Don't Miss Moments - Week 5 - The CORE - Pastor Mike Novotny
Don't Miss Moments
Week 5 -The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to our sermon series “Don't Miss Moments” as we've been churning through the Gospel of Luke slowing down, just pausing, our busy lives to think about these amazing things that Jesus did for us for the forgiveness of our sins. Have you ever had one of those moments? Where the light bulb goes on and you realize just how good you got it? Just how comparatively blessed to many people in this world. You are.
The other day I was talking with a friend who I know is going through some really hard times, potential divorce. And so I asked him. How's it going? And the response was pretty bleak. He kind of told me how difficult it was. How heart-wrenching how heartbreaking, how confusing it is to, maybe be journeying through a divorce. And after he finishes answer, he returned the question to me, except this is how he asked it. And how are you? How is Pastor Mike and his perfect little loving family. I'm not exaggerating. That's how he said it. “It's perfect little family.”
Be like what?
Not have a perfect family. If I was on a reality show. You don't realize that really, really quickly, but I suppose compared to what he's going through. I have a really good life and a really blessed life and a really fairly easy life, at least in this moment. As I was processing what my friends said, I was just going through all these different categories in my life, and I realized, you know, it's not perfect. But it's pretty close on the scale of like heavenly perfect and hellishly miserable. I think most of the things in my life are closer to here than they are to their
I'm 41 years old. My body does not feel like it was 18 anymore. But I'm still running around in the soccer field in the streets of Appleton, like a good, like a middle-aged gazelle is how I would put it. You know, I'm healthy that these work, the ankles work, the lungs work, the heart works. I'm pretty blessed that way financially, when I look at how people live on this planet. I feel super blessed as well. Do you know how rich I am. I'm so rich that every single morning. I pay people to make my coffee. Thank you ,Kwik Trip gas station. I swing in there, every single morning. I have the means every single day to pay someone else to cook for me and brew coffee for me. Relationally. I feel super blessed. I've been married almost 19 years now. I love my wife and she loves me back. I think she's not here right now, but I'm assuming she'd say, Amen to that. I love my kids and even though they're like in those two years. It'll give you can all get it. I think they love me back. I'm blessed of good friendships. I love the people that I work with, that I served with. I love our church, family, like relationally things are really, really good.
And spiritually, I feel exactly the same way.
Like, yeah, I still struggle. I'm still tempted. I still have to confess my sins. But in the last few months, I feel like I have like had a breakthrough in multiple areas of my spiritual life. Things that used to tempt me aren't things. I used to struggle with. I'm not, I'm just super grateful for what the spirit is doing in my life. So perfect. No flawless. No, really blessed and really good. Yes. And some of you were thinking, Thanks Master Mike. I'm not saying that just to like, have a personal praise party up here. I'm telling you that because there was another question that I was asking myself. I kind of feel like I'm on this massive hill of blessings. This mountaintop of blessings. But the question I ask myself is what will happen to my face. When I'm not, right? God's been giving to me and giving to me, and he's been generous to me and he's blessed me. He's blessed me and he's blessed me, but God has every, right? Not just to give, but to take away. And when that moment comes, what will I do?
Physically or financially or relationally are spiritually, something changes, when I leave that mountaintop and I journey down, down to like where my friend is at when I get all the way down, and I'm sitting in that Valley. What? Think about God.
I mean, I love him now. I kind of like him right now. I praise him now, and I worship him. Now. I pray to him and I give for him, but when life isn't as good as it is, in this moment, what will what will happen to my faith? And I want to ask that question out loud because I'm guessing you're going to have to ask it sometime, too. I don't know on that scale where your life is right now. I don't know if you're kind of like me. Just enjoying the mountaintop of God's goodness and generosity or you're somewhere in the middle or you're really in a difficult hard stage of life, but sooner or later, I think all of us have to answer the question. What do I do when I'm in the valley?
I think sooner or later, there's one for valleys that all of you are going to have to journey through. It might be one at a time or maybe you're one of those unfortunate people who has to deal with two or three or maybe all four of them. At the same time actually want you to write these down. So if you have a pain, if you're taking notes at home. Yours for valleys for difficult things, you might have to deal with in life. The first one is physical. It's the pain, the suffering, something goes wrong with your body, or with your brain.
And every day because it's holding on for dear life.
And if any of you struggle with anxiety. If maybe some of you are at home right now, because you were so anxious. You don't want to be here with us at church. And you're trying and you're praying, and you're breathing and you're taking medication, but it's not going away. Or if you or someone in your family, is battling depression. And it's just this roller coaster that the medication helps, but it doesn't totally heal. If you're getting a little bit older and you're just realizing it's only going to get worse.
Like your heart isn't going to get healthier. Your joints aren't going to get better. The pain. You're trying to manage like it's going to seem good comparatively in a few years from now. If you're battling, MS. Or migraines or headaches that don't show up for a few hours, but a few days. It's hard to wake up in the morning and say God. Whoo. Yes, you're so good. My life is so I'm so blessed. It's hard to feel that when you're in the valley of physical suffering.
Your valley is the second one, not physical, but financial. What are things I love about our church is that we're able to share the good news of Jesus with people who are on the whole financial spectrum of wealth. And I know that some of you are like here is scraping by you're on the edge of homelessness. You can barely pay the rents. If it's one of those people, your friends, invite you to go out for a drink or for some food, or for a coffee and you seriously have to check your bank account to see if you can
When inflation and rising gas, prices aren't just like annoying, but they seriously make you wonder how you're going to pay the rent and get through the month.
We're here on the other side of that spectrum and maybe you have the house and you have the car, you have the business, but man, that there's something incredibly burdensome about braces and tuition and payroll and quarterly reports to the board. I don't think it matters is actually how much you have in your bank account. With the pressure of financial hardship. Can can break us. Have you been there?
Worse by far. Except physical or financial valleys. It's the relational ones.
I'll tell you what, you can be healthy and you could be wealthy, but if you feel lonely.
You can be knocking it out of the park it at school. But if you come home to a family that's dysfunctional and angry and argumentative, you can be the best kid on the basketball court, but if your parents marriage might not make it. Just making trainwreck choices and everything else in life is so good, and have the beautiful house, but your heart is broken. Every time you lay down in bed.
If you're dating someone and he just won't commit.
Are you married to someone and she's not so sure about the commitment she once made.
I meant if your closest family and friends aren't like this, but they're like this strained or like this distance. It's hard to go to bed and feel blessed.
Fourth, and finally, and certainly not least, are the spiritual. Valleys we go through. It's what you feel far from God. When you don't sense the presence of God.
When you haven't felt the Joy or peace of the holy spirit of God into long, it's when you look around in church and everyone else seems so Sanctified and holy and good. But you, you know yourself way too well, but things aren't changing and and relationships aren't getting better. Your temptation seems to know your name. You don't feel forgiven. You don't feel connected to God. And if you look at that list, I'm not sure if you've been in one of those places are all of those places, but it's how you, what, when you end up down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down down into the valley.
It is hard in that moment to lift up your hands and praise God.
So, here's the big question for the day. What will you do? When you're in the valley.
When you're broke or your body's broken? When you're going through a separation or you feel spiritually stuck, what will you do? What you think of, what will you say to yourself? How will your faith survive those moments and prove that you're not just using God for the mountaintop moments, but you worship him at the highs, the lows, the hills, The valleys, the blessings, or even when you don't feel blessed at all.
Their Bibles and discover another. Don't Miss Moments in the life of Jesus. Because not to give away too much of the weeks to come, but did any of you know that Jesus died. Yeah, so his life got pretty hard. He's doing miracles and he's huge crowds are following him. But if you know the end of the story, he doesn't doesn't quite end that way.
Jesus ends up. Down down down into the valley, where his body is broken. His clothes are ripped off his back. His friends flee and he spiritually feels forsaken by God. His closest disciples, his best friends, Peter, James, and John are going to struggle. They're going to be tempted. They're going to fall, they're going to fail. They're going to be scattered. Like they are about to journey into the darkest valley. But before that moment came God bless them when they Don’t Miss Moment.
Both to His son, Jesus and Jesus closest friends, something they desperately needed. So their faith would survive when they left the mountain and went down into the valley today. I want to share with you exactly what God, the Father gave. So the next time you find yourself in the valley, you can make it not just surviving spiritually, but thriving and praising. The name of the God who is constantly and always good. So if you have a Bible with you or you
The screen we're going to be today in Luke chapter 9. This is called the Transfiguration of Jesus, and here's how it begins.
After eight days, about eight days, after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. It might just be a coincidence, but literally Jesus is on a mountain. The Greek here says, It’s a little bit confusing either that they went to a mountain by themselves, or they went to a mountain that was by itself. It was the former. Jesus is probably up on Mount Hermon, which is near Damascus in modern-day. Syria way. Way away from the crowds snowcap mountain. I just saw it a couple weeks ago or there's a mountain actually in the middle of Israel that kind of stands by itself called Mount Tabor is a Christian church built their now to commemorate this moment either one of those two places, but we do this, he's all alone and he loves to pray. Jesus feels so close to his heavenly father. He prays. And apparently he prays and he prays and you praise. And he prays and you praise me. Praise so long that, Peter’s out. James is out. John's out. It's not the last time. This is going to happen. He's praying so long. He loves God so much. He's constantly praying. They're all asleep, which means Jesus closest friends missed the first moments of this, Don't Miss Moment.
What happened in verse 29, as Jesus was praying the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning two men, Moses and Elijah appeared in glorious splendor talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. So Jesus is transfigured. That's a fancy Christian word. It means he is figure, his appearance was transferred, it would, it was changed like in a picture, you know, a little brightness bar on your phone. I got a picture like Jesus was always glorious here, but when he came to Earth, they turned down to 5%. And this is one of those moments where the father went rip. Jesus is like full full on glory.
Splendor, his face is shining as Middle Eastern tone is overcome by the brightness of the sun itself. It’s his clothes go from brown and tan and brownish tan to glowing white, like the sun, and who shows up. But, two starters from the All-Star Old Testament, team, Moses and Elijah, boom, and they're there and these three get into a conversation, you can you imagine. I wish we had the transcript to exactly what they talked about. Moses, Ten Commandment, Moses. Elijah facing the prophets of Baal, Elijah, and Jesus himself. And look, gives us this little snippet. They spoke about his departure.
I don't know if God sent Moses and Elijah to like hype up Jesus so he be ready for the valley. We do know that the word departure in the original Greek that Luke used is the word.
Exodus.
It's pretty cool to think about Moses, who wants to put the blood of the Passover Lamb on the doorposts. So he could save people from slavery in Egypt and lead them through the Exodus, the departure from their slavery is now talking to Jesus about his Exodus. He's the real Lamb of God that by his blood people like you and I can escape the slavery of sin death. Shame feel like it into this amazing conversation about the real Exodus that Jesus is about to fulfill in Jerusalem. And then I don't know if it was Supernatural or not, but I think God sent an angel to Pope Peter. And he woke up. And James woke up and he elbowed John and John woke up. And they became eyewitnesses of his don't miss moment. Hello, what Peter does next verse 32? He turned his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw Jesus glory and the two men standing with him.
As the men that's Moses and Elijah were leaving. Jesus, Peter said to him Master. It's good for us to be here. Let's go to three shelters. One for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. Parentheses. He did not know what he was saying. I love it. So if you don't know, the Bible, Peter is the verbal processor of the group. He doesn't know what to say. So what does he do? He says something. Yeah, but actually give Peter some credit. He's a, he's a pretty good idea. Moses Elijah. Jesus is the cross and the crowds and the critics, the people who harass, Jesus, and questioned Jesus and try to trap Jesus but not appear.
This is mount of transfiguration is a model blessings. Its Glory. It's light, its life. Its acceptance, It's friendship. It's fellowship. And so Peter, I think this is smart. He's as Jesus. It is so good to be here. Let's put up some tents. James get, you got a hammer with your right leg. Let's camp for a while up, here on this mountain. And just, let's just stay in this beautiful easy, convenient. Blessed moment.
But Jesus said,
No.
It would have been super easy for Jesus to stay there.
But, you know, I he said no.
I'll give you one guess.
You. Jesus. Love you so deeply. And he cared about you so much that even though he knew there would be a cross down in his Valley.
A crown of thorns hammered into his head.
And Gentile soldiers spitting into his face and unappreciative people chant, even though he knew that was waiting for him. He cared so deeply about your forgiveness and your salvation. That you could go through this day and fall asleep in your bed tonight. Believing I'm forgiven. I sinned, but God's mercy is so much. He cares so much about you and me and our connection to God that he didn't go camping with Peter and his friends.
Instead he filled up his heart with the acceptance of his father and he Journey down into the valley. Here's how looks story ends, verse 34. While Peter was speaking. A cloud appeared and covered them and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud saying, this is my son whom I have chosen, listen to him when the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus.
Just like that Moses Elijah. The cloud. Jesus is closed back to standard issue. Can his face back to its Middle Eastern complexion. Before things went back to normal and before they journeyed down into that Valley, God speaks. Because my son was that for Jesus, or for the apostles. I still don't know.
Is whatever happens and you know, what's going to happen. You're my son.
Whatever you think in the most horrific moment when the sky goes black. And you wonder if I forsaken, you know, you are my son whom I have chosen. And Peter and James, and John, you've just confessed that Jesus is the son of God, that the one chosen the Messiah, the Christ, whatever you are about to see in that Valley. Do not forget this moment. This is my son. Listen to him. Don't listen to your heart, your feelings, or what, your eyes, see. Listen to the Son of God, that I've sent.
The disciples and the Son of God, got to remember the most important things in the world that there is a God who speaks? That he affirms Jesus as his son. And whatever. Jesus says to us must be true. Listen to him.
So put it all together. And what do you got grab a pan? Here's the big idea for today? I'm going to summarize it like this when you're in the valley.
Remember the glory.
When you're down down down, in that dark, dark Valley. Remember the light, remember the voice, remember the words?
Jesus in his darkest moments could voice. You are my son.
The disciples that they weren't so forgetful. They could have remembered. No. No, it's all good. This this is God's son. We did not make a mistake and you and I to when we find ourselves in that spot, whether it's physically or financially, relationally, or spiritually, when we are stuck in that Valley, we to get to remember,
But, let's be honest. It's not easy.
I brought a little handmade sign with me here. Raise your hand if you can read this all the way the back row. Yeah, I see some hands back there. Yeah, you know why the sign is so easy to read besides my beautiful art skills.
Because it's really light up here.
Like what things are lights when things are bright, when all is good, if it's fairly easy like my life right now to thank. Oh yeah. God is good. I'm blessed. God is love.
But here's the question in the challenge for you. And for me what happens when the lights get a little bit dim? What happens when the blessings aren't bright and Shining but things get a little bit harder.
How to cure the illness to make things better and he He does nothing.
What happens when when financial you just want to break? You just want to find a job. Just want to keep a job. You just want to, you want to be rich. Just want to get by in God. Does nothing.
What happens when you just want your family to stick together, your parents to make it your relationships, but if you just want to find someone start a family, have a baby and yet it's separation and it's divorce and you beg God for some transformation, but….
Nothing.
What happened? Spiritually? When you feel lost and you feel stuck and you feel sinful and you want to feel it and you want to experience it, but God does. Nothing.
When you're in the dark and you can't see.
And you're trying to remember what was so clear in earlier days in the like, what do you do?
Here's today's answer.
You remember, Jesus?
You listen to him. Just like the father said, That you take the soft glow of a 2000 year old Crossing and you try to tell your heart. No. No, God. God is good. If Jesus could have stayed in a tent up on that mountain, but he did not. He could have extended his Transfiguration, but he traded it for an amount of disfiguration. God must be good. And even if I'm broke. And even if my body is broken, if God gave his one and only son, the son, who he so dearly loved her me that God has to be good. The devil is the Prince of Darkness and he is the father of lies, and when things get dark and you're in the valley, he will lie constantly to you. And here's what you say back to him. No. No. If God gave his one and only son for me, he must be love.
You've got traded his glory for my suffering. He must be good. If Jesus Christ chose the crown of thorns instead of a crown of gold. My father must love me. More than I will ever understand in those moments. When you can't see, don't don't trust your heart. Don't trust your eyes instead. Remember the Glorious things that you want saying and saw in the light. Your sweetest moments when you praise God, that his name was good. He does not change. Even if life does.
When she breaks the news that she doesn't want to stay together or the doctor says, you might never have a baby. And the boss calls you into her office. She says sorry. When that moment comes and you get back into your car, you remember the glory. I got as constant. And God is faithful. He is the same. God when you were up here, this, when you're down there, I'll leave you today with a story that some of you have heard from me before. I was about middle school, girl, on the edge of my daughters, who tragically when she was just 12 was diagnosed with cancer. It was a long hard journey for this girl. She was a kid of Faith, but it was difficult to physically relationally and Actually, for her, she journeyed from just, like, a regular happy life into a really hard place during her treatment. She would spend so many days. And so many nights up in her bedroom. Feeling far, from good. She did. She had this little Journal that she would write him and she would write what she was thinking about. And what she was praying about a Bible passage. She heard in church caught her attention. She would write that in there and Page after page and day after day, for two whole years. She wrote in that journal until when she was 14.
Cancer. Her family grieved, her death.
In the difficult days, following that funeral, they went up into her room and they discovered the journal. It is amazing for them to read about the faith of their little girl. A childlike faith that believed that she was never alone. They read the passages that they notice the dates that she didn't give up on God. She didn't think he was evil or bad or far away. She knew that God was good, and that Jesus was the proof. But we found something that they couldn't quite understand his little, no, no card. That just had four words written on it. Not a problem.
The moon is round.
What does that mean?
I press read the pages and I read the card. The Moon is round.
Is there a little girl looked out her window at night when the chemo made her so sick that she couldn't sleep. She’d see the moon and in some of those clear beautiful nights, the moon was round, and bright, and beautiful, and glowing with the reflected light of the sun. And another nights. It was cloudy or only half a moon, or sliver of a moon. In fact, some nights were so dark, she couldn’t see the moon at all. But here's what she believed, whether I can see it right now or not. The moon is round.
And whether I feel it right now or not. My God is good.
Today, I want to leave you with those four words. Remember this glorious truth from the Bible and your highest highs, and your lowest lows, just as the Moon is constantly round. Your God is constantly good. He's the God of the hills and the valleys. And that means brothers and sisters, no matter what happens in this life. You will never be alone.
Let's pray. God, I praiise you for your constants. We read the news. We step on the scale. We check social media because anything can change in the blink of an eye except for you. Yesterday you were good. You were forgiving you were truthful and you were kind which is exactly what you are today. It's what you're going to be at our next birthday. 10 years from now and a thousand years from now. God. I thank you for being unchanging. You are not like a human being at that. You should change. You are God, your constants. Heavenly father is our Rock.
Enough to send your son 2 thousand years ago, but you changed over these past two Millennia, we would have no hope but no, you are the unchanging God. And so today, we all confess with a childlike faith that you are good. You're always good and you always will be Thank you, God, for your generosity in my life. And for all of our lives. Other things are going right or wrong physically, or financially, spiritually. We have blessings that are better than anything else. We have you we have the promise of eternal life where there is no morning or death, where no one's broke or broken, where we never feel nervous or anxious or depressed. There's just the glory that Peter saw for just a moment waiting for us and it will last forever. We thank you, God, for your love and your promises in the name of your son.
His glorious, holy unchanging name and all God's people said, Amen.
