Sermon Hebrews 12:18-29

Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 26, 2007

Sermon Hebrews 12:18-29

Introduction

Where are we right now? I know we have come to church and have assembled for worship, but what is this worship thing all about? Is worship anything more than just gathering together with friends on Sunday morning for prayer and singing some familiar hymns? Understanding what worship is and is not is the key to living a Christian life because as we live our lives in the midst of God’s creation; we are continually at worship. But before we take a look at worship will you pray with me?

Father in heaven I ask for permission for me and this congregation of those registered in heaven to approach your throne through Jesus Christ our mediator. Give me the gift of preaching that my words may somehow be your words and give the congregation the gift of hearing that they may hear what you have to say to them this day. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

I. Our idea of worship is too small

I have attended worship services for a long time. Not as long as some of you but for a long time nevertheless. For many years going to church was for me like eating cotton candy. I liked it and it reminded me of my childhood but it had no lasting benefit beyond an immediate rush. But after a while worship did have a profound affect on me. I began to see the world around me differently, and my responses to worship began to change. I remember one time after worship that a group of people asked me to go with them to feed the homeless. I had never done anything like that before. And I was dressed in my best suit, not exactly what you would wear to an event like this. But after worship it seemed like the right thing to do. God had taken hold of me and was beginning to change me in significant ways. I went down to the Church of the Pilgrims, a Presbyterian church in downtown DC. They served lunch to a group of 150 homeless men every Sunday after church. I consisted of hot soup and a bag lunch. My job was to ladle out the soup into paper bowls. I loved it and went back to this church once a month for the next three years. I thought that I had been attending a comfortable and familiar worship service. But in reality I was coming into the very presence of God. And coming into the presence of God is always a transformative act. So watch out for what might happen today.

For most white middle class Americans going to church today worship consists of meeting friends, and participating in a familiar and comfortable service. Although we accept some innovation we prefer songs and prayers that remind us of the worship services we grew up with. We want the service to not be too long or too short. We want the prayers to be just the right length and maybe drop a few verses from the hymns that are just too long. We want a predictable order so we are comfortable and know what comes next. We want the pastor to be dressed appropriately and say things that comfort us reminding us of God’s love but not challenging us to move out of that complacency that is a mark of the middle class American lifestyle.

Different tastes in worship styles often divide the church. Should the church use an organ or guitars? Should we sing hymns or the new praise songs, or jazz, or country or something else or everything else? Should we have written or spontaneous prayers? Should our hands hold a hymnal while singing or be free to clap? Should the pastor wear a robe, suit and tie, or maybe a tee shirt and flip flops? Endless committee time is spent in churches debating these and similar issues. Books are written from every perspective. Conferences are held promoting one way or the other as the path for church growth. New churches are formed because they believe that existing churches just can’t get it right. And whatever you do some people will leave the church because they don’t like whatever it is you are doing. Some churches refuse to make changes hoping not to alienate anyone in the congregation. Other churches adopt whatever change comes down the pike that promises to bring in new people.

When viewed from inside the church these issues look large. Adding or subtracting something from worship sometimes evokes a passionate response. We like what we like and are willing to fight to keep it. But from the outside these issues seem so small. What difference does it make if Christians sing three songs or four, or if they pray with their hand folded or waving in the air? To a world desperately in need of the hope, hope that only we can offer, these debates about worship must seem baffling. Our internal discussions about worship are vitally important to us, but to those outside the church they seem like very small issues. As indeed they are.

II. Worship is a dangerous act – Labberton[1]

Scripture teaches us that there is far more to worship than we could ever image on our own. Everything that is important is at stake because in worship we acknowledge that we are created in God image and called to reflect God’s character by living lives that seek righteousness and do justice. It is at once something big and small. Worship is as big as all creation and as small as how we use our money or care for our children. It includes both giving glory and honor to God and enacting His love, mercy and kindness in the world. Our encounter with God in worship is transformational because through it we take on the mind of Christ. Every bit of our self-centered nature is turned inside out as we become self-givers. We are freed from our own concerns to be concerned with the poor, downtrodden and oppressed. All of this makes worship what Mark Labberton calls a dangerous act. Whenever we worship we are in danger losing our own hearts and taking on the heart of God. Worship makes demands on us to live as Christ would have us live.

I have to admit that I am tempted in my preaching to avoid topics that may cause you discomfort. I would love just to tell you over and over that God loves you just as you are and makes no claim on your lives. I fear that if I try to guide you or push you toward a new way of thinking that you will resist by either getting rid of me or by leaving the church. I have been told that the way to help a church grow is by preaching comfortable sermons that assure everyone that a modern day middle class American self centered lifestyle is just what God created everyone to live. I believe that God loves us and has blessed us richly, but I would be shortchanging you if I did not also say that Christ is passionate about justice for the poor and the oppressed. I have to quote Micah who said “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)”. I have to tell you that these words were not meant just to be heard but to be lived. Whenever we worship I must remind you that loving God is our top priority. But along with loving God comes a second obligation loving our neighbor.

We have to keep reminding ourselves that the God we worship is big because too often we settle for a God who is too small. We often pray to God for our personal needs. Through these prayers we develop a personal relationship with Christ. But Christ is far more than just a personal friend. Sometime we have to remind ourselves that God is much bigger than that. One way to do this is by remembering that by the time we gather for worship here in Los Angeles most of the other Christians around the world have already finished their services. Time zone by time zone, continent by continent God has already visited congregation after congregation loving each believer, and listening to each story of longing for peace and justice. We are part of this worldwide encounter with the living God. Each Sunday we join with other Christians from every nation on Earth in a day of prayer. We join our voices with the voices of Christians praying for peace in troubled parts of the world. We join our voices with the voices of vulnerable children praying to escape hunger, gangs and the sex trade. We join our voices with the voices of the desperately poor. Each Sunday God hears the prayers of the faithful from all parts of the world and responds with His extravagant love.

III. Biblical Worship

The author of Hebrews knew that worship was dangerous. In Moses’ day approaching God was a fearsome act. When an unseen God spoke to his people the words of his covenant, he spoke from Mount Horeb surrounded by fire and a dark cloud which terrified even Moses. Death was certain for anyone or anything approaching God. But with the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead everything changed. Rather than approaching the sinister cloud and fire shrouding Horeb in worship, Christians now spiritually approach glorious Mount Zion that pilgrims have climbed for thousands of years hoping to get near to God. On mount Zion we find not a city destroyed by the Romans, but a heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, where we join our voices with the voices of angels praising God in the highest and declaring peace on the earth. We join in praise with the people of God, that great cloud of witnesses, who have preceded us in faith. We are brought into the very presence of the living God. And to our surprise we remain alive. Not only are we still alive, but we are transformed. Before our supreme judge our spirits are perfected and God’s law is written on our hearts initiating a new covenant with Jesus Christ as our mediator and sealed with his blood. You thought that you were coming today for a comfortable and familiar service of singing, sermon and prayers. Instead you find yourselves in the presence of the living God who has blessed you with forgiveness, has given you a new transformed life, and now demands your obedience.

We could ignore what God is demanding of us just as the Hebrews ignored Moses’ teaching. We could go home after worship and pretend that nothing has happened, to pretend that God has not entered our lives and transformed our spirits. But if we do that do not be surprised if the ground shakes beneath you. I am not talking about the ground shaking along the faults under Los Angeles of which many of you are familiar. I am talking about the shaking of all creation. All of creation will shake because God’s desire for kindness, justice and righteousness will prevail whether we cooperate or not. But as God’s own people we have a share in real estate that cannot be shaken located in the Kingdom of Heaven. There we build houses with bricks of righteousness and mortar of justice in God’s kingdom. These houses will never fall down; they last forever.

Each time we gather for worship we are making this spiritual pilgrimage up mount Zion to the New Jerusalem. We have not come here of our own accord. Rather we have been called here today by God. As we gather together in worship we realize that we have not lived up to what God expects of us. We are flawed in many ways. So when we come into God’s presence we fall down hoping that God will forgive us. Then we are assured that God loves us and that in Jesus Christ God has forgiven us. To hear these words from God himself gives us overwhelming joy so that we rise to our feet with praise and thanksgiving. Only then are we ready to listen to what God has to say to us. We pray that God will illumine our minds with understanding as we listen to God’s word read and proclaimed. Through this encounter with God our hearts and mind are transformed into heart and mind of Christ. We can now see the world as Christ sees it. So we respond in faith with our money and time, doing God’s work in the world. As we repeat our encounters with God week after week the transformative effects accumulate and we become new people, the followers of Christ, Christians. Amen.

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[1] Adapted from Mark Labberton, The Dangerous Act of Worship (Downer’s Grove: IVP Books 2007)

Sermon Hebrews 11:29- 12:2

Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Hebrews 11:29- 12:2
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
April 19, 2007

In the year 70 AD the Roman Legions destroyed the temple in Jerusalem. They had reacted to the constant violence that occurred when so called messiahs tried to raise armies to overturn their rule. The real messiah, of course, had no intention of leading such a violent overthrow. He spoke of loving another, and not responding to violence with violence, but he was executed anyway. With the destruction of the temple the old Hebrew religion with its High Priests and animal sacrifices came to an end. Jews had to reinterpret their religion, both those who had acknowledged Jesus as their messiah and were now going to churches as well as those who continued gathering together in synagogues with their teachers or rabbis waiting for the messiah to come. The new Christians wanted to know were they now stood. With the destruction of the old system who would now be their High Priest? How should Christians do sacrifices? And how should the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, be used in light of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead?

The author of Hebrews told them that Jesus was their High Priest. And Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for all of their sins. Their faith was the same faith in the same God as all the saints who had preceded them. Christianity was never meant to be a new religion. Rather it was the fulfillment or perfection of that which had come before. If you think of the people of God as a bush with Abraham at the root, then all Jews are the branches and leaves. Gentile Christians, those not directly descended from Abraham, have been grafted onto the bush, and adopted into the family of God. The relationship between Jews and Christians is as part of an extended family. We are cousins. We disagree about Jesus being the messiah. But we share a common history and scripture. The covenant that God made with Abraham applies to us. God loves us so that we will be a blessing for others.

In the 19^th century scholars were debating different techniques for interpreting scripture. Some argued that we needed to understand to nuances of the original languages and investigate the historical circumstances of the period when the books of the Bible were written. New insights could be gleaned by analyzing biblical texts in their historical contexts. But others argued that since each word in the Bible was inspired, literally “breathed”, by God the historical context was irrelevant. It was only important to understand the meaning of the words. One Bible scholar from this period was John Nelson Darby who came up with the idea that verses from one part of the Bible could be paired with verses from another part revealing new truths. Studying the Bible for Darby was like doing a crossword puzzle. You could pull words out of context and put them back together creating whatever meaning you want.

By the early 20^th century Darby’s ideas were popularized by Cyrus Ingerson Schofield. Using Darby’s technique of putting unrelated verses together Schofield came up with a dispensational system. He used this system as notes which he included with a King James Bible to form the Schofield Reference Bible. In his system Schofield said that God relates to his people differently at different times. God related to the Jews from Moses to Christ by the law and to the Christians after Christ by grace. According to Schofield, God’s primary purpose was to create a Kingdom on Earth through the Jews, but when that failed God went to plan B building a gentile church which will one day be taken to heaven. In this dispensational system Christians have replaced Jews as God’s chosen people.

The author of Hebrews was no dispensationalist. He clearly saw a strong relationship between the Jews from Moses to Christ and Christians. We worship the same God and read same scripture. Jesus had come not to abolish that which came before but to perfect it. The promises made to the historical faithful were fulfilled in Christ. God’s people of the past, a great cloud of witnesses, are watching what do now.

Today, Christians disagree about how to interpret the Bible. We Presbyterians have always placed a strong emphasis on understanding the original languages and historical contexts. Others read the Bible believing that the Holy Spirit will reveal truths without the preparatory academic work. This method of interpretation and has become hugely popular in the United States by the preaching of certain fundamentalist preachers and popular works like, The Late Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsey and the more recent Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye. Building on the work of Darby and Schofield that have constructed elaborate schemes of what the end times will be like, often combining verses from the Old Testament with others in Revelation to reveal what they say are new truths. The result is a picture of the end of the world focused on a great war called the Battle of Armageddon.

When the State of Israel was created in 1948 the dispensationalists believed that this was the trigger for the end of the world. The dispensationalists received political clout when one of their own was elected President of the United States in 1980, Ronald Reagan. The reason all of this is so important is that it explains why peace in the Middle East is so elusive. A significant percentage of the electorate and their representatives want nothing to do with peace in the Middle East because they believe that an all out battle with many lives lost, the Battle of Armageddon, is just what is needed for Jesus to return.

The Prophet Isaiah, speaking to ancient Israel, had a very different view. God had richly blessed Israel by giving them the land and everything needed to have a prosperous nation. God had placed them in the land so that the people would be treated justly according to God’s love. But ancient Israel had not done this. Instead of justice there was bloodshed. As a result Isaiah said the God was preparing to remove his blessing and protection. The modern State of Israel should take note. God is watching how you treat the Palestinians in your land. If you treat them with justice and righteousness then you will continue to possess the land, but if you treat them unjustly then God will deal with you harshly.

Today Christians are divided over how the view Palestinians. The dispensationalists see them as pawns in God larger plan at the end of the age. We see them as people, created in God’s image, and deserving justice and righteousness.

In June of 2000 I had the privilege of traveling to Israel and Palestine on a pilgrimage from the National Presbyterian Church. The pilgrimage was led by Don Kruse, a retired Foreign Service Officer. Don’s passion is to introduce American Christians to Christians who live in the Holy Land. I had not known until then that Christians live in the Middle East. I thought everyone there was either Jewish or Muslim. But I found that Christians do live there, and their families have been there worshiping Christ for 2000 years. After seeing the biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Nazareth and Capernaum I stayed with a Palestinian Christian Family living in a small village called Bir Zeit just north of Jerusalem. The father, Labib, had been educated in the United States and had returned to Palestine to care for his ailing mother. He had fathered four teenage daughters and a nine year old son named Hathan. One day while I was staying with the family, some neighbors came over and were very upset. All of the water had been shut off to the town. When I asked Labib what was going on he began to tell me about water in Palestine.

Since biblical times water has been an issue in Palestine. Abraham had negotiated for a well in Gaza and there are well knows wells in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. In 1967 Israel captured these important water systems and placed them under the control of the Israeli military. Despite the tremendous increase in the Palestinian population since 1967 and their greater need for water for agriculture, water is severely limited. Israeli agriculture and settlements on occupied territory, however, get all the water they need. The cutoff of water to the village was a common and very inconvenient occurrence. The practical effect of not having enough water is that the fields at the far edge of Palestinian villages cannot be watered and are therefore unused. These unused fields are then seized by the Israeli army, and the land is turned over to Israeli settlers. As settlers from Israel move into this land they form rings around Palestinian villages. After violence broke out in 2000 the Israelis began construction of a wall separating Israeli settlers from Palestinians. Given the settlement patterns these walls ring the ancient villages imprisoning the people inside.

Some Christians hear the cries of the Palestinian people and rejoice because they believe that the louder Palestinians cry the sooner Christ will return. Their political allies turn a deaf ear to those cries and support whatever harsh measures are used against these defenseless people by the State of Israel. And great stores of munitions are stockpiled in Israel waiting for the day that will signal the return of Christ with the Great War of Armageddon at the end the age.

But when we Presbyterians hear the cries of Palestinian people we do not rejoice. The Palestinians are not pawns in a violent game God is playing to bring the world to an end. They are people, like you and me, created in the image of God and surrounded by their ancestors, the same cloud of witnesses, who preceded us in faith. They deserve to be treated with love and respect. God demands justice and righteousness.

Today three million Palestinians live side by side with three million Israelis. They long for the day with the 1967 borders are restored and a new Palestine would exist next to the State of Israel. But this is becoming less and less likely. Jews, following what they believe is a mandate from God to possess the land, are settling in occupied territory on the west bank of the Jordan River and in East Jerusalem. Their presence and the infrastructure that is created for them in the form of roads and protective walls make it less and less likely that a two state solution will ever come about. The alternatives to an independent Palestinian state are being considered. One solution is to forcibly remove millions of Palestinians from their homes. The other option is to create one state with the Palestinians in a permanent second class status to preserve the Jewish majority. Both of these options are clearly unjust. Sadly, an independent Palestinian state evokes fears in all concerned. Many Palestinians and Israelis are filled with anger over the injustice and violence of the past. This makes it very highly likely that the injustice and violence will continue leading to even more injustice and violence.

Solving the problems in Middle East requires perseverance. We will be discouraged while trying to find peaceful solutions to the growing violence. The sin of injustice and violence weighs us down. But Jesus wants peace in the land where he walked. Jesus chose to face death on a cross instead of leading a violent overthrow of the occupying powers of Palestine in his day. He chose the path of humility leading to a shameful death rather than the glory of a military victory.

Christ is our example to follow. He wants the sin of injustice and violence that has plagued the Middle East for so long to end. He wants everyone involved to adopt his spirit of humility. He wants peace in the Holy Land. Is this possible? Yes, by faith, the same faith that the people had when pursued by the Egyptians and God parted the Red Sea, the same faith that caused the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down, the same faith in Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven with supreme power and authority and might. By faith in Jesus Christ peace will come for people of Israel and Palestine.

As the church of Jesus Christ we should pray for peace. If the Bible seems to say that we should pray for violence and injustice than something is wrong with our interpretation. The Bible never tells us to rejoice in the destruction of people. Rather it tells us to love one another, pray for peace and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We also need to join with other Christians in working toward peace in the land of our savior. For many years now I have been involved with the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation. This organization raises money for churches in Palestine, has a annual conference in Washington DC, and leads pilgrimages to the Holy Land so that American churches can meet, support and pray for churches in the land where Jesus once lived.

The Christians in Palestine today are praying for peace. They long for the day when they can peacefully live side by side with Muslims and Jews. They need us to remember them and pray for them. When possible we should visit them and listen to their stories of faith in the midst of great hardship. They need know that they are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses so that they can cast off the sin of injustice and violence and with our support grow in faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sermon Luke 12:32-40

Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 12, 2007

According to Luke three groups of people were following Jesus around during his ministry on Earth. There was a small group of twelve people called apostles who were chosen by Jesus and sent out to preach, heal and exorcise demons. Later as witnesses to the resurrection they experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit and were the leaders of the early church. There was another larger group following Jesus called disciples who had expressed personal allegiance to Christ and gave him their exclusive loyalty. Sometimes disciples left their families and businesses to follow Jesus, but they always put Jesus’ teachings first. Members of the early church were called disciples. The third group of people following Jesus was called the crowd. The crowd consisted of various onlookers, who were curious about what Jesus had to say but were unwilling to accept Jesus as their Lord and savior. In today’s text Jesus is speaking only to the disciples. So if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ and have publicly acknowledged him as your Lord and Savior please listen carefully. If you are part of the crowd please listen, but realize that what Jesus is saying will only apply to you when you are ready to follow Christ as his disciple.

Jesus told his disciples that they had nothing to fear.

We all have our fears. We fear the loss of our health. We fear not having enough money. We fear the uncertainty of beginning a new life in a new country. We fear not having a job. We fear the loss of important relationships. And we deal with fear in many ways.

Some of us deal with fear by accumulating stuff. Over $200 million is spent every year on advertising creating new fears and proposing solutions with new and improved products. The hope is that if we buy one more thing our fears will disappear. But as we accumulate more and more stuff our fears actually increase as we experience the burden of storing it, cleaning it, moving it, insuring it, and securing it from theft. The more stuff we acquire the more anxious we become, so we buy even more. The vicious cycle of fear – get more stuff – experience greater fear – get even more stuff goes on and on until our homes and garages are filled. Some people spend a lifetime accumulating more and more stuff and then leave it to their kids to get rid of it all. Sadly the acquisition of stuff never seems to calm our fears.

Some of us manage our anxiety by numbing it. Fear lead to the abuse of alcohol, illegal drugs and prescription pain medicine. We have all heard of the young Hollywood starlets who deal with fear by going to clubs, drinking and driving while intoxicated. But their use of alcohol and drugs only numbs their fear for short time. Then the fear comes roaring back stronger than before. This is why chemical addictions are so hard to end. Our fears are stronger than our ability to kick the habit.

Still others of us try to deal with our fears by being busy. We work all the time never taking a Sabbath rest. We are busy from sun up to sun down fearful that if we ever experience a moment of solitude our fears will overwhelm us. Business, if taken to excess in a way that consumes all your time to the exclusion of a balanced life, becomes just one more way of trying to escape fear by being a workaholic. But it never works. Eventually our bodies break down and the fear we have been trying to avoid still plagues us.

To his disciples, those of you who follow Christ and acknowledge him as your Lord and Savior, Jesus offers a solution. In Jesus Christ the Kingdom of God has come near. And we, the disciples of Jesus Christ, are the beneficiaries of his grace. In the kingdom we are blessed with God’s love. We realize that God cares for us and that He blesses us richly. God has opened the door to his kingdom for us. And we, His disciples, have entered the kingdom though our baptism and membership in the church where we have accepted and declared Jesus as our Lord and Savior. As inheritors of the kingdom there is now no longer any need to fear. “Fear not” is the message of the angels. “Do not be afraid” is the message of Jesus. Jesus can give us this message of hope because he knows that even death itself is no longer something to be feared. So remember that just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so too will our bodies be resurrected, to live an eternity with Christ in heaven. And part of that inheritance is available not just at the future resurrection but right now in our own lifetimes. With this inheritance of great hope there is no longer any reason to fear.

Once we experience the removal of fear from our lives we can experience the kind of life that we were created to live. Without having to constantly deal with our fears we are free to love others. We are free to live sacrificial lives following the command of Christ to give up what we have so that we can give to those less fortunate than ourselves.

In Isaiah’s day a widow lived a desperate life. In that society economic security was available only to those with land, and land was only owned by men. A woman was supported by her father until she married. After marriage she was the responsibility of her husband and later her sons. But if her husband died and there were no sons to support her, a woman would fall into a desperate situation. God made sure that she was provided for. Farmers were told not to pickup fruit and vegetable that fell on the ground during the harvest. And they were required not to harvest all the way to the edge of the field. This provided a source of food for the poor, widows and orphans who could find something to eat by gleaning from what was left in field.

Poverty is still with us today. Over 1 billion people live in the kind of grinding poverty that we can only imagine. We live comfortably with plenty of food and access to everything we could ever need or want. But what if we were to sell our possession and abandon the luxurious lifestyle that we have become used to live as one of neighbors who live in desperate poverty? What would our lives look like?

First of all we would lose all of our furniture, the beds, chairs, tables, TV and lamps, all gone. We would be left with a few old blankets, a kitchen table and a wooden chair. All of our clothes would go to. Each person would be left with their oldest suit or dress and an extra shirt or blouse. Only the head of the family would have shoes. In the kitchen we would retain a box of matches, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a bag of dried beans and a couple of onions. We may have a few moldy potatoes. There is no running water or electricity. And did I tell you that we have to move out of the house to the tool shed out back? There are no magazines or books, but they are hardly missed because no one in the family can read. There are no schools, fire stations, or medical clinics within 10 miles. Your family has $5.00 and hopes to save enough money for a bicycle this year. In this world created by God, over one billion people live this way, on less than $1 per day. Hunger and famine are still common. Each day thirty thousand children die of hunger and malnutrition. But things are getting better. Poverty rates have fallen dramatically in many Asian countries. But, sadly, poverty is increasing in many places in Africa and southern Asia.[1]

According to Christ we have a responsibility to help. He called it giving alms. Giving Alms is not just about giving money. It is far more than that. Almsgiving includes both the giving of money and the strong desire to help people. It is more of an attitude or mindset than an action. But as Christ correctly points out the act of giving money is important in creating in you the proper attitude. So just as God’s action of giving you the kingdom leads to the reduction of your fear so too will your action of giving to the poor result in an increase in your compassion. As your compassion for others increases you will want to give more and more money. This will lead you to a simpler lifestyle where you are less concerned about acquiring more and more things and more and more concerned with helping the world’s poor.

In a simpler lifestyle we will live in a way that is sustainable if everyone on the Earth adopted it. We will clearly distinguish between necessities and luxuries, and only indulge in luxuries occasionally. We will avoid all spending that elevates our social status, keeps us in fashion, or satisfies an urge to compete with others. We will spend on legitimate hobbies and talents but avoid spending on the current fad. We will distinguish between the holiday feast and everyday eating realizing that overeating is a sin. We will resist buying something just because we can afford it. And we will budget not only for our own needs, but have money left over for emergency relief, broad structural change that leads to sustainable growth, and of course Christian work of evangelism and education.[2]

What Jesus is calling for is a new way of thinking, a way of thinking not based of fear and the need to protect yourself, but a way of kingdom thinking that promotes economic justice in the world. Let me illustrate this new way of thinking with a true story from a Christian writer, Eileen Linder. One day she entered one of those places you go to have your oil change every 3000 miles. While in the waiting room she picked up a booklet on the safe handling of vessels in the open water. Here is what it said:

There are two kinds of craft. One of them has access to great power. It can accelerate and push its way through the strongest of waves. It can change direction on command. It can even stop on demand. It has great power of its own. The other class of craft is dependent on the forces of nature, wind, tide, and human effort in paddling or maintenance of the sails. These two classes of craft are categorized as privileged and burdened. One class is privileged and the other burdened. Think about the powerful boats, the ones with the engines that power their way through the waves, do you think they are privileged or burdened? They are the burdened vessels. The powerful boats, that can make their way forward no matter what under their own power, are burdened with the responsibility to give way to the boats without power. And the powerless vessels, the ones that are dependent on the vagaries of tide and wind and weather, they are classified at privileged vessels. To them is accorded the right of way. The powerful are burdened. The powerless are privileged. The powerful must give way if the powerless are ever to make safe harbor. Now, who came up with this rule? Billy Graham? Mother Theresa? It was the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[3] The New Jersey Department of Transportation got it right. In the Kingdom of God the powerful are burdened with the need to help the poor, and the powerless are privileged in that they deserve to be given assistance in climbing out of there desperate situation.

Dealing with world poverty is a difficult task, but there are examples that can be followed. South Korea, for instance, at the end of the Korean War was one of the poorest countries on Earth. Most people worked on the land as tenant farmers. The government began a program of private ownership that resulted by 1954 in 94% of the farmers owning their own land. Along with private ownership came a willingness to use new technologies. The government then began to emphasize heath care, education and job training. Their investment in education and technical skills led to a growth in productivity of over 10% a year and growth in several export industries.[4]

But many countries in the world are stuck with large international debt and a landed aristocracy that resists change. This combination results in massive poverty and the movement of people to more prosperous nations. Desperate people unable to buy food and other necessities for themselves send relatives to America hoping that they can find work for what seems like nothing to us, but is the difference between life and death for the family back home.

Dealing with the problem of world poverty is a daunting task. Our only hope in dealing with it is to join with other Christians in a coordinated effort. This is where organizations like Bread for the World come in. Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian organization that keeps it members informed about issues of poverty and hunger. Their staff begins each Friday with worship and they encourage member churches to engage in prayer and Bible study. It has 50,000 members and 2,500 churches, which they use to lobby Congress on hunger legislation. This has led to both direct aid for hungry people and debt reduction freeing capital to spur economic development in the neediest country.

So long as we hold onto our fears and focus on ourselves we cannot deal with the problems of the world. But as soon as we realize that in Christ we have been given the Kingdom of God our fears will dissolve. We then can move from being a hoarder to being a giver. By joining other Christian givers we can make an impact on world hunger. God demands justice for the widow and orphan. As disciples of Jesus Christ we can help.

As I said at the beginning Jesus was only speaking to his disciples, those who followed him as their Lord and Savior. Disciples are freed from fear so they can serve those in need. If you have not declared Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you are still part of the crowd and your fears remain. I urge you to deal with your fear by becoming a follower of Jesus and experiencing his gracious gift of freedom from fear. You will then be free to join other Christian in helping those who desperately need it. And you will be happy to tell Jesus what you have done when he returns. Amen.

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[1] Adapted from Ronald J. Sider, Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger, (W Publishing Group 1997) 1-3.

[2] Ibid 191,2

[3] Eileen W. Linder, Thus far on the Way: Toward a Theology of Child Advocacy (Louisville: Witherspoon Press 2006), 22-25.

[4] Sider 234.

Sermon - Ephesian 4:11-16

Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 5, 2007

As we gather together this morning in the presence of God I want you to look around at the other people sitting with you today. You are looking at the body of Christ. And yes there are many empty seats. Many of you can remember a time when this place was filled up. But over the last forty years times have changed and the membership of this church has fallen. You are not alone. The Presbyterian Church USA has lost nearly two million members since 1966. Every main line denomination has experienced the same thing.

I have to admit that I am part of the problem. You see I am part of the great Baby Boom generation. When we graduated from high school we saw no reason to go to church. And when we stopped going to church many of our parents stopped going to church too. Like many of my peers in the Baby Boom generation I eventually went back to church. But the church I attended was nothing like the church I grew up in. I went to a large church, filled with programs, ample parking, great music, good air conditioning, and I could remain anonymous if I wanted to. We Boomers filled the new mega churches and forgot all about the small neighborhood churches of our parents and grandparents.

For the last three years I have been attending Fuller Seminary. Fuller is filled with students in their 20s and early 30s. As I have met these young people I have found that they are searching for a different kind of church. The big mega church with a praise band playing soft rock may appeal to their parents, but to them it is a little old fashioned. Their lives revolve around computer screens, Ipods, text messages, and game consoles. In the midst of all this technology they often lead very lonely lives. Many grew up with both parents working and little time for family life. Many have experienced the pain of the disruption of family resulting from divorce. They long for a touch of human intimacy. You see young people today hunger and thirst for relationships. They want friends and mentors. Young families want grandparents to help raise the kids. Can you think of a better place for a young person to find an older mentor or for a young family to find grandparents for their kids than right here in a small neighborhood church? This is our great opportunity.

While in seminary I primarily worked in ministry for international students. Many international students come to LA for school. They are especially gifted people. They want to learn to speak English and to adapt to American culture. They would love to find a church with Americans who would help them just by being willing to talk with them in English. Can you think of a better place to find conversation partners than right here in a small neighborhood church? Another great opportunity!

In our scripture today we hear that Christ has provided the church with everything it needs to grow and replace its members, generation after generation. Christ gives to the church prophets, people who pray and meditate on scripture so that they can discern how Christ is leading the church. Christ also gives the church evangelists, people who are so enthusiastic about what God is doing in the world they just can’t wait to tell others the good news. And Christ gives the church pastors, people who can lead a diverse church so that people of different genders or different ethic groups can respect and learn to love one another. And Christ gives the church teachers so that God’s law regulating our behavior can richly bless our lives. It is the responsibility of the church to nurture these gifts so that the gifts given to each member can grow into maturity.

I am terrible with plants. I will buy a beautiful new plant at the florist, take it home and forget about it. After a few weeks of inattention I notice that the plant appears to be drooping a little. Sometimes I’ll throw a little water on it. After a few weeks I notice that the plant has died and I throw it away. My grandmother was quite different. She had African Violets in her window that had lasted for decades. She watered, pruned and fed them regularly. They were beautiful. What if the church nurtured its gifts the way my grandmother nurtured her plants?

The Apostle Paul knew that the gifts that Christ had provided to the church had to be nurtured by the church. And the way he nurtured gifts was with prayer. He prayed that prophets of the church would receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation. He prayed that the hearts of the evangelists would be enlightened by the great power of the Holy Spirit, with the knowledge of the hope of their calling and richness of their inheritance. Nurturing the gifts Christ provides the church always begins with prayer for the gifted people in the church. So a growing church is a praying church. I urge you to pray for each other. Pray for those of you with the gift of prophecy. Pray for those of you with gift of evangelism. Pray for those of you with gift of pastoral leadership. And pray for those of you with gift of teaching.

The Apostle Paul also knew that correct teaching was needed for the church to nurture Christ’s gifts. Proper teaching requires careful study of scripture to discern what God is saying to the church through his Word. We often substitute faddish ideas for studied discernment. Too often we accept whatever new ideas are presented on television or in the newspaper without reflecting on them through the lens of faith that comes from God. To protect itself from false teaching the church must nurture its gifts through the studied and careful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. This is why it is so important for the church to assemble together on Sunday mornings. Here we can listen as the Word of God is read and proclaimed. This empowers us to use our gifts for God’s glory.

So what are the gifts that Christ provides the church?

Christ sends us prophets. Prophets somehow always seem to know what God wants. They see God at work in the world. This comes from years of prayer and meditation on scripture. John the Baptist had prepared himself as a prophet with years of training in the wilderness. So nurturing prophets entails encouraging them to live lives of prayer and prayerful meditation on scripture. If you think that you may have the gift of prophesy then I encourage you to set aside time every day for prayer and scripture reading. My wife Grace and I are coming to the church every morning from Tuesday to Saturday at 6AM to pray for the church. Join us if you can. If not then find some time alone or with friends to pray and read the Bible. As you do this your gift of prophecy will grow and you will see God at work in his Word and in the world around you.

Christ sends us evangelists. Evangelists love to tell stories, and their favorite stories are about God. They tell stories about what God is doing through the church. Evangelists need prophets whose discernment is the source of many of their stories. And evangelists need to hear the stories of God interacting with his people in scripture. So if you think that you have the gift of evangelism then start a small group with your neighbors or the people you work with or go to school with. Study the scripture together, and uncover the great stories of what God is doing in the world. I love to teach the Bible in small groups. This is one of my gifts. Beginning in September I will be teaching a Community Bible Study on Sunday mornings which will teach you how to lead Bible studies yourselves. I will be available to help you start a small group of your friends and neighbors to study scripture. Just let me know how I can help.

Christ sends us leaders, pastors and elders. Pastors love to bring people into a relationship with God and with each other. They have a deep love and reverence for Christ and desire for others to have the same. So they work on developing harmony within the church patterned on the harmonious relationship that humanity has with God in Christ. They are like shepherds who bring the flock together and search for the lost sheep. If you think that you have the gift of leadership I urge you get involved with one of the committees of the church, or serve others as an officer of the church. And remember to pray and study God’s Word to discover spiritual and biblical ways for people to relate to God and with each other. My wife, Grace, has a passion for building a multicultural church. This is what she studied at San Francisco Theological Seminary. As people, from other countries and ethic groups come to this church I urge you to welcome them warmly. Help them to speak English and adapt to American culture. Be their friends and mentors. Help them to raise their children by being grandparents. Welcome people into your church family as warmly as you have welcomed Grace and me.

Christ sends us teachers. Teachers love to take the wisdom of the prophets and scripture and use it to help people live moral lives according to God’s will. They have a deep respect for God’s law and our need to respond to God’s gracious act of forgiveness with gratitude and obedience. So they study and meditate on God law. You may think you have the gift of teaching. If so study the Word of God diligently. And examine your own life because the example you set is the best encouragement others can receive. In the short time that I have been at Eagle Rock I have noticed how much you revere God’s Holy Word and apply it to your lives, and I have heard how you grieve over the sin that affects the world around us. Remember that we have a message of hope for a fallen world. Let us boldly proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to world that badly needs it.

Gifts are wonderful things to have, and Christ has given to this church, gifts in abundance. I love the way Retreads take care of the building and grounds. I love the Women’s Bible Study on Wednesday. I love the way you handle the financial and administrative details. And I love the outstanding music that God has blessed this church with. These are all examples where gifts Christ has given to individuals are joined together for the benefit of the church.

The promise of scripture is that as the church nurtures the gifted people that Christ has provided those people will mature and benefit the whole body of Christ. As these gifts mature the church will unify erasing boundaries of ethnicity, gender, age, and class. Divisions will be healed, and the church will be united. Believers will mature into the image of Christ. Young families will start coming looking for spiritual mentors and god-parents for their kids. New immigrants will come looking for conversation partners and friends. They will find a church that prays, shares its stories, has places to get involved and demonstrates by example the benefits of living a Christian lifestyle. Who wouldn’t want to go to a church like that?

So what is needed in this church today?

Christ has provided us with gifts. So we should respond in gratitude. Let’s start by being a praying church. Set aside a few minutes every day to quietly read scripture and bow in prayer. Then let’s be an evangelistic church. Start a small group Bible study in your home or at work. Let’s be a pastoral church where new people regardless of age or ethnicity are welcomed and invited to participate in our fellowship, committees and programs. And let’s be a teaching church where we exhibit the blessing of God’s law in our actions as well as our words. Let’s be a gifted church where we nurture and use the gifts Christ has provided to us. And always remember that these gifts come from Christ, who empowers and equips us for the benefit of the church. Amen.