| If You Build It We Will Come Good afternoon and welcome to WolfPoet Ministries and our Sunday sermon here on Blog Talk Radio. You can find us on the net at www.wolfpoet.net and www.mychurch.org/WolfPoet-Ministries The call in number here (347) 945-5241. The chat room is up, you can log in and chat there as well. We will take prayer requests at the end of the service. All are welcome. ~Opening Prayer ~Dear Lord,Today we are gathered together to learn that there is more to life and living than we realize. We are here to learn that if we build it He will come. It’s not a building, it’s a new beginning, a beginning in Christ, as was brought to us through the gospels when our Lord Jesus Christ set his hand on Peter’s shoulder and said “upon this foundation I will build my church.” What a glorious expression, for Jesus didn’t refer to walls, concrete a roof and a steeple, He referred to the spirit of mankind, the heart and soul that we each have where we glorify His existence, His birth, teachings, suffering, death and resurrection. It is an ongoing miracle of existence that Christianity portrays, no matter the version it takes. Christianity alone has transformed this world in many ways, as Jesus predicted it would do, as God assured it would manage. For this reason Lord, we call upon you to help those who are sick, bring peace to those who are angry, bring patience to those who have none, bring solace to those who are crying and bring comfort to those who need comforting. For with a song in our hearts, we shall greet you as we step forth through the gates of Heaven’s paradise. We ask this through the glory that is Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen and so it shall be. Today’s song is a bit unorthodox, but it coincides with the sermon. Here is your first dose of the unusual - I Will Follow Him. ~Opening Song ~ I Will Follow Him ~Okay, now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you what led me to even try this with such an outrageous beginning. Well, when Rev. Teresa did Signs on Wednesday, I was absolutely inspired. There are amazing, unusual and downright weird signs we get every day in relation to our belief systems. And, we get tested on them in every way imaginable. You may wonder why I chose this theme to begin with. I mean, first I challenge a line from the movie Field of Dreams, then I smack you right in the kisser with Sister Act, which many would consider blasphemy in grand form, in all cases. What if I were to tell you that they were just another expression of faith? They are you know, faith in fellow man, faith in God, faith in our own security and belief in ourselves. Now, I told you that Rev. Teresa’s sermon inspired me. Not all of her sermon, but part of it. The sign portion definitely influences this but everything at the end, in her “list” did a lot to influence me, as you’ll note in the end of my sermon. To refresh your memory, here are the items on the list Rev. Teresa provided. Ten Guidelines From God
Effective Immediately,
please be aware that there are changes YOU need
to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be
completed in order that I may fulfill My promises
to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. Please, follow these 10 guidelines
1. QUIT WORRYING:
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit
and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here
to take all your burdens and carry them for you?
Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little
thing that comes your way?
2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it
on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY
to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care
of the problem. I can't help you until you turn
it over to Me. And although My to-do-list
is long, I am after all ... God. I can take care
of anything you put into My hands. In fact,
if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never
even realize.
3. TRUST ME:
Once you've given your burdens to Me,
quit trying to take them back. Trust in
Me. Have the faith that I will take care of
all your needs, your problems and your trials.
Problems with the kids? Put them on My list.
Problem with finances? Put it on My list.
Problems with your emotional roller coaster?
For My sake, put it on My list. I want to
help you. All you have to do is ASK.
4. LEAVE IT ALONE:
Don't wake up one morning and say,
"Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think
I can handle it from here." Why do you think
you are feeling stronger now? It's simple.
You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking
care of them. I also renew your strength
and cover you in my peace. Don't you
know that if I give you these problems back,
you will be right back where you started?
Leave them with Me and forget about
them. Just let Me do my job.
5. TALK TO ME:
I want you to forget a lot of things.
Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because
you know I'm in control. But there's one
thing I pray you NEVER forget. Please, don't
forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU!
I want to hear your voice. I want you to
include Me in on the things going on in your life.
I want to hear you talk about your friends
and family. Prayer is simply you having
a conversation with Me. I want to be your
dearest friend.
6. HAVE FAITH:
I see a lot of things from up here that you
can't see from where you are. Have faith in
Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me ...
you wouldn't want the view from My eyes.
I will continue to care for you, watch over you,
and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.
Although I have a much bigger task than you,
it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?
7. SHARE:
You were taught to share when you were
only two years old. When did you forget that
that rule still applies? Share with those who
are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with
those who need encouragement. Share your
laughter with those who haven't heard any in
such a long time. Share your tears with those
who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith
with those who have none.
8. BE PATIENT:
I managed to fix it so, in just one lifetime
you could have so many diverse experiences.
You grow from a child to an adult, have children,
change jobs many times, learn many trades,
travel to so many places, meet thousands
of people, and experience so much. How can
you be so impatient then when it takes Me
a little longer than you expect to handle
something on My to-do-list? Trust in My
timing, for My timing is perfect. Just
because I created the entire universe in
only six days, everyone thinks I should
always rush, rush, rush.
9. BE KIND:
Be kind to others, for I love them just
as much as I love you. They may not dress
like you, or talk like you, or live the same way
you do, but I still love you all. Please try
to get along, for My sake. I created each
of you different in some way. It would be
too boring if you were all identical.
Please, know I love each of your differences.
10. LOVE YOURSELF:
As much as I love you, how can you not
love yourself? You were created by me for
one reason only -- to be loved, and to love
in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me.
Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.
It makes My heart ache when I see you
so angry with yourself when things go
wrong. You are very precious to me.
Don't ever forget ......
Touch someone with your love.
Rather than focus upon the thorns of life,
Smell the roses and count your blessings! Psalm 25:9 The humble He guides in justice,
And the humble He teaches His way. This is a verse that says God guides the humble ones in justice and His way. If we are humble about our abilities, our skills, and our challenges and failures, God will show us His way. His footprints in the sand are there, all we have to do is step into them. Now, this gets me started into a bit of a lesson plan that was brought to me in another one of my little newsletters, except this one didn’t have thing one to do with the Bible. It has to do with business. Business you ask? Well, Jesus Himself walked into the sanctuary of one temple to find business being done within the walls, and He objected. He showed how they were defiling a holy place. Now, true business observes ethical and straight forward ideals. Chris Lytle, a writer for Arcamax publishing, He’s writing about lessons in leadership, and it’s almost, and I mean almost, exactly as Jesus taught in the temple and through His life. Lessons in Great Leadership: Leading People Through Change
Chris Lytle, CSP, Author of The Accidental Salesperson Japan's Prime Minister from 1998 to 2000, Keizo Obuchi, wrote an article in the International Herald Tribune that provides us with three quick leadership lessons. He writes:
"The systems and processes that made us so successful in the past no longer work. They have become heavy shackles that hold us down. It is not easy to abandon the formula for previous success. Yet we realize the world has changed."
This is something that God did. He realized that the world needed impetus to change.
These could have been the words of a group head explaining the latest earning report to the analysts or the words of a GM whose "heritage" format was under attack.
Leadership Lesson #1: Acknowledge that things are going to be different and not necessarily pleasant for a while.
Obuchi continues, "Painful structural changes are under way. Our country, which once prided itself on its "lifetime employment" practices -- once hired, a graduate was guaranteed work at the same company until retirement -- today has an unemployment rate higher than that of the United States. Japanese companies can no longer afford to make social stability a priority and keep workers on the payroll regardless of earnings. So unemployment is not just an indicator of our immediate economic problems, it is a byproduct of our transition to a new economy." Now that’s the beginning excerpt from the article, and it fits right in with what God and Jesus were doing. Each person has a job, a task that must be done. The next verse shows how Jesus and God divided this up.
Ephesians 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
Leadership Lesson #2: Followers already know change is painful. They need to know why it's worth it. Jesus’ apostles, even Noah, Jonah, Abraham and Aaron and Moses needed to know in so many ways, why the changes they had to endure were necessary and how they would be worth it.
Song My God (My Guy tune) from Sister Act
Great leaders take the time to explain what is happening and why. They use the word "because" a lot. Workers are more willing to put up with change when they feel someone is in charge and there is light at the end of the tunnel. People who are used to one way of doing business will go through predictable passages when change occurs. Jesus had his ways in regard to business, and influenced business in many ways, I’ll tie it in soon.
1. Denial. This is when you must provide as much information as possible.
Ministers and lay persons alike must provide information, especially to those who are in denial as to their status as Christians. Sometimes we even must provide information to others who have been ministers and lay persons.
2. Resistance. Allow people to talk about their concerns, and listen more than you talk. Even sinners must have their say, to voice their problems with letting God take their pain, fears, and whatever else off their shoulders.
3. Exploration. Once people go through the first two stages, they start to look for ways to deal with their new situation. It is when we plant the seed of hope in those who feel terminally lost, and that hope blossoms, that God’s voice is heard once more. And due to this, the next song fits, because, for God, we are always on His mind.
Song ~ Willie Nelson’s ~ You Are Always On My Mind ~ The reason I chose this song is that in our exploration of God’s love and the plans He has for us in life often take us down many a winding road. I want you to listen to the words and realize that the rest of this sermon reflects upon a journey, a journey most of us have been making since we realized there was something more than just family, friends, and mundane existence.
4. Re-commitment. If you've done a good job of leading people through change, you will have new bursts of creativity and loyalty from workers who have made it through the storm. We often forget that we have to recommit ourselves to truth and to hope and even to peace, every morning when we get out of bed and every day we live recommitting ourselves to recognize the love that comes only from God and Jesus.
I Timothy 2:1-2 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. Matthew 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. A good song for this is “I Have Decided” by Amy Grant, and then we’ll see what else the spirit has in store for us.
Leadership Lesson #3: Paint a picture of the future.
Here you’ve seen not only how the Apostles and the earliest of Christians managed to get back in the swing of things, and follow the truth, the light and the life as Jesus showed them, but you’ve seen that through everything they learned what sacrifice, hardship and humility could actually teach each and every one of them. Ray Cansella and Delores Van Cartier learned this too. I took half a dozen or more pages of notes for these two movies, simply because I wanted to show you that there is an orthodox view, an “organized religious view” or there is the “true view” which shows that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. They have a vision. A vision as our author of this article tells us, is something we should pay attention to. This is one thing that takes a lot of faith. One song fits this, and that song I play often. ~Song ~ Randy Travis ~ Open the Eyes of My Heart ~
That's the "vision thing."
Obuchi concludes, "When Japan overcomes its current economic difficulties, it will emerge a more vibrant and flexible society. We will be in an even stronger position to support the values that we share so deeply with the United States--freedom, democracy and respect for human rights."
Peter Drucker (and there is only one other Higher Authority) put it like this. "What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that's another matter."
What leaders have to do today is lead people through change. It's as simple as 1-2-3. Acknowledge, explain why, and paint a picture of the future. If you didn’t recognize this before, even ministers follow this rule. We all have three steps, we must acknowledge ourselves and God’s existence in our lives, we must continually explain it, not just to ourselves but to others, and we have to portray what the future in God’s path can bring us all. Mark 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.Luke 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Now, in Sister Act, Delores Van Cartier, played by Whoopi Goldberg is, in many ways, a modern day version of Mary Magdalene, which she plays to the hilt as part of the “act” half of Sister Act. She catches her mobster lover in the act of shooting a squealer. Because of this she ends up under protective police custody with Lieutenant Eddie Salther putting her in the convent at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church. The action gets a volatile reaction from Delores, and an equally repulsed Reverend Mother. With all the suffering the nuns are going through, Delores suffers as much or more. For many reasons, she cannot completely remove herself from “normal” interactions and, as per usual for her, it gets her in trouble. Well, we’ve all been in trouble at some points in time. Yet, when we try our hardest, we are rewarded. We see this in the next verse. "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6b) Delores becomes the choir director by a vote and she does amazing things that the entire choir cannot believe. Delores adds a little of the world to the music in this Catholic Church and it “packs them in” as the priest had long been wishing would happen. The crescendo of the movie occurs in not just one way, but in two. First, the nuns are expecting the Pope to arrive to hear them sing, and second, Delores’ nemesis has found her hiding in the habit. So, as happened many times to Jesus, all havoc breaks loose, and they end up in Reno to “save” Delores, no, not just the cops, the nuns take it upon themselves to rescue the one who “rescued” them. As unorthodox as Sister Act may appear, we often think of this when we get ourselves in a terrible spot. We often ask for this very thing, and we ask it not only of those around us, but we ask God and Jesus for this as well. Now we all want or need to be “rescued” from ourselves or our lives once in a while. So, in keeping with the theme, here’s Sister Act’s version of Aretha Franklin’s ~ Rescue Me ~ Now, I’m going to get back to Delores and Ray in a few minutes. This past March, I received a surprisingly biblical birthday card from an unexpected source. Yet, it fits these two characters and their situations as much as it fits the “Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign” sermon done by Rev. Teresa this past Wednesday. How, you may wonder, does this sermon about two very different movies and a business letter, fit with Signs? Well, let me show you. The birthday card came from family members who have surprised me as much as they’ve shocked me over the past 18 months or so. This birthday card, quite literally fits into the theme of Signs as Rev. Teresa brought up a list of things she received in an email earlier. So, I’ve got my own list, one I have written on this birthday card, and fastened to my wall where anyone can read it. It’s a list that may surprise you. Here’s what it reads: Ten Things To Keep In Mind1. Trust in your instincts. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t… fun, tempting…maybe, but not right.2. Remember your manners. It doesn’t cost you anything, but it speaks volumes about who you are. Having class starts with this.3. Never let possessions “own” you. It’s just stuff! The most valuable things in life – friends, respect, love, knowledge – they don’t cost money… it may be hokey, but it’s true.4. Nurture your friendships. The investment you make in true friends will pay huge dividends all your life – remember, you can’t make an old friend.5. Keep your hands clean. This is meant both literally and figuratively…it will save you a lot of regrets later…6. Believe in yourself. Yeah this is another hokey one, but you do happen to be the only you in existence, and you’re also the only person in the world who can truly hold you back in life…Think about it.7. Be grateful. Don’t waste all your todays in anticipation of some grand tomorrow. Now is all we’ve got. Live in it!8. Treat others the way you want to be treated. (Okay so this one isn’t made up) The point is, just because you’re smarter, or richer, or prettier than someone else doesn’t mean you’re any better. It just means you’ve been more blessed.9. Always keep playing. Who says adults have to give up toys? Keep the little kid inside you alive…it keeps your imagination primed. Silly is good.10. No matter what, you will always be loved. You don’t have to test this one…Just carry it around in your back pocket, and know that, no matter what, you can always come home. If you can’t remember all that, remember just one, You Are Loved. Delores doesn’t realize she’s getting just that, she’s getting rescued, until the very end. Ray Cansella realizes the same thing at the end of the movie Field of Dreams, but first he’s hit with the words that emanate from his cornfield, “If you build it he will come” Much like it says in the book of I Chronicles: "If you seek Him, He will let you find Him" (1 Chronicles 28:9). “If you build it, He will come” now, think about this. If you build it, He will come. I’m not talking a church building, I’m talking the spiritual fullness that comes with knowing God and believing that Jesus Christ went through with the ultimate sacrifice at being put to death as an innocent man, hung on that cross, the cruelest, most grueling method of death to sentence a man to, even to this day, and Jesus had the strength to say “It is Finished” upon His last breath. He hung there for hours! Hours, he hung there bleeding, losing the bodily fluids, all water was either drained out of him through the hole in his side, or through the perspiration as he hung there in the burning sun at midday. During the last days of Jesus’ life He spoke to all of his disciples in many ways. But to one or two of those disciples, the words He spoke resonated for the rest of their lifetimes. One of those was Paul, who we’ve read many an epistle and letter from throughout the gospels and the New Testament. Another was Peter. Matthew 16:18 shows us what Peter became, and the very reason we should realize, Jesus already built His church, in the hearts of men and women, as is shown to us here.Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.One of the most poignant scenes in the movie Field of Dreams happens at the very end, but the one that gets many people’s attention is when the spirit that owns the voice Ray Cansella hears in the corn field asks him when the “field of dreams” is finished “Is this heaven?” His answer, “no, it’s Iowa.” But, to those baseball players, the spirits in the corn field, it was their version of heaven. They could do the one thing they yearned to do. Much like Jesus wished for His followers and listeners to do, Ray Cansella listened and heard their plea. He answered their plea when he heard the voice say, “If you build it he will come.” Jesus said many times in His own way, “If you build yourselves from the inside out, in the pathway of God as I lead you, paradise is within reach.” The path to heaven is through the love of Jesus Christ. Do you listen and hear? If you could, would you? Especially if you think it’s a crazy idea? Jesus had and has many followers who are still thought of as crazy, because He’s been “dead” for over 2000 years. In the movie Field of Dreams, Ray hears the plea and he asks “build what?” then he asks “who will come?” It creeps everyone out. But then, I assume the thought that if the men and women of ancient Israel followed Jesus or heard what He had to say, His words probably creeped them out a whole lot. It sure creeped out the Pharisees and priests in the temples, even scared the rich and the rulers in many ways, some of them to the point, like Pontius Pilate, they washed their hands of the situation. Jesus’ following was huge, downright enormous, so much so that Jew and Gentile were included in the following, in a very short time, no less. His field of dreams was much grander than most “heads of state” were very afraid of, because it meant Jesus held more power than most of them. Jesus knew that when the day of his death came, He would right a very old wrong. This is much like the Field of Dreams where Ray Cansella got the chance to right several old wrongs, where he found Shoeless Joe Jackson, Terrence Mann, and John Cansella, so he could right three old wrongs at once. Jesus righted billions of wrongs, not just two or three, but billions. Jesus hung on that cross, to right the wrongs that led back to Adam and Eve and forward into the future to present day and beyond. This includes the billions of men and women and even children, ninety-five percent of them not even born in the days Jesus walked the earth. I picked a song for one reason, it’s something we often ask, and I’m certain several of these characters, the Reverend Mother, Delores, Ray Cansella and even Terrence Mann were asking for this during the two very different movies. How often do you ask? Did you know if you did ask, life would seem so much better? Here’s the next song. ~ Song ~ Carrie Underwood~ Jesus Take the Wheel ~ The characters in these movies face the ultimate fear in different ways, just as it was different for Jesus. Jesus’ death was magnified in the sins of all humankind. The deaths Delores and Ray and even Terrence recognized were potentially their financial, spiritual or even physical deaths. Delores by the shooting of the man her lover kills, and then the “hit” that’s put out on her. Ray in the near loss of his daughter by choking, and Terrence, in the exploration of the cornfield where the “voice” asks him to come. It’s at this point where Terrence understands what “believing” takes. In the case of Delores, it was when the sisters came to her rescue, even faster than the cops. God intervened, showed them the way, as He did for the Apostles when the Holy Spirit descended. If we build up our spirit, build up our belief, the love, the faith, the understanding, of God’s very existence will be instilled, not just in our hearts and heads, but in our souls. It doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor, lawyer, maid, or garbage man, all of us have a place in God’s paradise, as long as we believe. If we make His paradise in ourselves we can find that together heaven can be better than a Field of Dreams. It can be better than an Act of God, it can be REALITY, heaven on earth is possible, because even in God’s time, dreams come true. Talk with callers and discuss chat room stuff prayer requests and so on. Try to take up 10 minutes. Do you love Him unconditionally and with all your heart? Will you follow Him? And since He built it, will you come? Ask yourself these questions as we pray. Dear Lord in Heaven,We have gathered here today to bring glory to Your Holy Name and to find the way to walk in the footsteps of the Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may be both humble and faithful no matter who we are or where we come from. We hold up our fears, our worries, our troubles and terrors, our needs for healing and our needs for solace, we hold them up to You dear Lord, and we thank you for the life we live, no matter how much we have toiled, it has been lived, and has its own precious memories you have let us keep as the pains and worries have fallen away. We thank you Lord for bringing people to us and for bringing Your message in so many amazing ways. May we be blessed by Your Holy Spirit as we get through the week and may Your Grace and Your Love be felt, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen and so it shall be.~ Song ~ Randy Travis ~ My Rock, My Sword, My Shield ~http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Reverend-Laura/2008/09/21/If-You-Build-It-We-Will-Come |
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