Claim OwnershipMechanicsburg Church of the Brethren Sermons
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© 2023 Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren Sermons
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These are the weekly Sermons delivered Sunday (mostly) at the Mechanicsburg Church of the Brethren, located at 301 Gale Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.Most Sermons are delivered by our main Pastor, Pastor Del Keeney; however, we occasionally have other Pastors and Associate-Pastors delivering our Message.We would LOVE to have you worship with us!!!
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On this last Sunday before Christmas, we remember both the marvel of and the reason for Jesus’ coming; as our Savior, the One who is Christ the Lord!
John the Baptist, in no uncertain terms, calls the people to changed lives! Even before Jesus comes, repentance is to mean something! It is to show! As we remember the promised coming of the One who will redeem us, how do we show that we are ready for him?
On this day when the testimony of Christ’s coming arrival is offered through scripture and a variety of choral music by our chancel choir, we will consider the path prepared for his coming through the prophet of the most high, John the Baptist.
Entering Advent, many of us look forward to the celebration of the birth of our Lord. But this season provides us still more to look forward to. It offers us the challenge of seeing our world and lives in the light of God’s promises “still to come”.
“Growing up I don’t remember hearing sermons about Ascension Day, and yet the story found in Acts 1:1-11 is pivotal to the closing of the Gospel Accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit to build up the New Testament Church. It is a story closing one chapter and opening another.” -Reverend Jan Custer
The account of Acts chapter 11 reflects a radical shift in the life of the early church. God opens doors that his followers are not ready for! Welcoming those who don’t fit their understanding of faith! While we may differ on what we believe faith requires, how might we all take hold of the challenge of seeing the persons that God would invite to join us as his followers?
The scriptures remind us that there is something essential for followers of Jesus: that we recognize his voice. For those of us living far removed from Jesus’ physical ministry, that is a unique challenge. How do we recognize his voice amidst the competing claims for what folks believe he calls us to do?
In the aftermath of Jesus’ resurrection, we find the scriptures describing some remarkable encounters with the risen Christ. These encounters shape the path of Jesus’ followers, and even his opponents with sometimes transforming purpose and direction. How do they continue to shape our path as his followers today?
How do we “get to” belief? And how do we bring others to that same experience? It is fascinating that Jesus does not instruct his disciples to coerce belief in others. In the dual encounters described in today’s text, Jesus invites and inspires! How might we do the same?
Sometimes we struggle to believe something because it seems improbable or difficult. And then there are those moments when we are stretched “beyond belief” to see something that we could not even imagine. Though we take the Resurrection for granted, it is truly “beyond belief” for Jesus’ first followers. It transforms their world and ours as well; far beyond what we could have imagined!
We delight in the Hosanna celebrations of Palm Sunday. Why, if we didn’t proclaim our praise, even the stones would shout out! But how long will we follow Jesus with such passion? A few hours? A few days? All the way to the cross?
If gratitude is expected, why is it so hard to receive? If gratitude is good, why is it so hard to do? Sometimes we learn how to give and receive gratitude from the most unlikely persons in the most unexpected places.
When we hear the question of the sermon title, “Whom shall I fear”, we start creating a list of our own. There are fearful things in our lives and in our world. But the psalmist’s words and Jesus’ actions are a counsel to the fear that stirs within us. Fear is not to be our guide!
The testing of Jesus in the Wilderness is as much a revelation as the transfiguration on the mountaintop. The temptation shows us what Jesus is about, and how he will choose to fulfill his call. It is not that temptation happens nowhere else (it does daily). Rather his story is a reminder that our hope is found in his faithfulness to the path that will lead to the cross. Scripture Texts: Luke 4:1-13; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
There is something about an encounter with the “Holy” that transforms. It made Moses “glow” with a brightness that the people could not handle. What makes us “glow” in the encounters with God? Where do we see the “glow” when it is not so obvious? What is the character of holiness that we encounter? Scripture Texts: Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36
The testimony of the prophet Isaiah reminds us that we are called and claimed by God. Like Jesus in the waters of baptism, we are claimed as God’s own precious children. How do we reflect that truth in our lives?
The coming of the Magi doesn’t fit our customary Christmas celebration. They leave early and arrive late! What perspective of the Savior can we gain from considering their timing and the character of their gifts?
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