8th Sunday after Pentecost
July 18, 2021
Fr. Phil Eberhart
Isa 57:14-21
Ps 22:23-31
Eph 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-44
Welcome
this morning, to a special Sunday in a string of Sundays!! We have special guests here this morning as
the first in about a month of speakers and friends who we pray for and support
as partners in ministry around the world.
The
readings this morning, once again, are providential for the timing of our life
together and the work that is being completed around us. I’m sure you noticed the new stone, and see
the new windows behind me. It’s amazing
that our readings refer to being built stone on stone as a Temple for the Holy
Spirit this morning! Don’t know if you
caught that reference in the Ephesians reading.
I’ll come back to it.
Just
about 4 years ago, Lawrence and Jody came and saw this place for the very first
time and God planted in them a vision that has come, stone by stone, to fruition! To our confounded amazement, the money has
come in, from a myriad of ways and means both natural and supernatural, but
always from God’s gracious hand and through the sacrifice of this family of God
together to move forward into God’s destiny for REZ.
Now, as
we near, the completion of the renovations of the land, we turn our attentions
more fully to the inside of the building and to the work of God that this building
and property enable for us all to do together!
We are
planted in the midst of a large Jewish community, three doors west of an
Orthodox Synagogue named Aish, “fire” in Hebrew! God’s sense of humor is unending!
We
believe that God has placed us here on this Holy Hill to be a light to the
city, Greenwood Village, to Denver Metro, to the State, the Nation and even to
the world. I self describe us as a
HOBBIT Church, small in stature but with a big, hairy foot print! 4 other churches currently meet and use this
facility, which is a bit of a dance in itself.
We are
back in “start up” mode, after the effects of the pandemic, the flood, the “fall”
and God-knows all the other things that happened in 2020 and so far in 2021! By His Grace and Favor we have come through
because as the stone on our property says, “Thus far the Lord has helped us!”
Turn to
your Ephesians 2 reading… at the end of
it:
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,
but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of
God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure
is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in
whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for
God.
From The
Passion…
“21 This entire building is under construction and is continually
growing under his supervision until it rises up completed as the holy temple of
the Lord himself. 22 This means that God is transforming each
one of you into the Holy of Holies, his dwelling place, through the power
of the Holy Spirit living in you!”
Friends, God is the architect and the builder
here! Lawrence will tell you as will I and
Jody and all the others who have been intimately involved with the processes of
this work over the past 4 years: God’s
Fingerprints are everywhere! His
direction and His direct intervention have paved the way for us to be sitting
here; for us to be worshipping together today in this house of God; for us to
be poised to reach our Jerusalem, our Judea, our Samaria and the ends of the
Earth!
As one of
the videos on our website used to say, “WE are God’s plan!” And God doesn’t have a plan B! And God continues to work in us and through
us day after day! I laughed to myself
when I saw the Gospel story today of the feeding of the 5000. OF COURSE, that would be the reading
today. The schoolboy’s lunch of 5
loaves and 2 fish – measely! In the face
of a 1.89 MILLION DOLLAR pricetag!
We had
less than 10% of that in the bank, in,
are you ready for it … wait for
it … wait for it … The LOAVES AND FISHES fund!
There was also the FUTURE AND HOPE FUND from the early days of dreaming
about a property of our own. Frankly,
the dream had died, in me.
BUT GOD. God had to resurrect the dream.
And so
here we are today, the story is yet to be fully written. I believe that God has commissioned me to “finish
His work” in this place. Not sure all
that that means, but we are seeking hard after His face and His voice as He is
the Head of this Church and is the Director of this Orchestra!
Thus far
the Lord has been our helper! And we
continue to move with Him, cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, as His
presence moves us forward, as our Archbishop quoted some years back:
FORWARD,
ALWAYS FORWARD,
EVERYWHERE FORWARD!
Just one
final thought: In Isaiah 57, we are
encouraged, even commanded:
“Build
up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstacle from my people’s way.”
A few
years ago this land was known as “the abandoned church on the hill.” Today, let it be said, “We are no longer
abandoned!"
From The Passion Translation...
Isaiah 62 For Zion’s
sake, how can I keep silent?
For Jerusalem’s sake, how can
I remain quiet?
I will
keep interceding until her righteousness
breaks forth
like the blazing light of dawn
and her
salvation like a burning torch!
2 Nations
will see your victory-vindication,
and every
king will witness your blinding radiance!
You will be
called by a brand-new name,[a]
given to you
from the mouth of Yahweh himself.
3 You
will be a beautiful crown held high in the hand of Yahweh,
a royal crown[b] of splendor
held in the
open palm of your God!
4 You
will never again be called the Abandoned One,
nor will
your land be called Deserted.
But
you will be called My Delight Is in You,[c]
and
your land My Beloved Wife,[d]
for
Yahweh finds his delight in you
and he
married your land.
Let us
pray:
Almighty God,
you have built your church upon the foundation of the apostles and the
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone:. Grant us so to be
joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made a
holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
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