We Must Come Down From the Mountain
Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
-Matthew 12:1-4, NLT
This Sunday, we will be starting a new sermon series called We Can’t Stay Here. I’m so excited about this series because it's a topic that's near to my heart. When I decided to go into ordained ministry, I chose that path of ministry because I wanted to inspire congregations to change the world around them. I wanted to help develop leaders and help people grow in their faith. That is what this series is all about.
This week, we will be looking at Matthew 12:1-4. Peter, in his usual, bold style, gets all excited when Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah. He’s on a "spiritual high," you might say, as he watches his teacher have a conversation with the heroes of his people. For me, it would be like watching Jesus, John Wesley, and Martin Luther having a theological discussion over dinner. I would have pulled up a seat and listened forever. Peter felt the same way.
The problem with that? Peter just didn’t understand though what his purpose was. Peter was going to be the foundation of the Church. We are all Christians today because of the work that Peter did. Just think of where we would be if Peter never left the Mountaintop. What would have happened to him if Jesus allowed him to build his shelters, or tabernacles, as he wanted? He could have stayed on that mountain and worshiped God for the rest of his life. But what would have happened to all of the people that he touched during his ministry?
I've written a prayer for our congregation to use during this series. You can find it at the bottom of the page. It's my hope that you can use this prayer during your personal quiet time this month, to help you focus in on your role in the future of our church. Hope to see you Sunday!
Blessings!
-Faith
Prayer for the Series
God, reignite my heart to have a passion for you. Give me eyes to see other people as you see them so that I can love them with my whole heart. Teach me how to be a living example of the hope of Jesus Christ. Give me the courage to shine for Jesus Christ in everything that I do so that I can help bring others into relationship with Christ. Give me a heart for my community. Through your strength, make me into a Great Commission Christian so we can become a Great Commission church.
Click Here for This Week's Faith Notes.
Faith Parry serves as our Associate Pastor, and has been at the church since 2015. When she's not preaching and teaching, she enjoys documentaries and TV. Read more about Faith here.
