Where Is My Great I Am?

HOLY SPIRIT BLESS US

July 28, 2002

Philippians 2: 5- 11

WHERE IS MY GREAT I AM?

I praise the Lord for this beautiful Sunday because God gave me this opportunity to share with you the message of God.

My special thanks to Rev. Paul Kelly for allowing me to use his pulpit.

I am so grateful for that.

Also, I would like to thank Bro. Jim for his invitation during the yesterday UMM breakfast fellowship. I would certainly join them again.

Rev. Kelly told me to take this time to give you a little information about the Filipino Mission. Thanks to the Lord, the Filipino Mission is 18 months old now. We have about 40 people who are actively involved or shall I call them supporters because they are not members yet.

We are holding our Sunday Worship Service at the First UMC of Melbourne along New Heaven Ave. which is @ 2:30 p.m.

Of course, we have a fellowship meal after the service.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to come and fellowship with us and a chance for you to taste our tasteful Filipino foods……

It’s hard to accept the fact, but for sure you will agree with me that… people nowadays tend to live without Jesus Christ in their life.

The reason why I mention such because obviously if you will look at our churches, there are many vacant pews (pls look around) while, in the sports arena like the swamps for the Gators, all seats are taken… full of people cheering for their favorite team and players.

My friends, we need to be reminded always that in our life, “apart from Jesus Christ we can do nothing.”

As minister of the Gospel for almost 17 years now …and based on what I have observed to people… there is a call for us to go back to the basic… to the very foundation of our Christian belief.

Our Methodist faith was established under the guidance and power of God.

The very basic foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ, the Bible, Prayer & Fasting.

When I was in the college I read a book that says about the Methodists in the early days which statement I will never forget.

The author said that “ Methodist members fasted at least ones a week.” And that was the time in the history of the United States that “3 out of 10 Americans are Methodist.”

The question now is where are they?

Have they lost their love for “The Great I am”.

Are they one of the people these days, who are asking the question…

Where is My Great I Am? Where is my Savior- Jesus Christ?

It is a reality that, most of the times… when everything is all right and everything is calm… God is not there in our thoughts, in our hearts and minds.

But when the situation is unfavorable… when Sept 11 comes…

when sickness troubles us… Worries come our way… we ask, Lord why?

According to reports, after that tragic & devastating events of 911…churches overflowed with people.

But afterwards, people say, “Lord, excuse us today because we have to attend an important party… or we have to do this… and we have to do that… excuses, excuses and excuses… again and again.”

But obviously, just like the message of a song, “People need the Lord.” No matter what your condition or situation is… no matter how you feel.. no matter what you think… no matter who you are... I tell you… we have a Great I am & His name is Jesus Christ.

And Jesus said: “I am the Bread of Life”. John 6: 35

Obviously, Americans will survive with bread over their plate, that is why Atlanta Bread & Panera bakeries along Wickham Road are always full of costumers because of their bread.

Even one of my members convinced us to buy Panera bread –the Bagel Asiago Cheese and it taste good. I like it. But… I like rice better because I think Filipinos cannot survive without rice.

People are so busy, working and earning so that they can buy bread for themselves and for their families. We need to feed our physical being.

But, what Jesus Christ refers here is the real Bread of Life.

“I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Jesus Christ is telling us that we have a spiritual being that needs to be fed by Him.

I believe that there are lots of people who are spiritually starving and malnourished.

Jesus’ statement is very relevant in our present situation. People are starving to death especially those who are in the poor countries because they don’t have something to eat and what they need is material blessings but more so they need spiritual food.