You might not have noticed it, but there was a football game last weekend.
• Although how it could escape your notice I don’t really know.
• I am a big football fan.
• Most Sunday afternoons during football season I find myself watching the games alone in the den, while those two are watching something else on the ‘main TV’ in the living room.
• They don’t share the passion I have for the sport.
But last Sunday (at least) we were all in the same room – or should I say the same church basement in Louisa at the Big Game’s party at 1st Methodist Church.
• There was lots of food, conversation, a dominoes game, and (of course) football.
• Some paid attention to the game – some not so much.
I do think there’s a little too much hype about that game.
• The pregame show starts at 1 p.m., and the game doesn’t start until after 6:30. Is that really necessary?
• Who’s doing the halftime show ~ who’s singing the National Anthem ~ what are the commercials going to be (and they will be critiqued for days afterward – commercials for goodness' sake!)
• There hasn’t been a day when there wasn’t some mention of the game.
That’s when even sports fans like me have to sit up and say, wait a minute; We’re blowing things out of proportion.
• We’ve gone a little bit crazy here, haven’t we?
This is all pretty excessive, to say the least.
I). Wouldn’t it be great to have that kind of enthusiasm in our churches? In our Christian lives?
A). “But preacher, we Christians are a quieter sort. Those big, over-the-top kind of display makes us uncomfortable.”
• You know what the Bible says:
• Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing -go into the closet to pray - don’t parade your Christianity around - these are the kinds of guidelines we live by.
• All this hype, all this attention, all this wide-screen, high-resolution display makes us squirm.
B). I believe in a softer – quieter faith – you know, like Jesus had.
• If you think that you’d better check your Bible again!
II). Well, today is Super Sunday in the Church. It’s Transfiguration Sunday.
A). And I want to assure you that the production values on that mountain top were pretty spectacular.
• Three of the four gospels record this scene, though there are subtle differences in the telling.
• But the clear implication is that there is something important going on here.
• There is some message, some hint, some understanding that we need to glean from the light show recorded in these verses.
• Jesus, who seems relatively sensible most of the time, all of a sudden pulls out all the stops and goes for the glitz, for the big show, the Super Sunday – and to be honest, it seems a bit over the top for us Christians.
B). But let’s take a look at it from Matthew’s point of view (Matthew 17:1-8)
1 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
God doing this for?”
C). Is this event for Jesus – the disciples – or for us today?
• The clear answer is: “Yes!” (all the above).
D). There’s clearly a message to Jesus and it is a part of Jesus’ journey toward Jerusalem.
• That’s the main focus of the rest that takes over the rest of the gospel.
• Jesus does some teachings – tells some parables – and the next thing we know He’s making His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem!
• So, this for Jesus is a pep talk - a half-time speech from the coach and assistant coaches (Moses and Elijah). But there is another component that is clearly a message to the followers, which includes us.
• In this pep-talk God Himself (the head coach) speaks, “This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy…”
• This is a statement of the authority of Jesus!
• But wait – there’s more!
III). Gods not finished talking yet – He says, “Listen to Him!”
A). That seems simply enough right – this is God talking, “Hey, Jesus is MY Son – listen to Him!”
• God said, “Listen to Him” – Who is to listen?
• The imperative is “YOU!”
• Who is you??? You are – I am!
B). And here’s where Peter acts like we do so often – and I’ll use a sports analogy here – Peter, who is a player on the team, wants to coach.
• You coaches and assistant coaches – don’t your just love it when a player wants to coach during the game – especially in a crucial part of the game!?!
• That’s Peter right here.
C). “Lord, this is great! Here’s what we need to do, I’ll make three shelters as memorials — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
• Do you see what Peter wants to do? Peter wants to stake a claim on what’s going on.
• He wants to set up a tent, a shelter – in order to contain the glory of God!
D). The problem is - you can’t contain the glory of God.
• You can’t put God in a box – or in a room – and hope to keep Him there
E). I watched a video on YouTube on Friday from a pastor who called the revival that’s going on at Asbury – and really now all cross the country “hogwash.”
• He called it a false revival set up by the enemy.
• His reasoning that that they are not using the correct version of the Bible – they are not using the correct form of music – they are not using the correct form of baptism – and that they are letting women preach.
• So, for this pastor – this is ‘hogwash.’
• See, this pastor is trying to fit God into his denomination’s ‘box’ – God is in his denomination’s tent and anything outside his tent is not of God.
• Notice I didn’t say the Bible – I said his denomination – HIS belief,
F). But you can’t contain the glory of God.
• This was God’s moment; this was Jesus’ moment to shine like the sun.
• And a little shelter could not hold it in!
• It was a little presumptuous of Peter to want to put it in a tent. His job was to stand, or kneel, or fall on his face in awe and wonder—which he finally managed to do.
G). I understand why Peter thought that way.
• After all – when the children of Israel wandered through the wilderness on their way to the promised land – God has them build a tabernacle – a tent – a place for God to dwell.
• But where was God almost all the time in that wilderness? Outside the tent – God was in the cloud and the pillar of fire leading them!
• The Tabernacle was the representation of God’s house – just like our church is today – it is a place for God’s people to come and worship Him!
IV). Friends, our first responsibility to God is to worship.
A). Too many times we want to coach.
• You’ve heard me say it before – and you know it’s true – we get really good at telling God how He can do things for us.
• How He can save us – how He can bless us – how He can prosper us – how He can touch and heal us – how He can get us out of the mess we so often find ourselves in – because we don’t want to listen – we want to coach!
B). Many of us have been following the revival that is going on at Asbury university.
• One of the greatest descriptions that I have heard about it went something like this:
• There’s no comfortable, padded seating – just old wooden seats.
• There’s no fancy light show – just a simple stage.
• There’s no multi-piece praise and worship band – just a few singers on the platform.
• There’s no ‘big name’ television evangelist or preacher preaching – just an occasional, every day, ordinary man or woman – often times a student – telling of what God is doing in his or her life.
• So, what’s so special about what’s going on? The people there are worshipping the Lord.
C). With all the things that we as Christians hope and plan to do for the Lord and the Church – the first responsibility we have is to worship!
• Listening to Jesus and paying attention to the wonder and the glory and the awesomeness of God.
• Falling to our knees or lifting our hands and our voices in praise and singing, lifting our hearts in joy and compassion, is what worship is about.
D). So, what is Worship of God?
• Worship is showing – displaying – what God is worth to you.
• Think about that – let that ‘sink in.’ – worship is showing and displaying what God is worth to you.
• So, worship is an action – and it is an outward action (showing and displaying).
• To some people in church God must not be worth much – because this is how they ‘worship’ (arms crossed – asleep – pouting and frowning).
• Remember: worship is an action! It’s something we do!
V). As Christians we should have a passion for worship.
A). We should have a passion for praise of - and thanksgiving to the Lord.
• And it’s a passion that is to be shared.
• Our worship should do more than just give us a warm feeling in our hearts - it should transform us to shine like the sun as we bring light and life to those around us.
• Our family, our neighbors, our coworkers, those sitting beside us and around us in the pews should know that we have been to worship, because they see in us the desire to listen to Jesus.
• Worship is our moment to hear again the call to serve, the call to love, the call to give ourselves away.
B). Listen to me carefully: Worship is all about Jesus, but it is at the same time all about us.
• It’s about Jesus as the beloved Son of God –
• and it’s about us as His children drawn together in community and privileged to be able to listen to him.
• That’s why this – and every Sunday is Super Sunday.
• Let’s worship the Lord together!
