Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Vision Article for August
July 26, 2008
In recent months, gang violence, crime and drug use have been increasing in our neighborhood. This is the work of the Devil trying to take control of our community. As Christians we must not allow this to happen because we are the only hope the community has. So it is time for all Christians in North East LA to stand up and declare, in the name of Christ, that there will be Peace in the North East!
On August 16 at 10AM churches and community leaders will assemble on the corner of York and Figueroa to declare God’s peace and hope for our neighborhood. Then we will march down York to Victory Outreach on Eagle Rock Blvd., praying for God’s Peace in North East LA.
I hope to see you there, but if you are unable to March I urge you to pray, during the march, for Peace in the North East.
Blessings, Jeff
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sermon Genesis 29:15-28, Mt 13:32=33, 44-46 The Kingdom of Heaven is like...
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Gen 29:15-28, Mt. 13:31-33, 44-46 – The Kingdom of Heaven is like …
July 27, 2008
This week I am finishing up my first year with you as your pastor. Last August I came here fresh from graduation at Fuller and after a quick visit to South Korea I arrived here as your student pastor under the very capable supervision of your interim pastor, Rev. Bill Van Ness. A year ago I wondered what the Kingdom of Heaven would look like here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church after Grace and I had a chance to do ministry here. I had many hopes and expectations. I can say that many of those hopes and expectations have been realized, but there have been many surprises along the way. In many ways this church is far different from what it was a year ago and is becoming something we didn’t expect. But God is at work building her kingdom.
Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus we ask that you transform Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church into God’s kingdom. Lead us in the ways you would have us do ministry here in this neighborhood. Prepare us to minister to the needs of the people in this community. And bring us the great joy of participating in your work in our world. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Matthew 13:31-33 31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
Matthew 13:44-46 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Kingdom of God, or as Matthew calls it, the Kingdom of Heaven, was the central message of Jesus’ teachings. Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven using parables where he compared the unknown Kingdom of Heaven to something that was already known. So Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a tiny little seed that grows up into a big bush. Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like the invisible gas leavening bread dough. Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure you have found and in great joy sacrifice everything you have to get that one precious pearl.
God started building the kingdom of heaven at creation, and the work continued with the blessing of Abraham and the command to Abraham and his descendants to be a blessing to all families in the world. God’s kingdom work continued though Isaac and his son Jacob.
Now, Jacob’s mind must have been swirling around as he walked silently and all alone to his uncle’s house in Haran. In his dream God had told him many things that he had to think through. It was hard for him to imagine what God had in store. How could this lone man, whose family hated him and had the reputation of being a schemer and cheater, become the seed for a family of God’s people that would cover the world like dust to its four corners? Jacob must have considered himself so small when compared to all that God had in store. Maybe, like his descendant 2000 years later, he thought about himself as a mustard seed so small and yet, somehow, would grow into a bush so large that it would be a blessing even to the birds flying in the heavens.
But even to Jacob, God’s ways were mysterious. Whatever God was doing or about to do with Jacob it was certainly hidden far from Jacob’s thoughts. God was working behind the scenes orchestrating Jacob’s life for a greater purpose. But Jacob had no idea what God was doing. Maybe, like his descendant 2000 years later, Jacob thought of God like yeast working in a ball of dough, hidden, invisible but still working to produce the final leavening.
Like Jacob we too are part of God’s plan for the Kingdom of Heaven. We are all characters in a play directed by God. We can only discern the board outlines of God’s overall plan, but we know that we are in some way a part of that plan and though us God will accomplish far more than we could ever dream. We are but the tiny mustard seeds that God will use to grow her kingdom. Although we can see some of the things that God is doing among us, most of what God is doing is hidden from our view. But God’s work is bubbling up in dough of this world and his accomplishments will one day rise into the magnificent loaf of her kingdom on earth.
When Jacob arrived at Haran his heart was filled with the feeling of pure joy when his eyes first perceived a pearl, a treasure, the beautiful Rachel. Jacob would do anything to have Rachel as his wife. And when he found out that she was his cousin, Uncle Laban’s daughter, Jacob leaped with joy over his good fortunes. Jacob thought that God had given him just what he needed. Then Jacob agreed to work hard, very hard, for seven years to gain Rachel’s hand in marriage.
When we realize that we are part of God’s work of building up the Kingdom of Heaven we too rejoice. It is truly joyful to be used by God in this glorious work. Just ask Bob and the other Retreds about the great joy they have experienced in maintaining these buildings. Ask Art about the great joy he has experience by carefully watching over the financial resources of the church. Ask June about the great joy she has experienced when teaching Bible to people in this church. Ask Vern and Rosie about the great joy they have experience helping international students learn English. Whenever we realize that what we are doing is part of God’s bigger plan we rejoice with praise and thanksgiving.
Jacob should have seen it coming, but a schemer and a cheater is the last to realize that someone has launched a scheme to cheat him out of what was rightfully his. Jacob didn’t know until it was too late that Uncle Laban had no intention of letting Rachel be married until his older daughter Leah had found a husband. Poor Leah, the NRSV translation of the Bible calls her eyes “lovely”. This was a very generous translation. In reality Leah suffered by comparison with younger, prettier sister, Rachel, in just about every way. So when Laban substituted Leah for Rachel on Jacob’s wedding night Jacob was understandably very upset. Yet he knew that this too was somehow in God’s plan. So Jacob gave Leah her a week of a joyous wedding feast and gave her father a week of years to get the other sister.
Once Jacob was married to both sisters he began realize the pearl, the great treasure, he had found. He noticed that Rachel was dishonest, a thief, worshiped pagan gods, and had real trouble getting pregnant. But Leah was a good wife and bore him ten sons. This made Leah very happy and Rachel, the pretty one, very sad. So God blessed Rachel with two son of her own, but her happiness was cut short when she was giving birth to younger son, died and was buried alongside the road. The pearl the Jacob had found was none other than Leah, who cared for his family making God’s promise of numerous descendants possible. Jacob and Leah spent their lives together and were buried together in the tomb of Abraham and Sarah and of Isaac and Rebecca. In Leah, Jacob had found a pearl of great value. Blessings from God come in unusual packages. We may think that God is blessing us with a Rachel, but in the Kingdom of Heaven God’s blessing often comes to us as a Leah.
So what does the Kingdom of Heaven look like at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church? The growth that we have hoped for and prayed for is happening in our evening service, but in ways that none of us could have imagined. Each week more and more people our coming to our evening service and staying for the fellowship dinners. And something exciting is happening.
Recently I have been getting together with people from other churches here in Eagle Rock to discuss the issues of homelessness in our community. There are many people, here in North East LA living on the streets. They live in cars, vans, trucks and recreational vehicles. Rents for apartments in Eagle Rock are way too high for many people. So many now have to live on the streets. Most have some form of limited government assistance. Some have jobs. But many are hungry and desperate to find a meal. The Seventh Day Adventist church has a dinner on Thursday nights. St. Dominic’s Catholic Church has a dinner for 150 people every Friday. And on Sunday nights right here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church dozens are coming into this sanctuary to hear some good news and then join us for dinner in Montgomery Hall. We are becoming a church for the poorest people in our community. We have found our Leahs and they turn out to be pearls whose great value in the Kingdom of Heaven will bring us great joy. Those who have very little are the seeds God has sown to grow, right here in this church, the Kingdom of Heaven.
So I urge you to come on Sunday nights to see what God is doing with this church. Come for worship, and come for fellowship with our neighbors who live in this community and whom we drive passed every day. Pray for us as we look for sources of food that will help us to meet this pressing need. And continue to support this church with your tithes and offering so that our important mission of working with Christ to bring people in this community to God will continue.
Lord Jesus, help us to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in our neighborhood. Give us the resources to proclaim the good news and demonstrate your kingdom to Eagle Rock. Bless us as we minister to the poor in your name. And use our efforts as the seed which will grow your kingdom in this church. We pray this in your strong name, amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon Gen 29:15-28, Mt. 13:31-33, 44-46 – The Kingdom of Heaven is like …
July 27, 2008
This week I am finishing up my first year with you as your pastor. Last August I came here fresh from graduation at Fuller and after a quick visit to South Korea I arrived here as your student pastor under the very capable supervision of your interim pastor, Rev. Bill Van Ness. A year ago I wondered what the Kingdom of Heaven would look like here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church after Grace and I had a chance to do ministry here. I had many hopes and expectations. I can say that many of those hopes and expectations have been realized, but there have been many surprises along the way. In many ways this church is far different from what it was a year ago and is becoming something we didn’t expect. But God is at work building her kingdom.
Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus we ask that you transform Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church into God’s kingdom. Lead us in the ways you would have us do ministry here in this neighborhood. Prepare us to minister to the needs of the people in this community. And bring us the great joy of participating in your work in our world. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Matthew 13:31-33 31 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32 it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." 33 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."
Matthew 13:44-46 44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Kingdom of God, or as Matthew calls it, the Kingdom of Heaven, was the central message of Jesus’ teachings. Jesus taught about the Kingdom of Heaven using parables where he compared the unknown Kingdom of Heaven to something that was already known. So Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a tiny little seed that grows up into a big bush. Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like the invisible gas leavening bread dough. Or the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure you have found and in great joy sacrifice everything you have to get that one precious pearl.
God started building the kingdom of heaven at creation, and the work continued with the blessing of Abraham and the command to Abraham and his descendants to be a blessing to all families in the world. God’s kingdom work continued though Isaac and his son Jacob.
Now, Jacob’s mind must have been swirling around as he walked silently and all alone to his uncle’s house in Haran. In his dream God had told him many things that he had to think through. It was hard for him to imagine what God had in store. How could this lone man, whose family hated him and had the reputation of being a schemer and cheater, become the seed for a family of God’s people that would cover the world like dust to its four corners? Jacob must have considered himself so small when compared to all that God had in store. Maybe, like his descendant 2000 years later, he thought about himself as a mustard seed so small and yet, somehow, would grow into a bush so large that it would be a blessing even to the birds flying in the heavens.
But even to Jacob, God’s ways were mysterious. Whatever God was doing or about to do with Jacob it was certainly hidden far from Jacob’s thoughts. God was working behind the scenes orchestrating Jacob’s life for a greater purpose. But Jacob had no idea what God was doing. Maybe, like his descendant 2000 years later, Jacob thought of God like yeast working in a ball of dough, hidden, invisible but still working to produce the final leavening.
Like Jacob we too are part of God’s plan for the Kingdom of Heaven. We are all characters in a play directed by God. We can only discern the board outlines of God’s overall plan, but we know that we are in some way a part of that plan and though us God will accomplish far more than we could ever dream. We are but the tiny mustard seeds that God will use to grow her kingdom. Although we can see some of the things that God is doing among us, most of what God is doing is hidden from our view. But God’s work is bubbling up in dough of this world and his accomplishments will one day rise into the magnificent loaf of her kingdom on earth.
When Jacob arrived at Haran his heart was filled with the feeling of pure joy when his eyes first perceived a pearl, a treasure, the beautiful Rachel. Jacob would do anything to have Rachel as his wife. And when he found out that she was his cousin, Uncle Laban’s daughter, Jacob leaped with joy over his good fortunes. Jacob thought that God had given him just what he needed. Then Jacob agreed to work hard, very hard, for seven years to gain Rachel’s hand in marriage.
When we realize that we are part of God’s work of building up the Kingdom of Heaven we too rejoice. It is truly joyful to be used by God in this glorious work. Just ask Bob and the other Retreds about the great joy they have experienced in maintaining these buildings. Ask Art about the great joy he has experience by carefully watching over the financial resources of the church. Ask June about the great joy she has experienced when teaching Bible to people in this church. Ask Vern and Rosie about the great joy they have experience helping international students learn English. Whenever we realize that what we are doing is part of God’s bigger plan we rejoice with praise and thanksgiving.
Jacob should have seen it coming, but a schemer and a cheater is the last to realize that someone has launched a scheme to cheat him out of what was rightfully his. Jacob didn’t know until it was too late that Uncle Laban had no intention of letting Rachel be married until his older daughter Leah had found a husband. Poor Leah, the NRSV translation of the Bible calls her eyes “lovely”. This was a very generous translation. In reality Leah suffered by comparison with younger, prettier sister, Rachel, in just about every way. So when Laban substituted Leah for Rachel on Jacob’s wedding night Jacob was understandably very upset. Yet he knew that this too was somehow in God’s plan. So Jacob gave Leah her a week of a joyous wedding feast and gave her father a week of years to get the other sister.
Once Jacob was married to both sisters he began realize the pearl, the great treasure, he had found. He noticed that Rachel was dishonest, a thief, worshiped pagan gods, and had real trouble getting pregnant. But Leah was a good wife and bore him ten sons. This made Leah very happy and Rachel, the pretty one, very sad. So God blessed Rachel with two son of her own, but her happiness was cut short when she was giving birth to younger son, died and was buried alongside the road. The pearl the Jacob had found was none other than Leah, who cared for his family making God’s promise of numerous descendants possible. Jacob and Leah spent their lives together and were buried together in the tomb of Abraham and Sarah and of Isaac and Rebecca. In Leah, Jacob had found a pearl of great value. Blessings from God come in unusual packages. We may think that God is blessing us with a Rachel, but in the Kingdom of Heaven God’s blessing often comes to us as a Leah.
So what does the Kingdom of Heaven look like at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church? The growth that we have hoped for and prayed for is happening in our evening service, but in ways that none of us could have imagined. Each week more and more people our coming to our evening service and staying for the fellowship dinners. And something exciting is happening.
Recently I have been getting together with people from other churches here in Eagle Rock to discuss the issues of homelessness in our community. There are many people, here in North East LA living on the streets. They live in cars, vans, trucks and recreational vehicles. Rents for apartments in Eagle Rock are way too high for many people. So many now have to live on the streets. Most have some form of limited government assistance. Some have jobs. But many are hungry and desperate to find a meal. The Seventh Day Adventist church has a dinner on Thursday nights. St. Dominic’s Catholic Church has a dinner for 150 people every Friday. And on Sunday nights right here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church dozens are coming into this sanctuary to hear some good news and then join us for dinner in Montgomery Hall. We are becoming a church for the poorest people in our community. We have found our Leahs and they turn out to be pearls whose great value in the Kingdom of Heaven will bring us great joy. Those who have very little are the seeds God has sown to grow, right here in this church, the Kingdom of Heaven.
So I urge you to come on Sunday nights to see what God is doing with this church. Come for worship, and come for fellowship with our neighbors who live in this community and whom we drive passed every day. Pray for us as we look for sources of food that will help us to meet this pressing need. And continue to support this church with your tithes and offering so that our important mission of working with Christ to bring people in this community to God will continue.
Lord Jesus, help us to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in our neighborhood. Give us the resources to proclaim the good news and demonstrate your kingdom to Eagle Rock. Bless us as we minister to the poor in your name. And use our efforts as the seed which will grow your kingdom in this church. We pray this in your strong name, amen.
Sermon Genesis 28:10-19 and Matt 13:24-30,35-43 Weeding the Garden
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Genesis 28:10-19, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
July 20, 2008
This month we have been following the exploits of Abraham’s family as told in the Book of Genesis and at the same time looking at Jesus’ teachings through parables. We should always remember that Jesus was an excellent Old Testament scholar. Today we will be looking at Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds which I believe was inspired by the story of Jacob and Esau. So this morning we will be looking at a familiar story in Genesis through the lens of the teachings of Jesus in a parable.
But before we begin, will you pray with me. Lord Jesus speak to us now as you did to the crowds so many years ago. Help us to understand the difference between the wheat and the weeds and what you want us to do about it. We want to follow you into eternal life in the presence of the glory of God. So teach us this day what we need to do. And we pray this in your glorious name, amen.
Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables,
Matthew 13:24-30 24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
Matthew 13:36-43 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
Rebecca and Isaac had it made. They had become very wealthy and were retiring to beach front property on the Mediterranean. They were living the Late Bronze Age dream, but there was one little problem, their twins. The two boys fought all the time. Jacob was a schemer who would lie and cheat to get what he wanted. Esau had all the advantages of being the first born but when he was told to visit Uncle Laban and find a wife from among his cousins he refused and married a couple of Hittite girls instead. Their parents were naturally quite upset over all of this.
The problem was that God had made a promise to Isaac’s father Abraham. In this promise God said that Abraham and Sarah’s descendants would form a mighty nation, more numerous than all the grains of sand in the sea. To fulfill this promise one of the boys, either Esau or Jacob would have to be the father of this great nation. Given their behavior neither deserved this honor; neither knew of the LORD God of their father and grandfather. So who would be chosen, and by whom?
Rebecca wanted to choose Jacob. She loved Jacob very much and wanted him to succeed. So she helped him in all his scheming against his brother. But the result was that Jacob was now alone in the dessert running for his life. Isaac wanted to choose his firstborn, Esau, whom he loved very much, but because of his failing eyesight he was unable to prevent Jacob’s scheme to steal his birthright. So neither Rebecca nor Isaac was able to choose who would receive God’s blessing and promise because the only one able to choose who will receive the blessing of God is God.
As Jacob slept in the desert, he saw the angels of God shuttling between heaven and earth. In this dream God spoke to him and extended the promise he had made to Isaac and Rebecca and to Abraham and Sarah before him that he would be the father of a great nation that would spread like the dust to the four corners of the earth. God was choosing Jacob before Jacob even knew who God was.
Jesus must have remembered this story of the angels moving between heaven and earth when he explained the parable of the weeds to his disciples. Jesus knew that on that day when the angels descend to the earth their mission will be to gather up everything that causes sin and all the evildoers. Jacob witnessed this final Day of Judgment in his dream. He saw the angels descending and ascending to heaven, carrying off the damned to the fires of hell.
Jacob had a choice to make. He could continue in his rebellious ways and in the final days be carried off like weeds to the furnace. Or he could turn the LORD, the God of his father and grandfather and worship him. Jacob with filled with fear and awe as a result of his vision. He knew that the LORD had come to him and the ground where he lay was holy. God’s justice required that sinner like Jacob should be carried off by the angels to eternal punishment. But Jacob was given a second chance and with it an important choice to make.
Jacob made his choice. He took the stone he had slept on, anointed it with oil and consecrated it as the House of God. By this action he indicated his choice. His rebellion would stop and he would turn to the LORD God in worship. By doing this Jacob accepted the promise God had first made to his grandfather and the responsibility of being the father of a great nation.
Today we have no lack of evildoers. Our community is plagued by the sale of illegal drugs and gang violence. This past week I attended a meeting with other clergy at the Los Angeles Police Station for North East LA. Captain Lance Smith and Sergeant Danny Roman told us what the police were doing about gangs, the drug trade, and violence in our community. Recently they arrested many of the leaders of the Avenues Gang who had turned Drew Street into a drug marketplace. The police, by pulling weeds, have been able to reduce the violence and killings a little. But they know that their efforts are not enough. No amount of weeding out sinners will ever deliver us from sin. So another strategy is needed.
The churches in North East LA have come up with an idea. On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Christians from churches all over our neighborhood will assemble at 10:00am at the intersection of York and Figueroa to declare God’s intent to bring “Peace in the North East”. At 11:00 we will march down York to Eagle Rock Blvd asking God to bless our community by removing the weeds of gang violence and drugs. The members of the gangs in our community will be given a choice. Worship the LORD, as Jacob did, or be pulled up like a weed and burn in a fiery furnace.
None of us can know for sure if we are the wheat or the weeds. Is our fate to burn in the fires of hell, or will we live for eternity in the glory of God? The choice is for anyone with ears to listen. We can turn our backs on God and live lives of sin. If we choose this route be warned. The weeds of sin will be gathered up by the angels and cast into the furnace of hell. But if we turn toward God and worship the LORD then the promise of Jesus is that we will live for eternity in the glory of God.
So today you have a choice. Live the way you have been living. Pridefully assert that you are right and God is wrong. Refuse to worship God and follow Jesus. And wait for the day when you will be gathered up like weeds for the fire. Or, worship the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Turn away from sin and follow Jesus wherever he may lead you. If you love the Lord your God with you whole heart you will be blessed far more abundantly that you have ever imagined.
Years later Jacob returned home to meet his brother. He left his children with their mothers and went alone to meet Esau. Jacob came with great gifts, bowed seven times and expected to die for all the scheming he had done. But when Esau saw his brother returning there were tears in his eyes. Both he a Jacob wept at the joy of seeing each other after so long. Esau had every right to kill Jacob on the spot. But he was filled with the love of the LORD God of his father and grandfather and knew the importance of forgiveness.
God is waiting for you to return to him. Turn away from sin right now and you will be welcomed home with tears of forgiveness into the loving arms of God.
Lord, God of Jacob, we have been sinners all our lives. We do not deserve to be in your presence this day. But we have confessed our sins and turn to you in worship. Forgive us we pray and accept us as your children. Lead us away from the temptation of sin. And allow us to live in your glory forever, amen.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Genesis 28:10-19, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
July 20, 2008
This month we have been following the exploits of Abraham’s family as told in the Book of Genesis and at the same time looking at Jesus’ teachings through parables. We should always remember that Jesus was an excellent Old Testament scholar. Today we will be looking at Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds which I believe was inspired by the story of Jacob and Esau. So this morning we will be looking at a familiar story in Genesis through the lens of the teachings of Jesus in a parable.
But before we begin, will you pray with me. Lord Jesus speak to us now as you did to the crowds so many years ago. Help us to understand the difference between the wheat and the weeds and what you want us to do about it. We want to follow you into eternal life in the presence of the glory of God. So teach us this day what we need to do. And we pray this in your glorious name, amen.
Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables,
Matthew 13:24-30 24 He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27 And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' 28 He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30 Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
Matthew 13:36-43 36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42 and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
Rebecca and Isaac had it made. They had become very wealthy and were retiring to beach front property on the Mediterranean. They were living the Late Bronze Age dream, but there was one little problem, their twins. The two boys fought all the time. Jacob was a schemer who would lie and cheat to get what he wanted. Esau had all the advantages of being the first born but when he was told to visit Uncle Laban and find a wife from among his cousins he refused and married a couple of Hittite girls instead. Their parents were naturally quite upset over all of this.
The problem was that God had made a promise to Isaac’s father Abraham. In this promise God said that Abraham and Sarah’s descendants would form a mighty nation, more numerous than all the grains of sand in the sea. To fulfill this promise one of the boys, either Esau or Jacob would have to be the father of this great nation. Given their behavior neither deserved this honor; neither knew of the LORD God of their father and grandfather. So who would be chosen, and by whom?
Rebecca wanted to choose Jacob. She loved Jacob very much and wanted him to succeed. So she helped him in all his scheming against his brother. But the result was that Jacob was now alone in the dessert running for his life. Isaac wanted to choose his firstborn, Esau, whom he loved very much, but because of his failing eyesight he was unable to prevent Jacob’s scheme to steal his birthright. So neither Rebecca nor Isaac was able to choose who would receive God’s blessing and promise because the only one able to choose who will receive the blessing of God is God.
As Jacob slept in the desert, he saw the angels of God shuttling between heaven and earth. In this dream God spoke to him and extended the promise he had made to Isaac and Rebecca and to Abraham and Sarah before him that he would be the father of a great nation that would spread like the dust to the four corners of the earth. God was choosing Jacob before Jacob even knew who God was.
Jesus must have remembered this story of the angels moving between heaven and earth when he explained the parable of the weeds to his disciples. Jesus knew that on that day when the angels descend to the earth their mission will be to gather up everything that causes sin and all the evildoers. Jacob witnessed this final Day of Judgment in his dream. He saw the angels descending and ascending to heaven, carrying off the damned to the fires of hell.
Jacob had a choice to make. He could continue in his rebellious ways and in the final days be carried off like weeds to the furnace. Or he could turn the LORD, the God of his father and grandfather and worship him. Jacob with filled with fear and awe as a result of his vision. He knew that the LORD had come to him and the ground where he lay was holy. God’s justice required that sinner like Jacob should be carried off by the angels to eternal punishment. But Jacob was given a second chance and with it an important choice to make.
Jacob made his choice. He took the stone he had slept on, anointed it with oil and consecrated it as the House of God. By this action he indicated his choice. His rebellion would stop and he would turn to the LORD God in worship. By doing this Jacob accepted the promise God had first made to his grandfather and the responsibility of being the father of a great nation.
Today we have no lack of evildoers. Our community is plagued by the sale of illegal drugs and gang violence. This past week I attended a meeting with other clergy at the Los Angeles Police Station for North East LA. Captain Lance Smith and Sergeant Danny Roman told us what the police were doing about gangs, the drug trade, and violence in our community. Recently they arrested many of the leaders of the Avenues Gang who had turned Drew Street into a drug marketplace. The police, by pulling weeds, have been able to reduce the violence and killings a little. But they know that their efforts are not enough. No amount of weeding out sinners will ever deliver us from sin. So another strategy is needed.
The churches in North East LA have come up with an idea. On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Christians from churches all over our neighborhood will assemble at 10:00am at the intersection of York and Figueroa to declare God’s intent to bring “Peace in the North East”. At 11:00 we will march down York to Eagle Rock Blvd asking God to bless our community by removing the weeds of gang violence and drugs. The members of the gangs in our community will be given a choice. Worship the LORD, as Jacob did, or be pulled up like a weed and burn in a fiery furnace.
None of us can know for sure if we are the wheat or the weeds. Is our fate to burn in the fires of hell, or will we live for eternity in the glory of God? The choice is for anyone with ears to listen. We can turn our backs on God and live lives of sin. If we choose this route be warned. The weeds of sin will be gathered up by the angels and cast into the furnace of hell. But if we turn toward God and worship the LORD then the promise of Jesus is that we will live for eternity in the glory of God.
So today you have a choice. Live the way you have been living. Pridefully assert that you are right and God is wrong. Refuse to worship God and follow Jesus. And wait for the day when you will be gathered up like weeds for the fire. Or, worship the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Turn away from sin and follow Jesus wherever he may lead you. If you love the Lord your God with you whole heart you will be blessed far more abundantly that you have ever imagined.
Years later Jacob returned home to meet his brother. He left his children with their mothers and went alone to meet Esau. Jacob came with great gifts, bowed seven times and expected to die for all the scheming he had done. But when Esau saw his brother returning there were tears in his eyes. Both he a Jacob wept at the joy of seeing each other after so long. Esau had every right to kill Jacob on the spot. But he was filled with the love of the LORD God of his father and grandfather and knew the importance of forgiveness.
God is waiting for you to return to him. Turn away from sin right now and you will be welcomed home with tears of forgiveness into the loving arms of God.
Lord, God of Jacob, we have been sinners all our lives. We do not deserve to be in your presence this day. But we have confessed our sins and turn to you in worship. Forgive us we pray and accept us as your children. Lead us away from the temptation of sin. And allow us to live in your glory forever, amen.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Sermon Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Seeds of the Kingdom
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Seeds of the Kingdom
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
The pastor of the church wanted to measure the effectiveness of her spiritual development program. She hoped that though her weekly sermons and the numerous Bible studies at the church that the members of the church would be transformed into the image of Christ. But was this happening? Were her programs really effective or was she just wasting time?
A year before she had asked a new members class to join with her in a monthly Bible study. Although several people who started in the group left during the year four people continue to study scripture with the pastor. Donald was student at local university. He had been raised in a large evangelical church back east, and after coming to
Today, they began their study in the usual way[1]; the pastor said a short prayer. Lord Jesus Christ be in our presence today as we study your scripture. Open our hearts and our minds to receive the message you have for us. Help us to be transformed though your Word. And we pray this in your strong name, amen.
The pastor then asked Donald to read the passage that she had selected for today’s study. Each person was asked to listen carefully to the scripture and pick out a word or phrase that seemed important or in some way stood out. Donald read the following passage from Matthew.
NRS Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"
Donald paused for a moment to consider his answer and then said, “sprang up quickly”, and invited Tracey to share her word or phrase. Tracey pondered awhile collecting her thoughts, said “choked”, looked at her husband and invited him to speak. Mark said “some a hundredfold”. Mark then invited the pastor who said “great crowds”. Linda was invited to speak and said “birds ate them up.”
The pastor then asked Linda to reread the passage while group considered the question, “Why did you choose this particular word or phrase?” Linda then read:
NRS Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"
Linda was the first to speak and said, “The reason I selected “the birds ate them up” was because I just don’t find anything here at the church that I am interested in. I listen to the sermons and just don’t understand what they are about most of the time. Maybe it is my language skills and limited English. I just can’t understand how this talk about God and a man who lived 2000 years ago has anything to do with my life today. How can Jesus help me learn English, get a job, and find a place to live?” I thought that there might be something here at the church when I joined, but now nothing is left, maybe the birds ate it all up.”
Linda then invited Donald to speak and after a few moments of silence Donald said, “When I first came to this church everything seemed to go so fast. I joined the choir the very first week and started attending Sunday school and a Tuesday night class. Someone in the church would invite me to do something almost every night of the week. I loved all the activity. Then my classes at the university started and there were some clubs I wanted to join. There was a college group at a large church on the other side of town I got involved with. But then I just didn’t have time to study and write papers so I am now just coming to church just one Sunday a month. I am too busy to do any more than that.”
Donald then invited Tracey who had been waiting quietly for her turn to speak.
Mark then invited the pastor who smiled but passed on the question. She then invited Mark to read the passage a third time and asked the group to consider what God was calling them to do or change in this passage. Mark read the following words from Matthew.
NRS Matthew 13:1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"
Mark said, “The Word of God, when I hear it and understand it generates in me a desire to hear it more and more and share it with others. I need to keep reading it and studying and learning more about it.” Then he looked over at his wife Tracey and said, “Maybe if we read a scripture every day at breakfast it will give you a little boost and help you to deal with the kids and your mother’s illness.”
Tracey said, “That might help, the Lord knows I don’t have any other time during the day to read the Bible. So let’s try reading scripture together starting tomorrow and see what happens.
Donald said, “I don’t have time for things like reading the Bible. I usually sleep though breakfast and with exams coming up I have no time to read scripture.”
And Linda said, “I don’t see what difference that would make.
The pastor then shared with the group Jesus’ interpretation of the story they had been reading. He read from Matthew,
Matthew 13:18-23 18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
The pastor then invited Mark to close their time together in prayer. Mark said, “Father in Heaven, we thank you for this time to be in your presence through you Word. Turn our hearts into good soil that will receive your word and that it will transform us into your people. We thank you and praise you that as we are transformed we will become your instruments who will bring your love and your Word to hundreds in our community. We know that not everyone who hears your gospel will respond, but many will and our church will grow, amen.
[1] Bible Study using Mutual Invitation adapted from Eric Law, The Wolf Shall Dwell with the Lamb: A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multicultural Community, (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1993), p. 113.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Sermon – Genesis 24 – A Love Song
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Genesis 24 – A Love Song
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
This weekend we are celebrating the birth of our country. On
Will you pray with me? Lord God we know of your steadfast love for us. We know that even when we pass through the darkest valleys you are there to lead us. And when we rise to the mountaintops you are there too. So be with us today wherever we are and give a bright hope for tomorrow. We pray all of this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.
Genesis 24:34-38 34 So he said, "I am Abraham's servant. 35 The LORD has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. 37 My master made me swear, saying, 'You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father's house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.'
Genesis 24:42-49 42 "I came today to the spring, and said, 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! 43 I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, "Please give me a little water from your jar to drink," 44 and who will say to me, "Drink, and I will draw for your camels also"-- let her be the woman whom the LORD has appointed for my master's son.' 45 "Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, 'Please let me drink.' 46 She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will also water your camels.' So I drank, and she also watered the camels. 47 Then I asked her, 'Whose daughter are you?' She said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master's kinsman for his son. 49 Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left."
Genesis 24:58-67 58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, "Will you go with this man?" She said, "I will." 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham's servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes." 61 Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. 63 Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. 64 And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, 65 and said to the servant, "Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?" The servant said, "It is my master." So she took her veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.
Isaac had entered middle age. He was in his forties, unmarried and spent his evenings wandering in his father’s fields with nothing to do. And his mother had just died. I know Isaac very well. I used to think about Isaac a lot in my late thirties and early forties as I tried to make a business work and deal with being unmarried and living alone. I would come home each night to a beautiful three bedroom town house near schools where I had hoped on day to bring a wife and raise a family. But as I approached 40 those goals seemed very elusive. I did not have many friends or participate in outside activities. I went to a big church where I could be anonymous; I arrived at 11, left at 12 and spoke to no one unless I had to. My evenings were spent staring at the TV until I got too tired and went to sleep.
I was not happy with my lifestyle, but I did not know what to do about it. I started taking piano lessons and hung out at bookstores and coffee shops. It appeared that I was destined to live alone my whole life and have to deal with the constant loneliness. So I turned to the one thing I hoped would work, I started to pray. And I prayed that God would change my heart, create in me a heart of flesh rather than the heart of stone that was keeping me from building relationships with others. I prayed over and over that God would bless me with a new life, with new friends, and with a wife.
One day in September of 1995 I was driving to church one Sunday morning. It took about 40 minutes to drive from my home in
I will never forget what God did at that point. I heard God’s voice. It was not the voice of the pastor who was speaking at the time. Nor was it the voice of anyone sitting around me. I was certain that the voice was that of God and that God was speaking to me. And what God said to me as I sat there in worship was, “It’s in the book.”
“It’s in the book.” I knew exactly what this meant. God was calling me to open the book right there in front of me in the pew. God was saying that the answers to the questions I was asking were contain within the pages of scripture. All I had to do was to read and study what the Bible had to say and my prayers would be answered.
So I reached down and picked up a black Bible in the pews just like this one, which I bought at the church a couple weeks later and I continue to use today when I preach from this pulpit. I opened that Bible and started to turn pages in Genesis until I stopped at Genesis 24 and read, for the first time, this beautiful love story of Isaac finding a wife. That is when I knew that if I dedicated my life to the study of this book then I could expect to be blessed by God beyond my wildest imagination.
The next Sunday I joined SOAR, a single’s group at the church, for Bible study. I started to attend a Bethel Bible Series class, a two year overview of the Bible, every Wednesday evening. And I began to make lots of friends. As a result of my encounter with God I found myself richly blessed. Within a couple of years I was asked to be on the leadership team of the SOAR group, the church ordained me as a deacon, and I started a two year intensive teacher training class with the pastor for the Bethel Bible Series which prepared me to teach Bible to the adults at the church.
I came to love reading, studying and teaching the Bible more and more. I knew that this was my calling from God. God had clearly said, “Its in the book.” And I wanted, needed to know more and more about what was written in that book.
Five years ago I realized that my appetite for the scripture required that I go beyond the church. So I started looking for seminaries. Several of my pastors had come from Fuller. That year I was privileged to hear Dr. Richard Mouw, the president of Fuller Seminary, speak at the annual church retreat. Dr. Mouw and my pastor told me how wonderful southern
But I was still searching for my Rebecca. That story which I had read years ago stilled echoed in my ears. God had blessed me richly with numerous friends and an abundant life but there was still one more thing that I wanted, one more thing that I prayed for. Then I was blessed by God far more than I ever expected. Ten years after reading this little story about Isaac finding Rebecca, I found and married Grace.
So as you sit in worship today and gather around this table remember to listen for God’s voice. God is ready to call you to your ministry. Just follow God wherever he might lead you. And the promise is that you will be richly blessed more than your could ever expect. God does listen to your prayers, and even though God may take years to answer them and she may answer your prayers in surprising ways. Join me in this remarkable journey as we together go though the pages of this wonderful book. Though our study of scripture together God will bless this church and each of us.
Lord, I thank you for all the blessings that you have poured out upon me and upon this church. We have experienced your steadfast love for us. Speak to us in this meal we are about to partake. And guide in your way that leads to blessed life, amen.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sermon – Revelation 4:1-11 – Leading the Congregation to God
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Revelation 4:1-11 – Leading the Congregation to God
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
This morning we will be ordaining and installing the elders and deacons that you elected a couple of weeks ago. The people in these positions are used by God to lead the church and order our lives. So this morning lets reflect on what the Bible tells us are the duties and responsibilities of being an elder.
Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus after being with us on earth you ascended into heaven leaving behind the church. You established elders as leaders of your church. Speak to our elders, guide them, and through them guide this church in its uncertain future. Help us all to live lives as you have directed us to live. And we pray all of this in your glorious name, amen.
Revelation 4:1-11 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal. Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing, "Holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come." 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, 11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
The Hebrew word !qez" is a adjective which simple means “old”. Abraham and Sarah were “old”, nearly 100 years old when they had Isaac their son. But sometimes !qez" is used as a noun and in that case we get the phrase, “the old one” or the word “elder”. In ancient times there were elders of cities who served as a sort of mayor, and elders of tribes who gathered in councils to lead nations.
After a famine forced the children of
As the Israelites wandered in the wilderness they came to a mountain where God spoke to the people with a thunderous voice out of a fire which generated thick smoke and deep darkness. It had been assumed that anyone approaching God, the creator of the universe, would instantly die because the glory of God was too much for any creature to bear. But they were wrong and they heard directly from God. The first role of an elder of the church is to listen for God. Regular daily prayer is essential for elders to place themselves in the presence of God where they can hear God’s voice and know what God wants the church to do. An elder does not represent the congregation on a church board, rather an elder is commissioned by the church to listen for God’s voice and discern what God is telling the church.
When Moses descended the mountain he brought with him two stone tables containing the Law of God. He gave the tablets to the elders. It was the responsibility of the elders to protect the law, see that priests were properly educated, and ensure that the law was regularly proclaimed and obeyed. The second role of an elder of the church is to protect the Word of God. It is essential that Elders study and meditate on the Word of God every day. It is their responsibility to ensure that Word of God is proclaimed and taught to the people of church. And the elders are to enforce God’s law by exercising the power of church discipline when someone in the church ignores God’s law and turns to sin. The authority to enforce God’s laws is given to elders by God who seats them on thrones around his and places gold crowns on their heads.
When the Elders of Israel realized that they were speaking with God they became very afraid. Fear is our natural reaction when in the presence of the overwhelming glory and power of God. God told Moses that this fear was a good thing because it would motivate the elders to obey God’s law. So the third role of an elder of the Church is to obey the Word of God. The command to be holy is not optional. And an elder must not be a fornicator, or an idolater, or someone guilty of adultery, or a thief, or a pickpocket, or a slanderer, or a swindler. Anyone, who is called by God as an elder, must put off their sin, and be clothed by God in their white robe of purity.
The elders of
When Moses was overwhelmed with the duties of being a judge he called seventy of the elders of
By New Testament times the elders of
But the voice of God can never be silenced. It is contained in God’s Holy Word, proclaimed in preaching, taught in classes, and meditated on in prayer. According to the Book of Acts as new churches were started elders, or in the Greek presbu,teroj were appointed to listen to God in prayer, ensure that God’s word was preached and taught, and that God’s law was obeyed. These elders or presbyters gathered together in a great council in
This past week the elders and ministers of the Presbyterian Church (USA) met in its 218th General Assembly. Grace and I drove up to
First, as you know the State of
Second, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has had a rule that practicing homosexuals should not be ordained as deacons, elders and pastors. After much prayerful discernment the Assembly decided to remove this rule from our constitution and focus us instead on the vows that deacons, elders and pastors take when they are ordained and installed and which you have in your bulletin today. This change in our constitution is not yet effective. Elders and pastors in presbyteries around the country will be meeting over the next year to discern what God is calling us to do concerning this important issue. Please pray for the elders and pastors of San Gabriel Presbytery as we prayerfully consider what the General Assembly has done and ask God to lead our church in these uncertain and changing times.
This church has engaged in a period of prayer and discernment to determine whom God is calling as our leaders. Now the people chosen by God must undertake a period of prayer and meditation to discern where God is leading this church as we become a growing multicultural church for the Eagle Rock Community. The Elders who will be ordained and installed in few minutes are being called by God through this church to lead us. My advice to the new elders is to center yourselves in prayer. Join us for early morning prayers. Read scripture every day. Remember that the law of God is entrusted to your care. See to it that scripture is proclaimed and taught in this church. And by your example lead the members of this church away from sin to repentance and obedience, always remembering that your authority to lead this church comes from God whom you must honor, love and obey. And to the congregation, shower your new leaders with prayer. Help them as they guide the church. Respect their decisions as they listen to God in prayer and scripture. Follow their lead in living holy lives pleasing to God. And come closer to God through their leadership and through the proclamation of God’s Holy Word.
Father in heaven, we approach you in worship today and ask for blessings on our new elders and deacons. Clothe them in white robes of pure lives. Crown them with the authority to lead the church. And speak to them that they may discern your will and help us to walk in your ways to the glory of your name, amen.
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