] before. And this is fuel for the journey. Let us give thanks before we come. Gracious and Holy One, we thank you for the invitation to this table, that you extend it to all of us, that your grace
[00:55:10] is beyond what we can understand and deeper and wider than we can see. Thank you for making a place for us at your table. Forgive us when we don't show up.
[00:55:29] Forgive us when we try to elbow out people on either side of us. We confess that we don't deserve a place here. We ask for you to clean us up and by your mercy make us worthy we remember gracious one the gift of this meal that
[00:56:03] you gave to your disciples on that night before you gave up your life for us you gathered around the table and you took bread you gave thanks and broke it and shared it with your friends and you said take and eat this is my body which is
[00:56:19] given for you do this in remembrance of me and when supper was over you took the cup you gave thanks and you shared it with your disciples and you said drink from this all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for
[00:56:36] you and for many for the forgiveness of sin every time you drink it remember me Lord we do remember and we are grateful and we pray that you would pour out your Holy Spirit on all who are gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup that
[00:56:57] That you would make them be for us the body and blood of Christ.
[00:57:01] That we might be for this world the body of Christ, redeemed by your love until you come again in final victory and we all feast at your heavenly table.
[00:57:15] Until that day, oh Lord, and always we give you all the power and the praise and the glory.
[00:57:24] And we thank you for the call that you place on our lives and this meal that reminds us that you are constantly with us.
[00:57:37] We pray in the name of Jesus.
[00:57:39] Amen.
[00:57:55] Broken, given, so that you might know life.
[00:58:03] Amen.
[00:58:10] Poured out, so that you might know life.
[00:58:17] Amen.
[00:58:19] Those who are serving, would you come?
[00:58:22] And if you've never received communion in a United Methodist Church before, we practice open communion.
[00:58:29] That means everyone is welcome.
[00:58:31] because it's Jesus who makes the invitation.
[00:58:35] So you are welcome at this table.
[00:58:39] We will receive by intinction.
[00:58:41] That's a big old, you don't need, okay.
[00:58:44] Which is a church word for dip the bread in the juice.
[00:58:51] And so you will receive a piece of bread, dip it into the juice, and then take both elements together.
[00:58:58] After you receive, you're invited to stay and pray at the altar as long as you would like.
[00:59:04] and maybe just spend a little time with Jesus asking, what's on my blanket?
[00:59:13] What is it that you're stretching me into, oh God?
[00:59:18] And be grateful for the meal that you're about to receive to give you the grace and the energy to do that thing.
[00:59:26] Everything is ready.
[00:59:27] Choir, would you come on around and just come as you feel led.
[00:59:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:59:32] Your face is all I seek Your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.
[01:00:08] I want to take your word and shine it all around.
[01:00:21] First help me just to live it, Lord.
[01:00:28] And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
[01:00:34] for my reward is giving glory to you please light the fire burn bright and clear replace the lamb of my first love that burns with holy fear and when i'm doing will help me to never seek a crown
[01:01:28] for my reward is giving glory to you. You're beautiful. Your face is all I seek. Your eyes are on this child, your grace abound to me. And when your eyes are on this child, your grace abound to me. Your beautiful, your face is all I seek. And when your eyes
[01:02:36] Are on this child Your grace abound Your eyes are on this child Your grace abound Let us pray.
[01:04:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:04:10] Holy One, thank you for this meal.
[01:04:15] Thank you for dreams.
[01:04:19] Thank you for reminding us that you can.
[01:04:25] And by your power and through your spirit, we can too.
[01:04:29] So call us, challenge us, Fill us to live this everyday kind of life with you in a way that overflows into the world so that people see you, oh God, to be that kind of follower.
[01:05:00] We pray in the mighty and holy name of Jesus and all God's people said, amen.
[01:05:06] Would you stand and let's sing as we go.
[01:05:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[01:05:07] That last verse goes like this.
[01:07:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:07:08] Praise to the Lord, oh let all that is in me adore him.
[01:07:12] all that has life and breath come now with praises before him let the Amen sound from his people again gladly forever adore him as you go into the world this week let God's amen sound from your life into this world and may
[01:07:37] the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you his peace now and forevermore amen have a great week
[00:04:40] ...and a hush fell over the crowd. Morning Central! Welcome on the snow and back into the pew. So glad to see all of you. 18 years of ordained ministry and the last two weeks is the first time ever canceled two weeks in a row of church. I didn't even know how to act. So I missed you guys. I'm so glad to see you. If you're joining us online from wherever you are, we're glad to see you as well. If it's your first time in worship here, we're so glad that you came. We pray that this would
[00:05:14] where you would meet Jesus and that your life might be transformed by that encounter. And we're just so thankful that you're here. So, uh, fill out a connect card there in the pew in front of
[00:05:24] you, drop it on the table in the lobby on your way out or here in the offering buckets at offering time. And we would just love to connect with you. Thank you so much for worshiping with us today.
[00:05:36] A couple of things you need to know. If you are volunteering and serving in the community, don't forget to write those hours down and drop them in the bin in the mission room back here to my left and help us to continue to serve our neighbors in this
[00:05:53] community in any possible way cake auction isn't that Jennifer's line the last time we met it was a month away now it's next Sunday next Sunday is cake auction so we will bring all of our baked lovely goods cakes cookies all
[00:06:17] kinds of things bring them to the fellowship hall downstairs at 930 so that they can be ready for us the youth will lead worship next Sunday and then we will have lunch after church and do this amazing cake auction and if you've
[00:06:31] never been part of it don't miss it it's like second in line to Easter around here it's a big deal and all of the money that we raise goes to support our missions and our youth
[00:06:44] and our youth going to cross connection this summer so please plan to be here next week in the pew you have a white piece of paper at the end of the pew that is our scripture writing for
[00:06:56] february um that's something we're trying this year to kind of keep us engaged in opening the scriptures every day if you haven't done it yet that's okay just pick up today today is actually a rest and pray day so there you go but sometimes writing down that scripture helps it to sink in
[00:07:16] and helps it to to stay with us through the day so that's a really good way to connect with god and i hope you'll give that a try while you are at home thank you for being here let's worship
[00:07:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_06]
[00:07:27] God together. All right, stand if you would. Let's sing. Three. Father God, as we come into your
[00:10:54] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:54] presence today to worship you, we just pray that you are with us, that your guiding hand is placed directly on us. We all come here searching different things, Lord, but they all end with connection to you. And we pray for that connection in the name of Jesus. Amen. All right, let's sing
[00:11:16] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:11:16] again. Have a seat. If we have kids who want to go down to Lighthouse Kids, Melissa is here and ready for you. Come on along. And Miss Amy, sorry. Hey, Amy. Thank y'all so much. As we pray this
[00:15:05] morning, we just sang the answer is always you. Who's going to love us all our lives and never leave our side. And when we come to God in prayer, we come with that kind of hope. We come with that
[00:15:25] kind of promise. We come with that kind of joy that the one we pour our hearts out to has promised to never leave our side. That's good news, isn't it? Are there things, situations, joys, concerns
[00:15:46] you want to lift up to this god who never leaves our side anything amen felt like it was reunion time this morning yeah it's so good to be back together anybody else yeah debbie grandkids
[00:16:10] grandkids wonderful yeah yay the corley family and the teague family absolutely absolutely what oh happy birthday Toby Toby turned to our favorite mascot yeah would you open your hands and your heart and let's pray gracious and loving God it's good to be
[00:16:51] in this place to lift our voices to lift our hearts to remember that you are God you are holy and you are worthy of our praise and our Thanksgiving in our glory Help us to remember always your power and your presence among us.
[00:17:14] Make us more aware that you are always near and will never, ever leave our side.
[00:17:24] God, we give you thanks for the chance to just be back together.
[00:17:30] We give you thanks for this incredible community of faith.
[00:17:36] And we ask your continued blessings as we seek to serve you in this world.
[00:17:40] God we pray for this world we pray for this world that we walk out into each day that seems more chaotic than yesterday more divided than yesterday more crazy than yesterday and we ask for your guidance we ask for your strength
[00:18:04] we ask for your wisdom about how to be your people in this time and in this place we pray for forgiveness for our complacency for our apathy but God sometimes we just don't know what to do or what to say so come close forgive us
[00:18:35] when we refuse to seek justice and love mercy and walk humbly with you turn our hearts back in your direction and show us how to do those things on a Monday through Saturday, every day kind of basis. Problems seem bigger than us. They are bigger than us.
[00:19:04] But God, remind us that your love and your mercy works through us one person to one person at a time. And through the power of your Holy Spirit, we can be part of bringing your kingdom here.
[00:19:21] so give us that power give us that courage to share kindness and share love person to person day to day wherever we find ourselves Lord some of us hold great joys in our hands this morning and some of us hold deep challenges most of
[00:19:46] us hold both so we bring all that to you Oh God and we ask for comfort where we ache healing where we're broken promise where we're hopeless joy where we're sad and your abiding presence in all of the things touch our souls Oh God set your
[00:20:20] dream alive in us light our path and help us to take the faithful next step in your name whatever that is hear our prayers we lift them all to your throne of grace and we offer them in the mighty name of Jesus the Christ our Savior who
[00:20:41] taught his followers to pray our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
[00:21:00] trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For
[00:21:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[00:21:08] thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. There are all kinds of ways we do
[00:26:27] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:26:27] God's will, right? We worship, we share kindness in our community, we give gifts of time, treasure, self so as you come this morning to bring your gifts drop those gifts here in the offering plate
[00:26:47] here in the toolbox you can give at the qr code there on the screen and remember that giving is such a blessing it is a place of god's spirit overflowing from us back into the world and back
[00:27:04] to God as just a way to say thank you God for all the ways that you bless us and move us to be about your will in this world come bring your gifts of money come bring your gifts of prayer come
[00:27:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:27:20] bring your gift of self and let us worship together I know who I am because I know who you are The cross of salvation was only the start Now I am chosen, free and forgiven
[00:27:58] I have a future and it's worth the living I wasn't made to be tamed in a grave I was called by me born and raised back to life again I was made for more so why
[00:28:31] would I make a bed in my same when a fountain of grace is running my way I I know I am yours, and I was made for more.
[00:28:46] I know who I am, because I know who you are.
[00:28:58] The cross of salvation is only the start.
[00:29:07] Now I am chosen, free and forgiven.
[00:29:14] I have a future it's worth the living as I wasn't made to be tending a grave I was called by name born and raised back to life again I was made for more so why would I make a bed in my same
[00:29:51] When a fountain of grace is running my way I know I am yours And I was made for more As I was made to be Tend in a grave I was called by name Born and raised back to life again
[00:30:16] I was made for more
[00:30:21] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:30:21] So we finish up our series today.
[00:30:35] of dream on living for a god who can we've been dreaming since the very first sunday of the year how many of you that feels like yesterday how many of you it feels like six years ago yes both
[00:30:53] sometimes right yeah but our scripture this morning comes from the 10th chapter of acts starting in the very first verse this story is about a centurion named cornelius and an apostle named peter in cesarea there was a man named cornelius a centurion of the italian
[00:31:20] cohort as it was called he was a devout man who feared god with all his household He gave alms generously to the people and prayed constantly to God.
[00:31:33] One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in which he clearly saw an angel of God coming in and saying to him, Cornelius.
[00:31:43] He stared at him in terror and said, what is it, Lord?
[00:31:50] He answered, your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God.
[00:31:55] Now send men to Joppa for a certain Simon who is called Peter.
[00:32:02] He is lodging with Simon a tanner whose house is by the seaside.
[00:32:07] When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his slaves and a devout soldier from the ranks of those who served him.
[00:32:15] And after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.
[00:32:19] About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up to the roof to pray.
[00:32:27] He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while it was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
[00:32:35] He saw the heaven open and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
[00:32:43] In it were all kinds of four-footed creatures and reptiles and birds of the air.
[00:32:48] Then he heard a voice saying, Get up, Peter, kill and eat.
[00:32:55] But Peter said, By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.
[00:33:03] The voice said to him a second time, What God has made clean, you must not call profane.
[00:33:12] This happened three times, and the thing was suddenly taken up into heaven.
[00:33:20] This is the word of God for the children of God.
[00:33:23] Thanks be to God.
[00:33:25] Let us pray.
[00:33:26] gracious and holy one open your word to us open our minds hearts ears and souls that we might meet you where you have come to meet us we pray in the mighty name of Jesus amen so I wonder are there things that you do today that are almost
[00:33:54] like second nature but you would have never ever dreamed they were possible when you were younger so I'm gonna start with the under 40s in the room under 40s in the room what are things that you can do today that you never imagined
[00:34:15] possible before maybe that technology has allowed you to do or whatever anybody willing to say out loud your job there you go and now you are awesome Wonderful. Anybody else? Awesome. Anybody else? Things you never imagined. All right. 40s to 65-ish
[00:34:51] people. What are things you're doing now that you never imagined? Amen. At 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, right? Yes. Yes. What else? The GPS. We were talking about this before church. Matt said, I can get to a gig without having to have five pages of MapQuest in my front seat.
[00:35:18] order food from your phone and have it delivered to your house yeah not having a landline phone yeah yeah my bank is in the palm of my hand I have no cash I very rarely write a check right Pluto is no longer a planet that's the thing
[00:35:48] since since we came along what about over 65 folks what are things that you never imagined possible what vehicles that drive themselves like the Jetsons right what anything else everybody has a computer yeah what go yeah keeps you connected to the world doesn't it yeah
[00:36:34] which we could have never done before yeah yeah yeah some of us remember when you had to make a collect call and hang up real quick so they'd know who it was right so you could call it you
[00:36:54] you guys under 40 have no idea what i'm talking about that's okay the point is things change right that's a fact i mean look at written language just as an example we used to actually hand write
[00:37:07] things now if you want to confuse somebody who's under 20 just hand write them a letter they can't read it now we dictate yeah and there's this big thing about cursive i don't want to get into that
[00:37:21] But now we dictate or we type.
[00:37:25] It used to be rude and uneducated and unprofessional to not write messages in complete sentences.
[00:37:33] Now we want bullet points.
[00:37:34] And we even write whole conversations where vowels are generally optional.
[00:37:41] Take a look.
[00:37:45] Hello?
[00:37:46] There it is.
[00:37:48] Whole conversation.
[00:37:51] Y'all know what it says?
[00:37:54] Donuts.
[00:37:55] Yeah.
[00:37:56] Wait, for real?
[00:37:57] Yep, for real.
[00:37:57] Okay, never mind. See you there. I mean, that whole conversation, very few vowels, right?
[00:38:05] In order for us to adopt new ways of understanding and doing things, current ways get challenged, don't they?
[00:38:12] They get brought to light as either incomplete or insufficient or inefficient somehow.
[00:38:20] And when that happens, what do we as humans generally say?
[00:38:25] here it comes anybody that gets it five bucks not you we've already talked what's that mean what do we say when we get challenged with new stuff I'll get you started we've never we've never done it that way before right we've never
[00:38:49] done it that way before my mom who was very savvy on her phone and online and that for her age she hand wrote checks for all her bills and when she could no longer do it she expected us to do the same why cuz well I just never done it
[00:39:08] that way before just never done it now flip the script from texting and maps and TV to faith and church what if when have you heard this infamous line we've never done it that way before when it comes to faith in church anybody brave
[00:39:37] enough to say out loud are you gonna make the pastor do that I'm it we've never allowed men and women to sit on the same side of the church before did you know that was a thing back in the old days churches had if you go to
[00:39:55] really old churches you'll see there's two doors the men came in one door and the women came in the other. And there the two shall meet. Even when they got to one door, they'd divide the pews. And the men sat on one side and the women sat on the other.
[00:40:13] We've never had men and women in the same Sunday school class. Some of you remember that. We've never had black people and white people worship together. Sadly, that is still way too true. We've never had an organ in the church. Did you know that when the organ
[00:40:37] was first introduced in the church it was considered the devil's instrument and it was associated with pagan practice and roman frivolity we've never had drums or a guitar in the church and we've surely never had a woman as a preacher before and we have never worn jeans
[00:41:15] to church why can't people just dress up like they're supposed to these are all things i have heard to my face in my years but but but we've always had a a pulpit in church it's not church
[00:41:34] without a pulpit we've never allowed coffee in the sanctuary before blasphemy we've never allowed children to serve communion we've never had words on the wall in church before we've never had online worship before why should we start now we've never had to actually go out in our community
[00:42:13] before why don't people just come to church they know they're welcome we've never done it that way before. This one sentence has been the death of many a God-sized dream in many a church.
[00:42:37] And that isn't so much a judgment as it is an honest assessment of our humanity.
[00:42:44] It is so hard for us to see beyond things as they currently are, isn't it? In any part of our lives, not just in church but everywhere we are wired for our comfort bubble we like to live in it and
[00:43:01] we don't want anybody poking on it we like what we know but fellow dreamers and followers of jesus let me tell you something we can rest assured because this scripture and everyone we have encountered through this whole year so far teaches us painfully clearly sometimes that dreams if
[00:43:26] they are God's dreams will change what we've always done. Think back to the Bible characters that we've met over these past few weeks who have encountered God in a dream. The wise men were given
[00:43:41] a new path home after visiting the newborn king. That's been a long time since the first Sunday in January, hasn't it? Jacob was promised a great future, one that was very different from his shady
[00:43:54] be passed. Solomon was given wisdom for his role, his brand new role as king. Ananias was launched out of what he'd always done to take a message of healing and redemption to the enemy, Saul, who became Paul. And now today, Peter has a vision and a command from
[00:44:16] God to kill and eat what had previously been considered unclean food. And Peter says it Peter says it himself in verse 14.
[00:44:27] But Lord, I've never done it that way before.
[00:44:31] By no means, Lord, I've never eaten anything profane or unclean.
[00:44:36] To which God says three times.
[00:44:39] And we know that three is that biblical number for completion, right?
[00:44:43] Perfection.
[00:44:45] God says three times.
[00:44:46] Yes, it's different.
[00:44:48] But I've made a new way.
[00:44:50] So you're good.
[00:44:53] Just follow me now.
[00:44:57] Follow my lead now.
[00:45:02] Now, mind you, Peter's faith is not lacking.
[00:45:06] He's solid.
[00:45:07] You know, Peter was the one who Jesus said, You're the rock on this kind of faith.
[00:45:14] I'm going to build my whole church.
[00:45:18] And God is even taking that kind of faith and stretching it and expanding it.
[00:45:24] God is showing him a broader, different, more inclusive way.
[00:45:28] you see the whole point of visions in the book of Acts is to get people in the right place at the right time so that they can receive God's message again in this story we have a double vision just like Saul and Ananias connecting two
[00:45:46] people from from different worlds and getting them together on God's page Peter and Cornelius have separate visions about the same future God's future one that will change what's always been done for both of them and
[00:46:03] for all the communities and people they represent Cornelius was a centurion that means he was a Roman soldier in charge of a hundred men remember what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus okay so we've come a long way but we have this Roman
[00:46:24] soldier who is not a Jew but he is a follower of the way he's a follower of God who has adopted the idea of the one true God and he is living a faithful life we hear that in the story these people were called God fearers
[00:46:40] Cornelius was a God fearer and he was deeply respected by the Jews and God comes to him and tells him to go to Joppa and listen to Peter and Peter at noon on the very next day he's hungry this is another way the Bible tells us
[00:46:59] that that Peter is faithful because he's hungry probably because he's finishing a time of fasting it's showing his devotion to God so his faith is not lacking it's just being stretched Peter has this vision of a picnic blanket full
[00:47:17] of food that would be considered unclean probably some doughnuts on there like we just all had a little while ago. And in that vision, he discovers this mission to share the good news with the Gentiles. He's able to see and make the connection between those unclean animals
[00:47:42] that God's made clean. He's able to make that connection and say, oh, these Gentiles, These folks who are uncircumcised, they will share in Israel's blessings and have the power of the Holy Spirit just like the Jews.
[00:48:05] Now they have surely never done it that way before.
[00:48:09] Never.
[00:48:10] Gentiles were outsiders.
[00:48:11] They were not privy to a relationship of the one true God.
[00:48:15] They were uncircumcised.
[00:48:17] They ate unclean food.
[00:48:18] How could they be included in God's mission?
[00:48:22] It just is so far out of the realm of understanding at that time.
[00:48:30] But God says to Peter in this dream, they are my children too, because I say they are.
[00:48:45] They've never done it this way before.
[00:48:47] And if you read on past this story, you will see that there's almost like a little Pentecost that happens.
[00:48:54] And the Holy Spirit comes on the Gentiles.
[00:48:56] And Peter says, and they want to be baptized, and he says, how can we not baptize these people?
[00:49:02] They are God's people, just like us.
[00:49:09] God comes and sets things before us that we've never done, never seen, never even thought about before.
[00:49:18] And these visions from long ago show us today that the Lord has a next step for all of us.
[00:49:27] The Lord has a next step for each one of us.
[00:49:32] God wants to broaden our understanding, to stretch our faith too, and to give us more than we had ever asked or imagined before.
[00:49:44] We cannot forget that we live for a God who can.
[00:49:49] A God who can make new paths and fulfill big promises and give us wisdom to do God-sized good.
[00:49:57] to give us courage beyond our comfort zones, to stretch us for his good and for his glory in new ways that we've never been stretched before.
[00:50:07] We live for a God who can do all of those things if we as God's people will just be willing to be shaped by that hand.
[00:50:20] We started our conversation a little while ago with, what's second nature today that you never dreamed possible before?
[00:50:26] Well, what if we apply that question to our faith journey?
[00:50:34] What's second nature today that never seemed possible before?
[00:50:39] Maybe we haven't even considered that.
[00:50:42] That's okay. Now's the time to think about it.
[00:50:45] What is it that's on your picnic blanket?
[00:50:50] What is God putting before you that stretches you in your faith so that someday soon something you never dreamed possible before might be second nature to you by the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through you.
[00:51:10] What's on your picnic blanket?
[00:51:12] Never done that before, God.
[00:51:18] Maybe it's actually taking that invitation challenge that God has put before us as a church family, taking it seriously and saying to people, hey, there's great stuff happening in the name of Jesus at Central United Methodist Church.
[00:51:37] and I just want you to be a part of it.
[00:51:40] Maybe it's working for justice for people who are on the margins right here within a block of this corner.
[00:51:49] Maybe it's a call to preach or teach, to lead a small group, to invest in a hospitality team, to get baptized, to volunteer at the prison, to you fill in the blank.
[00:52:03] What's on your sheet?
[00:52:08] Or you say, God, I've never even considered that before.
[00:52:12] God has a next step for each and every one of us.
[00:52:21] And the best news is that we don't take those steps alone.
[00:52:25] We take it in the footsteps of a mighty God who can and does come to us in remarkable ways.
[00:52:33] So when God reveals a new way for us and we instinctively shout, wait, wait, wait, but God, I've never done that before.
[00:52:45] My prayer is that will God give us all a vision to understand that the God who can is always making a new way always to include more to stretch our faith to grow God's kingdom our work as God's people is to follow
[00:53:07] God's lead now now whatever that means for right here right now going forward If we've never done it that way before, it's okay.
[00:53:23] God knows what's next for all of us.
[00:53:29] Our job is to follow now, one step after another, after another, amen, amen.
[00:53:43] One of the best places to start that journey is right here at this table.
[00:53:50] You know, when Jesus shared this meal with his friends, all of them were about to embark on a journey that they'd never been on before because Jesus was not going to be physically present with them. They didn't know what to do. They didn't know how to behave. They didn't know
[00:54:11] what they were facing. And Jesus gives them this meal and says, don't forget, I'm always here.
[00:54:24] Remember me and follow me now. What a beautiful, beautiful reminder and feeling of God's Holy Spirit. From all the way back then till this day, God is doing a new thing that we've never done
[00:54:46] before. And this is fuel for the journey. Let us give thanks before we come. Gracious and Holy One, we thank you for the invitation to this table, that you extend it to all of us, that your grace
[00:55:10] is beyond what we can understand and deeper and wider than we can see. Thank you for making a place for us at your table. Forgive us when we don't show up.
[00:55:29] Forgive us when we try to elbow out people on either side of us. We confess that we don't deserve a place here. We ask for you to clean us up and by your mercy make us worthy we remember gracious one the gift of this meal that
[00:56:03] you gave to your disciples on that night before you gave up your life for us you gathered around the table and you took bread you gave thanks and broke it and shared it with your friends and you said take and eat this is my body which is
[00:56:19] given for you do this in remembrance of me and when supper was over you took the cup you gave thanks and you shared it with your disciples and you said drink from this all of you for this is my blood of the new covenant poured out for
[00:56:36] you and for many for the forgiveness of sin every time you drink it remember me Lord we do remember and we are grateful and we pray that you would pour out your Holy Spirit on all who are gathered here and on these gifts of bread and cup that
[00:56:57] That you would make them be for us the body and blood of Christ.
[00:57:01] That we might be for this world the body of Christ, redeemed by your love until you come again in final victory and we all feast at your heavenly table.
[00:57:15] Until that day, oh Lord, and always we give you all the power and the praise and the glory.
[00:57:24] And we thank you for the call that you place on our lives and this meal that reminds us that you are constantly with us.
[00:57:37] We pray in the name of Jesus.
[00:57:39] Amen.
[00:57:55] Broken, given, so that you might know life.
[00:58:03] Amen.
[00:58:10] Poured out, so that you might know life.
[00:58:17] Amen.
[00:58:19] Those who are serving, would you come?
[00:58:22] And if you've never received communion in a United Methodist Church before, we practice open communion.
[00:58:29] That means everyone is welcome.
[00:58:31] because it's Jesus who makes the invitation.
[00:58:35] So you are welcome at this table.
[00:58:39] We will receive by intinction.
[00:58:41] That's a big old, you don't need, okay.
[00:58:44] Which is a church word for dip the bread in the juice.
[00:58:51] And so you will receive a piece of bread, dip it into the juice, and then take both elements together.
[00:58:58] After you receive, you're invited to stay and pray at the altar as long as you would like.
[00:59:04] and maybe just spend a little time with Jesus asking, what's on my blanket?
[00:59:13] What is it that you're stretching me into, oh God?
[00:59:18] And be grateful for the meal that you're about to receive to give you the grace and the energy to do that thing.
[00:59:26] Everything is ready.
[00:59:27] Choir, would you come on around and just come as you feel led.
[00:59:32] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:59:32] Your face is all I seek Your eyes are on this child, your grace abounds to me.
[01:00:08] I want to take your word and shine it all around.
[01:00:21] First help me just to live it, Lord.
[01:00:28] And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown.
[01:00:34] for my reward is giving glory to you please light the fire burn bright and clear replace the lamb of my first love that burns with holy fear and when i'm doing will help me to never seek a crown
[01:01:28] for my reward is giving glory to you. You're beautiful. Your face is all I seek. Your eyes are on this child, your grace abound to me. And when your eyes are on this child, your grace abound to me. Your beautiful, your face is all I seek. And when your eyes
[01:02:36] Are on this child Your grace abound Your eyes are on this child Your grace abound Let us pray.
[01:04:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:04:10] Holy One, thank you for this meal.
[01:04:15] Thank you for dreams.
[01:04:19] Thank you for reminding us that you can.
[01:04:25] And by your power and through your spirit, we can too.
[01:04:29] So call us, challenge us, Fill us to live this everyday kind of life with you in a way that overflows into the world so that people see you, oh God, to be that kind of follower.
[01:05:00] We pray in the mighty and holy name of Jesus and all God's people said, amen.
[01:05:06] Would you stand and let's sing as we go.
[01:05:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_08]
[01:05:07] That last verse goes like this.
[01:07:08] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:07:08] Praise to the Lord, oh let all that is in me adore him.
[01:07:12] all that has life and breath come now with praises before him let the Amen sound from his people again gladly forever adore him as you go into the world this week let God's amen sound from your life into this world and may
[01:07:37] the Lord bless you and keep you may the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you may the Lord turn his face toward you and give you his peace now and forevermore amen have a great week
