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Sermon – March 29, 2015

March 29, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Path to the Empty Tomb“Sign Up“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

Jesus’ journey is for each and every one of us. Step by step, he walks in the direction he hopes we will follow. He invites us to join him. He invites us to follow him. Where he leads us is good if we will only trust him.

The Path to the Empty Tomb is understanding that the way of Jesus is a worthwhile journey. He does not call us to walk for the sake of walking. He calls us to walk so that we will experience the blessings of the journey with him. We can be promised of one thing on this journey: we will all be changed if we put one foot in front of the other!

In the Palm Sunday passage, we encounter folks that are ready to sign up and follow him. In what they have seen and in what they have heard, they deemed that being a part of Jesus’ journey was indeed worthwhile. Where are you today? Are you ready to sign up to be a part of the Kingdom Jesus is journeying towards?

~Mike Holly

The Word

Mark 11:1-11

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

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Sermon – March 22, 2015

March 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Path to the Empty Tomb“Get Passionate“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

John’s Gospel tells us that Jesus just before Jesus cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem, he graced the wedding at Cana with his presence and power. While at the wedding, he performed his first miracle, or sign, as he turned the water into wine. He was in Galilee at that point, but then it was time for the holy season of Passover. John’s Gospel says that he went “up” to Jerusalem even though he was traveling south. This is because it is uphill to Jerusalem as well as supporting the idea that “all roads lead to Jerusalem.”

Jesus became angry at the scene he discovered in the Temple. We make a lot out of his righteous anger, using it to justify the anger we have towards injustice. We normally frown upon anger being demonstrated publicly like this. However, Jesus was so full of love for God and the Temple — of what it was supposed to be — that his passion turned to acts of justice.

You have to understand that the money changers were not simply changing Roman coins into Jewish shekels. They were making a profit off of the mandate for faithful Jews to come and worship with Jewish coinage by playing with the exchange rate. Jesus sees the Temple establishment taking advantage of God’s people and takes action.

Where is our passion today? Have we lost passion for worship, church and ministry?

~Mike Holly

The Word

John 2:13-22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

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Sermon – March 15, 2015

March 15, 2015 By

Path to the Empty Tomb“Clean Slate“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

Paul’s words in Ephesians can be shocking: “You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived…” Earlier this Lent, we described two paths. One path was to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, which we are calling the Path to the Empty Tomb. The other path is the path of “this world” as Paul describes it. This other path is the path where we seek to build up our own self, seek comfort for our own self, and fulfill our own desires. While each and every step on this path seems to provide pleasure, we often find that it is fleeting. And ultimately we are left with very little.

The path in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is opened to us by the grace of God, “who is rich in mercy.” It is a life with true joy and contentment. It is a lifestyle of blessing others. And we can walk in this direction because of the way in which God has treated us: mercifully blessing us and guiding each of our steps. Several times in the Bible, we hear that even though we have sinned against God and turned our backs on His path, God remains steadfast. And in his loving kindness, he can wipe away those sins and failures “as far as the East is from the West” (or infinitely away from us).

Today in worship, we invite you to consider how you can begin with God with a clean slate. Join God on his path and leave the old life and the old ways behind!

~Mike Holly

The Word

Ephesians 2:1-10

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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Sermon – March 8, 2015

March 8, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Path to the Empty Tomb“Get Low“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

One thing we all begin to recognize as we walk with God and grow into a deeper relationship with him is that pride becomes a stumbling block along the way. Not only does it create a wedge in between ourselves and God, it also has the potential to become a barrier between ourselves and others. If we think too highly of ourselves, we begin to dictate to God what we deserve and what we do not deserve. And if we think too highly of ourselves, we begin to judge others for the specks in their eyes, neglecting the logs in our own.

In the second chapter of the New Testament book of Philippians, we discover that Christ “humbled himself,” taking on the human body and condition for our sake. He didn’t think too highly of himself. He didn’t barricade himself away from the sinners and low lifes. No, he humbled himself and came down low to us all.

The third stepping stone along the Path to the Empty Tomb is the step of humility. We learn to not think so highly of ourselves, trusting that as Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel: those who humble themselves will be exalted. Discovering who we really are is humbling, but it also creates the potential for more meaningful relationships with God and others as we cast pride aside

~Mike Holly

The Word

Luke 14:7-14

When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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Sermon – March 1, 2015

March 1, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Path to the Empty Tomb“Turning Around“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

Just ask any traveler who has realized that they have been going the wrong way for too long how they feel about turning around. It’s a pain. But think about a traveler who knows they are going in the wrong direction but neglects turning around. They increasingly distance themselves from where they need to be.
That is what we as human beings face in our lives. We chase after things that are not holy. Things that are not what God wants for us. We go in the wrong direction (taking care of our own lives rather than to give our lives over to God and care for others). Jesus calls us to repent — to turn around and join him.
What do you need to turn away from? We have an opportunity today as we read these words of Jesus. We have an opportunity to choose for ourselves: is Jesus’ way worth turning around for?

~Mike Holly

The Word

Mark 1:4-15

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

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Sermon – February 22, 2015

February 22, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Path to the Empty Tomb“Letting Go“, by Rev. Mike Holly

Sermon Series: Path to the Empty Tomb

We take our lives for granted, don’t we? We walk around each day not realizing just how much of a gift it is to be alive. Yes, we encounter heartache and frustration. But in the same life, we experience love and friendship. Life itself is a gift. If someone asked you, “how do you build a good life?”, what would you say? To give time and energy to the important things in life? To enjoy every minute of every day doing something that you love? Jesus says something different, and yet the same: In today’s Scripture reading, Jesus says that those who want to have a great life should lose their lives. What does it mean to lose our lives? And how does losing our lives help us to save our lives? The truly good life is lives in relationship with Jesus Christ, following in his footsteps. Today, we’ll explore what that means for us as we begin our Lenten journey on the Path to the Empty Tomb.

~Mike Holly

The Word

Mark 8:31-38

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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