Transfiguration Sunday

“This is my Son – listen to him.”

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Transfiguration Sunday

Exodus 3:1-10                        
Acts 1:1-11; 2:1-4                  
Matthew 17:1-13

“This task of discovering a new identity can be one of the most exciting components of your interim time as a congregation. It is work inextricably tied to the other developmental tasks, especially the tasks of coming to terms with history and committing to new directions in ministry. Work on the other tasks will also be work on this one. Bit by bit, when you develop an eye for it, you will begin to see the outlines of a new identity that God is giving you for the next chapter of your journey as a community of faith. In that identity you will find your greatest clarity of mission and your fullest joy as a congregation. Knowing yourselves will also help you make a good leadership match in your next pastor.” - Temporary Shepherds: A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry

No one’s existence is static; thus the existence of a church is never static – we’re all always involved in changing in some way. Interim time seeks to address the inevitability of change in intentional ways, because this is how God relates to us.

MOSES – Exodus 3:1-10

1.      Past identity: son of a Hebrew slave, raised in Pharaoh’s home; murderer

2.     Identity-changing experience with God – burning bush and God’s voice

3.     Moses’ response: I can’t do it – find someone else. Ex. 3:11,14; 4:1; 5:22; 6:12,30 “Who am I …..What if they don’t believe me….I speak with faltering lips…”

4.     New identity – leader of God’s people; used in supernatural acts of God on their  behalf; teacher of God’s Word to God’s people.

Q: With what part of Moses’ story do you most identify? Why?

THE EARLY CHURCH – Acts 1:1-11; 2:1-4

1.      Past identity – varied – fishermen, tax collectors, homemakers

2.     Identity-changing experience with God – the Holy Spirit’s presence and power on Pentecost: Acts 2:1-4 

3.     Their response: Kept seeking more of what God was doing – Acts 4:23-31. “’Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’”  Acts 4:29-30 

4.     New identity: witnesses to the person and power of the risen Lord Jesus Christ; caring for the poor (widows); praying for the sick. 

Q: With which part of the story of these first Christians do you most identify? Why?

PETER, JAMES AND JOHN – Matthew 17:1-13

1.      Past identity – fisherman

2.     Identity-changing experience with God – Transfiguration of Jesus and God’s glory

3.     Their response: Let us stay put in our personal spiritual experiences – It’s about us.

“’Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’”

New identity – engaging in intensive supernatural ministry with hurting people; writing – books of the Bible; preaching and teaching.

Q: With which part of the story of Peter, James and John and their experience of the transfiguration of Jesus do you most identify? Why?

“We cannot, however, follow the view of some theologians that the purely supernatural gifts ceased with the death of the apostles. There seems no exegetical warrant for this assumption.” - The Work of the Holy Spirit, approved by the 182^nd General Assembly, PCUSA 

MONDAY MORNING

Read the Biblical texts given, one illustration a day, reflect on the dynamics, and respond to the question given. “This is my Son – listen to him.” What is he saying to you?

Forgiving Ourselves

Forgiving Ourselves: 

“Jesus Paid it All” 

– or did He?

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor 

Psalm 51:1-17                 
Micah 7:18-19                        
Matthew 26:69-75

“Then he began to call down curses on himself…he went outside and wept bitterly.” - Matthew 26:74

Q: Where in your history is there a place where you ‘call down curses on yourself’ and privately say to yourself, “I can’t/won’t forgive myself for ...” weeping bitter tears in the process?

GOD’S RESPONSE  TO SELF CONDEMNATION  

Condemnation: con = ‘with’ + damnare = ‘to inflict loss, to damn’. 
“This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.” - John 3:19-20

Jesus does not condemn us: “Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us!” - Romans 8:34 (J.B. Phillips)

“There is not one inch in the entire area of our human life about which Christ, who is sovereign of all, does not cry out, ‘Mine!’” Abraham Kuyper, 1837-1920, prime minister of the Netherlands and Calvinist theologian. Quoted in the book “Faith Unfolded” by Jim Osterhouse: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” - Isaiah 43:25

SO WHAT ABOUT FORGIVING OURSELVES?

I WON’T forgive myself, a matter of volition, of our will: we must choose to want to be forgiven.
I CAN’T forgive myself, a matter of ability: you are right – only Jesus can forgive you.

“Who can forgive sins but God alone?” - Mark 2:7

JESUS PAID IT ALL: FORGIVENESS OF SELF IS ACKNOWLEDGING THIS

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He forgives all my sins” - Psalm 103:2-3

MONDAY MORNING

Begin every day this week with these verses from Philippians 3:13-14:

“One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

“In Jesus, the best is always yet to come.” - Corrie ten Boom 1892-1983

The Power of the Cross

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men, torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood. 

CHORUS:
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Oh, to see the pain written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev’ry bitter thought, ev’ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.  CHORUS

Now the daylight flees; now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;
”Finished!” the vict’ry cry. CHORUS

Oh, to see my name written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death; life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love. 

FINAL CHORUS
This, the pow’r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost! 
We stand forgiven at the cross.”

The Importance of Friendship

Friendship

by Patty Smith

January 28, 2019

Friends are very important to us as we live are lives. The encouragement, help and love they give us enables us to embrace life well.

In 2012, Larry and I were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia beginning a new school for our organization, NICS. During that time Larry became very ill.  Dr. Peter Ng, who is a medical doctor and the Pastor for the local church, took one look at Larry during Sunday morning service and told Larry he was ill and that after church he would take us to the hospital.

That afternoon, Dr. Ng took us to the hospital, where he had admitting privileges, and checked Larry into the emergency room.  When Dr. Ng talked to the emergency room doctor he said, “This is my friend. Take good care of him.” Larry retold that story to me and spoke of how those words were so encouraging to him. The hospital staff took the best care of him and found the cancer, which took his life in 2014, within a week.

Just as Dr. Ng told the emergency doctor to take good care of Larry, as he was his friend, Jesus will stand in our stead and tell God our Heavenly Father that we are His friends. The first verse of the old song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” says this:

              “What a friend we have in Jesus 

              All our sins and griefs to bear!

              What a privilege to carry 

              Everything to God in prayer!”

I returned from a short term mission in Lima, Peru in August 2019 and am glad to be back worshiping at Patuxent Presbyterian Church. Thank you for praying for me and supporting me during my bv solo missionary experience in Lima, Peru.  I am blest to be back amongst my friends.  

Asking Forgiveness of Others

Asking forgiveness of others –

The difficult journey we don’t want to make.

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Matthew 5:23-24          
Luke 15:11-24              
Luke 15:25-32

The difficult journey we don’t want to make, 
involves the following steps:

THE JOURNEY INVOLVES WORSHIP - The healing of a broken place in a relationship where we need to go to someone and ask them to forgive us is framed by worship:

“… offering your gift at the altar ... leave your gift at the altar … be reconciled ... then come and offer your gift.” ~ Matthew 5:23, 24

This can be structured worship as on Sunday morning or an attitude or disposition of worship in our hearts toward the Lord, but it is in such a context the Holy Spirit brings to mind the names of those to whom we need to go and ask forgiveness.

THE JOURNEY INVOLVES REMEMBERING – to remember, recall, call to mind; from “again” and “mind.”

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.” ~ Matthew 5:23-24

“Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.” ~ Step Eight of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

THE JOURNEY INVOLVES GOING AND BEING RECONCILED Greek NT – verb to change, to cause one thing to cease and another to take its place.

English - prefix “re” again or back + verb “conciliare” bring together = to bring back together.

“First, go and be reconciled to your brother; …” ~ Matthew 5:24

“I apologize” or “Please forgive me”?

An apology = apologia = (apologetics) = a speech in one’s own self-defense.  
In an apology the other person receives something: “I apologize.” – “I accept your apology.”

Request for forgiveness = to give up desire to punish, and instead, to pardon.

Our request gives them an opportunity: “Please forgive me.” – Their response gives us a gift: “I forgive you.”  

The story of the prodigal son is a study in the dynamics of hurt, forgiveness and reconciliation.

MONDAY MORNING

Write the names of those you need to go to and ask for forgiveness. Will you ‘go?’

Pray: 

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
test me and know my anxious thoughts. 
See if there is any offensive way in me, 
and lead me in the way everlasting.”  
~ Psalm 139:23-24

“Forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which, despite their best intentions, people are unfair to each other and hurt each other deeply. He begins by forgiving us. And he invites us all to forgive each other.”  ~ Lewis Smedes, Forgive and Forget ©1984

Offering Forgiveness to Those Who Have Hurt Us - Why? Sermon Notes

"Offering forgiveness to those who have hurt us – Why?"

Patuxent Presbyterian Church

Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Matthew 18:15-17                           

Matthew 6:9-15                              

Genesis 50:15-21

What is to be our initial response to those who have hurt us? Luke 6:27-28

“’…love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…’”

Q: For whom do you need to pray who has mistreated you?

How many times are we to forgive those who have hurt us? Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” 

Q: Who do you need to keep on forgiving?

Why do I need to be the one who goes to the one who hurt me and offer forgiveness – shouldn’t they come to me? Matthew 18:15

“”If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.’”

Q: Do whom do you need to go and offer forgiveness by discussing with them how they have hurt you?

What can an offer of forgiveness confrontation look like?

Genesis 50:15-21

-          Sometimes a fear of vengeance – v15

“’What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’”

-          Sometimes a request for forgiveness – v17

“’Now please forgive the sins of the servants of God of your father.’”

-          Forgiveness in the context of God’s sovereignty – v19

“’Do not be afraid. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…’”

Offering forgiveness to those who have hurt us – Why? Matthew 6:12,14-15

“’Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us…For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’”   

Q; Reflective questions:

Where in our own life, your own history, are you having trouble finding forgiveness for yourself?  

Write the names of people you haven’t forgiven. How does this relate to your answer above based on Matthew 6:12,14-15?

THIS WEEK

Each day spend time on the questions in this outline – ask the Holy Spirit to help you know what the right answer before God is for you, and to give you a humble and willing heart to do what you know HE is showing you to do. You won’t regret it.

“The only day we ever have to forgive each other in is this one.”

Lewis Smedes, 1921-2002,  Forgive and Forget © 1984