Psalm 119:33-40; Luke 14:25-35
 
This is shocking, to say the least!  Did you hear what was just read for us?  My first reaction when I read this passage from Luke chapter 14, is that I can’t help but think that Jesus was a poor marketer.  When you try to attract people to a new idea or concept; when you want to grow the number of people on your team, you would think you would present all the benefits of your plan.  When marketers try to sell us a new product or idea, they talk about how it can save us time, how it works faster; how it is less cheap; how it exceeds consumer expectations more than the other products already on the market.
 
The Christian community at the time Jesus is speaking is a small, often persecuted, minority.  You would think that Jesus, in order to grow the number of His followers, would talk about love and community and all the benefits of following. Instead, He turns toward the crowd following Him and talks about the cost of discipleship.  What He says sounds very harsh.  He talks about hate and cross bearing.  Why would He do that?  This is going to make people run away instead of following, I think. 
 
The life of faith is not easy.  We have been spoiled in the United States so often because our culture has matched up fairly close with our faith.  But we are seeing things move farther and farther away from Christ and His Word.  And as our culture does this, we are going to be faced more and more with the radical nature of what it means to be a disciple and a follower of Jesus.   
 
And so Jesus tells these crowds who follow Him, both then and now, what this life entails.  Here, Jesus speaks of three things in regard to discipleship that we are going focus upon this morning: putting God first, carrying the cross, and leaving possessions.
 
First: Putting God First
In Luke 14:25-26 Jesus said, “Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”  The use of the word hate is not a call to NOT love our father, mother, wife and children; it is not a call to harm our family, or wish them ill; it is a call to heed the 1st Commandment.  We should honor, love, and trust in God above all things – and that includes our families.  Simply Jesus was saying that your relationship with God comes first above all other relationships. 
 
It is important here to look at the Greek word “misei” (μισεί) translated as “hate”.  The word suggests that a true disciple should value his/her relationship with Christ over the relationship with family members.  We are not to despise our relatives, but we are not to worship them either.  In this case “hate” can be a synonym for “love less.”  With statements like these, I find it amazing that the Christian movement grew and is still growing today.
 
Second: Carrying the Cross
And there’s more.  Jesus continues in Luke 4:27 by saying “Whoever does not bear his own cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”  He then goes on to speak a couple of parables concerning this and counting such a cost – of a man building a tower and a king going off to war. Jesus is saying there is a cost involved in following Him.  Through Baptism, God brings us into His family and a new life with Him.  Baptized, we are crucified to the world and the world to us.  Here and now, the disciple of Jesus loses the world and gains only a cross. 
 
I wonder if anybody ever knows the full cost of following Jesus before actually starting to follow Him.  If we knew the full cost, would we really be willing to follow?  I think this is where the love of God and trust in God’s leading are crucial.  And I believe that these do grow as we follow the best we can and realize that God is here with us and that He is always faithful.  
 
Third: Renouncing Possessions
Lastly, Jesus warns us against attachment to material things.  In Luke 14:33 Jesus said, “So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”  This is a common theme throughout the gospel of Luke because possessions are one of the greatest threats to discipleship.  Things can all too easily become a god. Being a disciple of Christ means the readiness to give up anything and everything if duty to God calls for it.  All that we have belongs to Him already anyway.
 
Jesus then leaves His hearers with one final image of salt. There is no in-between with salt.  Salt is either salty or it isn’t.  There is no “sort of” salty.  If it isn’t salty, it isn’t really salt, and it should be thrown away.
 
Friends, as baptized children of God, we have been baptized into His way, and are kept in His Way by His Word and Sacrament.  We are called to be Christ’s disciples.  We are called to teach our children what a life of a disciple, a follower, of Jesus looks like.  Today Niko Anthony Pontano is baptized into the body of Christ.  We, as a congregation, share the responsibility with his family to raise him in the instructions of our Lord. When we do so, discipleship becomes a lifelong adventure not a single event.
 
Friends, God has created us, equipped us, molded us, energized us and purposed us for divine use – to be His instruments for changing the world.  Today and everyday we have great opportunities to show in practical, concrete ways that we are followers of Jesus.  Let us show our community and the world what the power of Jesus Christ can do.  Amen!
First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday April 7, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

What is Christianity all about?  What is the essence of the Christian faith?  I believe the Christian faith can be summarized in two words: “Follow Me.”  These two words echo the heart-defining call of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples.  Yet, in this time and age, I do not think people understand the depth and the implications of Christ’s call.  Today and next Sunday I would like to revisit our understanding of Christ’s call “Follow me.”
 
Following Jesus is NOT the same as following People on Social Media
For those of us who use Social Media, we know that following people on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy.  You set up an account, hit a few buttons and you are instantly connected to what people are thinking, saying and doing around the world; now you are “a follower.”
 
You not only get to see what they are saying and doing but you can also share all of this by sharing or re-tweeting their thoughts and comments with your followers.  Following people on twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy which is why you can follow hundreds of people all at the same time.  We make “following” easy – but following Jesus is not.
 
The truth is that there is nothing easy about following Jesus and as we look at some of the stories of people who did follow Jesus, we see that it called for a radical change.  It was indeed “life under new management” as I called it last Sunday.
 
The First Followers of Jesus
The first followers of Jesus were four fishermen: Simon, Andrew, James and John.  Simon (who became Peter) and Andrew were brothers and James and John were brothers and as fishermen in Capernaum they all worked along the same stretch of shoreline, fished the same waters and maybe even partnered together in their fishing business. 
 
As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He called out for them to follow Him and in Matthew chapter four it says that Peter and Andrew “immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then James and John, “immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.”  While it seems like following Jesus was easy for them, it was not.  Think about what they had to do to follow Jesus.
 
Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus.  As fishermen, their nets were everything.  Their nets were their livelihood.  It was how they provided for their families.  Following Jesus meant that Peter and Andrew were leaving behind “a way of life” that had been comfortable and secure for them and a livelihood that not only provided for them but for their family and others.  They sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus – they gave up almost everything that brought them identity, security and a greater sense of purpose and they gave it all up for something that was completely unknown.  
 
 
Trust is at the Heart of Following Jesus
The same is true for James and John.  It says they left behind their boats which, like the nets of Peter and Andrew, meant their livelihood and business, but it also says they left behind their father.  Here the sacrifice included family.  These first followers of Jesus left behind significant relationships that defined them.  They left behind families and friendships they treasured.  Following Jesus could not have been easy for them and again, they had no idea where they were going or what they were getting themselves into.  They didn’t know what the future held for Jesus or for them so at the heart of this following was TRUST.  Jesus didn’t tell them how He was going to provide for them or their families or what their future would be like, but there was trust.
 
These aren’t the only people who made great sacrifices to follow Jesus.  Matthew made another big sacrifice.  Before he followed Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector which meant he had a lot of financial security.  Working for the Roman government, his job was secure and he made a lot of money.  Matthew would have been comfortable and while he may not have had a lot of friends working for the Romans, he had a lot of connections and status which brought him power.  Now look at what happens when Jesus calls him in Matthew 9:9. “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
 
The problem in our culture today is we want to follow, but we are not willing to pay the price.  We do not mind a religion that costs us nothing.  We do not mind grace without discipleship; grace without the cross.  This is not how the rest of the world today understand faith and following Jesus.  Think about the Christian community in Nigeria and the horrible scenes we saw this week.  They pay the high price for following Christ for sure.
 
Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου “Deute opiso mou” – Come follow after me.  Come and follow.  The original Greek “Deute” which means “come follow” is a great word.  It literally means “join me in my path.  Join me in my journey.” Deute from which we take our English “duet” ~ a performance of two people.  In essence, Jesus was saying, “do not play solo.  Let’s do it together.”  Following Jesus is highly relational and communicative.
 
Today, Michael Pontano and Dionna Busch join our Church family.  It is a commitment they are making before God and this congregation today.  Remember, following Jesus is not the same as following someone on Facebook.  Often times, you will have to make some sacrifices to allow Christ to travel this journey we call life with you.  Do not play it solo.  The Christian life is lived in a community of faith.  And for the rest of us, members of this congregation, may we never lose sight of this amazing truth.  We been called to follow Jesus.  Sometimes we focus on ministry, theology, efficiency, programs, and policy – all good things. But we lose Jesus in the busyness and clamor of good things.  “Follow me” Jesus said.  Amen.

What is Christianity all about?  What is the essence of the Christian faith?  I believe the Christian faith can be summarized in two words: “Follow Me.”  These two words echo the heart-defining call of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples.  Yet, in this time and age, I do not think people understand the depth and the implications of Christ’s call.  Today and next Sunday I would like to revisit our understanding of Christ’s call “Follow me.”
 
Following Jesus is NOT the same as following People on Social Media
For those of us who use Social Media, we know that following people on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy.  You set up an account, hit a few buttons and you are instantly connected to what people are thinking, saying and doing around the world; now you are “a follower.”
 
You not only get to see what they are saying and doing but you can also share all of this by sharing or re-tweeting their thoughts and comments with your followers.  Following people on twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy which is why you can follow hundreds of people all at the same time.  We make “following” easy – but following Jesus is not.
 
The truth is that there is nothing easy about following Jesus and as we look at some of the stories of people who did follow Jesus, we see that it called for a radical change.  It was indeed “life under new management” as I called it last Sunday.
 
The First Followers of Jesus
The first followers of Jesus were four fishermen: Simon, Andrew, James and John.  Simon (who became Peter) and Andrew were brothers and James and John were brothers and as fishermen in Capernaum they all worked along the same stretch of shoreline, fished the same waters and maybe even partnered together in their fishing business. 
 
As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He called out for them to follow Him and in Matthew chapter four it says that Peter and Andrew “immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then James and John, “immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.”  While it seems like following Jesus was easy for them, it was not.  Think about what they had to do to follow Jesus.
 
Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus.  As fishermen, their nets were everything.  Their nets were their livelihood.  It was how they provided for their families.  Following Jesus meant that Peter and Andrew were leaving behind “a way of life” that had been comfortable and secure for them and a livelihood that not only provided for them but for their family and others.  They sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus – they gave up almost everything that brought them identity, security and a greater sense of purpose and they gave it all up for something that was completely unknown.  
 
 
Trust is at the Heart of Following Jesus
The same is true for James and John.  It says they left behind their boats which, like the nets of Peter and Andrew, meant their livelihood and business, but it also says they left behind their father.  Here the sacrifice included family.  These first followers of Jesus left behind significant relationships that defined them.  They left behind families and friendships they treasured.  Following Jesus could not have been easy for them and again, they had no idea where they were going or what they were getting themselves into.  They didn’t know what the future held for Jesus or for them so at the heart of this following was TRUST.  Jesus didn’t tell them how He was going to provide for them or their families or what their future would be like, but there was trust.
 
These aren’t the only people who made great sacrifices to follow Jesus.  Matthew made another big sacrifice.  Before he followed Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector which meant he had a lot of financial security.  Working for the Roman government, his job was secure and he made a lot of money.  Matthew would have been comfortable and while he may not have had a lot of friends working for the Romans, he had a lot of connections and status which brought him power.  Now look at what happens when Jesus calls him in Matthew 9:9. “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
 
The problem in our culture today is we want to follow, but we are not willing to pay the price.  We do not mind a religion that costs us nothing.  We do not mind grace without discipleship; grace without the cross.  This is not how the rest of the world today understand faith and following Jesus.  Think about the Christian community in Nigeria and the horrible scenes we saw this week.  They pay the high price for following Christ for sure.
 
Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου “Deute opiso mou” – Come follow after me.  Come and follow.  The original Greek “Deute” which means “come follow” is a great word.  It literally means “join me in my path.  Join me in my journey.” Deute from which we take our English “duet” ~ a performance of two people.  In essence, Jesus was saying, “do not play solo.  Let’s do it together.”  Following Jesus is highly relational and communicative.
 
Today, Michael Pontano and Dionna Busch join our Church family.  It is a commitment they are making before God and this congregation today.  Remember, following Jesus is not the same as following someone on Facebook.  Often times, you will have to make some sacrifices to allow Christ to travel this journey we call life with you.  Do not play it solo.  The Christian life is lived in a community of faith.  And for the rest of us, members of this congregation, may we never lose sight of this amazing truth.  We been called to follow Jesus.  Sometimes we focus on ministry, theology, efficiency, programs, and policy – all good things. But we lose Jesus in the busyness and clamor of good things.  “Follow me” Jesus said.  Amen.
What is Christianity all about?  What is the essence of the Christian faith?  I believe the Christian faith can be summarized in two words: “Follow Me.”  These two words echo the heart-defining call of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples.  Yet, in this time and age, I do not think people understand the depth and the implications of Christ’s call.  Today and next Sunday I would like to revisit our understanding of Christ’s call “Follow me.”
 
Following Jesus is NOT the same as following People on Social Media
For those of us who use Social Media, we know that following people on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy.  You set up an account, hit a few buttons and you are instantly connected to what people are thinking, saying and doing around the world; now you are “a follower.”
 
You not only get to see what they are saying and doing but you can also share all of this by sharing or re-tweeting their thoughts and comments with your followers.  Following people on twitter or Instagram or Facebook is easy which is why you can follow hundreds of people all at the same time.  We make “following” easy – but following Jesus is not.
 
The truth is that there is nothing easy about following Jesus and as we look at some of the stories of people who did follow Jesus, we see that it called for a radical change.  It was indeed “life under new management” as I called it last Sunday.
 
The First Followers of Jesus
The first followers of Jesus were four fishermen: Simon, Andrew, James and John.  Simon (who became Peter) and Andrew were brothers and James and John were brothers and as fishermen in Capernaum they all worked along the same stretch of shoreline, fished the same waters and maybe even partnered together in their fishing business. 
 
As Jesus walked along the Sea of Galilee, He called out for them to follow Him and in Matthew chapter four it says that Peter and Andrew “immediately they left their nets and followed him” and then James and John, “immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.”  While it seems like following Jesus was easy for them, it was not.  Think about what they had to do to follow Jesus.
 
Peter and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus.  As fishermen, their nets were everything.  Their nets were their livelihood.  It was how they provided for their families.  Following Jesus meant that Peter and Andrew were leaving behind “a way of life” that had been comfortable and secure for them and a livelihood that not only provided for them but for their family and others.  They sacrificed a lot to follow Jesus – they gave up almost everything that brought them identity, security and a greater sense of purpose and they gave it all up for something that was completely unknown.  
 
 
Trust is at the Heart of Following Jesus
The same is true for James and John.  It says they left behind their boats which, like the nets of Peter and Andrew, meant their livelihood and business, but it also says they left behind their father.  Here the sacrifice included family.  These first followers of Jesus left behind significant relationships that defined them.  They left behind families and friendships they treasured.  Following Jesus could not have been easy for them and again, they had no idea where they were going or what they were getting themselves into.  They didn’t know what the future held for Jesus or for them so at the heart of this following was TRUST.  Jesus didn’t tell them how He was going to provide for them or their families or what their future would be like, but there was trust.
 
These aren’t the only people who made great sacrifices to follow Jesus.  Matthew made another big sacrifice.  Before he followed Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector which meant he had a lot of financial security.  Working for the Roman government, his job was secure and he made a lot of money.  Matthew would have been comfortable and while he may not have had a lot of friends working for the Romans, he had a lot of connections and status which brought him power.  Now look at what happens when Jesus calls him in Matthew 9:9. “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.”
 
The problem in our culture today is we want to follow, but we are not willing to pay the price.  We do not mind a religion that costs us nothing.  We do not mind grace without discipleship; grace without the cross.  This is not how the rest of the world today understand faith and following Jesus.  Think about the Christian community in Nigeria and the horrible scenes we saw this week.  They pay the high price for following Christ for sure.
 
Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου “Deute opiso mou” – Come follow after me.  Come and follow.  The original Greek “Deute” which means “come follow” is a great word.  It literally means “join me in my path.  Join me in my journey.” Deute from which we take our English “duet” ~ a performance of two people.  In essence, Jesus was saying, “do not play solo.  Let’s do it together.”  Following Jesus is highly relational and communicative.
 
Today, Michael Pontano and Dionna Busch join our Church family.  It is a commitment they are making before God and this congregation today.  Remember, following Jesus is not the same as following someone on Facebook.  Often times, you will have to make some sacrifices to allow Christ to travel this journey we call life with you.  Do not play it solo.  The Christian life is lived in a community of faith.  And for the rest of us, members of this congregation, may we never lose sight of this amazing truth.  We been called to follow Jesus.  Sometimes we focus on ministry, theology, efficiency, programs, and policy – all good things. But we lose Jesus in the busyness and clamor of good things.  “Follow me” Jesus said.  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday March 31st, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

​Repent and Believe!
Isaiah 12; Mark 1:12-15
 
A soap manufacturer and a Pastor were walking together down a street in a large city.  The soap manufacturer casually said, “The Gospel you preach hasn’t done much good, has it?  Just look around.  There is still a lot of wickedness in the world, and a lot of wicked people, too!”  The Pastor made no reply until they passed a dirty little child making mud pies in the gutter.  Seizing the opportunity, the Pastor said, “I see that soap hasn’t done much good in the world either; for there is much dirt, and many dirty people around.”  The soap man said, “Oh, well, soap is only useful when it is applied.”  And the Pastor said, “Exactly, so it is with the Gospel.” 
 
This morning we conclude a three-week sermon series based on Jesus’s first sermon in Galilee.  In Mark 1:14-15 we read, “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!”
 
Life Under New ManagementThe last two Sundays, we covered the first two statements of the “good news of God” Jesus proclaimed in Galilee.  “The time is fulfilled.”  The “kαιρὸς” is here ~ the right time, the perfect time, the time you’ve been waiting for, the time of your life is here.  Let’s make the most of this opportunity.
 
“The time is fulfilled.  The King has come near,” Jesus said.  “The rule of God” Jesus was saying, “has broken into our midst now that I am here.”  So what?  That has huge implications for us.  Jesus spells them out in the last phrase of verse 15: “Repent and believe the good news!”  
 
You notice that there are two things here — repent and believe the good news.  Two things that, when we look at them, are two sides of a coin so to speak.  The two go hand in hand.  Believing and trusting.  Believing and repenting.  It is an invitation to come and live under new management. 
 
Repent: Return Home .. Change Your Mind
Repentance is a word that we do not get to use often in our churches and sermons nowadays.  Yet, repentance is repeated over and over and over again in the Bible.  The words “repent,” “repentance,” and “repented” are mentioned over 100 times in the Bible.  It is almost impossible to find any book in the Bible that doesn’t call to repentance.  
 
When you hear this word you usually immediately picture a preacher pointing a judging finger at a sinner.  The word “Repent” summons up pictures of condemnation and even damnation.  That’s not what the word means.  In order to understand what Jesus meant by “repent and believe the gospel”, we need to shed some light on two important words that are translated “repentance” in the Bible, one of them is Hebrew and the other is Greek.
 
The Hebrew word that is translated “repentance” is “shuv.”  Shuv means “return.”  “Repent” in the days of Jesus and to the Jews was to come back, to come home.  It’s what the prodigal son did.  He went the wrong way, turned around and returned home.  “Return, Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall!”, says Hosea 14:1.  “Shuvah yisrael ad Yahweh elohey ~ Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.”
 
The Greek word for Repent – metanoia – means “to change your mind.”  It’s similar to the Hebrew word.  Suddenly you wake up, you gain a new perspective, you realize you are going the wrong way and you turn around and go the right way.  My GPS has a lot of different languages on it.  When I get lost, it tells me I am going the wrong way and I need to turn around and go back.  If it had an ancient Hebrew or Greek setting it would said, “Repent, Repent.”
 
Repentance, therefore, is gaining a new perspective.  It is turning around.  Repentance is coming home.  It’s going to take every bit of your being – all your heart, mind, soul and strength – to reorient your life so you can follow Jesus.
 
To repent is to wake up and go the way Jesus is going.  To repent is to value what Jesus values. Jesus spend most of His time in Galilee – where the poor, oppressed, culturally diverse backwater of Palestine lived.  He was one of them.  He lived with them, fed them, healed them, taught them, cared for them, loved them and invited them to follow Him.  He said I have come to preach Good News to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, open the eyes of the blind, set the captives free – physically and spiritually.  That was not a popular message.  The people in His hometown, the ones who knew Him best, tried to kill Him for that.  They weren’t willing to wake up, turn around and follow Him.
 
Repentance is the gate to enter the kingdom of God. “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Repentance will ever be indispensable part of being in the kingdom of God.  True repentance is a radical change, a new mindset, a new attitude towards God.  “A Christian is not sinless”, as Warren Wiersbe says, “but someone who does sin less – and less – and less.”  Sin continues in us even after we come to Christ, but we can never again be complacent about it as we did in the years when we lived in our darkness.
 
Friends, Jesus was absolutely straight and told everyone in Galilee to change, and I am saying to the dear people of this congregation that I deeply care for, we all need to change, because our lives are not being controlled as they should be by the presence of God.  Our discipleship lacks decisiveness, extravagance and wonder.  We have lost the thrill of the merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.  There is too much defensiveness, and too many excuses for sub-Christian living, too much averagism, too much looking to people.  The King has come!  Every time we meet here, the King is here!  We have to turn, and change, and move on to new levels of zeal, of dedication, of knowledge, of cross-bearing, of forgiveness, and of hope.
 
And so Jesus says repent and believe the good news.  Believe that the time has come.  Believe that the kingdom of God is at hand.  Believe that God is about to fulfill all His promises. Repent, and believe the gospel because your redemption is drawing near.  Amen!
 
​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday March 24th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor 

 
During the press conference to announce NOKIA being acquired by Microsoft back in 2013, Nokia CEO ended his speech saying this “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow, we lost.”  Upon saying that, all his management team, himself included, teared sadly.
 
Nokia was a strong corporation.  Incorporated in Finland in 1865, it became one of the biggest corporations in the world.  So, what happened?  I believe the simple answer is that a dynamic, evolving marketplace outpaced company leaders’ strategic thinking.
 
Nokia has been a respectable company.  They didn’t do anything wrong in their business, however, the world changed too fast.  Their opponents were too powerful.  They missed out on learning, they missed out on changing, and thus they lost the opportunity at hand to make it big.  Not only did they miss the opportunity to earn big money, but also, they lost their chance of survival.
 
The message of this story is simple yet challenging, if you don’t change (repent), you shall be removed from the competition.  If your thoughts and mindset cannot catch up with time, you will be eliminated.  The advantage you have yesterday, will be replaced by the trends of tomorrow.  You don’t have to do anything wrong, as long as your competitors catch the wave and do it RIGHT, you can lose out and fail.  Those who refuse to learn and improve, will no longer exist.
 
This Sunday is the Second Sunday in Lent and we continue our journey with Jesus in Galilee.  As we do so, we actually dig deep to the roots, the beginnings of the gospel.  In Mark 1:14-15 we read, “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!”
 
Jesus’ message to the Galileans was both encouraging and challenging.  In Galilee, Jesus proclaimed the good news of God first.  It was not in Jerusalem where people with power, influence, wealth, and education lived, but in Galilee, where the least of the least.  On one hand, it was encouraging because God’s grace is manifested in the most unlikely of places.  God shows up in the most desperate and hopeless situations and places in our lives.  But on the other hand, it was also challenging because Christ’s message demanded a decision; it demanded a change.  “The time has come,” he said.  “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!” 
 
As mentioned last week, Jesus’ first sermon is a three-point sermon, another proof that Jesus was a good Presbyterian.  My goal during the first three Sundays in Lent is to outline the three points of Christ’s first sermon and then we will work through them together.
 
First: The Time Has Come
In Galilee, Jesus preached His first sermon.  “The time has come,” He said.  “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  The time is fulfilled ~ Greek has two words for time.  The first is chronos, from which we get our English chronological and chronology.  Chronos is the measurement of time.  It’s clock time.  It’s the answer to the question “What time is it?”  The other Greek word is kairos.  It’s not clock time, it’s the critical time, the right time, the time you’ve been waiting for, the time of your life.  It is a moment of truth, a turning point, a decision time.
 
A lot of Christians are chronos challenged.  Yet, Christians should seize those “kairos” moments.  If you put off a kairos time, you will miss a critical moment in your life.  It’s your time to make a decision.  It’s the turning point of history or, at least, your history.  The time has come for you.  Jesus asks, “Are you in?  Will you sign up?  Will you follow?”  When we hear God’s voice, we can either live in the chronos or the kairos. 
 
Second: The Kingdom of God Has Come Near
The second point in Jesus’ sermon had to do with the coming of God’s Kingdom.  Jesus only used the word “church” 2 times in the gospels.  But He talked about the Kingdom of God over 80 times.  His audience knew about kingdoms.  From the time of the prophets until Jesus’ day, the people of Israel lived under the oppression and domination of one kingdom after another.  They lived under the Assyrians, the Babylonians, under the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans. Throughout that time, the prophets promised the Lord is coming to set up His kingdom and set His people free. 
 
So when someone announced this was about to happen, as many people did over the years, there were two reactions: cheers and fears.  Cheers because the people thought, “Now is our time to rule.”  Fears because every one of these revolutions failed and it was always worse afterwards.  I’m sure when Jesus said, “The time has come.  The kingdom of God has come near,” there were cheers and fears and probably even some jeers.  I’m also sure no one understood what Jesus meant. 
 
I believe the same is true today.  What does Jesus mean by the Kingdom of God?  Kingdoms and governments are united by borders and languages, capital cities and currencies, laws and flags, armies and bureaucracies.  The Kingdom of God has none of those.  There are no borders, no currency, no capital city, no single language and no flag.  God’s Kingdom includes people from every nation, tribe and tongue.  So what unites the Kingdom of God?  The King – Jesus Christ.  You belong to the Kingdom of God if Christ is your King.
 
Jesus invites us today to be a part of His Kingdom.  The Kingdom is at hand.  But we have to know that the Kingdom of God is not an institution it is a revolution. The Kingdom of God is not membership in a club it’s a movement.  It’s not an administration it is an adventure.
 
Do you want to join the movement?  Are you ready for the revolution?  Are you willing to sign on for the adventure of your life?  Before you say yes, let me tell you what you are getting yourself into.  Yes, being part of the Kingdom means eternal life.  Yes it means salvation.  But here’s the fine print.  The Kingdom is not just about you being saved.  The Jewish people in Jesus’ days didn’t get it.
 
Friends, the Kingdom of God is not about me and it’s not about you.  It’s not only about salvation.  It’s also about restoration: restoring the people who are lost and broken in this world, restoring the people who are hurting and hungry and homeless and hopeless in this world, restoring the creation and restoring justice.  Why?  Because that is what we see our King doing.  We are saved to be sent.  We are saved to serve.  We are saved to share.  If Jesus is our King, then we need to do what we see Him doing and walk where we hear Him talking.  The time has come.  The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!  Amen.

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday March 17th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris Yousef, Pastor
Sermons

A man wanted to become a monk so he went to the monastery and talked to the abbot (the head monk). The abbot said, “You must take a vow of silence and can only say two words every three years.” The man agreed. After the first three years, the abbot came to him and said, “What are your two words?” “Food cold!”, the man replied. The abbot made sure the meals are not cold. Three more years went by and the abbot came to him and said, “What are your two words?” “Robe dirty!” the man exclaimed. The abbot ordered his robe be washed. Three more years went by and the abbot came to him and said, “What are your two words?” “Bed hard!” The abbot made sure the mattress got re-stuffed. Three more years went by and the abbot came to him and said, “What are your two words?” “I quit!” said the man. “Well,” the abbot replied, “I'm not surprised – you've done nothing but complain since you got here!”

Complaining or gratitude? In case you’re wondering if your Pastor has lost it or got confused thinking this is Thanksgiving week, I have not. Gratitude is not meant to be once a year. It is so easy to complain, to be grumpy; but it takes a lot of time and effort to cultivate a culture of thanksgiving and gratitude. Today is a very special day. After worship today, our congregation meets to share a meal together and celebrate a year of ministry to the Lord.

The Annual Meeting is a harvest festival. It is an annual celebration of what God has done in us, for us, and through us. It is a festival of gratitude for the food God provided for us, for the crops gathered to the stores. In the spiritual sense, today we celebrate the lives that have been transformed by God’s grace; the hearts that have been dedicated or rededicated to Jesus; and the visions, dreams, and hopes God has given to this congregation.

Moving from complaining and grumbling to gratitude and thanksgiving is a long journey. Cultivating this kind of culture requires a lot of work. In Exodus chapter 16 we see a grumbling people. Yes, the Israelites were a grumbling people. They grumbled when Moses came to save them from the hands of Pharaoh. They grumbled at the banks of the Red Sea. They grumbled when they didn’t have water to drink. They grumbled when they thought they will face starvation in the wilderness in Sinai. This is a nation of grumblers. Today and next Sunday I would like to tackle this topic. This morning I would like to talk about grumbling and ingratitude, and next Sunday, Lord willing, I will be talking about how do we get past our grumbling?


What is the Big Deal about Grumbling?
So, what is the big deal about grumbling anyway? The more I read the Bible, the more I come to realize that grumbling and ungratefulness is a sin. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul included the sin of ingratitude among some serious sins. He says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times 2 in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving.” We can identify two ways the sin of grumbling offends God:

First: Grumbling Denies the Sovereignty of God
When the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron leading them out into the wilderness, complaining about the lack of food and remembering the great feasts back in Egypt, God told Moses that they were not grumbling against him, but against God Himself! Moses was executing God’s plan and by grumbling about the hardships and continually pulling back to the former life, it was God they were complaining against, it was His plan they were undermining. While it may seem that we are merely complaining against people or circumstances, we are in fact complaining against the plan and purpose of God, and against God Himself!

There are ways to express reservations or concerns to leaders and those in charge. In Proverbs 15:22 the Bible acknowledges that in a multitude of counselors there is wisdom, and wise leaders listen to sound counsel. But by grumbling, they were rejecting God’s promise, His purpose and His prize. They were rejecting the one who was leading them in the direction of Canaan, not Egypt.

Second: Grumbling Discourages the People of God
Grumbling encourages others to adopt the same negative, unsupportive and crippling attitude toward God’s leaders and God’s plan. Grumbling never simply affects us personally and individually. By nature, grumbling, most likely, is done in the open. It encourages people to feel that God cannot fulfill what he has promised.

There were those in the Israelite camp who encouraged others to believe that it was all a pipe-dream, that the conquest of the Promised Land would never come about. The grumbling spread throughout the camp. Grumbling and complaining became a way of life for the Israelites in the wilderness, a sort of default reaction to hardships and adversity that always put them on the wrong side of the will of God. Ingratitude caused pilgrims to literally drag their feet the whole way on their journey, and even the generation made it to Canaan was with only halfhearted enthusiasm, which led to a history of compromise, moral failure and ultimately to exile. Grumbling produces the kind of environment among the people of God that leads to discouragement and drawing back. Grumbling is destructive to the work of God. It will burn, undermine, breakdown, discourage, and destroy the work of God.

How Do we Get Past our Grumbling?
Although I will talk in detail about this topic next Sunday, let me give you a very helpful hint this morning. How do we get past grumbling? Is this possible? Faith is the spirit that carries on in confidence, even when it is hard, or nearly impossible. Faith lifts its eyes and sees God (Ps. 121:1-2). Faith stops identifying with what is wrong, inconvenient, undesirable and uncomfortable, to grasp the promise of God and to go forward with him, until the victory is won and the promise is fulfilled. And if that does not come in this lifetime, it rejoices in the prospect of joining with those in the future who will be alive at that moment of Jesus return, when every promise will come to total fulfillment (Heb. 11:39-40)! 3 So, whatever wilderness you wander right now, there will be manna from Heaven each morning in the form of Jesus Christ—the one who forgives our sins, sends his Spirit, heals our diseases, and promises us eternal life now and forever. Whatever road you have to travel today, when you wake up tomorrow morning, there will be new mercies from Jesus. Friends, let’s trust that God will provide, and that He already has provided in Christ. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen!


 First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday, February 10, 2019)
 Rev. Dr. Mouris Yousef, Pastor

This morning we continue our study looking at one of the most remarkable prayers in the Bible. It is one of two prayers Paul prayed for the Church in Ephesus and they are found in Ephesians 1:15-23 and Ephesians 3:14-21. The two prayers give us a glimpse of how important prayer was for the apostle Paul and how important it should be for us today. The last couple Sundays we saw Paul praying for “a Spirit of wisdom and revelation” to be given to the Ephesians so that they may think and ponder the mystery of their faith.

One great thing Paul asked the Ephesians to ponder was the truth that in Christ God chose them before the creation of this world. Ephesians 1:4 states, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Yes, you heard it right. God has chosen YOU before the creation of this world. Before you even existed, God loved you so much. We neither earned nor deserved God’s love. This “choosing” is based on God’s sovereign pleasure and good will.

Often times we tend to think that we are the ones who chose God, but in reality, it is the opposite. God is the one who has chosen us. In John 15:16, Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.” You belong to God. You don’t belong to anyone or anything else but God. God has chosen us with a purpose in mind ~ I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.

We also talked about another magnificent truth, another important component of our faith and that is “God’s calling.” God has called us to great things. In 1 Corinthians 1:9 we read, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26, Paul invites the Corinthians to consider their calling. “Consider your calling, brothers and sisters.” Believe me, there is nothing more satisfying than knowing that the God of this universe has chosen YOU and has called YOU to be in fellowship with Him.

As Paul continues his prayer for the Ephesians in today’s passage, he adds that he is praying for the Lord to give them knowledge of the “HOPE” to which He has called us. Ephesians 1:17-18, “ I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you.” Paul prays for God’s people to know the hope to which God called you.

​

Polycarp is a famous name in the history of Christianity. He lived between 69 and 155 A.D. Polycarp was the Bishop of the Church in Smyrna, a city in Asia Minor known today as Izmir in the modern day Turkey. He is said to have known the apostle John and to have been instructed by him in the Christian faith. An account of Polycarp’s arrest, trial, conviction, and martyrdom, was written after his death by some members of his congregation. Although Polycarp wrote some great books defending the Christian faith, his greatest contribution to Christianity may be his martyred death. His martyrdom stands as one of the most amazing stories of true faithfulness and full commitment. The Roman emperors had unleashed bitter attacks against Christians during this period, and many Christians gave their lives for the sake of Christ. Polycarp was arrested on the charge of being a Christian. Amidst an angry mob, the Roman ruler took pity on such a gentle old man and urged Polycarp to proclaim, “Caesar, not Jesus Christ, is Lord.” If only Polycarp would make this declaration and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar's statue, he would escape torture and death. To this Polycarp responded, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

Steadfast in his stand for Christ, Polycarp refused to compromise his beliefs, and thus, was burned alive at the stake. Historical Background of John Chapter 6 In the gospel of John chapter 6 we see a different picture than this one. John 6 begins with a large crowd following Jesus. As John 6 comes to a close, however, a small group is gathered around the Lord. The crowds turned back for many reasons. Some left because of Jesus’ radical demands as we see in John 6:60, “When many of His disciples heard it, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” Some have left because of their unwillingness to follow Christ’s teachings as we see in verse 66. For some, Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah of their expectations. He demanded full obedience and full commitment of His followers; halfhearted discipleship is not enough. With Jesus, there is no middle ground; one either is or isn’t. Now, it is Jesus and the Twelve. In John 6:67 Jesus asks this critical question: “Do you also wish to go away?” Can you imagine the silence that ensued? I bet you could have heard a pin bounce on the hard dirt floor. Peter, always speaking first, breaks the silence. In verses 69-70 he says, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

As we look together at this passage this morning, please allow me to underscore two important observations: First: Clinging to Christ Friends, as we walk with the Lord there will be times in our lives when we will not understand God’s mighty acts. There will be times when Christ will not meet our expectations. There will be 2 times when we will get so confused. There will be times when we pray but no answer. What do we need to do then? Quit? Leave Jesus? Abandon our faith? Absolutely not! For me, this story is about staying with Jesus; staying with Jesus even when we don’t understand Him; staying with Jesus even when others leave; staying with Jesus even when we are confused; staying with Jesus even when He says creepy things. The twelve remain when others walk away. I hope you and I today would stick with Jesus even when we are perplexed. “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Lord, you have liberated, comforted, healed, and transformed our lives and we’re sticking around. Like the disciples who remained when the crowds deserted Jesus, we are still here. Please listen to the words of the Scripture by Asaph in Psalm 73:25-28, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” Like Asaph and the disciples who remained when the crowds deserted Jesus, we are still here and I am praying for us to continue to be near God. Second: Genuine Faith Cannot Walk Away When Jesus asked the disciples if they too are leaving Him, Peter answers for the group. He expresses their total commitment and states the fact that they know Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and is the way to eternal life.

Peter had taken a step that many in his day had not, or could not take. In this passage, Peter introduces to us what a genuine faith is. A real faith in Jesus has two components: believing and knowing or experiencing. Listen again to the words of Peter in John 6: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” These two possessions, believing and experiencing, allowed Peter to make an absolute commitment of his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Genuine faith cannot walk away. There came a time of weakness in Peter’s life when he failed the Lord. He did turn his back on Jesus for a time, but he did not walk away forever! Once we have felt the powerful touch of the Almighty God, once we have walked in the light of His glory, once we have tasted of His goodness and experienced His best, we will never be satisfied with substitutes and imitations! We may wander for a time, but we, like the prodigal son will “finally come to our senses.” We will remember what it was like in the Father’s house and we will come home! When we do, God will receive us with open arms and perfect restoration. Friends, today’s message challenges us to the core – or should do, if we’re hearing it right. We are a culture that has turned its back on Christ and on the Biblical truths. Look at the way we live, the way we think, the way we talk, the way we spend our money, the way our values are set, we will find out that we have created our paradise away from Christ and His will. “Do you also wish to go away?” At some time each one of us will have to wrestle with the question. But would we go, and what are we looking for?” To a different church or religion? To some vague notion about being kind and respectful toward others? These are good things, but do they fill that deep place that longs for God? Do they give hope in things not seen? Do they stand with us when the rest of our life falls away? Do they connect us to what is holy in life? Nowhere else. No one else. My friends, let’s cling to Jesus because genuine faith will never walk away. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes
(Sunday June 12, 2016)
Rev. Mouris Yousef, Pastor