Matthew 7:13-14; John 10:1-10
 
A few weeks ago, we launched a new sermon series on the self-descriptions of Jesus found in the gospel of John known as the “I am” discourses or statements.  Eight times in the gospel of John, Jesus said “I Am.”  Seven of those times He added a divine attribute and then explained what He meant.  Through the “I am” Statements, Jesus is opening up a new understanding of who He is so our faith and trust in Him are deepened.  In the “I am” Statements, Jesus, uses a language and images that were so familiar to the His audience especially the Jews.  Jesus claims divinity.  He claims to be God’s equal.  He claims to be part of the eternal Godhead.  He is the great “I am” of the Old Testament.
 
We’ve already covered the first two “I am” statements, “I am the Bread of Life” and “I am the Light of the World.”  This morning we will be looking at the third “I am” statement, “I am the gate for the sheep.”  Please notice that Jesus does not say that He is a gate but that He is the gate.  In John 10:7 we read, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.”  In other words, if we are to get to God, we must deal with Jesus.  Access to God comes no other way.
 
The Setting of the Third “I am” Statement
In order to understand this statement, we must first understand a Middle Eastern sheepfold.  Today we may picture a corral or a barn but that’s not an accurate comparison to an ancient sheepfold.  The well-known Old Testament Scottish scholar Sir George Adam Smith (1856-1942) once related a story of an incident that happened to him as he travelled through the Middle East.  As he travelled, he came across a shepherd with his sheep.  After talking with the shepherd for a while the man took him to the place where he kept his sheep at night; a place with four low walls and a narrow opening.  Smith asked, “This is where they go at night?”  The shepherd replied, “Yes, and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe.”  Smith replied, “But there is no door.”  With a twinkle in his eye, the shepherd responded, “I am the door.”
 
Of course, the shepherd was not a Christian; he was simply speaking from a shepherd’s point of view.  Smith asked, “What do you mean you are the door?”  The shepherd replied, “When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in the open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf, no lion, no bear, no thief can enter by the sheepfold unless they cross my body; I am the door.  I am a good shepherd: I give my life for the sheep.”  To prove his point, the shepherd draws back his eastern robe, and sure enough, there are scars on his arms and body.  He explains that these are wounds which he has suffered as he has fought off animals while defending his flock.
 
The Blessings of Entering Through the Gate
With that as our background, let’s take a closer look at these few verses of John 10.  As the gate, Jesus gives us some wonderful blessings.  In John 10, Jesus mentions at least three benefits for those who come through Him; three benefits for those who enter through the gate: salvation, safety, and satisfaction.
 
First: Salvation
Salvation is the gift of all gifts.  In John 10: 9 we read, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”  Those who enter through Christ will be saved.  We are saved from sin’s penalty, the anger of God that separates us from Him and makes us His enemies instead of His sheep.  Throughout our lives as Christians, we are increasingly delivered from sin’s power.  And someday, when we pass into God’s holy presence through death, we will be saved from the actual presence of sin.  Those who enter through the gate will be saved.
 
Second: Safety
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  Those who enter through Christ will be safe.  That’s what Jesus meant by “going in and out.”  It’s the thought of being at peace, being so secure, so well protected, that there is no fear in coming and going.  The Good Shepherd has placed His body across the entrance in order to make us safe.  At the cost of His life, we are secure.  
 
Nothing in all creation can shake the sense of security we have in the Lord; no cancer, no stroke, no job loss, no financial distress, no broken relationship, nothing.  Psalm 121 says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
 
Third: Satisfaction
That leads us to the third benefit, satisfaction, finding good pasture.  “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  And that was a challenging feat in Palestine.  The skills of a good shepherd were needed to find fresh grass for the sheep to graze.  In Psalm 23:2, the Scriptures tell us that our Good Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures, He leads us beside quiet waters.”  It is an abundant life.  I love the words of Psalm 37:19-20, “They are not put to shame in evil times, in the days of famine they have abundance.  But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.”
 
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”  As Matthew 7:13-14 instruct us, though that gate may not seem very appealing to many today because it is narrow and small, it leads to life.  Salvation, safety, and fulfilment, are three important blessings of being in Christ.  Jesus is the entryway of God’s blessings.  He is the gate to salvation.  In Him, we are protected and provided for, we are nurtured and satisfied.  “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”  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, July 14th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

Exodus 13:20-21; John 8:12-20
 
As a boy, the Scottish novelist and poet, Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) was intrigued by the work of the old lamplighter who went about with a ladder and a torch, setting the street lights ablaze for the night.  One evening in Edinburgh, Scotland, as young Robert stood watching with childish fascination, his parents heard him exclaim, “Look, look!  There is a man out there punching holes in the darkness!”  With one statement of childish wonder, Robert Louis Stevenson summed up the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus came into this world and accomplished many great and miraculous wonders, yet His primary mission was to punch great gaping holes in the spiritual darkness that shrouded this world.  He came to be “The Light of the World.”
 
During this summer, we are looking at seven statements that Jesus makes about Himself in the gospel of John.  Bible scholars call those seven statements the “I am” statements of Jesus.  These are seven live changing truths.  Here are the seven “I am” statements: I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48); I am the Light of the World (8:12, 9:5); I am the Gate for the Sheep (10:7); I am the Good Shepherd (10:11); I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25); I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6); and I am the True Vine (15:1).  Last Sunday, we spent some time with the first statement in John 6:35 where we see Jesus being the Bread of Life.  Today, we will be looking at the second statement found in John 8.
 
In John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  This is the second statement and it is quite a powerful statement, rich with all sorts of symbolism and meaning.  Before I share a couple observations from John 8:12-20, let me very briefly give you the setting of Jesus’ second “I am” statement.
 
The Setting of the Second “I am” Statement
The gospel of John gives us both the location and the occasion of the second statement.  In John 8:20 we read, “He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple.”  The temple of Jesus’ day was Herod’s temple—an extravagant complex that was said to shine so brilliantly in the sun that it could be seen miles away from Jerusalem.  The treasury of the temple was a Jews-designated area, so Jesus is speaking to the Jews who have come into the temple to worship.
 
But the location and audience of Jesus’ teaching aren’t all that John tells us.  Back in John 7:2, John tells us “Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near.”  So Jesus preached the words of John 8 during the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths.  What is the Feast of Tabernacles is all about?  The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated by the Jews once a year to remember God’s care for them during their 40 years of wanderings through the Sinai Desert after leaving Egypt. 
 
Each night of the celebration, after the sun went down, two gigantic lamps were lit in the courts of the Temple.  These lamps would cast their light over every part of the city of Jerusalem.  Not a single quarter in the city escaped their light.  These gigantic lamps were meant to recall the pillar of cloud that guided the Israelites on their way and the pillar of fire that gave them light night time, so they could travel by day or night (Exodus 13:21).  It gave them shade by day, and light and warmth at night.  When Jesus said to the Jews, “I am the light of the world”, He was affirming His Divinity.  Those who heard Jesus speak that day in the Treasury of the Temple would have thought immediately of the pillar of cloud and fire that led Israel during their journey to the Promised Land. Jesus affirms here that He is God incarnate.  He is God’s equal.  In Him, the presence of God, the protection of God, and the guidance of God came to full fulfillment.  A couple observations for this morning:
 
First: The World Walks in Darkness
“I am the light of the world.”  Jesus made this statement in a rather dark time in Israel’s history.  The Romans occupy Israel.  An army of occupation was encamped in Jerusalem.  God’s people were oppressed and persecuted in their own land.  Roman symbols and gods were seen all over the place.  Taxes were forcibly collected for a heathen emperor thousands of miles away.  Yes, it was a dark and dismal time.  In the midst of Israel’s darkness and despair, Jesus announces that God’s new and glorious age has dawned.
 
Friends, as we look around us today, we see how terrible our world has become.  Our culture continues to push Jesus to the sides more and more every day.  Less people do care about God and the things of God in our society everyday.  Today we can resonate with the nation of Israel that we live in dark times.  Our world has nothing to do with the Light.  In John 1:5 John says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”  In John 3:19 the Bible says, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”
 
Second: Jesus is Our Light
In the darkness of our world, let’s remember that Jesus is our Light.  Listen to those great words of Psalm 27:1-3, “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked advance against me to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.  Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”
 
“I am the light of the world.”  Jesus declares He is the light that shines in the darkness.  When it gets dark around you, you need Jesus.  When we face life’s tragedies and difficult situations, we need Jesus.  Often times, it seems that a heavy fog of indecision, confusion, and uncertainty surrounds us.  Our minds are darkened and we need the Light.  As the years go by we remember foolish choices and wrong decisions.  If only we had the Light.  Jesus does for us what light does to the darkness: He shines.  He guides.  He enables us to see things as they are. 
 
In Christ’s light we see God as He is.  Indeed God makes Himself known in the world He has created, in the commands He has given, but most importantly, in Jesus – the exact representation of God.  So when we look at Jesus, we are looking at God – His love, His mercy, His goodness.  In fact, without Jesus it is impossible to know God.  Listen to these great words from John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.”
 
In Christ’s light we also see ourselves as we are.  “In your light, we see light” says Psalm 36:9.  Jesus is “A light of revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel” says Simeon in Luke 2:32.  When Jesus shines into our lives, we begin to realize how messed up we really are.  But at the same time, we come to understand God’s love, His grace, and His power to transform us.  In Christ’s light, we see God as He is, we see ourselves as we are, and we see life as it is.
 
Friends, in a few minutes we will close our worship service today as we sing “Shine on Me.”  May the “True Light” that gives light to everyone shine on you and on us today.  May His truth set us free.  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, June 30th & July 7th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

Exodus 16:1-21; John 6: 35-40                                   
 
As you know, the gospel of John is highly symbolic and multi-layered.  In John you never really know what’s what.  When Matthew, Mark, or Luke say it’s dark, they mean you can’t see.  When John says it’s dark, he means much more than physical darkness.  Light is more than light.  It is more of an awareness or a transformation.  Water is not really water.  Wind is more than wind.  A door is more than wood and hinges.  Bread is not only bread; it is life.  Blindness is more than losing one’s sight.  Jesus loves to use double-speak in the gospel of John.  His words always meant deeper than what they seemed.  Today’s reading from John chapter 6 is a great example of what I mean by Jesus’ double-speak.
 
The gospel of John introduces to us what theologians call the seven “I am” statements of Jesus.  These are seven live changing truths.  Here are the seven “I am” statements: I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48); I am the Light of the World (8:12, 9:5); I am the Gate for the Sheep (10:7); I am the Good Shepherd (10:11); I am the Resurrection and the Life (11:25); I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (14:6); and I am the True Vine (15:1).  In our summer sermon series, we will be looking at these seven statements.
 
Why the Seven Statements of Jesus?
When someone says, “I am…,” it reveals something about their identity, about the core of their being, about what is most important to them and about them.  For example, when I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m making a big, bold statement that my identity in Christ is what’s most important to me.  So when Jesus says, “I am…,” we should pay close attention because He is pulling back the curtain on His glorious character.  He is telling us something profoundly important – something we don’t want to miss.  With that in mind, let’s spend some time savoring Jesus’, “I am,” statements.  But before we look at the first statement, let us say something about the word structure.
 
I am Who I am
In these seven sayings of John’s gospel, Jesus uses a special phrase that doesn’t particularly come out in our English translations.  They are the Greek words “Ἐγώ εἰμι” (Ego eimi) and they are used particularly in the Greek Old Testament when God is speaking about Himself.  For example, when the Lord appears to Abraham in Genesis 17:1, He says “I am God Almighty.”  Again, in Exodus 3:14 when the Lord appears to Moses in the burning bush and Moses asks what His name is, He says “I am who I am” – which is the root of the name Yahweh or Jehovah.  The point I am trying to make here is simple yet profound: in these seven statements, Jesus isn’t claiming just to be a wise teacher or just a good man.  He is saying He is God Himself.  Jesus is the bread of life. 
 
I Am the Bread of Life!
The first statement is found in John 6:35. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”  The original audience of this first, “I am,” statement of Jesus would have had two things in mind.  First, they had just seen Jesus miraculously feed a massive, teeming, ravenous crowd using nothing but a few loaves and fishes.  Second, it brought to their memories as a nation the incident when God had miraculously provided bread in the desert for the people of Israel.  But here is the thing: Both the feeding of the crowd and the manna in the wilderness were intended to point to a greater reality.  Jesus Christ Himself is the Bread of Life.  What does this mean to us today?
 
First: Jesus is our Greatest Need
Most people today may think they need more stuff.  They think they need more money to feel secure, or happy.  They think they need more money to be satisfied and fulfilled.  You know what happens when we get the money.  We are not happy as we thought.  We are not secure.  We are not satisfied with all the wealth we’ve acquired over the years.  We all have a hunger in our hearts for God — an empty place in our souls that only Christ can fill.  It was Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) who said, “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.”
 
Friends, let’s not be deceived by the many voices that urge us to take a wrong road, no matter how glamorous or famous those voices seem to be.  Instead, let’s make Christ the center of our life.  God’s Word in Isaiah 55:2-3 is true: “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?… Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live.”
 
Bread nourishes.  This is a simple yet the most profound truth we encounter here in John chapter 6.  Bread nourishes.  It works.  It satisfies.  It eases the pangs of hunger.  It gives us nourishment that we need day in and day out.  Back then, in the days of Jesus, as it is the same today in the Middle East, bread was the staff of life; it formed the basis of every meal.  You can hardly eat a meal without bread.
 
In fact, even today, bread is so central to most tables.  How many of you have eaten bread in the past 24 hours?  Any kind of bread: gluten free, whole grain, bagels, biscuits, tortillas, crackers, injera, baguette, pita, challah, quick bread, English muffin, regular muffin…    Most of us, yes?  Bread is so central to most tables in the world. 
 
“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  There is no substitute for Jesus.  If He is in our lives, He is feeding our lives with joy, peace, and love.  But if He’s not in our lives, an unceasing hunger pervades.  There’s an emptiness that can’t be satisfied.  There’s a steady sense of anxiety and unease and confusion. 
 
Friends, Jesus is the “Bread of Life.”  He feeds us.  He fills us.  He satisfies us.  Do you know how this happen? It happens through faith.  It is faith that joins us to Christ.  Faith is the spoon and fork of the Christian life.  Faith is the mouth of the soul.  I would like to encourage you today to come closer and find full nourishment on Christ, the Great I am, the Bread of Life, not for a day or an hour but for eternity. 
 
My hope in the next few Sundays is to help us as individuals and as a congregation to discover or rediscover Jesus in anew.  He is the Bread to feed upon, the Light to follow, the Door to enter, the Shepherd to guide, the Resurrection upon which to wait, the Way of salvation to trust, and the Vine in which to abide.  In 1745 William Williams, the Welsh composer and Calvinist theologian, wrote, “Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven, Feed me till I want no more; Feed me till I want no more.”  May this line become your cry and mine today.  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, June 23rd, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

Psalm 81:11-16; Matthew 7:24-29
 
A Mom was out walking with her 4-year-old daughter.  The child picked up something off the ground and started to put it into her mouth.  The mother took it away and said, “Don’t do that!”  “Why not?” asked the child.  “Because it’s on the ground,” said her Mom.  “You don’t know where it’s been.  It’s dirty, and it’s probably loaded with germs that could make you sick.”
The child looked at her mother with total admiration and said, “Mommy, how do you know all this stuff?  You’re so smart.”  The mother said, “All Moms know this stuff.  It’s on the Mom’s Test.  You have to know it, or they don’t let you be a Mom.”  There was silence for a minute or so as the child thought this through.  “Oh, I get it,” she said at last.  “And if you don’t pass the test, you have to be the Daddy?”
 
Happy Father’s Day to all the fine Dads in our midst and to everyone who has provided a father’s love and care.  Today, I have a short message to honor all the Dads and Dad figures in our lives.  I also want to acknowledge all single parents and grandparents who patiently play the role of a Mom or a Dad when a Mom or a Dad is not present.
 
I have been thinking about what is the best thing we can offer to our children as Dads and Moms.  As members of a family, whether a blood-related family or church family, what is the best thing we can offer to those around us?  A few weeks back I came across a recent study that showed that human’s greatest problem in the 21st century is loneliness.  The study suggested that the solution for such problem is simple, easy, affordable, yet, profound, transformative, and amazing.  The answer is listening.  It is paying attention and being there for each other.
 
Listening is never easy, is it?  All of us are so easily distracted -- even in church!  Do you know what are the top 10 things people think about while signing a hymn?  1. How many more verses?  2. Are there donuts at coffee hour?  3. I wish someone could tell that new visitor not to sit in my seat.  4. How many people have lost more hair than I have?  5. What is the likelihood of the ceiling light or fan falling and hitting me on the head?  6. Did I turn off the curling iron?  7. Ninety minutes till kickoff.  8. Will the person behind me ever hit the right note?  9. Hope the sermon is not too long today.  10. What is for dinner tonight?  Friends, the truth of the matter is that we are a very distracted people live in a very distracted culture!
 
First: We Won’t Know Others Unless We Listen to Them
We wont’s know others unless we get to spend some time with them and listen to them.  Throughout the gospels, Jesus expresses frustration at being misheard and misunderstood.  Frequently the people who should be the ones who are most attuned to His message ~ His disciples ~ are the ones who just don’t get it.  For example, in Matthew 15:16 Jesus said to the disciples, “Are you still without understanding?”  In Mark 7:18, He speaks to His disciples in parables, but they do not understand what Jesus is saying.  “Don’t you understand either?”  Jesus asked.  The disciples couldn’t grasp what Jesus was saying.  Psalm 81:11 states, “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me.”  No wonder that often times Jesus invited and challenged His audience to listen, understand, and discern.  “Whoever has ears, let them hear,” said Jesus in Matthew 13:9.
 
Paying attention and listening will continue to be the best gift ever we can give to each other.  Let’s never forget this profound truth.  We pass on our values to our children when we listen to them and wrestle with them.  We instill the faith in the younger generations when we get to spend some time with them.
 
And for those of us who want a better walk with Jesus, may we also strive to listen to His Word, allow it to search our heart and examine our mind.  God still speaks to us.  Are we listening?  Day after day after day, God is trying to make a room for His presence in our lives.  Week after week after week, God is trying to interrupt our busy lives and bring us back to Him.  Sometimes God whispers, other times He screams.  But the truth is, as a faithful Father, God will never give up.
 
Second: Someday, You will Need that Foundation
Someday, our children will fly away on their own, and they will need that solid foundation we have built with them over the years.  someday, our own faith will be tested, and we will need a solid foundation.  Yes, someday, the rain will fall, floods will come, and winds will blow and beat against your house.
 
That’s what basically Jesus is saying in Matthew 7: 24-27.  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.  The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.  And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
 
Is your house safe?  Is your boat secure?  Have you placed your anchor in the right place?  May we value today the gift of listening to someone and over all, may we value the gift of listening to God’s Word.  Here is what God says through the Prophet Isaiah in chapter 48:18-19, “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.  Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains; their name would never be blotted out nor destroyed from before me.”  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Father’s Day ~ Sunday June 16th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:1-13
 
According to Church calendar, today is Pentecost Sunday.  Pentecost is not as well-known or as popular as Christmas and Easter, though it commemorates a watershed event in Christian history.  In many ways, Pentecost is the birthday of the church.  The English word “Pentecost” is a transliteration of the Greek word pentekostos, which means “fifty.”  This day became especially significant for Christians because, fifty days or seven weeks after the resurrection of Jesus, during the Jewish celebration of the Feast of Weeks,[1] the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Christ’s first followers, thus empowering them for their mission and gathering them together as a church.
 
What Actually Happened on the Day of Pentecost?
So, what actually happened on the day of Pentecost and why it is so important for us today?  The account of this day is recorded in the book of Acts chapter 2.  Acts 2:1 begins this way, “And when the day of Pentecost had come, the first followers of Jesus were all together in one place.”  All of a sudden, a sound came from heaven, like a strong wind, filling the house where the people had gathered.  Something like tongues of fire rested on their heads.  Acts 2:4 continues, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.”
 
The languages given to the followers of Christ that day were the languages spoken by thousands of Jewish pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate Shavuot, or the Festival of Weeks.  In Acts 2:7-8 we read, “Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?  Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?”  The content of the miraculous messages had to do with God’s mighty works, the wonders of God (2:11).  
 
At some point, Peter, one of the leading followers of Jesus, stood up and preached his first sermon.  He interpreted the events of that morning in light of a prophecy of the Hebrew prophet Joel.  In that text, God promised to pour out His Spirit on all flesh, empowering diverse people to exercise divine power.  This would be a sign of the coming of the “day of the Lord” (Acts 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32).  Peter went on to explain that Jesus had been raised and had poured out the Spirit in fulfillment of God’s promise through Joel (2:32-33).  When the crowd asked what they should do, Peter urged them to turn their lives around and be baptized in the name of Jesus.  Then they would be forgiven and would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:37-39).  Acts reports that about 3,000 people were added to the church that day (2:41).  Not a bad response to Peter’s first sermon!
 
Pentecost is a central event in the history of God’s Church.  What is the message of Pentecost to our lives as followers of Christ today?  What is the message of Pentecost to the Blackwood Presbyterian Church as it carries on its ministry and mission in this community?  In Acts 2:12, the Bible says, “Amazed and perplexed, they (the people present at Pentecost) asked one another, “What does this mean?”  Three important lessons from the first Pentecost Sunday:
First: Relaying on the Power of The Holy Spirit
Someone said, “The Holy Spirit is the forgotten God.”  Pentecost is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit.  The disciples of Christ were very discouraged as they saw Jesus taken up into heaven before their very eyes on the Mount of Olives.  Before He was taken up into heaven, Jesus promised them in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  On Pentecost morning, the promise was fulfilled, and the followers of Christ received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
 
The gift of the Holy Spirit, God’s very presence with us, that treasure in jars of clay (2 Corn. 4:7), was the gift that made the whole difference.  Who could’ve imagined that those new believers could stand firm in the Lord in spite of severe persecution?  Who could’ve imagined that those new believers would endure trails and tribulations joyfully for the sake of Christ?  How could this happen?  It is the power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christ’s followers.  Zechariah 4:6, the reminds us that, “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.” 
 
Second: A Witnessing Community
From the day of Pentecost to this day, authentic Christian communities have become witnessing communities.  That is the challenge I’ve put before you since I became your Pastor.  My hope is to revitalize our calling, our vocation as Christians, people who have been set apart by God for a specific purpose, “You are my witnesses.”  I am not asking you to quit your job and be a Minister.  I am asking you to “plant seeds”, to “seize the opportunities”, to “intentionally share the good news with others.” Some of you are on board on this one and some are not.  This is the very best outreach a church can have, is one that is lived by its people as they go on their way.
 
Robert G. Lee, (1927-1960) once said, “God never intended for the church to be a refrigerator in which to preserve perishable piety…He intended it to be an incubator in which to hatch our converts.”  That’s how Christianity spread all over the world.  On the day of Pentecost, there were people from the four ends of the earth as we see in Acts 2:9-11.  Those very people, regular people like us, took the Christian message to their homeland; those from Asia, took it to the Asians; Europeans took the message of Jesus to Europe; Africans to Africa; the Middle Eastern to the Middle East and north Africa. The native people of so many nations who were present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost returned to their home countries with a new message; a message that was too deep for words. But finally, on the day of Pentecost, we see a miracle of understanding.
 
Third: A Miracle of Understanding
On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled the followers of Christ to speak the languages of the people around them.  In Acts 2:11 we read the comment of the people we heard Peter, the Galilean fisherman, preaching that day, “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”  It is indeed a miracle of understanding!  We are called to speak a language that those around us can understand.  Have you ever had one of those...ah-hah... moments when all of a sudden--something you had not understood--some great truth---suddenly, miraculously makes sense?  One of my favorite Scripture verses is Isaiah 11:2, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.”
 
Friends, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding will enable us to know the difference between what is important and what is less important; between what is permanent and what is temporary; between what is lasting and what is passing.  When we do so, we will be living the real meaning of Pentecost.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!


[1] Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, was the second great feast in Israel’s yearly cycle of holy days.  It was originally a harvest festival (Exodus 23:16), but, in time, turned into a day to commemorate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai.  This name comes from an expression in Leviticus 23:16.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Pentecost Sunday June 9th, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor 

Jeremiah 18:1-11; 2 Timothy 2:20-26
 
The prophet Jeremiah spoke for God to Israel 600 years before the birth of Christ.  He was called to be a prophet during one of the most difficult periods in the history of Israel.  To understand the words of Jeremiah 18, a little Biblical history is helpful here.  Let me take you back some 3,000 years ago.
 
Israel was a small nation, about the size of New Jersey, surrounded both to the north and south by larger and more powerful nations.  For a brief period, the nation flourished.  It went from a loose federation of tribes, to a monarchy under King Saul, then King David, and flourished under King Solomon.  But after Solomon, things fell apart.  As a result of internal struggles and political violence, the nation divided into two kingdoms, northern Kingdom of Israel with Samaria being the capital, and the southern Kingdom of Judah with Jerusalem its capital.
 
In the eight century B.C. E. a powerful nation, Assyria, conquered and destroyed the northern Kingdom of Israel.  Its cities were destroyed, and its people were taken into exile.  Then, in the sixth century (586 BC), the time of Jeremiah, Babylonia was growing in power, devouring smaller nations, and was threatening to invade Judah.  As did Assyria, Babylonia would destroy cities, ruin the fields, and move entire populations, sending them into exile into foreign lands.  People of Judah lived in fear, wondering if they would be next and if God would protect them.
 
That is the climate in which Jeremiah receives his call to be a prophet, and in which Jeremiah 18 begins: “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come down to the potter’ house and there I will let you hear my words.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel.”
 
Jeremiah goes down to the potter’s house and begins to watch the potter work.  While he is watching, the vessel the potter was making was spoiled.  It begins to tilt, to get out of round.  So the potter reworked it into another vessel.  Basically, he broke it down and started over again.  The word to Jeremiah became clear: the nation of Israel was like clay in the potter’s hands.  God had called the nation into being, created it with a purpose in mind, just like clay on the potter’s wheel.
 
Israel was chosen not for privilege but for service.  They were to be a nation through whom others would come to know the way and the beauty of the living God.  They were to first of all be people who worship the ONE God.  They were to be people of mercy, justice, and compassion, and above all, of peace.  They were to be a light to the nations.  They were to make visible God’s care for all people, especially the poor, the orphans, the widow’s, the aliens residing among them. Through them, by their obedience to Torah, others were to see what justice, mercy, and compassion looked like.  That was their role, their place, their calling, and their mission.
Second: The Sad Reality
But here is the sad reality.  Jeremiah, like the prophets before him, was painfully aware of this reality: the nation had failed to live up to its calling.  Instead of worshiping YHWH, they turned to the worship of foreign god’s who promised power and wealth.  Arrogance, greed, violence and injustice became common.  The poor were pushed off the land.  The leaders became more concerned about their own wealth, power and position, than about justice and compassion.
 
Friends, at times, sin and failure spoil what God is creating us to be.  We all have character flaws and weaknesses.  We are tempted, and we succumb to patterns of sin.  We yield to temptations.  But God doesn't throw out the clay.  Even though our sin may frustrate God’s purpose for us, He is never discouraged.  He doesn't give up.  And that takes me to the second half of the equation.
 
Second: There is a Living Hope Where is None
Jeremiah watched as the potter remake the vessel on the potter’s wheel.  The potter would simply take the lump of clay, breaks it down, and begins working with it again.  He keeps working with us until He is pleased.  That phrase at the end of verse 4 “as seemed good to him” literally means, “until we are right in His eyes.”  God has a vision of what we are going to be.  He is an artist, and like most artists, He is not satisfied with something less than what He wants to create.  So He molds, shapes and remolds until we are perfected, until we become what He is creating us to be.
 
Jeremiah then spoke God’s word to Judah: you are like clay in the potter’s hands. You can now choose to become once again God’s people.  You can begin to live the way God has taught you to live. 
 
God is in the business of taking men and women with impurities and blemishes, spoiled vessels, and skillfully shaping them into something useful.  He knows our flaws and our possibilities and, like a true artist, He creates something beautiful out of us.  Sometimes that can be a painful experience.  God has to apply pressure, like a potter does with the clay.  It hurts when he has to work out the blemishes in us or remove a stone.  Our circumstances on the wheel of life may not be pleasant at times, but we have to remember that God knows what He is doing. 
 
Jeremiah chapter 18 is a message of HOPE, of GRACE, and of MERCY!  Even when Jeremiah delivered those words to the kingdom of Judah, he made it clear that there is still a chance to escape and to spare God’s judgement.  These verses are actually a comforting reminder to all of us that no matter how badly we have messed up in life … no matter how many mistakes we have made … no matter how miserably we have failed........GOD DOESN'T THROW AWAY HIS PEOPLE!  Instead, God takes us, all the broken pieces, and remolds us and reshapes us into a new creation.  2 Timothy 2:21 reminds us that we are to be “instruments for special purposes, dedicated, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work.”
 
Jeremiah chapter 18 should be read less as a threat and more as an invitation.  Am I, are we, willing to become like clay in the hands of the potter?  Are we willing to let God get a hold on us, to shape and mold us, so that we might be people who can be God’s servants in the world today?  May it be so.  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday June 2nd, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor 

Joshua 4:1-9; Hebrews 11:32-40

If you’ve been following the news lately, on Sunday, May 19th, billionaire Robert F. Smith said he will pay off the student debt for all graduates in Morehouse College’s class of 2019.  Mr. Smith made the announcement on Sunday as he gave the commencement address at Morehouse College in Atlanta.
 
“On behalf of the eight generations of my family that have been in this country, we’re gonna put a little fuel in your bus,” Mr. Smith told the new graduates.  “This is my class, 2019.  And my family is making a grant to eliminate their student loans.”  The news surprised the roughly 400 graduating seniors, many of whom leaped to their feet after Mr. Smith’s announcement.
 
Mr. Smith, who also received an honorary doctorate Sunday, is a co-founder of the investment firm Vista Equity Partners and had already pledged $1.5 million to the college, according to the Associated Press.  One graduating student, Aaron Mitchom, told the AP that he had drawn up a spreadsheet to calculate how long it would take him to pay off his $200,000 in student debt — 25 years, according to his math.  “I can delete that spreadsheet now,” he said.  “I don’t have to live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  I was shocked.  My heart dropped. We all cried.  In the moment, it was like a burden had been taken off.”
 
What is the proper response toward this generosity?  In my opinion, the Morehouse College Class of 2019, should never forget two important things.  First, they should never forget how much they’ve been given.  Second, they should pay forward in living the same kind of generosity with others.
 
I believe one of the most important days we celebrate as a nation is Memorial Day; the day to remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our national freedom.  Without their bravery, heroism, and sacrifice, our daily pleasures and freedoms would not be possible. This is a day to pause and recognize the great price that has been paid and to show our gratefulness for those who have paid so very much. 
 
Let’s Never Forget
Do you know why this day is important?  Do you know why our nation set aside that day?  It is important because we are forgetful people.  It is so easy to forget.  Scriptures warns us against this forgetful life style.  Probably the most important event in the history of God’s people in the Old Testament is the exodus and liberation from the bondage of Egypt.  The Passover meal with its details was a reminder of this great event.  In Exodus 12:14 we read, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.” 
 
In Joshua chapter, the people of God are crossing the Jordan River over to the Promised Land.  Their landscape is about to change literally one hundred percent, from the wilderness wanderings to the security of the Promised Land.  God commanded the children of Israel to make a memorial of rocks.  Joshua 4:20-24, “And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.  He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over.  He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”
 
Same thing we see when it comes to the central event in the New Testament, the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.  When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the apostle Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 11:24, to “Do this in remembrance of me.”  This morning, I would like to share with the Church two short observations this Memorial Day weekend; one is directed to us as a congregation, and the other is directed to Sara Jacklyn Hinson as she is getting baptized today.
 
First: Let’s Always Remember Who We Are
As God’s chosen people, let’s always remember we are a very special people set a part by God for a special purpose.  The reading I chose for our Preparation for Worship today is Deuteronomy 7:7-9.  It says, “The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.  But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.  Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.”
 
We are to live as covenant people.  In other words, our call is to live a God centered life.  In a time when God is pushed to the margins of so many people’s lives, those who confess Christ as their Lord and Savior are to live differently.  When we do that, out legacy will challenge not only the world today, but many generations to come.  If God has generously welcomed us, we are to welcome each other.  I do not want to name people least to forget anyone, but since I’ve been here, there are certain people who have gone to be with the Lord, but they left a great legacy.  People whose lives made a difference in this congregation’s life and in this community.  That’s what the author of the Letter to Hebrews says when he lists all the names in Hebrews chapter 11.  These are heroes of faith, men and women of God who walked and lived faithfully with the Lord.
 
Second: Sara ~ Remember Your Baptism
Today, Sara Jacklyn Hinson is getting baptized.  She will be marked as Christ’s own forever.  She will carry the name of Christ.  It is our responsibility and privilege along with Lisa, Rob, and the family to raise Sara in the instructions of the Lord, help her to grasp the love of Jesus, and instill the faith in her heart.
 
A few years ago, I visited Leningrad, Russia. In Leningrad, I heard the story of the 900,000 people who perished in the long siege of Leningrad during World War II.  At one point they were trying to save the children from both the Nazis and starvation – so they placed them on trucks to cross a frozen lake to safer locations.  Many of the moms, sure that they would never see their children again, yelled to them as they got on the trucks, “Son, remember your name.  Daughter, remember your baptism.”  It is our duty to help each other and our young ones to remember who they are, to remember their baptism.  May we do so.  May God help us to live sacrificially and generously.  May the power of the legacy of God’s people who have gone before us challenge us today.  Amen! 
​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday May 26, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor 

Romans 16:1, Proverb 31
10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all." 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.
 
When I was growing up, we watched family sitcoms like “Ozzie and Harriet,” “Leave it to Beaver,” or “Father Knows Best.” When my kids were growing up it was “The Brady Bunch” and “The Cosbys.” Gender roles were pretty clear, and parents were pretty much in charge of the home. Now a host of family sitcoms turns the family on its head with shows like “The Simpsons, modern Family, Blackish, Family Guy, etc. it seems like the world has gone crazy.
It is a confusing and difficult time for the family. I can’t tell you how glad I am that my children are grown and out on their own. I would not want to be a kid again for anything. I did not have to deal with 1/10 of what kids today encounter. Neither would I want to be a parent today with all the pressures and cultural baggage that families are facing. I tremendously respect and appreciate those of you who are living out the Christian life in your homes on a daily basis.
I especially would not want to face the pressure of being a woman in today’s world. The supermodels starve themselves in order to get into their clothes. The movie stars with their own professional makeup artists make you feel like you have no value unless your looks are perfect. The professional business women make you feel like a nobody if you decide to work at home. Those who balance career and home, and volunteer for everything make you feel like giving up. And there are always those who remind you of where you fall short.
But the Bible is full of words of encouragement which show how God values women. The world may put you down, but God lifts you up. The world may expect the impossible, but God comes to you with grace and a heart that accepts you for who you are. You are important to God in many ways.
I want to talk specifically about three of those ways today. A woman has a special place in the heart of God and his plan for the world.
1-The first thing that I want to emphasize today is that: A woman’s place is in the home. Now don’t go crazy on me here, it’s not what you think, because actually, a man’s place is in the home as well — each of our places is in the home. The home is where we are nurtured, loved and encouraged. That doesn’t mean that a woman’s only place is in the home, but, as with men, it should be her best place. Women are so much better at this nurturing thing than we men are. Home should be where men and women find their meaning, because this is the place of our most important and abiding relationships. God is all about relationships. Having a relationship with God is what it means to be a Christian. Having a relationship with other people is what it means to be fully human.
It is in the home where we learn to live with other people in important ways. We learn to forgive other people when they are wrong. We learn to extend grace when they are difficult. We learn not to set unrealistic expectations on others. We learn that love is more than a feeling; it is a deep and abiding commitment that overcomes feelings. It is the Agape love spoken of in the bible. It is an act of the will. A woman’s place is in the home, because she is to be the recipient of these divine gifts expressed through human agents — namely her family. She is shown appreciation. She is told of her value to her husband, children and the home.
I know that I cannot imagine what I would be like if it were not for my wife helping me to see the importance of responding in different ways. Every year I appreciate her more. Every year I realize I should have listened to her more. Her place is in our home. She works outside the home part-time, but she is at her best when she is at home. And because she is there, I am at my best at home.
Home is where the ministry is. We minister to each other. We minister to our children, even though they are grown we try to encourage them in the Christian faith by word and example. Those who believe that only what happens outside the home is important have missed God’s greatest calling as we, both men and women, minister to the people in our homes. We bind their emotional wounds. We lift their spirits. We allow people to be themselves. We show kindness when they have been beaten up by the world. We give smiles and hugs. We listen and try to understand. A woman’s place is many places, but her place is most importantly in the home.
2-The second point I would like to emphasize is: A woman’s place is in the world. Proverbs 31 describes and praises a woman who is truly a worldly woman. She has her own business and takes her place in the marketplace. She is dealing in real estate. She is helping those in need and providing for the needs of her family through her trading. The Bible ends this section describing her activity by saying, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:30-31). You would have to have lived in the time which this was written to appreciate how radical this elevated view of womanhood is. The surrounding cultures did not give women a place of dignity and honor, as the Hebrews did.
The whole point of the story of Adam and Eve is that man by himself was inadequate in this world. He needed someone — not just someone to do his work and meet his needs, but a full partner without whom life would not be nearly so rich.
 
3-Well, the third thing it is important for us to recognize is that: A woman’s place is in the church. We all know that the church could not exist without the women who do so much of the work of the church. And they do this in spite of the fact that they have often been kept out of the positions of leadership. In many churches women are not permitted to preach. Some denominations do not even allow them to hold leadership positions of any kind. Some of this has come about because of Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent” (1 Timothy 2:12). But we must remember that Paul was starting churches in the middle of pagan cultures which looked on women as little more than property. A woman was the property of a man and could be discarded at will in these godless societies. For a woman to be in a place of authority or preach would have hurt any chance for the church to reach out effectively in that culture. But while these guidelines were culturally appropriate, women gained an increasing role in the life of the church as Christianity influenced the culture.
But remember that it was women who faithfully stayed by Jesus in his darkest hour after all the men had fled. They were the last ones at the cross and the first ones at the tomb. They were the first to tell the world about Christ’s resurrection. It was a woman named Anna who first preached to the world about the infant Jesus being the Messiah. A large group of women were in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers. It was a woman named Lydia who was the first gentile convert during Paul’s missionary journey to the European continent. Women made up an important part of the leadership of the early church including the church’s prophets, teachers and ministers.
In the Old Testament Hebrew culture, Miriam served alongside her brother Moses in leading Israel. Deborah became a judge, or Prime Minister, of the nation. And the woman Huldah was a prophet.
In the New Testament era, Phillip had four daughters who were prophets — they spoke the Word of God. Priscilla was a co-laborer with her husband as they preached and taught in the early church. The church met in the homes identified by the names of women, indicating she was the leader or preacher of that church. In Romans 16:1 it is interesting that Phoebe is described as a “deaconess” or “servant” in many translations. The word in the original Greek is diakonos. When that word is used in context with a man it is most always translated “minister.” But in order not to offend those who believe that women should not be ministers, and suffer the loss of sales, the publishing companies chose the word deaconess instead. But there is no reason to believe she was not exactly what the Word of God says she was — a minister in the same sense as men were ministers.
I was struck again this year as I read through the book of Acts and realized again what an important place women had in the ministry of the church. As the disciples gathered in the Upper Room to pray, it says, “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:14). The people of Jerusalem had gathered around because the followers of Jesus, both men and women, come out from that prayer meeting speaking in the native tongues of the foreigners in Jerusalem, preaching the message of Christ on that first Pentecost. Some thought they were drunk, because they couldn’t understand what they were saying, but Peter explained that they were full of the Holy Spirit. Listen again as he quotes the Old Testament in that sermon: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy’” (Acts 2:16-18).
Paul said “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:28-29). In the kingdom of God there is no distinction between male and female, black or white, poor or rich, educated or unschooled, beautiful or ordinary — we are all the children of God. It is our relationship with him that gives our life its value, and that alone.
We all have a role to play and a life to live out. Sometimes the roles God calls us to are directed by our gender and sometimes they are not. One thing is for sure, whatever way in which we choose to serve, it has eternal value in the eyes of God.
So whether you are a woman who is teaching the eschatological values of the kingdom to the occupants of your home, teaching your child life lessons like how to tie their shoes,  or doing it in the church or in the world, the hand of God is on your life. As the Scripture says, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). Thank God for the women of this world and especially this church who faithfully do his will.
First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday May 12, 2019)
Russell Long, Elder

Psalm 8; Philippians 3:10-11
 
One of my closest friends is a Jesuit Monk. We went to graduate school together and we often check on each other.  A couple weeks ago, he sent me this joke that I am using as an introduction to my meditation today.  He said, “I heard about this Protestant man named Bill.  Bill liked to sneak off to the horse races and bid.  One day, after losing so much money, he saw a Catholic Priest step onto the tracks and blesses a horse.  Sure enough, the horse won the first place.  He blessed another horse, that horse won again.  Seeing this, Bill went to the ATM, took out all of his money and this time he saw the Priest not only touch the horse’s forehead, but he touched his eyes, his ears, and all his legs.  Feeling confident, Bill bid all of his money.  But in the middle of the race, the horse fell over dead.  Bill couldn’t believe it.  He went to the Priest and asked him, “What in the world happened?”  The Priest said, “That’s the problem with you, Protestants.  You do not know the difference between a blessing and the last rites.”  Friends, believe me, it is not about being Catholic or Protestant; it is not about how much rituals you observe.  It is not about how much religion you’ve got in your life.  It is all about growing up to be like Christ.
 
As I pointed out last week, in the Christian life, it is so easy to get sidetracked.  A follower of Jesus needs to be clear and focused at all times on what it is we are after.  In our text, the apostle Paul sums up what we’re supposed to be aiming at.  Paul says that the goal of the Christian life is two-fold: (1) to know Christ and (2) to be like Him.
 
In our post Easter sermon series, we are looking at Philippians 3:10-11.  “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”  Needless to say, Christianity is a personal, growing relationship with the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ that results in our growing conformity to Him.  Our goal is to know Him and to become like Him.
 
First: The Goal of the Christian Life is to Know ChristLast week we looked at the first half of Paul’s statement in Philippians 3:10 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings.”  God desires that we constantly SEEK MORE OF HIM and give Him the rightful place in our lives.
 
Paul had known Christ for over thirty years when he wrote Philippians.  He was regarded as one of the most important leaders, teachers, and evangelists of the early Church.  Yet, he wrote in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
 
 
 
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings.”  Paul was so determined, so committed to know Christ ~ “I want to know Christ.”  Yes, there will be a cost involved for knowing and following Christ, but Paul was immovable; no turning back.  “What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither present not future,” Paul says in Romans 8:35-39.  Paul makes it crystal clear here that we won’t experience the power of Christ’s resurrection unless we share Christ in His suffering.  This knowledge, the knowledge of Christ, the power of His resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings will eventually lead to becoming like him.
 
Second: Becoming Like Christ
           Many many years ago, I had the joy of teaching a Sunday School Class in my home Church in Egypt.  One time I gave the kids an assignment to write out what they would like to be or to do when they grow up?  They wrote down all kinds of things like fly a jet, becoming a doctor, or a police officer, earning much money and be a millionaire, be like this or that celebrity.  In all the list of hopes, dreams, and future goals, one stood out for me.  It was from a 5th grader who said, “I want to be like Jesus.”  Of all the things we could strive for in life, shouldn’t this be on the top of the list for every Christian?
 
Every living creature on earth resembles its parent.  A duckling looks like its parent duck, a lamb looks like a sheep, a calf looks like a cow.  Even in some cases where the resemblance isn’t that close, it can be proven that the child belongs to the parent by the DNA testing.  As sons and daughters of God, we have been created to look like Christ.
 
God desires that we become like Jesus.  When God first created human beings, He made them in His own image.  Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”  As soon as Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit and as soon as Adam joined her in that disobedience, they destroyed much of the image of God in them.  Sin distorted the image of God in humanity.
 
But God is not easily deterred from His purposes and so He sent Jesus to this earth.  Jesus was God in the flesh.  He was fully God, but He was also fully human.  Through His death on the cross and resurrection, he made it possible for human beings to have their rebellion forgiven and to once again enter into the newness of becoming what they had originally been created to become and that is like God.
 
Friends, this is God’s plan.  This is His intention for us.  Let us not settle for less.  The idea is put very clearly in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”  The phrase “predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” indicates God’s plan for those who follow Him.  He has created us and intends for us to be just like Jesus.  Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life, says, “Jesus did not die on the cross just so we could live comfortable, well-adjusted lives.  His purpose is far deeper; He wants to make us like Himself before He takes us to heaven.”  So, let me ask you today my friends: are you living like Jesus?  Do we love as He did?  Do we have His compassion?  Are you willing to obey the Father as He did?  Do we live generously and graciously as He lived?  May it be so, friends.  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 May 5, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

2 Samuel 22:31-37; Philippians 3:10-11
In the Christian life, it is easy to get sidetracked.  We need to be clear and focused at all times on what it is we are after.  What is the goal of the Christian life?  If we forget it, we’re not likely to achieve it.  In our text, the apostle Paul nicely sums up what we’re supposed to be aiming at.  Paul says that the goal of the Christian life is to know Christ and to be like Him.
 
That’s it!  Christianity is definitely not a religion of rules and rituals that we must work at keeping in order to climb the ladder to heaven.  Rather, it is a personal, growing relationship with the risen, living Lord Jesus Christ that results in our growing conformity to Him.  Our goal is to know Him and to become like Him.  As our post Easter series, today and next week, we will be looking at Philippians 3:10-11.  What is the goal of the Christian life?
 
In Philippians 3:10-11, we read, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”
 
First: The Goal of the Christian Life is to Know ChristOur primary call is to know Christ.  ““I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings,” says Paul in Philippians 3:10.  Christianity is primarily a growing relationship with the infinite God who has revealed Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
As with all relationships, it begins with an initial meeting or introduction.  In Paul’s case, it was not a planned introduction.  Paul wasn’t seeking after Christ, inquiring as to how he could become a Christian.  Far from it!  “Breathing threats and murder,” he was on his way to Damascus to arrest men and women who were followers of Jesus, when suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”  He answered, “Who are You, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting” Acts 9:1-6.  So Paul met the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
 
If we go around the room this morning and ask how did you meet Christ.  We would hear many different stories.  Some may have met Christ as young children, reared in Christian homes; others may have met Him later in life.  It may have been a traumatic situation, where in a moment of crisis you called out to God and were saved.  It may have been less dramatic, so that you can’t even recall the exact time or place.  Some were looking for God; others weren’t looking at all.  Some met God when things were going well; others met God when they were broken.  But one thing is certain: If you are truly a Christian, you know Jesus Christ personally.  You don’t just know about Him; you know Him.  You can say with Paul that He is “Christ Jesus my Lord.”
 
That relationship with Jesus Christ begins at the moment we recognize that our sins have separated us from God and that we need a Savior.  We also realize that we cannot save ourselves from God’s judgment through our efforts or good works.  Letting go of all human merit, you call upon the Lord to be merciful to you based on the merits of the death of His Son Jesus.  Your object of trust for commending yourself to God shifts from self to Christ.  You are saved. You have met Jesus Christ personally.
 
Cultivating that Relationship
Like any relationship, once you’ve met, you must cultivate that relationship.  Our personal relationship with Christ requires cultivation and that requires time.  Do you often make time to spend with the Lord?  It’s sure easy for that first love to cool off, and the quiet time between you and the Lord gets squeezed out with other things.  Are we seeking to know Christ in a more intimate way?  Are we opening our heart to Him, so that He could confront us, cleanse us, and make us more like Himself? 
 
Friends, our Triune God is infinite and altogether apart from us.  We can never come to know Him through philosophy or speculation.  We can’t know Him through our own imagination or feelings.  We can’t know Him through the ideas or experiences of others.  We can only know Him as He has chosen to reveal Himself.  That revelation comes through His written Word which tells us of the eternal living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ – Hebrews 1:1-3.  “To know Him …” it won’t happen if you aren’t committed to becoming a man or woman of the Word.
 
Knowledge and Obedience
But, there’s a word of caution here.  It’s possible to gain knowledge about Christ through studying His Word, and yet not grow to know Christ Himself through His Word.  In fact, you can read and study your Bible all your life and never get to know Jesus in an intimate way!  The goal of Bible study is always growing obedience so that we can get to know the Lord Jesus better.  In Matthew 5:19 Jesus said, “But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
 
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.”  Paul's use of the term “knowledge” doesn't derive from the Greek mystery religions or philosophical schools that abounded in his day, but from the Hebrew Scriptures. 
 
In the Old Testament, knowledge in Hebrew is “yāda”.  “Yāda” denotes living in a close relationship with somebody; such a relationship would result in what we may call communion or deep fellowship with Christ.  The prophets look forward to that day of intimately knowing God, intimately communing and fellowshipping with Him.  “No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know (yāda`) the Lord,' because they will all know (yāda`) me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.  “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” Jeremiah 31:34.  This longing to know God has found fulfillment under the New Covenant, the Covenant of Grace, because of God the Holy Spirit who can reveal to us the very mind of Christ as we see in 1 Corinthians 2:16.
 
We will not know, we won’t experience, the power of Christ’s resurrection until we have the time and the desire to know Him, to commune with him, to fellowship with Him. But Philippians 3:11 puts “becoming like Him” as the ultimate goal of following Christ.  Does this desire consume you?  How can we develop this passion?  I will say more about this next Sunday, Lord willing.  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 April 28, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor