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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px">Sermons for Proper 28</div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Mark 13:1-8</span><span> - <strong>"</strong></span><strong>Bedrock Faith"</strong></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Mark 13:1-8</span><span> <span>- <strong>"</strong></span><strong>The Temple of Doom and the Bridegroom"</strong><span> by Leonard Sweet</span></span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<span>Mark 13 <font size="4">- </font>the sermon title "</span>Bedrock Faith"<span> </span>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Have you ever tried
to make a prediction? Here are some predictions from the past. All from
people who were trusted individuals: </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, in 1943 said, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Popular Mechanics
magazine in 1949 made this prediction: "Where a calculator on the ENIAC
is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in
the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons." </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>There was an
inventor by the name of Lee DeForest. He claimed that "While
theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially
and financially it is an impossibility." </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The Decca Recording
Co. made a big mistake when they made this prediction: "We don't like
their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." That was their
prediction in 1962 concerning a few lads form Liverpool. Their band was
called the Beatles. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>As the disciples
walked out of the Temple in Jerusalem Jesus paused, looked back at the
Temple and predicted, "Do you see all these great buildings. Not one
stone will be left on another." To the disciples this was bedrock.
Nothing could bring down these walls. "Look, teacher! What massive
stones! What magnificent buildings!" they said to Jesus.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The smallest stones
in the structure weighed 2 to 3 tons. Many of them weighed 50 tons. The
largest existing stone, part of the Wailing Wall, is 12 meters in
length and 3 meters high, and it weighs hundreds of tons! The stones
were so immense that neither mortar nor any other binding material was
used between the stones. Their stability was attained by the great
weight of the stones. The walls towered over Jerusalem, over 400 feet in
one area. Inside the four walls was 45 acres of bedrock mountain shaved
flat and during Jesus' day a quarter of a million people could fit
comfortably within the structure. No sports structure in America today
comes close.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>You can then understand the disciples' surprise...</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>_______________________</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Members: See Mark 13 for the sermon titled "</span><span>The Temple of Doom and the Bridegroom</span><span>"</span><span> by Leonard Sweet </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>If you've ever had
your wallet or purse stolen you know that the worst "loss" is not the
cash (who has it!) or the credit cards (you just cancel them). The worst
loss is all those personal, "heart" things you keep close to you. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>*</span><span>Your ancient Social Security card that you got at age 15. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>*</span><span>Photos of parents, kids, and siblings that are faded and creased from being carted about for years. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>*</span><span>Those
little "oddments" that remind you of who you are and where you come
from - a broken piece of jewelry, a note giving life-changing good or
bad news, a "charmed" bill or check you never cashed. </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>All those things that are not worth anything to anyone else...but are priceless to you.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The only theft
worse than that of your carry-about life space is that of your personal
living place. Even if no one was home, the feeling of invasion and
violation is huge. Our homes are divided up into bedrooms, bathrooms and
kitchens. But there is always some central gathering space. Whether you
call it the "living room," or the "family room," the "recreation room"
or the "great room," - it is the space in your home where your family
comes together, amidst all your favorite things and most
family-connecting artifacts, to celebrate togetherness and unity.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Today's reading is about Jesus' relationship to the "Temple"...</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The rest of this sermon can be obtained by joining <a shape="rect" target="_blank" __removedlink__2009031938__href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001A4jOth38GTax8wRLrqqhMqM3RHgrKCRPZadSCxpmq8PlzjtuiVAgDsqfrZRhK4WOo-mdH70HgpiVe4RDJnCdqoOzW8520UYoerWodIUQEMaxVWz_OGvnVR2_e5v3xxuz"><span>http://www.sermons.com/signup</span></a> </span><span> </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>_______________________</span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Just Stay in the Race</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Mary Hollingsworth
tells a story about the noted director of biblical epics, Cecil B.
DeMille. When they began working on the movie Ben Hur, DeMille talked to
Charlton Heston--the star of the movie--about the all-important chariot
race at the end. He decided Heston should actually learn to drive the
chariot himself, rather than just using a stunt double. Heston agreed to
take chariot-driving lessons to make the movie as authentic as
possible.<br>
<br>
Learning to drive a chariot with horses four abreast,
however, was no small matter. After extensive work and days of practice,
Heston returned to the movie set and reported to DeMille.<br>
<br>
"I think I can drive the chariot all right, Cecil," said Heston, "but I'm not at all sure I can actually win the race."<br>
<br>
Smiling slightly, DeMille said, "Heston, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win." </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Those are the words
of God to everyone through a time of tumultuous change: "John, Mary,
Heather, you just stay in the race, and I'll make sure you win." Look
for God's hand. If you cannot see it in the event itself, look for it in
the aftermath when you are putting your life back together. I promise
you, God's hand will be there.<br>
</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>King Duncan, Collected Sermons, <a shape="rect"><span>www.Sermons.com</span></a> </span></div>
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<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>The Disciples as Tourists</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Tourists. As Mark
13 opens, the disciples are like tourists, gawking at the more striking
features of "the big city" that they were visiting for the high and holy
festival of Passover. If there had been cameras in those days, you can
almost picture the disciples mugging for the camera in front of the
magnificent opulence of the Temple. Little bands of tourists wearing
bright orange hats would be milling through the plazas and colonnades of
the Temple as tour guides with bullhorns shouted forth impressive
statistics. "Some of these foundation stones weigh 5 tons and were
brought into the city through the massive efforts of thousands of masons
and slaves." </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span>Appreciative "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs" would follow each stunning stat.</span></div>
<div style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0px"><span> </span></div>
<span>It was, all in all,
a heady atmosphere. You couldn't help but look up to see the towering
heights. When I've been in places like Chicago and New York City, I know
full well that standing on a sidewalk and staring up at the towering
heights of the Sears Tower or the Empire State Building is the surest
way possible to have me be easily identified as a tourist. But I can't
help it! I don't want to look like some hick from the outback who is
bowled over by skyscrapers, but they are just so impressive. They simply
dwarf you! And so I steal as many heavenward glances as I can.<br>
<br>
The
disciples were like that. They don't want to look like simple fishermen
from Galilee and the like, but let's face it: you just don't see
stonework like this back on the farm. Their enthusiasm is so great that
they cannot resist pulling Jesus into the action. Their master seems
oddly unmoved by the ramparts and architectural heights of Jerusalem. He
is the only one NOT craning his neck and mugging for the camera. So the
disciples try to bring him around. "Teacher! Lookee here - isn't this
one massive hunk of limestone!? Isn't the craftsmanship on these
carvings impressive? Can you imagine what it must have taken to raise up
such a high edifice!?"<br>
<br>
But Jesus meets their breathless
enthusiasm with a shrug of his shoulders. "Yes, I see them. But you know
what? Even the biggest of these stones will soon fall and be thrown
down. One day e're long, there won't be a single building to look at
here."<br>
<br>
Scott Hoezee, Comments and Observations <br>
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