My Jesus

I began sermon with the Todd Agnew Song "My Jesus"; showing the words on the screen as it was sung.

My Jesus - By Todd Agnew

Which Jesus do you follow? Which Jesus do you serve?

If Ephesians says to imitate Christ, why do you look so much like the world?

Cause My Jesus bled and died, He spent his time with thieves and liars.

He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant.

So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land?

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness,

Or do ache for another taste of this world of shifting sand?

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins.

He spent his time with thieves and liars.

He loved the poor and accosted the rich.

So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow, this picture of the American Dream?

If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side?

Or fall down and worship at his Holy feet? Holy yeah!

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion is how you see Him as He dies for your sins. But the Word says He was battered and scarred,

or did you miss that part? Sometimes I doubt we’d recognize him.

‘Cause my Jesus beld and died.

He spent his time with thieves and the least of these.

He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable.

So which one do you want to be?

‘Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church.

The blood and dirt on his feet might stain the carpet.

But He searches for the hurting and despises the proud,

And I think he’d prefer Beale Street to the Stained Glass crowd.

And I know that he can hear me if I cry out loud.

I wanna be like my Jesus, I wanna be like my Jesus,

I want to be like my Jesus, I want to be like my Jesus.

Not a poster child for American prosperity but like my Jesus.

You see I’m tired of livin’ for success and popularity.

I wanna be like my Jesus, but I’m not sure what that means, to be like you Jesus.

Cause You said to live like you, love like you,

But then You died for me.

Can I be like You, Jesus?

I wanna be like my Jesus!

I wanna be like my Jesus!

Can I? Can I? Can I be like you Jesus?

My Jesus

Elizabeth Stutler

March 25, 2007

Isaiah 43:15-21; John 12:36b-43

Let us pray: Lord give me the words that you would have me to speak this day; open the hearts and minds which will hear and send your Spirit amonst us that each may gain what you would have us to gain. Amen.

It’s good to be home again, but I have to tell you in my travels I gained a new perspective of just how mighty is our God! We have had two teams go to Mississippi from Witmer’s Church and one from Lewisburg District and frankly until I saw for myself the ravages that Katrina left, I had no idea! Pictures can never do it justice and teams of people – even the 101 which went two weeks ago can only begin to put a few of these property damages to right.

But more importantly, I got a glimpse of true faith, faith in God which exists even in the midst of ruble and devastation. I got a glimpse of life after death and the hope that only Christ can bring. As the weeks pass, I will be sharing stories of the paths I crossed and the stories I will never forget, the pictures that now speak personal volumes and the heartfelt appreciation of the people in Mississippi.

Today, I would like us to turn toward what the scriptures say about Jesus and who and what it is that he really should mean in our lives.

I chose the song carefully and I know it was a long song to sit through. I hope you took the time to read the words as it was sung (played). Who is our Jesus?

Isaiah says, I am the Lord, your God. He is Creator and King. I am the one who cut a path through the mighty ocean and struck down pharaoh’s army with the back wash as the red sea went back into its own path.

In Isaiah it says too, to forget about the past because the great I AM is creating something new! Can you see it? Can you feel it?

Several years ago as I was coming home from Wesley Seminary at the end of four very long weeks, I felt a bubbling of energy within myself. I felt like I was waiting on a precipice about to jump into a new life. Energy was being sparked within me. I was ready to follow Christ wherever I was led and I still am. I can still feel that excitement and that element of waiting – kind of like a kid in front of a candy store window.