Homecoming 2012
Chester First Baptist Church
Introduction:
A There is something just marvelous about homecomings.
1 Homecomings can be defined as a time when a congregation reflects upon the works of God in the past while anticipating His continued blessing/favor in their future.
a Over the last two days I’ve heard the memories that seasoned saints have of this church.
aa Struggle to get a Baptist church in Chester, Revival where the old Grade school was. . .
bb Digging of the basement, sacrifice of so many of their time, resources.
cc Using a farm pond on County Farm road for baptisms, heating the basement with coal.
dd The eventual building of the sanctuary, all the colors of the old carpeting.
b Many of you have told stories of old school “dinner-on-the-grounds,” revivals, watermelon busts, fifth Sunday singings, and various Christmas musicals that took place here.
c Others may remember that this is the sanctuary where you received Christ, baptized, baptized with Holy Spirit, delivered.
d Married, saw your child married, or cried tears of loss as you celebrated a loved one home from this place.
2 This sanctuary is filled with great, cherished memories.
B This church has had a number of great days, it has also had its share of difficult days too.
1 Jewish proverb: “He that can’t endure the bad will not live to see the good.”
a As long as the church is made up people like me and you, there will be failings and hurt feelings.
b There has been times over the last 75 years that not all of its members succeeded in being the most Christlike in this place.
aa She has been divided at different times over various things.
bb She has seen people get upset, feelings hurt.
cc She has seen her fair share of discouragements, frustrations, power plays.
2 Although the people of God didn’t always behave with Christian love, God has been with us every step of the way.
C It has been said, “Reading with reflection is like eating without digesting,” I believe remembering deserves similar treatment.
1 If the memories we have collected in this sacred spot do not affect us in some way there is no use in bringing them back up.
a When we remember accepting Christ as this old alter . . . we out to be given risen to shout praises!
b When we remember the wise advice we were given from an old saint . . . we out to practice what was taught.
c When we remember something we said in anger or frustration, we need to let them old feeling go now.
2 One of the most touching homecomings in Scripture is the account of the prodigal son coming home to his welcoming father.
a Remember how the son took his inheritance, went into the world and squandered it.
aa Upon hitting rock bottom he remembered how good it was back in Father’s house; He decided it would better living as one of his daddy’s servants than continue to keep living the way He was living.
bb Remember the father running out to meet the son, had the servants prepare a beautiful homecoming meal to welcome his son home.
b Why would a daddy act so kindly to his son after his son treated him so wrongly?
aa Because the father’s love for him canceled out the wrong that was done to him.
bb Don’t you know that the son wishes he could back up the hands of time, go speak to that boy moments before he went to go ask for his inheritance up front and say, “Don’t even think about doing what your about to do.”
c Life is full of things we wished we could redo or take back.
3 Reminds me of the story of a woman who was about to walk out the door of a building & heard, “Don’t take the next step or you’ll regret it.” (Brick drops and cracks the sidewalk where she would have been standing had she went one more step.)
a Next day, about to cross the street, “Don’t take the next step or you’ll regret it.” Paused as a truck came racing by and smashed into a nearby car. (Had she not listened to the voice she would have been badly hurt if not killed)
b She looked behind her . . . no one nearby. “All right, who are you?”
aa I’m your guarding angel and I’ve been sent here to protect you from making fatal mistakes.”
bb Oh, if that’s the case where were you on my wedding day?
C Sometimes we have regrets over decisions we have made, things we have said.
1 I remember reading about a gaffe then vice-president Dan Quayle made after a tour of Latin America.
a “ . . . the only regret I have was that I didn’t study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people.”
b Homecoming is just a time of remembering, it’s also a time for all the things of the past that your not so proud of to be erased.
2 Remember the old Etch-a-Sketch toys?
a No batteries, electronics, beeping, flashing.
aa Two knobs on the bottom of the screen to draw a picture.
bb If you messed up all you had to do was shake the thing a couple and times . . . boom, clean screen. Chance to start over.
b Wouldn’t it be nice if life were like that Etch-a-Sketch?
aa Maxed out credit account? Shake the card a couple of times, and the bill is gone.
bb Conversation you regret, shake the phone, and the conversation never happened.
3 In the Old Testament there is word called JUBILEE that describes this type of situation.
a Every 50 years, on the day of atonement (Yom Kippur), sin of the nation was pardoned, the priest would blow the ram’s horn and jubilee began.
aa Jubilee from hb. Yobol (or yobul) and means “Trumpet blast of liberty”
b There was a release of debt and freeing of slaves.
aa Every Jubilee, all the land reverted back to its original owners.
bb If they weren’t alive, it was given back to their families.
cc All Israelite people who had been sold into slavery because of their debts were freed.
D Luke 4.16-21, Jesus has went back to His hometown where He spent the first 30 years of His life.
1 He is at the synagogue He had been to hundreds of times before and He’s reading a Scripture about Himself.
a 16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor . He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives , And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord ."20 And He closed the book , gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him.21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing ." Luke 4:16-21 (NASB)
b He didn’t read it out of context, change the words, but simply the fact that He read it caused a few people to take notice.
aa He is reading Himself into the passage . . . that His life was a direct reflection of the promised Messiah.
bb Besides reading a passage about the coming Messiah, He’s also reading a quote from Isaiah 61.2, a passage that refers to the Jubilee.
2 “To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” is a reference to the 50th year, the year of Jubilee.
a The coming of Jesus Christ brought the same opportunity to us today that the ancient year of Jubilee brought to the Israelites . . . a chance to start all over, to have liberty, be free!
b Jesus is the Jubilee!
E How do we celebrate that freedom? Liberty?
1 Live in it, but do not abuse it.
a 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.1 Peter 3:6 (NASB);
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Gal 5:13 (NASB)
b A Christians life should be characterized by a freedom that makes others want to have what we have.
2 Do not trade your freedom for the bondage of legalism.
a 1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1 (NASB)
b Christianity is not about follow religious rules & regulations, it’s about having a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
3 Gather around the Table of Remembrance
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