Didn’t get down to digging further into Ephesians to write my blog. In the last two weeks I have seen relatives I haven’t seen for years (including siblings) at a mini-reunion. Also on my to-do list was to work on the layout for a new book being published this summer, Strike the Match.
One of the benefits of this reunion was to be able to come home with hone with a box of my deceased father’s sermon files. Bart Huizenga was a church planter, and he was very good at explaining difficult concepts in an easy-to-understand format.
I’m going to share some of his ideas based on Ephesians 2 from a sermon he preached in Akron Ohio, in August, 1987.
Dad titled his sermon “New Life in a New Age.” Newspapers were reporting about the “Mayan Calendar Great Cycle,” and 144,000 responded “to a call” to gather together and hum to spark a harmonic conveyance which will call extra-terrestrials being, including the Mayas (extra-terrestrials who had settled on earth and left). They harmonic humming would convince the extra-terrestrials that we Earthlings finally have trust and can be trusted, so they will come to our assistance.
Why was he talking about this? He said, “We live in the world and are influenced by what we read and see.” At 6 a.m. that morning, the humming began, and the New Age philosophy and events were on all the front pages. People were desiring good things–peace, clean air and water, a big change–and admitted we need extra-terrestrial help.
“We do need extra-terrestrial help; and we already have it. We have a Savior.
“Paul saw the same good signs on Mars Hill In Ephesus when he looked over all the idols. The people were religious. They were looking for a savior. He brought them Jesus.
“We have a Savior, a new age, and a new life. “We already have the answer to the mess we are in. The One God who created the heavens and earth has revealed Himself to us, terrestrial inhabitants of Planet Earth. And that one and only God has, in the Bible, through Jesus Christ, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, shown us the way to peace, harmony, freedom, unity, and hope.”
14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God [freedom] by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. 17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us [hope]. Ephesians 2:14-18
My dad closed his sermon with Galatians 6:10: Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith (MSG).
“New Life in Christ. Live it. Share it. In a New Age.”
Kathleen S Evenhouse 