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well good morning and welcome to the online worship experience for first christian church in wilmington ohio it is sunday january 31st 2021 i'm pastor tom stevenson and i'm so glad that you've chosen to worship with us this morning today on this chilly chilly morning i invite you into the warmth of christian worship and fellowship because you are part of the body of christ no matter where you are in your living room in your car walking in the woods if you are attentive to the spirit of christ and offering your heart to him in worship then you are together as one not only in this space but in all times and places so i'm grateful for that good news that comes to us from the spirit of god so now let's prepare our hearts to enter into worship don't forget that we will share the lord's supper at the close to get your comments come on let's worship the lord [Music] do [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] m [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] me [Music] um [Music] foreign [Music] you're looking at our beautiful 112 year old sanctuary building and of course we are so grateful that god has provided for us through the generosity and faithfulness of generations past as you are aware we are in the midst of a capital campaign to raise the roof the beautiful terra cotta tiles well they're beautiful but they no longer keep out the elements and so we have received water damage on the walls and the ceiling inside the sanctuary and it's got to be replaced so you should have gotten in your newsletter and a letter that was mailed to you information about raise the roof too and i hope that you have given serious thought and prayer to your part in helping us replace the roof repair the damaged ceiling and walls of the sanctuary and work on some other projects you see the cupola up there our beautiful stained glass windows are not in the cupola right now they've been pulled out to be repaired and we will hopefully get that project done as well so right now we have blanks in those windows we have this building and that's what it is a building that building is intended to be a place of mission and ministry it's where we springboard the congregation into action for the gospel for the good news of jesus christ 112 years ago a group of christians got together and said let's raise up a building so that the church can gather and worship and serve it's now our turn to raise up that roof and repair the sanctuary and prepare ourselves for the next generations of ministry our gift not only to the community but to those who follow us so i hope that you will prayerfully consider your part in raising the roof and that you will give praise to god for what he enables you to do at this time thank you and god bless you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] so [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hi church family my name is deborah henry frost and today i have the reading from scripture reading from mark 1 verses 21 through 28. they went to capernaum and when the sabbath came jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach the people were amazed at his teachings because he taught them as one who had authority not as the teachers of the law just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out what do you want with us jesus of nazareth have you come to destroy us i know who you are the holy one of god be quiet jesus said certainly come out of him the impure spirit shook the men violently and came out of him with a shriek the people were all so amazed that they asked each other what is this a new teaching and with authority he even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him news about him spread quickly over the whole region of galilee last week we saw the beginning of jesus ministry with his first pastoral decision to call several to become his disciples or students in his way of life they didn't have a clue what they were getting into they only knew who was asking and that was enough but right on the heels of being called to follow jesus the disciples discover that the kingdom of god is serious business just a hundred yards back from the shore of the sea of galilee rests the fishing village of capernaum jesus and his fishing buddies are all good jews and good jews always worship on the sabbath as was the custom visiting rabbis would have been invited to teach that day in the synagogue and so jesus is invited to speak just as he really gets going on his sermon between point one and the first joke a noise erupts from the back row of the sanctuary a man possessed by an evil spirit rushes forward screaming what do you want with us jesus of nazareth have you come to destroy us i know who you are the holy one of god 12 years ago in january 2009 the illinois legislature was fiercely deliberating whether democratic governor rod blagojevich should be impeached on the allegation he conspired to sell the senate seat vacated by president barack obama but if you were watching tv that week you'd never know the illinois lawmakers had much of an opinion as they could hardly get a word in edgewise lagoyevich filled the airways with words words and more words pleading innocence demeaning his critics crying entrapment excusing his coarseness making noise in the hope of overwhelming and drowning out the inevitable guilty verdict the governor believed he could shout down the truth if only he talked loud enough and long enough that the truth could not be stifled and so it was in the synagogue with the demon trying to shout down jesus as he proclaimed the kingdom of god and how that kingdom has power over the misdeeds and misdirection of the world this kingdom has authority to accomplish amazing and to everybody watching frightening things like exorcism and healing and how do we know this teaching has any teeth think it is the very volume and shrillness of the evil spirit that tells us this teaching has the power to take a deadly bite out of evil's hold over us this challenge to the authority of jesus is the evidence that evil sin and death are about to be impeached from god's sanctuary and it is the authority by which jesus speaks and commands that amazes the congregation which cries out he even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him isn't this what we're really looking for aren't we hoping and looking for someone who can speak with authority in the midst of all these things that have possessed our nation and our lives the global pandemic that has so diminished our health and the economy health care that impoverishes us higher costs and lower wages and job losses we want someone to speak to the homeless crisis the environmental crisis and the hunger crisis that crush millions more than any war ever conceived we look to leaders in government business community and religious leaders for authoritative answers that will cast out these demons is there anyone who speaks with authority new testament scholar tom wright tells the story of a north sea disaster he writes a tourist boat loaded with cars and vacationers failed to shut its doors properly the water began to pour in the boat began to sink and panic set in people were screaming as the happy relaxed atmosphere of the ship turned into something worse than a horror movie all at once a man not a member of the crew took charge in a clear voice he gave orders telling people what to do relief mixed with panic as people realized someone at least was in charge and many managed to reach the lifeboats they would have otherwise missed in the dark and rush the man made his way down to the people trapped in the hold there he formed a human bridge holding on with one hand to a ladder and with the other to part of the ship that was nearly submerged he enabled still more to cross to safety when the nightmare was finally over the man was found to have drowned he had literally given his life in using the authority he had assumed the authority by which many had been saved and then tom wright says now take that picture to a different seacoast that of galilee in the little town of capernaum in the synagogue is a man not one of the recognized teachers but a man who begins on his own authority to tell people what god's will is how the kingdom is coming the usual teachers priests and scribes the literate ones didn't teach like that they always said as moses said or as rabbi so and so said rather jesus speaks by his god-given authority because he is the very word of god which has come among us there is no need for him to appeal to this teacher or that prophet to give teeth to his instruction he is the very son of god the lord of heaven and earth and when he speaks to them and to us his words have the ability to make a difference in our lives and circumstances are we listening or are we so busy talking over him so as to drown out anything that would challenge us to change that would exercise any and all spirits that possess us whether they be blatantly evil legalistic or simply apathetic any spirit which is not the spirit of christ is to be expelled from those who would gather in the sanctuary to worship and serve the lord if not then like the capernaum demoniac that spirit will possess the heart of the church shouting down any good news that is proclaimed there now here is the question for our discipleship does the word of god this kingdom of heaven have any teeth in our lives do we recognize and acknowledge the authority of the lord in our daily living in our relationships at home at work in the community and especially at church when we are gathered in worship whether physically or in this way does the word proclaim to us become the word lived within us have we invited jesus into the sanctuaries of our lives and communities to exercise any unholy spirits that are incompatible with the spirit of god in capernaum and places like it the typical means of dealing with the demon is to push the possessed person aside to isolate them to hush them up to keep things proper calm and traditional perhaps an exorcist could be found but they would only cite scripture or seek the wisdom of the former rabbis more often than not this was ineffective but jesus is speaking with the authority of god which means and this is where he gets in trouble that he is claiming to have that same authority for himself think about when we pray the lord's prayer what are those words we so boldly recite thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven then when jesus comes into our midst as we have prayed and speaks to our hearts he does so with the power and authority to initiate the kingdom of god and fulfill the will of god in the world in effect jesus brings heaven into our possessed hearts and redeems our lives in 1987 belinda carlisle sang heaven is a place on earth she wasn't too far off the mark with her pop lyrics jesus says elsewhere the kingdom of god is within you luke 17 21 new testament scholar edward schweitzer has written in jesus word heaven actually breaks in and hell is abolished his word is action when jesus comes to you and you receive him into your heart heaven's realm the dwelling of god is placed inside you you carry it with you wherever you go and into every circumstance and every relationship that you encounter along the way hearkening back to tom wright he concluded his comments on this episode in mark's gospel by saying jesus came to be the human bridge across which people could climb to safety in the process of teaching preaching healing and casting out the evil that has infected the world and even sometimes the church jesus gave his life drowning in the cold dark sea of human sin but the story doesn't end with just one more dead hero because the word spoken by jesus has the authority and the power to restore and resurrect there is new and abundant life here and from this moment on sin and depravity disease and decay distrust human suffering and anxiety all forms of evil are hereby put on notice that god is in the house jesus has arrived and is teaching us that when the kingdom of god enters into the sanctuary of our hearts and our homes into our churches and communities indeed into the world itself then the grip of fear which has possessed our souls will be broken and god will be our god this is our message and it is the hope of the world so would you pray with me this demon-possessed man who calls jesus out and asked him about what authority he speaks is a clarion call to the entire world and to the people of god to take seriously this spoken word this living word this incarnate word that is within us we thank you o lord that you have sacrificed yourself that we might live but in living may we truly live may we genuinely give of ourselves to the world to proclaim that which is evil no longer has power and to speak with the authority of the gospel to proclaim that which is good and life-giving this is our prayer and it is our hope through jesus christ our lord amen this is the table around which our congregation gathers when we are blessed to meet in person for worship the table around which our elders pray and which our people are able to share the lord's supper together with jesus christ and with brothers and sisters today i want to invite you to extend your communion celebration way beyond the borders of the united states and north america and we're going to join the heliopolis church in cairo egypt as they lead us in the lord's supper [Music] [Music] [Music] europe [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] me oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] my [Music] [Music] who [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] please [Music] god is [Music] yes is [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] oh [Music] be [Music] [Music] m [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] me [Music] me [Music] me well that's the end of our worship experience today and i'm so glad that you chose to be with us don't forget that we are trying to raise the roof and i know that together we can do this we can do this because others have done it before others who follow us will have their challenges this is ours to make sure that this building is not just a place where we gather and say that's our church but a place where we stage the mission that christ has called us to we want this building which has been around for 112 years to last well into the next generations so thank you for prayerfully considering your part in raising the roof if you'd like to join us in mission and ministry you can also go to our website wilmingtondisciples.com you can click on that donate button if you are giving to a specific cause please just note that so that we are aware of what your intention is also you can find lots of worship services sunday school lessons from our flannel graph sunday school a bible study on the lord's prayer and a link to lots of annual bible studies you can go through the bible in a year and lots of material there to help you do that so it's getting a little cold out here so i'm going to head back inside and you do the same stay warm stay safe and god bless you i'm in [Music] you