FRIENDS IN CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • Sermons
  • Events
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Pastor's Hymns
  • Sunday School
  • Youth
  • LWML
  • Missions
  • Members Only

The Second Sunday After Christmas (1/2/2022)

12/30/2021

1 Comment

 
the_second_sunday_after_christmas-portrait_style.pdf
File Size: 965 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

1 Comment

Christmas Day (12/25/21)

12/23/2021

2 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12.25_christmas_day_portrait_style.pdf
File Size: 935 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2 Comments

Christmas Eve - Candlelight Service (12/24/21)

12/23/2021

0 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12.24_christmas_eve_portrait_style-fri.pdf
File Size: 996 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

The Fourth Sunday in Advent (12/19/21)

12/17/2021

0 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12_19_portrait_style-sun.pdf
File Size: 823 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

The Third Sunday in Advent (12/12/21)

12/10/2021

0 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12_12_portrait_style-sun.pdf
File Size: 871 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Midweek Advent Meditations for Family Worship (12/8/21)

12/8/2021

4 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12_08_advent_midweek_2_portrait_style-wed.pdf
File Size: 887 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

https://www.cuchicago.edu/globalassets/www-digital-team-media-files/documents-and-images/academics/centers-of-excellence/center-for-church-music/devotions/hymn-of-the-day-devotion---proper-21-series-c.pdf
Mount Moriah (Transcription)
So the story is about Mount Moriah, Abraham and Isaac going to the mountain where Abraham would sacrifice his son. And in the telling of the story a lot of people have said that the main point is the faith of Abraham. That’s wrong. It’s not the main point. It is not about two people going to that mountain, it’s about four people.
And there’s where we start to get into what actually is going on. Over the past week my wife and I have been going through a time of illness in my life where we honestly didn’t know if I was going to pull through. There is a certain heartbreak in facing those things many of you know that. And it’s been said that the greatest heartbreak is in the loss of a son, of a child. Again, many know that. So what do you call Mount Moriah. One idea of what to call it is heartbreak mountain, because of the heartbreaking things that are about to happen there. Abraham bringing his son. Abraham giving his son up, and then finding out that it is about more than Abraham and Isaac.
Lord may the words of my meditation be acceptable in Your sight. You see, the main idea is not Abraham and Isaac. It is God. God and Mount Moriah. Now you can change the name of Mt. Moriah from heartbreak mountain to mountain of heartbreak shared. Because you see Moriah is later known as Zion or Calvary, and let me do a little retelling of the story, putting the knowledge that comes in the end back in toward the beginning.
God says to Abraham, “Abraham, will you walk with me? I need you to walk with me. Because I am doing something that is breaking my heart.” And Abraham says, “Okay, what do you want.” God says take your son, your only son whom you love. Bring him to the mountain that I will show you and offer him there as a sacrifice. And in the going to Mount Moriah, Abraham is walking with God. He is sharing what it’s like to be the father bringing his son to that mountain. And actually Jesus is calling Isaac into it, Isaac walk with Me. Okay. And Isaac you and I will be carrying the wood. We will be watching the preparation. And we will be placed on the altar. You will be tied up, and I, I will be nailed to it. And we will watch, you as your father takes the knife, and I as My Father turns away and judges for all the sin of the world.
Now there is an afterward. And that is why Isaac is called Isaac. The name means laughter. He was named laughter when his mother didn’t think she would be able to have a child and then God fulfilled his promise and Sarah said, “Laugh with me, because God has done what He promised.” But the name laughter isn’t only for that time. It is for the walk down the mountain, when Abraham has received back his son restored to life. Symbolically restored back to life. It is named for Jesus in the time after. Easter morning and He laughs as He says to Mary, “Mary” and then she sees and then runs and tells. 
But the point I want to concentrate on today is the closeness. God says to Abraham, “Will you walk with Me.” There is a deep thing that happens when you share a walk heading to whatever heartbreak mountain that you have to go to. Many of you have prayed for me, and have prayed for us. Thank you. You shared the walk. To be able to come home from the hospital. And whatever the result is, home from the hospital and my wife and I were together. Sharing in whatever that walk is and there is more and more hope that this is to life. And we may look back and we may laugh. But consider, God draws close the Abraham, and in the theme of my life has become lately, God says to Abraham, “I love you. I want you in My Kingdom.” God says to Abraham, “I love you and I want you with me.” There is a call to that closeness with God. He invites. He invites into the deepest relationship we could ever have. That is one of the aspects. God invites us. Sometimes when he calls us, he calls us to share in the sorrows that are part of the whole arc of the story of salvation. There are sorrows there. But realize, some of the sorrows are the sorrows of God. The sorrows of God the Father who must give and sacrifice His own son. He is walking a long walk to get to that mountain, to the day of the actual sacrifice, a long walk. And some of it is the sorrows of Jesus. You see that in the Gospels when it’s in Gethsemane and Jesus says to Peter and James and John, “Come with Me.” And says, “My soul is sorrowful unto death. Watch with Me.” There is a deepness in the relationship that is absolutely amazing to be invited to share such a moment with God. That is part of the story. And indeed as God calls you. As he says, “Walk with me.” As he says, “I love you and I want you in my kingdom.” There is a lot to share in watching Him go through that. And now turn it completely around and realize why the whole thing is. Finally it is not only that God is inviting us to share in His sorrows and then in the joy that come after. He is coming close to you. You’ve got your Mount Moriahs, times of life that are heartbreak mountain. But you see, Mount Moriah is not just heartbreak mountain, it is mountain of heartbreak shared. Because God will stoop down, come to us, and he will put Himself in the place where He shares in all of the heartbreaks in order to bring the joys, bring the joys that are the after everything, the joy becomes all encompassing. He holds that out to us and invites us to share in His joy. We hope to hear at the end, “Well down good and faithful servant.” And then what? “Enter into the joy of your master.” And so it is mountain of heartbreak shared. God did not have to stoop down and walk with us through our troubles, but He did. He did not have to love us and call us from the mess of this world, but He did. He didn’t have to take all of our sin in him, but He did. 
And now we are drawing close to Christmas. And realize as we draw each day closer to Christmas, all that it means that Jesus Christ is the Gift. He’s the Gift of Christmas, the Gift given, and as He is given He knows there will be heartbreak mountain where he will share in our heartbreaks. And finally by the forgiveness of sins, by his death that gives us resurrection, by His resurrection that gives us joy, He will give that amazing and wondrous gift that He calls us to walk with Him, past heartbreak mountain, past the mountain of heartbreak shared, and into an unending and eternal joy. To run with Jesus into all eternity, what an amazing prospect. What an amazing vision. In Jesus name, Amen.
4 Comments

The Second Sunday in Advent (12/5/21)

12/3/2021

0 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12_05_portrait_style.pdf
File Size: 1186 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

The First Wednesday in Advent - GOD WITH US: In the Garden (12/1/21)

12/1/2021

0 Comments

 
bulletin_2021_12_01_portrait_style-wed.pdf
File Size: 841 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

    Worship

    ​Recordings

    Previous services and sermons archived below.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Bible Study
    Sermons

    RSS Feed

Location

What do Friends in Christ do?

Friends bring friends to Christ, preach and teach the truth, create a caring community, prepare people for life and reach out. "

1338 Clay Street, Morris, Illinois
(815) 941-1255

Contact Us

    Subscribe Today!

Submit
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Newsletters
  • Sermons
  • Events
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Pastor's Hymns
  • Sunday School
  • Youth
  • LWML
  • Missions
  • Members Only