Lent Week 3 “Fabric of Faith” | March 12th | Pastor Sarah Coppernoll

Sermon Info:

-Fabric, how would you define that? “Fabric of society”

- the essential structure of anything, especially a society or culture

-It is what holds something together

-What is the fabric of our faith? What holds us together? Common beliefs? We like each other? What? Let’s look into that today

Read Luke 9:28-37

28 About eight days later Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly, two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared and began talking with Jesus. 31 They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.

32 Peter and the others had fallen asleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus’ glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As Moses and Elijah were starting to leave, Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 34 But even as he was saying this, a cloud overshadowed them, and terror gripped them as the cloud covered them.

35 Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my Chosen One. Listen to him.” 36 When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen. 37 The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.

Jesus Journey toward the cross – on the mountain

• Where did Jesus go?
• Up on a mountain
• Mountains were big deals
• Moses received Law on the mountain
• Elijah heard the still small voice of God on the mountain
• Who went with Jesus up the mountain?
• Unlike the desert Jesus did not journey up the mountain alone
• Peter, James and John – the inner three
• These same three would later be asked by Jesus to stay up with him as he prayed in the garden before his arrest
• What happened on the mountain
• Peter James and John fell asleep (this would be repeated in the garden as well)
• Jesus was transfigured – face changed and clothes shone bright white
• The other time this had happened this phrase was when Moses’ face shown after seeing just part of God on Sinai
• Moses and Elijah arrived looking glorious and the minister to Jesus...strengthening Him for the journey he is about to take on...that journey to the cross
• Just a quick note – do we let other’s minister to us? Strength us? Jesus did...we ought not hold people back from being a blessing to us.
• The three inner circle guys wake up
• Peter speaks (more on that in a bit)
• God speaks
• They are left alone with Jesus who leads them back down the mountain

Why Moses and Elijah?

• One question I have asked every Sunday school teacher my entire life is this...how did they know it was Elijah and Moses? It’s not like their were photographs or even paintings of them hanging around for centuries
• Real answer...not 100% sure (love it!)
• Another answer...revelation on the Holy Spirit to Peter. It had happened before
• When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”14 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”15 Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being (Matthew 16:14-17)
• Simon Peter had been given special knowledge from God to be able to speak out who Jesus truly was
• We know this because 1. Jesus says it and 2. Peter proves repeatedly he does not understand what he’s talking about 😊
• So perhaps Peter received a revelation from God about who these people were with Jesus
• Or maybe Jesus introduced them...maybe they were wearing name tags...

Moses – LAW

• Saw the burning bush... “place on which you are standing is holy ground”
• He wrote the law of God on tablets (after he broke the ones God himself wrote, but that’s not this sermon)
• He represented BIG IMPORTANT THINGS
• While leading God’s people from Egypt, God asked that they listen to him (did they...not really, but again not this sermon)

Elijah – PROPHETS

• One of the most famous of the prophets
• Called down fire from heaven (then ran away...not this sermon)
• Taken from earth via flaming chariot “holy ground”
• He also represented BIG IMPORTANT THINGS
• God used Elijah as his voice to the Kings of Israel and Judea (did they listen...again not really but that’s not this sermon)

Understanding the Disciples reaction

• Jesus represented the coming together of both the Law and the Prophets
• The spotlight moved from Moses and Elijah to Him.
• The heroes God had used in the past came together in Him to empower and strengthen His resolve to open for us a way of salvation...to make the journey to that cross
• Peter James and John wake up to this scene playing out in front of them
• Moses, Elijah and Jesus (looking unbelievable)
• So, Peter speaks (without thinking as he does) and talks about building three memorials
• so that this place can be remembered as holy ground and so that Elijah and Moses and Jesus can stay there,
• and people will come from all over the world to worship them here in this place
• This place Peter recognizes is Holy Ground (burning bush, flaming chariot)

WE DO THIS!

• We make the past hay day of the church where a bunch of people gathered in one building
• Don’t we?
• We make the building where the church meets into holy ground – not letting other things happen
• Don’t we?
• We see churches investing in the best lighting and equipment and musicians (our musicians are great) to try and get people to their “holy ground”
• Don’t we?
• It’s a temptation...I have heard people say. I wish the church was like it was X number of years ago when everyone came into a building one day a week, nothing else to do on a Sunday...those were the days...
• Can I share something?
• I am excited that the church is not like that today. I am excited that a building where people gather to worship God is also used for people to come knit, for people to support each other in grief, for the community to share their crafts and earn a living, for hungry people to find food, for moms to get support to feed their children...
• I am excited that the new generation of Christians is taking their faith not just personally but also commutatively, that they are not satisfied to just come and sit on a Sunday...they want to serve and share and MAKE GOD’S KINGDOM COME not just wait around for it

God speaks...

• It’s important to understand what Jesus has been teaching the disciples up to this point
  
• Both in his words – I'm doing a new thing. I’m going to die. You are going to receive the Holy Spirit of God. You’ve heard it said, but I say...
• And in his actions – Let's touch lepers, eat with tax collectors (even have a tax collector disciple), talk to non Jewish women at wells, forgive adulterers...
• God is not saying...LISTEN TO HIM
• Listen to the new thing, stop trying to hold on to the old things
• Done are the days when the fabric of faith meant building a place and having people come to it
• NOW....now....NOW...the fabric of faith is this - listen to Jesus
• Jesus says...Let’s leave!

Conclusion:

• They left the mountain
• The next day, after they had come down the mountain, a large crowd met Jesus.
• They left the mountain
• Jesus left that place where Moses and Elijah had come to strength him and minister to him...Jesus left
• Because there was a crowd of people waiting
• And it was that crowd of hungry and hurting people...that was the new fabric of faith
• That was the essential structure