Sermon
Lanier Christian Church
September Start Up – September 18, 2016
David Simpson
Beautiful One
Romans 10:15
What is September Start Up (Outside Worship on our front parking lot) without a treat?
This has become a tradition! I’m afraid if I don’t show up one year
without a treat, that you will grab me and throw me in the dunking
tank! So…this year’s treat is…the OREO cookie! (Distribute cookies)
Wow…there is a lot about the Oreo cookie on the internet! I learned a whole lot about this chocolate or vanilla cream filled cookie! The cookie is now over 104 years old, and was first created in New York City in 1912. (They’re only 10 years older than Lil Heald, here today, and she’s a whole lot sweeter!)
The Oreo is the world’s best selling cookie. The company sells more
than 95 million packages a day. They’re available in more than 100
countries around the world. If you stacked all of the OREO cookies
sold in a single day, you would have 136 stacks of cookies as high as
Mt. Everest, and then some! (from: eltondesigns.net – About Oreo)
The Oreo became kosher in 1997. If you think they tasted differently in your childhood, you are right. Before 1997, they contained pig lard, now vegetable oil is used.
Do you know that Kraft foods, who one time manufactured the cookie,
actually did a survey of 2000 Oreo eaters in 2004. They found out
that the way that you eat an Oreo might say something about your
personality.
They found that dunkers tend to be energetic, adventurous, and social; twisters are sensitive, emotional, artistic, and trendy; and biters are easy-going, self-confident, and optimistic. They also found that more women dunk, while more men bite. And Republicans tend to dunk, while Democrats are twisters. (From mentalfloss.com – 15 cream filled facts about oreos)
But beyond all of these facts is the intrigue of the name of the cookie
itself. OREO. The truth is, that no one knows the exact origin of the
name, but one of the most popular versions, from the company itself
and from Wikipedia.org, is that the cookie’s name comes from the Greek word – Oreo, meaning beautiful.
As many of you know, the New Testament was written in Greek. So I did my research and found that there are at least four verses in the New Testament of our Bibles that use the word, “orios.” In each case, the word orios …Oreo…as we would say…means, (according to Vincent Word Studies)…beautiful, as a tree in full bloom, fully developed and mature.
For instance, we look at a tree in full bloom in the Spring-time of the year, and we say, what a beautiful tree! Or we will look at a tree in the next few weeks, at the peak of fall and we say, what a beautiful tree! Or we saw the moon on Friday night and said, “what a beautiful moon.”
We are using the Greek word: Oreos! When we ascribe beauty to something other than a person we are using the word “Oreos.”
So today I want to challenge you to become more beautiful in your life. I don’t mean with make up or a new haircut or even slimming down. I want you to be beautiful …oreos …in the message that you carry. How so you might ask?
The Bible says, as written by the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
There are a lot of well known Greek words in that biblical verse. Beautiful – oreos; Feet – podes – where we get the word “podiatry; Euangelizomenon, where we get the word Evangelism, translated as good news; and the Greek word, “Agatha,” meaning, “good things.” Literally Romans 10:15 reads – how beautiful the feet of those proclaiming peace of those proclaiming good news of good things
So I ask you today: Are you a beautiful proclaimer of good news? Is oreo…beauty…a part of your life? When people see you coming, do they brace themselves for bad news, or discouraging words, or bitter comments, or selfish talk, or harmful gossip, or angry reactions? Or when you arrive on the scene, do you bring beautiful words, encouraging words, good news?
The Bible says we ought to be “oreos”…beautiful in our proclamation of good news. This verse in Romans 10:15 is actually borrowed from Isaiah 52:7 where it reads there:
How beautiful on the mountains
are the feet of those who bring good news,
who proclaim peace,
who bring good tidings,
who proclaim salvation,
who say to Zion,
“Your God reigns!”
Here in Isaiah, God’s people were suffering under the hands of the wicked Assyrians. But, there was coming a day Isaiah said, when God’s people would be redeemed, delivered from their oppression. Peace, good news, salvation was on the way!
Long before cell phones, or the Post office, or radio, or TV or computers…centuries ago…the way to get a message to someone was to send a herald, a runner, who would travel over the hilltops and through the valleys and run with fervency and carry an urgent message. This message was usually of great importance and meant for a large group of people. One of the primary roles of a herald was to deliver results from the field of battle. And you could see him coming over the mountains and hills. At a distance you could see him, and you prayed he was bringing good news! If the herald brought good news of victory he was considered a messenger whose feet were beautiful. (In the greek – oreos – oreo)
Now, literally his feet were filthy and dirty and cut up from the run…but no matter…those feet, those legs, that determined runner brought a message that was welcome news to all…Good News…Victory is won! It wasn’t so much the feet that were beautiful. It was the message that the feet brought that was beautiful.
It would be like us being in the pit of despair, alone and troubled and in desperate need of encouragement…and then we look up and see someone coming…and they have a pleasant expression on their face, and indeed they bring good news and our response might be: “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes!” or…”Thanks for the good news…I needed that!”
My friend, we as believers in Jesus are called to be heralds…heralds of good news. There’s another word for good news…gospel. This good news is the gospel of Christ. It’s the truth that Jesus came to bring salvation. But more that that…He came to bring hope. He came to bring forgiveness. He came to end suffering. He came to bring peace. He came to offer love. He came to offer us joy. He came to conquer death. He came to bring life!
How beautiful…oreos…are the feet of those who run with perseverance, and swiftness to carry this message of good news!
Paul said: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” The King James Version reads: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! (KJV)
So I ask you again? Are you beautiful? Oreos? Again, it’s the message that makes you beautiful. In this case, it’s not the well manicured, soft, un-calloused feet that are beautiful. It’s the feet that are well worn, cut up, bruised, dirty, calloused from running…from going from place to place…proclaiming good news!
Are you a herald of good news? Are you a beautiful sight when people see you coming? It’s time to get our feet moving. To proclaim good news. Our world has heard enough bad news. My lips have shared enough discouraging news. My brain is filled with depressing news. It’s time for some good news that only God’s people can share. And it’s news of victory…that Christ has won. The devil is defeated and He stands victorious forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
So, run….move your feet….run….with persistence and determination and urgency…run…this message of good news to all you meet. Tell them that Jesus is the hope of the world and he offers life! Tell them that good news is found in Him. And, when you do, you will be one seen as having beautiful …oreo…feet, because you have carried to someone the greatest news of all!
Now, take a look at your cookie again. In the middle of the cookie is the word “Oreo.” How many ridges are on the cookie? ---- 90.
Psalm 90:17 says: “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands…” (KJV)
How many cloverleaf type flowers are on the cookie?-----12
According to tradition each leaf of the four leaf clover represents faith, hope, love, and luck.
Twelve can be found in 187 places in God's word. Revelation alone has 22 occurrences of the number. The meaning of 12, which is considered a perfect number, is that it symbolizes God's power and authority.
Jesus called and chose twelve men to bear witness to what he did and to spread the good news of the gospel to the entire world.
Christ's bride in Revelation 12, the church, wears a crown containing twelve stars.
We are the ones God has chosen to proclaim his good news. The church around the world is to proclaim God’s good news everywhere.
Look at your cookie. How many dots and dashes are on each side? –12.
Now the makers of Oreo didn’t say this, but I look at it this way.
Dot – Dash in Morse code is “A” or “Alpha,” in Greek. Alpha means beginning. There are twelve of those around the oreo. Jesus is the Alpha…literally meaning “beginning.” Twelve means God’s power and authority and perfection. Jesus is the first..He is the best..He is supreme. But, Jesus is also the omega. Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. It is the 24th letter. It literally means “great O.” The cookie is a big “O”. Jesus is the alpha and omega….the beginning and the end….the first and the last. The Creator and restorer.
Revelation 22:13 says:
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
And then, there’s the cross…it looks like an antennae on top of a circle. This emblem on the cookie was a European symbol for quality, and was adopted by the Nabisco company as a symbol of quality. But, it is borrowed from the cross of Lorraine in France. It pictures the cross of Christ and the sign that Pilate placed on the cross that read Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. It was a symbol of the crusaders in the year, 1099. It was also a cross, a symbol, used by the French resistance, led by Charles de Gaulle as they fought the Nazi’s in WW2.
Can you believe it? A cross is on the oreo cookie. In more than a hundred countries around the world a cross is seen when the Oreo is taken out of the package. We need to carry the message of the cross around the world. We need to explain what it means. There is hope in Jesus. There is life in His name. We are the ones Jesus is calling to be his proclaimers of good news.
We are the ones that are to take this gospel, this good news to all we meet. Jesus said: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” That word gospel, means good news.
Could you be one that someone would say: “How beautiful are the feet of those who proclaim good news?” Are we urgently proclaiming the message? Could someone say about us… Here he/she comes running with good news we pray! No matter how dusty the feet, good news was a joy to the heart that a battle had been won…that the enemy had been defeated.
My fellow believer, we must carry the good news…no… run with the good news…no breaks…no walking…no shuffling our feet…not lying back in the easy chair and putting our feet up….no let’s get our feet moving….because it’s an urgent message!
And when we do…others will acknowledge with delight…”How beautiful…oreos…are the feet of those who bring good news.”
In reality, we are the ones made beautiful by the one who really is beautiful. Jesus our Savior. He is the beautiful one, who gave all for us. The Bible calls him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
One last thing….the Oreo cookie has a new slogan. It used to be called “Milk’s favorite cookie.” Now, go to the oreo website and you will see that the new slogan is “Wonderfilled.”
There could be no greater wonder – than to be filled with the wonder of Almighty God. Seek Him today. Share him today. Live boldly for Him today. The wonder and the beauty of our Savior is all around! Share His wonder-filled good news!
We’re going to sing a song that speaks of the wonder and beauty of our Savior.
Beautiful One
By the Tree
Wonderful, so wonderful
Is your unfailing love
Your cross has spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen no ear has heard
No heart can fully know
How glorious, how beautiful you are
Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing
Powerful so powerful
Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of your majesty awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous how wonderful you are
You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
Because nothing on earth is as beautiful as you
Songwriters: MAGNUS SVENINGSSON, PETER ANDERS SVENSSON
© Universal Music Publishing Group
Ending: Oh the wonderful cross…..wonderfilled…..SONG FOR END OR…Beautiful one
