WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:05.300
Please be seated. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from

2
00:00:05.300 --> 00:00:06.900
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

3
00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:08.400
Amen.

4
00:00:09.400 --> 00:00:15.300
38 years ago when I became a pastor I did what I was taught here to

5
00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:15.600
do.

6
00:00:15.600 --> 00:00:20.700
And so I established for the congregation my hours when I was going to

7
00:00:20.700 --> 00:00:23.200
work and where I was going to be when I was working.

8
00:00:23.200 --> 00:00:27.500
So I established and communicated my schedule that in the afternoon

9
00:00:27.500 --> 00:00:32.000
I would be out in the community visiting people and visiting people

10
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.800
from the congregation.

11
00:00:32.800 --> 00:00:36.400
That was the afternoon. In the mornings

12
00:00:36.400 --> 00:00:41.900
I would have my office hours and I did what I was taught to do here to

13
00:00:41.900 --> 00:00:48.500
do and that was to keep my office door open, always open.

14
00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:53.800
Interruptions were welcomed or at least I pretended they were.

15
00:00:55.100 --> 00:00:59.200
And so if I was in the middle of sermon prep someone would often,

16
00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:03.200
without knocking peak their head into the office and start a

17
00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:09.000
conversation about the price of wheat. Or if I was preparing for Sunday's

18
00:01:09.000 --> 00:01:13.700
Bible class or confirmation class someone would interrupt and talk

19
00:01:13.700 --> 00:01:17.000
about the church softball team and what the lineup was going to be

20
00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:22.100
next Sunday. Or about preparing for an elders meeting our a congregation

21
00:01:22.100 --> 00:01:27.200
meeting some was just driving by their time to talk would pop on in

22
00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:30.800
and just communicate about whatever was going on in town.

23
00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:34.300
My office door was always open.

24
00:01:36.300 --> 00:01:41.700
Little did I know then what brain research tells us now that it takes

25
00:01:41.700 --> 00:01:46.500
several minutes up to 30 minutes to refocus after an interruption.

26
00:01:47.800 --> 00:01:53.000
So in case you're wondering I no longer keep my office door always

27
00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:53.800
open.

28
00:01:55.200 --> 00:02:01.600
I don't like interruptions. Interruptions frustrate me and

29
00:02:01.600 --> 00:02:07.200
interruptions distract me and that's one reason this Transfiguration

30
00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:13.100
account is so shocking because it's an interruption and the

31
00:02:13.100 --> 00:02:15.100
interrupter is God.

32
00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:21.900
Peter, James and John they joined Jesus on that mountain and those

33
00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:27.300
disciples probably had a heightened sense of expectation, important

34
00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:30.400
things were going to happen because we're on a mountain important

35
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:31.200
things always happen.

36
00:02:32.500 --> 00:02:37.600
It was on a mountain that Moses encountered the burning bush it was on a

37
00:02:37.600 --> 00:02:40.100
mountain and that the Ten Commandments were delivered.

38
00:02:40.100 --> 00:02:45.100
It was on a mountain that Jesus preached before the crowds something

39
00:02:45.100 --> 00:02:49.600
good was going to happen because they are on a mountain and no

40
00:02:49.600 --> 00:02:52.400
Interruption should get in the way of that.

41
00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:57.700
While Peter was speaking,

42
00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:00.000
behold

43
00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:07.500
wow, check this out a bright cloud and enveloped them and a voice from

44
00:03:07.500 --> 00:03:10.200
the cracked cloud interrupted them.

45
00:03:11.700 --> 00:03:16.500
There's no excuse me no polite knock on the door in the middle of

46
00:03:16.500 --> 00:03:22.600
Peter's great idea about putting up a tent God barged in pipe down

47
00:03:22.600 --> 00:03:27.100
Peter put down the hammer and the nails I have the floor and I'm

48
00:03:27.100 --> 00:03:28.100
talking now.

49
00:03:28.100 --> 00:03:33.800
This is my son whom I love with him

50
00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:36.800
I am well pleased listen to him.

51
00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:40.400
I don't like interruptions.

52
00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:43.300
But I need interruptions.

53
00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:46.000
And you do too.

54
00:03:48.300 --> 00:03:53.100
Because we need to be reminded that life is not about what I want nor

55
00:03:53.100 --> 00:03:53.600
would I expect

56
00:03:55.100 --> 00:04:00.500
but life is about the Son the one in whom the Father delights and

57
00:04:00.500 --> 00:04:01.300
dances over.

58
00:04:03.600 --> 00:04:09.700
We need an interruptions that refocuses us. Life is not measured by all

59
00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:14.100
the things that you get done today, life is about much more than

60
00:04:14.100 --> 00:04:19.399
classes and homework in papers and projects life is about the Son.

61
00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:22.200
He's the attention grabber.

62
00:04:22.200 --> 00:04:28.400
He's your focus to the glory that was given on that mountain is just a

63
00:04:28.400 --> 00:04:33.600
sample appetizer of the glory of Christ death on that mountain his

64
00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:38.400
resurrection and then his return and the glory that we will receive

65
00:04:38.400 --> 00:04:39.100
with him.

66
00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:42.100
Listen to him.

67
00:04:43.200 --> 00:04:44.400
Let him interrupt you.

68
00:04:45.800 --> 00:04:52.000
And the first words that Jesus speaks then are not I told you so his

69
00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.600
first words are don't be afraid.

70
00:04:56.400 --> 00:04:59.500
Listen to that hetakes away your fear.

71
00:05:00.700 --> 00:05:01.600
What's your fear?

72
00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:05.400
We all have our fears maybe right now you're involved in that

73
00:05:05.400 --> 00:05:08.200
interview process for placement or vicarage.

74
00:05:08.200 --> 00:05:09.700
Don't be afraid.

75
00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:11.800
He's God

76
00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:14.900
you're not it's his church

77
00:05:14.900 --> 00:05:16.500
not yours.

78
00:05:18.200 --> 00:05:23.000
Listen to him he tells you what he's going to do. Tell no one

79
00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:26.500
he said the Father said until Jesus said until the Son of Man is

80
00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:29.000
raised from the dead. Listen to him.

81
00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.400
The Son of Man will certainly suffer.

82
00:05:31.400 --> 00:05:33.000
Listen to him.

83
00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:35.400
This is what Jesus does.

84
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:38.900
He suffers he dies.

85
00:05:38.900 --> 00:05:40.500
That's what we need to hear.

86
00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:46.200
He rises from the dead there was life life for you now and forever.

87
00:05:47.400 --> 00:05:48.100
Listen

88
00:05:49.600 --> 00:05:52.900
he tells you what he's going to do also tells us what we are to do.

89
00:05:55.200 --> 00:05:58.200
And the queue comes from the first few words at Transfiguration

90
00:05:58.200 --> 00:06:01.700
account after 6 days.

91
00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:06.400
After 6 days remember what happened 6 days ago.

92
00:06:07.900 --> 00:06:10.000
I don't. I can't even remember what happened yesterday.

93
00:06:11.700 --> 00:06:17.200
After 6 days. 6 days before Jesus said if anyone would come after me,

94
00:06:17.200 --> 00:06:21.900
he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

95
00:06:23.200 --> 00:06:24.200
It's his agenda.

96
00:06:24.200 --> 00:06:29.900
Whoever wants to save his life will lose it but ever loses his life

97
00:06:29.900 --> 00:06:31.600
for me will find it.

98
00:06:33.300 --> 00:06:38.400
We need interruptions because without those interruptions we think

99
00:06:38.400 --> 00:06:42.800
life is about us and what we can get done and when our agenda is and

100
00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:43.600
what we're going to do.

101
00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:50.500
Life is losing your life for the cause of Christ who gave his life.

102
00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:55.100
Not every Interruption is good.

103
00:06:56.100 --> 00:07:01.700
The gods are and his interruptions are needed because his interruption

104
00:07:01.700 --> 00:07:04.300
refocuses us on Jesus.

105
00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:06.600
Listen to him.

106
00:07:07.500 --> 00:07:09.700
In Jesus name. Amen.