God’s Story Good Shepherd Presbyterian Sermons (Charlotte, NC)
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- Christianity
TEXT: Psalm 150; John 1.1-4; Matthew 5.17; Jeremiah 29.11; Luke 4.18-21; Ephesians 4.1-6FULL SERVICE VIDEO w/sharing time (LINK)
I want to do something different this morning for the sermon. I decided that I wanted to reflect on what I’ve seen God do at and through all of you during my time here. I want to remind you of your story, at least as seen from my vantage point. And ultimately I want to tell God’s story as I’ve been blessed to witness it. So I’ve chosen a number of scriptures this morning because each of them reminds me of chapters of that story in this place.
Jesus and Scripture (Jn 1:1-4; Mt 5:17)
Back in the late Fall of 2001 three men showed up to worship at First Presbyterian Church in Lenoir, NC. That wasn’t suspicious at all, nor was the one who kept saying “Amen” loudly during the service. That was George Houston, David Butler (Matt’s dad), and Melvin Graham (Billy’s brother). Long story short, we talked and they invited me to visit Charlotte to talk to the search committee that included Angela Hinton and the chair, Quay Youngblood.
I only start this far back in the story because my conversations with them highlight a foundational truth about Good Shepherd that was what drew me here in the first place. It became clear that they loved Jesus and God’s Word and they wanted a pastor who did too. I asked them if that described the elders and the congregation of the church and they assured me, yes, it did. I asked about some of my interests around music and worship and they said as long as I taught and followed the scriptures and served Jesus I could do whatever I wanted and the congregation would enthusiastically participate. It seemed too good to be true, but I believed them and trusted the Lord’s leading, and it indeed did prove to be true then and on through to today.
The beginning of the Gospel of John calls Jesus the Word of God and makes it clear that the Incarnate Word that is testified to in the written Word bring light and life to the World. Later, once Jesus began teaching, he made it clear that he wasn’t doing away with the Hebrew scripture, but was in fact fulfilling and explaining it to us. This is our core and it at the heart of God’s story: the Word made flesh, come to dwell among us in grace and truth.
Worship and Music (Psalm 150)
Worship and Music were at the front of my mind and heart when I first came to Good Shepherd. They still are, but it was one of the places I first focused. We introduced a praise team and hired Cathy Youngblood a few months later. I was also in the middle of my studies on worship and music and developed an approach to worship that used all the musical tools available us to proclaim God’s worth and explicate the scriptures I was preaching on. We’ve continued and expanded that approach on through to the music ministry under Eric VanderHeide today.
While there are many, many scriptures that relate to this, I can’t think of a clearer one than Psalm 150 which we used for our Call to Worship today. The Psalm exhorts us to praise God everywhere, with every instrument, with all our life and breath. And as I think back on those first five years or so I see us diving deep into worship and music in a way that has continued to blossom in our worship life together.
So many talented musicians – and other kinds of artists – have found a home here, whether short-term or long-term. It has truly been glorious to see the range of ways people have offered artistic gifts to the Lord and blessed all of us in leading us into worship in so many different ways.
People marvel that a church our size generates so much artistic worship and witness. But it is never a “look at us” kind of thing, but a “look at God” kind of thing. That brings me such joy as I know it does the Lord.
Lighthouse and Searchlight (Jeremiah 29)
As I reflect back on it, I believe all that heartfelt and intentional focus on worship led us out int
TEXT: Psalm 150; John 1.1-4; Matthew 5.17; Jeremiah 29.11; Luke 4.18-21; Ephesians 4.1-6FULL SERVICE VIDEO w/sharing time (LINK)
I want to do something different this morning for the sermon. I decided that I wanted to reflect on what I’ve seen God do at and through all of you during my time here. I want to remind you of your story, at least as seen from my vantage point. And ultimately I want to tell God’s story as I’ve been blessed to witness it. So I’ve chosen a number of scriptures this morning because each of them reminds me of chapters of that story in this place.
Jesus and Scripture (Jn 1:1-4; Mt 5:17)
Back in the late Fall of 2001 three men showed up to worship at First Presbyterian Church in Lenoir, NC. That wasn’t suspicious at all, nor was the one who kept saying “Amen” loudly during the service. That was George Houston, David Butler (Matt’s dad), and Melvin Graham (Billy’s brother). Long story short, we talked and they invited me to visit Charlotte to talk to the search committee that included Angela Hinton and the chair, Quay Youngblood.
I only start this far back in the story because my conversations with them highlight a foundational truth about Good Shepherd that was what drew me here in the first place. It became clear that they loved Jesus and God’s Word and they wanted a pastor who did too. I asked them if that described the elders and the congregation of the church and they assured me, yes, it did. I asked about some of my interests around music and worship and they said as long as I taught and followed the scriptures and served Jesus I could do whatever I wanted and the congregation would enthusiastically participate. It seemed too good to be true, but I believed them and trusted the Lord’s leading, and it indeed did prove to be true then and on through to today.
The beginning of the Gospel of John calls Jesus the Word of God and makes it clear that the Incarnate Word that is testified to in the written Word bring light and life to the World. Later, once Jesus began teaching, he made it clear that he wasn’t doing away with the Hebrew scripture, but was in fact fulfilling and explaining it to us. This is our core and it at the heart of God’s story: the Word made flesh, come to dwell among us in grace and truth.
Worship and Music (Psalm 150)
Worship and Music were at the front of my mind and heart when I first came to Good Shepherd. They still are, but it was one of the places I first focused. We introduced a praise team and hired Cathy Youngblood a few months later. I was also in the middle of my studies on worship and music and developed an approach to worship that used all the musical tools available us to proclaim God’s worth and explicate the scriptures I was preaching on. We’ve continued and expanded that approach on through to the music ministry under Eric VanderHeide today.
While there are many, many scriptures that relate to this, I can’t think of a clearer one than Psalm 150 which we used for our Call to Worship today. The Psalm exhorts us to praise God everywhere, with every instrument, with all our life and breath. And as I think back on those first five years or so I see us diving deep into worship and music in a way that has continued to blossom in our worship life together.
So many talented musicians – and other kinds of artists – have found a home here, whether short-term or long-term. It has truly been glorious to see the range of ways people have offered artistic gifts to the Lord and blessed all of us in leading us into worship in so many different ways.
People marvel that a church our size generates so much artistic worship and witness. But it is never a “look at us” kind of thing, but a “look at God” kind of thing. That brings me such joy as I know it does the Lord.
Lighthouse and Searchlight (Jeremiah 29)
As I reflect back on it, I believe all that heartfelt and intentional focus on worship led us out int