The Mountain Top
Focus 2020 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsThe transfiguratino of Christ leads to instructions on devotion and evangelism.
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Introduction
Introduction
Facebook is flooded when people go to the mountains. Pics of “sunset-heart hands.” 2.6K with that hashtag.
There’s something about a mountaintop. An experience to be repeated.
The most unique mountaintop experience - .
Three disciples experience a time of devotion with Jesus. Experience growth!
Devotion - a commitment expressed in time or effort based upon love and/or loyalty.
Getting Alone (vv. 2-4)
Getting Alone (vv. 2-4)
Jesus’s revelation about His death and resurrection.
Peter, James, and John. Sons of fishermen, Gethsemane prayer, Jairus’s daughter revivification. 9/14 books.
Transfigured. Metamorphosis.
Jesus nature wasn’t changed, but unveiled.
Elijah & Moses. Central figures in the OT = Prophets & Law.
Key words to the experience: “by themselves.” Power of getting away. Allowed them to see Jesus.
"Why is it important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It's important because it's the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you 'my beloved daughter,' 'my beloved son,' 'my beloved child.' To pray is to let that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being." ~ Henri Nouwen
I think we miss out on opportunities of pure devotion because of our susceptibility to distraction.
Screen time. Constant entertainment. Nonstop noise. When we experience silence, something is wrong…kids.
Guard time with Jesus.
Be intentional with time and what you want to accomplish.
Prolonging the Experience (vv. 5-6)
Prolonging the Experience (vv. 5-6)
Peter’s nervous energy causes him to blurt this out.
Build shelters…tents....tabernacles. Possible connection to worship experience.
He wanted to stretch out the mountain top experience, which is understandable.
We cannot live on the mountain top.
Eventually we have to come down and engage the world.
Falls Creek student, “I just wish I could live here.”
We can’t. We have to come down and engage the real world.
Two calls on Israelites: Be a Light to the Nations; Be a Holy Nation. Balance those.
Consistent Relationship (vv. 7-8)
Consistent Relationship (vv. 7-8)
The cloud, often how God manifests Himself to the world.
Here, He expresses the essence of the Christian faith:
Listen = Obey
Then they looked and saw on Jesus!
Cloud of God with booming voice! Elijah! Moses!
Then…just Jesus. NO!!!
We need to have a singular focus on Jesus.
More than the sage on top of the mountain...
Man who runs in front of car gets tired, runs behind gets exhausted.
It’s better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.
If a man shoots off his mouth, must expect to lose face.
A man who lives in a glass house should change in the basement.
A woman who puts detergent on the top shelf jumps for joy.
A bird in the hand makes it hard to blow your nose.
The image of going back up every time.
Yet, Jesus doesn’t require us to go up to Him to experience personal devotion with Him.
With my whole heart I seek you;
let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
As a follower of Jesus, we are filled with the Holy Spirit! We literally take God with us everywhere!
And as we take His Word, He helps us to have wisdom to apply it, to live it.
This commitment to devotion provides fuel for that growing love and faithfulness and effectiveness in life.
Invite Others (vv. 9-13)
Invite Others (vv. 9-13)
These three ask about Elijah…they just saw him and they are trying to reconcile the order of Elijah and Messiah.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
Was that it?? It sure didn’t look like it.
Jesus would eventually clarify:
The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died,
From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come.
The order is correct…the next thing that would come would be the suffering of the Messiah and Resurrection.
Jesus had to endure the crucifixion as Savior and be raised to be acknowledged in the resurrection as Lord, and then the Gospel would be ready to go forth. “Tell no one…until.”
He has risen!
What does this do to Jesus saying “Tell no one”? We are on the other side of the resurrection!
Tell everyone.
Invite. Invite them into your life. Invite them to church. Invite them to Jesus.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Where do we get the confidence to do this? Relationship.
You won’t invite someone to a Jesus that you don’t know that well.
The more we know Him, the more confident we will be to share Him, to invite others to Him.
The idea of a Quiet Time… students. WRONG!
When we think about this as an expression of devotion. Love and Loyalty to your Savior.
This week: 2 specific challenges.
Spend time with Him. Just read. Try Philippians. Just a paragraph a day, or headings, or chapter. Whatever you can do. And just read. Then pray. Just a few minutes, if you aren’t used to it. Just take five to ten minutes.
Invite someone to church. Waitress. Gas station. Hair. Friend. Neighbor.
Time & Invite