Limitless
Abridge Worship Provided By: Rev. Jacob Shaw (Please note that this is not a verbatim account of our Sunday morning worship, but rather a condensed version for those at home to study and enjoy, Blessing)
Opening Prayer:
Holy One, we enter this time of worship with minds filled with the busyness of life. Help us shed the dust of our toils, relaxing in the knowledge that you claim us just as you promised. Amen.
Scripture Readings: Ephesians 1:3-14 and Mark 6:1-13
Ephesians 1:3-14
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Mark 6:14-29
King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”
“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
At once the girl hurried into the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Reflection:
Within our two readings, there is a lot of theological material to review. So, to help us focus our time, I would like to re-read the last few lines from Ephesians, which ended with this very powerful statement.
When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
I’ll simplify it a bit more, for anyone new to the faith.
If you believe in Jesus, you are marked as part of God’s Kingdom, you belong to God
We could go further and say it in a few more ways… your spot is reserved in God’s Kingdom, your room is booked, your destination is set, your heavenly family is calling, your destiny awaits. Your redemption, restoration, and eternal life in Christ Jesus, by Christ Jesus is who you will become.
Knowing this to be true, good, and reliable is knowledge that changes life forever. It means a number of things:
- By trusting in Jesus, and being marked, means we are humble enough to know that we are not Lord, but only God is.
- By trusting in Jesus and being marked, it means we trust in God’s love for us to keep us and use us for his kingdom.
These first two points remind us that our faith lives have two important fundamental qualities, meaning and purpose. Any psychologist or sociologist worth their salt will tell you if you don’t have meaning and purpose in your life, your life will not feel worth living. The symptoms of depression, anxiety and lethargy begin to seep in when you lack meaning and purpose.
And when we, in faith, become marked by God, the source of all being, all existence, all that ever has been or will be, our meaning and purpose is no longer formed by material things, which ultimately turn to dust in the end, but our meaning and purpose in to live and serve an eternal God and his kingdom.
3. It also tells us that since we are marked as belonging to God, eternal spiritual reality, that our time here on this earth should be understood as transitionary. This means that what the world thinks defines us, our jobs, our financial status, our health, our ethnicity and cultures, our age, our languages, our abilities, these are all temporary, our primary identity now, is as sons and daughters of God.
This is something, every Christian needs to get their head around. When we say God loves you which is true, we mean it to also pertain to how God will love you, because when you love God back, when you allow that love to become a two-way exchange, it means that you now welcome God’s love to work in your life; to protect you, to restore you, to shape you, to deliver you both in the finite material life, and in, and more importantly, your eternal spiritual life in Christ.
That means that your definition is forevermore marked and underlined by God.
This marking means more than I can summarize in one sermon, but I’ll add on one last thing.
4. It means that no matter what we face in our lives, joy or sorrow we are still marked by God. Look at John the Baptist, the prophetic voice which spoke of Jesus, an man who brought people into baptismal waters, promoting the reconciliation with God and sinner. He had all sorts of joy and all sorts of sorrow, and he was clearly chosen by God for a very important purpose, He welcomed God to guide his life, even into a context most of us would not want to entertain, and even at his death, an execution due to a petty hatred, John was still belonging to God. Even has his head was removed, John was marked by God, and John the Baptist is forever with the Father.
Because God is quick to love and slow to anger, God permits time for the people in creation to come to him, to trust in him, which mean for a little while we have to endure a life which is filled with all sorts of land mines. Some times these land mine are natural like age and illness, some chaotic, like a tornado or hurricane, sometimes they are due to our imperfection and stumbling, like falling to sins or temptations, and other times this the evil and darkness in the world trying to hunt us down like animals in the night. But we as those marked by God can stand confident that no matter what is done to us, no matter what suffering or persecution befalls us, we are eternally held by God almighty hands, we are held by God’s eternal love.
When John was placed upon the stump which would weight his final breaths, he knew that it was not the end of his life, but in to God’s hand, his life was just beginning.
Let us pray…
Lord Jesus, remind our hearts and minds, that we by Grace through Faith, have been welcomed into your life, and marked by your Love. Let our daily life reflect the miracle which you have bestowed upon us. Amen
Homework:
Ask yourself, how can I best honor the mark which God has placed up you. How can you live your life to glorify Him who has called you into his own eternal life in Christ?
If you need help on this reflective journey email: minister@mountainviewunited.ca
Closing Prayer: God, thank you. Amen.
Meme of the Week:
Thank you for joining us this week. If you have any thoughts, feelings, or prayers, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Please be respectful of others’ posts and make room for all those joining us.
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