Peter

Living Sacrifice. Say What Now?

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Living Sacrifice. Say What Now?

August 23, 2026*

By Pastor John Partridge

Exodus 1:8 – 2:10                   Matthew 16:13-20                 Romans 12:1-8

Each month when we celebrate the Lord’s table, which is also known as the Eucharist, or simply as communion, the liturgy that we use includes the phrase, “we offer ourselves as a holy and living sacrifice.” Since this is the pastor’s part of the liturgy, I often emphasize this part and occasionally add a word or two of what it might mean to be a “living sacrifice.” That language originally comes from the words of Paul in his letter to the church in Rome. But what does it mean? And what does it say about how we should live our lives in the modern world? I hope to offer some understanding and some answers to these questions this morning, and we will, near the end, examine Paul’s words for more detail, but before we do, let’s begin with some examples, first from the story of the Exodus, and second from a discussion between Jesus and his disciples. Once again moving forward in our story of God’s people in the nation of Egypt, we rejoin their story several generations after the death of Joseph as we read these words in Exodus 1:8 – 2:10:

8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so, the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

2:1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So, the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So, the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

The new Pharaoh was so far removed from those generations that knew Joseph, that they no longer remembered how he had saved the entire nation of Egypt. If any national memory of Joseph remained, it now lay soundly in the realm of fables and mythology rather than that of history. And so, when the new Pharaoh looked at the Israelites, he no longer saw allies, but only potential enemies. Despite living there and calling Egypt home for hundreds of years, the Israelites were still seen as outsiders and not as native Egyptians. And so, the Egyptians oppressed and enslaved the Israelites and worked them without consideration for comfort, well-being, or any kind of compassion or humanity. Even so, no matter how hard they were abused or overworked, the oppression of the Egyptians had the opposite of its intended effect. Rather than reducing them in number, the people of Jacob’s family multiplied even more and now that they were oppressed, became an even greater threat to Egypt’s national security.

And so, Pharaoh orders Israelite midwives to murder any male children at the moment of birth. But two of Israel’s midwives resisted Pharaoh in private and refused to do what they saw as immoral and wrong. At great risk to themselves, these two women, Shiphrah and Puah, refuse to obey the command of Pharaoh, lie to Pharaoh’s face (or at least to the face of his officers), knowing full well that doing these things could cost them their own lives. Interestingly, As Pharoah issues an edict that is the instrument of death for a generation of Israelite male children, God chooses to use Pharaoh’s own daughter as the instrument of rescue for the man that would later rescue the Israelite people and become one of Israel’s greatest heroes.

Next, let us move forward to the moment when Jesus asks his disciples to share the gossip that they have heard about him in Matthew 16:13-20:

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

When Jesus asks what people are saying about him, there are various answers. Some think John the Baptist, which is silly since they were repeatedly seen together, but also Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets from the Jewish scriptures. But then Jesus asks who the disciples think that he is and something interesting happens because the first to answer is Simon Peter. And here we need to remember who Peter is, and what we have seen of him up to this point. Peter is the man who is rash, impulsive, speaks and acts before he thinks, and because of this has, repeatedly, put his foot in his mouth or otherwise said or done things that made him look utterly foolish, or for which Jesus had to publicly reprimand him. And yet, in this case, Peter is not only first to arrive at an answer, but he is also totally correct in his assessment that Jesus is Israel’s promised Messiah, the savior and rescuer of God’s people that had been foretold by God’s prophets throughout Israel’s history. Moreover, Jesus emphasizes that Peter’s answer isn’t just a result of Peter’s typical impulsiveness but is knowledge that has been revealed to him by God himself. The rest of this, though some parts scholars still argue about, essentially represents the idea that Peter, the apostles, and the church now take the place and the authority of the scribes, Pharisees, and the priesthood in the Jewish faith, for the community of Jesus’ followers that they were building.

And finally, we arrive at the words of Paul that began today’s exploration that we find in Romans 12:1-8 where he says:

12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

In the words that we hear each month as we celebrate at the Lord’s table, Paul calls God’s people to offer themselves as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, and Paul goes further to say that our living sacrifice is our true and proper worship. That is both notable and important. Paul is saying that just as worship in the Temple once revolved around the sacrifice of animals, true worship of God still involves sacrifice but now it is the living sacrifice of our living bodies. That seems a little confusing to us, and we wonder what that means, and what that would look like. But Paul understands the needs of his audience, and he continues with an explanation. He says that we must each consider ourselves, our gifts, our education, our abilities, and understand that these are all gifts that God has given to us, but also that each of us are different and have different strengths and weaknesses that God designed to work together.

Paul says that we are called by God to use the gifts that we have been given and that using these gifts is therefore how we give God the living sacrifice of our lives. True worship, Paul says, isn’t going to church, listening to the pastor, and singing some songs. True worship is using our gifts, whatever they are. Prophets should prophesy, teachers should teach, those with the gift of service should serve, those who can encourage should encourage, those whose gift is in giving, should give generously, the merciful should show mercy, and leaders should lead.

Let’s quickly pull all these strings together and see what we have. First, we saw that Shiphrah and Puah used their gifts to actively disobey Pharaoh in order to honor God. Next, we saw Peter being himself and behaving exactly the way we had seen him act. When Peter declared that that Jesus was the Messiah he looked exactly like his normal, rash, impulsive self, and discovered a revelation from God. And finally, we heard Paul’s instruction that we worship God most genuinely, most truly, and properly when we use the gifts, education, abilities, and personality that God has given us to honor God. This is when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, when we use our gifts and expend our whole selves in the service of Jesus Christ and the kingdom of God.

Although we call it worship, what we do at church is only a shadow of true worship. We truly worship when we use our gifts, as a living sacrifice, in service of God. What we do during our weekly Sunday meetings are for the church, the gathered body of Christ, to report back on what we have been doing and plan for what ministry we will do in the future.

The question each of us must answer is this: What does true worship look like for me? How can I use the gifts that I have been given in the service of Jesus Christ, so that I can truly offer my life to God as holy and living sacrifice?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev.  John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

The Chasm Between Theory and Practice

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The Chasm Between Theory and Practice

August 09, 2026*

By Pastor John Partridge

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28                        Matthew 14:22-33                 Romans 10:5-15

In my high school marching band, there was a phrase that we used whenever we learned new shows. We would learn the music in the band room or wherever else we practiced, but to learn the movements on the field, our director would have charts that plotted everyone’s movements. Once we were in position, the director, charts in hand, would move from squad to squad and explain how we were to move during the next section of the music. Once everyone knew what we were supposed to do, we would begin playing, or just begin marching, and proceed to follow his instructions. That sounds straightforward, right?

And it was… except when it wasn’t.

You see, the director’s movement charts only mapped the beginning position of each squad and the place where they would end. But sometimes, during the movement from one place to another, there would be a conflict in which two or more squads attempted to move through the same location. When that happened, we would stop, shake out heads, and say, “Well… it worked on paper.” It worked on paper, but not on the field in practice. It wasn’t a huge problem, and we always found a way to work through, or around, it, but you can see how such things can happen. There is always a gap between mapping things on paper and an actual marching band on the field. There is a chasm between theory and practice.

In military circles, there is an often-repeated quote from 19th-century Prussian field marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder that says, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” And this principle is so common that even boxing great Mike Tyson has summarized it by saying, “Everyone has a plan ’till they get punched in the mouth.”

In other words, there is a chasm between theory and practice.

And we see that gap, that chasm, in scripture as well. We begin this morning with a story about Jacob’s second to youngest son, Joseph that we find in Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28.

37:1 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornaterobe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

And here the lectionary skips ahead for brevity, but it is worth noting that in the passages that are skipped, Joseph tells his brothers about a dream in which they all bow down before him, and he is the ruler over them. Obviously, this does not go over too well.

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

So, Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

28 So, when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekelsof silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

As one might expect when there are ten brothers plotting against the eleventh brother, things get complicated quickly. As a group, they plot to kill Joseph because of his dreams, because he is their father’s favorite, and because he ratted them out and told their father that they had been slacking off in some way. But Reuben, the eldest brother, determines to save Joseph’s life and return him to their father. And, while he manages to save Joseph’s life, before he can rescue Joseph from the bottom of an empty cistern, Judah, the fourth eldest, convinces everyone to sell Joseph into slavery. They then sell Joseph for twenty pieces of silver, about two and a half years wages for a shepherd, and that amount is further divided by ten, so they each end up with about a three-month bonus for selling their own brother. Purely in terms of the raw silver involved, they each take away about $40 at today’s silver prices. No matter how you slice it, it isn’t much for the life of your own brother. In theory, getting rid of a troublemaking, dreamer of a brother sounded good. But there was a chasm between the theory and the reality of actually going home, lying to your father, and living with what they had done.

Although it is a little less dramatic, we see something similar in the story of Jesus, and Peter, walking on water in Matthew 14:22-33, where it says:

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

We’ve all heard this before. Jesus finally gets the chance to be alone and pray, waits until dawn, and then walks on the lake out to his disciples who are still struggling against the wind. The disciples are afraid, Jesus calms them, and Jesus invites Peter to get out of the boat and join him. Peter, to his credit, immediately does so, and he does, incredibly, walk on water with Jesus. But Matthew says, “when he saw the wind, he was afraid.” Peter thought it was a good idea. He asked Jesus to invite him, Jesus did so, and Peter eagerly accepted the invitation, got out of the boat, and physically walked on water. And then reality punched him in the mouth. It sounded like a great idea in theory. If Jesus can do it, and if Jesus invites me to do it, then I can walk on water. And it works… right up until he realizes that he is walking on water, in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, during a storm, and he sees the wind and the waves… and he panics because reality was much different than how he imagined it.

There is a chasm between theory and practice.

And this chasm, this separation, is what Paul is pointing to in Romans 10:5-15 when he explains, to the church in Rome, the difference between grand ideas of spirituality and the practical reality of true faith. Paul says:

5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Paul says that righteousness under the law means following all the rules, but righteousness by faith is different. It is not some lofty aspiration to ascend into heaven because of your meditation, or study, or fervent desire, and it is not some grand pilgrimage or crusade like the labors of Hercules. Instead, genuine faith is near you. It lives in your mouth in the way that you speak, it lives in your heart in the way that you live and in the way that you treat others. Believing in Jesus, truly, in your heart, is all that is necessary to be justified before God and that is true for every person on the planet. There are no divisions within the followers of God. There is no separation between Jews, Greeks, Romans, or Gentiles, no separation between nationalities, no division because of race or gender, no classification by class or wealth. ““Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

But once again, we must be careful of the chasm between theory and practice because Paul doesn’t stop with nice thoughts about unity and being together in one family with Jesus. All that is true, and it is all important, but Paul immediately points out what that all means. Paul asks us, that if there is no division between Jews and Gentile, and if everyone from every nation and every race are brothers and sisters, then how will the world call on a Messiah that they do not know? How can the people from every nation, tribe, and race believe in Jesus if no one has told them who he is?

The answer is so obvious that Paul doesn’t even say it. The answer if that if you have faith, if you believe, if you have been made righteous before God by the blood of Jesus Christ, then a part of your calling is to do what you can so that the people of the world can hear the good news.

Faith isn’t just pie in the sky by and by, it is dirty, boots on the ground, evangelism.

There is a chasm between theory and practice.

Theory is easy… until reality punches you in the face.

What will you do so that the world can hear the good news of Jesus Christ?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev.  John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Resumé, Request, Blessing, Mission

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Resumé, Request, Blessing, Mission

May 17, 2026*

(Seventh Sunday of Easter)

By Pastor John Partridge

John 17:1-11              Acts 1:6-14                 1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11

If you are like me, many of you have changed jobs from time to time. As a young person, the first time you apply for jobs, the process is intimidating, unfamiliar, awkward, and uncomfortable. But the second time the process feels more familiar, and by the third or fourth time, you understand the process well enough to feel the flow of it, to anticipate what will happen next, and almost read the minds of the people interviewing you. There is a current that flows between the initial contacts that are made and the work that is performed after you are hired to do the job. And, as I read our scripture passages for today, it is that flow that came to mind, and that process that you will see as we read, digest, and understand the path that the disciples, the followers of Jesus Christ, and we ourselves follow from the time we meet Jesus until he sends us out to do the work of God’s kingdom.  We begin this morning by reading John 17:1-11, as Jesus prays with, and for, his disciples before his arrest and crucifixion.

17:1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

6 “I have revealed youto those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power ofyour name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

As Jesus prays to his father, it is as if he reads his resume and reminds God of the work that he has done during his time on the earth. And afterward, he requests that God return him to the glory that he had with God before the world began. Next, Jesus prays over the resume of his disciples, as if reminding God of who they are, what they have done, and what Jesus had taught them and given to them. And again, afterward, Jesus requests that God would protect them so that they would be unified in spirit, purpose, and mission for the kingdom work that they would be sent to do.

But, before that could happen, Jesus concluded his time on earth, ascended into heaven, and returned to his father. But only a moment before he did so, he made a promise and assigned a mission to them, both the promise and the mission have been passed on to us. We hear this in the words of Acts 1:6-14:

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walkfrom the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Jesus is plain in saying that there are limits to God’s willingness to share the details of his plans for the future. While he called the disciples in the first century, and calls us today, it is not for us to know when God will choose to do the things that God will do. The important thing is that God promises to give us the power to do the things that he calls us to do, and that our mission is to carry his story and message of hope to the ends of the earth. Like the disciples, we cannot simply stand around, looking up at the sky, waiting for Jesus to return. Instead, we must wait in anticipation, and busy ourselves with the work that must be done until the time of his return.

But doing the work to which God has appointed us will not always be easy. In his letter of 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11, the apostle Peter gives the people of the church some advice on how we should live in order to accomplish the work of the kingdom, saying:

4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 11 To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Peter reminds the people of the church that they should not be surprised that an ordeal of suffering had come to test them. Instead, rather than complain, flee, or quit, he encouraged them to rejoice that they cold share their suffering with Jesus and be happy that they would be rewarded on the day of Christ’s return. If we are insulted because of our faith in Jesus, Peter says, that is a sign that the Spirit of God’s glory, and the Spirit of God itself rests upon you.

Moreover, rather than being proud, or arrogant, that you are a follower of the Jesus and a follower of the most high, creator God, humble yourself before God and let him lift you in praise as he sees fit at a time of his choosing. Instead of worrying and being anxious about your life, trust the God that cares for you, and let him carry the burden of your anxiety and fear. Your job is to be alert to the manipulations of the enemy because he prowls the earth looking for ways that he can deceive, subvert, mislead, and consume the followers of Jesus Christ. Resist these temptations that are so common in our culture and stand firm in the faith that you share with many who are suffering. In the end, although God may allow you to suffer temporarily, he will ultimately restore you in body, mind, and spirit.

As we have seen in our scriptures today, there is often a process with God just as there is when we seek employment. God has seen our resume and Christ himself has prayed that God would protect you and bless you so that the followers of Jesus Christ might be one with God and be united and unified in purpose. We won’t always know the plans that God has for our future, but God promises to give us the power to do the things that he calls us to do. Our lives, as the followers of Jesus Christ, are not guaranteed to be filled with roses, and rainbows, and unicorns, but may often have its share of discomfort, suffering, insults, and fiery ordeals. But we rest in the knowledge that as we suffer, we share in the suffering of Jesus, and we are invited to humble ourselves, and let him carry the burden of our anxiety and fear.

Our calling is to stand firm in our faith and to resist the enemy of our souls, to be alert for his attempts to deceive, mislead, and tempt us to wander from the path of truth. Our mission is to carry the good news of Jesus Christ and his message of hope, healing, and restoration to the ends of the earth.

Just like finding a new job and building a career, it isn’t something that happens overnight. It is a path. It is a process. And it is a journey that we must choose to travel…

…one step at a time, one day after another, until at last we meet Jesus at the throne of grace.

Until then, let us do as the disciples did so long ago, let us pray together, worship together, and work together to rescue the lost, and do the work of God’s kingdom.

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev.  John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Photo by Vexels.com on FreeImages

How You Fit in God’s Big Picture

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How You Fit in God’s Big Picture

May 03, 2026*

(Fifth Sunday of Easter)

By Pastor John Partridge

John 14:1-14             Acts 7:55-60               1 Peter 2:2-10

Have you ever read a book, or watched a movie, and considered what the story would look like to one of the minor characters? You know what I mean, the people who, at the end of the movie appear in the credits without even having real names but simply listed as “Woman on the street” or “Cop #3.” But minor or not, there was a larger story swirling around them and sometimes, despite being unnoticed, their presence and their contribution made a difference to how the story turned out. In the Star Wars saga, hardly anyone talks about Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, but they were the ones who raised Luke Skywalker from infancy to adulthood and who shaped his morals, ethics, and sense of justice. Without them, the story falls apart.

And I doubt that few, if any of you would recognize the very real name of Frank Willis. Frank Willis was an ordinary man, living an ordinary life that led him to be invisible to the world around him both before and after one singular event that, by itself was unremarkable but led to the fall of one of the most powerful men on the planet. While working as a night security guard, Frank Willis noticed a piece of tape. That’s it. That is the thing that made Frank Willis famous. A piece of tape. One evening, while making rounds that he had made a thousand times before, Frank Willis noticed a piece of tape where it should not have been. A piece of tape that was preventing a door from locking properly in the Watergate building in Washington D.C. Frank reported his findings and the subsequent investigation forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

Most of us spend our lives feeling as if we were unnoticed people on the street, important to our families, but minor characters in the world around us. But that isn’t what scripture says. Scripture is clear that each of us, no matter how unimportant we might feel, has a vital role to play in the drama that God is creating. Like Aunt Beru, or Frank Willis, while our screen time might seem short, the part that we play has world changing implications in the big picture of God’s story. And we see that in our first scripture this morning in John 14:1-14 when Jesus says:

14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will knowmy Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

To begin, there are two big “asks” that we need to discuss. The first is when Jesus tells his disciples that they should not only believe in God but also believe in him. We tend to skip past that without thinking, but this is important. This is something much bigger than asking someone to listen to, or to follow a teacher. Jesus is literally asking his disciples to believe in him in the same way that they already believe in God and therefore describing himself as an equal to God. In saying this, we are left with only two choices: either Jesus is the son of God and a member of the Trinity, or he is, as the Pharisees accused, a blasphemer and heretic that must be ignored at all costs.

The second big ask is when Philip asks Jesus to “show us the Father” as if that is a simple thing. You should remember that Elijah, in 1 Kings 19, and Moses, in Exodus 33, were allowed to be in God’s presence, but even then, Elijah covered his face with his cloak, and Moses only saw Gods back because anyone who saw God’s face would die. So, Philip asking to see the Father was no small thing, but Jesus expanding on the idea that he and God were equals, says that because they have seen him, they have already seen God.

But next comes the part that connects to you and me when Jesus says, “whoever believes in me will do the works that I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” My friends, we may think of ourselves as ordinary, unimportant, and forgettable characters on the world stage, but Jesus’ opinion of you is quite different. Jesus says that if you believe in him, you will, not can, will, do even greater things than he has done, and that is no small thing. That is world changing, powerful, amazing stuff.

And some of what we just read is confirmed as another minor character becomes what we often describe as the first Christian martyr, Stephen. We don’t really know much about Stephen except that he was a follower of Jesus and knew the disciples personally. But despite otherwise being a somewhat ordinary and unremarkable follower of Jesus, Stephen is given some amazing and impressive gifts that we will see as we read his story in Acts 7:55-60.

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen looked up, and rather than seeing the sky, we are told that, being full of the Holy Spirit, he looked up, was given a vision, and saw heaven itself, he saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. The second gift that we see comes as the witnesses throw the stones that will kill him, and Stephen has the grace to pray for the forgiveness of his own murderers. For us, once again, the message we can find is that even minor characters are given important gifts. Because we believe in Jesus Christ, and because we are therefore filled with the Spirit of God, we too can be given visions by God and can see the truth in the world around us even when it is obscured by culture, influence, money, and power. Moreover, even minor characters can be unnaturally filled with grace and forgiveness even when surrounded by people that despise everything in which we believe.

And finally, as we read 1 Peter 2:2-10, we are reminded that we are more than unimportant, minor characters because we belong to something that is bigger than ourselves. Peter explains this saying:

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”

8 and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter says that like newborn babies, we must crave the food that will make us grow and mature because we know that God is good. And Peter continues by saying that as we come to Jesus, we should understand that we, as individuals, are being built into a collective, just as individual bricks are built into something bigger. Just as individual bricks collectively become a house, we, as the followers of Jesus Christ, are becoming a holy priesthood that collectively offers sacrifices that are acceptable to God. The people around us who have rejected Jesus and who struggle and stumble over values, ethics, and attitudes that are shaped by the teaching and the example of Jesus, are struggling precisely because they are disobedient to the message and witness of Jesus.

But here, in the church, we are becoming something else as we answer God’s call upon our lives. We are not alone. We are not insignificant, unnoticed, unimportant, minor characters because in the big picture of creation and God’s redemptive plan for the world, you are a chosen people, hand picked to do the work of God’s kingdom and to act as agents in accomplishing God’s goals. You are a royal priesthood who are, collectively sacrificing to give gifts that are acceptable to God. You are not just a small group of friends and worshipers of Jesus Christ who gather at Christ Church in Alliance, Ohio, you are being built into a spiritual house that is bigger than yourself, a house that is bigger than your imagination, because you are a part of a holy nation, a people devoted to Jesus Christ, and a special possession of God. You are a people who do the work of Jesus Christ and who praise him for rescuing you from sin and darkness and calling you into a new life filled with joy, grace, hope, mercy, and light.

That’s a lot of words. But I want you to hear and to remember the heart of what has been said.

You are not alone.

You are not insignificant, unnoticed, or unimportant.

You are a part of something bigger than yourself; a stone being built into God’s spiritual house.

You are an important and vital part of God’s plan of redemption for the world.

You don’t have to believe me, believe scripture. You don’t have to believe dogma, believe God.

You are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people chosen by God.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev.  John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Photo by Thinkstock on FreeImages

The Power of Belonging

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The Power of Belonging

(Fourth Sunday after Easter)

May 18, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 10:22-30                        Acts 9:36-43               Revelation 7:9-17

If you watched television, read newspapers or magazines, or even saw any roadside billboards between 1987 to 1996, you will remember the successful advertising campaign used by American Express. Everywhere you went, you were confronted with the message, “Membership has its privileges.” It was successful at high levels because it was a message that stuck in people’s heads, built brand awareness, drew new customers to their products, and became such a part of our culture that despite the end of the advertising campaign by American Express in 1996, the phrase is still widely remembered in the public consciousness, and is being used by other companies and organizations almost thirty years later.

The message that American Express wanted to communicate was that possessing their card conveyed advantages that their competitors’ cards did not. Amex card holders could get preferred travel arrangements, access to exclusive lounges, free travel insurance, global emergency services, free checked bags, concierge service, and all sorts of other things. For many people, the benefits given to Amex card holders may not be especially valuable but, if you are a frequent flyer or regular international business traveler, some of those rewards are worth having. But, what many of us have learned is that, aside from credit cards, there are advantages to belonging and having membership in any number of groups and organizations. If you want to be involved in eradicating global disease and contributing to local causes, groups like the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and Kiwanis can provide a place to do that while, at the same time, also providing a place to meet other people in your area and network with other businesses and community leaders.

But all of us have realized by now that there is a deeper kind of belonging. We made jokes when we were in our twenties and thirties that you can know who your friends are by watching who shows up to help you load the moving truck, or, who shows up when you build a deck, or paint your house, or who sits with you as you mourn the loss of a parent or child, or takes care of your cat when you are unexpectedly hospitalized, or shows up at your door with food when you return home. When we start to list the people in our lives who do those things, our list starts to get incredibly short. But it is that list of people, often family, and sometimes our closest friends, among whom we feel as if we truly belong. And it is this sense of belonging that we should keep in our minds as we read our scriptures for today because you will see it, hear it, or feel it in each of them. We begin this morning by reading from John 10:22-30 where we hear Jesus tell the people who had gathered around him one of the benefits of following him and belonging to God.

22 Then came the Festival of Dedicationat Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

This passage begins with people in the temple courts asking Jesus to tell them plainly whether he was or was not the Messiah promised by the prophets, and Jesus’ answer was that he had already done so, but they had chosen not to believe him. Jesus continues by saying that to anyone that was paying attention, the things that he had done were a testimony to who he was. The people who did believe in him saw clearly what he was doing and what he was, and because they did, they also listened to what he was teaching. Jesus points out that whatever he does, and has done, he gives the credit to God and not to himself, and this action also indicates who he is regarding his being, or not being, the Messiah.

But again, the people who do not follow Jesus do not recognize this evidence even when it stares them in the face. Just as each sheep knows the voice of their shepherd and can find him or her in a group of shepherds, those who follow Jesus know him, listen for his voice, and can pick him out of a crowd both literally and figuratively. This is often what we are doing when we ask, “What would Jesus do?” or when we question one another, or ourselves, and ask, was that action, or that decision, something that represents Jesus. Likewise, when we see and hear religious or political leaders who claim to be representatives of Jesus but who do and say things that are clearly not things that Jesus would do, then the sheep that follow Jesus can know that this is not someone that we should be following. But, this is also why it is so vitally important that we study, and know, scripture for ourselves so that we can know what Jesus looks and sounds like when we hear others who claim to speak for him.

It is at this point that Jesus offers one of our reasons for belonging. Jesus says that the sheep who follow him, who do more than offer him lip service and really follow him, listen for, and hear his voice, are given eternal life. Moreover, Jesus himself will guard them so that no one else can take them away and they can never lose their membership in God’s family so that they will always belong. But we should notice that Jesus goes a step further because he not only says that “no one will snatch them out of my hand,” he amplifies that statement by saying that anyone who follows him has been given to him by God and that “no one can snatch them” out of God’s hand because “I and the Father are one.” This clearly is a claim to being the Messiah, to being sent from God, to being a part of God, and that if you follow Jesus that you automatically belong to God. We see from Jesus’ own words that there is no separation between following Jesus and belonging to him and belonging to God’s family. These two are one and the same.

But belonging to Jesus is more than eternal life and a home in the sky, by and by. Belonging to Jesus also offers us gifts, graces, a mission, and a purpose during our mortal lives here on earth and some of those gifts can exceed our expectations and imagination. We witness this as the people of Joppa reach out to Peter and ask for his help while he is traveling in the city of Lydda in Acts 9:36-43:

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so, when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying, and showing him the robes and other clothing, that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

There are many things that can be said about this passage, but for today I just want to focus on what Peter has just done. Tabitha’s friends did not seek out Peter because she was sick. It was too late because Tabitha was dead. I’m not certain what the widows of Joppa hoped that Peter would do, but I suspect that they may not have expected Tabitha to be raised from the dead. Given what they knew of Jesus, resurrection was certainly a possibility, but they also knew that Peter was not Jesus. Perhaps they hoped that he would mourn with them, or be an encouragement to them, or to pray that God would raise up another woman like Tabitha to become the kind of leader that she had been, but I doubt that they were certain of what Peter would do, or what he would be capable of doing.

 But Peter does the most powerful, most extreme thing that they could have imagined. He prays, and then commands Tabitha to get up, and she does. Remember that Tabitha has, at this point, been dead for at least the better part of the day, and possibly more. She had already been stripped, washed, redressed, and taken upstairs in preparation for her mourners and her funeral. But while Jesus had walked with the disciples, taught them, given them the power to heal, cast out demons, and had even given them the gift of the Holy Spirit, this goes a step further. By raising Tabitha from the dead, Peter is demonstrating that he has, and by extension the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers (including us), have been given the same power as we had previously witnessed only in the person of Jesus Christ. When we choose to follow Jesus, when we put our trust in him and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are given the power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and even to raise the dead.

We are reminded that when Peter gives his speech at Pentecost in Acts 10:37-38, he explains to the crowd that Jesus’ power to perform miracles was power that was given to him by the Holy Spirit because he says:

37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

And then after his resurrection, Jesus gave the gift of the spirit to his disciples in John 20:21-22 when “Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” And of course, we remember the story of God pouring out his spirit on the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost, after which they spoke in foreign languages and preached to a crowd that had gathered from all over the known world.

Taken together, we are reminded that following Jesus has never been a spectator sport where we look over the fence or down at the playing field to watch our heroes play the game and do the work of God’s kingdom. Instead, following Jesus requires our active participation down on the field where God shares with us the same gifts that he gave to Jesus and the disciples so that we can continue the work that Jesus began. Because we have been baptized and given the gift of the Holy Spirit, we share with Jesus the power to transform lives, heal the sick, and even to raise the dead.

We aren’t just outsiders looking in, we belong to God’s family.

Membership has its privileges……and its responsibilities.

That is the power of belonging.

How will you use your power this week?

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

More Than Fish

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More Than Fish

(Second Sunday after Easter)

May 04, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 21:1-19              Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)                              

Have you ever visited any of the Civil War battlefields in the United States?

Do you remember studying the American Civil War in school?

If so, here’s a one question quiz: What was the American Civil War about?

If you stood on a busy street and asked that question, you would likely get one of two answers. Either people will say that the American Civil War was about slavery, or they will say that it was about states’ rights. And while those are both partially correct answers, when we begin to dig even a little bit deeper, we find that yes, it was about slavery, and yes, it was about states’ right, but it was also about property rights, human rights, family law, interstate commerce, the role of the federal government, the authority of the federal government, and a whole bunch of other things. The same is true about most other wars and conflicts in which our nation has been involved throughout its history. Every conflict has a great many more root causes than one or two presenting issues that often appear on the surface. It’s easy to say that World War One was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, but it’s harder to explain, or understand, all the political and personal intrigue that led to that triggering event. And that concept is true of everything from high school bullying to divorce and all kinds of other things that we encounter and experience throughout our lives. And much like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, sometimes, the trigger or presenting issue that everyone talks about isn’t even the main issue.

And that is what we find as we read the story of Jesus’ third appearance to the disciples following his resurrection that we discover in John 21:1-19 where it says:

21:1 Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3 “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. 8 The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. 9 When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came, took the bread, and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

There are a lot of things happening here, many of which I am sure that you have discussed in your Sunday school classes and heard your pastors preach about. There are the miracles of catching fish when professional fishermen had failed to do so all night long, as well as catching so many at one time, and also that although the fishermen were in the habit of mending tears in their nets every single day even from ordinary wear and tear, after an entire night of fishing, and after such a large catch, the net was not torn. There’s a lot there. But after the miracles that involve fish, Jesus looks at Peter, who had left Jerusalem, left off from following Jesus, and had returned to his profession of fishing, and asks him, do you love me more than these? Peter, do you love me more than fish? And Peter answers, “You know that I love you.”

But we all know that Jesus wasn’t really asking about fish, don’t we? Jesus may have met the disciples while they were fishing, he may have performed several miracles that involved fish and fishing nets, but his meeting with Peter and the disciples, and his question about fish, wasn’t ever about fish. Jesus tells Peter that if he loves him, then he should feed his lambs, and then asks the same question and answers himself saying “take care of my sheep” which, incidentally, has nothing to do with lambs or sheep but Jesus’ human flock. What Jesus is asking Peter isn’t about fish, or lambs, or sheep, it’s about more than fishing, or employment, or work, it about more than boats, more than vocation, or the camaraderie, beauty, or solitude of being out on the water. Jesus tells Peter that following him means that Peter will have to follow, even when he is led to places that he doesn’t want to go, just as an elderly person is dressed by someone else and led by the hand.

Keep that in mind because we hear echoes of that as we read the story of God’s call to Saul the persecutor, who will soon become Paul the apostle in Acts 9:1-20:

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So, they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Although the influence of the temple leaders ebbed and flowed as their relationship with their Roman overseers shifted from generation to generation, we can see that at this moment, Jewish leadership in Jerusalem had been given significant latitude to the degree that they could write an arrest warrant for other Jews even when they were in an entirely different administrative district in another country. Typically, entirely different Roman rulers oversaw the provinces of Judea and Syria, so this is an interesting, and important, detail. In any case, as Saul is traveling north along the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, he is met my Jesus himself, knocked to the ground, struck blind, and sent into the city to wait for further instructions. And then, because of his blindness, he is led by the hand just as Jesus had described to Peter.

But there is one more character in this story that we need to consider, Ananias. Jesus comes to Ananias in a vision and sends him to the home where Saul is staying. At the same time, Saul received a similar vision and was told to expect the arrival of Ananias. But… and this is important, Ananias knew who Saul was. They hadn’t met, but Saul had a reputation for violence, and those who believed in Jesus had heard of how Saul had been arresting, torturing, imprisoning, and otherwise bringing harm to Jews who had chosen to follow Jesus. Ananias knew who Saul was and what he had done and, not surprisingly, didn’t want to do what Jesus was asking him to do. But Jesus emphatically orders Ananias to go… and he does, Saul is healed of his blindness, is baptized, spends several days learning from the disciples of Jesus in Damascus, and immediately begins to follow Jesus and preach in the synagogues about him.

Every disciple and every follower of Jesus from that time until now has been asked the same question, and it is important that we understand the question the way that Peter, Saul, and Ananias did. When Jesus asks us, “Do you love me?” he is not just asking us to love him. Jesus made it clear to the people in our scriptures this morning, as he essentially said, “If you love me, then you must follow me… even when I lead you to places that you don’t want to go, and even when I call you to do things that you don’t want to do.”

You can hear Jesus asking the question that has echoed down through the ages…

“Do you love me?”

How will you answer?

*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Hot Coals, Dead Fish, and Grace

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Hot Coals, Dead Fish, and Grace

February 09, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 6:1-8                Luke 5:1-11                1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Have you ever studied physics? Even basic physics would do to understand what I want to ask, and I’m not sure that even the basics are necessary to get a grip on my next question. In physics, we talk about mass, momentum, velocity, and force. If a mass is moving in one direction, some force must be applied to change its velocity. One force that can be applied is if that mass collides with another mass that is moving in the opposite direction or is not moving at all. But then the age-old question arises, what if an irresistible force collides with an immovable object? Of course, there is nuance to how you can answer this, but the simple answer is that when an irresistible force collides with an immovable object, both are utterly destroyed. If you need a picture in your head, imagine a head-on collision of railroad trains. There are no winners, everyone loses.

So why does this matter?

Well, there is an analogy to this question that we encounter from time to time in scripture, and that is, what happens when an imperfect, flawed, and sinful human being encounters a perfect and holy God? And the answer for most of biblical history is simply… death. The underlying assumption throughout most of scripture is that an imperfect human being would not survive an encounter with God’s perfect holiness. Far from the mutual destruction we would expect in physics from a collision of an irresistible force and an immovable object, in the theological realm, nothing imperfect and sinful survives an encounter with God’s perfect holiness.

And that is exactly the assumption that Isaiah has in mind as we read Isaiah 6:1-8:

6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
    the whole earth is full of his glory.”

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook, and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Isaiah says that he had a vision in which he was transported to the throne room of the universe, saw God seated on his throne, and heard the worship and the praises of the seraphim. And as he took in this scene, Isaiah knew that he was a dead man. He knew that he was sinful, that he lived in a nation of sinful people, and he knew that, as such, he would not survive a meeting with a just and holy God. But just as Isaiah is expecting to die, the unexpected happens. A seraph, an angel with six wings, flies to Isaiah with a live coal from the altar, touches Isaiah’s mouth with this white-hot live coal, and declares that his guilt has been taken away and his sin has been forgiven. And it is at that moment when God asks, “Whom shall I send?” Having stood in the throne room of God, witnessed God’s holiness, seen the angels in attendance, heard their praises, and received God’s forgiveness, Isaiah answers God’s call by saying, “Here am I, Send me.”

And that, is how Isaiah left behind a life as a priest from a privileged family and became God’s prophet. But then as we move forward seven or eight hundred years, we see a similar reaction on the part of Peter when he meets Jesus after a hard, and unsuccessful night of fishing with his partners. We find that story in Luke 5:1-11 where it says:

5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

The story begins with Jesus preaching and, having already become known in the region and having attracted a following of people curious to hear him speak, the crowd begins to press Jesus until he is up against the water. He asks that the fishermen, who are there repairing their nets after a night of fishing, would allow him the use of their boat so that he can preach from just offshore. As a matter of politeness and curiosity, they comply. But, after Jesus has finished preaching, he tells the fishermen, who had already worked all night, to load up their nets, go out into deep water… again, and do it all over again at a time that they were hoping to be going home to a warm meal and a comfortable bed. But again, out of politeness, and out of respect for this new wandering preacher, they do as he asked. (pause) And, despite having caught nothing the previous night, they caught more fish than they had ever caught before. Their nets were breaking, their boats were sinking, and Peter knew that what he was witnessing was not a normal circumstance. Although it wasn’t an angel with a hot coal from the altar of God, Peter knew that he was in the presence of the divine, he knew that Jesus was something more than human, and he fully expected something terrible to happen because he was a sinful man who stood in the presence of God. But much like the experience of Isaiah, Jesus tells Peter not to be afraid and calls the fishermen to leave behind their old lives and follow him.

And finally, we turn to Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth where he remembers the calling that God had put on his life and explains how God has called each one of us as well. As we read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, we hear this:

15:1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.

Paul doesn’t mince words or dance around his point. He says “I want to remind you of the gospel that I preached to you” the one that you heard, accepted, and upon which you have taken a stand. This is the gospel that I was taught by Jesus and by the disciples in Jerusalem and I want you to remember and to hold tightly to the most important thing. Paul then offers a summary that is short, sweet, memorable, and easily memorized. He said that what we must remember is that Christ died just as the prophets said that he would, that he rose from the dead on the third day just as the prophets said that he would, and afterwards he was seen by Peter, the disciples, and more than five hundred others, and then he appeared to his brother James, to all of the apostles, who by definition were all of Jesus’ followers that were not disciples, and then finally he appeared to Paul as he traveled the road to Damascus.

Paul emphasizes that he was an enemy of Jesus and only became a follower of Jesus because of God’s grace. It is because of God’s grace that Paul has become the disciple and evangelist that he is, and it is because of God’s grace that he has done all that he has done. But notice that at the end, Paul changes the personal pronouns in his speech. Where before he was saying “by the grace of God I am what I am” he changes up the pronouns at the end and say, “Whether then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.” Suddenly, instead of speaking in the first person, Paul shifts from “I” to “we” and “you.” This is what we preach, and this is what you believed. And so we should not miss the point by thinking that Paul was only reminding the church about his history, but should remember that Paul’s intent, was to remind the people about the importance of the message, and then make it clear that preaching this message is something that all of us do.

Paul said that it is because of God’s grace that he was who he was, and that he had become the man that he had become. But Paul is also saying that:

We are alive because of God’s grace. We are forgiven because of God’s grace. We are called because of God’s grace. We follow, we preach, we share, we witness, we are bold, and we are unafraid because of God’s grace.

Isaiah was forgiven and sent out into the world by means of a white-hot coal from the altar of God.

Peter and his partners were called to follow Jesus by means of a net full of dead fish.

But Paul and all the rest of us are being sent out into the world by means of Jesus sacrificial death, resurrection, and the grace of God.

Like Isaiah, Peter, and Paul, let us answer God’s call upon our lives and tell the world the Good News of Jesus Christ.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Pentecost and the Politics of Pain

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Pentecost and the Politics of Pain

(Pentecost)

May 19, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 15:26-16:15                   Acts 2:1-21                 Romans 8:22-27

If you have any empathy at all and have watched the news at any time in the last several years, you just might despair for the state of our planet and its people. The United States is struggling with issues of race more than 150 years after the Civil War. South Africa continues to grapple with their racial issues thirty years after the end of Apartheid.  Russia remains intent upon regaining control of Ukraine and other nations over which it once held sway during the years of the Soviet Union. Israel and Hamas continue to fight one another with far reaching calamity in an enormous city filled with civilians. Genocidal acts continue to be perpetrated against Christians and their churches in Nigeria. China continues to persecute ethnic minorities, Christians, and anyone else that might be perceived as a thread to the communist party. Venezuela’s political conflict has so utterly crashed its economy that people are said to be eating rats, pigeons, and dogs to survive. And, unfortunately, that’s just the beginning. The more we read about what is going on, the more we weep over the state of our planet.

But surely it will get better, right? Or maybe we’re just in a bad place at this present moment and it goes in some kind of cycle. And, while that might seem to be true locally, I don’t know that such a thing has ever been true when we look at the world as a whole unless, of course, we simply go back to a time when there weren’t many people at all, but even then life, and survival, was often simply brutal.

That’s a harsh assessment, but is there any good news?

Of course there is. But before we get to the good news, let’s look at the promise that Jesus made to his disciples after the resurrection but before his ascension into heaven. For that, let’s begin with Jesus’ own words carried to us by the Apostle John in John 15:26-16:15, where Jesus says:

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

16:1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus foretells of his return to heaven but promises that when he goes, he will send the Spirit of God, the Advocate, to earth in his place. The Advocate, Jesus says, will prove to the world that they were wrong about sin and righteousness, and wrong about judgement. The Spirit will also guide the followers of Jesus toward the truth. That doesn’t mean that Christians will have any sort of monopoly on truth, but that, over time, as we follow him, we will move away from falsehood and closer to the truth.

These are important promises, not only because our world seems to be broken and we need to have some good news, but because both individually and collectively we find that its far too easy to wander into half-truths, falsehood, fake news, propaganda, and delusion and we need help to stay focused and guided toward the truth. But as important as Jesus’ promise was, perhaps even more important is the fulfillment of that promise on the day of Pentecost that we see in Acts 2:1-21, which says:

2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tonguesas the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below,
    blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness
    and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Jesus returns to his home in heaven and, in fulfillment of his promise, sends the Spirit of God to earth and in a visible and unmistakable way, the Spirit arrives and enters into the disciples and other followers of Jesus Christ that were waiting for its arrival. Jews from all over the known world had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate a Jewish holy day, and all of them heard the disciples preaching in their own unique languages and dialects.

This begins the fulfillment of the promise that Jesus made, but it is not the complete fulfillment. An undeniable miracle happens in full view of hundreds of unbelievers and the world sees that the power of God lives in the message of Jesus and the disciples. But has this proven the wrong of sin to the entire world? No. And has it guided them to the truth? Not everyone.

And what about the darkness and evil that we see throughout history and in the world in which we now live? It is obvious that pain and suffering and the politics that often perpetuate it haven’t gone away. And so, it’s fair to ask, “What role does the Spirit have in the world?” “What role does the church, and its members have?”, and “What does God expects of us?” We gain insight into these questions from the words of Paul in his letter to the church in Rome found in Romans 8:22-27 where he says:

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Paul openly admits that all of creation groans as if it were in labor and giving birth because of the pain, suffering, injustice, darkness, and evil that is in the world. In short, the world sucks. But amid that groaning of creation is the inward groaning and anticipation of our adoption, redemption, and a new life in God’s recreated and perfect world that is yet to come. Although we live in a world that is suffering and broken, we have hope in what is yet to come. And as we wait patiently in hope, the Spirit of God helps us in all our weaknesses, all our shortcomings, all our faults, and all the places that we just… aren’t enough. Even when we are so frightened, frustrated, angry, confused, irritated, broken, hurt, suffering, or otherwise unable to find words to pray, the Spirit of God intercedes for us and interprets our groans, and the feelings of our hearts, puts words to them, and carries those prayers to the throne of God.

Despite the constant barrage of unwelcome news and the politics of pain, the good news of Pentecost is that God is with us, that God loves us, cares for us, intercedes for us, and even puts words to our prayers of groaning even when we can’t find words for ourselves. In a world full of suffering and pain, the clear message of scripture is filled with hope because it tells us that…

… we… are not… alone.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Ownership. Relationship. Commitment.

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Ownership. Relationship. Commitment.

April 28, 2024*

By Pastor John Partridge

John 10:11-18                        Acts 4:5-12                 1 John 3:16-24

Have you ever driven a rental car? You can never be too sure about rental cars because, although they are usually new, people often drive them in ways that you would not drive your family car. I’ve heard stories about rental cars being destroyed because there are often no repercussions if you pay for the insurance in advance. Military vehicles are often in a comparable situation, although destroying them is punishable, it is not all uncommon for young soldiers to take vehicles off-road, bury them to the axles in mud, or worse, and just generally drive them… shall we say… harshly. Though in some cases, the motor sergeant is going to own you for a while.

There is a saying, “Drive it like you stole it” that might be applied to both rental cars and military vehicles. At the heart of this discussion is the issue of ownership. Ownership of the car makes a difference. If those same young soldiers spent several years working at the local fast food franchise to buy their own car, and then did a lot of their own labor to fix it up and add after-factory accessories and bling to it, the odds are good that they would drive that car in a vastly different way than a rental car or military motor pool vehicle.

Ownership makes a difference in many things. And it is that principle that we find at the core of our story this morning in John 10:11-18 when Jesus says…

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd” and not a hired hand. The difference between the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, and the hired hand who runs away and allows the flock to be scattered, is ownership. The flock belongs to Jesus, and not only does he protect it and preserve it with his life, but he has a relationship with his sheep. He knows everything about his sheep, and they know him. And because they know him, and they trust him, they listen to his voice and follow his commands. And that illustration is accurate. Before we went into ministry, Patti and I had seven acres and, at one time, two sheep. Every day I let them out of the barn in the morning and they ran out to the pasture to graze. But every evening I opened the door to their stall, and then the barn door, and as soon as I called them, they ran in. If it was anybody but Patti or I, they didn’t come because they didn’t know them.

Ownership, and relationships, make a difference.

And so, when Peter and John are detained, if not arrested, and brought before the elders to make an accounting for the lame man that they healed at the temple gate, they don’t take the credit for anything, but instead point to the good shepherd. Let’s read the story in Acts 4:5-12:

5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Peter and John knew the good shepherd and had a relationship with him. And so, as his followers, or as John Bunyan said it in Pilgrim’s Progress, as under-shepherds, they knew from where their authority and power had come and gave credit and testimony to Jesus for the healing of the lame man who had begged at the gate to the temple.

But why? And why does knowing why matter to us? And how does knowing inform us, and instruct us, about how we should live our lives today? The Apostle John understood that these are legitimate questions, and they were questions that the church was asking two thousand years ago just as we ask them today. And that’s why we find John’s answer to the first century church, and to us, in 1 John 3:16-24, when he explains that…

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

Jesus said that he was the good shepherd, because the shepherd has ownership of his sheep, and is willing to lay down his life to protect them. Jesus did just that. He laid down his life so that we could be rescued from sin and death. Building on that, John makes the point that if Jesus laid down his life for us, then we should be ready to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If the followers of Jesus Christ are blessed enough to have money, cars, houses, and other material possessions, and have no pity for brothers and sisters that are in need, then how can we believe that the love of God is in them at all? Love, John says, isn’t about the words that we say, but in the actions that we take. Love isn’t saying that we care about the poor, or giving speeches about how much we love them. Love is making sure that they have food, clothing, and a place to live.

John says that “the one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” If we love God, if the Spirit of God truly lives in us, then we will keep God’s commandments, do the things that God asks us to do, and love the people around us in the way that Jesus loved them. The abridged version is that if we truly believe, then we will use what we have, to take action and love the people around us by caring for their needs.

Jesus is the good shepherd. He has ownership and is not a hired hand, so he was willing to lay down his life for his sheep. But a good shepherd also has a relationship with their sheep. He knows them, and they know him. And because we have a relationship with Jesus, as our good shepherd, we have made a commitment to follow him, to obey him, and to love the world the way that Jesus loved.

Love is not words; love is an action.

How will you show the people of your community the love of Jesus today?

That is a question we should ask ourselves every day, and every time we see people who are struggling.

How will we show them the love of Jesus today?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Photo by Sarej on Freeimages.com

At What Cost?

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At What Cost?

September 17, 2023*

By Pastor John Partridge

Exodus 14:19-31                    Matthew 18:21-35                            

I would guess that everyone here probably recalls the story in Luke chapter 14 in which Jesus challenges the crowd to count the cost of choosing to follow him and that choosing to do so means that they must take up their cross when they do. In that story, in Luke 14:28, Jesus says:

 28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

That’s simply good advice for a great many things. Before we go on vacation, we should have a good idea of what it’s going to cost and what we might spend on souvenirs, snacks, drinks, and other incidentals. Before we choose a college major, we should consider how much that education will cost and what kind of a career, and salary, is likely to come from that career.

But although Jesus saying “take up your cross” is the story that springs to mind when we think about counting the cost of following Jesus, it isn’t the only scripture in which counting the cost is an important part of God’s message to us as his followers. We begin this morning in Exodus 14:19-31 as the people of Israel flee from their abuse at the hands of the Egyptians, and escape across the Red Sea.

19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so, neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing towardit, and the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.

Remember that although Israel was enslaved to the Egyptians, they had lived there for eight hundred years and, other than Moses, who had lived in Midian for forty years, there was no one who had known anything other than a life in Egypt. Following Moses, even in pursuit of freedom, meant leaving behind everything that they had ever known other than the family and the faith that they took with them. In this reading, the account of the exodus says that the pillar of cloud came between the armies of Egypt and Israel, and we must understand that describing Israel at this point as an “army” is figuratively describing Israel’s size and nothing else. No one on the side of Israel, again except for Moses, had any training with weapons other than farm implements and the slings that shepherds used to drive off wild animals. Egypt brought an army of soldiers and warriors, but they faced an Israel that was little more than a rabble of untrained men, women, children, and farm animals that had fled with little organization into the night.

As they did on the night that they painted the blood of lambs on the doorposts of their homes, the people of Israel faced a choice as they stood on the shores of the Red Sea. They had chosen to follow Moses into the wilderness, but now they were faced with the first accounting of the choice that they had made. They realized that the cost of following Moses might just be death at the hands of the Egyptian army. But at that moment they witnessed the presence of God, physically present as a pillar of cloud and of fire, standing between them and the Egyptians. And during the night, God divides the sea and makes for them a place to walk across the bottom of the sea on dry ground. And after they had reached the other side, they witnessed the destruction of the army that that, only hours earlier, had filled them with fear.

Witnessing these events was a turning point for the people of Israel. Before they had chosen to pursue freedom from their cruel taskmasters and from slavery. But now they chose to worship God and to put their trust in him, and in his servant, Moses.

Considering how long some of us have been following him, sometimes we still wonder just how much it’s going to cost us to follow Jesus. I’m not kidding. Even the disciples, after spending years with Jesus, were still trying to find the boundaries and limits to the cost of discipleship. That’s exactly what we see happening as Peter asks Jesus a question that has become famous in Matthew 18:21-35 where we hear this:

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt, and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Peter asks a question about forgiveness, but Jesus knows that he is really asking about where the limits are and so he answers the first question, but he elaborates with the parable that follows. The parable that Jesus tells, expands our understanding of forgiveness, but also disabuses us of any thoughts that Peter, or us, might have had about limiting the cost of our choice to follow Jesus.

The example that Jesus used would have been, at least in principle, similar to what the disciples knew, understood, and witnessed every day in their culture as a part of the Greco-Roman system of patronage. In that system, almost everyone was a client of some patron, and clients were expected to mirror and emulate the values of their patron. If your patron was generous, and you wanted to please him, and you always wanted to please your patron, then you would also be generous to the same causes that he supported but at the level that would be expected for a person of your status. And so, in Jesus’ parable, it is unsurprising that the king, as well as the servants, all expected that the client who was shown mercy would, in turn, show mercy to someone who owed him money after being shown such extraordinary mercy by his own patron.

What may have been surprising to the disciples, and to anyone else hearing this story in the first century, was that our relationship with God was so much like the cultural system of patronage. Because we have chosen to follow Jesus and, pledged our loyalty to him as our patron, we are expected to adopt, and to mirror, his values. Because our God is merciful and forgiving, we are not just asked, but expected to be merciful and forgiving. So strong is this expectation, that Jesus says that he will reject us, and revoke his forgiveness of us, if we fail to be forgiving of others. That is not only a big deal regarding forgiveness, but if that is that standard by which we are judged regarding forgiveness, then it isn’t difficult to imagine that this is how God wants us, sorry, expects us, to mirror the other values that we have witnessed in God and in the life of Jesus Christ.

The people of Israel discovered that there was a cost to following Moses out of Egypt and that having done so, God expected something of them. There was a cost to following God.

Even though the disciples had known Jesus, walked with him, talked with him, listened to his teaching, and lived their lives with him for several years, they still sometimes grappled with what it meant to be his followers and to understand the cost of choosing to follow him.

As we read scripture, we discover the same things that the Israelites did as they crossed the Red Sea with Moses, and that the disciples did as they learned from Jesus. We discover that, like them, we cannot follow Jesus part-time or halfway. Following Jesus demands that we invest everything that we have, that we are 100 percent sold-out, and go all-in. We are expected to be as forgiving as Jesus, as merciful as Jesus, and in every other respect, model our lives after him and mirror his values.

Jesus expects nothing less. Because in the story we read from Matthew, Jesus was deadly serious. We’re either all in…

…or we’re out.


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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™