​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday, May 15, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“The Kingdom is at Hand!”
1 Chronicles 29:10-13; Luke 17:20-21
 
It seems to me that the Kingdom of God was so central to the life and mission of Jesus Christ.  The gospel of Mark gives us a glimpse of the early beginnings of Christ’s public ministry.  This is what Mark says in Mark 1:14-15 “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!”  Jesus makes the connection here between His public ministry and the nearness of God’s Kingdom ~ the inauguration of “βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ.”  In teaching His disciples to pray, Jesus instructed us to always pray, “Thy Kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it’s in heaven.”
 
In order to show us how central the Kingdom of God was to the Resurrected Lord, Luke gives us another insightful passage in Acts 1:3, “After his suffering, Jesus presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”  Luke tells us that the solo subject of Christ’s teaching during the fort-day period after His resurrection and before His ascension was the Kingdom of God.
 
If the Kingdom of God was so important to our Lord, it should be the same to us.  So today and through the end of May, I will be preaching on this topic.  My hope, as we revisit our understanding of this foundational and transformational topic, that our passion for God’s Kingdom will be ignited. 
 
This morning, I would like to define what do we mean by God’s Kingdom and underscore one single thought about how this Kingdom is manifested.
 
What is God’s Kingdom?
So, what is God’s Kingdom?  Simply put, God’s Kingdom is God’s rule over our lives.  This kingdom has no physical territory.  Its realm is the whole world.  It gathers all the redeemed through the ages.  God’s Kingdom has a spiritual nature.  This kingdom is born in the hearts of those who had heard the good news of the gospel and believed it.  This kingdom is the already, but not yet.  Christ is King right at this moment, yet we still await the time that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
 
The difficulty comes from the fact that we, as Christians, are called to live as citizens of heaven while we are still here on earth.  We are to seek, to be loyal to, to strive for God’s Kingdom.  The community of Christ in the world is supposed to embody the values of God’s Kingdom.  We are in the world but not of the world.  The Scriptures has much to say about God’s kingdom, but I would like to underscore a single thought this morning about how it’s manifested.
 
First: God’s Kingdom is Manifested in the Most Unlikely of Places
There is a thread in Scriptures about how God’s Kingdom is manifested.  Over and over again, the Bible tells us that God’s Kingdom is manifested in the most unlikely of places.  The good news of the gospel and the inauguration of God’s Kingdom first took place in Galilee.  Galilee witnessed the beginning and the fulfilment of the Christian story.
 
Not so many people expected the good news of God’s Kingdom to come out of the small region of Galilee.  From a human perspective, it should’ve been Jerusalem that first witnessed the preaching of the good news of God’s Kingdom.  Yet this kingdom manifests itself in the most unlikely of places, in Galilee.  The Kingdom dawns on the least of the least; the simple, the poor, the uneducated, the unworthy, the crushed Galileans.  God shows up in the most desperate and hopeless situations and places in our lives.
 
I wonder if some of us today are travelling some rough roads.  I wonder if some of us are navigating some uncharted waters.  I want you today to lift up your heads for the Kingdom of God is among us.  It’s during those dark and sleepless nights that the light of Christ’s Kingdom shines on us.  God’s Kingdom has come and it comes amongst us every day in mysterious and supernatural ways.  In our brokenness, God’s strength is given to us.  In our failures, God’s love and grace overwhelm us.
 
It's when we least expect it, God’s love finds us.  It’s in the most unlikely of places and the most unlikely of circumstances that the joy and peace of God’s sovereignty strengthen our feeble knees.  In response to a question from the Pharisees in regard to when the kingdom of God was coming?  Jesus answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’  For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” 
 
Friends, in an assembly and gathering such as ours this morning, the seeds of God’s Kingdom are planted and established in our hearts.  In the simplicity of our life together as a congregation, our eyes are opened, and our hearts are encouraged to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. 
 
May we never forget that God’s Kingdom is manifested in the most unlikely of places.  So regardless of where you’re in the journey of life, whether you’re at the top of the mountain or at the valley of the shadow of death, God is sovereign.  He got your back.  “Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all,” prayed King Solomon in 1 Chronicles 29:11. The time has come for us to live the fullness of God’s Kingdom and reign.  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 (Mother’s Day Sunday, May 8, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Jochebed: A Godly Mom!”
Exodus 2:1-12
 
Today is a day when we take the time to honor the one human being who unselfishly gives herself to her children and her family over and over again, without asking for anything in return.  If your life has been blessed by the touch of a godly mother, a mother-like figure, a grandmother or an auntie, then you have enjoyed one of this world’s greatest treasures and blessings. Not everyone has enjoyed this great blessing but those who have, will always remember the love of their mother. 
 
We set aside one day a year to honor mothers and mother-like figures.  As I thought about my sermon topic for this morning, the Holy Spirit led me to the story of Jochebed.  Before I draw two lessons for us from the life of Jochebed, I would like to give us the chance to get to know Jochebed a little bit.  Who was she?
 
Who was Jochebed?
In the passage we just read from Exodus chapter 12, we are introduced to a woman from the Tribe of Levi named Jochebed.  She stands out as one of the greatest mothers revealed in the pages of Scripture.  Her selfless love and sacrifice changed the course of history.  Jochebed was the mother of three famous people in the Bible.  She was the mother of Moses, the deliverer of Israel.  She was the mother of Aaron, the first high priest of Israel.  And she was the mother of Miriam, a prophetess, poet and singer in Israel.  Aaron was three years older than Moses, and Miriam was probably about ten years older than Moses.
 
Although Jochebed is not named in our passage today, she is named in two other places in Scripture, both genealogies, in Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59.  Jochebed’s name means “honor or glory of God,” and she certainly honored God with her life and with her faith.  The story of Jochebed reminds us of two great lessons that I would like to share with you on this Mother’s Day Sunday:
 
First: Our Holistic Responsibility towards our Children
No doubt that parents play a huge role in the children’s holistic development.  As human beings created in the image of God, we have body, spirit, and soul.  Our children got physical needs, emotional needs, and spiritual needs.  As God entrusts the little ones to our care, He expects us to meet those needs and provide our children the best care.
Moses was born during a very difficult time.  The Israelites were slaves in Egypt at this time.  Pharaoh had told the Hebrew midwives to kill any of the Hebrew boys as they were being delivered.  When the midwives refused and let them live, Pharaoh issued a new order: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live,” Exodus 1:21.  After Moses was born, Hebrews 11:23 tells us, “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”
But when Jochebed could hide the child no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed Moses in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  Miriam, Moses’ sister, stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.  Long story short, Moses is found by pharaoh’s daughter, and, by God’s provision, he is given to his mom again to nurse him.  Moses stayed with his mom until he was weaned.  So let’s say Moses stayed with his mom until he was at least 3 or 4 years old.
At that young age, Moses was taken to live at Pharoah’s Palace.  He lived his childhood, and youth as an Egyptian Prince.  But, how did he grow up knowing his true identity?  It seems to me that Moses’ mother laid the foundation in him.  She nursed him the faith of his parents.  She taught him about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  She taught him about the covenant God made with them as a people. Jochebed reminds us of our wholistic responsibility towards our children.  God expects us to attend for their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.  Part of our responsibility towards our children is to tell them about the love of Jesus and to instill the faith in their hearts.  Our job wouldn’t be complete without this part.
Second: We Do Our Part and Trust God with the Rest
Often times, I get to meet people, wonderful Christians, who lament the fact that their children have nothing to do with the Christian faith.  They did what they could; took them to Sunday School; prayed with them and for them regularly; shared Bible stores with them, but after they grew up, they abandoned their faith and care less about it. 
I wonder if Jochebed wrestled with the same thing.  I am sure that she asked herself many times if her child will be worshipping the true God of Israel or will be worshipping rather one of the many gods of the Egyptians.  The Bible doesn’t say anything about the faith of Moses until the age of 40 when Moses decided to leave the Palace behind and pursue the God of Israel.  After all, the seed didn’t die.  The story of Jochebed and Moses reminds us that we do our part and leave the rest on God.
Friends, like Moses, our children today are born and raised up in extremely difficult times.  Like Moses, they are surrounded with hundred of false gods.  Godly parenthood matters.  Godly moms and grandmoms make the whole difference.  Godly parents realize that their responsibility is one of a wholistic nature.  We are to care for our children’s spirits and bodies.  We are to feed them the daily bread and not to forget about the Manna that come from heaven.  And when it’s time for them to fly solo on their own exploring what God might have for them in the world, may we always trust God’s sovereign care.  Like Jochebed, do your part and leave the rest on the Lord.  Happy Mother’s Day.  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, April 24, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Christ’s Triumphal Procession!”
Psalm 118:15-17; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17
 
Today is the Second Sunday of Easter which means we are still in the Easter Season.  Resurrection is never meant to be celebrated just a single Sunday a year, rather, every Sunday when we get together for worship, we are to remember Christ’s resurrection.  So today, and the next couple Sundays, we will be examining 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, a great Scripture passage that gives us a glimpse of how the early Church understood the Resurrection of our Lord.
 
In 2 Corinthians 2:14, the apostle Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession.”  Looking at the enormous impact of Christ’s resurrection and His fulfilled mission, Paul likens Jesus to a conquering Roman Emperor who triumphantly enters Rome after a great victory.  Let’s unpack this Scripture passage and see what God might have for us today.  Let me start with a “Roman Triumphal Procession.”
 
The Triumphal Procession
It might be hard for us today to imagine what a Roman triumphal procession might look like.  We don’t live in a world where there are many triumphal processions. Yet, even in small communities in the 21st century, we are familiar with celebrations for victorious teams.  We honor those who return with state trophies and professional championships. These always involve team members parading in front of people who cheer for them.
 
The picture Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 2:14 is similar to that.  Paul was speaking of something that every Roman citizen of his day would have been very familiar with – and that is, the Roman Triumph.  The Roman Triumph was a remarkable thing.  It was something that people might have only seen once or twice in a lifetime – but it was something that they never forgot. No one would have been able to say, “Oh; a Triumph happened the other day? I guess I missed it.”  It was a public event as a public event could possibly be; and everyone in the vicinity would know about it when it happened.
 
Whenever a conquering Roman General returned to Rome from a campaign, and in honor of the campaign successfully completed, the victory gained, and the efforts resulted in the peace of Rome being established in that conquered region, that General was honored with the highest honor the Roman empire could bestow. He was honored with the “Triumph;” and it was a huge celebration.
 
A great procession would march throughout the streets of Rome on the way to the Roman capital.  In the midst of the precession stands the General, on a chariot, dressed in purple, holding in his hand an ivory scepter that bore the figure of the Roman eagle at its top.  Behind him came all of his victorious troops in full decoration – all shouting, “Io triumphe! Io triumphe!”  “We won.  We won!”  That’s how Paul describes Christ after His resurrection.  He is a conquering King.  He had conquered death and brough life eternal.  In the light of this awesome reality, what would be our response as believers today?  Two ways to respond to this awesome reality:
 
First: Let’s Give Thanks to God
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession,” says the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14. Paul gives thanks to God for the fact that God leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession.  Often times, when we get overwhelmed by the happenings of our lives, we find it hard to give thanks to God.  In Christ, God made us triumphant.
 
Christ is the Triumphant One – and we are led by God in triumph in Christ because we are united to Him!  A Roman citizen may have never been to a battlefield, but they still can shout in the procession, “We won!”  As Roman citizens and part of the empire, they applied what their army had done on their behalf.  It’s the same way for us as Christians today.  We apply what Christ has done at Golgotha for us today.  The more we understand this great reality, the more we give thanks to God.
 
Second: Remember, You’re Always Triumphant
“But thanks be to God, who in Christ ALWAYS leads us in triumphal procession,” says the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:14.  Always is a key word here.  You and I may not feel very triumphant at times.  Paul certainly didn’t.  He felt very weak and frustrated at times.  But the fact is that, even then, He was being led in Christ’s triumphant procession.  At the end of his life, as he sat in prison awaiting execution, he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” 1 Timothy 4:7.
 
It's true that you and I may not feel very victorious at times.  We may even feel worn out and defeated and ready to quit.  We may feel deeply overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and weakness.  But here’s the fact: even then – even then, and always – we are being led by God in Christ’s triumphal procession!  We are on the side of victory!  We belong to the Winner!  The final triumphal parade may not have appeared on this earth yet, but we are already in it.
 
Friends, the words that the Lord is speaking to us today are very assuring.  Today we are assured that even at those times when we sincerely seek to follow and serve Christ and yet feel so horribly frustrated in our efforts – even at those times when we feel weak and inadequate and far too incapable of doing any good to God’s Kingdom – even at those times when we feel like we’ve blown it, or even when we have stumbled and sin and failed Him; God still assures us that we are being led in Christ’s triumphal procession, and for this we are thankful.  “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” says Psalm 118:15. Keep those shouts of joy and victory resounding in your tent because Christ is alive.  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
Meditation Notes (11:00 a.m. Easter Service ~ April 17 th , 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

“When God Seems Silent!”
Matthew 28:1-10

It’s easy to rush to Easter’s joy and victory, leaving the horrible events of Maundy
Thursday and Good Friday behind. After all, no one enjoys living in the “in-between”. Yet, the
truth of the matter is that, no Easter Sunday without Good Friday. Those experiences between
despair and joy count. They really do. They are not a waste. That Saturday between Good
Friday and Easter counts.
I am sure it was a devastating day after Jesus was put to death. It seemed that God was
silent. It seemed to everyone that the story of Jesus had come to an end. It’s over. Of course,
you and I today have the privilege of knowing the full story. We can turn the page and read
Friday and Saturday in light of Easter Sunday.
But have you ever thought about the disciples and what must’ve been felt after Jesus was
crucified? What questions would be racing through their minds? What did they do on Saturday?
It’s the same question you and I will have to wrestle with it when live in the “in-between”. What
do we do when it seems that God is silent?
The Bible doesn’t say much about how the followers of Jesus spent that Saturday
between the cross and the empty tomb; only one brief remark in Luke 23:56, “… but they rested
on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” That’s it. Only that short statement about
the disciples that sorrowful Saturday. So in the light of the glorious news of Christ’s resurrection
today, I want to offer a couple observations when we find ourselves waiting for Easter dawn.
First: Keep Your Rhythm
When God seems silent, keep your rhythm. When you find yourself in the “in-between”,
keep your rhythm. Luke tells us that on that Saturday, the disciples, “rested on the Sabbath in
obedience to the commandment.” God gave His people a Sabbath day to give them a weekly
rhythm for all seasons of life, from the best of times to the worst of times. Even as the disciples
bore heavy sorrow, they held onto that teaching and rested amidst their grief.
When you’re feeling lost, stick to a rhythm. Keep going. Just hold on. There in the
moment, it all looks out of control. We want answers today, and it feels like an eternity of
waiting when we focus on the silence itself. But when we hold to a rhythm of prayer, of coming
to the Word, and of remaining in community, God draws us back to His steadfast promises
which serve as “...an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” Hebrews 6:19. Keeping your
rhythm, especially our relationship with God, is what sustains us through suffering.

2
Second: Silence is Not an Absence of Action
Just because God is silent sometimes it doesn’t mean He is idle. The intertestamental
period: a 400-year gap between the ministry of Prophet Malachi and John the Baptist. God was
quiet but preparing the world to receive His son as Galatians 4:4 reminds us. They say the
darkest hour is just before the dawn. When you’re at your lowest point, when all seems lost and
all hope seems to be gone, have hope in God, because the end of our strength the mighty power
of the Almighty God.
Easter comes to remind us in away like no other that we believe in a God who works
behind the scenes. Easter is about God’s Power working behind the scenes. I think one of our
frustrations and disappointments as followers of Jesus is that we don’t always perceive the ways
of God. We don’t always understand how God works in the world and in our lives to accomplish
His purposes.
So when you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, trust God. When facing
situations where God seems absent and silent, remember that God is working behind the scenes.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” We
may be puzzled by our circumstances, but God has it all figured out. The disciples thought the
story of Jesus is over. But Easter reminds us that there is more to the story. God is still at work.
Friends, times of silence could be scary and requires more faith, but I hope you and I
today learn how to keep you rhythm because God is at work. Therefore, my friends, stand firm
in your faith. Rest in God while He is working behind the scenes. Remain confident in the truth
that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. God is all powerful, all
knowing and ever present. The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Meditation Notes (09:00 a.m. Easter Service ~ April 17 th , 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor

“Seeking the Living among the Dead!”

Luke 24:1-12

Heavy and broken hearted as you can imagine, the women showed up at the tomb of
Jesus very early in the morning. It was still dark, yet it was not hard to find the tomb of Jesus.
After Jesus died that Friday, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent Jewish council member and a
hidden disciple of Jesus, received permission to bury Christ’s body in his own tomb. The
women who had attended Jesus in Galilee followed Joseph to the Garden Tomb. They had seen
the tomb and knew exactly where the body of Jesus was laid.
The Sabbath is over, so the women are back to the tomb to embalm the body of Jesus
according to the Jewish rituals. When they arrive, I’m sure they hearts sank as they saw that the
stone that had been placed in front of the tomb had been moved. The One that they had loved,
and saw die, was now nowhere to be found.
The Bible tells us that after they had discovered that the Lord was not in the tomb, they
were met by two men in shining garments who ask them a very important question in Luke 24:5,
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” As we briefly consider this question on this
Easter Sunday morning, I want to offer a couple observations:
First: Looking for Jesus in the Wrong Place
“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Why are
you looking for Jesus here? Well, there are very good reasons why the women were looking for
Jesus in the tomb. They saw Him die on the cross. The saw the tomb where He had been taken.
That is the right place to find Jesus. After all, the women had good reasons to look for Jesus
where He was supposed to be.
But for us, the resurrection of Christ has been validated and verified. Where do we look
for Jesus, then? Where do we look for life? Unfortunately, many make the same mistake today.
We look for life in all the wrong places. We expect to find life in things that are dead. We
desire things that decay in our hands. We feed on ashes. We follow a deluded heart. We expect
to find purpose and meaning in the fleeting things of this world. We ignore our spiritual reality
as if we have no spirit. We look for life in the rubble, in the ashes, in the garbage dump of life.
Life can only be found in the giver of life. Life can only be found in that who said of
Himself that “He is the resurrection and the life.” Why look for the living among the dead?
Why go looking for life in a world that is dying in sin? Why look for answers in a world whose
values are upside down, where good is called evil and evil is called good. We can’t find life in a
culture that celebrates death. We can’t trust a culture where lies are honored as truth.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Palm Sunday, April 10, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“When the King of Glory Cried!”
Zechariah 9:9-12; Luke 19:41-44
 
As you already know, today is Palm Sunday, the day when we, the Church of Christ, remember the triumphal entry of our Lord into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  This was the fulfilment of Zechariah's prophecy given over 500 years before Christ.  Much can be said about the events of Palm Sunday, but I want you to envision with me what happened that day.
 
It was a very busy morning in Jerusalem.  You can tell, it was the Passover week.  The narrow streets of the city were crowded; the Temple was no exception.  Jewish visitors from all over the place filled the nearby hotels and motels.  Just outside of Jerusalem, a big crowd of people were following Rabbi Yeshua, as people called Him. Rabbi Yeshua, or Jesus of Nazareth, was a well-known Rabbi, a compassionate healer who has shown God’s mercy and grace like no other.  You can even hear the crowd shouting out, “Hosanna!” and waving their palm branches in the air.
 
Jesus is approaching the city.  He goes down the road of the Mount of Olives, then he began to descend into the Valley of Kidron where He had a panoramic view of the entire city.  As Jesus looked down on the city, He burst into tears.  The King of Glory burst into tears!
 
This cry wasn’t a normal cry.  The Greek word Luke uses for weeping is “klaio” which means “intense sobbing.”  It is the kind of weeping which suddenly seizes you that you lose control and cry out loud.  How come that in the midst of all the cheers come tears?  Jesus was so overcome with deep sorrow and grief in His heart, that tears began to flow from His eyes, and He openly and verbally expressed His emotional lamentation over the city.  I wonder if Jesus would do the same looking at us today?
 
What was Jesus weeping for?  Why did Jesus weep at the city He loved?  Fortunately, we don’t have to speculate.  The Scripture passage in Luke 19 gives us at least two reasons of Christ’s weeping:
 
First: The Missed Opportunities
Luke tells us in Luke 19:41-42, “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!  But now they are hidden from your eyes.”  The people of Israel missed the peace that was right in front of them; right in their midst.  They missed God’s shalom.  Although the Hebrew word “Shalom” is often translated “peace” in the Bible, it has a comprehensive nature.
 
Shalom refers to a sense of wholeness and completeness.  Everything is exactly the way it should be; everything where it belongs.  Shalom is God’s gift for His people.  The Bible makes it clear that there will be no peace away from the Lord.  In Christ, God has put all the broken and shattered pieces together to ever be restored.  Everything that is broken in our lives and in our world will be put back together and made whole again only in and through Jesus.
 
The Prince of Peace was standing right in front of them, and they missed it.  They did not acknowledge Jesus as the King of all Kings, the God of all gods.  Instead, they simply viewed Him as a human king who would lead them into victory.  Peace was hidden from your eyes.  They people of Israel missed many opportunities.
 
Second: The Future Judgement
Luke continues to say these words in Luke 19:43-44, “Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.  They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
 
Missed opportunities lead to future judgements.  Christ’s pronounced judgement was fulfilled in 70 AD.  In 70 AD, the Roman General Titus came, and he brought thousands of troops with him.  He surrounded Jerusalem, and the troops waited till the Jews were famished from starvation. Then, they rushed in and slaughtered thousands of Jews.  Not one stone was left upon another, and the city was burned to the ground.  Seeing that day of judgement, Jesus cried over Jerusalem.
 
Jesus looked upon the city that He loved and wept because He knew the future judgment was coming.  He told the crowds a future judgment was coming because, “you did not know the time of your visitation.”  The word visitation in Greek is “episcopas.”  The word “episcopas” comes from the Greek military community where from time to time, the General would drop in unannounced and review and inspect the troops to see if they were battle-ready. If the troops were battle-ready, they received the praise of the General.  If they were not prepared, the General would bring a hard fist of judgment.
 
Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because they weren’t ready when the General came to town.  They were not prepared and missed out on worshipping and following Him.  God in flesh was standing right before their eyes, and they missed it!  Because they missed the General and weren’t ready, a future judgment would come.
 
Friends, Jesus, the General, is visiting with us today.  His visit, “his episcopas”, is full of grace and love.  His arms are open to welcome and to embrace us.  Are we willing to go under his wings before the Day of Judgement comes?  Are we ready for the General to come?  Are we missing the peace that is in front of us?  As we journey together toward the events of the Holy Week this week, I hope you will find the time recognize the time of God’s visitation. Embrace the things that make for your peace.  Open your heart for God’s shalom. Let Christ mend the brokenness of your life.  Receive the Lord’s wholeness.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (5th Sunday in Lent, April 3, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“The Fruitless Fig Tree!”
Mark 11:12-14 & 20-22
 
From now through Easter Sunday, we will be walking with Jesus and His disciples through the last couple week of His earthly life.  It is amazing that Jesus was able to pack so much activity into such a short period of time. Next week, being the Holy Week, we will be gathering here on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and of course, Easter morning.  But before we get to the Holy Week major events, I would like to reflect this morning on an incident that gets overlooked by most of us, that’s cursing the fruitless fig tree.
 
Our story took place on Monday morning of Jesus’ Passion Week.  Jesus spent Palm Sunday night in Bethany, a little town less than 2 miles from Jerusalem.  Monday morning, as Jesus travels from Bethany back to Jerusalem, He spots a fig tree.  This particular tree draws Jesus’s attention because it already has a full covering of leaves.  Its foliage signals that it should have early figs.
 
With that expectation, Jesus inspects the tree.  He is immediately disappointed; all leaves, no fruit. All expectation, no satisfaction.  In a shocking turn, Jesus curses the tree and makes it wither from the roots, never to yield fruit again.  People are taken aback by what Jesus did; this seems stunningly out of character for Jesus, the child-welcomer, the compassionate healer, and storm-calmer.  This seems baffling.  Why would Jesus do that?  Mark tells us in chapter 11:13, “When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.”  Does that mean it wasn’t the fig tree’s fault after all?
 
Having lived there myself, let me explain this.  Fig trees in the Middle East are unusual in that they can produce as many as three rounds of crops in a single year. Yes, you heard this right; three rounds of crops.  There is an “early crop” in April/May; there is the “main crop” mid-summer, July/August’ and there is a “late crop” that gets harvested in October/November.
 
So, a fig tree in full leaf in April, should have been covered with “early fruit.”  It was reasonable for Jesus to assume that there would be fruit on the tree when He came to it around Passover time.  When the gospel writers say, “it wasn’t the season of figs”, they mean, “it wasn’t main crop’s season.”  The word that’s translated “season” here is the Greek “Kairos”.  That’s the perfect time to get the sweetest figs.  But since this tree had no early fruit, it was a sign that there would be no fruit when the time for harvest arrives.
 
This fig tree was deceptive because its leaves promised something the tree could not deliver.  This tree had nothing to offer and it was therefore useless!  As we reflect on this story on this Communion Sunday, I would like to share a couple short lessons:
 
First: Let’s Beware of Empty Faith
Let’s beware of empty, deceptive and fruitless faith.  Mark 11:13 says, “Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, Jesus went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it.  When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves.”  What a sad statement!  I am sure that this tree had been given everything it needed to flourish.  It sat in a good location.  It grew in good soil.  It had enjoyed the sunshine and the rain.  Still, this tree was not fruitful.
 
The fig tree represented the nation of Israel back then, and it represents the church today.  Israel was just like this fruitless fig tree.  They had all the signs of spiritual life and vitality, but they had no fruit.  They were keeping the letter of the Law.  They were carrying out the Temple ceremonies. They were observing the ancient feasts and the sacrifices.  They were religious in every detail, but they had no spiritual fruit.  Israel promised all who saw her that she could show them the way to God.  Israel had gone to leaf.  Israel had no fruit.  Israel looked alive, but she was spiritually barren.  They had everything they needed for a spiritual bumper crop, but they remained fruitless.  Let’s beware of empty and fruitless faith.
 
Second: Let’s Examine our Hearts Before It’s too Late
As you might imagine, there is another message for us here; we are to examine our lives.  When the Lord examines our lives, and He does, what does He see?  Does He see us bearing fruit to the glory of God?  Or, does He see a tree that has gone to leaf?
 
        Let’s face the truth about ourselves today.  Like the nation of Israel in the past, we have been given every spiritual advantage God has to offer.  We have His Word, His church and His Spirit.  He has blessed us in abundance.  There is no excuse for us being a fruitless branch!  The Lord is looking for genuine spiritual fruit in our lives.  When He finds that fruit, we are blessed.  When He does not find it, there is a high price to pay.
 
Friends, the fig tree cursing is not just about historical Israel.  It’s about us.  It’s about all the people of God throughout time.  The apostle Paul writes to Timothy on 2 Timothy 3:1&5, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days … People will be having a form of godliness but denying its power.”  The word “Form” in Greek “μόρφωσιν “morphosin” ~ means the outer form or the appearance, but no substance; only leaves, no fruit.  What does the Lord see when He examine our hearts?
 
Mark 11:12 tells us that “Jesus was hungry.”  While Jesus today may not be hungry physically, He is still expecting His Body to bear fruit for the hungry spirits around us.  Fruit is always the evidence of genuine discipleship.  It is evidence of life within the branch.  True disciples always bear fruit for the glory of the Lord.  May Jesus find something pleasant in us when He gets near.  May our lives reflect genuine faith and a bountiful crop.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (4th Sunday in Lent, March 27, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
 
“Peter’s Restoration!”
John 21:15-19
 
This morning we conclude our sermon series on “Discipleship.”  During the season of Lent this year, we’ve been exploring together what it means to follow Jesus; what it means to be a disciple of Christ.  A few weeks ago, I pointed out that “discipleship” is our primary calling as Christians.  Our spiritual journey begins when we hear the words of Jesus, “Come, follow me” and we respond in faith.  I also pointed out that the more we look at the encounters of Christ in the gospels, the more we come to the conclusion that half-hearted discipleship is not enough.  When we decide to follow Christ, He expects us to be fully committed to Him because He is fully committed to us. 
 
Last Sunday, however, we were reminded that in this journey of discipleship we will experience ups and downs, victories as well as defeats, joy and sorrow, brokenness and restoration. 
A good example of this is the life of the apostle Peter.  In Caesarea Philippi, Peter boldly confessed his faith in Jesus, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  Last week, we saw Peter at his worst, denying the Lord three times at Caiaphas house.  Peter’s life is a reminder that the path of discipleship is one of ups and downs.
 
Peter’s story is real.  It hits home.  Peter is me.  Peter is you.  Peter is us.  It’s a story that involves assurance and doubt, confession and denial.  Peter’s story is our story.  It is a story of grace, of love, of renewal, and of restoration.  The good news that I want to declare to all of us this morning is that in our failure, we are still pursued by our awesome God.  This truth displays itself in two ways in John 21:
 
First: Peter is Remembered by God
Denying Christ must’ve been a chattering experience for Peter. Peter’s bold confidence was killed.  His strength was killed.  He must’ve said to himself: I am not the “Rock” anymore; I am sand.  Peter knew what and who he was.  He knew he was a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness!  That’s why Peter ran to the tomb on Easter morning.  He had to know and to see that Christ had risen from the dead.  If He was… then maybe Peter could ask for forgiveness. 
 
Yet, it seems that Peter was not the one looking for God.  In fact, God was looking for him.  On the day Jesus arose, the angel at the empty tomb told the women in Mark 16:7, “Go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”  Those words, “and Peter,” would have rung in Peter’s ears and lifted his depressed spirit after his miserable denial of his Lord.  I think that Peter would have asked the women, “Did the angel say, ‘and Peter’?”  Are you sure?  This assured him that the Lord had not rejected him because of his failure.  In our brokenness, God always searches for us. 
 
Second: Peter is Personally Restored by Jesus
As we pick up the account in John 21:15, it has been about two weeks or so since Peter had denied Jesus on the night He was arrested and tried.  Jesus had already appeared to many people including to the disciples twice in Jerusalem.  Jesus told them to go to Galilee where He has now met with them a third time.  When Jesus arrived in Galilee, according to John 21:2, seven disciples were present: Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, James, John and two other disciples who are not named.
 
The verses of John 21:15-19, tell us that Jesus met privately with Peter to reassure him and restore him personally.  Jesus wanted to restore Peter to his apostolic office in front of these other six disciples.
 
It surprises me that when Jesus meets Peter, He neither confronted nor rebuked him.  Rather, Jesus turns to Peter and asks him, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”  Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”  Frustrated this time, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
 
Then Jesus had to re-commission Peter.  “Feed my lambs.  Take care of my sheep.  Feed my sheep,” Jesus told Peter.  Why would Jesus ask this question three times?  Some suggested that the three-fold question might relate to the three denials… thus the undoing of them.  Others suggested that they might refer to the making of a covenant.  At this time in history a threefold of questions and answers was done to enact a covenant.  The original Greek gives us another insight.  The work that Jesus used for love is “agape”, which means unconditional love.  But Peter replied using “philo” which also means “love”, but a different kind of love.  It’s brotherly love.  Jesus was stretching Peter’s love to be an agape love.  In all cases, Jesus tenderly reaches out to this wounded, hurt, afraid disciple who has gone through the worst couple of weeks of his life.  Peter was forgiven, renewed, restored, recalled, and recommissioned during this “after breakfast chat.”
 
I like how the gospel of John wraps us Peter’s personal encounter with the Lord.  In John 21:19, we read, “After this Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”  Following Christ is not a single event; it’s a long-life journey.  It’s true that we stumble and wander off the road, but here comes the Lord, meets us where we are and renews our calling, “Follow me.”  “Follow me,” ~ a phrase that continues to transform our lives.  It’s Simon Peter’s story.  It’s our story.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (3rd Sunday in Lent, March 20, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“A Disciple’s Failure and Denial!”
Luke 22:54-62
 
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been captured and, quite frankly, terrified by the story of Peter’s failure and denial.  How did this happen?  How could Peter deny that he even knows the Lord Jesus?  I always thought that after spending 3 years with Jesus, listening to His teaching, watching Him feed thousands, raise the dead, and seeing His almighty power, denying Him would be impossible.   
 
Of course, as I grew older, I began to see different layers to the story.  For one thing, I started to get the danger of the situation.  At this point in time, Jesus has been arrested.  It’s Passover week and political tension fills the air.  The Jewish leadership set up a couple of Kangaroo Courts organized by the Sanhedrin being held in the courtyard and home of Caiaphas, the Jewish High Priest.
 
At this point, most of the disciples have fled.  Most of them, it seems, except for Peter and John according to John 18.  Peter follows at a distance; he follows to see what happens.  We probably should give Peter and John some credit here.  They go further than all of the other disciples.   Peter and John had some courage—courage and strength that none of the rest have.  And yet, when push comes to shove Peter denies Christ three times.  
 
At first, a servant girl saw him seated by the firepit; she looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.”  But Peter denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said.  A little later someone else saw Peter and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied.  About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.”  Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”  Fear grips Peter with great force and so he denies Christ.
 
On one hand, I am tempted to think, “How do you say that, Peter?” But on the other hand, I realize how completely and totally we’ve denied Jesus.  There’s more than one way to deny Jesus.  You don’t have to say “I don’t know this man” with your words to do it.  Every day we get up and live our lives as if we don’t belong to God, we say “We don’t know this man.”  Every time we cultivate anger, pride, or lust in our heart, we say “We don’t know this man.”  Every time we chase money instead of generosity, we say “We don’t know this man.”  Every time we keep silent about Christ out of fear of rejection by our culture, or neighbors, for being one of those “Christians”, we say “We don’t know this man.”   In a million different ways, our lives have screamed “We don’t know this man!”
 
The story of Peter’s failure and denial is our story too.  So as we consider this story today, please allow me to offer two short observations:
 
First: The Path of Discipleship is One of Ups and Downs
This is our fifth lesson in our “Discipleship” series.  Over the past few weeks, we got the chance to examine the three individuals who were interested to follow Jesus. Unlike these three individuals, Peter received Christ’s invitation, “come, follow me,” and immediately left everything and followed Jesus.
 
Peter’s failure and denial is a reminder that the path of discipleship is one of ups and downs.  In our journey of faith, we will experience ups and downs, victories as well as defeats, gain and loss, joy and sorrow, brokenness and restoration.  Peter’s failure and denial is a reminder that the path of discipleship is one of ups and downs. 
 
Second: Failure Doesn’t Make us Become Less of a Disciple
If the life of discipleship includes all these different experiences, what happens when we struggle and fail?  I want to assure you today that we do not become less of a disciple when we struggle.  Even when we struggle, we know that God is with us.  I like how Luke puts it in Luke 22:61, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.”  In his failure, Jesus wanted to say to Peter, “I am here for you.  I am with you.”
 
Throughout his gospel, Luke shows a certain concern for those considered “lost.”  For example, only in Luke’s gospel do we find stories concerning a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost child – all of which are eventually found.  Luke also tells the story of the thief on the cross, the one whom Jesus invites into paradise – again one who is lost but now is found.  Luke seems to have a soft spot in his heart for lost things.  His treatment of Peter’s denial of Christ fits this theme. Peter falls into this category of being lost after denying and disowning Christ for three times, but, he too, would be found as Luke says in Luke 22:61.  Of course, a full restoration of this broken disciple will take place after Christ’s resurrection.  Failure doesn’t make us become less of a disciple.
 
Friends, like Peter, we fail the Lord and deny Him in many ways.  The path of discipleship is one of ups and downs.  If you’ve ever been to Israel, one of the sites that most tourists get to visit is the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu.  The word “Gallicantu” is Latin for “rooster’s crow.”  It is the site that memorializes Peter’s failure and denial.  It seems strange that we would choose to build a church at the very spot that Peter denied even knowing our Savior.  Yet, we are to remember that failure doesn’t make us become less of a disciple.  We are to remember where there is death, there is also rebirth.   May our vulnerability today lead us to seek more of God’s strength and grace.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, March 13, 2022)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“No Turning Back!”
1 Kings 19:19-21; Luke 9:61-62
 
“No Turning Back!”  Over the last few Sundays, we’ve been learning together how to be good followers of Jesus Christ.  We have examined some real-life stories and got to learn some very valuable lessons.  This morning we have the chance to examine the story of another person who wanted to become a disciple of Jesus.  Luke gives us the account of this person in Luke 9:61-62, “Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”  Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
 
Once again, this seems like a reasonable request. “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”  Eight hundred years earlier, a man named Elisha asked if he could say goodbye to his family before leaving to follow the prophet Elijah.  In 1 Kings 19:19-21, Elijah saw nothing wrong with this and gave him permission.  But now one greater than Elijah is here.  Why would Jesus do that?  Why did Jesus refuse to give that person a permission to go back and say goodbye to his family? Is there anything wrong with that?
 
Let me clarify this.  Jesus was not suggesting it was a sin to have an affection for home or an obligation toward those at home.  I want you to know that this person was not asking for a moment to take care of what was necessary—he was putting forward an excuse that would not allow him to follow.
 
This man had no intention of following Jesus.  Saying “goodbye” meant finishing that phase of his life. In other words, he was saying, “Let me raise my children, then I will follow you.  Let me reach retirement, then I will follow you.” 
 
I am sure that many of us have made such a commitment.  But now, time has come and gone since you made that promise.  Since then, the children have been raised, and now there are grandchildren, and they still can’t follow.  Retirement has come, and with it, other concerns, and they still can’t follow.  Something always comes first.  Something always will, until we determine that Christ will be first above all.  Two things for us to consider this morning:
 
First: Beware of Your Attachment to this World
True followers of Jesus should be always on guard from getting attached to the past and to the world.  Jesus tells the man, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”  The Lord, seeing that this person had too much attachment to the earth, told him it’s not going to work this way.  Often times, those things are not bad in themselves.  They become roadblocks when they stand between us and the Lord.  They become a problem when the come “first” before the Lord.
 
No wonder that after Elisha received his call to follow Elijah while he was plowing, he cut all connections with his past.  Listen to these words from 1 Kings 19:21, “So Elisha left Elijah and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.”  Owning 24 oxen “twelve yoke” indicated some wealth in Elisha’s family.  Once we have made the decision to follow Christ, it must be all or nothing.
 
We have to cut off the old life to follow Jesus.  Often times, the Scriptures warn us against going back and thinking back to the old life with affection!  When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the first thing they do is start looking back to Egypt. They were out of Egypt, but they couldn’t take Egypt out of them.  They remembered the good food, but the forgot their misery and their harsh labor.
 
Second: Looking Back is Extremely Dangerous
“No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”  Here’s what Jesus is saying.  You cannot plow a straight furrow without looking straight ahead.  And you cannot follow Jesus while constantly looking back over your shoulder.  
 
The book of Genesis tells us a sad story about Lot’s wife.  The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah will be destroyed by God for their wickedness.  Out of His mercy, the Lord God spared Lot and his family.  This what Genesis 19:15-17 say, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city,” said the angels.  When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.  As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”  Yet, despite of this clear warning and because Lot’s wife was so attached to the city, we read these sad words in Genesis 19:26 “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”  Looking back is extremely dangerous!
 
Friends, one of the greatest challenges and dangers for every Christian today is to follow Jesus while looking back.  Imagine trying to drive a car on the highway while looking in only the rearview mirror.  You’d be challenged to stay in your lane and avoid a collision.  “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” 
 
I lived my childhood in a farming community.  I always liked to see fields straight lines.  I asked one of the neighboring farmers one time: how do you do it so neat?  He replied, “Whether you’re cutting the grass or ploughing a field you need to fix your eyes on a point in front of you and walk or drive towards it. If you keep your eyes on the one point, you will have a straight line. Take your eyes off that point, you will go off line. If you look behind you, you are lost. Your hands will move slightly on the steering wheel and your line will definitely not be straight.”  Followers of Christ, put your hand to the plow, keep your eyes on Jesus, and never look back!  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.