The often neglected truth about a call, be it a phone call, a shout down the street or a call for help, is twofold.  When making a call we expect to reach someone and we expect a response.    When we fail to achieve the desired outcome the more tenacious of us often call, call again.

Thus, a call may be described as something that allows us to connect with another with the intention of moving the other to a response. 

God has used the idea of calling, in form of burning bushes, dreams, or outright words, for millennia. 

The call in the Old Testament:

            Exodus 3:1-4:17 (Moses and the burning bush):  a call, an argument, an action

            Jeremiah 1:4-2:2:  a call, an argument, an action

The call in the Gospel:

            John 1:43:  “Follow me.”

The idea of invitation or summons to salvation is a common one in rabbinic writings.  An ordinary word thus acquires special significance through the fact God is the subject and that salvation is the goal (Kittel, 1985). 

The call in the Epistles:

1 Corinthians 1:1-9:  Paul, called to be an apostle (gr:  sent one) to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints….

-for in every way you have been enriched by him, in speech and knowledge of every kind

-testimony has been strengthened among you, not lacking in any spiritual gift

The two-fold nature of the call: personal response (pick up the phone!!!) and global outlook (action taken). 

January 16, 2011.  The Way Christian Fellowship, Vista, CA.  The Rev. Dcn. Kirsten Gardner.

I.                The Names of the Eucharist

A.              The Lord’s Supper, I Cor. 11:19

The Lord’s Supper was the meal where the Lord is the host, setting the             tone and behavior of the meal.  The Lord’s Supper was in direct contrast             to your own supper, v. 21.

B.               Breaking Bread, Luke-Acts

                        Used repeatedly by Luke to describe the opening blessing of a meal, the                                                 corporate meal, and references the ‘bread and the cup.’

C.              Communion, I Cor. 10:16

      “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood        of Christ?  The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body     of Christ?

D.              Eucharist, Jesus action at last Supper

This term is mainly used in Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions.  It is adopted because “eucharist” is the Greek word for “thanksgiving” and   is taken from Jesus’ actions at the last supper:  “Jesus took bread and     gave thanks.”

II.              The Different Views of the Eucharist in Churches Through History

Views                           Christian Body Is Christ present?                    How?              

Trannsubstantiation      Roman Catholic               Real Presence             The substance changes

                                                                                                                                         The accidents remain

Pious Silence                   Anglican, Orthodox       Real Presence                 Do not know the meta-

                                                                                                                                           Physical mechanics

 Consubstantiation       Lutherans (Luther)        Real Presence                 Substance remains;

                                                                                                                                          Body /Blood present

Spiritual Presence         Calvin, Presby.             Real Presence                   Substance remains

                                                                                                                                         Spiritual feed on Christ

Mere Symbolism           Zwingli                            Christ not present           Symbols, memorial

                                             Baptist, evangelical    Physically or spiritually

Non-literal celebration   Quakers/Salv. Army      Christ not present           Live by values; don’t

                                                                                                  Phy. or spiritually          need to celebrate

III.            The Setting of the Eucharist in the Day of Jesus

A.  The Eucharist was set within a Passover Framework

1. Passover was the Jewish Festival that celebrated the Exodus from Egypt and freedom from slavery to the Egyptians, Exodus 12

2. Jesus was redefining the feast around himself, and seeing as his actions as their ultimate fulfillment.

a)   Meal, death of Jesus: new exodus from slavery to sin to salvation (new covenant enjoy fellowship with God)

b)  Jesus as the Passover Lamb: God’s judgment has “passed over” us.

                             c)  The new community in fellowship with Jesus.  Jesus dealing with issues of forgiveness, love, and  servanthood. A Calling of discipleship and mission.

                                       d)         Eschatological meal: Celebrates the effect of past action in dying on the present (Lk. 24:13-35), while awaiting the ultimate fulfillment, Luke 22:16.  It points forwardto the future banquet we will enjoy with Christ in His                                                               Kingdom.

B. The Eucharist in the Early Church:  The early church had a common meal as a central part of their gatherings.  Luke’s references to the breaking of  bread seem to correlate with Paul’s references to the ‘the Lord’s Supper’ in Corinthians and the evidence of the celebration of ‘love feasts’ in Jude and later church fathers.  The common meal, celebrated house to house and ‘on the first day of the week’, served as a time of joyful thanksgiving to God for their new life in Christ. 

1. It was a counter-cultural statement (Corporate identity)

• Lord the Host versus idols or guest
• Welcoming People vs. status of People (bias)
• Peace with God and one another vs. Conflict
• Celebrate their formation as a new people of God under a new covenant in their Lord Jesus

2. It is a “rememberance through re-enactment” (Corporate memory) 

• Not re-sacrificing Jesus
• Bringing the past to the present moment

3.  It is an active participation in the life of Jesus(the body and blood, Lev 17; Jn 6; I Cor. 10-11)

January 9, 2011; The Way Christian Fellowship, Fr. Tony Baron, teaching pastor.  To learn more about The Way, see our website, www.findtheway.com.

Luke 2:1-20

Other Readings:  Isaiah 9:2-7; Ps. 96; Titus 2:11-14

I.                The Best Christmas Story Ever Not in the Bible

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (the saga of a man longing to leave his little hometown only to discover that everything he sought he already owned)
2. The Littlest Angel (as heaven prepares for the birth of Jesus, the only gift the boy can bring is a small box with mementos of his life on earth)
3. Ben-Hur (story of Judah Ben-Hur journey of revenge against a betrayer and how his life was changed and redirected by Jesus Christ)

II.              The Best Christmas Story in the Bible

1. Spoken by a Prophet, Is. 9:2-7
2.  Sung by the Angels, Luke 2:9-14
3. Shared by the Shepherds, Luke 2:15-20

 III.            The Best Christmas Story Possible for Your Life

1. Receive the Gift of Christmas: Christ
2. Enlarge the Gift of Christmas:  Union with Christ (Discipleship)
   •  Develop new eyes to see
   • Develop new ears to hear
   • Develop new heart to live
3.      Share the Gift of Christmas: Faithful Presence and Proclamation

December 26, 2010, The Way Christian Fellowship, Fr. Tony Baron, PhD, teaching pastor.

Christ the King: What Difference Does It Make?

Jer. 23:1-6; Ps. 46; Col. 1:11-20; Lk. 23:33-43

Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all I order to reach a wide range of people:  religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized – whoever.  I didn’t take on their way of life.  I kept my bearings in Christ – but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view.  I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.  I did all this because of the Message.  I just didn’t want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! (I Cor. 9:19-23, Message Bible, italics added).

Christ the King is often overlooked liturgically, but even more sadly, this celebration of the last day in the church calendar is underappreciated theologically.  If the death of Christ was for our forgiveness of sins, and the Resurrection of Christ was His victory over death forever for our sake, the Ascension of Christ marks his enthronement as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The Servant Leader, our Suffering Shepherd, is enthroned as King.  That truth changed the early church profoundly in how they lived their lives.  In fact, because Jesus is Lord and King, we have power now to change our world!

1. I.                BECAUSE JESUS IS KING, WE HAVE POWER NOW TO CHANGE OUR WORLD POLITICALLY  (Colossians 1:13-20; Eph. 1:19-21)

1. A.              It is not the power the kingdoms of this world offers!

(sword and the shield)

1. B.              It is the power the kingdom of God offers! (cross and the towel)

II.        BECAUSE JESUS IS KING, WE HAVE POWER NOW TO CHANGE OUR WORLD PERSONALLY   (Luke 23:26-43; Eph. 1:15-19; Col. 1:9-10)

“For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.  May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has rescued us from the power of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. – Col. 1:9-14

1. II.              BECAUSE JESUS IS KING, WE HAVE POWER NOW TO CHANGE OUR WORLD PERMANENTLY (PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS)

1. A.              Kingdom servant leaders have courageous conversation for the sake of others ( They speak the truth in love)

1. B.              Kingdom servant leaders have courageous convictions for the sake of others (They live the truth in love)

1. C.              Kingdom Leaders have courageous confidence for the sake of others (They trust the truth in love)

Christ the King Sunday, Fr. Tony Baron, PhD, Teaching Pastor.  The Way Christian Fellowship.  www.findtheway.org.; www.forthesakeofothers.com

Table Talk Study:

The promise of the Kingdom is that people will at last come to realize divine justice and peace in all that they do.  Jesus made God’s kingdom the center of his preaching (Matt. 4:23; Mark 1:14,15; Lk. 4).  At the end of the Book of Acts (20:25; 28:31), the Apostle Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God.”

The Scriptures, OT and NT, portray God as king of the universe, the fundamental force behind all that is and shall be.  It is:

1. Behind the whole of created life in all time, Psalm 96
2. Transcendent in space and final in time, Ps. 145
3. An insistent force of justice that will ultimately prevail, reflecting God’s purpose, Ps. 10
4. Contingent upon satisfaction of God’s criteria for human entry, Ps. 24
5. Radiates from the people of God to the nations of the world, Ps. 47

Trust goes to the core of human relationships.  In whom and what we trust is a measure of our inner circle of friends as much as it is a measure of our very hearts.  Trust makes us vulnerable to those around us and mistrust hardens our hearts to our neighbors.  However, most often it is not even a question of trusting others or not trusting others.  Rather it is question of do we trust ourselves, our own accomplishments, more than we trust God?  In whom and what we trust ultimately comes to bear on that one and all-important question:  Will I depend on God?

I.                Trust in what?

1. Status, power, wealth, accolades—Pharisee
2. Looking sideways—comparing ourselves to other’s rather than to God’s character
3. Looking to the affirmation of other’s rather than God’s

II.              Battle of the will and of our actions:

Pride preaches merit

            Humility pleads for compassion

Pride negotiates as an equal

            Humility approaches in need

Pride separates by putting down others

            Humility identifies with others

Pride destroys through its alienating self-service

            Humility opens doors with its power to sympathize with the struggle we share

Pride turns up its nose

            Humility offers an open and lifted-up hand– (Darrell Bock, 1996)

III.            Application

1. Dependence vs. independence:  Do I walk clinging to my heavenly Father’s hand?  Do I walk where He leads?
2. Do the things I trust in (self, money, status, accomplishments, family, friends) get in the way of my dependence on God?

October 17, 2010, The Way Christian Fellowship, Dcn. Kirsten Gardner, Teaching Pastor.