Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Isaiah 9:2-7 A Child is Born
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
December 21, 2008
Today we have arrived at the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. Our wait for the coming of Immanuel, God with us, is almost over. Four candles are lit on the Advent wreath. The amount of light the wreath gives off has been increasing each week as we prepare ourselves to walk in the glory of God. But today one candle remains unlit until Christmas Eve and we still walk in darkness, waiting for glory to arrive. Will you pray with me?
Father in Heaven we long for the day when you will be Immanuel, God with us. We have been waiting so long, walking in darkness, and hoping for your light. Come quickly and bless us with your presence. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Isaiah 9:2-7 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Seven years ago today I boarded a train at Union Station in Washington DC bound for New York City. I arrived in midtown Manhattan at Penn Station and dropped my bag at a nearby hotel. Then I began to walk down Fifth Avenue toward Wall Street. It was a long walk and I could have taken the subway or taxi, but I needed some time to think and pray. So I began the long walk buried deep in the canyons of skyscrapers that makeup New Your City.
That day, seven years ago, I was walking in darkness as was much of our nation. Just a few months before, on September 11, 2001, two groups of terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center. We all watched as those towers fell to the ground. And now I was in New York walking slowly to the site were those buildings once stood.
On December 21 we are all walking in darkness. This is the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, the day each year when, because of the tilt of the earth, the northern hemisphere experiences the shortest days and the longest nights of the year. But coinciding with the Winter Solstice is Christmas were we place our hope in the coming light. So as we walk in darkness Christ gives us light, the glory of God as a lamp to our feet.
As I walked down Fifth Avenue on the afternoon of the Winter Solstice I realized that I was seeing a great light. Normally the sunset cannot be seen from the streets of Manhattan because of the great height of the buildings. But the streets have been designed in such a way that the avenues point in the direction that the sun sets on the shortest day of the year. So as I walked south on Fifth Avenue the sun was setting directly in front of me filling the canyons of New York City with amazing light. On the shortest day of the year the people of Manhattan receive the maximum amount of sunlight. So while I walked in the darkness of the tragedy of 9-11 I saw the great light of God’s creation setting before me.
Walking in darkness is not unfamiliar to us. We have all walked in darkness not knowing what the doctor will say, not knowing if we have enough to pay the bills, not knowing if the ones we love will stay with us. In darkness we walk in fear, guilt and loneliness thinking that maybe God has abandoned us.
The people of 8th Century before Christ in Jerusalem certainly walked in darkness. The hated Assyrians had destroyed Aram and Israel their neighbors to the north. Their king Ahaz polluted the temple in Jerusalem by permitting the worship of Assyrian gods. God seemed to have abandoned them and with the absence of the glory of God in Jerusalem the people walked in darkness.
The prophet Isaiah ben Amoz had predicted that a young woman would conceive and bear a son who would be called Immanuel, God with us. And as this boy grew the people place their hopes and fears on this descendant of David. They hoped that the child, Hezekiah, would return the Glory of God to Jerusalem. And now with the death of King Ahaz this eleven year old child was to be crowned king.
The prophet Isaiah returned for the coronation and witnessed the great joy of the people. It was the same joy they had experience when the harvest was brought in, the same joy they felt whenever peace replaced war. The people felt this joy because young Hezekiah had great faith in the LORD, his God. They called him “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” And they believed that Hezekiah would bring the nation endless peace because he would rule, as God wanted, with paramount concern for the poor, and the widows and orphans. They hoped that if Hezekiah would rule with justice and righteousness then peace would reign, because God would mobilize the army of heaven to defend them against their enemies. With Immanuel coming to the throne, even as a little boy named Hezekiah, the glory of God had finally returned to Jerusalem and the people who had walked in darkness for so long finally saw a great light.
We too as we walk in darkness are searching for a great light. Maybe this light is the light of a star hovering over Bethlehem, or the light of the sun on the Winter Solstice, the light of the child Hezekiah, or the light of the candles burning here today. All of these may point us to the light, but they are not light.
The light we are searching for came into the world two thousand years ago. He was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, and was baptized by his cousin John in the river Jordan. He began his ministry in the region of Galilee. And this ministry is the light we have all been looking for. Listen to these words from the Gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 4:12-16 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea …14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: … 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned."
The light the prophet Isaiah was looking for, the light we who walk in darkness are looking for is Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ the light of the world has come. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. Even though we walk in the darkness we have the Christmas hope that the light of Christ will shine in our lives.
As I made my way down Fifth Avenue in New York I realized, as I felt the warmth of the sun on my face that God was with me. The great darkness that I had experienced was lifted and I experienced joy for the first time in months. As a result of this experience I decided to make some changes in my life. I wanted to be closer to my church where I was becoming more involved as a Bible teacher. I sold my home and moved into the city. I took a job at the Washington National Cathedral and lived in an apartment across the street so I could pray there whenever I wanted. All of this prepared me for a decision a year later to go to seminary and pursue ordination in the Presbyterian Church. While walking in darkness on the Winter Solstice I saw a great light which led me to Jesus Christ.
This is my Christmas wish for you. That no matter what darkness you are passing through right now, the light of Christ will fill you with God’s love and the assurance that God is with us no matter what happens. This is the message of Isaiah that whatever we have done in the past is over and we can now celebrate with great joy the coming of Immanuel, God with Us. Amen.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sermon: Isaiah 61:1-11 – The Spirit is Upon Me
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon: Isaiah 61:1-11 – The Spirit is Upon Me
December 14, 2008
We have arrived at the third Sunday of Advent and are continuing in our study of Isaiah. So far in Advent we have seen three voices emerge from this most important book. We have heard the voice of the prophet, Isaiah ben Amoz, speaking from eighth century Jerusalem preparing the people for the onslaught of the mighty Assyrian Empire. We have heard the voice of a poet with the people of God in exile after the Babylonians destroyed their city in the sixth century. And we have heard from the voice of a preacher accompanying the people of God as they returned to their destroyed city at the end of the sixth century. The common question that was being asked over two and a half centuries was, Is God still with us? And the answer that is given throughout the book is the Hebrew word “Immanuel” which means, “Yes God is with us.” We have the same question as we approach Christmas, “Is God still with us?” And the answer still rings true from Isaiah, God is with us.
Will you pray with me? Lord Immanuel we await your coming at Christmas. Prepare our hearts to receive you. Open our minds and our hearts to believe in you that you are truly God with us. Amen.
NRS Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; 6 but you shall be called priests of the LORD, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. 7 Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
When the preacher arrived in Jerusalem with the people of God after being freed from Babylonian captivity by a decree from the Persian King, Cyrus, they saw the ruins of their beloved city. All that remained was a pile of rocks and the people Babylon did not want: the poor, the sick, the homeless, the disabled, and the aged. Who could blame them for wondering if returning to Jerusalem was worth all the trouble. At least in Babylon the exiles had jobs, homes and food on the table. In Jerusalem the marginalized had heard the poet years before declare God’s decree of comfort but as yet nothing had happened. Something dramatic was needed to convince the people that God had truly returned to Jerusalem and was with them.
The preacher assembled all the people of Jerusalem and the returning exiles on Mount Zion to hear an important proclamation. The preacher announced that he had been anointed by God; that means that he was the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. This anointing gave him the authority to speak on behalf of God. The spirit was also upon him so that he could speak as a prophet giving God’s word to God’s people.
The preacher told them that he had brought good news from God, very good news. He was there to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. All of the people knew exactly what this meant. The law of Leviticus mandates that every fifty years a jubilee should be called as God’s way of ensuring justice for all people. Every fifty years all debts were forgiven and all people were permitted to return to their ancestral homes. So if you were a poor widow who was forced to sell your land for food, on fiftieth year you got your land back. If you were disabled and had to mortgage your land to survive, at the jubilee your mortgage disappeared. So the preacher was telling everyone to return to their homes and rebuild because all of their debts were forgiven and their land was restored.
The concept of a jubilee sounds very foreign to us. We live in a nation that believes strongly in personal property rights. The land we own is ours until we sell it to someone else or when we can no longer pay the mortgage and lose it to foreclosure. But in biblical times it was understood that people did not own land. Land belonged to the one who created it, God. People were allowed to live and work on the land and pass it on to their descendants because the use of the land was a gift from God. God’s justice demanded that people not be forced from the land. He had given them just because of economic conditions. So every fifty years God declared a jubilee when everyone could return to the land that God have given them. The preacher was giving the people some really good news. God had taken their land away because of their idolatry. But with the declaration of the jubilee God was canceling their debt and allowing all of them to return home to rebuild.
The reason God had declared the jubilee was to demonstrate to all the people of the earth God’s great glory. To this end he entered into a new everlasting covenant with his people. God would bless his people and his people would proclaim to the world that they had been blessed by God. This covenant is still in force today. God has richly blessed us with forgiveness of sins and a good life. We are called to proclaim this blessing of God to all people. This is the mission of the church: to acknowledge that we have been richly blessed and the demonstrate God glory to the world by proclaiming it to everyone we meet, everyone in Eagle Rock, everyone in the world, that we have been blessed by God.
Eventually Jerusalem was rebuilt but it was never fully restored to it former glory. The Persians, the Greeks and later the Romans occupied and controlled it. The people prayed for the day when another preacher would come, be anointed by God, and proclaim another jubilee year. The waited for the day when the poor, the homeless, the mentally ill, the aged, the widows and the orphans would return to their ancestral land as God had promised.
Then one day in the first century, a young rabbi from Nazareth preached his first sermon from Isaiah chapter 61. He had been proclaiming good news to the marginalized people of Galilee. Listen to what happened from Luke, Chapter 4.
Luke 4:16-21 16 When he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Like the preacher five hundred years before, Jesus was claiming to be the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus was claiming that the Spirit of God had come to him giving him the authority of Moses. And with that authority Jesus had come to proclaim good news to the poor. This good news was a year of jubilee. All debts were to be forgiven and the people restored to their ancestral homes. Of course Jesus’ words were treasonous. By speaking them Jesus had endangered his own city. If anyone found out what Jesus had said the Romans might crucify all the men in the village. So they argued with Jesus and a mob tried to throw Jesus over a cliff. But Jesus and the good news he was spreading could not be silenced. A jubilee had been called by God’s Messiah.
How are we to handle this call for jubilee today? With one in ten mortgages in default and banks needing government support to survive what are we doing to bring good news to the poor? What are we saying to the people who are losing their homes? Maybe, we should think of making a drastic change in the way we deal with real estate in America. Our belief in private property and our desire for maximum profit had led us into an economic mess. So what if we tried something new? What if we said that God owns all the property and the people use this property as a gift from God? What would that mean in modern America?
As Christians I think it is time for us to stand up for biblical principles even if they are unpopular. If we are truly the follower of the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ and if we are called to proclaim the good news to the poor, then we should advocate a radical shift of our economic system away from personal property and the pursuit of profit to a system based on the requirements of justice that we find in scripture. We need to do this because God we worship is the God of justice and righteousness. And as God’s people our mission is to care for those in need.
Father in heaven, we thank you for all the blessing that you have poured down upon us. We will respond by proclaiming to the world all that you have down for us. And we will proclaim the good news to the poor in our community. We will do this because it will allow your glory to shine everywhere on earth. Give our leaders the wisdom to design an economic system that is consistent with your call to care for those in need. We pray all of this in the name of our coming Lord, Jesus. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon: Isaiah 61:1-11 – The Spirit is Upon Me
December 14, 2008
We have arrived at the third Sunday of Advent and are continuing in our study of Isaiah. So far in Advent we have seen three voices emerge from this most important book. We have heard the voice of the prophet, Isaiah ben Amoz, speaking from eighth century Jerusalem preparing the people for the onslaught of the mighty Assyrian Empire. We have heard the voice of a poet with the people of God in exile after the Babylonians destroyed their city in the sixth century. And we have heard from the voice of a preacher accompanying the people of God as they returned to their destroyed city at the end of the sixth century. The common question that was being asked over two and a half centuries was, Is God still with us? And the answer that is given throughout the book is the Hebrew word “Immanuel” which means, “Yes God is with us.” We have the same question as we approach Christmas, “Is God still with us?” And the answer still rings true from Isaiah, God is with us.
Will you pray with me? Lord Immanuel we await your coming at Christmas. Prepare our hearts to receive you. Open our minds and our hearts to believe in you that you are truly God with us. Amen.
NRS Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; 6 but you shall be called priests of the LORD, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. 7 Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed. 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
When the preacher arrived in Jerusalem with the people of God after being freed from Babylonian captivity by a decree from the Persian King, Cyrus, they saw the ruins of their beloved city. All that remained was a pile of rocks and the people Babylon did not want: the poor, the sick, the homeless, the disabled, and the aged. Who could blame them for wondering if returning to Jerusalem was worth all the trouble. At least in Babylon the exiles had jobs, homes and food on the table. In Jerusalem the marginalized had heard the poet years before declare God’s decree of comfort but as yet nothing had happened. Something dramatic was needed to convince the people that God had truly returned to Jerusalem and was with them.
The preacher assembled all the people of Jerusalem and the returning exiles on Mount Zion to hear an important proclamation. The preacher announced that he had been anointed by God; that means that he was the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. This anointing gave him the authority to speak on behalf of God. The spirit was also upon him so that he could speak as a prophet giving God’s word to God’s people.
The preacher told them that he had brought good news from God, very good news. He was there to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. All of the people knew exactly what this meant. The law of Leviticus mandates that every fifty years a jubilee should be called as God’s way of ensuring justice for all people. Every fifty years all debts were forgiven and all people were permitted to return to their ancestral homes. So if you were a poor widow who was forced to sell your land for food, on fiftieth year you got your land back. If you were disabled and had to mortgage your land to survive, at the jubilee your mortgage disappeared. So the preacher was telling everyone to return to their homes and rebuild because all of their debts were forgiven and their land was restored.
The concept of a jubilee sounds very foreign to us. We live in a nation that believes strongly in personal property rights. The land we own is ours until we sell it to someone else or when we can no longer pay the mortgage and lose it to foreclosure. But in biblical times it was understood that people did not own land. Land belonged to the one who created it, God. People were allowed to live and work on the land and pass it on to their descendants because the use of the land was a gift from God. God’s justice demanded that people not be forced from the land. He had given them just because of economic conditions. So every fifty years God declared a jubilee when everyone could return to the land that God have given them. The preacher was giving the people some really good news. God had taken their land away because of their idolatry. But with the declaration of the jubilee God was canceling their debt and allowing all of them to return home to rebuild.
The reason God had declared the jubilee was to demonstrate to all the people of the earth God’s great glory. To this end he entered into a new everlasting covenant with his people. God would bless his people and his people would proclaim to the world that they had been blessed by God. This covenant is still in force today. God has richly blessed us with forgiveness of sins and a good life. We are called to proclaim this blessing of God to all people. This is the mission of the church: to acknowledge that we have been richly blessed and the demonstrate God glory to the world by proclaiming it to everyone we meet, everyone in Eagle Rock, everyone in the world, that we have been blessed by God.
Eventually Jerusalem was rebuilt but it was never fully restored to it former glory. The Persians, the Greeks and later the Romans occupied and controlled it. The people prayed for the day when another preacher would come, be anointed by God, and proclaim another jubilee year. The waited for the day when the poor, the homeless, the mentally ill, the aged, the widows and the orphans would return to their ancestral land as God had promised.
Then one day in the first century, a young rabbi from Nazareth preached his first sermon from Isaiah chapter 61. He had been proclaiming good news to the marginalized people of Galilee. Listen to what happened from Luke, Chapter 4.
Luke 4:16-21 16 When he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Like the preacher five hundred years before, Jesus was claiming to be the anointed one, the Messiah, the Christ. Jesus was claiming that the Spirit of God had come to him giving him the authority of Moses. And with that authority Jesus had come to proclaim good news to the poor. This good news was a year of jubilee. All debts were to be forgiven and the people restored to their ancestral homes. Of course Jesus’ words were treasonous. By speaking them Jesus had endangered his own city. If anyone found out what Jesus had said the Romans might crucify all the men in the village. So they argued with Jesus and a mob tried to throw Jesus over a cliff. But Jesus and the good news he was spreading could not be silenced. A jubilee had been called by God’s Messiah.
How are we to handle this call for jubilee today? With one in ten mortgages in default and banks needing government support to survive what are we doing to bring good news to the poor? What are we saying to the people who are losing their homes? Maybe, we should think of making a drastic change in the way we deal with real estate in America. Our belief in private property and our desire for maximum profit had led us into an economic mess. So what if we tried something new? What if we said that God owns all the property and the people use this property as a gift from God? What would that mean in modern America?
As Christians I think it is time for us to stand up for biblical principles even if they are unpopular. If we are truly the follower of the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ and if we are called to proclaim the good news to the poor, then we should advocate a radical shift of our economic system away from personal property and the pursuit of profit to a system based on the requirements of justice that we find in scripture. We need to do this because God we worship is the God of justice and righteousness. And as God’s people our mission is to care for those in need.
Father in heaven, we thank you for all the blessing that you have poured down upon us. We will respond by proclaiming to the world all that you have down for us. And we will proclaim the good news to the poor in our community. We will do this because it will allow your glory to shine everywhere on earth. Give our leaders the wisdom to design an economic system that is consistent with your call to care for those in need. We pray all of this in the name of our coming Lord, Jesus. Amen.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sermon Isaiah 40:1-11 Prepare the Way of the Lord
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Isaiah 40:1-11 Prepare the Way of the Lord
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
December 7, 2008
On this second Sunday of Advent we are continuing in our study of Isaiah. Last Sunday we heard from the preacher of the late 6th century before Christ writing in Isaiah as the people of God made their way back to Jerusalem. When they saw the destruction of their beloved city they wondered if God had abandoned them. They asked if God would ever return to Jerusalem. Last Wednesday night we listened as the 8th century prophet in Isaiah spoke to King Ahaz trying to assure him and us that there is no reason to fear because God is with us. Today we will hear the decree of God concerning his people and the task given to the poet writing in Isaiah during the Babylonian exile. But before we hear from God will you pray with me?
Lord Jesus Christ we await your coming in glory at Christmas. Prepare us for your arrival by filling the valleys in our hearts and setting us on the straight paths. We ask that your comfort us with your love. Amen.
NRS Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6 A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
God has convened a grand council in heaven. All of the heavenly host have been summoned to God’s throne to hear God’s decree concerning his people. All of the angels are ready to take God’s decree and proclaim it to the four corners of the world. Everyone is ready for God to come, ascend the throne, and speak the words that will transform all of creation
The prayers of God’s people have been pouring into heaven for years. Some of these have been prayers of anger because God has permitted his own city, Jerusalem, and his own temple to be destroyed by the Babylonians. Others have been prayers of disillusionment because God’s people have questioned if the God of Israel is really God, or is it time to worship Marduk, the Babylonian god instead. Still other prayers are of repentance; people are begging God for forgiveness and restoration of their city. These prayers and so many more have come to heaven and now God is ready to make a new decree.
God enters the council and sits on the throne in his majesty and power and speaks:
NRS Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
God has decreed that the time of punishment for Judah’s idolatry is over. Now, all of heaven is directed to bring comfort to God’s people. The angels are told to stop bringing messages of condemnation and begin speaking tenderly and gently to God’s people in exile. They are to tell the people that God has forgiven their sins, and is once again ready to bless them richly. This is the day to put away the sackcloth and ashes and rejoice for the Lord has come to redeem them. God is on the way back to Jerusalem.
The angels take this great message of hope and proclaim it to God’s people. Hear what they had to say:
NRS Isaiah 40: 3 …"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
All of the people of God living in exile, separated from their nation and their city and their God were symbolically wandering in the wilderness just as their ancestors had centuries before. But as a result of God’s decree that the people should be comforted, a highway will be built from Babylon back to Jerusalem so God’s people could return home and God’s glory could return to Mount Zion, Jerusalem. Through this restoration God’s glory would be displayed so brightly that God would be revealed to all people of all nations of the earth.
Then one of the angels saw a poet living with the exiles in Babylon. The angel approached the poet and said:
NRS Isaiah 40: 6 … "Cry out!" And (the poet) replied, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
The poet in the Isaiah sees the suffering of God’s people in exile. She sees how a once great people are now servants in another land. They are bowed over. Their glory has faded. Repeated proclamations from God communicated through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel have convinced the people that the exile and destruction of Jerusalem was their fault. Their idolatry was the reason for their suffering. The people just can’t take another proclamation of judgment from God.
But the angel replied:
NRS Isaiah 40: 8 “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Even though the people of God have been humbled by God’s judgment the new decree must be heard and obeyed. They need to know, and the poet needs to tell them that God has decreed comfort for all of his people. They are forgiven and will be restored to their city and their country. They need to know that God is returning to Jerusalem and they have to rebuild and be ready for God’s return.
Then the angel told the poet that she is to return to Jerusalem to proclaim to the people who remain there that God is returning:
NRS Isaiah 40: 9 “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
The people who remained in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile were the poor, the mentally ill, the aged, and disabled, all the people that Babylon did not want in their city. These marginalized people were left behind to eke out whatever kind of living they could from the rubble of the city. It is to these people that the poet is to return proclaiming the new decree of God. The poet is to proclaim that God is returning for them. God will return in might to protect them from those who would do them harm. And God will protect them, heal their wounds, and feed them just as a shepherd would care for his sheep. This gospel of good news to the poor was the message that the angel of God wanted the poet to proclaim to God’s people in Jerusalem and to all the people of the world.
Eventually, Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt. By the time of King Herod, Jerusalem was a large city in the Roman Empire and the Temple had been expanded to dimensions that even exceeded the magnificent structure Solomon had built, but the poor, the mentally ill, the aged, and the disabled remained. The God of justice and righteousness had not yet returned. The people longed for the day when God would come like a good shepherd to care for his people.
Then one day a man appeared in the wilderness. And like the poet before him he proclaimed the good news that God had decreed comfort for all his people and forgiveness for all who repented. The Good Shepherd was about to return to Jerusalem. Luke talks about it in this way:
Luke 3:2-6 …the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
In Jesus Christ, God has finally returned to Jerusalem to heal the sick, clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. In Jesus Christ, all of our sins have been forgiven. In Jesus Christ, we have been restored and renewed and ready to rebuild our fallen world.
So here is the good news that I have for you this morning. God has decreed that you are to be comforted. All of your sins have been forgiven. Your God has come to care for you, to heal your illnesses, to give you something to eat and a place to stay. You are to proclaim this good news of God’s love to everyone you meet. You are to lead then out of the wilderness were they now live, and bring them to new life in Jesus Christ.
Father in Heaven, we thank you for all the comfort we have received in Jesus Christ. We thank you for feeding us and binding our wounds as our shepherd. We thank you for forgiving our sins and restoring us to new life. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sermon Isaiah 40:1-11 Prepare the Way of the Lord
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
December 7, 2008
On this second Sunday of Advent we are continuing in our study of Isaiah. Last Sunday we heard from the preacher of the late 6th century before Christ writing in Isaiah as the people of God made their way back to Jerusalem. When they saw the destruction of their beloved city they wondered if God had abandoned them. They asked if God would ever return to Jerusalem. Last Wednesday night we listened as the 8th century prophet in Isaiah spoke to King Ahaz trying to assure him and us that there is no reason to fear because God is with us. Today we will hear the decree of God concerning his people and the task given to the poet writing in Isaiah during the Babylonian exile. But before we hear from God will you pray with me?
Lord Jesus Christ we await your coming in glory at Christmas. Prepare us for your arrival by filling the valleys in our hearts and setting us on the straight paths. We ask that your comfort us with your love. Amen.
NRS Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6 A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. 9 Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
God has convened a grand council in heaven. All of the heavenly host have been summoned to God’s throne to hear God’s decree concerning his people. All of the angels are ready to take God’s decree and proclaim it to the four corners of the world. Everyone is ready for God to come, ascend the throne, and speak the words that will transform all of creation
The prayers of God’s people have been pouring into heaven for years. Some of these have been prayers of anger because God has permitted his own city, Jerusalem, and his own temple to be destroyed by the Babylonians. Others have been prayers of disillusionment because God’s people have questioned if the God of Israel is really God, or is it time to worship Marduk, the Babylonian god instead. Still other prayers are of repentance; people are begging God for forgiveness and restoration of their city. These prayers and so many more have come to heaven and now God is ready to make a new decree.
God enters the council and sits on the throne in his majesty and power and speaks:
NRS Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
God has decreed that the time of punishment for Judah’s idolatry is over. Now, all of heaven is directed to bring comfort to God’s people. The angels are told to stop bringing messages of condemnation and begin speaking tenderly and gently to God’s people in exile. They are to tell the people that God has forgiven their sins, and is once again ready to bless them richly. This is the day to put away the sackcloth and ashes and rejoice for the Lord has come to redeem them. God is on the way back to Jerusalem.
The angels take this great message of hope and proclaim it to God’s people. Hear what they had to say:
NRS Isaiah 40: 3 …"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
All of the people of God living in exile, separated from their nation and their city and their God were symbolically wandering in the wilderness just as their ancestors had centuries before. But as a result of God’s decree that the people should be comforted, a highway will be built from Babylon back to Jerusalem so God’s people could return home and God’s glory could return to Mount Zion, Jerusalem. Through this restoration God’s glory would be displayed so brightly that God would be revealed to all people of all nations of the earth.
Then one of the angels saw a poet living with the exiles in Babylon. The angel approached the poet and said:
NRS Isaiah 40: 6 … "Cry out!" And (the poet) replied, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass.
The poet in the Isaiah sees the suffering of God’s people in exile. She sees how a once great people are now servants in another land. They are bowed over. Their glory has faded. Repeated proclamations from God communicated through the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel have convinced the people that the exile and destruction of Jerusalem was their fault. Their idolatry was the reason for their suffering. The people just can’t take another proclamation of judgment from God.
But the angel replied:
NRS Isaiah 40: 8 “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever.”
Even though the people of God have been humbled by God’s judgment the new decree must be heard and obeyed. They need to know, and the poet needs to tell them that God has decreed comfort for all of his people. They are forgiven and will be restored to their city and their country. They need to know that God is returning to Jerusalem and they have to rebuild and be ready for God’s return.
Then the angel told the poet that she is to return to Jerusalem to proclaim to the people who remain there that God is returning:
NRS Isaiah 40: 9 “Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, "Here is your God!" 10 See, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.
The people who remained in Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile were the poor, the mentally ill, the aged, and disabled, all the people that Babylon did not want in their city. These marginalized people were left behind to eke out whatever kind of living they could from the rubble of the city. It is to these people that the poet is to return proclaiming the new decree of God. The poet is to proclaim that God is returning for them. God will return in might to protect them from those who would do them harm. And God will protect them, heal their wounds, and feed them just as a shepherd would care for his sheep. This gospel of good news to the poor was the message that the angel of God wanted the poet to proclaim to God’s people in Jerusalem and to all the people of the world.
Eventually, Jerusalem and the temple were rebuilt. By the time of King Herod, Jerusalem was a large city in the Roman Empire and the Temple had been expanded to dimensions that even exceeded the magnificent structure Solomon had built, but the poor, the mentally ill, the aged, and the disabled remained. The God of justice and righteousness had not yet returned. The people longed for the day when God would come like a good shepherd to care for his people.
Then one day a man appeared in the wilderness. And like the poet before him he proclaimed the good news that God had decreed comfort for all his people and forgiveness for all who repented. The Good Shepherd was about to return to Jerusalem. Luke talks about it in this way:
Luke 3:2-6 …the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"
In Jesus Christ, God has finally returned to Jerusalem to heal the sick, clothe the naked, and feed the hungry. In Jesus Christ, all of our sins have been forgiven. In Jesus Christ, we have been restored and renewed and ready to rebuild our fallen world.
So here is the good news that I have for you this morning. God has decreed that you are to be comforted. All of your sins have been forgiven. Your God has come to care for you, to heal your illnesses, to give you something to eat and a place to stay. You are to proclaim this good news of God’s love to everyone you meet. You are to lead then out of the wilderness were they now live, and bring them to new life in Jesus Christ.
Father in Heaven, we thank you for all the comfort we have received in Jesus Christ. We thank you for feeding us and binding our wounds as our shepherd. We thank you for forgiving our sins and restoring us to new life. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Sermon Isaiah 64:1-9 We are your People
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 64:1-9 We are your People
November 30, 2008
This morning I am beginning a series of sermons from Isaiah. During Advent we will be looking at this important Old Testament book. Isaiah was in the Bible that Jesus read and taught from. A Greek translation of Isaiah had been distributed all over the known world by the first century. And Isaiah had enormous influence on New Testament authors who quoted from it frequently. For all of these reasons it is important for Christians to understand what Isaiah says about God.
Isaiah speaks to us in four voices. The first was the voice of a prophet. His name was Isaiah, the son of Amoz. He lived in Jerusalem in the first half of the eighth century before Christ. The prophet spoke at of time of great international conflict. The Assyrian Empire was growing stronger and was becoming a threat to its neighbors. The military alliance between Judah, Israel and Aram was dissolving. During the prophet’s lifetime the kingdoms of Israel and Aram were destroyed by the Assyrians. Judah and its magnificent capitol of Jerusalem were threatened. The prophet called on the people of God to turn away from their worship of foreign gods and return to worship of the Holy One of Israel.
The second voice in Isaiah is that of a poet. We don’t know his or her name. But we do know of the great love and respect that this poet had for the prophet called Isaiah. The poet lived in Babylon with other Jews who had been exiled after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The poet spoke at a time of relative peace, but the people longed for a return to their city and farms. The poet called the people of God to return to the faith of their ancestors in the Holy One of Israel. The poet told them to put away their idols of wood and clay and worship the LORD.
The third voice in Isaiah is that of a preacher. The preacher had great love and respect for both the prophet and poet. The preacher spoke during the time of the return from exile. Babylon had been defeated by the Persian Empire and King Cyrus had permitted the Jews to return to their land and to rebuild their city. The preacher called the people of God to faith in the Holy One of Israel. Even though the magnificent Temple of Solomon had been burned to the ground, the preacher told the people that the LORD was still their God.
The fourth and final voice in Isaiah was that of the editor who in the fifth century before Christ took the writings of the prophet, the poet and the preacher and put them into a scroll which we know as Isaiah. This scroll has been faithfully preserved from then until now, twenty five centuries, by the faithful people of God.
Today we read from the preacher in Isaiah 64:1-9.
NRS Isaiah 64:1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence-- 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil-- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
As the Jews made their way back to Jerusalem the sight they saw was devastating. Their beloved city was in ruins and their Temple was burned to the ground, no more Holy of Holies, no more Arc of the Covenant, no more God. It must have felt like God had abandoned them.
We have all experienced these times when God is not to be found. After a night of prayers you go to the hospital and doctor says that your mother did not make it through the night. Where is God when it hurts so much? After dinner with the woman you love and want to marry she says “I don’t love you. The relationship is over.” Where is God when it hurts so much? You lose your job and can’t pay this months rent; you may have to live in your car. Where, oh where, is God? Even Jesus experienced the absence of God when he cried out from the cross, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me? The absence of God is not something we ever want to experience but from time to time we do.
When the Jews experienced the absence of God they remembered what God had done for them in the past. God had protected the nation time and again. It was God that had freed the people from slavery in Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. It was God who had protected them from the Philistines and the Assyrians. God could always be counted on, until now. And that made the feeling of abandonment even worse. Why had God blessed their ancestors so much but turned his back on them when the Babylonians came? They knew deep down that it was their own fault; they had turned their backs to God by worshiping idols. But in their anger they blamed God for all that had happened to them.
The Jews finally realized that God was not something that they could control. God was not a good luck charm. Not all prayers are answered. They also realized that the protection from the consequence of sin, that they had always enjoyed, had been removed. Now they had to experience the consequences of what they had done themselves. But they still had one perplexing question: Why had God acted in history to save his people but failed to do the same for them?
We face this same question today. Why did God deliver Israel from Egypt but did nothing to prevent the slaughter of six million Jews in the holocaust? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian writing from a concentration camp in 1944 said, “God would have us know that we are men who manage our lives without him. The God who is with us is the God who will forsake us.” Bonhoeffer was reminding us of the Christ who came not as a super hero to solve all the world problems, but as a vulnerable suffering servant.
The Jews returning to Jerusalem experienced the absence of God but were not
driven to despair. Rather they were filled with hope. This hope rested on their belief that God had formed them from the dust of the earth and had breathed life into their lungs. God was their creator, and they were all God’s people. So filled with hope they cried out for God to break open the heavens and return to Jerusalem. And confident that God would return one day, they began the hard work of rebuilding their city and their temple.
God did come back to Jerusalem in a spectacular way. The heavens were literally ripped open and God descended back to earth. Listen to what happened from the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 1:9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
This is what Advent is all about. Even though we may experience the absence of God in our lives and all the suffering that entails, Jesus Christ is coming at Christmas. In Jesus Christ, God loves us as much as a potter loves the clay pot he has created. In Jesus Christ, God loves us as much as parent loves a child. In Jesus Christ, God will never leave or abandon us. God is always with us. We read in Isaiah. “You shall call him Immanuel”, God is with us.
Father in Heaven as we await the coming of your son at Christmas we ask that you forgive our sins and pardon us for turning our backs on you. We ask that you never abandon us nor forsake us. We ask that you care for us as your creatures, your children and your people. Send your Holy Spirit to be with us always. And we pray this in the name of our coming Lord, Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 64:1-9 We are your People
November 30, 2008
This morning I am beginning a series of sermons from Isaiah. During Advent we will be looking at this important Old Testament book. Isaiah was in the Bible that Jesus read and taught from. A Greek translation of Isaiah had been distributed all over the known world by the first century. And Isaiah had enormous influence on New Testament authors who quoted from it frequently. For all of these reasons it is important for Christians to understand what Isaiah says about God.
Isaiah speaks to us in four voices. The first was the voice of a prophet. His name was Isaiah, the son of Amoz. He lived in Jerusalem in the first half of the eighth century before Christ. The prophet spoke at of time of great international conflict. The Assyrian Empire was growing stronger and was becoming a threat to its neighbors. The military alliance between Judah, Israel and Aram was dissolving. During the prophet’s lifetime the kingdoms of Israel and Aram were destroyed by the Assyrians. Judah and its magnificent capitol of Jerusalem were threatened. The prophet called on the people of God to turn away from their worship of foreign gods and return to worship of the Holy One of Israel.
The second voice in Isaiah is that of a poet. We don’t know his or her name. But we do know of the great love and respect that this poet had for the prophet called Isaiah. The poet lived in Babylon with other Jews who had been exiled after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. The poet spoke at a time of relative peace, but the people longed for a return to their city and farms. The poet called the people of God to return to the faith of their ancestors in the Holy One of Israel. The poet told them to put away their idols of wood and clay and worship the LORD.
The third voice in Isaiah is that of a preacher. The preacher had great love and respect for both the prophet and poet. The preacher spoke during the time of the return from exile. Babylon had been defeated by the Persian Empire and King Cyrus had permitted the Jews to return to their land and to rebuild their city. The preacher called the people of God to faith in the Holy One of Israel. Even though the magnificent Temple of Solomon had been burned to the ground, the preacher told the people that the LORD was still their God.
The fourth and final voice in Isaiah was that of the editor who in the fifth century before Christ took the writings of the prophet, the poet and the preacher and put them into a scroll which we know as Isaiah. This scroll has been faithfully preserved from then until now, twenty five centuries, by the faithful people of God.
Today we read from the preacher in Isaiah 64:1-9.
NRS Isaiah 64:1 O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence-- 2 as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil-- to make your name known to your adversaries, so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 3 When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 4 From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who works for those who wait for him. 5 You meet those who gladly do right, those who remember you in your ways. But you were angry, and we sinned; because you hid yourself we transgressed.
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9 Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.
As the Jews made their way back to Jerusalem the sight they saw was devastating. Their beloved city was in ruins and their Temple was burned to the ground, no more Holy of Holies, no more Arc of the Covenant, no more God. It must have felt like God had abandoned them.
We have all experienced these times when God is not to be found. After a night of prayers you go to the hospital and doctor says that your mother did not make it through the night. Where is God when it hurts so much? After dinner with the woman you love and want to marry she says “I don’t love you. The relationship is over.” Where is God when it hurts so much? You lose your job and can’t pay this months rent; you may have to live in your car. Where, oh where, is God? Even Jesus experienced the absence of God when he cried out from the cross, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me? The absence of God is not something we ever want to experience but from time to time we do.
When the Jews experienced the absence of God they remembered what God had done for them in the past. God had protected the nation time and again. It was God that had freed the people from slavery in Egypt and gave them the Promised Land. It was God who had protected them from the Philistines and the Assyrians. God could always be counted on, until now. And that made the feeling of abandonment even worse. Why had God blessed their ancestors so much but turned his back on them when the Babylonians came? They knew deep down that it was their own fault; they had turned their backs to God by worshiping idols. But in their anger they blamed God for all that had happened to them.
The Jews finally realized that God was not something that they could control. God was not a good luck charm. Not all prayers are answered. They also realized that the protection from the consequence of sin, that they had always enjoyed, had been removed. Now they had to experience the consequences of what they had done themselves. But they still had one perplexing question: Why had God acted in history to save his people but failed to do the same for them?
We face this same question today. Why did God deliver Israel from Egypt but did nothing to prevent the slaughter of six million Jews in the holocaust? Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian writing from a concentration camp in 1944 said, “God would have us know that we are men who manage our lives without him. The God who is with us is the God who will forsake us.” Bonhoeffer was reminding us of the Christ who came not as a super hero to solve all the world problems, but as a vulnerable suffering servant.
The Jews returning to Jerusalem experienced the absence of God but were not
driven to despair. Rather they were filled with hope. This hope rested on their belief that God had formed them from the dust of the earth and had breathed life into their lungs. God was their creator, and they were all God’s people. So filled with hope they cried out for God to break open the heavens and return to Jerusalem. And confident that God would return one day, they began the hard work of rebuilding their city and their temple.
God did come back to Jerusalem in a spectacular way. The heavens were literally ripped open and God descended back to earth. Listen to what happened from the Gospel of Mark:
Mark 1:9-11 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
This is what Advent is all about. Even though we may experience the absence of God in our lives and all the suffering that entails, Jesus Christ is coming at Christmas. In Jesus Christ, God loves us as much as a potter loves the clay pot he has created. In Jesus Christ, God loves us as much as parent loves a child. In Jesus Christ, God will never leave or abandon us. God is always with us. We read in Isaiah. “You shall call him Immanuel”, God is with us.
Father in Heaven as we await the coming of your son at Christmas we ask that you forgive our sins and pardon us for turning our backs on you. We ask that you never abandon us nor forsake us. We ask that you care for us as your creatures, your children and your people. Send your Holy Spirit to be with us always. And we pray this in the name of our coming Lord, Jesus Christ. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
From the Pastor's Desk
From the Pastor’s Desk
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem … When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:1, 9-11)
At this time of year we are all wondering what gifts we should give to family and friends. Since passing on our faith is the greatest gift that you can give someone I suggest that you give gifts that express your faith in Jesus Christ and I have some recommendations for you.
The author Anne Rice has recently written three books which would be very appropriate for anyone on your gift list. Her newest book is called Called out of Darkness, a spiritual confession. This is her autobiography where she tells her fans about her growing up as a Roman Catholic child, her loss of faith as an adult, and her return to the faith she had lost. As a result of her reclaimed faith she wrote two novels about the life of Jesus. These are: Christ the Lord, out of Egypt, and Christ the Lord, the road to Cana. Any of these three books would be perfect gifts for your friends and family. And they would be wonderful treats for you to read this Christmas season.
Reading these books, for me, has been like discovering an old friend. Many years ago I read and loved Anne’s books about vampires and witches. As my relationship with Jesus Christ grew I stopped reading her books. Little did I know that Anne Rice was making a similar return to the faith that I was experiencing. And now I can rejoice because an old friend has returned and I can read and enjoy Anne Rice novels once again.
Merry Christmas
Pastor Jeff Howard
“In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem … When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:1, 9-11)
At this time of year we are all wondering what gifts we should give to family and friends. Since passing on our faith is the greatest gift that you can give someone I suggest that you give gifts that express your faith in Jesus Christ and I have some recommendations for you.
The author Anne Rice has recently written three books which would be very appropriate for anyone on your gift list. Her newest book is called Called out of Darkness, a spiritual confession. This is her autobiography where she tells her fans about her growing up as a Roman Catholic child, her loss of faith as an adult, and her return to the faith she had lost. As a result of her reclaimed faith she wrote two novels about the life of Jesus. These are: Christ the Lord, out of Egypt, and Christ the Lord, the road to Cana. Any of these three books would be perfect gifts for your friends and family. And they would be wonderful treats for you to read this Christmas season.
Reading these books, for me, has been like discovering an old friend. Many years ago I read and loved Anne’s books about vampires and witches. As my relationship with Jesus Christ grew I stopped reading her books. Little did I know that Anne Rice was making a similar return to the faith that I was experiencing. And now I can rejoice because an old friend has returned and I can read and enjoy Anne Rice novels once again.
Merry Christmas
Pastor Jeff Howard
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful
November 23, 2008
This morning we will be remembering all of the blessings that we have received in our lifetimes: the blessings of our birth and loving parents, the blessing of our youth, education, and moral development, the blessings of our spouses, families, jobs and church, the blessings of retirement, travel, and lifelong friendships. We have so much to be thankful for. So God has given us this week to be thankful for all of our blessings.
Will you pray with me? Father in heaven, we approach your throne this morning thankful for all you have done for us. Purge from our minds the worries that often overwhelm us. Help us to focus this week on all that you have provided for us, especially our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
If you are anything like me you worry most of the time. I worry about the stock market going down and what is happening to my retirement funds. I worry about my parents getting older and how they will be cared for. I worry about this church and the problems each of you face. I worry, like so many others, about paying the bills each month. Worry is a part of my life and I am sure that worry is a part of your lives too.
The Israelites were worried as they wandered in the wilderness. Just a few days after God freed them from slavery in Egypt with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea they ran out of water. Moses, who had been a shepherd in this desert for forty years, guided them to a watering hole, but the water was bitter and people were worried. “O Moses, what have you done? We had plenty of water in Egypt. It would have been better to die there than die here in the desert of thirst.” God knew they were worried so God led them to an area with twelve springs, one for each tribe.
But a few days later the Israelites ran out of food. They worried again. “O Moses, what have you done? We had plenty of food in Egypt. It would have been better to die there with full stomachs that to die out here in the wilderness of hunger.” God knew that they were worried so he rained down bread from heaven each morning and had quails fly by every evening so that the Israelites would never be hungry.
You would think that with all these blessings from God the Israelites would never worry again. After all time after time God had provided for them. But when the spies returned from the Promised Land with a report that the people of Canaan where powerful, and descended from giants the Israelites were worried, really worried. “O Moses, what have you done? In Egypt we weren’t facing slaughter. It would have been better to remain slaves than to all be killed in this strange place.” With that their God, who was slow to anger and abiding in steadfast love had enough. God was ready to wipe out his people and start over. But Moses intervened and reminded God of God’s love for God’s people. So God relented, and permitted the Israelites to wander around the desert for forty years where they could worry all the time until a new generation, free from worry, could take what was being offered, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Worry is part of our lives. We do it well because we practice it all the time. We are worried about the economy and the values of our retirement investments and homes. We are worried about keeping our jobs, or finding a job. We are worried about our health and what will happen to us as we age. We are worried about our families and their future.
The Christians of the Protestant Reformation were also filled with worry. As William of Orange organized the rebel forces in the Netherlands to fight for political independence from Spain and religious independence from Rome the Reformed Christians worried about their churches, their country and their lives. They gathered into churches and confessed their faith which sustained them through these most dangerous times. In the midst of their worry here is what they confessed.
“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known; the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, sing praises to His name; he forgets not His own. Beside us to guide us our God with us joining, ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine; so from the beginning the fight we are winning; Thou, Lord wast at our side; all glory be Thine! We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant, and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be, let thy congregation escape tribulation; thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!”
Whenever we are overwhelmed by worry there is a simple solution. All we have to do is to turn to God with praise and thanksgiving. By praising God our faith increases, which allows us to withstand anything that world might throw at us. We are able to face our worries with confidence only when we have first approach God in praise.
And this brings us to this morning’s scripture and Jesus’ teachings on worry.
Matthew 6:25-33 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
According to Jesus, the antidote for worrying all the time is service to others. If we feed someone who is hungry today then we will not be worried about being hungry tomorrow. If we clothe someone who is naked today then we will not be concerned with what we will wear tomorrow. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven works. God provides us with everything we need and all God asks us to do is to provide for the needs of others. By caring for others we realize all the blessings that we have received and become a thankful people praising God in the highest.
Craig Barnes, a prominent Presbyterian pastor, tells a story about one Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving morning at about 11AM while his family was preparing for a great feast the telephone rang. It was a nurse at a local hospital saying that a member of his church was dying. Craig was worried about the interruption this would cause in his family’s plans for the day. He arrived at the hospital to find Jean, a seventy-eight year old member of the congregation surrounded by her family. She had had another heart attack and was not expected to make it through the day. Jean was about to die. After Craig prayed with the family and read some scripture someone mentioned that it was sad for Jean to die on Thanksgiving. But Jean replied that it was a glorious Thanksgiving because she would soon be with the Lord. She then prayed for everyone in the room and died. While driving home Craig realized that Jean was a saint. She had taught Sunday School for thirty-five years until her eyesight failed and then settled into a ministry of prayer for others. Jean had no worry about her fate because of her service to others in the kingdom. She was grateful for all that God had done for her. Craig arrived home just in time to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, but Jean was on his mind, and all he could say as he carved the bird was that this truly was a glorious Thanksgiving.
When we live lives of service to others we stop worrying about what the future will bring and become thankful people who praise God of our blessings. As Christians we are thankful for all the blessings God has provided for us: the blue sky and bright sunshine, families coming together for the Thanksgiving feast, the food, water and clothing that our planet provides, and our saving faith in Jesus Christ. All these and so much more have been provided to us by our loving God. So we have come here today to thank God for all that God has done for us, to express our gratitude for all the blessings we have received, and to commit ourselves to lives of service to others. As we gather together lets give our worries to God and be thankful for all the blessings we have received.
Gracious and loving God, we are a people who gather around tables. On Thanksgiving Day, many of us will gather around dining tables or kitchen tables or tray tables and share a meal with our family and friends. We give thanks to you, O God, for food and the time to enjoy it together. As we are seated at our tables, help us also remember the table where we gather in worship to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. At this table we are all God’s people gathered in communion with Christ. May our joy-filled celebrations of Thanksgiving Day remind us of the joyful feast of the people of God. Thank you, God! Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful
November 23, 2008
This morning we will be remembering all of the blessings that we have received in our lifetimes: the blessings of our birth and loving parents, the blessing of our youth, education, and moral development, the blessings of our spouses, families, jobs and church, the blessings of retirement, travel, and lifelong friendships. We have so much to be thankful for. So God has given us this week to be thankful for all of our blessings.
Will you pray with me? Father in heaven, we approach your throne this morning thankful for all you have done for us. Purge from our minds the worries that often overwhelm us. Help us to focus this week on all that you have provided for us, especially our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
If you are anything like me you worry most of the time. I worry about the stock market going down and what is happening to my retirement funds. I worry about my parents getting older and how they will be cared for. I worry about this church and the problems each of you face. I worry, like so many others, about paying the bills each month. Worry is a part of my life and I am sure that worry is a part of your lives too.
The Israelites were worried as they wandered in the wilderness. Just a few days after God freed them from slavery in Egypt with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea they ran out of water. Moses, who had been a shepherd in this desert for forty years, guided them to a watering hole, but the water was bitter and people were worried. “O Moses, what have you done? We had plenty of water in Egypt. It would have been better to die there than die here in the desert of thirst.” God knew they were worried so God led them to an area with twelve springs, one for each tribe.
But a few days later the Israelites ran out of food. They worried again. “O Moses, what have you done? We had plenty of food in Egypt. It would have been better to die there with full stomachs that to die out here in the wilderness of hunger.” God knew that they were worried so he rained down bread from heaven each morning and had quails fly by every evening so that the Israelites would never be hungry.
You would think that with all these blessings from God the Israelites would never worry again. After all time after time God had provided for them. But when the spies returned from the Promised Land with a report that the people of Canaan where powerful, and descended from giants the Israelites were worried, really worried. “O Moses, what have you done? In Egypt we weren’t facing slaughter. It would have been better to remain slaves than to all be killed in this strange place.” With that their God, who was slow to anger and abiding in steadfast love had enough. God was ready to wipe out his people and start over. But Moses intervened and reminded God of God’s love for God’s people. So God relented, and permitted the Israelites to wander around the desert for forty years where they could worry all the time until a new generation, free from worry, could take what was being offered, a land flowing with milk and honey.
Worry is part of our lives. We do it well because we practice it all the time. We are worried about the economy and the values of our retirement investments and homes. We are worried about keeping our jobs, or finding a job. We are worried about our health and what will happen to us as we age. We are worried about our families and their future.
The Christians of the Protestant Reformation were also filled with worry. As William of Orange organized the rebel forces in the Netherlands to fight for political independence from Spain and religious independence from Rome the Reformed Christians worried about their churches, their country and their lives. They gathered into churches and confessed their faith which sustained them through these most dangerous times. In the midst of their worry here is what they confessed.
“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known; the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, sing praises to His name; he forgets not His own. Beside us to guide us our God with us joining, ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine; so from the beginning the fight we are winning; Thou, Lord wast at our side; all glory be Thine! We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant, and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be, let thy congregation escape tribulation; thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!”
Whenever we are overwhelmed by worry there is a simple solution. All we have to do is to turn to God with praise and thanksgiving. By praising God our faith increases, which allows us to withstand anything that world might throw at us. We are able to face our worries with confidence only when we have first approach God in praise.
And this brings us to this morning’s scripture and Jesus’ teachings on worry.
Matthew 6:25-33 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-- you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' 32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
According to Jesus, the antidote for worrying all the time is service to others. If we feed someone who is hungry today then we will not be worried about being hungry tomorrow. If we clothe someone who is naked today then we will not be concerned with what we will wear tomorrow. This is how the Kingdom of Heaven works. God provides us with everything we need and all God asks us to do is to provide for the needs of others. By caring for others we realize all the blessings that we have received and become a thankful people praising God in the highest.
Craig Barnes, a prominent Presbyterian pastor, tells a story about one Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving morning at about 11AM while his family was preparing for a great feast the telephone rang. It was a nurse at a local hospital saying that a member of his church was dying. Craig was worried about the interruption this would cause in his family’s plans for the day. He arrived at the hospital to find Jean, a seventy-eight year old member of the congregation surrounded by her family. She had had another heart attack and was not expected to make it through the day. Jean was about to die. After Craig prayed with the family and read some scripture someone mentioned that it was sad for Jean to die on Thanksgiving. But Jean replied that it was a glorious Thanksgiving because she would soon be with the Lord. She then prayed for everyone in the room and died. While driving home Craig realized that Jean was a saint. She had taught Sunday School for thirty-five years until her eyesight failed and then settled into a ministry of prayer for others. Jean had no worry about her fate because of her service to others in the kingdom. She was grateful for all that God had done for her. Craig arrived home just in time to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, but Jean was on his mind, and all he could say as he carved the bird was that this truly was a glorious Thanksgiving.
When we live lives of service to others we stop worrying about what the future will bring and become thankful people who praise God of our blessings. As Christians we are thankful for all the blessings God has provided for us: the blue sky and bright sunshine, families coming together for the Thanksgiving feast, the food, water and clothing that our planet provides, and our saving faith in Jesus Christ. All these and so much more have been provided to us by our loving God. So we have come here today to thank God for all that God has done for us, to express our gratitude for all the blessings we have received, and to commit ourselves to lives of service to others. As we gather together lets give our worries to God and be thankful for all the blessings we have received.
Gracious and loving God, we are a people who gather around tables. On Thanksgiving Day, many of us will gather around dining tables or kitchen tables or tray tables and share a meal with our family and friends. We give thanks to you, O God, for food and the time to enjoy it together. As we are seated at our tables, help us also remember the table where we gather in worship to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. At this table we are all God’s people gathered in communion with Christ. May our joy-filled celebrations of Thanksgiving Day remind us of the joyful feast of the people of God. Thank you, God! Amen.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sermon Matthew 25:14-30 Well Done Good and Faithful Servant
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Matthew 25:14-30 Well Done Good and Faithful Servant
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 16, 2008
This morning we are celebrating Stewardship Sunday. Now I know that “celebrating” in not the usual term applied to this day. Most of us think of Stewardship Sunday as a time when the church hits us up for more money. How could this be a celebration? But the reality is that today we are celebrating all the gifts that God has provided to us and the response that God has expects from us, the sharing our blessings with others. As we prepare for this celebration will you pray with me?
Holy Spirit fill our heart this day with God’s love. Help us to remember all the blessings we have received throughout our lifetimes. Help us to share the blessings God has given us with others in the kingdom. We pray all of this in the name of the greatest gift God has given us, our savior, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25:14-30 14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Years ago I went to business school and studied economics. One of the important concepts in economics is the “velocity of money”. Here is how it works. Suppose Vern owns a bank and Lewrene deposits her savings in Vern’s bank. Then Cora borrows some money from Vern’s bank, that originally came from Lewrene, to open a business and then places her profits back in the bank. Ellory then wants to buy a car so he borrows the money from Vern’s bank that had been originally deposited by Lewrene and has already been used by Cora. You see the same money was used over and over again, it was multiplied. This is called the velocity of money and is essential for the well working of the economy.
One of the major reasons our economy is in trouble is that the velocity of money has slowed down. Because of all the bad mortgages in the system banks are unwilling to lend the money they have. So there is no multiplication of money. The government has made sufficient money available, but it has to be used over and over again and this has not yet happened. Eventually money will begin to move once again and our economy will begin to grow but no one knows when this will happen.
The velocity of money is a concept that can be applied to God’s economy as well. Remember that the underlying principle in God’s economy comes to us from the promise of God to Abraham when God said “I will bless you … so that you will be a blessing”. Suppose that someone in the congregation is richly blessed with good health, and loving family. In God’s economy these blessing are to be shared with others. Those who have been blessed are to share these blessings by blessings others in need. We are to care for the poor and needy in our community. In this way the blessings we receive are multiplied benefiting the entire kingdom of God.
Let’s look how God’s economy works in today’s scripture. The first slave received five talents. In ancient times a talent was a heavy gold coin. It was the largest denomination of ancient currency. It was a lot of money. Five talents equaled the total wages a laborer could possibly earn in about eighty years, a lifetime. So in this parable five talents represent all the blessings that God has provided us over our life times, all of the food that we have enjoyed, all of the love we have received from family and friends, and, of course the church God has provided for us for worship. God had provided this first servant a lifetime of blessings. And what did this slave do with all of these blessings? She shared every one of those blessings with others though countless acts of love and compassion. Every blessing invested by God in this slave had been multiplied as blessings for others. You see the velocity of blessings at work. The blessings we receive from God are used to bless others, and those who are blessed by us blessed still others, on and on, until the whole world is blessed. And when this slave appeared in heaven after a long lifetime of shared blessings Christ said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
The second slave received two talents of blessings from God. This represented all of the blessings that those of us in middle age have received. We realize that although the world presents many challenges for us we have been greatly blessed by God. We have been blessed with loving families, good jobs, and promise of a glorious future. The second slave recognized all the blessings that he had received and decided to share all those blessings with others. Although his family budget was limited, he still found what was needed to give to his church to maintain Christian worship and serve the poor in the community. Although his time was limited, he still made time for worship, prayer and volunteer service. And through his efforts more and more people received God’s blessings and were able to bless others. So when Christ looks down from heaven and sees this saint he says, “Well done good and faithful servant”.
But of course we have to look at the third slave too. This slave was young with a bright future ahead. Already she had already received one talent of blessings from God. But she was afraid. She feared that if she gave food to the hungry she would have no food for herself. She feared that if she clothed the naked she would have no clothes to wear. She feared that if she contributed to charity or the church there would not be enough money left over for her needs. So she received blessings from God every day, but because of fear, she failed to bless others. And when Christ looked down from heaven he said to her, “You wicked and lazy slave.”
In God’s economy whenever God’s blessings are not being shared those blessings are removed and given to someone else. In order to keep receiving blessings from God we have to give them away. Only after we have given blessings away will God bless us more and more. Take a look at what has happened in this church over the last year. We began to offer a meal for the community after our evening service. We were willing to share our blessings with others. This has blessed the poor and needy in our community. Now they are beginning to use their gifts to bless others even poorer than themselves. And more and more people are being blessed by this church. This is the velocity of blessings at work in God’s economy. The more we share the blessings God has given us the more this church will grow and the more blessings we will have to share. The blessings of God will be multiplied in the Eagle Rock community.
This is why Stewardship Sunday is a time of great celebration. We celebrate the many blessings and gifts God has given us. We celebrate the use of these gifts to bless others in our community. We celebrate the church that blesses the people of this community and encourages those gifts to be shared with others. We celebrate our ability to share our gifts through the church with others in the community. We celebrate the wonders of God’s economy where blessings are multiplied. And we celebrate when we hear the words of Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
We thank you Lord for all the blessings we have received in our lifetimes. Help us to share those gifts with others in their time of need. Multiply these gifts throughout our community. Help our church to grow as we share our blessings with our community. Let us be your good and faithful servants. Amen.
Sermon Matthew 25:14-30 Well Done Good and Faithful Servant
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 16, 2008
This morning we are celebrating Stewardship Sunday. Now I know that “celebrating” in not the usual term applied to this day. Most of us think of Stewardship Sunday as a time when the church hits us up for more money. How could this be a celebration? But the reality is that today we are celebrating all the gifts that God has provided to us and the response that God has expects from us, the sharing our blessings with others. As we prepare for this celebration will you pray with me?
Holy Spirit fill our heart this day with God’s love. Help us to remember all the blessings we have received throughout our lifetimes. Help us to share the blessings God has given us with others in the kingdom. We pray all of this in the name of the greatest gift God has given us, our savior, Jesus Christ.
Matthew 25:14-30 14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.' 21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.' 23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 26 But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Years ago I went to business school and studied economics. One of the important concepts in economics is the “velocity of money”. Here is how it works. Suppose Vern owns a bank and Lewrene deposits her savings in Vern’s bank. Then Cora borrows some money from Vern’s bank, that originally came from Lewrene, to open a business and then places her profits back in the bank. Ellory then wants to buy a car so he borrows the money from Vern’s bank that had been originally deposited by Lewrene and has already been used by Cora. You see the same money was used over and over again, it was multiplied. This is called the velocity of money and is essential for the well working of the economy.
One of the major reasons our economy is in trouble is that the velocity of money has slowed down. Because of all the bad mortgages in the system banks are unwilling to lend the money they have. So there is no multiplication of money. The government has made sufficient money available, but it has to be used over and over again and this has not yet happened. Eventually money will begin to move once again and our economy will begin to grow but no one knows when this will happen.
The velocity of money is a concept that can be applied to God’s economy as well. Remember that the underlying principle in God’s economy comes to us from the promise of God to Abraham when God said “I will bless you … so that you will be a blessing”. Suppose that someone in the congregation is richly blessed with good health, and loving family. In God’s economy these blessing are to be shared with others. Those who have been blessed are to share these blessings by blessings others in need. We are to care for the poor and needy in our community. In this way the blessings we receive are multiplied benefiting the entire kingdom of God.
Let’s look how God’s economy works in today’s scripture. The first slave received five talents. In ancient times a talent was a heavy gold coin. It was the largest denomination of ancient currency. It was a lot of money. Five talents equaled the total wages a laborer could possibly earn in about eighty years, a lifetime. So in this parable five talents represent all the blessings that God has provided us over our life times, all of the food that we have enjoyed, all of the love we have received from family and friends, and, of course the church God has provided for us for worship. God had provided this first servant a lifetime of blessings. And what did this slave do with all of these blessings? She shared every one of those blessings with others though countless acts of love and compassion. Every blessing invested by God in this slave had been multiplied as blessings for others. You see the velocity of blessings at work. The blessings we receive from God are used to bless others, and those who are blessed by us blessed still others, on and on, until the whole world is blessed. And when this slave appeared in heaven after a long lifetime of shared blessings Christ said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
The second slave received two talents of blessings from God. This represented all of the blessings that those of us in middle age have received. We realize that although the world presents many challenges for us we have been greatly blessed by God. We have been blessed with loving families, good jobs, and promise of a glorious future. The second slave recognized all the blessings that he had received and decided to share all those blessings with others. Although his family budget was limited, he still found what was needed to give to his church to maintain Christian worship and serve the poor in the community. Although his time was limited, he still made time for worship, prayer and volunteer service. And through his efforts more and more people received God’s blessings and were able to bless others. So when Christ looks down from heaven and sees this saint he says, “Well done good and faithful servant”.
But of course we have to look at the third slave too. This slave was young with a bright future ahead. Already she had already received one talent of blessings from God. But she was afraid. She feared that if she gave food to the hungry she would have no food for herself. She feared that if she clothed the naked she would have no clothes to wear. She feared that if she contributed to charity or the church there would not be enough money left over for her needs. So she received blessings from God every day, but because of fear, she failed to bless others. And when Christ looked down from heaven he said to her, “You wicked and lazy slave.”
In God’s economy whenever God’s blessings are not being shared those blessings are removed and given to someone else. In order to keep receiving blessings from God we have to give them away. Only after we have given blessings away will God bless us more and more. Take a look at what has happened in this church over the last year. We began to offer a meal for the community after our evening service. We were willing to share our blessings with others. This has blessed the poor and needy in our community. Now they are beginning to use their gifts to bless others even poorer than themselves. And more and more people are being blessed by this church. This is the velocity of blessings at work in God’s economy. The more we share the blessings God has given us the more this church will grow and the more blessings we will have to share. The blessings of God will be multiplied in the Eagle Rock community.
This is why Stewardship Sunday is a time of great celebration. We celebrate the many blessings and gifts God has given us. We celebrate the use of these gifts to bless others in our community. We celebrate the church that blesses the people of this community and encourages those gifts to be shared with others. We celebrate our ability to share our gifts through the church with others in the community. We celebrate the wonders of God’s economy where blessings are multiplied. And we celebrate when we hear the words of Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
We thank you Lord for all the blessings we have received in our lifetimes. Help us to share those gifts with others in their time of need. Multiply these gifts throughout our community. Help our church to grow as we share our blessings with our community. Let us be your good and faithful servants. Amen.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
November Vision Article
"Righteous God, you have taught us that the poor shall have your kingdom, and that the gentle-minded shall inherit the earth. Keep the church poor enough to preach to poor people, and humble enough to walk with the despised. Never weigh us down with property or accumulated funds. Save your church from vain display or lavish comforts, so that we may travel light and move through the world showing your generous love made known in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
This prayer, from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, reminds us to keep our stewardship campaign this month in perspective. As we fill out pledges card and make committee budgets we should remember that our goal is not to be a rich church. Rather we want to be a humble church that remembers that we are here to minister to the needs of the poorest people in our community.
I am reminded of a story in Mark. One day Jesus was watching people make contributions, one rich person after another put in large amounts. Then a poor widow threw in a penny. Jesus remarked that she gave sacrificially, everything she had to live on. Often in our evening service homeless people will come and will put a penny or two in the collection plate. This is all they have to live on.
As the economy of our country sours and more and more people lose their jobs and their homes the church will be needed to show the love of Jesus Christ to those who have lost everything. Your contributions to this church allow us to continue the ministries God has given us here in Eagle Rock. For your contributions to these ministries your church humbly gives thanks.
Already God is blessing our church in many ways for our care of the poor in our community through our evening service. Trader Joes in Glendale is donating food that we can use both for the evening dinner and to pass out to the hungry in our community. This is a rich blessing for us as our church grows. Please visit Trader Joes on Glendale Ave. and thank them for what they are doing.
God bless,
Jeff
This prayer, from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, reminds us to keep our stewardship campaign this month in perspective. As we fill out pledges card and make committee budgets we should remember that our goal is not to be a rich church. Rather we want to be a humble church that remembers that we are here to minister to the needs of the poorest people in our community.
I am reminded of a story in Mark. One day Jesus was watching people make contributions, one rich person after another put in large amounts. Then a poor widow threw in a penny. Jesus remarked that she gave sacrificially, everything she had to live on. Often in our evening service homeless people will come and will put a penny or two in the collection plate. This is all they have to live on.
As the economy of our country sours and more and more people lose their jobs and their homes the church will be needed to show the love of Jesus Christ to those who have lost everything. Your contributions to this church allow us to continue the ministries God has given us here in Eagle Rock. For your contributions to these ministries your church humbly gives thanks.
Already God is blessing our church in many ways for our care of the poor in our community through our evening service. Trader Joes in Glendale is donating food that we can use both for the evening dinner and to pass out to the hungry in our community. This is a rich blessing for us as our church grows. Please visit Trader Joes on Glendale Ave. and thank them for what they are doing.
God bless,
Jeff
Sermon – John 17:1-11 – So That They May Be One
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – John 17:1-11 – So That They May Be One
November 2, 2008
This morning I will be preaching from the Gospel of John. For over a year now a group in this church has been studying John chapter by chapter, verse by verse in our Sunday morning Bible class at 11:30. This morning we will be looking at John 17 and I decided that this passage should be shared not just with the Sunday School class but with the entire congregation. If you would like to talk about the scripture I will be reading and preaching on this morning please join us at 11:30 in Montgomery Hall.
But first please pray with me. Father, Son and Holy Spirit just as you are one help us to be one, one church, one faith, one body of Christ. Unite us in the bread and juice of communion. Unite us into one hope of eternal life as promised by Jesus, in whose name we pray this morning. Amen.
John 17:1-11 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
As our Bible study has looked at John we have detected a pattern in the gospel. Five times we have seen the same thing repeated. The pattern started with a sign, Jesus turned water into wine, healed a blind man, or raise Lazarus from the dead. Each sign was more spectacular than the previous and generated greater numbers of followers of Jesus and more excitement in the crowd. After each sign Jesus would try to explain the greater reality that the sign represented. But he would use cryptic language, words with double meanings, which both communicated what he was trying to say while still hiding the full implication of the sign. Jesus’ purpose was to preserve his life and ministry until the appropriate time when the full meaning of the signs would be revealed.
One way that Jesus hinted at the meaning of the signs was in his self description. Jesus said things like, “I am the living water” and “I am the light of the world”. In the Bible study group we scratched our heads as we wondered what this could possibly mean. The common words in all of these sayings were “I am”, the same words God used to describe himself to Moses at the burning bush. The implication was clear; Jesus was indirectly claiming to be God.
As people saw the signs and listened to what Jesus had to say some believed and some did not. Those who believed received the promise of eternal life. So what is it that we are to believe in order to receive the gift eternal life? The answer to this question finally comes in the 17th chapter of John where Jesus talked directly, not in riddles, to the Father in prayer.
Oneness with the Father
The first thing that I would like to talk about from our scripture today is that Jesus explicitly claims to be one with God. What does this oneness with God mean? For one thing it means that Jesus and God share the same glory. Glory comes from being in the presence of God. So Jesus reflects the Father’s glory because he was in the presence of God. Oneness also means that when Jesus spoke he was communicating the word of the Father. So both the signs and explanations that we read about in the Gospel of John are both not just from Jesus but also from God and in this sense Jesus and God are one. But oneness goes beyond what Jesus did and said. The scripture passage tells us that Jesus has been with God from before creation. In the beginning Jesus already existed with God. So oneness means that everything Jesus said and did was from God with whom Jesus has always existed and will exist forever. So, Jesus talks, acts, and exists in oneness with God.
Knowledge that lead to Eternal Life
Now I would like to talk about Jesus’ claim that he revealed God to humanity. Anyone conversant with the Hebrew Scriptures would know about God. It was a rabbi’s job to study the ancient scrolls that make up our Old Testament and teach others about God. But Jesus was more than just a rabbi. Jesus spoke not just from scripture, but from God himself. And it is through the knowledge of God that Jesus can provide what we need to receive the gift of eternal life. So Jesus not only reveals knowledge of God to us but reveals to all believers knowledge that results in eternal life. So what is this knowledge of God that Jesus reveals to all believers? The knowledge Jesus was giving the believers throughout the Gospel of John was contained in those two simple words, “I am”. So, If we believe that Jesus and God are one then we will have eternal life.
Oneness of Believers
What Jesus wants and asked the Father to do is to make all of his believers one just as Jesus and God are one. Here Jesus is calling for the unity of the church. But as we look around today we see that the church is anything but one. We are divided into denominations and are separated one from another over differences of theology and practice. Last week we celebrated the Protestant Reformation that separated us from the Roman Catholic Church over the meaning of sacraments and other issues. Much of my education was spent learning the distinctiveness of being a Presbyterian. It is hard to justify all of these different denominations around the world in the light of Jesus’ prayer that we should all be one.
There are divisions even within our own Presbyterian denomination. Last summer our General Assembly opened the door to the ordination of homosexuals to the ministry of Deacon, Elder and Pastor. Our Presbytery will be asked to ratify this decision in March and the expectation is that some churches will leave the denomination over this issue. How can schisms of the church promote the unity that Jesus prayed for?
That They May Be One
For too long the church has defined itself at our boundaries by highlighting the differences we have. This is not what Jesus prayed for at all. So we all have to change our definitions of church. Rather than defining ourselves by how we differ from each other we should now consider how we are similar to each other. Let us define ourselves by the center of our faith rather than by the margins. Let us acknowledge that all churches, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, whatever are all one because of our core belief at the center of our faith that Jesus Christ is one with God. We need to remember that before there were denominations we were all simply Christian.
The oneness of the church is not something that we can do alone. We can’t have a oneness program here a Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. And ecumenical meetings go on forever without a clear resolution. What we need is a gift. Unity in the church is a gift from God. So there is one thing we can all do. We can imitate Jesus and pray. Pray that the entire church will confess that Jesus is one with God and trust that one day God will make all of us one with Christ. And pray that the Presbytery will be given the gift of unity as it considers the important issue of ordination standards this spring.
The song we sang earlier captures this idea. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” Do we really walk with each other, walk hand in hand? Do we really work with each other, work side by side? We will if all of praise, honor and glory is given the one Father, Son and Holy Spirit whom we worship today.
Shortly we will be gathered by God around the table for the Lord’s Supper. This table is the source of many of our differences. In the 16th century we fought over the meaning of the bread and wine. Today we are fighting over the requirements for those who administer and serve the meal as ordained ministers, deacons and elders. But Christ wants us to be unified around this table because it is here that the glory of God is revealed to all believers. This table is a foretaste of the heavenly table where we will all partake in our eternal lives. So this meal should be the source of unity for all churches. And that is why everyone who believes that Jesus Christ in one with God is welcomed to be one with with us.
O God, you are the giver of life. We pray for the church in the whole world. Sanctify her life, renew her worship, give power to her witnessing, restore her unity. Give strength to those who are searching together for that kind of obedience which creates unity. Heal the divisions separating your children one from another, so that they will make fast, with bonds of peace, the unity which the Spirit gives. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – John 17:1-11 – So That They May Be One
November 2, 2008
This morning I will be preaching from the Gospel of John. For over a year now a group in this church has been studying John chapter by chapter, verse by verse in our Sunday morning Bible class at 11:30. This morning we will be looking at John 17 and I decided that this passage should be shared not just with the Sunday School class but with the entire congregation. If you would like to talk about the scripture I will be reading and preaching on this morning please join us at 11:30 in Montgomery Hall.
But first please pray with me. Father, Son and Holy Spirit just as you are one help us to be one, one church, one faith, one body of Christ. Unite us in the bread and juice of communion. Unite us into one hope of eternal life as promised by Jesus, in whose name we pray this morning. Amen.
John 17:1-11 After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5 So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 "I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8 for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9 I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.
As our Bible study has looked at John we have detected a pattern in the gospel. Five times we have seen the same thing repeated. The pattern started with a sign, Jesus turned water into wine, healed a blind man, or raise Lazarus from the dead. Each sign was more spectacular than the previous and generated greater numbers of followers of Jesus and more excitement in the crowd. After each sign Jesus would try to explain the greater reality that the sign represented. But he would use cryptic language, words with double meanings, which both communicated what he was trying to say while still hiding the full implication of the sign. Jesus’ purpose was to preserve his life and ministry until the appropriate time when the full meaning of the signs would be revealed.
One way that Jesus hinted at the meaning of the signs was in his self description. Jesus said things like, “I am the living water” and “I am the light of the world”. In the Bible study group we scratched our heads as we wondered what this could possibly mean. The common words in all of these sayings were “I am”, the same words God used to describe himself to Moses at the burning bush. The implication was clear; Jesus was indirectly claiming to be God.
As people saw the signs and listened to what Jesus had to say some believed and some did not. Those who believed received the promise of eternal life. So what is it that we are to believe in order to receive the gift eternal life? The answer to this question finally comes in the 17th chapter of John where Jesus talked directly, not in riddles, to the Father in prayer.
Oneness with the Father
The first thing that I would like to talk about from our scripture today is that Jesus explicitly claims to be one with God. What does this oneness with God mean? For one thing it means that Jesus and God share the same glory. Glory comes from being in the presence of God. So Jesus reflects the Father’s glory because he was in the presence of God. Oneness also means that when Jesus spoke he was communicating the word of the Father. So both the signs and explanations that we read about in the Gospel of John are both not just from Jesus but also from God and in this sense Jesus and God are one. But oneness goes beyond what Jesus did and said. The scripture passage tells us that Jesus has been with God from before creation. In the beginning Jesus already existed with God. So oneness means that everything Jesus said and did was from God with whom Jesus has always existed and will exist forever. So, Jesus talks, acts, and exists in oneness with God.
Knowledge that lead to Eternal Life
Now I would like to talk about Jesus’ claim that he revealed God to humanity. Anyone conversant with the Hebrew Scriptures would know about God. It was a rabbi’s job to study the ancient scrolls that make up our Old Testament and teach others about God. But Jesus was more than just a rabbi. Jesus spoke not just from scripture, but from God himself. And it is through the knowledge of God that Jesus can provide what we need to receive the gift of eternal life. So Jesus not only reveals knowledge of God to us but reveals to all believers knowledge that results in eternal life. So what is this knowledge of God that Jesus reveals to all believers? The knowledge Jesus was giving the believers throughout the Gospel of John was contained in those two simple words, “I am”. So, If we believe that Jesus and God are one then we will have eternal life.
Oneness of Believers
What Jesus wants and asked the Father to do is to make all of his believers one just as Jesus and God are one. Here Jesus is calling for the unity of the church. But as we look around today we see that the church is anything but one. We are divided into denominations and are separated one from another over differences of theology and practice. Last week we celebrated the Protestant Reformation that separated us from the Roman Catholic Church over the meaning of sacraments and other issues. Much of my education was spent learning the distinctiveness of being a Presbyterian. It is hard to justify all of these different denominations around the world in the light of Jesus’ prayer that we should all be one.
There are divisions even within our own Presbyterian denomination. Last summer our General Assembly opened the door to the ordination of homosexuals to the ministry of Deacon, Elder and Pastor. Our Presbytery will be asked to ratify this decision in March and the expectation is that some churches will leave the denomination over this issue. How can schisms of the church promote the unity that Jesus prayed for?
That They May Be One
For too long the church has defined itself at our boundaries by highlighting the differences we have. This is not what Jesus prayed for at all. So we all have to change our definitions of church. Rather than defining ourselves by how we differ from each other we should now consider how we are similar to each other. Let us define ourselves by the center of our faith rather than by the margins. Let us acknowledge that all churches, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, whatever are all one because of our core belief at the center of our faith that Jesus Christ is one with God. We need to remember that before there were denominations we were all simply Christian.
The oneness of the church is not something that we can do alone. We can’t have a oneness program here a Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. And ecumenical meetings go on forever without a clear resolution. What we need is a gift. Unity in the church is a gift from God. So there is one thing we can all do. We can imitate Jesus and pray. Pray that the entire church will confess that Jesus is one with God and trust that one day God will make all of us one with Christ. And pray that the Presbytery will be given the gift of unity as it considers the important issue of ordination standards this spring.
The song we sang earlier captures this idea. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love.” Do we really walk with each other, walk hand in hand? Do we really work with each other, work side by side? We will if all of praise, honor and glory is given the one Father, Son and Holy Spirit whom we worship today.
Shortly we will be gathered by God around the table for the Lord’s Supper. This table is the source of many of our differences. In the 16th century we fought over the meaning of the bread and wine. Today we are fighting over the requirements for those who administer and serve the meal as ordained ministers, deacons and elders. But Christ wants us to be unified around this table because it is here that the glory of God is revealed to all believers. This table is a foretaste of the heavenly table where we will all partake in our eternal lives. So this meal should be the source of unity for all churches. And that is why everyone who believes that Jesus Christ in one with God is welcomed to be one with with us.
O God, you are the giver of life. We pray for the church in the whole world. Sanctify her life, renew her worship, give power to her witnessing, restore her unity. Give strength to those who are searching together for that kind of obedience which creates unity. Heal the divisions separating your children one from another, so that they will make fast, with bonds of peace, the unity which the Spirit gives. Amen.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Stewardship Letter to Eagle Rock Presbyterian
I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me? I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 116: 1, 2, 12, 17-19).
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Years ago Presbyterian pastors would tell their congregations to “count their blessings” as a spiritual practice. Every evening people would bow their heads in prayer and count up all the ways God had blessed them that day. Sadly, this practice has gone out of fashion as have so many other things we used to do. But I think “counting your blessings” should make a comeback. We should end each day by prayerfully remembering all the blessings that God has provided us.
By counting my blessings, I know that I have been richly blessed by the Lord. God has given me a wonderful church in a beautiful community and the opportunity to follow my calling to preach and teach the Word of God. I love God for all of my blessings. Because we have been blessed so much my wife and I made a difficult decision last year. We decided to tithe to the church. Each month we give the church one tenth of our income. As you might imagine this makes our personal budget very tight. But it is truly a sacrifice of thanksgiving because tithing brings us more joy than a few extra dollars in the bank ever could. We keep counting our blessings every day.
The Psalmist asks, “What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me"? This is our question too. What shall we return to the Lord for all our blessings? I challenge each of you to prayerfully ask God what percentage of your income God wants you to give to the church as a matter of faith. If God says “10%” rejoice because you will know that you have been richly blessed. Start counting your blessings.
Praise the LORD!
Jeff Howard
Pastor
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Years ago Presbyterian pastors would tell their congregations to “count their blessings” as a spiritual practice. Every evening people would bow their heads in prayer and count up all the ways God had blessed them that day. Sadly, this practice has gone out of fashion as have so many other things we used to do. But I think “counting your blessings” should make a comeback. We should end each day by prayerfully remembering all the blessings that God has provided us.
By counting my blessings, I know that I have been richly blessed by the Lord. God has given me a wonderful church in a beautiful community and the opportunity to follow my calling to preach and teach the Word of God. I love God for all of my blessings. Because we have been blessed so much my wife and I made a difficult decision last year. We decided to tithe to the church. Each month we give the church one tenth of our income. As you might imagine this makes our personal budget very tight. But it is truly a sacrifice of thanksgiving because tithing brings us more joy than a few extra dollars in the bank ever could. We keep counting our blessings every day.
The Psalmist asks, “What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me"? This is our question too. What shall we return to the Lord for all our blessings? I challenge each of you to prayerfully ask God what percentage of your income God wants you to give to the church as a matter of faith. If God says “10%” rejoice because you will know that you have been richly blessed. Start counting your blessings.
Praise the LORD!
Jeff Howard
Pastor
Advent and Christmas at ERPC
Advent and Christmas
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
You Shall Call Him Immanuel
Sunday Worship - Wednesday Communion Vespers
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday Worship
9:45AM - 5:30PM
November 30
We are Your People
Isaiah 64:1-9
December 7
Prepare the Way of the Lord
Isaiah 40:1-11
December 14
The Spirit is Upon Me
Isaiah 61:1-11
December 21
A Child is Born
Isaiah 9:2-7
Wednesday Vespers
7:00PM
December 3
Look, a Virgin Shall Conceive
Isaiah 7:10-17
December 10
The Eyes of the Blind Open
Isaiah 35
December 17
a little child will lead them
Isaiah 11:1-9
December 24
Christmas Eve
Good News of Great Joy!
Luke 2:1-14
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
You Shall Call Him Immanuel
Sunday Worship - Wednesday Communion Vespers
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
Sunday Worship
9:45AM - 5:30PM
November 30
We are Your People
Isaiah 64:1-9
December 7
Prepare the Way of the Lord
Isaiah 40:1-11
December 14
The Spirit is Upon Me
Isaiah 61:1-11
December 21
A Child is Born
Isaiah 9:2-7
Wednesday Vespers
7:00PM
December 3
Look, a Virgin Shall Conceive
Isaiah 7:10-17
December 10
The Eyes of the Blind Open
Isaiah 35
December 17
a little child will lead them
Isaiah 11:1-9
December 24
Christmas Eve
Good News of Great Joy!
Luke 2:1-14
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sermon 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Evangelism
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 19, 2008
This morning I would like to talk with you about a church which grew to have an important ministry in its community and region. This church was small and was part of a very diverse community just like us. One day a famous preacher and missionary came to town and began a very powerful ministry reaching out to people who were not Christian. But just three weeks later dissent within the church forced the preacher to leave. What are the odds that such a church would survive much less thrive after such an occurrence? And yet it did. The church that the Apostle Paul started in Thessalonica around 50AD grew rapidly and became one of the leading churches. What happened in those three weeks that literally turned the world upside down? We have a clue about what happened then and there. It is contained in letter Paul wrote from Corinth just months after leaving the Thessalonian church. Today we will begin looking at that letter to see how we can turn the world upside down in Eagle Rock today.
Father in heaven, we ask for your blessings to pour down upon our church this day. Help us to reach out into our community to bring the good news of your son Jesus to people who desperately need to hear it. Help us to be a welcoming community where people of all ethnic groups and income levels can worship together as we all will one day in heaven. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he gave us seven important lessons that we need to learn to be effective in following Jesus’ command to “go into the world and make disciples”. Let’s look carefully and prayerfully at each of these. Here is the first.
Pray for the people in the community
The first lesson we learn from Paul is that effective evangelism starts with prayer. We need to pray for the people in our community. And we need to be thankful for everyone that comes into our doors. I have heard of a church that goes into the community and knocks on doors offering prayer for whatever concerns the family inside. They use no sales pitch to get people to come to worship. Rather they just want to pray for the community and they keep doing it. If we prayed for all the people in Eagle Rock, if we prayed for our neighbors, we would quickly become the most powerful church this community has ever seen. I urge everyone here to join us each morning at 6AM as we pray for this church and this community, it is the most important thing we can do. So prayer is where we start. Let’s now move to the second lesson.
Accept everyone and focus on the strengths of the church
In this second lesson the Apostle teaches us to always remember the virtues of the people who come to our church. Too often people in church are concerned about how someone looks or what kind of job someone has. We naturally want to be with people who dress like us and have incomes like us. Sometimes this leads to a condescending attitude when someone unlike us comes to church. When this happens we criticize people for how they appear or the kind of job they have or where they live or how much money they make. But Paul always focused his attention on the strengths of his community. No matter what obstacles Paul faced or the dissension he found in the church Paul always focused on their great faith, works and hope in Jesus Christ. So when we talk about this church to others don’t talk about our problems or the obstacles we face. Rather always talk about the faith of its members, the love we have for one another, and our hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That way people will be drawn to our church and the church’s ministries can grow. This leads us to the third lesson that Paul gives us.
Proclaim to our neighbors the good news that they have been chosen by God.
The third lesson we learn from Paul is to proclaim the good news that we have received: that we have been chosen by God. Too many churches reverse this when they do evangelism. They demand that people choose God. Some Christian even threaten others that failure to choose God will lead to eternal damnation. But Paul tells us that God has already chosen us. And therefore all we need to ask others to do is to respond in gratitude. We can proclaim this good news to our friends and neighbors without fear and threats. All we have to do is to invite people to enjoy the blessings of God and respond in gratitude. And this takes us to our fourth lesson.
Focus on the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit
The reading and proclamation of God’s Holy Word is essential in any evangelism effort. That is why it is so important to read scripture every day, attend Christian education classes, and listen as the Gospel is proclaimed every Sunday. But just reading and studying scripture is not enough. For us to engage in evangelism we must not only be firmly grounded in scripture, but we must also be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do evangelism and precedes us into the community where it is already preparing the hearts of people who live in our neighborhood. All we need to do is to share with our friends and neighbors the good news we have heard and the blessings we have received. The Holy Spirit will do the rest to convict people of their sins and give them the desire to respond to the forgiving love of Jesus Christ leading us to our fifth lesson.
Be a people filled with joy
Even though we experience obstacles, problems, lack of money, and dissension we must always be a people of great joy. Others will be attracted to this church only when they see that we are a joyous people. Our joy comes from the good news of the Bible where we read of our salvation in Jesus Christ. And this joy is ours because of our faith which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. So whenever we talk to others about this church always tell them about the great joy you experience when you come here. Your experience of joy is the magnetic force that will attract people in our community to our fellowship. Now, we just have two more lessons to learn from Paul. Here is number six.
Be a model for other churches to follow
When we follow these lessons that Paul has given us we become a model of faith for others to follow. The Presbyterian Church has had declining membership for forty years because we have forgotten these basic principles. We need to follow the simple strategy that Paul developed two thousand years ago. If we, in this church, follow these seven simple steps of evangelism then we will not only grow, but we will be the model for other churches to follow. It is already happening. In the last year we have doubled attendance at this church. Our evening service now has as many people as we have in the morning. We did this by following these simple steps. As we continue doing these things our church will continue to grow, and we are already being noticed by other churches in our presbytery and across the country. And this leads to our final lesson from Paul.
Bring the good news we have heard to our family, friends and neighbors
Our seventh and final lesson is that we have to take all of this outside of the walls of the church. We have to offer others a personal relationship with our loving creator God though Jesus Christ and our hope of eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So with the power of the Holy Spirit and truth of Gospel go out into your world, your family, your clubs, your neighbors, your associations, your friends and tell them of the joy you have found in Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. Invite people to our worship and Bible study. Tell them about our ESL programs and Sunday evening worship service and dinner. Each of you is empowered to be evangelists for this church. Though you, the Holy Spirit will work bringing others in our community to salvation in Jesus Christ. You are the chosen ones of God selected to bring the good news to all people in Eagle Rock.
Conclusion
So what are the seven step of evangelism that caused the Thessalonian church to grow and become a significant church in its city and region?
Pray for the people in the community
Accept everyone and focus on the strengths of the church
Proclaim to our neighbors the good news that they have been chosen by God.
Focus on the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit
Be a people filled with joy
Be a model for other churches to follow
Bring the good news we have heard to our family, friends and neighbors
Holy Spirit, empower us as we go out into world as your apostles. Fill us with joy and the assurance that you are already at work in our community. Allow us to assist you in this work to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the people in this community. And we pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.
Sermon 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 19, 2008
This morning I would like to talk with you about a church which grew to have an important ministry in its community and region. This church was small and was part of a very diverse community just like us. One day a famous preacher and missionary came to town and began a very powerful ministry reaching out to people who were not Christian. But just three weeks later dissent within the church forced the preacher to leave. What are the odds that such a church would survive much less thrive after such an occurrence? And yet it did. The church that the Apostle Paul started in Thessalonica around 50AD grew rapidly and became one of the leading churches. What happened in those three weeks that literally turned the world upside down? We have a clue about what happened then and there. It is contained in letter Paul wrote from Corinth just months after leaving the Thessalonian church. Today we will begin looking at that letter to see how we can turn the world upside down in Eagle Rock today.
Father in heaven, we ask for your blessings to pour down upon our church this day. Help us to reach out into our community to bring the good news of your son Jesus to people who desperately need to hear it. Help us to be a welcoming community where people of all ethnic groups and income levels can worship together as we all will one day in heaven. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. 2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-- Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
In the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians he gave us seven important lessons that we need to learn to be effective in following Jesus’ command to “go into the world and make disciples”. Let’s look carefully and prayerfully at each of these. Here is the first.
Pray for the people in the community
The first lesson we learn from Paul is that effective evangelism starts with prayer. We need to pray for the people in our community. And we need to be thankful for everyone that comes into our doors. I have heard of a church that goes into the community and knocks on doors offering prayer for whatever concerns the family inside. They use no sales pitch to get people to come to worship. Rather they just want to pray for the community and they keep doing it. If we prayed for all the people in Eagle Rock, if we prayed for our neighbors, we would quickly become the most powerful church this community has ever seen. I urge everyone here to join us each morning at 6AM as we pray for this church and this community, it is the most important thing we can do. So prayer is where we start. Let’s now move to the second lesson.
Accept everyone and focus on the strengths of the church
In this second lesson the Apostle teaches us to always remember the virtues of the people who come to our church. Too often people in church are concerned about how someone looks or what kind of job someone has. We naturally want to be with people who dress like us and have incomes like us. Sometimes this leads to a condescending attitude when someone unlike us comes to church. When this happens we criticize people for how they appear or the kind of job they have or where they live or how much money they make. But Paul always focused his attention on the strengths of his community. No matter what obstacles Paul faced or the dissension he found in the church Paul always focused on their great faith, works and hope in Jesus Christ. So when we talk about this church to others don’t talk about our problems or the obstacles we face. Rather always talk about the faith of its members, the love we have for one another, and our hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That way people will be drawn to our church and the church’s ministries can grow. This leads us to the third lesson that Paul gives us.
Proclaim to our neighbors the good news that they have been chosen by God.
The third lesson we learn from Paul is to proclaim the good news that we have received: that we have been chosen by God. Too many churches reverse this when they do evangelism. They demand that people choose God. Some Christian even threaten others that failure to choose God will lead to eternal damnation. But Paul tells us that God has already chosen us. And therefore all we need to ask others to do is to respond in gratitude. We can proclaim this good news to our friends and neighbors without fear and threats. All we have to do is to invite people to enjoy the blessings of God and respond in gratitude. And this takes us to our fourth lesson.
Focus on the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit
The reading and proclamation of God’s Holy Word is essential in any evangelism effort. That is why it is so important to read scripture every day, attend Christian education classes, and listen as the Gospel is proclaimed every Sunday. But just reading and studying scripture is not enough. For us to engage in evangelism we must not only be firmly grounded in scripture, but we must also be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do evangelism and precedes us into the community where it is already preparing the hearts of people who live in our neighborhood. All we need to do is to share with our friends and neighbors the good news we have heard and the blessings we have received. The Holy Spirit will do the rest to convict people of their sins and give them the desire to respond to the forgiving love of Jesus Christ leading us to our fifth lesson.
Be a people filled with joy
Even though we experience obstacles, problems, lack of money, and dissension we must always be a people of great joy. Others will be attracted to this church only when they see that we are a joyous people. Our joy comes from the good news of the Bible where we read of our salvation in Jesus Christ. And this joy is ours because of our faith which is a gift of the Holy Spirit. So whenever we talk to others about this church always tell them about the great joy you experience when you come here. Your experience of joy is the magnetic force that will attract people in our community to our fellowship. Now, we just have two more lessons to learn from Paul. Here is number six.
Be a model for other churches to follow
When we follow these lessons that Paul has given us we become a model of faith for others to follow. The Presbyterian Church has had declining membership for forty years because we have forgotten these basic principles. We need to follow the simple strategy that Paul developed two thousand years ago. If we, in this church, follow these seven simple steps of evangelism then we will not only grow, but we will be the model for other churches to follow. It is already happening. In the last year we have doubled attendance at this church. Our evening service now has as many people as we have in the morning. We did this by following these simple steps. As we continue doing these things our church will continue to grow, and we are already being noticed by other churches in our presbytery and across the country. And this leads to our final lesson from Paul.
Bring the good news we have heard to our family, friends and neighbors
Our seventh and final lesson is that we have to take all of this outside of the walls of the church. We have to offer others a personal relationship with our loving creator God though Jesus Christ and our hope of eternal life through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So with the power of the Holy Spirit and truth of Gospel go out into your world, your family, your clubs, your neighbors, your associations, your friends and tell them of the joy you have found in Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. Invite people to our worship and Bible study. Tell them about our ESL programs and Sunday evening worship service and dinner. Each of you is empowered to be evangelists for this church. Though you, the Holy Spirit will work bringing others in our community to salvation in Jesus Christ. You are the chosen ones of God selected to bring the good news to all people in Eagle Rock.
Conclusion
So what are the seven step of evangelism that caused the Thessalonian church to grow and become a significant church in its city and region?
Pray for the people in the community
Accept everyone and focus on the strengths of the church
Proclaim to our neighbors the good news that they have been chosen by God.
Focus on the Word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit
Be a people filled with joy
Be a model for other churches to follow
Bring the good news we have heard to our family, friends and neighbors
Holy Spirit, empower us as we go out into world as your apostles. Fill us with joy and the assurance that you are already at work in our community. Allow us to assist you in this work to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to the people in this community. And we pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Sermon – Philippians 4:1-9 - Joy
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Philippians 4:1-9 - Joy
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 12, 2008
This morning in your bulletin I put an excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters in the For Reflection section. This reference requires a little explanation. I love this book very much, but you have to read it in a special way. The book consists of a series of letters supposedly written by the devil or Screwtape to his assistant Wormwood for the purpose of discouraging people from becoming Christians. So the letters are from the perspective of the devil and must be read by us in reverse. In this passage we can see the frustration of the devil when Christians experience great joy in worship. The devil, it seems, has no idea where joy comes from; it is a total mystery. So today I will be talking about where joy originates and if the devil would like to listen in he is welcome to do so.
But first let’s pray. Father in heaven bless us this day with your presence and give us the great joy of your kingdom. We have brought our concerns with us this morning and we ask that you quiet our minds so that we may experience your peace. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Philippians 4:1-9 – My Translation
Thus, my beloved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and reason for boasting, in this way, stand firm in the Lord, beloved ones.
I urge Euodia and Syntyche to both think in the Lord. Indeed I ask you also, loyal Syzygus, help these women who in the gospel struggled with me also with Clement and with the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to all people for the Lord is near.
Do not worry, but do everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let your requests be known to God.
And the peace of God which rises above your thinking will guard your heart and your thinking in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is praiseworthy, if something is virtuous and if something is worthy of praise, think about these things. And whatever you learned, whatever you received, whatever you heard, whatever you saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
According to scripture all Christians should be experiencing great joy. Joy, after all, came in the world with our blessed savior Jesus Christ. Every Christmas we sing “Joy the World the Savior Comes.” Scripture also teaches us that the reason why Jesus came into the world and taught us as he did was for us to have joy in its fullness. We first experience this joy when we realize that our sins are forgiven and the salvation of our souls is assured. And this joy continues as we continue in faith in Jesus Christ. Whenever Christians come together this joy is present and whenever a sinner repents heaven too is filled with joy. Peter tells us that the joy we experience is both indescribable and glorious. The Apostle Paul experienced this joy whenever he saw his churches growing with new believers. And he tells us that joy is a gift from God brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Joy is an integral part of the Kingdom of God. Certainly joy is to be our experience whenever we come into contact with God in worship and prayer.
But I suspect that many of us today in worship are not experiencing joy. We have come into this sanctuary with heavy hearts. We have a lot on our minds. We have all experienced troubling times when we experience sadness and grief and turn to God in prayer hoping to receive a little of the joy scripture promises. Many of us are concerned about the falling value of our investments. Others are concerned about health and family. We have so many things to think about that our minds are often overwhelmed. And when this happens it is very difficult to experience the joy God wants us to have.
In our Old Testament reading this morning the Hebrews had come into the presence of God. They stood before an exploding volcano surrounded by a great hurricane. Their God was right there with them. This was a time for great joy. Yet they experienced fear. They feared that Moses was dead. They feared for their own lives. So they decided that their joy rested not in the God of their ancestors, but in the god of their wealth. They though that joy could be found in their gold and this joy would be magnified if all their gold and wealth was molded into a golden calf. Surely a festival around the most beautiful and expensive object humanity had ever created would be the source of their greatest joy. But they were wrong because gold and wealth can never bring us great joy.
In Philippi two important women of the church were quarrelling over some issue. We don’t know what the issue was, but we know that the argument was preventing them and probably the entire church from experiencing the great joy that comes from the Holy Spirit whenever we come into the presence of God in worship and prayer. Paul addressed this situation in the passage I read earlier. He asked his loyal friend Syzygus to help these women to leave behind their cares and worries so that they could experience great joy in the Lord.
According to Paul whenever we come into the presence of God in prayer or worship we should feel and act appropriately. Our feelings should be joyous and our actions should be gentle. Gentleness is how we signal to other that the Lord has come near us. Often when we are upset, angry, or grieving we become surly, aggressive, or uncaring. This prevents us from experiencing joy as we should. So the first step in finding joy is to become gentle and caring demonstrating to others the love that God is giving you. When you act gently your feelings of sadness and grief will be lessened and you are on the road to joy.
But being gentle is just a beginning. It is not enough to bring you all the way to joy. Something more is needed. And this something more is called prayer. Whatever is troubling you and preventing you from experiencing the promised joy you should take to God in prayer. Express all your fears, your needs, and your worries to God. And as you pray always remember to thank God for all the blessings you have received. This is the second step on our way to joy, always approach God with a thankful heart for taking our cares and concerns away and leading us to joy.
When you do these two things, act gently and approach God with gratitude, a miracle will occur. We receive a gift from God. This gift is in the form of new thoughts. Here’s how it works. We are all thinking all the time. It is as if we have a tape in our heads that runs over and over again. We remember past hurts and past grieving. The same thoughts just keep coming. We can’t get them out of our minds. The tape loops on and on. I know of people still grieving the death of loved ones decades ago. I know others still reliving the awful hurts of a troubled childhood or a broken relationship. Once you begin thinking negative thoughts it is very difficult to stop. And negative thinking in incompatible with joy.
But when we act in gentleness, pray in gratitude, and receive the gift of God’s peace new thoughts will replace the old ones that have tormented us for so long. This is why it is so important to fill our thinking with Christ Jesus. Thoughts about Christ will replace the negative thoughts we have had about ourselves for years. This is why Paul exhorts us to fill our thoughts with what is true, honorable, pure, holy, pleasing and praiseworthy. These are all attributes of Christ. As we think about these things God gives us the gift of His peace.
So, how do we change our thoughts from our own problems to Christ? We do this by reading and hearing scripture and learning from it to change what we think and do. That is why it is essential to place yourself in the presence of God each day by reading and meditating on scripture. On the back table the Deacons place copies of Our Daily Bread. These are free, so take one we you leave today. Inside you will see devotions for every day. A scripture passage is recommended, read it. Read and think about the devotional article for each day. And remember to pray the prayer at the bottom of the page so that you invite God into you presence each and every day. Then take what you read in the Bible and use it in your daily life. Your regular scripture reading and prayer will be used by the Holy Spirit to transform you into what God created you to be a joyous person.
Paul’s promise is that as we act with gentleness, as we offer up our worries in prayer, as we engage in the regular spiritual practices like daily scripture reading, our thoughts will begin to change. We will leave behind all the thoughts of grief and hurt that has plagued us for years. In their place we will begin to think thoughts of Christ with their transformational power. When our minds are filled with thoughts of Jesus Christ then we can experience the presence of God in worship and prayer. And we know that whenever we come into the presence of God the gift we receive is joy. So today I urge you to trade in your old thoughts for new thoughts and begin to think in news ways in Christ. Then you will be able to “rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice”.
Sermon – Philippians 4:1-9 - Joy
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 12, 2008
This morning in your bulletin I put an excerpt from C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters in the For Reflection section. This reference requires a little explanation. I love this book very much, but you have to read it in a special way. The book consists of a series of letters supposedly written by the devil or Screwtape to his assistant Wormwood for the purpose of discouraging people from becoming Christians. So the letters are from the perspective of the devil and must be read by us in reverse. In this passage we can see the frustration of the devil when Christians experience great joy in worship. The devil, it seems, has no idea where joy comes from; it is a total mystery. So today I will be talking about where joy originates and if the devil would like to listen in he is welcome to do so.
But first let’s pray. Father in heaven bless us this day with your presence and give us the great joy of your kingdom. We have brought our concerns with us this morning and we ask that you quiet our minds so that we may experience your peace. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Philippians 4:1-9 – My Translation
Thus, my beloved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and reason for boasting, in this way, stand firm in the Lord, beloved ones.
I urge Euodia and Syntyche to both think in the Lord. Indeed I ask you also, loyal Syzygus, help these women who in the gospel struggled with me also with Clement and with the rest of my co-workers whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always again I will say, rejoice.
Let your gentleness be known to all people for the Lord is near.
Do not worry, but do everything in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving and let your requests be known to God.
And the peace of God which rises above your thinking will guard your heart and your thinking in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is praiseworthy, if something is virtuous and if something is worthy of praise, think about these things. And whatever you learned, whatever you received, whatever you heard, whatever you saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
According to scripture all Christians should be experiencing great joy. Joy, after all, came in the world with our blessed savior Jesus Christ. Every Christmas we sing “Joy the World the Savior Comes.” Scripture also teaches us that the reason why Jesus came into the world and taught us as he did was for us to have joy in its fullness. We first experience this joy when we realize that our sins are forgiven and the salvation of our souls is assured. And this joy continues as we continue in faith in Jesus Christ. Whenever Christians come together this joy is present and whenever a sinner repents heaven too is filled with joy. Peter tells us that the joy we experience is both indescribable and glorious. The Apostle Paul experienced this joy whenever he saw his churches growing with new believers. And he tells us that joy is a gift from God brought to us by the Holy Spirit. Joy is an integral part of the Kingdom of God. Certainly joy is to be our experience whenever we come into contact with God in worship and prayer.
But I suspect that many of us today in worship are not experiencing joy. We have come into this sanctuary with heavy hearts. We have a lot on our minds. We have all experienced troubling times when we experience sadness and grief and turn to God in prayer hoping to receive a little of the joy scripture promises. Many of us are concerned about the falling value of our investments. Others are concerned about health and family. We have so many things to think about that our minds are often overwhelmed. And when this happens it is very difficult to experience the joy God wants us to have.
In our Old Testament reading this morning the Hebrews had come into the presence of God. They stood before an exploding volcano surrounded by a great hurricane. Their God was right there with them. This was a time for great joy. Yet they experienced fear. They feared that Moses was dead. They feared for their own lives. So they decided that their joy rested not in the God of their ancestors, but in the god of their wealth. They though that joy could be found in their gold and this joy would be magnified if all their gold and wealth was molded into a golden calf. Surely a festival around the most beautiful and expensive object humanity had ever created would be the source of their greatest joy. But they were wrong because gold and wealth can never bring us great joy.
In Philippi two important women of the church were quarrelling over some issue. We don’t know what the issue was, but we know that the argument was preventing them and probably the entire church from experiencing the great joy that comes from the Holy Spirit whenever we come into the presence of God in worship and prayer. Paul addressed this situation in the passage I read earlier. He asked his loyal friend Syzygus to help these women to leave behind their cares and worries so that they could experience great joy in the Lord.
According to Paul whenever we come into the presence of God in prayer or worship we should feel and act appropriately. Our feelings should be joyous and our actions should be gentle. Gentleness is how we signal to other that the Lord has come near us. Often when we are upset, angry, or grieving we become surly, aggressive, or uncaring. This prevents us from experiencing joy as we should. So the first step in finding joy is to become gentle and caring demonstrating to others the love that God is giving you. When you act gently your feelings of sadness and grief will be lessened and you are on the road to joy.
But being gentle is just a beginning. It is not enough to bring you all the way to joy. Something more is needed. And this something more is called prayer. Whatever is troubling you and preventing you from experiencing the promised joy you should take to God in prayer. Express all your fears, your needs, and your worries to God. And as you pray always remember to thank God for all the blessings you have received. This is the second step on our way to joy, always approach God with a thankful heart for taking our cares and concerns away and leading us to joy.
When you do these two things, act gently and approach God with gratitude, a miracle will occur. We receive a gift from God. This gift is in the form of new thoughts. Here’s how it works. We are all thinking all the time. It is as if we have a tape in our heads that runs over and over again. We remember past hurts and past grieving. The same thoughts just keep coming. We can’t get them out of our minds. The tape loops on and on. I know of people still grieving the death of loved ones decades ago. I know others still reliving the awful hurts of a troubled childhood or a broken relationship. Once you begin thinking negative thoughts it is very difficult to stop. And negative thinking in incompatible with joy.
But when we act in gentleness, pray in gratitude, and receive the gift of God’s peace new thoughts will replace the old ones that have tormented us for so long. This is why it is so important to fill our thinking with Christ Jesus. Thoughts about Christ will replace the negative thoughts we have had about ourselves for years. This is why Paul exhorts us to fill our thoughts with what is true, honorable, pure, holy, pleasing and praiseworthy. These are all attributes of Christ. As we think about these things God gives us the gift of His peace.
So, how do we change our thoughts from our own problems to Christ? We do this by reading and hearing scripture and learning from it to change what we think and do. That is why it is essential to place yourself in the presence of God each day by reading and meditating on scripture. On the back table the Deacons place copies of Our Daily Bread. These are free, so take one we you leave today. Inside you will see devotions for every day. A scripture passage is recommended, read it. Read and think about the devotional article for each day. And remember to pray the prayer at the bottom of the page so that you invite God into you presence each and every day. Then take what you read in the Bible and use it in your daily life. Your regular scripture reading and prayer will be used by the Holy Spirit to transform you into what God created you to be a joyous person.
Paul’s promise is that as we act with gentleness, as we offer up our worries in prayer, as we engage in the regular spiritual practices like daily scripture reading, our thoughts will begin to change. We will leave behind all the thoughts of grief and hurt that has plagued us for years. In their place we will begin to think thoughts of Christ with their transformational power. When our minds are filled with thoughts of Jesus Christ then we can experience the presence of God in worship and prayer. And we know that whenever we come into the presence of God the gift we receive is joy. So today I urge you to trade in your old thoughts for new thoughts and begin to think in news ways in Christ. Then you will be able to “rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice”.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Sermon Exodus 20, Philippians 3:1-14 – The Heavenly Call of God
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Exodus 20, Philippians 3:1-14 – The Heavenly Call of God
October 5, 2008
This morning we are gathering together with saints from around the world to celebrate World Communion Sunday. Christians from every nation, race and class are approaching God’s throne to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of us are responding to God’s call to be here today and to accept our own identities as Christians. This is a most awesome experience because responding to God’s call is the most important we do in our lives. So as we gather around this table today let us bow our heads and pray that today we will hear and respond to God’s call.
Father in heaven your servants have come here today to approach you just as the Hebrews approached your mountain long ago. We have come here today to listen for your voice so that we may respond to your call. Call us, we ask, to lives of obedience and service so that we may glorify you. And we pray all of this in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Philippians 3:4-14 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
When God was ready to call the Hebrews to a life of obedience and service she did so in a big way. God has already redeemed his people from slavery and humbled them by forcing them to depend on her divine providence for food and water while wandering in the wilderness. Now God was really ready to get their attention. The people were already aware of God because they saw the pillar of cloud and fire as they moved through the wilderness. But now God had a far more spectacular show in store for them. He appeared on the top of a mountain in the midst of an exploding volcano and hurricane. It is hard to miss God’s call when she does something like that.
Once God got the people’s attention he blessed them by giving them instructions for leading a good life. God has created us in very specific ways and as our creator, God know exactly how we operate. So God gave us the Ten Commandments as an instruction manual for humanity. Just as the Ford Motor Company puts an owner’s manual in each car with instructions not to put transmission fluid where motor oil should go so too does God give us a manual for living our lives. Lying, stealing, killing, adultery, drunkenness, and worshiping other gods have much the same effect on us that putting water in the gas tank would have on a car. It gums up our works and we don’t operate as planned. From the top of the mountain, God called his people to lives of obedience and service because lives of obedience and service are exactly what God created us to have.
God’s call to Paul was a little more subtle. There was no volcano or hurricane. Paul was already supremely confident in his relationship with God. He grew up in the care of obedient parents who took their eight day old baby for the required circumcism. As Paul grew older he recognized that even though he was a citizen of Rome his heart was still with the Hebrews, the people of God. Paul developed a strong love for God’s law and was sent to Jerusalem to continue his education under Gamiel, one of the great teachers of Israel. And with great zeal Paul defended his faith against heretics from the new sect of Jesus followers called Christians. Paul had done everything right. He was always obedient to God’s law. Paul saw all this as a great accomplishment and the wall of his office must have been filled with certificates and diplomas. But when Paul heard God’s call through the voice of Jesus coming from a great light he realized that all of these achievements of his were worthless because of the great value of knowing Jesus Christ.
Shortly we will gather around this table for World Communion. Celebrating this sacrament with us today are three Doctors of the Church, two ordained Ministers of the Word and Sacrament, and a couple of Candidates for the Ministry of the Word of Sacrament. Like Paul all of our walls are all filled with diplomas and certificates of achievement. Like Paul we have all tried our best to lead obedient lives. And like Paul we are all discovering that all of our accomplishments are worthless when compared to the new lives given to us by Jesus Christ.
Five years ago I was living a comfortable life. I had lots of friends, a successful business, and a loving family. I was active in my church and taught adult Bible studies for many years. But something was missing. I didn’t have enough diplomas and certificates of achievement on my wall. So I enrolled at Fuller Seminary to get an additional Masters diploma and a Certificate of Ordination from the Presbyterian Church. After years of work I finally got those two pieces of paper and they are proudly displayed with several others on the wall of my office upstairs. But as I have pursued ministry here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church I have come to realize, like Paul, that those pieces of paper are worthless when compared to a life of obedience and service to Jesus Christ. Let me tell you what has happened in my year of ministry that has caused me to think this.
Last year I began my ministry here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church with a call to make the church grow. So I did all the things I was supposed to do. I put banners on the building, started a new ESL program, passed out fliers, and launched an International and Contemporary Worship Service on Sunday evenings. My hope was that families in Eagle Rock would start coming to this church. What I did not know at that time was that Christ was calling me to a completely different kind of ministry than I had expected.
It started last winter when God began sending some of the poorest people in our community to our evening service. I began to meet people who live on the streets right here in Eagle Rock. Others were living in a dormitory for people suffering from mental health issues. Most of the people I met were desperately trying to find affordable housing. At first I worried that these people were coming just for the fellowship dinner we were servings after worship. But I quickly realized that almost all were coming to worship as well. They were participating in worship, small groups and prayers. Christ was calling those who live on the margins of society to worship God in this church. And they were responding by volunteering their services to the church and with pennies in the collection plate. I realized that Christ was calling me to be the pastor for the poorest people in our community. How was I to respond?
Nothing in my experience or education had prepared me for a ministry to the poor, homeless and marginalized of Northeast LA. So I got involved with a group of people from area churches who gather together to discuss homeless issues. I have talked with retired pastors and seminary professors about how to do this kind of ministry. I have thought about how to finance this ministry because of the strain it puts on church and my personal finances. And now Christ has given me the opportunity to talk with you, the combined churches who worship here in this sacred place.
If there is anything that World Communion Sunday teaches us it is that we are all united in the one mission of Jesus Christ. We are all called by God to a ministry of justice and righteousness. This means that all of us are called to a ministry for the poor, the marginalized, the displaced, and the homeless in our community. God has called us to this ministry by bringing the disadvantaged right here to this sacred sanctuary every Sunday evening.
We are all God’s people. Our time of worship, the name of our church, and our ethnic group have no value in God’s eyes. We are all called to lives of obedience and service. And though God’s actions in our evening worship it is clear to me that we are all called to a ministry of service to poorest in our community. So I challenge both Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church and Filipino Community Presbyterian Church to respond to God’s call to serve those who come here Sunday evenings for both real and spiritual food. Respond to the needs of the neediest in our community with your money and your time and your prayers. This is your calling from God.
When Paul responded to God’s call with a life of obedience and service he found that he was blessed more than he ever expected to be. He experienced a new and restored relationship with God and the power that comes with the knowledge of the promise of resurrection from the dead and new life. And even though he endured suffering because of his relationship with Christ he knew that Christ was faithful. So, with supreme confidence, he could live a life of obedience and service suffering death if necessary because of the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
This promise is sealed upon us as we gather around this table today. As you come forward listen for the voice of the Jesus calling you to life of obedience and service. Be transformed as you eat the bread and drink the juice. And then respond, confident that Christ will be with you every step of the way, to the desperate needs of the poorest people in Eagle Rock who also will gather around this table today.
Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your love and transforming power. Help us to hear God’s Heavenly Call through the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to us through the sacrament today. Guide us as we lead lives in obedience and service to those in need in our community. Fill with confidence that even though we may experience suffering we will remember that we are heirs to resurrection of the dead, so that in Christ we have nothing to fear. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Exodus 20, Philippians 3:1-14 – The Heavenly Call of God
October 5, 2008
This morning we are gathering together with saints from around the world to celebrate World Communion Sunday. Christians from every nation, race and class are approaching God’s throne to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. All of us are responding to God’s call to be here today and to accept our own identities as Christians. This is a most awesome experience because responding to God’s call is the most important we do in our lives. So as we gather around this table today let us bow our heads and pray that today we will hear and respond to God’s call.
Father in heaven your servants have come here today to approach you just as the Hebrews approached your mountain long ago. We have come here today to listen for your voice so that we may respond to your call. Call us, we ask, to lives of obedience and service so that we may glorify you. And we pray all of this in the name of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Philippians 3:4-14 If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
When God was ready to call the Hebrews to a life of obedience and service she did so in a big way. God has already redeemed his people from slavery and humbled them by forcing them to depend on her divine providence for food and water while wandering in the wilderness. Now God was really ready to get their attention. The people were already aware of God because they saw the pillar of cloud and fire as they moved through the wilderness. But now God had a far more spectacular show in store for them. He appeared on the top of a mountain in the midst of an exploding volcano and hurricane. It is hard to miss God’s call when she does something like that.
Once God got the people’s attention he blessed them by giving them instructions for leading a good life. God has created us in very specific ways and as our creator, God know exactly how we operate. So God gave us the Ten Commandments as an instruction manual for humanity. Just as the Ford Motor Company puts an owner’s manual in each car with instructions not to put transmission fluid where motor oil should go so too does God give us a manual for living our lives. Lying, stealing, killing, adultery, drunkenness, and worshiping other gods have much the same effect on us that putting water in the gas tank would have on a car. It gums up our works and we don’t operate as planned. From the top of the mountain, God called his people to lives of obedience and service because lives of obedience and service are exactly what God created us to have.
God’s call to Paul was a little more subtle. There was no volcano or hurricane. Paul was already supremely confident in his relationship with God. He grew up in the care of obedient parents who took their eight day old baby for the required circumcism. As Paul grew older he recognized that even though he was a citizen of Rome his heart was still with the Hebrews, the people of God. Paul developed a strong love for God’s law and was sent to Jerusalem to continue his education under Gamiel, one of the great teachers of Israel. And with great zeal Paul defended his faith against heretics from the new sect of Jesus followers called Christians. Paul had done everything right. He was always obedient to God’s law. Paul saw all this as a great accomplishment and the wall of his office must have been filled with certificates and diplomas. But when Paul heard God’s call through the voice of Jesus coming from a great light he realized that all of these achievements of his were worthless because of the great value of knowing Jesus Christ.
Shortly we will gather around this table for World Communion. Celebrating this sacrament with us today are three Doctors of the Church, two ordained Ministers of the Word and Sacrament, and a couple of Candidates for the Ministry of the Word of Sacrament. Like Paul all of our walls are all filled with diplomas and certificates of achievement. Like Paul we have all tried our best to lead obedient lives. And like Paul we are all discovering that all of our accomplishments are worthless when compared to the new lives given to us by Jesus Christ.
Five years ago I was living a comfortable life. I had lots of friends, a successful business, and a loving family. I was active in my church and taught adult Bible studies for many years. But something was missing. I didn’t have enough diplomas and certificates of achievement on my wall. So I enrolled at Fuller Seminary to get an additional Masters diploma and a Certificate of Ordination from the Presbyterian Church. After years of work I finally got those two pieces of paper and they are proudly displayed with several others on the wall of my office upstairs. But as I have pursued ministry here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church I have come to realize, like Paul, that those pieces of paper are worthless when compared to a life of obedience and service to Jesus Christ. Let me tell you what has happened in my year of ministry that has caused me to think this.
Last year I began my ministry here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church with a call to make the church grow. So I did all the things I was supposed to do. I put banners on the building, started a new ESL program, passed out fliers, and launched an International and Contemporary Worship Service on Sunday evenings. My hope was that families in Eagle Rock would start coming to this church. What I did not know at that time was that Christ was calling me to a completely different kind of ministry than I had expected.
It started last winter when God began sending some of the poorest people in our community to our evening service. I began to meet people who live on the streets right here in Eagle Rock. Others were living in a dormitory for people suffering from mental health issues. Most of the people I met were desperately trying to find affordable housing. At first I worried that these people were coming just for the fellowship dinner we were servings after worship. But I quickly realized that almost all were coming to worship as well. They were participating in worship, small groups and prayers. Christ was calling those who live on the margins of society to worship God in this church. And they were responding by volunteering their services to the church and with pennies in the collection plate. I realized that Christ was calling me to be the pastor for the poorest people in our community. How was I to respond?
Nothing in my experience or education had prepared me for a ministry to the poor, homeless and marginalized of Northeast LA. So I got involved with a group of people from area churches who gather together to discuss homeless issues. I have talked with retired pastors and seminary professors about how to do this kind of ministry. I have thought about how to finance this ministry because of the strain it puts on church and my personal finances. And now Christ has given me the opportunity to talk with you, the combined churches who worship here in this sacred place.
If there is anything that World Communion Sunday teaches us it is that we are all united in the one mission of Jesus Christ. We are all called by God to a ministry of justice and righteousness. This means that all of us are called to a ministry for the poor, the marginalized, the displaced, and the homeless in our community. God has called us to this ministry by bringing the disadvantaged right here to this sacred sanctuary every Sunday evening.
We are all God’s people. Our time of worship, the name of our church, and our ethnic group have no value in God’s eyes. We are all called to lives of obedience and service. And though God’s actions in our evening worship it is clear to me that we are all called to a ministry of service to poorest in our community. So I challenge both Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church and Filipino Community Presbyterian Church to respond to God’s call to serve those who come here Sunday evenings for both real and spiritual food. Respond to the needs of the neediest in our community with your money and your time and your prayers. This is your calling from God.
When Paul responded to God’s call with a life of obedience and service he found that he was blessed more than he ever expected to be. He experienced a new and restored relationship with God and the power that comes with the knowledge of the promise of resurrection from the dead and new life. And even though he endured suffering because of his relationship with Christ he knew that Christ was faithful. So, with supreme confidence, he could live a life of obedience and service suffering death if necessary because of the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
This promise is sealed upon us as we gather around this table today. As you come forward listen for the voice of the Jesus calling you to life of obedience and service. Be transformed as you eat the bread and drink the juice. And then respond, confident that Christ will be with you every step of the way, to the desperate needs of the poorest people in Eagle Rock who also will gather around this table today.
Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your love and transforming power. Help us to hear God’s Heavenly Call through the voice of Jesus Christ speaking to us through the sacrament today. Guide us as we lead lives in obedience and service to those in need in our community. Fill with confidence that even though we may experience suffering we will remember that we are heirs to resurrection of the dead, so that in Christ we have nothing to fear. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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