A Family Celebration!

Part 1

Sermon Notes

September 27, 2009

Rev. Jim O’Neal, Senior Pastor

Sun Lakes United Methodist Church, 9248 E. Riggs Road, Sun Lakes, Arizona 85248 - (480) 895-8766

 

Hebrews 1:1-4 NRSV

1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.  3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.  When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

 

A.  Introduction

    1.  Your Witness

        a.  Imagine with me.  You are at one of your favorite places.  Maybe it’s on the golf course or playing bridge.  Maybe you are with the Krafters or in Lindsay Hall for a Tuesday Nights Together meeting.  Maybe you’re out for dinner with some friends or have invited a neighbor over for some coffee.  Someone comes up to you and it could be an acquaintance or even a close friend.  They ask, “You go to Church every week and are a Christian.  What do you believe about Jesus?”

        b.  How would you answer such a question?  Where would you start?

    2.  Today’s Scripture:  Hebrews 1:1-4

        a.  The author of Hebrews starts at the very beginning, at the first book of the Bible, Genesis.  The author of Hebrews says some remarkable and I believe wonderful things about Jesus and who He is.  And in the Book of Hebrews there is some Good News for all of us too!

        b.  This Sunday and next I will share four great truths:  Jesus is the human image of God!  Jesus was one of us.  Jesus died for us.  Jesus shows us that we are important to God!  This week I will cover the first two points.

 

B.  Jesus is the human image of God!

    1.  Today’s Scripture Hebrews 1:3

        a.  Hebrews says this of Jesus:  “He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1:3a TEV)

        b.  Those are pretty strong words concerning a fellow born in a barn in Bethlehem and raised in the backwater hamlet of Nazareth!  But the truth is that this humble carpenter named Jesus is the Incarnation of God.  This proves that you can’t judge a person by where they were born or by the humbleness of their background.

 

    2.  Sandra from Southeastern Arizona

        a.  When Harry and Ada Mae had their first child, whom they named Sandra, they had to travel 200 miles to El Paso, Texas for a hospital.  When they brought Sandra home it was to their ranch on the Arizona-New Mexico border and life was not easy.  Their little adobe home had no electricity or running water.  There was no school within driving distance.  With such limited resources most would not have predicted a bright future for the child.  When Sandra was four her mother began her education at home.  Later, Sandra was sent to the best boarding schools that the family could afford, because they wanted her to go to college.  Her father, Harry, had wanted to go to Stanford University.  However, Harry’s father, Sandra’s grandfather, died young and the family needed Harry to run the ranch.  Sandra, on the other hand, did get to attend and graduate from Stanford and you have heard of her.  Her full name is Sandra Day O’Conner and she became the first woman Supreme Court justice in the United States.  You can’t judge a person by their beginnings.

        b.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea it was not to well-to-do parents.  I’m confident they did their best.  As was the custom then, Jesus was taught at home and attended classes led by the local Rabbi.  But his parents could not afford to send him to any prestigious school or to any institution of higher learning.  He did not attend any college or some great university.  Yet He grew up to become one of the great religious figures of world history.  His life and message of love has truly changed the world for the better.  As the writers of the New Testament looked back upon the earthly life of Jesus, His positive and profound effect upon people, as they reflected on the meaning of the cross, and the glory of the resurrection and His ascension they realized that Jesus was no ordinary man.  Their conclusion:  He is the very Son of God!  The truth of the Incarnation is hard for some to believe.  I know even some in our congregation struggle with this.  Ultimately, each of us must make a decision:  Either Jesus is who He says he is, or He is a liar and the writers of the New Testament are liars.  I believe their testimony and their testimony is that when you have seen Jesus you have seen God!

    3.  Queen Elizabeth II

        a.  There is an interesting story told about Queen Elizabeth II.  Over the years one of her favorite places is her palace in Sandringham in windswept Norfolk.  She is said to enjoy walking the grounds even in the cold with her dogs at her side.  Sometimes she even goes into the village of Sandringham to shop.  One day she was visiting the village and a local resident stared at her and then commented, “Why, you look just like the Queen.”  To which the Queen replied, “How very reassuring.”  It’s a good thing that the Queen looks just like the Queen.

        b.  Our Christian testimony is that Jesus looks just like the King of Glory.  To see Jesus is to see the Lord of Creation.  And through Jesus we see God’s nature.  When He held the little children we see the tenderness of God.  When He condemned the self-righteousness of those who would exploit religion for their own gain, we see what is repulsive to God.  When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, we see God’s sorrow over any who are lost.  When He died on the cross for our redemption, we see just how much God loves us.  In the resurrection, we see the Creator’s validation that Jesus is the Son of God!  Yes, “He reflects the brightness of God’s glory and is the exact likeness of God’s own being!” (Hebrews 1:3a TEV)

 

C.  Jesus was one of us.

    1.  Next Week’s Scripture:  Hebrews 2:9

        a.  The Letter to the Hebrews, also, says:  “But we see Jesus, who for a short time was made lower than the angels.” (Hebrews 2:9a ICB)

        b.  When the Scriptures say that Jesus “for a short time was made lower than the angels” it means that He became a human being.  It means that Jesus lived among us and that He truly was one of us.

    2.  Huntington's Disease

        a.  Some years back, Dr. Nancy Wexler was the head of the U.N. Commission for the Control of Huntington’s Disease and Its Consequences.  In the 1980’s her team did an ambitious research project in several remote villages near Lake Mararcaibo in Venezuela.  One extended family in the area had the highest incidence of Huntington’s disease in the world.  Wexler’s team began detailed DNA studies of the villagers to determine who was most at risk.  Their research revealed an extensive family tree that allowed them to trace the disease all the way back to a woman who lived there in the 1800’s.  They hoped they could find a DNA marker that would lead them to the gene responsible for the disease. 

        b.  However, after a few of the Maracaibo villagers had donated blood and undergone skin biopsies the project floundered.  The villagers were greatly concerned about giving blood, because they had never done that before.  Here were these strangers from the United States and other countries taking their blood and walking off with it.  Nothing seemed to reassure the villagers.  Dr. Wexler tried to explain that her mother had died of Huntington’s disease, and that therefore she was one of them.  They expressed their doubts.  Finally, one of the nurses grabbed the doctor’s arm and pointed to the small mark, a biopsy scar left by the flap of skin she too had contributed for analysis.  The nurse said, “See, see, see?  She has the mark.  This proves that she really is part of the family.”  The villagers then began to cooperate.

        c.  Jesus is not only the image of God.  He truly was a human being.  He was one of us.  As John put it:  “The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us.  We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father’s only Son.” (John 1:14 TEV)  The only difference is that Jesus lived a perfect life.  As Peter tells us:  “He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips.” (1 Peter 2:22 TEV)  These truths express some wonderful Good News for each and every one of us.  Jesus is the only human who on His own merit can stand blameless before the Father.  And on the cross Jesus takes our deserved punishment and gives to us His righteousness that we might all be with God forever!  Jesus died for us, because He loves and values us so very much.  We’ll talk about this more next week.

 

D.  Conclusion:  There are four important things that we believe about Jesus.

    1.  Today, we proclaim:

        a.  Jesus is the human image of God!

        b.  Jesus was one of us.

    2.  Next Week, we will affirm the truths:

        a.  Jesus died for us

        b.  Jesus shows us that we are important to God.

 

A Family Celebration!

Part 1

 

1.  Jesus is the human image of God!

 

2.  Jesus was one of us.

 

3.  Jesus died for us

 

4.  Jesus shows us that we are important to God.

 

Hebrews 1:1-4 NRSV

1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.  3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word.  When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.