A Church Where We are Called...Empowered...and Sent
TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
  • Home Page
  • Get Involved
    • Nurture Team >
      • Prayer Ministries
      • Educational Ministries
    • Outreach Team >
      • Outreach Ministries >
        • Back Pack Project
      • Outreach Events
      • Evangelism Activities
  • Worship Services
    • Sunday Worship 2023
    • Sunday Worship 2022
    • Sunday Worship 2021
  • About Us
    • Directions
    • Contact Us
    • Service Times
    • Our Staff >
      • Pastor Timothy Robinson
      • Amy Garcia - Church Secretary
      • Joyce Palmer - Church Treasurer
      • Rick Galyean - Director of Music
    • Links >
      • United Methodist Links
  • Events/Activities
    • Celebration of Life for Bill Hendrick
    • January Events and Activities >
      • 2023 Epiphany Service
    • February Events and Activities >
      • 2023 Black History Month Celebration
    • March Events and Activities >
      • 2023 Spring Worship Gathering
    • April Events and Activites >
      • 2023 Easter Egg Hunt
      • 2023 Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
  • Teams
    • Church Council
    • SPPRC

Faith in Fear

9/13/2018

 
Picture
Genesis 3:8-13

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Faith in Fear
​

In whom do you place your faith? Allow me to ask the question another way: Who do you trust to deliver you from evil? Again, the same question may be asked this way; Who is Lord of your life?
The cornerstone of Biblical faith is belief. In the Apostles Creed we profess that we believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Belief is transformed into faith when we are challenged with the temptation to judge neighbor, or self, good or evil. Faith, therefore, always calls Disciples to repentance. Disciples see Good and Evil, but by faith they trust Jesus Christ to be judge and redeemer of the person who ate of the fruit of the tree God commanded us not to eat.

Within the Law of Moses we find stories of great Faith. In Genesis 12:1-4 God gives us an outline of faith. “Now the Lord said to Abram, “God from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and all of the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Notice that people who place their faith in the Lord always bless their neighbor. Condemnation, the curse, belongs to the Lord, alone!

Read Genesis 3:14-19. Pay very close attention to God’s ways. See who and what God curses. What you see may well surprise you. As a matter of fact, what you see and hear may contradict everything you have been taught at the story we call The Fall of Humanity.

God cursed the serpent and the soil, not Adam or Eve. Adam and Eve were told they would experience pain. The pain of child birth. The pain of maintaining relationships in marriage and family. The pain of harvesting crops, or as we call it the pain of, “making ends meet.”
​

See the chart at the top of the page. Notice that Good and Evil are made Holy by Jesus Christ through God’s redeeming work on the Cross.

​


​

September 10th, 2018

9/10/2018

 
Fall Sermon Series


In Genesis we learn of two trees: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; The Tree of Life.  I contend that these two trees represent two covenants. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is God’s Conditional Covenant.  A Conditional Covenant requires us to do something to receive God’s blessings.  The Tree of Life symbolizes God’s Unconditional Covenant.  The Unconditional Covenant requires only faith in God’s Promise. (Martin Luther’s “faith alone.”) Please note that faith is exactly what Jesus means when he calls us to “deny ourselves.”  Faith denies self-knowledge (judgement that leads to condemn self or neighbor) of good and evil to trust in God’s grace.


The word Testament means Covenant.  Therefore, what we call the Old Testament is a Conditional Covenant.  (We will discover along the way that throughout the Old Covenant God reveals the New Covenant.  We may even be shocked by the places we find such hope.)  The New Testament tells us how God’s Unconditional Covenant is made through Jesus Christ.  It also tells us stories of people who struggled with moving from faith in the Old Covenant to the New.  (The Pharisee Saul becoming the Apostle Paul illustrates his faith shifting from faith in the Law given at Sinai to faith in Jesus Christ and the New Covenant made at Calvary. 


Church History reveals that humanity has struggled with living by faith in the Unconditional Covenant.  We have reached one of those times in history. The conflict in the United Methodist Church comes from the old battle that began in the Garden of Eden.  We are in a battle of where to place our faith. Some place their faith in the Old Covenant, some are are like the divided house that cannot stand: They have one foot in each covenant.  (I have stood in both places.  I offer this sermon series as public witness to  my journey to live by faith in Christ Grace.  My heart seeks Holy Conversation with you that is grounded in prayer that lead to discernment of the Spirit’s movement in us to be a New Covenant Church.)


The Conditional Covenant leaves us to battle Good and Evil.  It is not that hard to see the suffering that comes through the battle caused by our blind judgments.  Faith in the Unconditional Covenant comes with its own set of struggles.  The struggle between the two is clearly seen through Jesus on the Cross and His cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”  I encourage you to read Psalm 22 and Mark 15.  Lay them side by side and see how Jesus is fulfilling the Old Covenant through His childhood prayer, Psalm 22.  May God give you ears to hear Jesus suffering as you suffer.  I hope you discover that you can trust Jesus in ways beyond your understanding.  Human understanding that too often tempts you and I to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 


One in Christ,


Robert


Fall Sermon Series Outline
Sept. 9


Text: Genesis 2: 15-17 and 3:1-7
Title: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Faith in Judgment.
Focus: Our judgement regarding good or evil is the fruit of the one tree God forbid us to eat. Therefore, judging good or evil is not a choice, it is the fruit of one tree. The true choice comes each time we are faced with issues of Good and Evil.  It is a decision of faith! Will you place your faith in God the Father, Creator of of Heaven and Earth, or The Deceiver, Knowledge of Good and Evil?




Sept. 16


Text: Genesis 3:8-13 
Title: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Faith in Fear
Focus: What death did Adam and Eve die. Before eating the Fruit they walked with God in the cool of the evening. God builds loving relationships.  After eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they place their faith in fear.  The fruit of fear is: hiding from God, shame. vs.8  Living in fear, guilt. vs. 9-11  Fearing God’s judgment they blamed one another and the deceiver.  




Sept. 23


Text: Galatians 5: 13- 25 
Title: The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: Faith in the Law
Focus: Paul gives us a crystal clear view to the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.   The Law convicts us of Sin.  The Law tells us when we have failed to do the “good” we want to do. Equally shocking is that even the person who does “good” works so hard that he or she is blinded to the love, joy, peace, kindness…of having Faith in the Grace God revealed through Jesus Christ.  




Sept. 30


Text: Exodus 19: 1- 7-8 and 20: 18-20
Title: The Law: Faith in a Man
Focus:  God makes a conditional covenant with the Israelites. To make their way through the Wilderness of Sin God’s says, “if you obey my VOICE, and keep my covenant” you will be a Holy Nation.  The Covenant, the Ten Commandments, sound a lot like what they all ready know.  They know how to judge good and evil.  The Israelites chose to listen to Moses, a man, and fear God.  


Oct. 7


Text: Genesis 3: 20- 24
Title: The Tree of Life: Faith in God’s Grace
Focus: Pulling back the layers of shame, guilt, and blame we see God’s grace and the hope of salvation. If Adam and Eve reach out their hand and eat of the tree of Eternal Life they will live eternally separated from God. God reveals his grace by placing cherubim and a flaming sword to guard The Way to the Tree of Life








    Robert Burlingham

    Thank you for visiting my blog. Before you read allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Robert Burlingham.  God called me to ordained ministry as I celebrated my 40th birthday.   Some 25 years later, I have discovered the distinction between God's Word and God's Voice.  My study of Scripture opens my heart and mind to God's Word.  Prayer opens my soul to hear God's "still small voice."  

    The way of the world has taught us to define ourselves in terms of "what' we do, be it right or wrong.  Study of God's Word combined with prayer has taught me to ask another question.  "If I stopped focusing on What I am doing, who would I be?  

    I pray you discover that you are a beloved child of God! 

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly