​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, July 25, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Tabitha: A Disciple from Joppa!”
Acts 9:36-43
 
The more I read the book of Acts, the more I come to the conclusion that God, our God, is able to use ordinary people, people like me and you, to do extraordinary things in the world.  This has been the theme that we all got to see in the book of Acts so far.  This theme reminds me of what the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  Precious treasures are kept in jars of clay.  This theme, this pattern, is repeated over and over again in Acts.  We saw it when we looked at the life of Stephen, Philip, and Ananias.  It’s not about us, it’s all about God’s power working in us.
 
Our journey in Acts takes us today to the city of Joppa, known today as Jaffa, an ancient seaport on the Mediterranean south of Tel Aviv in Israel.  In Joppa, we get to meet our hero for today; a disciple named Tabitha.  Listen to what Luke says in Acts 9:36, “Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.”  Tabitha is a Hebrew name that means “gazelle” or “deer.”
 
The story of Tabitha is a reminder that God works in a variety of ways and that our life has a purpose.  I feel that we are tempted today to look at the great figures of Scriptures and see what they’ve accomplished and think that our lives are insignificant.  Who are we in the light of such great people?  Who are we in light of David, Moses, Paul, or Peter?  God may not call us to preach to thousands or to plant churches, but that doesn’t mean that we have no purpose.
 
The life of Tabitha is a reminder that there are a variety of ways in which we can participate in God’s redemptive plan and make an impact in the world that lasts for eternity.  So let’s look at the life of Tabitha this morning and see what she did and the effects of what she did.  Two things stand out to me as I reflect on the life of Tabitha:
 
First: Everyone Has a Role to Play
The life of Tabitha reminds us that everyone has a role to play in God’s Kingdom.  It doesn’t really matter whether that role is big or small.  Each one of us is given a certain gift or a talent.  Those talents are not meant to be kept for ourselves.  We are to use them to grow the kingdom of Christ.
 
Tabitha was one amazing lady who used her talent to serve those around her.  This is what Luke says about her in Acts 9:36, “She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.”  Luke even gives us a more specific details in verse 39 about how she used her talent to help the least.  He tells us that when she died, the widows in Joppa were weeping bitterly and showed Peter the tunics, garments, and other closing which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
 
When I was a little boy, I used to see a group of women who belonged to the Presbyterian Church I grew up in.  They called themselves, “Tabitha’s Group.”  They would meet weekly for a couple or three hours knitting, sewing, and crocheting.  Then, a couple times a year, they would collect all their work, bring it on a Sunday morning and place it on the stage so that the Pastor and the congregation pray over their finished stuff before they donate it to a local orphanage.  I didn’t know back then why they called themselves, “Tabitha’s Group” and why they did what they did.  To tell you the truth, I though this is a group of elderly women who got time in their hands and got nothing else to do.  I was wrong.  When I grew up, I got to know that they intentionally did all this knitting, sewing, and crocheting, hours and hours of work, to share the love of Jesus with the children in that orphanage.  God knew that they were doing an amazing thing and they were impacting the lives of those children.  That’s what they could do.
 
We may not do everything, but we can do something.  That’s the part Tabitha chose.  There might be so many things that you can’t do, but choose to do the things you can do.  Don’t belittle the little things that you can complete because in many cases, it is the small things that occupy the biggest part in people’s hearts.  Everyone has a role to play.
 
Second: Leave a Legacy Worth Remembering
Tabitha made a legacy worth remembering.  In fact, her legacy was so amazing that her example is put before us today two thousand years later.
 
We must strive to live a life that is worthy of our calling.  We don’t simply live for ourselves; we are called to live for God and others.  And that’s exactly what Tabitha did here.  We don’t read anything Tabitha said in Acts.  She was a woman who translated her faith into actions.  That’s why when she died, all the “widows stood by [Peter] weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them” (Acts 9:39).
 
It’s a great tragedy when people die, and no one misses them.  No one cries for them.  No one grieves for their absence.  It’s quite a tragedy and it only means that they haven’t lived a life worth remembering.  Tabitha was missed by everyone in Joppa especially those poor widows.
 
How about you and me?  When it’s our time to depart this earth, how would people remember us?  Will they remember a loving, caring, and kind person?  Or we will go forgotten.  I hope when we leave our physical life, what remains would be stories of how we made a difference in people’s lives.  Some people are gone, but they will never be forgotten.
 
Friends, as you can see, everyone has a role to play in the Messiah’s Kingdom.  You may not be talented in sewing, but I’m sure that you have something to contribute.  All you have to do is look into yourself, have a talk with your savior, and see what you can contribute to the work of God.  Start with something small; something you can do.  Little is known about Tabitha.  Her reputation, her legacy, was made from something as simple as sewing clothing for the poor.  It seems this was her one talent.  Not particularly remarkable you might think. and yet Tabitha touched many lives.  It was out of gratitude for Jesus that she dedicated her one gift to Jesus.  She could sew and so she sewed to the best of her ability.  She was sewing for Jesus.  True faith expresses itself in deeds not words.  What will your legacy be?  Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, July 18, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“A Disciple Named Ananias!”
Acts 9:10-19
 
Acts chapter 9 is usually described as the account of Saul’s conversion.  It’s a turning point for Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul, the greatest missionary, evangelist, and church planter in the history of Christianity and the author of much of the New Testament.  There is, however, another character that is often overlooked in Acts chapter 9, a disciple named Ananias.  In the shadow of Paul’s encounter with Jesus of Nazareth on the road to Damascus, there is another person that is worthy of our attention today and that is what I would like to do this morning.
 
Who was Ananias?Ananias!  Who was Ananias and what role did he play in Acts 9?  There are three Ananias’s in the New Testament.  The first is found in Acts 5.  It was he who conspired with his wife, Sapphira, to sell a piece of property and lie to the apostles, and to the Holy Spirit, about laying the entire price at the apostles’ feet while withholding a portion of that price for themselves.  There is also another Ananias that was the High Priest when Paul appeared before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem in Acts chapters 23 and 24.
 
The third Ananias is the disciple of Christ we get to meet here in Acts chapter 9.  Luke introduces Ananias this way in Acts 9:10-11, “Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias.  The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”  He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”  The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul.”
 
Needless to say, Ananias was a little nervous about the situation.  In fact, he was very edgy about it.  He was being sent to an enemy.  Ananias was supposed to go to visit a man who had done so much harm to the Lord’s people; a man obsessed with destroying the church.  It was going to take some moral strength and courage to do the task he was assigned to do. 
 
As we examine Ananias’ life this morning, I think we are encouraged to consider two things.  Two ways the life of this disciple can be an encouragement to all of us.
 
First: The Different Calling of Ananias
When God calls us to follow Him, He calls us for a specific task, a certain mission.  As we continue to follow the Lord, we get to know our part in expanding the kingdom of God.  We get to know our mission.  That mission doesn’t have to be giant.  It doesn’t have to be across the ocean; it could be across the street.  In people’s eyes, your mission might seem small and insignificant, but in God’s eyes, it’s as important and essential as any big ministry.
 
Ananias had a different calling.  We are not all called to be Paul.  We aren’t all going to be the one out front, the one leading the crowd, the one who is recognized for their impact.  But all of us are called to be Ananias.  As we live and move as Christ’s followers in the world, we are meant to push back the darkness and bring the light of Christ one interaction at a time.  We are meant to be looking – and looking with expectation – for where the sovereign hand of God is positioning us.
 
Most of us know and love the hymn, “There is a Balm in Gilead.”  It’s a beautiful 19th century African American Spiritual.  The third stanza states, “If you cannot preach like Peter, if you cannot pray like Paul, you can tell the love of Jesus, who died to save us all.”  Not everyone can be Paul, but everyone can be Ananias. 
 
Second: Service is at the Heart of our Calling
Ananias was ready to serve.  Service is at the heart of our calling.  Listen one more time to Acts 9:10, “Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias.  The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”  He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”   
           
            His answer when the Lord called was, “Here I am, Lord.”  Ananias’ response was so open hearted.  This is the typical response of followers of Christ when opportunity knocks.  We recall the same attitude in 1 Samuel 3:10 “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening,” said young Samuel.  We remember the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 6:8, “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I.  Send me!”  We remember Father Abraham.  The author of Hebrews says these great words in Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”  Ananias was ready to serve in any way.  How ready are we when life presents its opportunities to serve the Lord?
 
This doesn’t mean that we will not be wrestling with our calling.  In fact, it’s normal to do so.  All of God’s people wrestled with their callings.  Some of them didn’t see themselves qualified or capable of the task; others didn’t feel worthy; and others simply didn’t have time.  Often times, we try to find an excuse when God calls.  Ananias was no exception.  In Acts 9:13-14, we read, “But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”  This was a valid and realistic concern, but not a refusal to obey.  In our walk with God, we come to this point of surrender just because God said so.
 
Friends, may we never underestimate our role and our contributions to God’s Kingdom.  I cannot imagine Paul’s introduction to the Church of Christ and the body of believers in Damascus without Ananias’ help.  As simple as it was, it was crucial.  Ananias had no idea what he was helping to unleash upon the world in this new convert who would now be known as Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus! In Acts 9:19-20 Luke tells us, “For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 
 
You may never know the effect you have had on others by your courage, faith, example, and work.  We may never know how much impact we may have on others as we follow where Christ leads.  Therefore, brothers and sisters, get your feet wet; get busy.  Let’s seize every opportunity to serve God and others.  Be like Ananias.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012
Sermon Notes (Sunday, July 4, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“On the Road to Damascus!”
Acts 9:1-9
 
            We continue this morning our summer sermon series in the book of Acts.  Our journey today brings us face to face with one of the most wonderful and faithful followers of Jesus; a man who played an important role in spreading the message of Jesus.  In our text today, we meet Saul of Tarsus, a man whose life was dramatically changed by encountering Jesus of Nazareth.
 
Before we dive in, I think a brief background about Saul of Tarsus would be helpful at this point.  As you may know, this is not the first time we meet Saul of Tarsus.  He is mentioned a couple times in Acts chapter 7 and Acts 8 prior to his major encounter with the Lord in Acts 9.  So, who was Saul of Tarsus?
 
Who was Saul of Tarsus?
            Saul was likely born between the years of 5 BC and 5 AD.  The Book of Acts indicates that Saul was a Roman citizen by birth.  He belonged to a devout Jewish family based in the city of Tarsus, one of the large centers of trade on the Mediterranean coast and well-known for its university.  It was in Tarsus that young Saul studied under Rabbi Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the Jewish Law (Acts 22:3).
 
As a Pharisee, young Saul was a zealous follower of the Jewish faith, and he had it fixed in his mind that anyone who wasn’t for his Jewish beliefs was against them, including of course those who were claiming that Jesus was the Messiah.  Saul was so fervent in his faith that he was willing to travel a week’s journey, all the way to Damascus, to arrest more Christians and make sure this dangerous fringe movement didn’t undermine the heritage of his ancestors. 
 
            The story of Saul of Tarsus is the story of God’s amazing grace.  In Saul’s transformation, we find many layers of hope and promise for us today.  So as we think about Saul’s encounter with Jesus of Nazareth on the road to Damascus, I am reminded today of two great and encouraging lessons:
 
First: No One is Outside of God’s Reach
            No one is outside of God’s reach.  No one is beyond the grace of God.  Paul spent a good part of his life as a Pharisee.  In Acts 9:1, Luke tells us that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord.”  This likely involved going to synagogues and encouraging the punishment of Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah.  In the case of Stephen, Saul held the crowd’s coats as they stoned Stephen to death.  Luke even tells us in Acts 8:1 that Saul approved Stephen's death.  Saul spearheaded lots of violence against the church.
 
Saul of Tarsus didn’t feel he was doing enough to stop the spread of Christianity, so he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, over 200 miles away, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 
 
Yet, on his way to Damascus one day, Saul had an experience that changed everything.  He encountered the Lord Jesus Himself.  Acts 9:3-5 state, “Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
 
            This experience set Saul of Tarsus on an entirely new journey, new trajectory.  He went from being someone who persecuted the church to someone willing to be persecuted for the church.  Over the course of his ministry, Paul suffered and endured flogging, beating with rods, stoning, imprisonment, shipwrecks, hunger, cold, and sleeplessness.  In the end, Paul would give his life for the gospel.  The first reminder from Paul’s story is that no one is outside of God’s reach.  No one is beyond God’s grace.  Therefore, we should never give up on anyone.  We should never give up on our nation.
 
Second: Our Achievements Don’t Define Us
            Our achievements don’t and shouldn’t define us.  Most of the people Jesus chose as disciples were simple blue-collar workers.  They weren’t well known for their accomplishments and achievements.  But then along comes this brilliant young man, Saul of Tarsus.  Saul was an educated and disciplined Pharisee.  He studies philosophy, religion, and was a great speaker.  From a human perspective, he did so much for the faith of his ancestors.
 
            But how did Paul feel about those achievements after finding Christ?  What did he tell us?  Listen to what Paul says in Philippians 3:4-9, “If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.  But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”  In the light of Christ, Paul realized that all of his accomplishments paled in comparison to being reconciled to Christ. 
 
Friends, God has so much in store for us.  He did for Paul and He does for us.  Paul became one of the greatest messengers of Christ because his life was transformed by the grace of God in Christ.  So as we come to the Lord’s Table today, may we always remember that no one is outside of God’s reach; no one is beyond the grace of God.  May we also remember that our achievements don’t define us because we are defined by God’s grace and love shown to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 27, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Philip the Evangelist!”
Acts 8:1-8
 
Jesus returned to heaven and the angels gathered in amazement.  They gazed at His hands and feet and shuddered to recall His suffering.  Finally, Gabriel spoke up, “Master, you have suffered terribly down there.  Do they know and appreciate the extent of your sacrifice?”  “No”, said Jesus, “not yet.  Right now only a handful of people in Palestine know.”  “How will everyone else know?”  “I’ve asked Peter, James, John and a few others to spread the news. They will tell others, who will tell others until the message spreads to the ends of the earth.”  But Gabriel, knowing the nature of human beings asked, “What is plan B?”  “There is no plan B,” replied Jesus.  “I’m counting on them.”  Twenty centuries later and there is still no plan B.  He is counting on you and me.  He is counting on us to share the timeless message of salvation.
 
Once again as we continue to unfold the narrative that Luke provides for us of the spread of the church from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, we get to see in Acts 8 this morning that we cross a threshold.  Up until now the focus in the first seven chapters has entirely been Jerusalem.  But something new and fundamentally new is going to occur in the 8th chapter of Acts.  In Acts 8, we see the beginning of the fulfillment of that mandate that Jesus gave — His final words before He ascended up into the clouds — that they were to be His disciples and His witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and in the uttermost parts of
the world. 
 
In our journey in the book of Acts, we get to meet another wonderful follower of Jesus named Philip.  I want you to know that this is not Philip the apostle.  He is not one of the twelve.  This is Philip the evangelist as Luke calls him in Acts 21:8 “Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven.”  Philip the evangelist was one of the Seven Deacons mentioned in Acts chapter 6.  Everything we learn about the life of Philip the evangelist, we learn from the book of Acts.  His name is mentioned 16 times in this book.
 
Philip was a dynamic believer; a man full of energy and zeal for the Lord.  As we reflect on Philip’s life today, please allow me to underscore two things:
 
First: Ordinary People Accomplish Extraordinary Mission
It continues to amaze me how God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  Last week we had the chance to look at the life of Stephen and I made the comment that God does His greatest work through ordinary people.  This theme comes up again and again and again in the book of Acts.  It’s not the famous apostles who primarily spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It’s the average, everyday Christians; people like Stephen, Philip and many others.  Last week I gave an example of how Stephen’s death was a turning point for Saul of Tarsus, later to be the apostle Paul.  Moreover, Stephen’s life was the catalyst that caused the church to take the Great Commission to the next level.
 
Philip, though not one of the twelve apostles, was one of the great evangelists we get to encounter in the book of Acts.  It seems to me that the chief agents, the primary tools, in the expansion of Christianity in the book of Acts not the professionals, not the apostles, but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some secular manner and spoke their faith to those they met in this natural fashion.  The expansion of the church at this point didn’t depend upon the apostles, but on the grass roots, men and women sharing the gospel as they went.
 
Second: Philip was absolutely at God’s Disposal
Luke tells us in Acts chapter 8 that after the death of Stephen, Philip took the message to Samaria and proclaimed Messiah there.  This is the first time that the message of Christ reaches a non-Jewish territory.  He led a thriving ministry down there.  Yet we see in Acts 8:26-40 that God sent an angel to instruct Philip to go back toward Jerusalem. This would seem like a strange request.  He started out in Jerusalem, persecution broke out, he flees to Samaria and now he was being told to head back that way.  Wasn’t that dangerous?  It didn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense but the main thing was Philip obeyed.  Philip travels south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza where he meets an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake, the queen of the Ethiopians, and evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch and baptized him.
 
After his mission was completed with the Ethiopian eunuch, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away.  Acts 8:40 states, “Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”  Philip trusted in God’s direction even if he didn’t understand the purpose behind it.  We need to be like that too.  Sometimes the Holy Spirit will make strange requests of us.  If we are willing to be obedient we, like Philip, can see great things happen.
 
Friends, we, like Philip, have a wonderful opportunity as messengers of God’s divine grace.  We are ministers of reconciliation, Christ’s ambassadors as Paul said in Second Corinthians 5.  We may not be called to share the gospel in the jungles of South America, but we are called to share it in the concrete jungle of Gloucester Township.  It’s worth the risks and personal sacrifices because the gospel is the power of God that saves and changes lives.  May we always remember that God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.  May we always be at God’s disposal.  May we always remember that we are God’s sent to the world.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 20, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Lessons from the Life of Stephen!”
Acts 6:8-15
 
The book of Acts gives us a historical and detailed account of the birth and expansion of the early Church.  Acts not only speaks of the small and humble beginnings of the movement of Jesus of Nazareth, but it also speaks about the victory of the Christian faith in transforming an entire culture.  According to the book of Acts, the Church began in Jerusalem with a few believers, yet less than thirty years after the resurrection of the Lord, Christianity reached Rome, the most important city in the ancient world, with thousands of people who had already been converted to the Christian faith.
 
When we approach the book of Acts from that particular perspective, we can say that through his narrative in Acts, Luke invites us today to be a people of hope; simply because God can give shape and form to the shapeless and the formless.  God can bring out great things out of nothing.  That’s why I believe that Acts has so much to say to the 21st century American Church and I am glad that we have the chance to scan some of the great lessons this summer.
 
Our journey in Acts this morning takes us to chapter 6.  In Acts 6, we are introduced to the story of a faithful man of God named Stephen.  I think it’s a great story for Father’s Day.  So what I would like to do this morning is to briefly introduce Stephen and them share a couple short lessons from his life.
 
Who Was Stephen?
We don’t know much about the personal life of Stephen—his parents, his siblings, or whether he had a wife or children; however, what is known about him is what is truly important.
 
Acts chapter 6 tells us that Stephen was one of the seven deacons chosen to be responsible over the distribution of food to widows in the early church after a dispute arose and the apostles recognized they needed help.  In Acts 6:8, Luke tells us that “Stephen was full of God’s grace and power, and he performed great wonders and signs among the people.” 
 
Opposition arose, but the people who argued with Stephen were no match for the wisdom given him by the Holy Spirit.  So, they decided to falsely accuse Stephen, labeling him a blasphemer and having him arrested in Acts 6:11-14.  Stephen condemned to death in 35 AD and became the first Christian martyr, but right before the angry mob stoned him, Stephen gave a long testimony in Acts 7, which is perhaps the most detailed and concise history of Israel and their relationship to God of any in Scripture. So as we look at Stephen’s life this morning, I want to underscore two important lessons for our lives today.
 
First: God Does His Greatest Work through Ordinary People
The first lesson we get to remember as we reflect on Stephen’s life is that God does His greatest work through ordinary people.  This theme comes up again and again and again in the book of Acts.  It’s not the famous apostles who primarily spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It’s the average, everyday Christians.  We’ve got to remember this, because it’s easy to look at Acts and think, “Yes they did some amazing things, but they were apostles!”  Actually, the heroes in Acts are the ordinary people.  It’s because of common guys like Stephen—much more than through the apostles—that the early church grew.  Let me give you one example.  
 
One of the people who watched Stephen being stoned to death was a young man named Saul of Tarsus.  Listen to what the book of Acts says in Acts 7:58, “They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.”  Acts 8:1 also states, “And Saul approved of their killing him.”  I truly believe that the death of Stephen was a turning point for Saul.  It left a mark on Paul’s life.  I also believe that the apostle Paul owes much of his exposure to the gospel of Jesus Christ to the sermon that Stephen preached in Acts 7.  
 
Stephen was an ordinary man with an extremely short ministry.  He doesn’t seem to have had a very long career.  In fact, this is the only sermon that we have recorded that he ever preached, yet, not only he left a mark on Saul’s life, but his life was the catalyst that caused the church to move in the next step of the Great Commission.  Acts 8:2 states, “Those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”  God does His greatest work through ordinary people.
 
Second: Following Jesus Means Giving our Everything to Him
Stephen becomes the first martyr in the New Testament.  You may be interested to know that the word “martyr” and the word “witness” come from the same Greek root.  In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses (my “martyrs”) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  When we become true witnesses, we should be ready to be martyrs.
 
Sadly, in our modern culture, we seek an easy religion.  We want some sort of a cheap grace.  We want a faith that costs us nothing.  We don’t mind having Christ in our lives, but we are not willing to let Christ be the captain of our ship.  We don’t mind having Christ in our lives if Christ doesn’t interrupt us.  A lot of people don’t mind a god who demands an hour a week, but are we ready for a God and faith that asks us to surrender all?  Stephen’s life reminds us that following Jesus means giving our everything to God.
 
Friends, Stephen’s life challenges us in such a profound way today.  Stephen’s life—and even more so his death—should be an example of how every believer should strive to live: committed to the Lord even in the face of death; faithful to live and to proclaim the gospel boldly.  Are we ready and willing to be opposed, persecuted, and ostracized by our own community?  May we be such people who even when rejected and even when persecuted rise above it.  And may Christ be seen through us as we give glory to Him in life and in death.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 13, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Taking God’s Grace for Granted!”
Acts 5:1-11
 
As we continue our study in the book of Acts, we hit this morning the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter 5.  The story of Ananias and Sapphira seems out of place at the beginning of Acts.  If you were to read through the first four chapters of Acts, Luke has been telling us about so many great things which the disciples of Jesus were enabled to do after the ascension of the Lord. 
 
So far it has been a narrative which tells us about the power of the Holy Spirit in the apostles’ lives, the strong bond and fellowship among the followers of Jesus, their powerful prayer life, their bold witness, and the phenomenal growth of the early Church.  Acts 4:33 summarizes everything up until our Scripture this morning when it says, “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.”  It’s a picture of a wonderful community of God’s people. 
 
Then we get to the story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 and we feel as if we are in a different world.  We were up there on the mountaintop, but now we get to the lowest valley.  The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira do not seem to fit with the narrative just before the text and after it.  Why does Luke interrupt his account with this depressing story?   Before I offer a couple remarks about this sad story, I would like to briefly say something about this couple, Ananias and Sapphira.
 
Who were Ananias and Sapphira?
Who were they?  This is a Greek couple, which means they’re not Jewish.  They are probably new to the Christian faith.  It’s possible they were part of the 120 disciples in Acts 1:15. It’s also possible that they heard the wind when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles during Pentecost and became Christians.  Maybe they saw the man who was crippled get healed.  In any case, they are relatively new Christians.  Ananias is a Greek name that means, “God is merciful.”  Sapphira literally means “the beautiful lady.”
 
Seeing the example of so many good Christians and being captivated by the growth and interest in the Church, Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, wanted a part of the action.  So they sold a parcel of land but decided to handle the money very differently than others did.  Instead of giving one hundred percent of the money to the Church, they kept part of it for themselves. 
 
Probably coveting power and prestige in the Church, they “agreed together”, they conspired, to lead the Apostle Peter and others to believe they donated the entire sum.  We have to know that Ananias and Sapphira owned their property; they were free to do with it as they saw fit (Acts 5:4).  Nobody actually asked them or forced them to sell their property.  It was their decision to do so.  For conspiring to lie as they did, they were struck dead.
 
So the question we need to ask ourselves this morning is: Why does Luke interrupt his account with this depressing and sad story?  Why does Luke bring us from the mountaintop to the deep valley?  I think there is so much we can learn from this story but let me briefly share two lessons today.
 
First: A Warning Against Living Counterfeit Christianity
At the heart of the story of Ananias and Sapphira is a strong warning against living counterfeit Christian lives!  On the outside, Ananias and Sapphira look just like another church member named Barnabas that Luke introduces at the end of Acts chapter 4.  Barnabas had just sold his property and brought the money to the apostles, and to the casual observer, Ananias and Sapphira were doing the same thing.
 
Luke introduces these two stories back-to-back to show us there is the genuine and authentic, but there is also the fake and the counterfeit.  That’s why Acts 5:1 starts this way, “But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property.”  Deep in the heart of Ananias and Sapphira lingered a love of money and a desire for people’s praise and approval, so they conspired together to present a portion of their money while passing it off as the entire amount.  Friends, there is a huge difference between the real and the fake, the authentic and the counterfeit.  The first lesson we get to see here is a warning against living counterfeit Christianity.
 
Second: An Awareness of God’s Holiness
But there is a second lesson that we need to remember here.  The story of Ananias and Sapphira invites us to seriously consider God’s holiness.  It seems that Ananias and Sapphira didn’t take God’s holiness seriously.  We are supposed to approach God and to worship Him with reverence, awe and respect, because He is holy.  Our God is like no other.  That’s the exact opposite of what Ananias and Sapphira did.  In their worship they lie and test God.  They underestimate God’s holiness.  In other words, they took God’s grace for granted.
 
Ananias and Sapphira may have known that truth, the truth of God’s holiness, but they certainly weren’t living it.  Their attitude and deeds testified to that.  Ananias and Sapphira looked good on the outside, but they were rotting on the inside.
 
Friends, the warning against living counterfeit Christianity and our awareness of God’s holiness ought to invite us today to examine our lives and search our hearts.  In Acts 5:5, Luke tells us that “great fear seized all who heard of it.”  In fact, later, in Acts 5:11, we also read that “great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.”  Heart searching is the proper response as we reflect on Ananias and Sapphira’s story.  King David prayed those great words in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”  Amen. 

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, June 6, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Companions of Jesus!!”
Acts 4:12-22
 
As we continue our summer sermon series in the book of Acts, our journey this morning takes us to Acts chapter 4.  Peter and John have just healed a crippled man at the Temple in Acts 3:1-10.  As a result, a large crowd gathered around them at Solomon’s Colonnade where Peter began to preach.  Peter seized the moment to preach the gospel message in such a powerful and compelling way.
 
While the book of Acts records powerful sermons, amazing miracles, and explosive church growth, it also reminds us that we are in the midst of a spiritual war.  For whenever believers seek to impact their culture, whenever the gospel is preached with power, and people’s lives are changed, the enemy stirs up fierce opposition.  And we’re going to see the situation get pretty nasty for the apostles in Acts chapter 4.
 
In Acts 4 verses 1-4, we find that Peter is interrupted right in the middle of his sermon. Luke tells us that, “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.  They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.  They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.  But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.”
 
Peter and John’s boldness in proclaiming the gospel is something that we cannot miss in Acts chapter 4.  They had Peter and John brought up before the elders, the teachers of the law, the Sadducees, Annas, the High Priest, Caiaphas, and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”  With courage Peter answered, “Know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed … Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” Wow!
 
I was struck by many statements in Acts chapter 4, but one in particular captured my heart.  It’s the words of Luke in Acts 4:13, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  The Jewish leaders were astonished by the boldness of Peter and John.  They weren’t impressed with their background.  They had no formal religious training.  It wasn’t in their education.  It wasn’t in their credentials.  They had none.  It was in the Spirit-filled boldness that was born out of knowing Jesus.  When the religious leaders considered all the facts, they came to one simple conclusion: Peter and John had been with Jesus.
 
Our companionship with Jesus … walking closely and faithfully with Him ~ That’s what makes the whole difference.  No fact is more important for our consideration today than that one; especially, all around us, we see signs of the diminishing impact of Christianity on our culture.  We wonder why Christians have lost our influence in society.  I think this verse offers us a very clear answer.  The early Christians turned the world upside down because they had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. That single fact explains the boldness of the first generation of believers who took the gospel from Jerusalem across the Roman Empire. I think the story of Peter and John in Acts 4 challenges us today in at least two ways:
 
First: You Can Be around Jesus and Yet not Be with Him
“They were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  It was more than just knowledge.  It was more than a few prayers.  It was more than religion as a hobby.  It was something that produced a dynamic power that transformed ordinary people into bold witnesses for Christ.
 
I think our temptation today is that we can be “around” but not “with.”  It is dangerous to be around Jesus and not be with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Jesus and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Christians and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around Christian events and being with Jesus.  There is a difference between being around the church and being with Jesus.  The disciples had been “with” Jesus and knew Him intimately and that changed everything.  Even their enemies could see the difference Christ had made in their lives. 
 
Second: Our Lives Should Carry the Aroma of Heaven
The lives of these disciples carried the aroma of Christ.  “They recognized them as companions of Jesus.”  In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”  Those who truly follow Christ, will always have the aroma of heaven.
 
Many years ago, I had a parishioner whose life carried that aroma of Christ.  I remember a comment someone made about him as he said, “Whenever he entered the room, I felt a little closer to heaven.”  Over the years, I have known a few people like that in my life; people who carried the aroma of Christ.  Those people draw you closer to the Lord whether they are talking or listening, laughing or crying, standing or sitting, following or leading because they carry the aroma of heaven.
 
Friends, Christians don’t become Christ-like by accident.  We become Christ-like when we become “companions of Jesus.”  We do not become like Christ merely by self-effort.  Without the Holy Spirit, we will stay exactly as we are.  Christian life is a journey, so keep going and keep following.  We are not there yet, but we are on the way.  This is our challenge.  This is our calling. And this is our prayer today.  May Christ be seen in us.  May the Holy Spirit fill us with grace and truth.  May the whole world know by the way we live that we have been with Jesus; we are companions of Jesus.”  Amen.

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, May 30, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“Our True Need!”
Isaiah 35:3-6; Acts 3:1-10
 
We all have needs.  Deep down in your heart there is something that you think your life will be much happier if you get hold of it.  Some of us would identify money as our need.  We need a job, or a raise, or help paying off our debt, or mortgage, car payment, or medical bills.  We would identify our need as financial. 
 
Others would identify relationships as their need.  They may be having marriage problems or family issues.  They may have a problem with a parent, a sibling, or a coworker that they don’t know how to fix.  They may need reconciliation or another try or to feel loved and accepted.  In this case, we would identify our need as relational. 
 
Some people would identify time as their need.  We’re just too busy with our schedules, our jobs, our kids’ sports, and many activities.  We don’t have enough time to get things done.  If only we had more time, everything would be easier.  Those people would identify time as their need.  I’m sure we can easily identify so many other needs—medical needs, emotional needs, and social needs.  
 
Today we kick off a new sermon series from the book of Acts.  Acts gives us a glimpse of the early Church’s life.  It also offers a detailed account of the challenges the early followers of Jesus had to face; where they found strength and how they were able to share the good news of Jesus with their friends and neighbors.  Through our summer months, we will be featuring some of the key passages in Acts and highlighting some of the wonderful lessons for our life today.
 
As we open our Scripture lessons this morning, we encounter a God who truly cares for the needs of His people.  Peter and John, two of Christ’s disciples, are going to the temple for a 3:00 pm prayer meeting, and as they’re walking into the temple compound, they encounter a man who has never walked.  He was born lame and has had to depend on the generosity of others his entire life, to be transported to the temple, maybe to get into his bed, eat, and go to the bathroom.  As we reflect on the story of this lame man today, please allow me to underscore two things:
 
First: We Underestimate our Need
The first thing that we see in our story is a person whose need was great.  His need was obvious.  His need was enormous.  Yet, for our surprise, the lame man actually underestimates his need and so do we oftentimes.  The lame man didn’t ask the apostles for healing.  He didn’t have a clear perception of his need.  Instead, he asks them for money.  “If I can just have more money, it will solve all my problems, or at least most of them.”  Have you ever told yourself that?  This man became so locked into a way of thinking he couldn’t imagine what God might do.  You and I also can become so locked in a way of thinking we can’t imagine what God can do. 
 
This lame man thinks he needs silver and gold.  He thought what he needed the most were shelter and food.  But Peter and John looked at him and said man, you don’t know what the Lord got in store for you today!  Listen to these words from Acts 3:6-7, “But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.”  Our need is bigger than food and shelter.  May we never underestimate our need.  But there is a second truth we see in our story today and it has to do with the source of our true satisfaction.
 
Second: Only God Can Satisfy our True Need
The lame man thought he needed silver and gold, but God knows our true need.  Peter and John knew the lame man needed God Himself.  He needs God to reach down into his life and touch him and that’s what we need.  The apostles knew only God can satisfy our true need.  Neither silver nor gold can satisfy our true need.  God always has greater things for us.
 
The lame man received God’s healing.  I like how Luke describes this man’s response in Acts 3:8, “Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”  A whole new world unfolds before him; from that moment on, this man lived his life with new perspectives. 
 
He jumps up and begins telling everyone how good God is!  He has encountered the life–giving power of God.  When God meets our needs, let’s tell others.  When God keeps providing for you month after month even though the budget is tight, tell others.  When God gives you peace in the midst of loss, tell others.  When God is there for you at your darkest moment, tell others!  We think our need is one thing, money, relationship, time, health, but in reality, our need is so much bigger.  We need God Himself.  
 
Friends, I think the question we should ask now is where do we go from here?  I would suggest, especially as we embark on this new journey together in the book of Acts, I would suggest examining our hearts this week.  What would you identify as your biggest need right now?  What’s taking up your mental energy?  If you were to imagine what God sees as your biggest need, what do you think God would identify? 
 
As you wrestle with these questions, may we always remember that our true need is more of God in our lives not more of the stuff of this world.  May we always remember that only God can satisfy the deep desires of our hearts.  When we do so, the Prophet Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.”  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Pentecost Sunday, May 23, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“A Pentecost People!”
Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:1-13
 
It was a warm spring day in Jerusalem.  It’s about 9:00 am Jerusalem time.  Everyone was excited about the Feast of Weeks.  They called it Shavuot, or Pentecost.  The Feast commemorates the giving of the Law.  They counted the days down with anticipation.  From Passover to the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt Sinai — exactly 7 weeks, 50 days.  And so from all over the Mediterranean basin and beyond, Jews who had scattered descended upon Jerusalem for a 2 day celebration.
 
Though it seemed a very normal and typical celebration day in Jerusalem, it turned out to be an awesome day.  The world didn’t know what the Lord had in store for His people.  On Pentecost, God did something surprising, something these Jewish pilgrims could not have expected.  Now, the 120 followers of Jesus gathered praying in the Upper Room knew what Jesus had said before His ascension.  Just before He ascended to heaven, the Lord had promised: “In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5).  But the visitors to Jerusalem knew nothing of Jesus’ promise.
 
When the wind blew, when the Holy Spirit descended, when the fire lit over the heads of the 120, when they heard them speaking their languages, miraculously empowered by God, the crowds were amazed.  Some thought they were drunk, even though it was only 9 a.m.!
 
Pentecost – today is Pentecost Sunday.  It’s the day on the Christian Calendar when churches around the world commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.  Pentecost sometimes is overlooked.  It may seem less important than Christmas (the Festival of the Incarnation) or Easter (the Festival of the Resurrection).  Yet Pentecost is foundational for our faith, especially for our life together as the Church, the People of God.  As we think about Pentecost today and consider Acts chapter 2, I would like to offer two lessons from Pentecost:
 
First: We Really Need the Holy Spirit
We can’t understand what happened in Acts chapter 2 unless we know something about Joel chapter 2.  When some people in the crowd at Pentecost accused the 120 of celebrating Shavuot a little too much, Peter stood before a crowd of Jews and appealed to the Jewish prophet, Joel.  Joel had prophesied what God would do on the day of Pentecost.  In his sermon to mostly Jewish audience in Acts 2:17, Peter quotes the words of Joel 2:28, “After that, I will pour out my spirit upon everyone; your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” 
 
God promised that one day He will pour out His Spirit upon His people.  His generosity in Christ will be shown to everyone.  He will permanently dwell among us.  The Old Testament saints longed for this day.
 
The first lesson we need to remember on this Pentecost Sunday is that we really need the Holy Spirit.  We need the companionship of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus knew that following Him in the world is not easy.  The task ahead of the disciples was not easy.  There was no way that the Church in its own power was up to the job.  They absolutely had to receive God’s power; the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
One of my favorite African American Spirituals is “Give Me Jesus!”  The earliest known version of “Give Me Jesus” was published in 1845 by the Rev. Jacob Knapp, a Baptist minister from New York.  It goes like this: (1) “In the morning, when I rise … Give me Jesus.  Give me Jesus … You can have all this world … But give me Jesus.  (2) And when I am alone … Oh, and when I am alone … Give me Jesus … You can have all this world … But give me Jesus.  (3) And when I come to die … Oh, and when I come to die.  Give me Jesus … You can have all this world … But give me Jesus.”  God’s presence is what we need the most.
 
Friends, if on that day long ago, the followers of Jesus really needed the Holy Spirit, then hear this: We really need the Holy Spirit today!  We simply cannot follow Jesus closely or serve Him faithfully if we operate in our own weakness. 
 
Second: We Really Need Each Other
But there is a second lesson we are reminded of on Pentecost.  Not only do we really need the Holy Spirit, but we also need each other.  It should strike us that Jesus could have sent the Holy Spirit on each of the 120 followers individually when they were praying at home alone.  Instead, the Holy Spirit fell when the disciples were in the Upper Room praying together.  There is something about joining forces that moves spiritual mountains.
 
What is striking about Acts 2 is that it begins with togetherness and it ends with togetherness.  Acts 2:42 speaks of shared teaching, shared meals, shared prayers, even shared possessions. The Holy Spirit united their hearts in singleness of purpose and mission.  Simply put, we cannot accomplish individually the mission God that God has given us.
 
A few weeks ago, I pointed out that community is at the heart of Jesus movement and we should make it our priority to unite ourselves with the Body of Christ.  Faith, I said, is a journey and it’s not meant to be traveled alone.  Community is extremely important.  We get fed in this community.  We are protected in this community.  We are safer in this community.  We reach our potential in the church community.  We love and we are loved in this community.  We exercise our spiritual gifts in this community.  We get blessed and we become a blessing to others in this community.
 
Friends, we have been called to be a Pentecostal people.  Of course, I am not referring to a certain denomination, rather, I am calling all of us today to demonstrate a Pentecostal spirit; to live as Pentecostal people; that is to recognize our daily need and dependency on the Holy Spirit.  The good thing is that we do this in community.  We lean on the wisdom of the body of Christ.  We journey together.  We follow together.  The power of God the Holy Spirit and the power of being part of the community of Christ are two ways that capture the spirit of Pentecost.  On these two important elements rise or fall our witness in the world.  In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen!

​First Presbyterian Church of Blackwood
21 E. Church Street
Blackwood, NJ 08012                                                                              
Sermon Notes (Sunday, May 16, 2021)
Rev. Dr. Mouris A. Yousef, Pastor
 
“He Ascended into Heaven: Why It Still Matters Today?”
Acts 1:6-11
 
A little boy asked his Dad, “Dad, did Grandpa make you go to Sunday school when you were my age?”  His father said, “He sure did, son. We went every Sunday.”  The boy said sadly, “Well, I bet it won’t do me any good either.”  The lesson is simple: It is not enough to just go to church. We must apply the Bible to our everyday lives.  Faith is useless if it doesn’t shape our actions.  Faith is dead if it doesn’t transform our lives.
 
This past Thursday was the fortieth day after Easter which means it was “Ascension Day.”  It is the day which marks the ascension of Christ into heaven.  Though often overlooked, the ascension is so central to our faith.  It’s a vital part of the whole Christian narrative.  That’s why it is mentioned in Scriptures in so many places.  No wonder that the early Christian creeds such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed clearly emphasized the ascension of Jesus.  So I want to take some time this morning to reflect on the ascension of Christ and what it means for us today.
 
You might wonder: “Why does the ascension matter?  I know it matters that Jesus died on the cross, and I know it matters that Jesus rose from the dead, but why does it matter that Jesus ascended into heaven?”  Why does Christ’s ascension matter?  What does the ascension mean for us today?  This morning I would like to briefly share with you a couple short observations on why the ascension matters to us today.  The first thought will address the ascension and the paradox of Christ’s presence and absence; and the second will look at need to balance between our longing for Christ’s return and the task before us today.
 
First: The Paradox of Christ’s Presence and Absence
It must’ve felt so wired not to have Jesus around.  For 40 days after His resurrection, Jesus presented Himself to the disciples and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive.  Now He is gone.  He went back to heaven.  
 
The disciples must’ve wrestled with the paradox of Christ’s presence and absence.  It’s true that He is with them always to the very end of the age, but He is not physically present.  He is not visible, yet He is there.  They cannot see Him, but they can talk to Him all the time.  Likewise, while we cannot sometimes sense the presence of Christ, we know He is not absent.  Christ is always present though sometimes He is hidden.
 
This paradox deepens the Trinitarian theology, meaning, and mystery of the sacraments. Christ is present in the sacraments in ways like no other events.  For example, though we don’t touch Him, though our eyes don’t get to see Him, in Communion, at the Lord’s Table, He nourishes us with His life by the Spirit.  He is present in all the ups and downs of life, but He also works in hidden, unusual, and mysterious ways.
 
The ascension captures the paradox of the Lord’s presence and absence.  Though presently seated at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 1:3, 2-5-9), “we do not see everything in subjection to him.”  The ascension reminds us that Christ’s reign is “already” but “not yet.”  The ascension reminds us that our God is both hidden and revealed; present though He may seem absent; quiet sometimes, though we shouldn’t doubt His presence; at the right hand of God in heaven, yet, His nearness is real.
 
Second: The Balance between Today and TomorrowThe ascension keeps us balanced between our longing for Christ’s return and fulfilling our tasks here on earth.  At Jesus’s ascension, in Acts 1:11, the two angels declared: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”  The ascension creates a longing for Jesus’s return.  It keeps us attached to heaven.  Our lives should be lived in the light and hope of Christ’s Second Coming. 
 
But as we long and wait for Christ’s return, we should not stay idle.  Rather, we should do what God has called us to do.  The ascension is a reminder of that balance.  I like how Luke in the book of Acts concludes the ministry of Jesus with the ascension.  He also launches the ministry of the church with the ascension.  The ministry of the church is the extension of what Jesus began to do and teach. The disciples are to live this balance between their longing for Christ’s future return and the present task ahead of them. 
 
Friends, I pray that we recapture today the truth of Christ’s ascension and be filled with the renewing and empowering hope that comes from the message that Jesus is our ascended King, reigning in the Spirit with the authority of His loving Father.  Let us remember today that the ascended Lord is still present with us.  He is our friend and our Good shepherd.  Though He might seem to be hidden sometimes, His faithfulness endures forever, and His compassion continues to all generations.  Let us also remember that the ascension is a reminder to balance between our longing for Christ’s return and our calling today.  We live with the hope of Christ’s Second coming while finishing the work He has given us today.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.