Sunday 5/3/15 Old Man, Old Story!

Dear Father in Heaven: I love You, I love You very, very much and I really appreciate that You died for me and took my filthy rotten sins with You to the grave. Thanks for always being there when I needed You to lift me up, to pull me up. Never once, Lord, did You put me down. It was nice to hear Matthew's voice today, all honor and glory to You for working that out. Thanks for sparing LeaAnne and her unborn baby in the crash the other day. Please keep Your hand upon her. Please, Lord, settle things down here in America and work things out for peace. Please be with our veterans, current military, our police and firefighters. Lord, please keep them safe, as so many people want to hurt them. Now, please, dear Lord, help me with the messages that You want me to put out and then after that help me to get it dispatched. In Jesus' Name, I give thanks and praise. Amen.

Happy Sunday, dear brothers and sisters. In the next few days or longer, I am going to do something a little different. We are going to look at some of the good old stories from the Bible and let you see them through the eyes of an old man. So let me get started.

Sunday: May 3, 2015: Old Man, Old Story! (Day One)

Luke 3:4 - As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" (NIV)

I Love to Tell the Story: (Catherine Hankey, William G. Fischer)

Chorus:
I love to tell the story!
'Twill be my theme in glory.
To tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love.

I love to tell the story!
'Twill be my theme in glory.
To tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love.

Back on May 16, 1941, when the streets were still dirt and the Dead Sea was still just sick, Sarah Margaret (Kimmel) Lehman gave birth to a baby boy named Daniel Webster Lehman, Jr., the son also of Daniel Webster Lehman, Sr. So as I am about to turn another year older, I talked to God about an old man telling those old, old stories of Jesus and His love for us. So this old man will be telling you some of His favorite stories from the Bible. During this time, I went from when I was born and had no teeth until I got old and again "have no teeth." Also during this same time our Lord Jesus never changed one bit. Here is the proof of that from scripture.

Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, I grew up in Harrisburg, PA. Yes, in the city, my address was 730 S. 27th Street. And my first phone number was 28774. Mamma and Pop were both school teachers. They made me go to Sunday School and Church so I attended 29th Street Evangelical United Brethren Church. There is where I first heard some of these stories, and as an "old man," I want to tell you some of these old stories! Along the way we will talk about these stories and we will do some singing. The first story that I remember being taught as about the Birth of Jesus and how Jesus was born to a virgin mother named Mary. What I remember most was the story of why Jesus was born in the barn.

Luke 2:1 - In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (NIV)

That of course was the first Christmas and the Story of it as recorded in the book of Luke. Well, many stories came out of that one story and tomorrow we will look at some of those Christmas stories, but for now, why not sing one more round of the Chorus, I Love to Tell the Story:

I love to tell the story!
'Twill be my theme in glory.
To tell the old, old story
of Jesus and His love.

And now a verse of a Christmas carol:

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin mother and Child,
Holy Infant so tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

I pray that all of you go around singing Silent Night tomorrow at work. Now pray and go forth sharing your blessings. Love ya. Share my love also.

Pastor Dan