​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, February 27, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Comfortable Christianity!”
Luke 9:57-58; John 19:28-30
 
There is a growing recognition in most churches today about the need for discipleship.  Over the past few Sundays, we have been thinking together about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I believe the gospel of Luke has some helpful insights about discipleship.  The first eight chapters of Luke are focused on “who is Jesus?” But there’s a shift in chapter 9.
 
In Luke chapter 9, the identity of Jesus is revealed to the public after Peter’s confession that Jesus is not one more in a succession of prophets.  His is not another Rabbi, but Jesus of Nazareth is the “Christ of God,” and the Messiah.  From the time Jesus’ identity is revealed, Jesus begins to invite people to, “Follow me.” 
 
So as we continue to wrestle with what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, we continue to unpack Luke chapter 9:57-58.  It’s a story of someone who had so much interest to follow Jesus as a disciple.  Luke says, “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”  And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  Two observations from this story as we reflect on our discipleship this morning:
 
First: A Warning Against the False “god” of Convenience
We live in a world intent on making things convenient for us.  Convenience has become a false “god” that many pursue today.  Modern technology has made living more convenient and of course human bodies more lazy.  We no longer desire to rise and cross the room to change the TV channel but only to use the remote control.  In fact, with new voice technology, we are not even happy to push buttons on a remote any longer. Why we push a button if we can give a voice command?  Commercials constantly tell us that this new product, whether it’s a car, a vacuum cleaner, or a recliner is more convenient for us.  Today if it is not convenient, we leave it alone until we find something that is.
 
Our expectation of convenience is forever creeping into our spiritual lives as well.  The only problem is that when Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me,” Jesus forgot to add the phrase, “which is when you find it convenient to do so.”  In fact, it’s the opposite.  “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” said Jesus to the person who was interested to follow Him.  Discipleship is not about convenience, rather, it’s about commitment.  
 
Beware of the trap of convenience.  Are we following because it’s convenient or because it’s the right and best thing to do?  I have found that what is right to do is not always the convenient thing to do.  I’ve even discovered that God expects us to do things at some very inconvenient times; to rejoice in our suffering; to give thanks in all circumstances; to give out of our poverty; to trust when doubts all around us; to love when we are hated; to follow when it’s not convenient. Seeking convenience could destroy our spiritual life.  Let’s remember that Jesus does not call us to convenience but to commitment. 
 
Second: The Disciple’s Rests When the Mission is Completed
As I said, discipleship isn’t about convenience, rather it’s about fulfilling the mission God has given us.  “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  You will love this.
 
One of the key words in Luke 9 is the Greek word, “κλίνῃ κεφαλὴν (Kline kephalen ~ to lay or rest one’s head).  Luke gives us an image of someone who is extremely busy with their mission.  The fact that Jesus had nowhere to lay His head does not mean that every Christian today is called to live a life of poverty.  Even in Jesus’ day, some of His followers were wealthy, like Joseph of Arimathea.  It’s an image of someone who is restless until mission is completed.
 
The gospel of John chapter 19:30 tells us that Jesus laid the head after completing His mission.  He laid his head on the cross.  John 19:30 says, “When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  “Bowed his head,” in Greek is “Κλίνας τὴν κεφαλὴν” (klinas ten kephalen ~ he bowed his head).  It’s the same wording that we see in Luke 9:58.
 
We all have callings, missions in life; responsibilities and commitments; callings toward our families, jobs, and many other things.  As Christians, following Christ, is our spiritual calling and it should be treated with the same importance as any other commitments.  Our discipleship is as important as family and careers. It is worth of our energy and time.
 
Friends, the forces of today’s culture are almost all designed to build the opposite worldview into our minds.  The world screams in our ears: maximize your comfort, ease, and security.  Avoid all choices that might bring discomfort, trouble, difficulty, pain, or suffering.  Add this cultural force to our natural desire as humans for immediate gratification and fleeting pleasures, and the combined power that hinders our discipleship life is just huge. 
 
Brothers and sisters in Christ, I urge you today to be aware of the trap of convenience.  Whether it’s convenient or not, Christ continues to call us, “Come, follow me!”  Let’s remember that the disciple’s true rest is in fulfilling what God has called us to do.  Time will come when your will lay your head with a smile on your face because mission has been accomplished.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, February 20, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“No More Excuses!”
Luke 9:57-62
 
A cartoon showed a church building with a large billboard in front that proclaimed: “The Lite Church.”  This is “lite” not “light.”  The billboard continues to say, “The Lite church: 24% fewer commitments, home of the 7.5% tithe, 10-minute sermons, 30-minute total worship service; we have only 8 commandments—your choice and everything you’ve wanted in a church … and less!”[1]
 
Sadly, there is more truth than fiction in that cartoon!  Many churches are lowering the commitment level to attract attenders.  They’re afraid that if the real gospel of Christ is preached, it will offend some folks, so they focus on the positive and avoid speaking about what the gospel of Jesus Christ is really about.  As a result, we ended up with millions of churchgoers who call themselves “Christians,” but who are not fully committed to Jesus Christ and the gospel.  Because the “Lite Churches” are all over the place, we ended up with many churchgoers, but few disciples.
 
This morning we continue our sermon series on discipleship.  In our text today, Jesus makes some radical demands on His followers.  Interestingly, just two verses later, in Luke 10:2, Jesus laments the fact that “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”  If Jesus had hired a marketing consultant, he would have said, “Lord, if you want more workers, you’re going to have to be a bit more flexible.  Ease up.  You just lost three good volunteers because you demanded all or nothing!”  All or nothing – that’s the keyword in discipleship.
 
All or Nothing
Jesus didn’t lower the standard, though.  Someone said, “Following Christ is like taking a class on the pass/fail system.”  There is no curve.  You either make it or you don’t.  Jesus requires that you devote everything that you are and have to Him or nothing at all.  Simply, the Lord draws a line in the sand: The only way to follow Jesus is totally.  All or nothing.
 
In our Scripture passage this morning, we encounter two people who volunteer to be Jesus’ followers and another one whom Jesus calls to follow Him.  We don’t know whether these people responded or not, although the sense I get from Luke chapter 9 is that they did not.  Luke doesn’t focus on their response because he wants us to focus on our own response today to Jesus’ invitation, “Follow me!” 
 
Over the next three weeks, we will be examining in more details each of these three individuals and what we can learn from their responses.  For this morning, I would like to share two things that these three individuals had in common.  Two things that stood between them and the life of discipleship.  The first has to do with the difference between interest and commitment and the second deals with the discipleship sense of urgency.
 
First: Take Your Interest to the Commitment Level
None of these three individuals that Luke mentions in chapter 9, turned down the invitation of Jesus.  In fact, they would tell us it’s a great thing to do.  They were not hostile toward the radical demands of discipleship.  The first and third person showed great interest to follow Jesus; and Jesus must’ve seen some interest and protentional in the second one, so he decided to extend him an invitation. The problem of these three people, and most of us today, is that we don’t take our interest to the commitment level. 
 
You probably remember the old English proverb, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”   “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” means that it is not enough to simply mean to do well, one must take action to do well.  A good intention is meaningless unless it is followed by a good action.  Following Christ is not about being “interested,” rather, it’s about making “a commitment” to make it happen.
 
Second: Discipleship Immediacy
The second challenge in pursuing discipleship is its sense of urgency.  Don’t delay.  The difference between those who followed Christ and those who didn’t is the immediate response.  The gospels tell us that Matthew, Peter, Andrew, James, John and many other, “immediately left everything and followed Jesus.”  Each one of the three people we see in Luke chapter 9 gives a reason, a valid reason, not to follow Jesus right away. The problem is that you and I know when we delay things, most likely, they will never get done.
 
Our problem is very often we bargain with God about partial or delayed obedience.  This is why German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Delayed obedience is disobedience.”  The three examples in Luke chapter 9 didn’t put off the call to discipleship.  They wanted to follow, but not yet.  All of them wanted to follow, but not now.
 
Friends, what are we waiting for?  Is it for all your doubts to disappear?  Are you waiting because you think at a later season of life, following Jesus will make more sense?  Does it just feel inconvenient right now, and you think it might feel less inconvenient later?  Over the years, I have met people who put off Christ’s call for a latter time.  “Once I finish school, I will follow Christ.”  “Once I get married, I will commit my life to God’s work.” “Once my kids get older, I will go and serve the Lord.”  “Once I get settled in my career, I will do more for God.”  The excuses are endless. 
 
Let’s remember today that delayed obedience is disobedience.  Pay attention to the voice of Jesus.  Pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit.  Pay attention to the opportunities that the Father is putting in your path.  How is Jesus calling you to follow Him in this moment, right here, right now?  Don’t delay.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.


[1] Leadership: A Practical Journal for Church Leaders. Summer 1983 (Vol IV, No 3), page 81. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, February 13, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
Great is Thy Faithfulness!
Lamentations 3:19-24
 
I had prepared a new sermon in our “Discipleship” sermon series, but decided to shift gears at the last minute knowing that many of us wouldn’t be able to make it to in-person worship today because of the snowstorm.
 
I couldn’t think of a better topic for my Meditation this morning than “God’s faithfulness!”  Understanding the depth of God’s faithfulness is liberating, assuring, and comforting. “great is Thy faithfulness,” said the Prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:23.
 
Jeremiah sang of God’s faithfulness in the midst of both a personal and national tragedies. The book is titled “Lamentations” to express suffering, despair and grieve following the destruction of both the city of Jerusalem and the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
 
Jeremiah didn’t sing of God’s faithfulness in times of prosperity and success, good health and abundant wealth, rather, it was in times of great crisis, awful suffering, unending sadness, deep depression, and terrible destruction that Jeremiah saw the faithfulness of the Lord.
 
Despite all the tragedies Jeremiah witnessed, he was still able to stand forth amid the suffering and pain, and lift his voice in praise to God for His great, unfailing faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
 
As you may know, the Hebrew word for “faithfulness” is ֶח ֶסד  “chesed”.  It is defined as “God’s loving kindness, his steadfast love, and covenant keeping loyalty.”  When we say God is faithful, we basically say he is 100% reliable.  He does not change. Everything around us changes.  Our health; our financial situation; our friendships; our careers and positions in life.  In the midst of all this turmoil, God is constant. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 
 
If this is the kind of God we have come to believe in, what should be our response to God’s faithfulness?  Let me suggest two ways through which we can apply this to our lives:
 
First: Put Your Hopes in the Right Place
Put your hopes in the right place and in the right things.  Since God is faithful and trustworthy, let’s place our hopes for today and all our tomorrows in the hands of the One who has never let us down.
 
Our everyday experiences assure us that we will be disappointed whenever we place our trust in anything or anyone other than our faithful God.  I think the proper way to respond to God’s faithfulness is to learn to put our complete hope and trust in His faithfulness.
 
So when it seems like the world is closing in around you and there is no hope, remember the words of Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:21-24, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”  Hebrews 6:19 speaks of the unchanging character and purposes of God as the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.”
 
Second: Tell Someone of God’s Faithfulness
Another way to respond to God’s faithfulness is to tell someone how God has been faithful to you.  God’s faithfulness is too good to keep to yourself.  Sharing your story of God’s faithfulness is one of the best ways to encourage others.
 
Psalm 89 is written by Ethan the Ezrahite.  Ethan gives us a glimpse of what it means to live in the reality of God’s faithfulness. In Psalm 89:1-2 we read, “I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.” I love that, “With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.”
 
When we do that, the Church will continue to be an oasis of hope in the world.  I read a story of a seminary professor.  This professor was going through a tough time. His wife was ill and he began to doubt that God was paying them any attention. He lamented. He cried out to God and prayed “in a spirit of resistance.” He demanded for God to do something to prove God’s covenant was still valid.
 
Even in the midst of his doubts and grief, he went to the seminary’s daily chapel services, sat in the back, and listened.  This pattern continued for some time.  The professor did not sing. He did not participate in reading the liturgies.  He did not preach. He came on time.  He sat in the back.  He left when it was over.  He did that few months.  
 
One day, many, many months later, he came. He sat. But, before the service ended, he stood up and he walked toward the lectern. He had something he needed to say. And so the story goes, he told those on worship, “Thank you. Thank you for singing these hymns for me when I could not bring myself to sing them for myself.  Thank you for keeping the faith and tradition alive for me so that in my time of lamenting and doubt, I was reminded of the faithfulness of my God. Thank you for surrounding me with your faithful voices and praise music when I was not able to sing for myself.  It is through your witness to God’s faithfulness, that I am ready to once again join my voice in praise to God singing: Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”
 
His community unknowingly surrounded him with their faith, their voices, and their praise.  He felt washed and upheld, grateful to God for providing strength and patience that he needed. May we be so to a world so broken!  In the Name of Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, February 6, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Come, Follow Me!”
Matthew 9:9-13
 
Several months ago, as I began praying and thinking about this year, a few words, a few concepts, kept coming to my mind.  I made a list of those words that kept coming back to me.  My list included “pursuing God” and “drawing near to God”.  If you had the chance to attend worship or join our livestream these past four Sundays, I delivered a few messages on pursuing God and drawing near to Him in the New Year.
 
The list of words that kept coming to me includes another important word that I circled and highlighted many times; a word that I wrestled with, but it wouldn’t leave me alone.  It is the word “Discipleship!”  Discipleship is an important concept in our Biblical vocabulary, and it deserves our attention.  I truly believe that God wants this congregation to learn what this word means, to discover its power, and it make it a reality in our daily lives.  Therefore, over the next few weeks, we will be revisiting our understanding of discipleship.
 
Discipleship!  What is Discipleship?
The word “disciple” comes from a classroom setting.  It literally means “student” or “learner.”  In Jesus’ day, young people didn’t go to colleges because there weren’t any colleges back then.  You become a lawyer when you study under an experienced lawyer.  You become a physician when you follow and learn from a physician.  You become a Rabbi when you get religious education under a professional Rabbi.  
 
So it was very usual and common that the few people who followed Christ were called “His disciples.”  So a disciple is a follower.  A disciple is a person who is both committed to their teacher and to a certain lifestyle according to their own calling.  For three and a half years, the first disciples followed Jesus up and down Galilee, watching, listening, observing, and asking questions.  Jesus had a three-fold plan for training His disciples: First, learning by watching.  Second, learning by doing.  Third, learning by teaching others.
 
When Christ called His disciples, “Come, follow me,” they knew exactly what this entitled.  They knew they are about to embark on a journey of formation and transformation.  They knew that their curriculum is the life of Jesus Christ Himself.  They knew their ultimate goal was to imitate their teacher.  They knew the blessings as well as the hardships down the road.  They knew it’s both a tremendous privilege and a great responsibility.  So as we scratch the surface of this topic this morning, please allow me to share a couple short observations:
 
First: Discipleship is Every Believer’s Primary Call
Discipleship is every believer’s primary call.  It’s not a special call for the elite.  There is no such thing as “Christians” who are disciples and “Christians” who are not.  When we come to know Christ, we commit ourselves to following Him.  When Christ called His early followers, “Come, follow me”, it was basically an invitation to be with Him.  Mark captures this in his gospel in chapter 3:14 as he says, “He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach.”  The disciples’ primary call was to “be with Jesus.”  Then eventually, as their lives being transformed by the love and grace of God, they will be able to disciple others.
 
Our primary responsibility as Christians is to follow Christ.  The question is how do we do that?  When Jesus was here on this earth in the flesh, people had the opportunity to follow Him physically. When Jesus went to Galilee, they followed Him there; when He went to Jerusalem, so did they.  But he is no longer here in the flesh, so how do modern day disciples follow Him?  The answer is found in 1 Peter 2:21: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
 
Second: Discipleship is a Lifelong Journey
Discipleship is a lifelong journey.  It’s a lifelong process.  The Greek verb for “follow” which Jesus used in our Scripture today is a present imperative, denoting continuous action – in other words, Jesus requires a lifelong commitment to follow Him. Discipleship never ends.
 
What I am saying today is whether you’re a brand-new Christian or a lifelong Christian, discipleship will continue to be our primary call.  New Christians need it; seasoned Christians need it as well.  The life of discipleship never stops.  Discipleship is the process God uses to accomplish His transforming work in us.  It’s a lifelong journey of obedience to Christ that transforms a person’s values and behavior and results in a God glorifying life.
 
Someone said, “There is a crisis of discipleship in the American church today … Like ancient Israel and the church in some periods of history, we have adopted the beliefs, values, and behaviors of the surrounding culture to an alarming degree.”  Where do we find hope for such tragedy?  It’s in the life of discipleship.
 
Friends, Christ wants us to stay close to Him; to learn by following His example; and to be motivated by His love; to follow His pattern and to model ourselves after Him.  In order to do that, we need to take our discipleship seriously.  So I invite you today and in the next few weeks to examine your discipleship life.  Maybe you never really considered it.  Maybe you’ve become lazy and idle.  Maybe you got stuck somewhere.  Stand up, follower of Jesus, and keep following.  The best is yet to come.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.