A ship ...was in a serious storm... and in grave distress. The passengers ... were alarmed.
One of them finally, ... against orders, .... went up to the main deck ... and made his way to the pilot house.
The pilot was at the wheel, ... but seeing the man was greatly frightened; ... he gave him ...a reassuring smile.
Returning to the other passengers the man said. ... "I have seen the face of the pilot, .... he smiled. ... All is well."
"I have seen the face of the pilot, ... he smiled ... All is well.
" Can be the phrase on which the story of the transfiguration is based.
Jesus took Peter, ... James ... and John to the top of the mountain .... and there Jesus was changed ... transfigured .... into a white glow ... that could never be duplicated on earth.
And Along with this glow ... came two people out of history, .... Elijah and Moses.
The 3 disciples did not know what to make of this situation.
But impulsive Peter said ...let us build three booths, ......three monuments to this great occasion.
Let us stay here and relish in the moment.
And then a voice said to them, ... "This is my beloved Son; ... listen to him." (Luke 9:35; Mark 9:7)
Just as they seemed not to be able to comprehend any more, ... everything was gone. (Pause)
Then Jesus told them to follow him down the mountain .... and not to tell anyone ... of this experience.
Peter, James and John could have thought to themselves, ... "We have seen the face of the pilot, .... he smiled. .... All is well.
"They saw the glory of God through Jesus, ...Moses ... and Elijah.
They had heard the voice of God as he spoke on that mountain.
They could have thought, ... we can face all the storms the world may send us.
We are ready to lay battle with the world, Yes...all is well. But did they?
Their first impulse ... was to stay on that mountain top ... with all its majesty and glory.
Their first impulse was stay ... in that moment.
Their first impulse was to stay in this glory, to stay put, to not leave the mountain. (Pause)
I remember when Lee and I took a short cruise vacation to the Bahamas.
The last night as we were sailing back to Florida .... we went to the bow of the ship ... to be by ourselves.
The water was like a mirror ... you could see the stars ... reflecting on the ocean.
The engines from the ship rumbled in the background of the night.
It was a moment together that I will never forget.
The scene on the bow of the ship, ... in the wonderful movie Titanic ... reminded me of that time together.
Then all of a sudden, ... a storm blew in.
The wind started to blow, ... and lightening started to flash ... in the distant sky.
I was so enthralled by the beauty of the scene that I lingered.
I did not want to leave the majesty ... of the moment.
Then, in an instant, lightning flashed near the ship.
It was time to leave the mountain top, ... but the memory holds firm. (Pause)
We all have had mountaintop experiences.
Times when we have felt like we were on top of the world.
Perhaps you had a mountaintop experience when your children were born, ... when you were married, ...when you received a special blessing from God.
Maybe your mountaintop experience occurred as you sat quietly in prayer .... Basking in the presence of God.
Maybe God has brought you to a mountain top where you felt God was so close .... that you could almost reach out and touch him.
A time when you saw the face of the Pilot, ... The face of God ... and all was well. (Pause)
We have before us today the glorious story of the transfiguration of Jesus.
This story is found in Matthew, Mark and Luke and in Matthews telling ... The story of the Transfiguration ... actually starts in the previous chapter.
Hear God's word BIBLE "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say the Son of Man is?' They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' 'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." END (Matthew 16:13-18)
Beloved ... Jesus is not another John the Baptist, ... he is not another Elijah, ... Jeremiah or another one of the prophets, ... he is ...without equal.
And especially, in these times, we need to understand that Jesus is not just another religious leader, he is without equal.
He stands alone. There is no one with whom he can be compared.
He is the way the truth and the life and no one can come to the father except through him.
Well on the mountain our Lord is transfigured.
The word "transfigured" is a very interesting word.
The Greek word is "metamorpho" and it means to transform, or to change.
Matthew uses the passive ... of the verb metamorpho, ... indicating that God is behind the transformation.
It also means to change the outside ... to match the inside.
The prefix "meta" means to change ... and the "morphe" means form.
To change the form.
Paul uses the same verb ... to describe the spiritual transformation ... that believers experience ... as a result of regeneration.
In the case of the transfiguration of Jesus it means ... to match the outside ... with the reality of the inside.
To change the outward ... so that it matches the inward reality.
Jesus' divine nature was "veiled" in human form ... and the transfiguration ... was a glimpse of his glory.
Jesus said, "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:16)
There is only one way to Heaven.
And that is by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
The glory that was concealed within Him was revealed on that mountain.
These three men were given a glimpse ... of the glory ... that all of God's children will see when we enter the Heavenly Gates.
The Scriptures promise that One day, we will see Jesus in all of His glory.
We shall see our Lord Face to Face (Pause) (1 John 3:2)
Beloved ... Do you have a heart ... that seeks to know God's will?
Are you allowing the Holy Spirit ... to mold you ... to conform you ... to transform you ... into the Image of Jesus?
Beloved ... We do not need to see ...new pictures ... we do not need to see ... new things.
We need to see the world ... with ... new eyes.
We do not need to hear a ... different voice.
We need to hear the unchanging voice of God ... with different ears.
We do not need to escape the circumstances ... of our life.
We need to be more fully present ... in ... those circumstances.
And ...When we allow this to happen ... life is no longer ...lived at the surface.
If we yield to each of these life encounters ... through new eyes ... through new ears ... then they become ...transfigured moments:
Moments when the picture of our life ... in a way ... becomes a window.
A window ... into a new world ... a window into the spiritual realm ... where we come face to face ... with the transforming ... glory ... of God.
Most of us, ... I think, ... I hope ... seek God ... in the circumstances ... of our life.
We want God to show up, ... to be present, ... to act ... to do something.
Beloved ... we serve ... a God of action ... a God who does.
A God ... who yearns ... to interact ... with His people.
We might think about this .... as the first part of ...the spiritual journey.
A journey of discovering God ... in the circumstances ... In All the circumstances ... of Life.
We must Look ... and Seek.
Where is God ... in the picture?
And that is exactly what the disciples have been doing... up to this point.
They have seen Jesus cast our demons, ... cure the sick.
Paralytics walk, ... the blind see, ... thousands are fed.
Yet at some point, ... if we are to mature in the faith ...we must begin to discover .... the God ... who is beyond ... the circumstances.
That is ... the God ... who is.
And Peter, James and John experienced the reality Jesus as he was transfigured.
The mountain top experience for the 3 disciples .... was glorious.
They wanted to stay, ... to stay ... and take in all that they had seen ... All that they had heard.
And many times ... we as Christians want that mountain top experience in our faith life.
We want that glorious feeling ... of being with God.
Some even demand it.
And Sadly, ... others try to make those who have not had that experience ... feel guilty!
We like the highs, ...we shun the lows.
Some feel that if their lives ... or the lives of those around them .... are not always glorious, ...... something is wrong ... with their faith.
Yet Jesus ... did not see it that way.
After the experience on the mountain, ... what did Jesus do?
He went down the mountain... and set his face toward Jerusalem; .... toward ... the Cross.
Jesus understood the need for the mountain top, ... yet the real work ...... is in the valleys
The real work ...is in the depth of the human condition ... of sin.
With all its ... brokenness.
On that hill called Calvary .... Jesus felt and experienced the human condition ... in all its brutality.
He knew the depth of suffering ...of human suffering, .... of our suffering.
He knew the anguish.
He knew the despair ... that life gives us ...at times.
He knew and felt it all ... on that cross.
Yet, ... through the resurrection of Easter .... he conquered it all.
Jesus went to the mountain ... to be transfigured, ... but came down the mountain ....to be ... the Savior. (Pause)
He calls us to have a relationship with him, .... and then to come down into the human condition ...... to minister to those around us ...with love ... and compassion.
Mountain top experiences are wonderful, ... but living, ... working, ... helping, ... loving in the valleys .... is where Christ calls us to be. (Pause)
The writer of Hebrews tells us that our faith .... our walk on this earth .... is much like running a race.
And Beloved .... This race is more like a marathon ... than a sprint.
We are in it ... for the long haul ... and perseverance is required .... to reach the end.
There will be times when the wind ... is at your back.... When you are running well.
There will be other times ... when you stumble and fall.
There will be times when you grow weary and do not feel like running at all.
I am moved by the Olympic marathon runners
Especially those who collapse ... as the cross the finish line ... because they have given it all.
We must each decide ... how we are going to finish .... this race of life.
Beloved ...... you have seen the face of the Pilot, ... you have seen the face of Jesus ...and all is well.
Give it all, ... we only have one race to run.
Let us cross the finish line ... expending our last gasp of strength.
Give all of who you are ... empty yourself and as you cross that finish line of life .... Finish knowing you had no more to give. (Pause)
Let us Fight the good fight .... And finish the race.
And Beloved ... may we each finish well.
Amen and Amen!
(Three Additional Stories Below)
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal gift: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing.
This Sermon is based on Tim Zingale's Sermon " I saw the face of the pilot" which I commend to you..
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Homily was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings
Story 1:
The writer Max Lucado tells a story of a lady who had a small house on the seashore of Ireland at the turn of the century was quite wealthy but also quite frugal.
The people were surprised, then, when she decided to be among the first to have electricity in her home.
Several weeks after the installation, a meter reader appeared at her door.
He asked if her electricity was working well, and she assured him it was.
"I'm wondering if you can explain something to me," he said. "Your meter shows scarcely any usage. Are you using your power?"
"Certainly," she answered. "Each evening when the sun sets, I turn on my lights just long enough to light my candles; then I turn them off."
She tapped into the power but did not use it.
Her house is connected, but not altered.
Don't we make the same mistake?
We, too with our souls saved but our hearts unchanged are connected but not altered.
Trusting Christ for salvation but resisting transformation. We occasionally flip the switch, but most of the time we settle for shadows."
Story 2:
When I think of a mountain top experience, ... I cannot help but remember the Mountain Top ...that Martin Luther King described ... in his infamous sermon that he preached in April 1968 ... in the city of Memphis.
The sermon was entitled, "I see the Promised Land."
Dr. King said that he had peace.
That he did not worry about anything ...... he had been to the mountaintop ... with God.
He had no fear of the world, ... "For my eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!"
The next day, ... Martin Luther King, Jr. was dead. Shot by a sniper.
But that night .... when he preached, ... He was ready to face his destiny.
He was ready to face the future ... because He had seen the face of the Pilot ... and all was well. (Pause)
Story 3:
Another man who had a mountain top experience was Sir Edmond Hillary.
On May 19, 1953, Sir Edmond Hillary, and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing, reached the top of Mount Everest.
The first two people ever to literally stand on top of the world.
After Hillary had climbed Mount Everest, he became an overnight celebrity. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
His name became a household word throughout the world. He could have lived in his dwelling of success for the rest of his life. But he didn't! What did he do?
He went back to Nepal. Back to the Sherpas, whom he had grown to know (Pause) appreciate (Pause) respect and love. But he was also using his fame to bring them help.
In a speech some years ago, Hillary recounted how an elderly Sherpa from Khumjung village, the hometown of most of the Sherpas, had come to him a few years after that expedition and shared a concern he had with his friend Hillary.
"Our children lack education. They are not prepared for the future.
What we need more than anything is a school in Khum-jung." So, Hillary established the Himalayan Trust, and in 1961 a three-room schoolhouse was built in Khumjung with funds raised by Hillary.
Since then, the trust has built 27 schools, 2 hospitals and 12 medical clinics, plus numerous bridges, and airfields, and also reforesting valleys and slopes in the many areas of Nepal.
