Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31 - Jesus was Crucified for our Salvation

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31 - Jesus was Crucified for our Salvation

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Lent 3

March 11, 2012

Here we are at the third Sunday of Lent. We have been with the early church trying to figure out what Jesus' suffering and death really meant. The early church had asked the question, “Why did Jesus have to suffer and die such a humiliating death on a cross?” Peter told persecuted churches that Jesus suffered to enter our suffering to bring us to God. Paul told the church of Rome that Jesus was lifted up on a cross to justify us, to straighten, plane and sand us smooth so that we can fit together with God and with each other. And today we will read as Paul tells the church in Corinth that Jesus died on the cross to empower the church. We will get to all this, but first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

It was the winter of 56 AD. Paul was in Ephesus, and he received some troubling news from Corinth. Paul knew the Corinthian church well. He had established it five years before and spent several years there helping it get started before leaving to resume his missionary travels. Paul had come to Corinthian in response to a dream he had of someone urging him to come to Macedonia. He had responded to this dream and arrived in Corinth around 50 AD where he met Priscilla and Aquila who were Christians from Rome working in the leather industry. He experienced numerous problems there and so probably wasn't surprised that divisions remained. So Paul sent Timothy to Corinth to find out what's happening and report back.

When Timothy returned he delivered a discouraging report to Paul. First, people were complaining about Paul's preaching. Paul was not a particularly good preacher. He wasn't very charismatic. Maybe it was his accent or clothes. But when compared to the philosophers and debaters in Corinth, Paul's style left a lot to be desired. There was a faction that wanted someone like Apollos, a great speaker, to come to Corinth for the church. But this wasn't the only problem. Another faction in the church questioned Paul's background. Paul just wasn't one of the twelve. Paul hadn't been a follower of Jesus before his death. And in fact Paul had been a persecutor of the early church. Paul didn't even know Jesus until that episode on the Damascus road when he encountered Jesus in a flash of light. Paul just didn't have the right credentials. And so a faction wanted someone like Peter to come to the church.

All of this had to be hard for Paul to hear. He had worked so hard to bring the church to Christ and still it was divided. But Timothy had even more bad news for Paul. People in Corinth were questioning Paul's primary teaching. They were concerned that Paul had put the cross at the center of their faith. Paul had insisted that the leader of the church was the resurrected Jesus Christ who had died on a cross. The Gentile Christians in Corinth thought that this belief in a crucified savior was foolish. You had to be mad to worship someone who died on a cross because crucifixion was the most shameful way to die. The Romans had picked up crucifixion from the Persians. It was a way to humiliate any political opponent. Crosses were setup just outside the city gate to that all your friends and family could see you suffer and thus be deterred from ever opposing the Emperor. The Son of God would never let something like this happen. He would never die a shameful death on a cross. So they questioned Paul's central teaching and their faith was tottering. The Jewish Christians in Corinth also had problems with Paul's teachings on the cross. It was inconceivable to them that the Messiah would die on a tree. The Hebrew scripture cleared stated that anyone who died on a tree was cursed. So anyone who died on a cross was also cursed. Why would God allow the Messiah to be cursed. It didn't make any sense. Paul's whole teaching on the cross was being questioned.

Differences plague the church today as well. We find ourselves arguing about theology and biblical interpretation. This week New Castle Presbytery debated an idea that we should split into two presbyteries one theat believed one way on certain issues and one that believed the other way. People were passionate on both sides believing the other to be foolish. The idea that we should be united in Christ ultimately prevailed, but our differences remain and we are left struggling to discern God will for us.

Paul knew that he had to respond to the Corinthian church before disagreements turned into divisions and the possible the death of the church. A letter was needed, maybe also a visit, maybe more that one. So he began writing what we know today as First Corinthians and here is part of what he said to the church.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 ¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us 

who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." ²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. ²⁶ Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

So, according Paul, God chose crucifixion as the manner of Jesus' death intentionally. He chose what was foolish, what was shameful, what was cursed to demonstrate his great power. God can take what is foolish, what is shameful, what is cursed and transform it into a blessing. And this is really good news for the Corinthians because many of them were foolish, many of them were filled with shame, many of them were cursed, but in Jesus Christ they were all transformed to new life. All of this is the great paradox of our faith. God uses the foolish, the shameful, and the cursed to transform the foolish, the shamed and cursed to new life in Jesus Christ.

Today as in the first century we value wisdom. Wisdom is the opposite of foolishness and we treasure it greatly. We spend a lot of time and money on education. We think that if we obtain enough knowledge we will become wise. And we depend on this wisdom to improve our lives. But no matter how much wisdom we have received we find that it is not enough. We try to wise, but over and over again we do foolish things. And when we act foolishly we find ourselves filled with shame and feeling cursed. I think this is one reason why people leave churches. They hope to find wisdom by coming to church. They hope that through this wisdom they will lead a better life. But then they do something foolish. Maybe they cheat on their spouse. Maybe their drinking has gotten out of control and relationships hurt. They feel foolish for what they have done, and experience shame coming to church. We love them and reach out to them, but they leave feeling cursed and we see them no more.

Jesus died a foolish, shameful and cursed death on a cross to find us in our foolishness, shame and curse. Wherever we are, whatever we have done, nothing is so foolish, nothing is so shameful, nothing is so cursed as to separate us from God's love in Jesus Christ. So if you have a disease, or if you have gone through a divorce, or if you have gone bankrupt, or if you have been addicted to drugs or alcohol or prescription drugs, if you have experience foolishness, shame and curse in any way Jesus died on a cross for you with the promise of God's power to transform you. So I invite you who are foolish, filled with shame, or experiencing a curse to experience the power of God through the death of Jesus Christ because Jesus has come into your foolishness, your shame, your cursed life to save you and bring you to new life.

So if someone says to you that you are a moron for believing that God died on a cross, or if someone tells you that it is stupid to believe that your God died a shameful death, or if someone argues that Jesus' death on a cross shows that he was not the messiah because he was cursed then you can respond by telling them that God is so powerful that he transforms the foolish, the shamed and cursed to shame the wise so that we realize that wisdom is not our ultimate goal. What we really want and really need is faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ which brings us to new life. Faith is far more important than wisdom.

Father in heaven, we thank you for using the foolish, the shameful and the cursed to bless us. Help us to grow our faith in Jesus Christ so that by your power we may received the promised new life in Christ. This we pray in his glorious name. Amen.  

Sermon – Romans 4: 13-25 - Jesus' Cross was Raised for our Justification

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Romans 4: 13-25 - Jesus' Cross was Raised for our Justification

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Lent 2

March 4, 2012

This is the second Sunday of Lent and we are continuing to join with the early church in wondering why Jesus suffered and died such a horrible death. This was not expected for a messiah and descendant of David. And it was totally senseless for the Son of God. Last week we heard the Apostle Peter tell us that the reason Christ suffered was to bring us to God. Christ entered the sin swamp where we live in order to save us in our baptism and so he suffered the same way we do. Today we will turn to the Apostle Paul as he struggled to explain why Jesus was raised up on a cross. But first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Romans 4:13 - 25 ¹³ It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. ¹⁴ For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, ¹⁵ because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. ¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring-- not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed-- the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. ¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." ¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-- since he was about a hundred years old-- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. ²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. ²² This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." ²³ The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-- for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

It was the winter of 57-58 AD. The Apostle Paul was writing an important letter to the church in Rome. He did not establish this church and as far as we know had never been in Rome. He was planning to travel there, but was not yet ready for that journey. Paul was familiar with the church because he knew two of its members, Priscilla and Aquila who had worked with him as a tent maker in Corinth. Presumably they had told Paul about their church.

We don't know how the Roman church got started. But what we do know is that people from Rome were present in Jerusalem on Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon Peter and the other apostles. The were part of the crowd of 3000 who were baptized that day. And presumably they returned to Rome and started a new church. This church would have been made up primarily of Jewish converts who believed that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. But there also would have been some Gentiles who believed in God and accepted Christ as their Lord.

A crises hit this church in 49AD when it was only about 15 years old. By imperial decree all Jews were expelled from Rome. The Jewish members of the church had to leave. We know that two of these Jewish Christians Priscilla and Aquila left Rome went to Corinth. They left behind the Gentile converts to Christianity who continued the church in their absense. A few years later the imperial decree was lifted and Jews could return back to Rome. Many did including Priscilla and Aquila. But that's when the real problems in the Roman church started. The Roman church had become a Gentile church. Circumcision was no longer required. Other Jewish customs had been dropped. And when the the former Jewish leaders returned to the church there were conflicts between these two ethnic groups. Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians fought over religious practices and control of the church. It's possible the Priscilla and Aquila contacted their friend Paul to help with this situation. And that's probably why Paul was writing this letter.

Paul realized that sin was keeping the Gentiles and Jews apart. It was like having two pieces of wood that are so warped and jagged that when you are trying to join them together they just don't fit. They need to be straightened, planed and sanded smooth first before they can be joined. The two pieces of wood need to be justified before they can fit together. And just as blocks of wood need to be straightened, planed and sanded smooth so too did the Gentiles and Jews in Rome before they could fit together.

But how does this happen? How can people be planed and sanded smooth so they fit with each other? As Paul was thinking of these questions he remember a story in the Book of Genesis about Abraham. Abraham was by any definition pretty rough. He had plenty of blemishes. On two occasions he pretended that his wife was his sister in order to pimp her as a prostitute for money. Abraham was not a real good example of Christian living. In order to have a right relationship with God he needed a lot of straightening, planing and sanding. So how could Abraham be justified, straightened, planed and sanded smooth, to fit properly with God? Well, according to Genesis, from God's perspective, faith looks just like straightening, planing and sanding. Abraham's faith was “credited to him as righteousness”. So faith is kinda like makeup covering over blemishes so that we appear OK when God looks at us. When we have faith we don't need straightening, planing and sanding.

This was the answer for the Roman church. The faith of the Gentile Christians made them look to God straight and smooth. The faith of the Jewish Christians made them straight and smooth from God's perspective as well. And so Jews and Gentiles can fit together, unified in the church because they are both straightened, planed and sanded smooth by their faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And so this is why Jesus was lifted up on a cross. His suffering and death led to his resurrection which, if we believe it, is the faith that straightens, planes and sands us smooth so that we can fit together with God. Jesus was lifted up on the cross so that we would be justified.

This was Paul's message to the Roman church. The Jewish Christians had argued that believers had to obey the law of Moses. But Paul pointed out that Moses lived generations after Abraham. So Abraham could not have been justified by the law. He was justified by his faith. His faith had straightened, planed and sanded him. And the Gentile Christians thought that the Law of Moses did not apply to them. But Paul said no. The Gentile Christians knew what God required of them too. They had no excuse. But obeying God's law was still not enough to be justified. They had to have faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be seen by God as already straightened, planed and sanded.

So too with us. We can never get ourselves right with God by following the law of Moses or by trying do what is right. We are just too warped by sin. We need to be straightened, planed and sanded smooth. And it is our faith in Jesus Christ that God sees as straightening, planing and sanding. It is our faith that justifies us with God.

Of course the church today suffers from division. We are divided into denominations by differences in practices and beliefs. We are divided by ethnicity into Black, White, Korean and Hispanic churches. We are divided by worship style into churches for different generations. The only way we can be united is if we are all justified with each other by our common belief in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so this is why Jesus was lifted up on the cross. Christ died for us so that our faith would justify us with God and with each other.

And this brings us to the table that is set before us today. This is a table that welcomes everyone whose faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has made them straight, planed and sanded smooth, justified in the sight of God. At this table we, who have been justified into a right relationship with God, join with all Christians of all time and in all places who also are justified by their faith in Christ. This is where we are joined together, united into one church of Jesus Christ.

Father in heaven, we ask today for the gift of faith that you consider as righteousness. We ask that you straighten, plane and sand us smooth by our faith so that we are justified with you. We also ask for that faith that justifies with all Christians around the world. This we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whom we believe died on a cross and was resurrected from the dead to new life. Amen.

Sermon – 1 Peter 3:18-22 – Jesus Suffered for Our Sins

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – 1 Peter 3:18-22 – Jesus Suffered for Our Sins

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Lent 1

February 26, 2012

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and lasts for forty days leading us up to Easter. The cross is at the center of our attention during this period. We journey with Jesus toward his death, burial and resurrection experiencing his love, suffering and death. Therefore Lent is a somber time. It is a time for reflection on the meaning of Christ's passion. Why did Jesus suffer? Why was Jesus raised on the cross? Why did Jesus have to die? Of course we all have parallel questions to these. Why do we suffer? Why do we have crosses to bear? Why do we have to die? These are basic questions of our own existence. Lent is a time to look at scripture and try to answer them with God's help. So let's get started with prayer.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

1 Peter 3:18-22 ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, ¹⁹ in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. ²¹ And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you-- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.

When I was growing up my Roman Catholic friends would give something up for Lent. It was always something they liked, like ice cream or chocolate. I remember asking a friend why he did this. And he replied that Jesus died for our sins so we are not suppose to be happy. We are to suffer too.

Peter was writing to suffering churches. Christians had been baptized into hope of resurrection from the dead. They looked forward to their new lives in Christ. But the baptism, which was the source of their hope was also the source of their suffering. Their families and friends were angry because they didn't understand their devotion to Jesus Christ. People called Christians atheist because they refused to worship the Roman gods. Because of this the new Christians were persecuted, treated like aliens and exiles in their own land. It the midst of this suffering the Apostle Peter wrote them a letter to help. He explained in the letter that suffering is expected for Christians. We suffer just as Jesus suffered.

But why did Jesus have to suffer? Why was he mocked and beaten? Why was a crown of thorns placed on his head? Why did he have to carry his cross through the streets? How can we make sense of the Son of God going through things like this? These were questions facing the early church. The apostles were witnesses to what had happened. Their stories about Jesus were being told. But people wanted to know why these things had happened. So the writers of the books of the New Testament searched scripture and prayerfully asked the Holy Spirit for explanations to answer all the questions people had about Jesus and what happened in his life, death and resurrection.

The Apostle Peter wondered why Christ had suffered. Peter had been a witness to it all. He was the leader of a small group of twelve who had followed Jesus, listened to his teaching and gradually came to know that Jesus was far more than a teacher or prophet or even messiah; Jesus is the Son of God. So the visions of Jesus suffering during that last week of his life must have haunted Peter's dreams. So he tried to understand what this was all about. Eventually he realized that Jesus suffered for us. He suffered to bring us to God.

We are so tainted by sin that bringing ourselves to God is out of the question. We can't do it. We might take a step toward God but then take two steps backwards into sin. Try as we might it never works. If we are to get to God we need help. We have to be carried to God by someone else. The good news is that Jesus is there to carry us to God. But to do this Jesus must first get into the sinful muck we find ourselves stuck in. And so Jesus had to suffer to find us where we are to pick us up and carry us to God.

Peter wondered how all this happens. How does Jesus carry us to God? When does this occur? Peter realized that all of this has something to do with baptism. It is in baptism that a believer's new life begins. So Jesus must be present at our baptism to catch us as our old lives perish, and resurrect us to new life in Jesus Christ. It works this way. When we pass under the baptismal waters, and it doesn't matter if the water is sprinkled or it you are submerged into Pitts Creek, when we go under the water our old selves die, we drown. We are no more. But Jesus is there with us, under the water, rescuing us, saving us, and bringing us to God. We emerge from the baptismal water, reborn into new life as followers of Jesus Christ, as Christians.

Peter's understanding of baptism was based on his reading of the story of Noah the book of Genesis. In Noah's time God sent rain for forty days and forty nights. The world was flooded. All evil perished. But God saved the righteous by having Noah build an ark, a large boat which held his family and two of every creature on earth. God saved this remnant from the flood to start new life on earth. And just as God sent Noah's ark to bring people to new life so to does God send Jesus Christ to save us from the drowning waters of baptism into new life.

But as Peter thought about this he became concerned about something else. What about all those people who died in Noah's flood. Why did God not save them? To answer this question Peter turned to a popular book of his day, a book not in the Bible. This is the book of First Enoch.

The story of Enoch begins in Genesis chapter 5. Enoch was the son of Jared, the great grandfather of Noah, and lived for 365 years. But he never died. He is one of two people in the Old Testament, along with Elijah, who never tasted death. He was taken straight to heaven by God. Over the centuries elaborate stories were developed speculating on what Enoch was doing in heaven. One of these stories, well known in New Testament times, was the story of Enoch visiting fallen angels. These were angels who had sinned by having children with humans and were imprisoned for their crimes deep beneath the earth. The story is that God sent Enoch to visit these fallen angels to bring them back to God. Peter thought, just as Enoch was sent to save the fallen angels, in the same way Jesus was sent by God to save those who had perished in the flood of Noah's time. And so just as Jesus saves us when we pass though the baptismal waters bringing us from death to life, so too did Jesus save those who drowned in Noah's day. Jesus must have visited hell to redeem the people Satan had imprisoned and bring them to God.

And this brings us to the Apostle's creed. There is a curious phrase in the Apostle's creed. We say it every week, but you may have wondered about it. The phrase I am talking about is, “he descended into hell.'' Why would Jesus go to hell?, you might ask. It doesn't make any sense. Many churches have erased this line from the creed. Theologians have been confused by this phrase for centuries. But I think that it is really good news. It means that Christ will go anywhere he has to redeem sinners and bring them to God. Christ suffered to bring us to God in our baptisms. While in the tomb he went into the depths of hell to bring as many as he could to God. This shows the great love and compassion Christ has for all of us. He will go anywhere, even to hell, to bring us to God.

In our lives we all experience suffering. As we get older we suffer from aches and pains. We suffer from illness. We suffer when our kids can't find jobs. We suffer when we can't pay our bills. We suffer when our lives don't go as planned, interrupted by surprises. Suffering is a fact of life. But whenever we are suffering we need to remember that Christ suffered too. Whatever pain you experience Christ also experienced it. And remember that Christ experienced his suffering coming to save you. Christ descended into your suffering to bring you God where all suffering ceases. This is really good news, and the hope of your baptism, because in your baptism your old life of sin died away and Christ lifted you up to new life, free from sin.

So this Lent do not be somber. Don't give something up to make yourself suffer. You will experience plenty of suffering without giving something up for Lent. Lent is not a time to be unhappy. Rather we should be joyful celebrating the hope that our suffering will end, and that our baptismal hope of resurrection to new life will be realized. So smile and be happy filled with joy that Jesus suffered to bring you to God.

Lord Jesus, we thank you so much for giving us this baptismal hope of new life in you. We thank you for saving us through the waters of baptism and bringing us to God. We know that you suffered greatly for us and remember your suffering in our own suffering. We thank you for being with us and understanding what we go through. For the great gift of our baptismal hope we praise you. Amen. 

Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Mark 9: 2-9 – The Son of God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Transfiguration Sunday

February 19, 2012

Since the beginning of January we have been looking at the identity of God. We heard that God is the creator, God is all powerful, God hears our prayers and knows our names, God is always present with us, God can be recognized in the pages of scripture and in the world around us, and God blesses us richly. From the Book of Psalms we have learned all of this about God. But there is much more that can be learned of God's identity in his Word and in the World he created. God is so much more than we can ever imagine. And therefore we are always finding new things about God. Our understanding of who God is, God's identity, is always growing.

Today we will shift gears a bit and turn to the New Testament. We will look at the Gospel of Mark and join in with some of the disciples to try to figure out who Jesus is. What is Jesus' identity? Can we recognize Jesus in the pages of scripture and in the world God created? Who is this Jesus, was the question on the minds of Peter, James and John. And today they will get an answer of sorts. But before we get to all of this let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

When I lived in DC, the first question I asked whenever I met someone new was, “Where do you work?” This question permeates the culture of Washington DC. Since most people work either for government or government contractors this question is really a question about proximity to power. The closer you are to governmental power the more prestigious is your job. And so everyone wants to know how close to power you are. So if you were to attend a party or church function in DC just about everyone would ask you what you do.

When I moved to California to attend seminary, I found that the introductory question had changed. No longer were people concerned about what I did for a living. On the west coast, people are more concerned with how you have fun. People want to know what you did over the weekend. Did you ski on Big Bear Mountain, or surf off Laguna Beach, or both? Did you see the latest movie? What restaurant did you visi?. Questions about what you do for a living are way down the line out west, if you ever get there.

Here on the Eastern Shore I have noticed that the introductory question usually defines whether you are someone who is born here or came here. The people who are born here have memories of growing up on small farms. They are defined, in large part, by this agricultural history. Even if they no longer do farming they still see themselves as rooted in agriculture. Most of those who come here, like me, do not have this history and these roots. And so we lack this particular frame of reference when we interact with those of you who were born here.

Identity is how we know someone. It can be as simple as knowing someone's name. I am often praying for people I know only from their names and a few details about their diseases. But identity is often far more than that. You may know people as friends, relatives, spouses and the like. You may have deep, intimate knowledge of someone else. So there are degrees with which we can know someone's identity.

The disciples knew Jesus Christ. And it can be argued that Peter, James and John knew him the best. But it took time for them to know who Jesus really was because Jesus did not reveal his identity to them right away. At first, they thought that Jesus was a teacher. After all he was teaching in synagogues all over Galilee. In fact Jesus was a great teacher, so much so that people were amazed. Like other first century teachers Jesus gathered disciples, cast out demons, and healed the sick.

But then something happened that caused the disciples and others to think that Jesus' identity was more than just a teacher. What Jesus did was to give his disciples the authority to preach and cast out demons. The disciples experienced this power for themselves and began to think that Jesus was far more that just a teacher. They thought that he must be like a prophet, maybe even Elijah returned. And so the disciples began to realize that Jesus was not just a teacher, but he was a prophet with extraordinary powers.

But then the disciples saw Jesus do something not even the prophets could do. They saw him feed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. And that night they watched him walk on water. They were there when Jesus made a mute man speak and a blind man see. They knew that Jesus was far more than a teacher and a prophet. And it was Peter who said the Jesus must be the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one, the Son of David everyone was expecting.  It was then that Jesus took them up a mountain and here's what happened.

Mark 9:2-9 ² After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³ His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-- one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." ⁶ (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) ⁷ Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" ⁸ Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. ⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

As they climbed the mountain they probably were thinking about Moses. Moses and his companions climbed Mt. Horeb to come into the presence of God. Maybe Jesus was doing the same thing. Maybe they were climbing the mountain to see God. When they arrived at the top Jesus began to change. His clothes glowed like a light bulb. Peter, James and John must have been thinking about Moses and how his face shined after coming into the presence of God. They must have wondered if God was near.

Then they saw an incredible sight. Jesus was talking with Elijah and Moses. The people of God expected Elijah and Moses to return at the end of time. Remember from the earlier reading today Elijah never died, he simply went to heaven in a whirlwind. And Moses was buried by God who told no one where the grave was. So it was expected that both would return on the Day of Lord when everything was to come to fulfillment. Peter knew that this was to happen at the Festival of Booths when all of Israel came to Jerusalem each year and lived in tents. Peter was so excited at seeing Elijah and Moses that he was ready to make tents for them.

But then a cloud cover the mountain. The fog was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Peter, James and John had to be scared to death. Maybe they remembered that Moses had encountered God in the midst of smoke and fire on the top of an active volcano. Maybe God himself was about to make an entrance. And then in booming thunder God spoke and called Jesus his son and commanded the disciples to listen to him.

And then everything was back to normal and the four of them walked back down the mountain.

As they were coming down the mountain Jesus explained to them that he must die, but in three days he would rise from the dead, proving once and for all that he truly was the Son of God.

So who is Jesus? Is Jesus a teacher? Yes. Is Jesus an exorcist and healer? Yes. Is Jesus a prophet? Yes. Is Jesus the Messiah, the new David? Yes. But as the disciples found out on that mountaintop Jesus is far more than all of these. Jesus is unique. No one has ever been like Jesus and no one ever will. Jesus is God's son.

The disciples were told to keep this a secret until after Jesus' death and resurrection. Then they were to proclaim it to the world. This is exactly what they did and what we are call to do. We are to proclaim to our world, here in Pocomoke, that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the creator we praise. Jesus is the all powerful one we worship. Jesus hears our prayers and knows our names. Jesus is always with us. We can recognize the presence of Jesus in the world today because we study and meditated on the Word of God. We proclaim that Jesus is our Lord.

But we have to be careful, when talking to nonbelievers, not to say more about Jesus than they can handle. Just as Jesus carefully revealed himself to his disciples over time so too must we reveal the Jesus we know and follow carefully. When talking with nonbelievers start by saying that Jesus is a teacher and talk with them about Jesus teachings. Then as they begin to experience Jesus' power show them that Jesus is a great prophet like Moses and Elijah. And when they finally can accept the reality of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, then point out the this could only happen if Jesus is the Son of God.

So now we know Jesus' identity. And we know how to bring others to faith. We are disciples of Jesus Christ the Son of God. This is our identity. This is who we are.

Lord Jesus we thank you for taking us to the mountaintop this morning. We thank you for revealing your true identity to us through the scripture. We ask that you allow us to follow you as your disciples, to preach the good news, to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and bring others to faith in you, the Son of God. Amen.

Sermon – Psalm 30 – Exalting God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 30 – Exalting God

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

February 12, 2012

I am concluding today with my series of Epiphany sermons about God as portrayed in the Book of Psalms. All of creation is to praise our creator God. All Christians are to worship our powerful God with total loyalty and full obedience. We pray to our God who knows our names and hears us. We can trust that God is near us even when he seems to be missing. And by meditating on, listening to and studying the scripture we can learn to recognize God in the world. Today we will see that we are to exalt God because of all the blessings we have received. But first, let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Even though most people seem to live well ordered lives, problems are often just below the surface. I remember a few years ago sitting with a couple at a church dinner. At first they seemed like any other couple you might see in church. But I noticed that something seemed to be bothering them. They were tense, agitated. As I talked with them I learned that he was a carpenter, but had not found any work for over a year. She had just been laid off from a part time retail job when the store closed. They had lost their home several months before and put their belongings in self-storage. Last week all their stuff was auctioned away for nonpayment of rent. They were living in their car. They had nothing left. And they had a lot of questions for God.

As long as people have been walking on this earth we have asked difficult questions to God. We ask why a loved one is sick with cancer. We ask why our children have difficult times finding jobs. We ask why a drought has parched our fields. We ask why some students are so difficult to teach. Sometime when our troubles are really severe we ask God why we were even born.

Problems hiding just below the surface of our society have suddenly appeared to the Roman Catholic Church. They believe that for the church to provide contraception products and abortion and sterilization services would be morally wrong. I agree. But this is precisely what the United States Government is requiring the church to do as it provides health insurance to its employees. The church cannot morally purchase insurance that provides these things and if they refuse the government will fine them and buy the insurance themselves. I would like to read to you a letter sent to Roman Catholic churches by Thomas Olmeted, Bishop of Phoenix. 

http://www.diocesephoenix.org/uploads/docs/RELIGOUS-LIBERTY-INSURANCE-LETTER-012512.pdf

I think we should stand with the bishop and the Roman Catholic church and pray for wisdom. We also need to pray that our God given right to religious liberty will never be threaten by a tyrannical government.

Usually we get by without our problems rising to the surface. Our daily lives usually fit together well enough that the big issues don't come up often. And when problems do arise we can cope with them, at least if they are not too bad. But when big problems arise we question God, asking why. Usually these hard problems are just under the surface. We don't face them directly, but we know they are there. This leads us to lead lives filled with nagging doubts and diminished joy.

The author of Psalm 30 knew all of this. She knew that these questions lurked just below the surface of our carefully controlled lives. And she knew that when foes threaten the peace of ordinary life or when ills threaten our health and prosperity these questions surface. The psalmist remembered a time of good health and prosperity. She thought that it would last forever and nothing would ever touch her. She probably lived in a beautiful home and all of her children were healthy and did well in school. Maybe her husband just bought a new combine. Maybe the principal just gave her a raise. She felt as secure as a mountain, and confident that God would always preserve her lifestyle.

Then something happened: three years of drought left them heavily in debt. She lost her job because of government budget cuts. One of her children started using drugs, and her daughter got pregnant. On top of all of this she heard from her mortgage company that foreclosure was near and she had to move. Suddenly all the tough questions just under the surface appeared and just like Job she was tempted to curse God. But she didn't curse God. She prayed. Why God, did all these things happen to me? Didn't I praise you enough? What about you faithfulness? She called out to God for help.

And this is what we are to do. When misfortune befalls us and we find ourselves dealing with problems beyond our control we cry out to God asking for his love, reminding him of his faithfulness, petitioning for healing and restoration. We do these things because of our faith and because we know that with God our night of weeping will become a morning of joy. This is what the Psalmist experienced: a time of suffering and sorrow followed by period of bliss.

When we experience the joy of being delivered from illness and foes we are to exalt God, lift God up in praise and worship. This helps us to build up a reservoir of faith that will sustain us when troubles returns. That's why worship is so important. Every week we lift God up in praise and song and thanksgiving for all of our blessings. Through this our faith grows so that we are able to withstand problems when they do arise. This is all the work of the Holy Spirit who works through our prayers and singing and proclamation of scripture to grow our faith. And it is the Holy Spirit who comforts us and sustains us when those troubles do arise.

Sadly not everyone in our community or in our families comes to worship. Not everyone experiences the work of the Holy Spirit though the proclamation of the word of God and in our prayers and praises to build up their faith. These people live their lives with the difficult problems just below the surface and when trouble arises, as it will, they have no faith to sustain them. They need our help. They need our prayers. And this is why it is so important for us to pray for our families and neighbors and friends every day. That's why we pray for our community in worship as we share our joys and concerns. That's why we exalt God every week in worship, not just for ourselves but for a world that desperately needs our prayers.

The psalmist wrote a poem describing all this. Here it is, Psalm 30.

^NIV Psalm 30:1 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. ² O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. ³ O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit. ⁴ Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. ⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. ⁶ When I felt secure, I said, "I will never be shaken." ⁷ O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. ⁸ To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: ⁹ "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? ¹⁰ Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help." ¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.

Psalm 30 is a prayer of personal testimony and a call to community worship. It has been used over and over by the faithful to express their gratitude for the delivering power of God. We are told that this psalm was used after the returning exiles from Babylon had rebuilt their temple. They experienced their own suffering during their time of captivity and while rebuilding their city. And with the completion of the temple they used this psalm to lift up God for blessing them so richly.

In the second century before Christ, Psalm 30 was again used. The temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated with a altar to the king. But after a war for independence and freedom they were able to worship as they chose. So they removed the altar and cleansed the temple. They rejoiced, exalting God for all he had done.

And, of course, it wouldn't be very hard to imagine the leper in the first story you heard today singing this psalm after Jesus healed him.

So let's pray for all the people losing their homes to foreclosure. Let's pray for the churches facing difficult decisions about health insurance coverage. Let's pray for family members who are sick. Let's pray for peace in troubled parts of the world. And when we see God redeeming the lost turning their weeping into joy let's worship God will singing and praise.

Lord God, we have come before you in praise. We know that you have been with us as we have faced many problems. Today we exalt you, lift you up with praise and thanksgiving for all you have done for us. We especially praise you for sending your son to redeem us. Amen.

Lent and Holy Week Program for 2012

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek

Presbyterian Churches

Lent and Holy Week 2012

Sunday Worship – Wednesday Bible Study - Holy Week - Easter

Sunday Worship

9:30am at Beaver Dam

11am at Pitts Creek

February 26 – 1 Peter 3: 18-22

Jesus Suffered for our Sins

March 4 - Romans 4: 13-2

Jesus' Cross was Raised for our Justification

March 11 – 1 Corinthians 1: 18-21

Jesus was Crucified for our Salvation

March 18

Celebrating the Gifts of Women

March 25 – Hebrews 5: 5-10

Jesus was Made Perfect to give us Eternal Life

Holy Week

April 1 – Philippians 2: 5-11

Palm Sunday

Jesus humbled himself so we may call him Lord.

April 5 – 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26

Maundy Thursday 7pm

at Pitts Creek

The Wrath of the Lamb:

A Tenebrae service

Resurrection Sunday

April 8 - Easter

6:30am – Joint Service with Bethany and Salem Methodist churches on the Pocomoke river

9:30am – Beaver Dam

11am – Pitts Creek

Jesus was Raised on the Third Day to make us Witnesses. - Acts 10: 34-43

Wednesday Study

Living the Sermon on the Mount

7pm at Pitts Creek

February 22

The Prayer of Jesus

February 29

Investing in God's Reign

March 7

Forgoing Judgment for Forgiveness

March 14

Practicing Loyalty to God

March 21

How to Tell a True Ethic

The Reverend Jeffrey T. Howard, Pastor

Beaver Dam Presbyterian Church, 345 Makemie Road, Pocomoke MD

Pitts Creek Presbyterian Church, 210 Market Street, Pocomoke MD