Matt Hemsley Archives - Page 3 of 3

After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples for 40 days teaching them about the kingdom of God. He called them to spread his kingdom as his witnesses, living out sacrificial love, to the ends of the earth.

This sermon was preached at a 1:00pm service Vienna Baptist because wind-storms had caused the cancellation of all activities at FCPS schools.
Unfortunately, the recording was not through our normal sound system and is distorted with background noise.

Jesus challenges the disciples as he fortells the destruction of the Temple. How can this be? Who will we be without the Temple?

Todays culture is shifting and changing so rapidly that it calls for new paradigms–approaches to mission that meet people in common space in a post-Christian culture.

Jesus’ parables redraw the circles of who’s in and who’s out–as he causes his listeners to examine the state of their heart. In the parable of the shrewd manager, a man facing the loss of his livelihood is commended for forgiving the debts of his master’s debtors and ingratiating himself to those people–revealing Jesus Kingdom priority on people and grace over wealth and position, which is unlike the the Pharisees who on the outside look good but are full of love of money and pride of heart.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus tells the story of a Father with two sons, the younger of whom disobeys and rejects him but at the end of his rope returns and experiences the Father’s loving embrace. The older son does everything the Father says but only to inherit the Father’s stuff, he too rejects the Father and can’t see the Father’s love for him. Can you see your lostness and need of the Father’s loving embrace?

What is the nature of the salvation story–seeds of promise planted, waiting for the promise to come, and trusting in the outcome. It is the Advent story that is played out in the hopes of Israel and the promises made to faithful, barren and aged Zechariah and Elizabeth–that their prayers for salvation were being answered and they would have a son. Are we willing to live into the Advent themes of waiting, hoping and trusting?

Luke 1:5-25 & Isaiah 40:1-5

When we are seriously offended, hurt or even attacked, how do we respond? In a culture that is deeply divided and hostile toward one another, how are Christians to act? Jesus challenges the religious and cultural norms of his day and calls on his disciples to love their enemies and forgive those who sin agains them. When we fully realize the grace, forgiveness and love that Jesus himself offers us, we can respond with love, forgiveness and grace even to our enemies.

For the Israelites and David–the Ark of the Covenant–the physical embodiment of God’s presence was a source of blessing and joy. In Psalm 132, the Psalmist recounts the desire of David and Israel to have the Ark (and the LORD) with them. Do we desire the Presence of God? What difference does God’s presence make? And as those in-dwelt by the Spirit of God, how are we called to manifest God’s presence in the world.

Israel placed all their hopes in the City and the Temple. In Psalm 127, Solomon reminds them that it is the Lord who protects the city and builds the house. And the greater gift of God is in children–that people matter more than buildings. In this Wisdom Psalm, Solomon reminds all of us that true wisdom is more than knowledge and experience, it is found in the Lord and his perspective on life.

Matt Hemsley looks at the difficulty and calling of Psalm 121–the Psalmist looks to the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth–the one who in the Psalm promises to provide for us and keep us from all harm. And yet harm comes to us, how can this be? The Psalms hold in tension the goodness of God and the suffering of this life, the Presence of God and the evil we experience–and invites us to sing and pray these same Psalms so we are shaped, transformed into people who can live with a firm faith in the midst of struggle and challenge too.

Advent 3

The Solution