First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood        
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                               
Sermon Notes December 29, 2019
Russell Long, Elder

​3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
5 Therefore put to death
your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
 
Well 2 days from today is the last day of 2019.
 
One of the nagging things about facing a new year is this business of New Year Resolutions. I heard on the news recently that 45% of those polled made them and of that group a whopping 7% were successful in their endeavor. We all make them or at least feel that we should make them and like the Christmas toys, they are soon broken. An examination of the lists of resolutions made by members of this congregation would no doubt see goals ranging from losing weight to staying with an exercise program to developing more spiritual discipline to being more kind to being a better husband or wife or parent or child.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what is really behind our New Year resolutions? When we clean out the underbrush of this resolution thing, we find our best New Year resolutions are based on spiritual realizations.
 
The Desire To Be A Better Person
 
First, resolutions say that deep down we want to be a better person than we are. We want to be more decent, more generous, more spiritual, more fulfilled than we are.
 
 
The Realization That We Fall Short
 
And since we want to be a better person, that means we realize that we fall short of being the kind of person we ought to be and should be and want to be. Even though all of us have private areas of our life known only to us and God, we know we fall short even if others don't know. As I get older, I find the time races by at an alarming speed. At the end of the year I look back and say, “what have I accomplished for the kingdom of God, who have I helped into the kingdom.” And when I see what little I have accomplished; it hurts me to know I have failed to live up to God’s standard for my life. I say with Peter in Luke 5 "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" That sense of unworthiness, of falling short, of being a sinner, welled up in Peter's heart. I believe the Bible teaches that feeling to be universal.
 
We Don’t Have The Power To Change
 
Next to these truths that we want to be better than we are, and that we know we fall short of what we ought to be is a third truth: Experience teaches us that we Don’t have the power to change ourselves. After countless resolutions there stands the bitter truth that in ourselves there is not the power to become the person we ought to be and want to be. We need only to read Paul's struggle with himself in Romans 7 to realize this is a universal human situation.
 
7:15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
7:16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
7:17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.
7:19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.
7:20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.
7:21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.
7:22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self,
7:23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
7:24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
7:25a Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
 
Becoming Better People
 
How can you and I become better people in 2020. What can we do to become the fulfilled, moral, spiritual people we desire to be? Are there some plain steps to take that bring more power to the struggle than mere resolutions? I am certainly for resolutions, written or unwritten, but can we find more strength than that?
A study of people in the New Testament reveal some steps to our becoming the person we ought to be.
 
 
A Better Person Through A Vision of Christ
 
The first step: To make lasting changes in our lifestyle, there must be a guiding vision. In Paul's own life, there was the vision of Christ on the Damascus Road. As Paul traveled the known world preaching Jesus and standing before kings, he said, "I was not disobedient to that heavenly vision ..." In Colossians 3:1 we are told, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth".
In Luke 9:62 we read “no man, having put his had to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” When I was young I worked on a farm and in the spring when we plowed, we would pick an object in the distance to focus on and by doing so would plow straight. If we looked back to see how we were doing, we would wander off line. Jesus was saying in Luke that a person who was worthy to be His disciple had to place that same priority on the mission that Jesus was calling him to and to keep focused on Christ so not to wander off course. We’re not to be distracted by thoughts of what we are leaving behind.
Let our resolutions be based upon a vision of Christ on the cross, dying there because of our sin. See Christ on the cross paying the penalty for our sin. If we keep that vision before our eyes, we can find strength.
But let the vision of Christ be not just Christ on the cross, but also of Christ resurrected. Sometimes we put all the emphasis on Jesus' death. But to stop at Jesus' death is to taxi to the end of the runway and stop; it is to mix up the cake and not bake it; it is to cook the meal and not eat it! As Paul says, "If Christ be not risen, then we of all men are most miserable!" But with the resurrection, there is unleashed in this world a mighty spiritual power in the hearts of those who believe that Jesus is the Savior. "To as many as believed gave He the power to become the sons and daughters of God!" The death on the cross takes away the punishment for sin; the resurrection brings into our lives a new power for daily living.
 
But how can we who believe keep this power giving vision of Christ crucified and risen before our eyes, in our hearts and minds and daily lives? We can practice the presence of Christ through daily prayer, through Bible and devotional reading and through gathered worship and fellowship with other Christians. The first two, prayer and devotional reading, are private and essential. Also, essential and public is your relationship to the church, the fellowship of believers. And sometimes we take the church for granted. Take this church out of your life and imagine what the past year would have been like.
 
A Better Person Through A Vision of Self
 
After we establish a fresh vision of Christ, then we are ready to add to this a vision of our self as God intends us to be. Think with me for a moment: Think of yourself, your habits, your lifestyle, your values and goals, your personality as you are. Now vision yourself as having the goals, values, personality that God wants you to have. That's the fulfilled, loving person God wants you to be. That's the person who can make a difference in this world for Christ. Now go further with that vision of you as you ought to be, should be, could be if you kept the vision of Christ before you. Think about the difference it would make at work, in your home, in this church. It is amazing what God is doing with us as we are, broken and rebellious; image what this church would be like and what we would be doing if each of us became the person God wants us to be!
 
A Better Person Through A Network
 
There is one other aspect of this new year resolution business I want to touch on. We can become the person we want to be if (1) we keep a vision of Christ before us to motivate us; if (2) we keep a vision of the person we want to be before us; and (3) if we build a network of support to encourage us and help us be accountable to the vision. Now the church family helps us do this in many ways. But we need more.
In the past Our session had a vision of small groups developing within our church body to accomplish this need for spiritual growth support. That is a great idea. We seek out three or four other people, or couples, and begin to meet with them on a regular basis to pray together and discuss spiritual things and how it is going with you spiritually.
It is time to get to the successful carrying out of our resolutions. And it all begins with the vision of Christ in our hearts, in our minds, before our eyes. A vision that leads to confession and faith, to repentance and spiritual growth, to becoming who God wants us to be and who we want to be.
 
The 1st verse of our 2nd song read:
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art:
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
 
Are we looking to Christ for our vision of who we want to become? Is he calling you today into a more intimate relationship with Him. Heed His call.
 
Let’s pray

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service ~ December 24, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris Yousef, Pastor

​For my Meditation on our Christmas Eve Services this year, I chose to focus on Jesus being “a light for revelation.”  This is a profound statement that was made by Simeon the Elder.  When Simeon, the righteous and devout Elder, saw Jesus for the first time at the temple in Jerusalem, he was moved by the Spirit and said these words in Luke 2:29-32, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
 
Jesus is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”  But the question I am asking tonight is: What did Jesus reveal?  What was needed to be revealed?  What does the light of Jesus reveal to us?
 
Have you heard the expression “familiarity breeds contempt”?  The saying means that we no longer value what we think we know very well.  I believe that the Christmas story is an example of that familiarity that breeds contempt.  Yet, the more we look at this old story, the more God reveals to us amazing things.  No wonder that Simeon declared that, Christ is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”
 
In the earlier service, I pointed out that in the birth of Jesus, God revealed humanity’s greatest need.  Our greatest need is not for a bigger house; it is not for a better income; it’s not for a newer car; it’s not for more education and knowledge.  But our greatest need is for a Savior.  When the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph that Mary “will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name (Yeshua) Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
 
In our earlier service, I also pointed out that the birth of Jesus revealed that in our dark places, God’s light breaks through.  In our sin and sinfulness, Christ’s righteousness covers us.  In our spiritual poverty, God’s generosity overwhelms us.  Luke expresses this in the image of the good news of Christ’s birth being announced to the shepherds, non-religious, impure, and the likely least recipients of Christ’s birth.  Luke 2:9 states “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” 
 
John 1:9 says that Jesus Christ is the “true light that gives light to everyone.”  I know that some of us are in a dark place right now, let Christ’s light breakthrough.  When Christ was born, it was such a dark time for the nation of Israel.  Their land was occupied by the Romans; the Romans imposed heavy taxes; the religious atmosphere was so corrupt; and on the top of this, God was silent for over 400 years.  400 years passed between the last prophet in the Old Testament, Malachi, and John the Baptist.  Remember that when it gets too dark, dawn is near.  When you feel the thickness of darkness, God will show up.  He will be there with you.  Let me add to that a couple more thoughts as we think about Christ being “a light of revelation.”  What does Christ reveal?
 
Third: God Keeps His promises
But the birth of Christ also reveals to us a faithful God; a trustworthy God; a reliable God; a God who keeps His promises.  Yes, God’s timeline may not be consistent with ours, but He will do what He exactly says.  Hear what the Lord said to the Prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.  For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.  Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”
 
God keeps His promises.  Once upon a time, there lived a man and a woman in the Paradise, in the Garden of Eden, where they were terrifically happy.  Their names were Adam and Eve, and God made them.  He made them in His image—like little mirrors to reflect His glory.  And like everything else God made, He made them good.
 
But things didn’t stay happy and wonderful for long.  One terrible day, Adam and Eve sinned.  They ate from the only tree in the garden that God had declared off-limits.  Adam and Eve had disobeyed God’s word; they believed the lie of the devilish Snake instead of the truth.  Sin became human beings’ default.  After sin entered the world, everything fell apart. Nothing was the way it should be.  God made Adam and Eve go away from the Garden of Eden. It wasn’t possible for people so bad to live in the presence of a God who is so good. But the story is not over yet.
 
God made a promise.  He promised Adam and Eve that one of their children would someday crush the head of that nasty Snake. The Snake Crusher would put things right.  In Genesis 3:15, the Lord said to the serpent these words, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  This is the first promise of a Savior and the first great act of God’s grace towards humanity after our tragic act of rebellion.  Through the ages, prophet after prophet, confirmed that promise.  Yes, it took a few thousand years to see the fulfilment of the promise, but at the end, Christ was born and won the battle against Satan.
 
And so we come to a manger in the little town of Bethlehem. This is where we meet the Snake Crusher—born as a baby, with animals and stinky shepherds and singing angels all around.  No one understood it completely at that time, but when Mary gave birth to baby Jesus, God was giving His people a new beginning, just as He promised. 
 
Friends, when God says in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  When we read this, we should take God at His word.  When God says in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  Often times, our minds may not comprehend how in all things God works for the good of His children, but He said so.  In Numbers 23:19 we read these words, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind.  Does he speak and then not act?  Does he promise and not fulfill?”
 
Fourth: God’s Ways Are Higher than Our Ways
Christ revealed that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways.  Isaiah 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
 
Who could’ve imagined that a helpless child would be the Savior of the World?  Who could’ve imaged that this baby is God in a human form?  Who could’ve imagined that the Savior of the world will be born in Bethlehem not Rome?  Who could’ve imagined that the Savior will be born in a stable not in a palace?  Who could’ve imagined that water will be gushing out of a rock in the wilderness quenching the thirst of God’s people?  Friends, what is impossible for people is possible with God.  Friends, often times, God’s help comes to us in unexpected ways and at unexpected places.  As we celebrate Christmas tonight, let’s remember that Christ is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”  He revealed that our greatest need is for a Savior.  He revealed that in our dark places, His light breaks through.  Darkness doesn’t have the final word.  Sin doesn’t have the final word.  He reveals to us that God keeps His promises.  He reveals to us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways His ways.  Merry Christmas, friends. 

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Service ~ December 24, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris Yousef, Pastor

​A Pastor was preaching on Christmas Eve, and his sermon went quite long.  His thoughts were scattered, he rambled on, it was difficult to follow.  When he was greeting his congregation after the service, one parishioner surprised him when she commented, “Pastor, your sermon tonight reminded me of God’s peace and love.” 
 
The pastor was flattered.  “Really? How so?” he asked.  “Well, it reminded me of God’s peace in the way it surpassed all understanding!  And it reminded me of God’s love because it seemed to endure forever!” 
 
I’d like to assure you tonight that my meditation won’t be long, and I do hope I might avoid both of these pitfalls!
 
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.  It is supposed to be a time when Christians take a moment to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ; God’s most gracious gift ever given to humanity.  There are songs to be sung, presents to be exchanged and lights to be seen.  But the birth of Jesus is so much more than an annual celebration.  It’s a revelation from God.  And it reveals, particularly, four things; four amazing things you and I need to reflect on this Christmas.  I’d like to focus on the first two in this service and I will cover the other two in the 11:00 o’clock service, Lord willing.
 
The Birth of Jesus: a Revelation from God
When Simeon, a righteous and devout Elder who had been waiting the birth of the Messiah, when he saw Jesus for the first time at the temple in Jerusalem, he was moved by the Spirit and said these great words in Luke 2:29-32, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace.  For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
 
Jesus was “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.”  But the question I am asking tonight is: What did Jesus reveal?  What was needed to be revealed?  What does the light of Jesus reveal to us today?  A couple quick thoughts to reflect on tonight:
 
First: Our Greatest Need
The birth of Christ reveals something about us and our greatest need.  The birth of Christ reveals our sin.  A Savior is our greatest need.  Behind all of the celebration is the crucial fact that the eternal Son of God came from heaven to earth to save us.  Jesus left the glory and the joy that He knew in the presence of His Father and the Holy Spirit and took on human form.  The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Philippians 2:7: “He made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”
 
Why?  Why would the infinite, eternal and unchangeable Son of God become man?  Why would the one who was perfect in being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth come down and put Himself under the law (Galatians 4:4)?  What was so wrong with humankind that Jesus came from heaven to earth?
 
The answer, in a word, is sin.  The Bible describes sin in two ways.  First, sin is that which breaks God’s law in thought, word or deed.  But second, we also sin when we fail to act justly, to love mercy, and to do what is right.  Theologians call these two categories sins of commission (sin we actively commit) and sins of omission (sin by failure to act).  When we begin to look at God’s law, and realize these two categories, we will certainly start to realize just how bad our situation really is.  We will certainly go down on our knees crying to God “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
 
In the birth of Jesus, God revealed humanity’s greatest need.  Our greatest need is not for a smart politician; it is not for more money; it’s not for more education and knowledge.  But our greatest need is for a Savior.  When the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream in Matthew 1:21, the angel told Joseph that Mary “will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name (Yeshua) Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
 
Second: A Revelation of God’s Light and Presence
But the birth of Jesus reveals another profound truth.  It reveals that in our dark places, God’s light breaks through.  In our sin and sinfulness, Christ’s righteousness covers us.  In our spiritual poverty, God’s generosity overwhelms us.  Luke expresses this in the image of the good news of Christ’s birth being announced first to the shepherds, the non-religious, impure, and the least likely recipients of Christ’s birth.  Luke 2:9 states “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” 
 
John 1:9 says that Jesus Christ is the “true light that gives light to everyone.”  I know that some of us are in a dark place right now, let Christ’s light breakthrough.  When Christ was born, it was such a dark time for the nation of Israel.  Their land was occupied by the Romans; the Romans imposed heavy taxes; the Israelites were treated badly by their oppressor; the religious atmosphere was so corrupt; and on the top of this, God was silent for over 400 years.  400 years passed between the last prophet in the Old Testament, Malachi, and John the Baptist.  One important thing to remember here: the darker it gets, the closer we get to the dawn.  Yes, it was in the darkness of that holy and silent night that Christ was born to us.  God shows up when it gets too dark.  He will be there for us. 
 
Therefore, my friends, I say to you tonight what Isaiah said to the nation of Israel in chapter 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”  Do not stay in your darkness. 
 
In a few minutes we will be lighting our candles and singing together “Silent Night.”  That candle is a reminder of the light of Christ that breaks through our darkness.  So as you get together with family and friends this Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day, take some time to reflect on Christ being “a light of revelation.”  He reveals to us that our greatest need is for a savior.  He also reveals to us that in our dark places, Christ’s light breaks through.  Allow the Christmas story to speak anew to you.  Read it and listen to it as you have never heard it before and as you do so, may the hope, the peace, the joy, the love, and the wonder of it transform your life.  Merry Christmas everyone!

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (3rd Sunday in Advent, December 15, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor 
 
Habakkuk 3:16-19; Philippians 4:4-9
 
It is reasonably easy to rejoice, to have joy, when things are going well in our lives.  When work is going well and we are relaxed; there is money in the bank to cover the bills, and everyone is healthy, it’s relatively easy to rejoice.  But many of us know how hard it is to be joyful when it seems that life is falling apart, when you have questions for God and you haven’t received a good answer.
 
A little boy once asked his father, “Dad, how many people in the world?”  Dad said, “I don’t know, son.”  The boy asked his Dad again, “How many stars in the sky, Dad?”  “I don’t know, son.” Dad responded.  The boy continued, “How many fish in the sea?”  “Don’t know, son.”  “Dad, you don’t mind me asking you all these questions, do you?”  “No, son.  How are you going to learn if you don’t ask questions?”  That is probably how a lot of us feel today: we ask question after question of God, and it seems that we just get a shrug of the shoulders from heaven.  How can you have joy when you got questions of God, and the questions just aren’t getting answered?
 
Today is the Third Sunday of Advent.  JOY is the central theme of this Sunday.  It’s the joy of the Lord’s coming.  I met with an old friend this week who has been going through a tough time latterly and as he was getting ready to leave, I asked him: how can I pray for you today?  He answered, “Pray that I may find and have some happiness.  Life has been tough.”  I said to him, “I will not pray for happiness, rather, I will pray for the joy of the Lord to be your strength.”  Friends, our circumstances may or may not change, but what really needs to change is our attitude.  That’s to find joy no matter what is happening in our lives.  And yes, we can have joy regardless of our circumstances. 
 
For my meditation this morning on this Third Sunday in Advent, I chose a couple Scripture lessons, Habakkuk 3:16-19 and Philippians 4:4-9.  Both Scriptures introduce to us people who have found joy in the face of misery.  Let’s look at these two profound examples from God’s word, the Prophet Habakkuk and the Apostle Paul.

First: Habakkuk: Joy in the Midst of TroubleHabakkuk is the fifth last book in the Old Testament, just three short chapters.  The Book takes a form of a dialogue between the prophet and God.  It’s a back-and-forth honest conversation between God and Habakkuk who is struggling with the way things are.  Habakkuk is one of the minor Prophets.  He prophesied from around 640 BC to 609 BC, just a few years before the Babylonians’ attack on the land of Judah.  Habakkuk saw Judah’s rapid moral and spiritual decline, and also saw God’s upcoming judgement for the nation’s sin.
 
Habakkuk saw the destruction, the famine, and the exile coming upon his people as a result of the Babylonian invasion, and he says in Habakkuk 3:16 “I hear, and I tremble within; my lips quiver at the sound.  Rottenness enters into my bones, and my steps tremble beneath me.”
 
Yet, in Habakkuk 3:17-19, the prophet makes a choice in the midst of trouble.  He chose to trust and find joy in the Lord in the midst of trouble.  He says, “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
 
Habakkuk challenges us to put our faith in God even during the worst of times.  When Habakkuk reached the end of his journey, he had moved from a place of doubting God to a place of trusting God no matter what.  “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will be joyful in God my Savior.”  That is an unwavering commitment to God by Habakkuk.  And I pray that God will also lead you to a place where you will learn to trust Him no matter what, where you may run along the heights in God’s presence with the feet of a deer.
 
Habakkuk affirmed that even if everything he relied on failed, if everything that gave stability to his life crumbled, still he would trust the Lord.  If Habakkuk were speaking today, he would say, “Though the stock market crashes, the company goes bankrupt, the economy heads south, my health falls apart, if everything I rely on falters – still I will trust in the Lord.  My confidence in God will not waver.”  In the second example we see a song of joy coming from a prison cell.
 
Second: A Song of Joy from a Prison Cell
In Philippians 4:4-7 Paul sang a song of joy from his prison cell in Rome.  He writes to the Christian in Philippi saying, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
 
When Paul wrote this, he was in prison for sharing the good news of salvation in Christ alone.  Paul commanded the believers in Philippi to rejoice, twice in verse 4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”  Paul is not calling the believers in Philippians to live a state of denial, but to realize the nearness of the Lord.  “The Lord is near,” he says.  “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
 
Friends, yes – I truly believe we can have joy in the most challenging seasons of life.  Luke chapter 2 tells us that the initial and simple message of Christmas, the message the shepherds first received was a message of joy.  Luke 2:8-12 states, “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 
When Christ is received as Lord and Savior, there will be true joy in our hearts.  When we know that the Lord is Sovereign and that He is in control, we can have joy.  When we know how much He loves us, we shall have deep joy.  When we know how much He has forgiven us, our hearts will be filled with joy.  When we encounter His amazing grace, we will have His joy in our hearts.  The Prophet Habakkuk had that joy as well as the Apostle Paul and many others though the ages.  Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord; I will be joyful in God my Savior.  Amen. 

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (2nd Sunday in Advent, December 8, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

​Psalm 46; John 16:25-31
 
Today is the Second Sunday in Advent.  Peace ~ God’s Shalom “the peace of God” ~ is celebrated as the theme of this Second Sunday of Advent.  Is peace possible?  Is it attainable?  Before we dig deeper into this topic this morning, let me make one important remark.  God never promised that we, as believers, will be exempt from the challenges and problems of life and that everything will always go smoothly.  Hardships and difficulties are faced by every single human being.  However, God did promise that those who have placed their trust in Jesus can have peace in the midst of those hardships and difficulties.  Psalms 29:11 states, “The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.” 
 
What is Peace?
But what is peace?  I believe “peace” is a misunderstood concept in our culture today.  As you may know, the Old Testament word translated “Peace” is “Shalom.”  Shalom means completeness, wholeness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.  It is the well-being of the total person.  The Greek New Testament word for peace is “Eirene”, and it means “to bind together.”  When you trust Jesus as your personal Savior, He binds you to Himself for all eternity.  It is the faith that as you go through the valley of weeping, you’re not alone because God is with you.
 
Peace is not the absence of trouble.  Rather, it is the assurance that God is right there with you in the midst of your troubles.  Listen to what David says in Psalm 27:1, “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?”  Psalm 91 echoes the same truth.  “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  … He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart” Psalm 91:1-2, 4.
 
In other words, don’t wait for all of your problems to be solved and then decide to quit worrying and to have peace.  It is actually the opposite.  Decide to trust God no matter what is happening around you.  Find that place of peace and make up your mind that you’re going to have peace right in the midst of the storm.  Two short observations as we look at this topic today:
 
First: Peace Originates in our Relationship with God
We need to understand that the peace of God originates in our reconciliation with Him.  Our entering into a relationship with Him marks the beginning of our ability to experience His true, heart-changing, supernatural peace.  The Prophet Isaiah says these words in Isaiah 48:22, “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
 
As I mentioned, the Greek word for peace is “Eirene”, and it literally means “to bind together.”  When we trust Jesus as our Savior, He binds us to Himself for all eternity.  “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” asked the Paul in Romans 8:35. “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  Paul’s answer is an affirmation of his faith and peace in all circumstances.  In Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Peace originates in our relationship with God through Christ.
 
Second: God’s Peace Always Transcends our Circumstances
Yes, we can have God’s peace while in the middle of a storm.  As you might know, in the center of any hurricane, there’s something called the “eye of the storm” where it is very calm and peaceful.  All around there is chaos, winds blowing 100 plus miles an hour, debris flying left and right, danger everywhere; but as long as you’re in the eye of the storm, it is as calm and peaceful as can be.
 
I am sure you’ve heard the saying, “Still waters run deep.”  It’s a proverb of Latin origin and it has a great meaning.  In the ocean, on the surface the water is always changing, depending on the wind, the tide, what time of year, even what time of day.  It can be very smooth and calm.  Later in the day it can be rough and choppy.  When the wind is strong and the tide is just right there can be ten-foot waves where a few days earlier it was just small whitecaps. 
 
What’s interesting is if you go down about 30 feet deep, the water never changes.  It’s as calm and still as can be.  On the surface, water may change a dozen times a day, but 30 feet down, it never changes; always calm.  That’s the way we need to be.  In life, on the surface, there will be waves, wind, and tough times.  That's just life.  Circumstances will create waves up on the surface.  But deep down in your spirit, you will experience a peace and calmness that surpasses all understanding.  Isaiah 30:15 says, “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
 
As long as you’re alive there will be something to deal with.  But when you learn to go down to the deep waters, you have this calmness, this rest.  This is what the apostle Paul did.  All kinds of things came against him.  He was shipwrecked, went days without food or water.  He was beaten with rods, falsely accused, put into prison.  Yet he said, “None of these things move me”.  Paul wasn't living on the surface.  He was stable, consistent, living in the deep waters. 
 
Friends, we don’t really know what the future holds, but we do know who holds the future.  God has you in the palm of His hand.  Nothing can snatch you away, neither the storms of this life nor anyone.  My challenge for us today: don’t let the storm get in you.  Hold your peace.  Remain at rest. Psalm 46 says “Though the earth give way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, we will not fear.” “Be still and know that I am God,” says Psalm 46:10.  Friends, living in peace is intentional.  It’s a choice because peace has a name.  His name is Jesus, the Prince of Peace.  In Ephesians 2:14, Paul says “He Himself is our peace.”  Amen!

First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood                          
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (1st Sunday in Advent, December 1, 2019)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor  

​Isaiah 2:1-4; Luke 21:20-28
 
I believe the Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the best Christian movies ever produced.  As you know, the movie is based on a book that has the same name.  The book is written in 1678 AD by the English writer and puritan preacher, John Bunyan, and is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious and theological fiction in English literature.  It has been translated to more than 200 languages.
 
In one of the events in the Pilgrim’s Progress, we see Christian, who is the main character of the movie, and his friend Hopeful are being thrown into the dungeon of Doubting Castle.  For four days they are brutally beaten by the cruel lord of the castle, Giant Despair.  
 
On the eve of their execution, Christian remembers a key.  In his exhausted weakness he exclaims, “What a fool I am, to lie in a stinking Dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty.  I have a key in my pocket called “Promise”, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle.”  The key works!  And the two pilgrims escape the horrors of imprisonment to Doubting Castle and Giant Despair.
 
The “Key of Promise” continues to be effective today in liberating us from all our doubting castles and despair.  God’s promises are His means of delivering us from the darkness of our fear, worry, self-hatred, rejection, and a multitude of other struggles that land us in the prison cell of despair and doubt. 
 
Today is the First Sunday in Advent and it also marks the beginning of the New Church Year.  “Hope” is the central theme of this First Sunday in Advent.  It’s the hope of Christ’s coming.  The apostle Paul reminds us in Colossians 1:27 that “Christ in us is the hope of glory.”  As we lit this morning the First Advent Candle, the Candle of Hope, we are reminded that our hope is found only in the Lord.  Hope is not found in our health, wealth, or power.
 
I pray that you will find that hope in God’s promises today and may this hope inspire your faith.  The question I am asking today is simple yet challenging.  How can we have hope?  Where do we find hope?  Is it even possible to have hope in spite of the fact that certain times we feel that everything is falling apart?  Let me suggest two unshakable foundations for our hope:
 
First: God’s Sovereignty
Our hope is rooted in the sovereignty of God.  God is sovereign.  No matter what happens in our lives, He is sovereign, and He is in control.  Sometimes it seems hard to believe so, but yes, God is sovereign, and He is in control.
 
In our worst circumstances, when storms of this life hit our lives, we are not forgotten; we are not beyond the care of our loving God.  In Luke 12:6-7 we read those great words of Jesus, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  Jesus was referring to the bargains people used to make in ancient Israel marketplaces.  You purchase two pairs of sparrows and get the fifth sparrow free.  Though this fifth sparrow doesn’t count.  It is worthless.  It is basically forgotten, but Jesus says, “Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  
 
You may be “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” as the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9.  Our main source of comfort in any trial, major or minor, is that our Father in heaven is sovereign.
 
Second: God’s FaithfulnessBut second, our hope is also rooted in God’s faithfulness.  Ever since the heavenly Father created time, everything has been in flux—everything changes, except God Himself.  The environment changes with the seasons, and in a similar way, our life also goes through seasons.  Some are filled with joy, while others are characterized by difficulty.  But the Lord is faithful, and we can always take comfort in knowing this.
 
Faithfulness is one of God’s unchanging attributes.  It means that He always does exactly what He says He will do and acts in accordance with His nature.  He can never deny Himself, so when He promises to “never leave you never forsake you” Hebrews 13:5, you can count on Him when you sail rough seas.
 
God’s unchanging nature and faithfulness is an important foundation of our hope.  Because He won’t change His mind about our salvation, we have the assurance of eternal security. Since He is the sovereign Ruler of the universe, we never have to fear that our world is out of His control.  His plans were formed long ago with perfect faithfulness (Isaiah 25:1), and no one can frustrate them or turn back His hand (Isaiah 14:27).  Because God is faithful, we can have peace of mind in any circumstance—even in the face of death.  I like the words of Psalm 91:4. It says, “His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

We Are A People of PromiseBottom line is: we are a people of promise.  In Luke chapter 21, Jesus speaks of some tough days ahead of God’s people.  Luke speaks about a time of desolation that has come near, days of vengeance, people who will be taking captives, and getting trampled under the foot.  Yet, in Luke 21:28 Jesus said, “Now, when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”  So with this promise in mind, we enter this new church year to tell anew of God’s faithfulness.  This is the promise that Jesus makes to us, that regardless of what catastrophic events might come upon the world as a result of human sinfulness, God will, in the end, be victorious!  He will show up.  He will never let’s down. 
In this First Sunday in Advent we proclaim God’s faithfulness, by both looking back in time, and observing how God has always been faithful to His promises in the past, so that we, living today, might live in the courage and assurance that His promise to us, will be kept as well.  Let’s not stay in the “stinking dungeon” of doubt, fear, and despair, for we have a “key in our pocket called Promise.”  Friends, lift up your heads, because our redemption is drawing near.  Amen.