West Church Peabody

This Sunday in our series, "Living in God's World, Even When It's Hard" we will see the first recorded vision that Daniel receives as a prophet of God. Daniel's visions are among some of the most unusual in the entire Bible. What I notice in Daniel 2 is the striking contrast. There is the little picture of what Daniel, his friends and Nebuchadnezzar are going through. But then there is the big picture of God's plan for the history of the entire world. God is personally involved and moving in both dimensions-the micro dimension of our personal lives and the macro-dimension of working redemption in the entire world. It makes me love God and bow in awe of Him. Why would God want to use such ordinary people like me and you? How is it that we have a small part in his amazing plan? Let us delight in God together this week as we ponder the end of Daniel 2.

In Genesis 12, God’s focus shifts to one man, Abraham. God gives Abraham a promise that will address the sin that exists in the world and reconcile fallen humanity back to himself. By God’s Grace and the power of His presence and Spirit, Abraham responds by faith to God’s commands. Through the person of Abraham, God created a promise for his people. That promise is intact and available to this very day for those who put their faith in God.

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak[d] of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Since the love of Jesus is the very core of our spiritual life, because it is the power behind our vision: "Loved by Jesus, Loving Others," since it is the only way to true happiness in this life in the next, I wanted us to stop and drink from the well of Jesus love for a few weeks. We will look at Luke 7:36-50 this week. We will see that we do not have to be worthy to come to Jesus. In fact, we must see ourselves as unworthy to come to him. When we come to him that way, we will love him for all of his forgiveness and kindness. Everyone who sees themselves as unworthy may come and experience his love. When you come, you will never be the same because of the love you experience. Having drunk deeply of the love of Jesus will prepare us for my next 4-week teaching series beginning May 12 on "the Bible and Modern Sexuality." Please pray that God's word would flow deeply into my heart and yours.

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among[a] themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were distraught. They thought their story was over, with no happy ending. But when Jesus tells them a better story, suddenly they are transformed and run with burning hearts to proclaim his resurrection. We will look at how the risen Jesus is the center of a new and better story, and how we can trust him to rewrite our stories in light of the cross and the empty tomb.