Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Luke 21:25-36 – Waiting and Watching
Grace Presbyterian Church
November 29, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning the church celebrates the First Sunday of Advent. During Advent we prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives. The coming of Jesus is not something that we do. Rather it is something God does for us. So all we can do is to wait and watch. The ancient prophets waited and watched for the day that the messiah would come and fulfill God’s promise to David that his descendant would sit on his throne forever. In the first century a teenage girl waited for the birth of her son and watched the reaction of the people around her to this unexpected event. In Jesus’ time people waited and watched for the Roman legions that they feared might destroy Jerusalem and the Temple. Today, children learn to wait and to watch for Christmas and the arrival of Santa Clause and gifts. We may think that we are active people but we spend a lot of our time waiting for something to happen. So it is helpful to remember what we are really waiting for and watching for this Advent, the coming of Jesus Christ. As we wait and watch for Jesus Christ it is important to pray. So please pray with me.
Eternal God, as you led your people in ages past, you direct our journey into the future. We give you thanks that you came to us in Jesus Christ, and we eagerly await his coming again that his rule may be complete and your righteousness reign over all the world. Then we will feast at his royal banquet, and sing his praises with the choirs of heaven. By your Spirit, open our eyes to the generosity of your hand, and nurture our souls in all spiritual gifts. Fill us with gratitude overflowing that we may share life and love in praise to you, God of all the ages, in the gracious name of Jesus Christ, your Son, by the power of your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship pp. 171-2)
Luke 21:25-36 25 "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." 29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
You are probably thanking God right now that I am just a guest preacher. Why, you must be wondering, did I select that scripture for this morning? After all it is Christmas. You have been buying gifts for a month now. The shopping malls are all decorated. Santa Claus has arrived in Glendale. Christmas carols are being played on the radio. Certainly you expected celebration of Christmas at church in Advent. But there is no Santa, no Mary and child, no angels and no shepherds in today’s scripture. These words of Jesus are filled with frightening images about a world shaken to its foundation. So you must be thankful that the guest preacher is only here for one week and Pastor Al will return to the pulpit next Sunday.
Of course the way the church prepares for Christmas is very different from the way our culture prepares for it. We are waiting not for Santa and decorated trees and gifts, but for the return of our Savior. Jesus warns us to stay awake and keep alert because he could return at any moment. And according to Jesus he will return when we need him the most. The good news is that as our nation’s recession deepens and unemployment and deficits rise we need not despair because this means that Jesus’ return is very near and all we have to do is to wait and watch. The coming of Jesus means that we can be filled with hope that no matter what is happening in our lives our savior is on the way.
I suspect that each of you has experienced some form of loss this year and need a savior to come. Some of you may have lost a family member, or you have lost your health or a job. I know that some of you have experienced the loss of your church. It was a terrible time for you as you felt abandoned by your pastor and the presbytery. And now you must worship in a strange place this Advent. But one of you saw, in all of this, the signs that Jesus’ coming is near. In the midst of the pain and fear of the closing of a church one of you has enrolled in seminary and is studying our Presbyterian Constitution to hear Jesus speak though the accumulated wisdom of the church. She is learning, even in the midst of the tearing apart of the fabric of the church, that Jesus is still with us and cares for us and is leading the church to a glorious future. All we have to do is to watch and wait for his return.
The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the people of God after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon six hundred years before Jesus. Their temple had been burned to the ground. And the people had been taken into exile. God must have seemed very far away at that time. All the people of God could do was to watch and wait. But Jeremiah knew that God still loved his people very much and he wrote these comforting words of hope.
Jeremiah 33:14-16 14 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."
What sustained the exiles in Babylon was their faith that God would save them. They believed that the Son of Man, would come down from heaven in a cloud and rescue them from their captivity. The prophet Daniel saw this in a vision of the coming of a savior for God’s people. Here is what he said.
Daniel 7:13-14 13 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
So our hope, this Advent, is not in the government, or in business, or in our own abilities or even in the church. No, our hope is in the God who loves us, died for us, and promises to return when we need him the most. Just watch the signs of the times and know that these are indications that Jesus is on the way.
As we wait and watch for Jesus there is something that we can do. We can meditate on God’s Word. Reading the Bible prepares us to recognize Jesus when he does return. The psalmist put it this way.
Psalm 25 4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. 5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.
So we read scripture to know how to live our lives as people waiting and watching for Jesus. In the Bible we learn that while we wait we can trust in God. We learn to distinguish the truth of God from the lies of the world. We find out that God loves us and forgives us. And we are prepared for the glorious return of Jesus.
I am becoming an expert in waiting and watching for Jesus. My service at Eagle Rock Presbyterian church ended earlier this month. I am now waiting and watching for God to call me to a new church. I have sent resumes to churches all over the country. I have had some rejections from churches that I really wanted. But the longer I wait and watch the more I am certain that my savior is on the way. I trust that Jesus himself will call me to a new church in the near future. So I pray, meditate on scripture, wait and watch.
Jesus is coming this Advent. The signs are all around us. People are in distress and need a savior. The nation is at war and in recession and needs a savior. The world groans under the weight of human sin and needs a savior. And the good news of Advent is that the church can proclaim the coming of Jesus Christ, our savior.
So as we go through Advent remember that God has a big present for us. I know it is difficult waiting for this gift. We watch the sign of the Christmas season and long for the day we can open it. The gift we are waiting and watching for is none other than the return of our savior, Jesus Christ.
Eternal God, you taught us that the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Keep us awake and alert, watching for your kingdom, and make us strong in faith, so that when Christ comes in glory to judge the earth, we may joyfully give him praise; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Book of Common Worship p.173)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is All Saints Day. November 1 is the day on the church calendar when we remember the saints who have left us to be with the Lord. In the past year we said goodbye to two elders of this church Vi Vandruff and Lois Shultz. All Saints Day is also the day on the church calendar when we think about the present. Today we will say goodbye to each other as this is my final Sunday as your pastor. And All Saints Day is when we thick about the future. Next week you will celebrate the coming of a new pastor and the closer relationship you will have with the Filipino church.
Before I begin preaching this morning I would like to use this opportunity to thank some people in this church. First, I would like to thank the congregation for allowing me to be your pastor since August of 2007, right out of seminary as my first call. And I want to thank June and the group of women who meet every Wednesday for the coffee and cookies and conversation you gave me every week. And thank you to Bob and the Retreads for keeping this place so beautiful. Thank you to June and Donna and the Deacons of this church for your care for the shut-ins and the poor in our community. Thank you Laureen and Jon for the work of the Worship Committee as we continued the morning worship and launched new services at 3 and 5:30. Thank you Rosie and Vern for helping the immigrants coming to this church learn English and adapt to American culture. Thank you Cora, Cecile, David, Jon and the choir for your beautiful music at our worship services and special concerts. Thank you Ruth for our bulletins and newsletters. Thank you Judy and Dirk for meals and special events. Thank you Art for taking care of the churches finances and reports to presbytery. And thanks to all of you for welcoming Grace and me into your community.
This morning I will be completing my series of sermons on biblical transitions. And this is appropriate because my wife and I and this church are entering a transition today. The church is beginning a transition to my successor, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch. And I am beginning a transition to a new church. Although God has not yet revealed my new church I know that God is at work and will reveal my new call shortly. And when that happens I will let you know where Grace and I wind up. But first let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Psalm 24:1-10 NRS Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2 for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6 Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah
For the last month we have been looking at biblical transitions. We started with the transition of the people of God as they brought the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had the law which had governed their lives written down for them to observe as they settled in their new land and told them to be bold and courageous, to remember that God is always with you, and to have no fear. Then we saw how the people of God in the first century feared that they could no longer pray to God when they were no longer able to enter the temple, and the author of Hebrews assured them that Jesus Christ was their high priest and would continue to relay their prayers to God. And last week we read the letter to the exiles in Babylon from Jeremiah telling them to trust in God, live normal lives and pray for their oppressors. All of this constitutes biblical wisdom which we can use as we experience transitions in our lives.
In today’s scripture we see a joyous transition. The Ark of the Covenant representing the presence of God is being brought into Jerusalem. The people of God have transitioned from living in a loose federation of tribal states into a single nation led by King David with Jerusalem for its capital. The arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem indicated that God was the true king over this nation. And so this was a time of great celebration with singing and dancing and worship.
As the Ark started it journey to Jerusalem King David asked the people to remember that they were God’s people. And the God they worshiped was none other than the creator of the universe and their own creator. This meant that their God was the owner of the entire world and everything in it. And all the people of the kingdom of God belong not to themselves but to God.
So as we approach transitions in our lives we must remember that we too belong to God. We are not in control of our own lives. Rather we are God’s people and participants with God in the world that God has made. And the church is owned by God as well. No one here should think that they own this church. The session does not own the church. The presbytery does not own the church. The pastor certainly does not own this church. Nor does the congregation own this church. Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is owned by God and will be used by God for God’s purposes. And each of you is owned by God and will also be used for God’s purposes. So as you experience transitions remember that you and the entire world belong to our loving God.
As the Ark neared Jerusalem King David asked the people of God if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. David told them that to be worthy to enter into the presence of God they must have clean hands and pure hearts. In other words all their works must be done for the glory of God, and these must be motivated by their love of God and their love for one another. This means that everything we do must be done for the glory of God out of our great love for God and our love for our neighbors in the Eagle Rock community. This is evident every Sunday as we satisfy the community’s hunger for the Word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as we worship together.
Our love of God requires that we worship and confess that our creator God is the only God. When we experience transitions in our lives we must never turn away from God and worship idols. We must not put our faith in money, or jobs, or government, or relationships, or education, or anything else that we might value more than God. We must always be motivated by our love of God and the command to love our neighbors. And this is why the church must continue it ministry at 5:30 because this is the only ministry of this church that reaches out to all people, regardless of income or wealth, to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This is how this church obeys God’s command to love our neighbors.
When King David and the Ark of the Covenant arrived at Jerusalem he ordered the ancient gates of the city to be opened. He announced that the King of Glory had arrived to assume power over the nation. A voice from the city wall asked for the identity of this King of Glory. King David said that the King of Glory was none other than the Lord, God of Israel, who had led his people to victory over their enemies and blessed them with peace and prosperity as a mighty nation. The news that the Lord God of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem echoed throughout the city, and the gates were opened. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city and a great joyous festival erupted celebrating the presence of God with them. And this same joy and excitement is experienced by this church as it assembles in worship each Sunday. Three times each Sunday at 9:45, 3 and 5:30 we celebrate that fact that our God is here with us. This is why we worship joyfully welcoming our God right here in this sanctuary.
So the wisdom we have received from King David, which we can use whenever we face transitions, is to remember that we belong not to ourselves but to our God. We must keep ourselves holy during transitions remember that all we do is for the glory of God motivated by our love of God and our love for one another. And whenever we face transitions remember that in worship we come into the very presence of God and this gives us great joy and confidence so that we can approach transitions with boldness, confident that God is with us. So have no fear because whatever happens we always have Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. And live your lives normally remembering to pray for those who anger you. If you follow this wisdom all transitions in you lives will go well with you and you will be richly blessed by our creator God.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church has had a rich history and an exciting present, but what about the future. What will happen to us in the years ahead? The promise of scripture is that one day Christ will return and bring all of heaven with him to earth. There will be no more death, nor pain, nor suffering, nor mourning nor crying because this will be a time of great joy as God comes to live with us. We know this because Jesus Christ, who was present with God at creation, serves us today as our High Priest, and will one day make all things new. The table that is set before us today is offered as a foretaste of this new world. Here we encounter Jesus who wipes away our tears and brings us the joy of being in the presence of God. So let’s rejoice that God is with us and has plans for our glorious future.
Lord Jesus Christ we acknowledge your presence with us this day and ask that you lead us as our High Priest to this table and into the presence of God. We ask that you give us courage to boldly walk into our future without fear. We ask that you be with us as we lead our lives and lead us into the glorious future that was planned for us before creation. We love you O God and ask that you help us to love our neighbors here in Eagle Rock. We pray all of this in the name of our one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon: Biblical Transitions: To Whom Do You Belong? – Psalm 24
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
November 1, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is All Saints Day. November 1 is the day on the church calendar when we remember the saints who have left us to be with the Lord. In the past year we said goodbye to two elders of this church Vi Vandruff and Lois Shultz. All Saints Day is also the day on the church calendar when we think about the present. Today we will say goodbye to each other as this is my final Sunday as your pastor. And All Saints Day is when we thick about the future. Next week you will celebrate the coming of a new pastor and the closer relationship you will have with the Filipino church.
Before I begin preaching this morning I would like to use this opportunity to thank some people in this church. First, I would like to thank the congregation for allowing me to be your pastor since August of 2007, right out of seminary as my first call. And I want to thank June and the group of women who meet every Wednesday for the coffee and cookies and conversation you gave me every week. And thank you to Bob and the Retreads for keeping this place so beautiful. Thank you to June and Donna and the Deacons of this church for your care for the shut-ins and the poor in our community. Thank you Laureen and Jon for the work of the Worship Committee as we continued the morning worship and launched new services at 3 and 5:30. Thank you Rosie and Vern for helping the immigrants coming to this church learn English and adapt to American culture. Thank you Cora, Cecile, David, Jon and the choir for your beautiful music at our worship services and special concerts. Thank you Ruth for our bulletins and newsletters. Thank you Judy and Dirk for meals and special events. Thank you Art for taking care of the churches finances and reports to presbytery. And thanks to all of you for welcoming Grace and me into your community.
This morning I will be completing my series of sermons on biblical transitions. And this is appropriate because my wife and I and this church are entering a transition today. The church is beginning a transition to my successor, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch. And I am beginning a transition to a new church. Although God has not yet revealed my new church I know that God is at work and will reveal my new call shortly. And when that happens I will let you know where Grace and I wind up. But first let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Psalm 24:1-10 NRS Psalm 24:1
For the last month we have been looking at biblical transitions. We started with the transition of the people of God as they brought the Ark of the Covenant across the Jordan into the Promised Land. God had the law which had governed their lives written down for them to observe as they settled in their new land and told them to be bold and courageous, to remember that God is always with you, and to have no fear. Then we saw how the people of God in the first century feared that they could no longer pray to God when they were no longer able to enter the temple, and the author of Hebrews assured them that Jesus Christ was their high priest and would continue to relay their prayers to God. And last week we read the letter to the exiles in Babylon from Jeremiah telling them to trust in God, live normal lives and pray for their oppressors. All of this constitutes biblical wisdom which we can use as we experience transitions in our lives.
In today’s scripture we see a joyous transition. The Ark of the Covenant representing the presence of God is being brought into Jerusalem. The people of God have transitioned from living in a loose federation of tribal states into a single nation led by King David with Jerusalem for its capital. The arrival of the Ark into Jerusalem indicated that God was the true king over this nation. And so this was a time of great celebration with singing and dancing and worship.
As the Ark started it journey to Jerusalem King David asked the people to remember that they were God’s people. And the God they worshiped was none other than the creator of the universe and their own creator. This meant that their God was the owner of the entire world and everything in it. And all the people of the kingdom of God belong not to themselves but to God.
So as we approach transitions in our lives we must remember that we too belong to God. We are not in control of our own lives. Rather we are God’s people and participants with God in the world that God has made. And the church is owned by God as well. No one here should think that they own this church. The session does not own the church. The presbytery does not own the church. The pastor certainly does not own this church. Nor does the congregation own this church. Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is owned by God and will be used by God for God’s purposes. And each of you is owned by God and will also be used for God’s purposes. So as you experience transitions remember that you and the entire world belong to our loving God.
As the Ark neared Jerusalem King David asked the people of God if they were worthy to ascend the hill of Jerusalem to be in the presence of God. David told them that to be worthy to enter into the presence of God they must have clean hands and pure hearts. In other words all their works must be done for the glory of God, and these must be motivated by their love of God and their love for one another. This means that everything we do must be done for the glory of God out of our great love for God and our love for our neighbors in the Eagle Rock community. This is evident every Sunday as we satisfy the community’s hunger for the Word of God and the salvation of Jesus Christ as we worship together.
Our love of God requires that we worship and confess that our creator God is the only God. When we experience transitions in our lives we must never turn away from God and worship idols. We must not put our faith in money, or jobs, or government, or relationships, or education, or anything else that we might value more than God. We must always be motivated by our love of God and the command to love our neighbors. And this is why the church must continue it ministry at 5:30 because this is the only ministry of this church that reaches out to all people, regardless of income or wealth, to bring them the good news of Jesus Christ. This is how this church obeys God’s command to love our neighbors.
When King David and the Ark of the Covenant arrived at Jerusalem he ordered the ancient gates of the city to be opened. He announced that the King of Glory had arrived to assume power over the nation. A voice from the city wall asked for the identity of this King of Glory. King David said that the King of Glory was none other than the Lord, God of Israel, who had led his people to victory over their enemies and blessed them with peace and prosperity as a mighty nation. The news that the Lord God of Israel had arrived in Jerusalem echoed throughout the city, and the gates were opened. The Ark of the Covenant was brought into the city and a great joyous festival erupted celebrating the presence of God with them. And this same joy and excitement is experienced by this church as it assembles in worship each Sunday. Three times each Sunday at 9:45, 3 and 5:30 we celebrate that fact that our God is here with us. This is why we worship joyfully welcoming our God right here in this sanctuary.
So the wisdom we have received from King David, which we can use whenever we face transitions, is to remember that we belong not to ourselves but to our God. We must keep ourselves holy during transitions remember that all we do is for the glory of God motivated by our love of God and our love for one another. And whenever we face transitions remember that in worship we come into the very presence of God and this gives us great joy and confidence so that we can approach transitions with boldness, confident that God is with us. So have no fear because whatever happens we always have Jesus Christ as our Great High Priest. And live your lives normally remembering to pray for those who anger you. If you follow this wisdom all transitions in you lives will go well with you and you will be richly blessed by our creator God.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church has had a rich history and an exciting present, but what about the future. What will happen to us in the years ahead? The promise of scripture is that one day Christ will return and bring all of heaven with him to earth. There will be no more death, nor pain, nor suffering, nor mourning nor crying because this will be a time of great joy as God comes to live with us. We know this because Jesus Christ, who was present with God at creation, serves us today as our High Priest, and will one day make all things new. The table that is set before us today is offered as a foretaste of this new world. Here we encounter Jesus who wipes away our tears and brings us the joy of being in the presence of God. So let’s rejoice that God is with us and has plans for our glorious future.
Lord Jesus Christ we acknowledge your presence with us this day and ask that you lead us as our High Priest to this table and into the presence of God. We ask that you give us courage to boldly walk into our future without fear. We ask that you be with us as we lead our lives and lead us into the glorious future that was planned for us before creation. We love you O God and ask that you help us to love our neighbors here in Eagle Rock. We pray all of this in the name of our one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sermon – Jeremiah 29:1-14 – Biblical Transitions: Exile
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Jeremiah 29:1-14 – Biblical Transitions: Exile
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 25, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
I am continuing this evening with our look at biblical transitions. The purpose of this series of sermons is to look at what God says to people who are experiencing transitions in their lives so that we may obtain wisdom for dealing with our own transitions. This will help to prepare us as we face our own transitions in our own lives.
Two weeks ago we saw that the people of God were transitioning from the wilderness to living in the Promised Land. God gave them a written record of the instructions for life that he had communicated to Moses and then told them to be bold and courageous, remember that God is always with you, and have no fear. Then last week we saw that the Jews, who were the earliest followers of Jesus, were concerned when they were no longer able to go to the temple in Jerusalem to see a priest for the sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The author of Hebrews told them that their High Priest was now Jesus Christ who had experienced their joys and concerns as a human and now, as our ascended Lord, communicates our prayers to God. Today we will be looking at a third biblical transition as the people of God are taken into exile in Babylon. But before we get to this please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Jerusalem was in trouble. The last king had formed an alliance with Egypt betting on their protection in a volatile situation. But he lost the bet. Now Babylon was the undisputed power in the region. The new king, just 18 years old and on the throne for just three months had an important decision to make. He knew that Jerusalem could not resist the massive army coming his way. But his prophets were telling him not to worry because God would protect them as God always had in the past. Only the prophet Jeremiah saw what was really happening, that the people had turned away from God. He told them that this time God’s protection would be removed.
God had decided that his people should experience a time of exile. So in 597BC God enabled King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to besiege the city of Jerusalem and carry off to exile the king, his family, all his wealth, the government officials and anyone who could contribute to Babylonian society. Left behind were the poor, the needy, the widows, the orphans, the disabled, the mentally ill and anyone the Babylon did not want. The prophet Jeremiah, who had forecasted all of this, remained behind in the city. He then wrote a letter to the exiles in Babylon. Here is what he said.
Jeremiah 29:1-14 NRS Jeremiah 29:1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD. 10 For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah made it clear in his letter that it was coming directly from God. This was important to the people in exile because they must have wondered if God had abandoned them. We often experience this feeling of abandonment in the midst of transitions. We or a loved one gets sick and we wonder where God is. A relationship comes to an end and we pray and pray and pray and wonder if God is still listening. A job is lost and we wonder if God still loves us and wants to bless us. But Jeremiah assures us that God is with us even at those times when God seems so far away.
A great-grandmother comes in to see the pastor. Her heart problem has not gotten any better. But this is not what she wants to talk about today. She just had a call from her daughter with bad news. Her new great granddaughter, who was born just a couple of months ago, was sick, very sick. The doctors think that the baby has cancer and have started aggressive treatment. Their granddaughter and great granddaughter was in danger of dying, and they wondered where God was. The pastor, like Jeremiah before him, reminded the great grandmother that God has never left, that God loved her and the young baby very much, and that in God’s time everything would turn out alright. But for now they should wait and pray confident that in some way God would act.
Jeremiah also told the people that even though they were experiencing a major transition they should continue to lead normal lives. God told them to buy homes, get married and have children. The people probably expected that someone would rescue them soon. But God was telling them not to expect to go back to the way it was. The new situation would last for a long time, maybe beyond their lifetimes. So the people were to live for the long haul, confident in God’s faithfulness to one day restore them to the Promised Land, and to keep his promise that David’s descendents would remain on the throne forever. So God’s people were not to worry, rather they were to continue to live normal lives even in their new circumstances.
A young man came to see the pastor. His brother had come for a visit and he had had enough. The young man started fighting with his brother fought almost as soon as he arrived. So the pastor told him about an old television show called “The Odd Couple”. It was about two men who shared an apartment. One was neat and clean almost to a fault. Everything was put in its place. Dust never had a chance to land on the furniture. The apartment was always in order. But the other was a slob. He dropped his clothes on the floor, washed dishes only when he had to, and filled the apartment with cigar smoke. As you might imagine, these differences often led to very funny situations. But these two men were able to live in the same apartment without being angry all the time because they chose to overlook their differences so that they could get along. This followed the wisdom of Jeremiah who new that the exiles were angry at their captors. Jeremiah told them to choose not to dwell in anger and conflict, but choose to live lives of normality at peace with each other, confident that God would one day may everything right. So the pastor told the young man to accept the differences he had with his brother so that they could visit each other in peace.
Jeremiah then told his people to do something that must have surprised them: pray for the welfare of Babylon. This had to be very difficult. They had been hurt on many levels and had to be very angry at the Babylonians for taking them into exile. Most, probably, wanted to get back at the Babylonians in some way. Maybe they were ready to start an insurgency with terrorist attacks and suicide bombers. Maybe they were planning to assemble an army in the wilderness. Maybe they wanted to passively resist by not cooperating with their captors. But God wanted them to live peacefully with the Babylonians. This required forgiveness and prayer. And praying for an enemy’s welfare is the best way of dealing with anger, because you just can’t remain angry at people you pray for.
A woman came to see the pastor. She hadn’t slept in a couple of days. She had found out about incidents of terrible sexual impropriety in her family. She was so angry she could just scream. The pastor talked with her for several minutes to calm her down and then listened patiently as she told her terrible story. The pastor then told her to pray for her family, especially the ones who had hurt her so much. The pastor told her that she could not change the situation so she had to rely on God, and prayer was far more constructive than anger. This was the message Jeremiah had from God for the exiles. Rather than living in anger for what the Babylonians had done, the exiles were to pray for their captors, because this would allow their hearts to heal and prepare them for their eventual return to the Promised Land.
So as transitions occur in our lives always remember that even though God seems far away God is really with you ready to forgive and waiting for you to return to his loving arms. When in transition live your lives normally and do not let anger overwhelm you, but accept the changes knowing that somehow this is in God’s plan. And always remember to pray for the people you are most angry with confident that God’s justice will one day prevail and prayer is the best way of dealing with your own anger. The promise of scripture is that if you follow this wisdom transitions will go well with you.
Father in heaven, we pray that as we face transitions in life that you will be close to us and not far away. We ask for help as we live our lives normally accepting changes as they come. And we ask that you help us to pray for those we are angry at so that we will experience not anger and conflict but peace and rest. We pray this with your Son our High Priest. Amen.
Sermon – Jeremiah 29:1-14 – Biblical Transitions: Exile
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 25, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
I am continuing this evening with our look at biblical transitions. The purpose of this series of sermons is to look at what God says to people who are experiencing transitions in their lives so that we may obtain wisdom for dealing with our own transitions. This will help to prepare us as we face our own transitions in our own lives.
Two weeks ago we saw that the people of God were transitioning from the wilderness to living in the Promised Land. God gave them a written record of the instructions for life that he had communicated to Moses and then told them to be bold and courageous, remember that God is always with you, and have no fear. Then last week we saw that the Jews, who were the earliest followers of Jesus, were concerned when they were no longer able to go to the temple in Jerusalem to see a priest for the sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The author of Hebrews told them that their High Priest was now Jesus Christ who had experienced their joys and concerns as a human and now, as our ascended Lord, communicates our prayers to God. Today we will be looking at a third biblical transition as the people of God are taken into exile in Babylon. But before we get to this please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Jerusalem was in trouble. The last king had formed an alliance with Egypt betting on their protection in a volatile situation. But he lost the bet. Now Babylon was the undisputed power in the region. The new king, just 18 years old and on the throne for just three months had an important decision to make. He knew that Jerusalem could not resist the massive army coming his way. But his prophets were telling him not to worry because God would protect them as God always had in the past. Only the prophet Jeremiah saw what was really happening, that the people had turned away from God. He told them that this time God’s protection would be removed.
God had decided that his people should experience a time of exile. So in 597BC God enabled King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to besiege the city of Jerusalem and carry off to exile the king, his family, all his wealth, the government officials and anyone who could contribute to Babylonian society. Left behind were the poor, the needy, the widows, the orphans, the disabled, the mentally ill and anyone the Babylon did not want. The prophet Jeremiah, who had forecasted all of this, remained behind in the city. He then wrote a letter to the exiles in Babylon. Here is what he said.
Jeremiah 29:1-14 NRS Jeremiah 29:1 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let the prophets and the diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, says the LORD. 10 For thus says the LORD: Only when Babylon's seventy years are completed will I visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. 11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. 12 Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will let you find me, says the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah made it clear in his letter that it was coming directly from God. This was important to the people in exile because they must have wondered if God had abandoned them. We often experience this feeling of abandonment in the midst of transitions. We or a loved one gets sick and we wonder where God is. A relationship comes to an end and we pray and pray and pray and wonder if God is still listening. A job is lost and we wonder if God still loves us and wants to bless us. But Jeremiah assures us that God is with us even at those times when God seems so far away.
A great-grandmother comes in to see the pastor. Her heart problem has not gotten any better. But this is not what she wants to talk about today. She just had a call from her daughter with bad news. Her new great granddaughter, who was born just a couple of months ago, was sick, very sick. The doctors think that the baby has cancer and have started aggressive treatment. Their granddaughter and great granddaughter was in danger of dying, and they wondered where God was. The pastor, like Jeremiah before him, reminded the great grandmother that God has never left, that God loved her and the young baby very much, and that in God’s time everything would turn out alright. But for now they should wait and pray confident that in some way God would act.
Jeremiah also told the people that even though they were experiencing a major transition they should continue to lead normal lives. God told them to buy homes, get married and have children. The people probably expected that someone would rescue them soon. But God was telling them not to expect to go back to the way it was. The new situation would last for a long time, maybe beyond their lifetimes. So the people were to live for the long haul, confident in God’s faithfulness to one day restore them to the Promised Land, and to keep his promise that David’s descendents would remain on the throne forever. So God’s people were not to worry, rather they were to continue to live normal lives even in their new circumstances.
A young man came to see the pastor. His brother had come for a visit and he had had enough. The young man started fighting with his brother fought almost as soon as he arrived. So the pastor told him about an old television show called “The Odd Couple”. It was about two men who shared an apartment. One was neat and clean almost to a fault. Everything was put in its place. Dust never had a chance to land on the furniture. The apartment was always in order. But the other was a slob. He dropped his clothes on the floor, washed dishes only when he had to, and filled the apartment with cigar smoke. As you might imagine, these differences often led to very funny situations. But these two men were able to live in the same apartment without being angry all the time because they chose to overlook their differences so that they could get along. This followed the wisdom of Jeremiah who new that the exiles were angry at their captors. Jeremiah told them to choose not to dwell in anger and conflict, but choose to live lives of normality at peace with each other, confident that God would one day may everything right. So the pastor told the young man to accept the differences he had with his brother so that they could visit each other in peace.
Jeremiah then told his people to do something that must have surprised them: pray for the welfare of Babylon. This had to be very difficult. They had been hurt on many levels and had to be very angry at the Babylonians for taking them into exile. Most, probably, wanted to get back at the Babylonians in some way. Maybe they were ready to start an insurgency with terrorist attacks and suicide bombers. Maybe they were planning to assemble an army in the wilderness. Maybe they wanted to passively resist by not cooperating with their captors. But God wanted them to live peacefully with the Babylonians. This required forgiveness and prayer. And praying for an enemy’s welfare is the best way of dealing with anger, because you just can’t remain angry at people you pray for.
A woman came to see the pastor. She hadn’t slept in a couple of days. She had found out about incidents of terrible sexual impropriety in her family. She was so angry she could just scream. The pastor talked with her for several minutes to calm her down and then listened patiently as she told her terrible story. The pastor then told her to pray for her family, especially the ones who had hurt her so much. The pastor told her that she could not change the situation so she had to rely on God, and prayer was far more constructive than anger. This was the message Jeremiah had from God for the exiles. Rather than living in anger for what the Babylonians had done, the exiles were to pray for their captors, because this would allow their hearts to heal and prepare them for their eventual return to the Promised Land.
So as transitions occur in our lives always remember that even though God seems far away God is really with you ready to forgive and waiting for you to return to his loving arms. When in transition live your lives normally and do not let anger overwhelm you, but accept the changes knowing that somehow this is in God’s plan. And always remember to pray for the people you are most angry with confident that God’s justice will one day prevail and prayer is the best way of dealing with your own anger. The promise of scripture is that if you follow this wisdom transitions will go well with you.
Father in heaven, we pray that as we face transitions in life that you will be close to us and not far away. We ask for help as we live our lives normally accepting changes as they come. And we ask that you help us to pray for those we are angry at so that we will experience not anger and conflict but peace and rest. We pray this with your Son our High Priest. Amen.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sermon – Hebrews 5:1-10 – Our Great High Priest
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Hebrews 5:1-10 – Our Great High Priest
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 18, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am continuing with my series of sermons on the topic of biblical transitions. We all experience transitions in our lives. We feel ok, get sick and then get better. We get into relationships, fall out of relationships and get into them again. We all get older every day and this pushes us into new stages of life. Transitions are a part of life. So it is important to see what God says as people transition from one stage of life to another.
Last week we looked at Moses’ transition as he was no longer able to get around and accompany God’s people into the Promised Land. So God had Moses write the law down so that these instructions for life could accompany the people as they transitioned from being nomads in the desert into being settled farmers and shepherds in the land God had promised. And God gave them three pieces of wisdom for dealing with transitions: be bold and courageous, remember that God is with you, and have no fear.
Today we will be looking at another transition. This one was happening to the Jewish followers of Jesus who found they could no longer enter the temple in Jerusalem and then watched with horror as the temple was destroyed leaving them without a way to communicate with God and know that God was ready to forgive them of their sins. But before we get to this very important work, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Hebrews 5:1-10 NRS Hebrews 5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
I have been watching a transition occur during Rosie’s ESL class on Tuesday nights. I take care of three children ages 5, 7 and 9. I have been trying to get them interested in some of the games we have in the youth room. So far they have been playing with the games rather than playing the games. They take the game pieces and move then around, throw them in the air, pretend they are cars with the appropriate sound effects and do all the things you expect little kids to do. But last Tuesday a transition occurred. They wanted to play a version of Monopoly that uses Eagle Rock businesses and organizations. This time I announced that I would be the banker and chief rule enforcer. I sat next to the five-year-old to even the playing field. And I organized all the properties and money and verbally summarized the rules. Then the game began. To my surprise all three played the game seriously. And it held their attention for two solid hours. These kids are growing up and everyday they and their parents are experiencing transitions.
There are other transitions going on in this church. A couple of you no longer drive and need help getting to church on Sundays. Some of you have always had good memories but now forget the some of the most basic things. And all of you are in one way or another preparing for the pastoral transition that will happen next month.
In the first century the Jews who became the first followers of Jesus Christ experienced a major transition. In the year 70AD the Roman Empire used military force to subdue a rebellion and in doing so destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. This caused a major disruption in the way the people of God related to God because a sacrament that God had provided and the people depended on for forgiveness was gone forever.
In ancient times God had provided the people with the sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The process was simple. When people became aware that they were separated from God, as a result of their sin, they would come to the temple in Jerusalem and present a goat or a lamb to the priest. If they were too poor to afford a goat or a lamb they could bring a couple a birds or even a container of flour. The priest would then sacrifice the offering on the altar and burn the blood of the sacrificed animals, the smoke of which symbolized the prayers of the people going up to God. Then the priest would enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God and deliver the prayers of the people. The priest then would return to the people and speak the words that sealed the gracious love of God on God’s people, “you are forgiven”. Sacrifice was a sign and seal of God desire to forgive people who confess and repent. But with the destruction of the Temple this sacrament disappeared forever. There were no more altars, no more priests, and no more sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The author of Hebrews was a pastor who needed a way to assure his people that God loved them very much and still graciously forgave of all their sins. But with no priest and no temple, how could he assure his congregation? He did what all good pastors do; he meditated on God’s word to find something from God that would comforted his people. And he found this in the second psalm. Psalm 2:7 7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you”.
Jesus, the begotten son of God, was a flesh and blood human. He experienced joy and pain, even the pain of death. He went through his own transitions in life. He felt the loss of a dear friend, Lazarus, and the great joy of the people he healed. Jesus could have used his power as God, but chose the path of humility and experienced our weakness. Because of all of this Jesus can empathize with us and understand us. And thus Jesus has the experience needed to hear and understand our prayers as our priest. Moreover the resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ can deliver our prayers not in a symbolic Holy of Holies in a temple in Jerusalem but in the real Holy of Holies in heaven. So Christ would be the perfect high priest. The pastor who wrote Hebrews wanted to proclaim this to his people, but there was a problem.
The author of Hebrews knew very well that Jesus could not be our High Priest. His Bible, our Old Testament, was very clear that God only calls High Priests from the tribe of Levi. And high priests must be descendents of Aaron and Zadok. But Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi; he was from the tribe of Judah, descended from King David. Jesus could be the king and the long waited for messiah, but he could not be the high priest who brings our prayers to God. The pastor who wrote Hebrews knew that he still did not have a way to tell his people that God hears their prayers, and forgives their sin. So he went back to meditating on the Word of God.
As the author of Hebrews searched the scripture he ran across a Psalm that was very familiar to his congregation. It was Psalm 110. Jesus had said that this psalm was talking about himself. But the author of Hebrews’ eye fell on a different verse that he had not noticed before. Psalm 110:4 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." There was the answer that he was looking for. Jesus was a priest but not of the line of Aaron and Zadok. Jesus was called by God to the priesthood of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a priest who ministered to Levi’s great-grandfather Abraham. He was the king of Salem who blessed Abraham after a battle. And Abraham responded with the gift of a tithe, ten percent. Therefore Jesus was called by God to a priesthood far older and more important than the levitical priests of Israel. Melchizedek is the Hebrew word that means “king of righteousness”, and Salem or shalom is the Hebrew word that means “peace” and “well being”. So Jesus was called by God to be a priest of righteousness from the land of peace and well being.
The pastor who wrote Hebrews then told his flock that just as Jesus had often prayed for his people while on earth, Jesus is now praying for us to God as our Great High Priest. Jesus has the experience to be a priest because of his experience of being a man. And Jesus has been called by God to the priesthood of the ancient order of Melchizedek. And therefore if we confess our sins and repent, Jesus will hear those prayers, draw upon his own experiences to understand what we are going through, and will communicate our prayers to God the Father. Then you will hear the ancient priestly words spoken by Jesus through the mouth of his pastors who say “in Jesus Christ you are forgiven.”
This is why we reenact the ancient sacrament of sacrifice every day at this church in worship and early morning prayers. We begin each day by confessing our sins both together as a congregation and silently as individuals. These prayers are heard by Jesus, who understands what we are experiencing, communicates our prayers to God, and speaks to us the words of forgiveness.
So as you experience the transitions in your lives and as the church experiences transition in pastoral leadership, remember that your Great High Priest does not change. Your prayers will always be heard by Jesus, a priest of the order of the king of righteousness from the land of peace and well being. Jesus will know what you are experiencing because he experienced it too. And Jesus will communicate your prayers to God and you will hear the ancient words, “you are forgiven.”
Lord Jesus we come to you today with our prayers and our sacrificial offerings. We ask that you hear our petitions and bring them to God. And we long to hear from you that God hears our prayers and forgives us. Amen.
Sermon – Hebrews 5:1-10 – Our Great High Priest
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 18, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am continuing with my series of sermons on the topic of biblical transitions. We all experience transitions in our lives. We feel ok, get sick and then get better. We get into relationships, fall out of relationships and get into them again. We all get older every day and this pushes us into new stages of life. Transitions are a part of life. So it is important to see what God says as people transition from one stage of life to another.
Last week we looked at Moses’ transition as he was no longer able to get around and accompany God’s people into the Promised Land. So God had Moses write the law down so that these instructions for life could accompany the people as they transitioned from being nomads in the desert into being settled farmers and shepherds in the land God had promised. And God gave them three pieces of wisdom for dealing with transitions: be bold and courageous, remember that God is with you, and have no fear.
Today we will be looking at another transition. This one was happening to the Jewish followers of Jesus who found they could no longer enter the temple in Jerusalem and then watched with horror as the temple was destroyed leaving them without a way to communicate with God and know that God was ready to forgive them of their sins. But before we get to this very important work, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Hebrews 5:1-10 NRS Hebrews 5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness; 3 and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people. 4 And one does not presume to take this honor, but takes it only when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, "You are my Son, today I have begotten you"; 6 as he says also in another place, "You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." 7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.
I have been watching a transition occur during Rosie’s ESL class on Tuesday nights. I take care of three children ages 5, 7 and 9. I have been trying to get them interested in some of the games we have in the youth room. So far they have been playing with the games rather than playing the games. They take the game pieces and move then around, throw them in the air, pretend they are cars with the appropriate sound effects and do all the things you expect little kids to do. But last Tuesday a transition occurred. They wanted to play a version of Monopoly that uses Eagle Rock businesses and organizations. This time I announced that I would be the banker and chief rule enforcer. I sat next to the five-year-old to even the playing field. And I organized all the properties and money and verbally summarized the rules. Then the game began. To my surprise all three played the game seriously. And it held their attention for two solid hours. These kids are growing up and everyday they and their parents are experiencing transitions.
There are other transitions going on in this church. A couple of you no longer drive and need help getting to church on Sundays. Some of you have always had good memories but now forget the some of the most basic things. And all of you are in one way or another preparing for the pastoral transition that will happen next month.
In the first century the Jews who became the first followers of Jesus Christ experienced a major transition. In the year 70AD the Roman Empire used military force to subdue a rebellion and in doing so destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. This caused a major disruption in the way the people of God related to God because a sacrament that God had provided and the people depended on for forgiveness was gone forever.
In ancient times God had provided the people with the sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. The process was simple. When people became aware that they were separated from God, as a result of their sin, they would come to the temple in Jerusalem and present a goat or a lamb to the priest. If they were too poor to afford a goat or a lamb they could bring a couple a birds or even a container of flour. The priest would then sacrifice the offering on the altar and burn the blood of the sacrificed animals, the smoke of which symbolized the prayers of the people going up to God. Then the priest would enter the Holy of Holies into the presence of God and deliver the prayers of the people. The priest then would return to the people and speak the words that sealed the gracious love of God on God’s people, “you are forgiven”. Sacrifice was a sign and seal of God desire to forgive people who confess and repent. But with the destruction of the Temple this sacrament disappeared forever. There were no more altars, no more priests, and no more sacrament of sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The author of Hebrews was a pastor who needed a way to assure his people that God loved them very much and still graciously forgave of all their sins. But with no priest and no temple, how could he assure his congregation? He did what all good pastors do; he meditated on God’s word to find something from God that would comforted his people. And he found this in the second psalm. Psalm 2:7 7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, "You are my son; today I have begotten you”.
Jesus, the begotten son of God, was a flesh and blood human. He experienced joy and pain, even the pain of death. He went through his own transitions in life. He felt the loss of a dear friend, Lazarus, and the great joy of the people he healed. Jesus could have used his power as God, but chose the path of humility and experienced our weakness. Because of all of this Jesus can empathize with us and understand us. And thus Jesus has the experience needed to hear and understand our prayers as our priest. Moreover the resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ can deliver our prayers not in a symbolic Holy of Holies in a temple in Jerusalem but in the real Holy of Holies in heaven. So Christ would be the perfect high priest. The pastor who wrote Hebrews wanted to proclaim this to his people, but there was a problem.
The author of Hebrews knew very well that Jesus could not be our High Priest. His Bible, our Old Testament, was very clear that God only calls High Priests from the tribe of Levi. And high priests must be descendents of Aaron and Zadok. But Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi; he was from the tribe of Judah, descended from King David. Jesus could be the king and the long waited for messiah, but he could not be the high priest who brings our prayers to God. The pastor who wrote Hebrews knew that he still did not have a way to tell his people that God hears their prayers, and forgives their sin. So he went back to meditating on the Word of God.
As the author of Hebrews searched the scripture he ran across a Psalm that was very familiar to his congregation. It was Psalm 110. Jesus had said that this psalm was talking about himself. But the author of Hebrews’ eye fell on a different verse that he had not noticed before. Psalm 110:4 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." There was the answer that he was looking for. Jesus was a priest but not of the line of Aaron and Zadok. Jesus was called by God to the priesthood of Melchizedek. Melchizedek was a priest who ministered to Levi’s great-grandfather Abraham. He was the king of Salem who blessed Abraham after a battle. And Abraham responded with the gift of a tithe, ten percent. Therefore Jesus was called by God to a priesthood far older and more important than the levitical priests of Israel. Melchizedek is the Hebrew word that means “king of righteousness”, and Salem or shalom is the Hebrew word that means “peace” and “well being”. So Jesus was called by God to be a priest of righteousness from the land of peace and well being.
The pastor who wrote Hebrews then told his flock that just as Jesus had often prayed for his people while on earth, Jesus is now praying for us to God as our Great High Priest. Jesus has the experience to be a priest because of his experience of being a man. And Jesus has been called by God to the priesthood of the ancient order of Melchizedek. And therefore if we confess our sins and repent, Jesus will hear those prayers, draw upon his own experiences to understand what we are going through, and will communicate our prayers to God the Father. Then you will hear the ancient priestly words spoken by Jesus through the mouth of his pastors who say “in Jesus Christ you are forgiven.”
This is why we reenact the ancient sacrament of sacrifice every day at this church in worship and early morning prayers. We begin each day by confessing our sins both together as a congregation and silently as individuals. These prayers are heard by Jesus, who understands what we are experiencing, communicates our prayers to God, and speaks to us the words of forgiveness.
So as you experience the transitions in your lives and as the church experiences transition in pastoral leadership, remember that your Great High Priest does not change. Your prayers will always be heard by Jesus, a priest of the order of the king of righteousness from the land of peace and well being. Jesus will know what you are experiencing because he experienced it too. And Jesus will communicate your prayers to God and you will hear the ancient words, “you are forgiven.”
Lord Jesus we come to you today with our prayers and our sacrificial offerings. We ask that you hear our petitions and bring them to God. And we long to hear from you that God hears our prayers and forgives us. Amen.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sermon – Deuteronomy 31-34 – Biblical Transitions: Moses to Joshua
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Deuteronomy 31-34 – Biblical Transitions: Moses to Joshua
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 11, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
We have all experienced transitions in our lives. Our first transition occurred at birth when we emerged from our mother’s womb and entered a world full of light and sound and other frightening things. Do you remember your first day of school, or the day you went off to college? How about when you started your first job or entered the military? We have positive transitions: getting married, becoming a parent, finding a job. And we have negative transitions: losing a job, ending a relationship, the death of a loved one. Everyone experiences transitions in their lives, and therefore it is helpful to see what God says to people in the Bible who are experiencing transitions. But before we get to this important work please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 NRS Deuteronomy 31:1 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 2 he said to them: "I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the LORD has told me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan.' 3 The LORD your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the LORD promised. 4 The LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 The LORD will give them over to you and you shall deal with them in full accord with the command that I have given to you. 6 Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you." 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: "Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it. 8 It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."
Moses was approaching a transition. He had been active all of his life. For 40 years he was raised not as the son of a slave as he had been born, but in the Egyptian royal household as the adopted son of a princess. For another 40 years he guided his father-in-law’s sheep as they grazed in the wilderness. And combining these experiences of leadership and shepherding he led God’s people through that wilderness for yet another 40 years. But now at age 120 the Bible says that Moses was “no longer able to get about”. His eyesight was still good. He was still potent as a man. But he must have been experiencing problems walking and so his ability to accompany a nomadic people on the move was limited. He was experiencing a transition from being very active and independent to being inactive and dependent on others.
Even at this stage of his life God had one final task for Moses to do. Moses was to have all of the laws which God had given the people while they were wandering in the wilderness written down on sheep skins and rolled up into scrolls. These scrolls were to be given to the church workers from the tribe of Levi to be placed with the Ark of the Covenant and preserved in perpetuity. The elders of the twelve tribes were to study these scrolls and have them read to the people every seven years so that the people would know how God wanted them to live their lives. These scrolls were known as the way of life or instructions for life, which in Hebrew is called the Torah. And these rules of life are still available for us to follow, and are contained in the first five books of our Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The reason that God wanted these scrolls prepared and preserved was to ensure that his people would know how to live their lives as transitions occur. God knew that the Israelites were about to transition from being a nomadic people wandering in the wilderness to being a settled people in the land that God had promised. God wanted them to have a set of instructions for living their lives. And God has preserved these instructions for us so that we too have instructions for living our lives.
The task of bringing the people of God into the Promised Land was given to Joshua. Joshua had been a young man when the Israelites left Egypt and showed his courage and faith as a spy sent by Moses to checkout the Promised Land and in his urging of his people to enter the land immediately, confident that God would lead them to victory. Now nearly 40 years later Joshua was ready to accompany the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan River and settled in the land they had been promised.
It may appear that leadership was being passed from Moses to Joshua. But this would be incorrect. Neither Moses nor Joshua was the leader of the Israelites. This was not the death of one king and the rise of another. Both Moses and Joshua had important things to do, but the Bible is clear that the true leader of the Israelites was neither of them. The true leader of Israel was their God. And if God was there leader then was no transition in leadership. This is an important principle for us to remember: that no matter want transitions we face life God always remains the same and is our Lord.
As Moses and Joshua faced transitions in their lives God told them to do three things: first, to be bold and courageous, second, to remember that God is with you, and third, to not be afraid. Let’s look at each of these.
When facing transitions in life we should be bold and courageous. I have known people who fear retirement because they just don’t know what they will do when they retire. So they keep working at jobs they dislike rather than boldly entering active retirement. I know someone who loves hunting and fishing. A few years ago he bought a house high in the mountains of western Virginia were he spends most weekends and his vacation time. He continued to work at a job that he didn’t really like, but it paid well and had good benefits. Recently he decided that the joy of spending his time in the mountains, hunting and fishing, was far greater than the benefits of earning more money. So he boldly took early retirement and is now enjoying his new home in the mountains and his new life. So as we approach transitions in our lives let’s be bold and see transitions as opportunities for new joyful experiences. Let’s be courageous and tackle transitions with enthusiasm.
God also told Moses and Joshua that he would always be with them. No matter what transitions we experience God is faithful and is always there to bless us. I have a friend in Washington who experienced a devastating divorce. At first he eased his pain by drinking alcohol, but that just created other problems. He had been a Christian and often prayed, but after the divorce God seemed very far away. Then he became involved with a new church. He made friends and developed an active social life. And he developed a closer relationship with God realizing that God had always been right there with him even as he experienced his greatest despair. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should always remember that God is with us. God is faithful and just and loves us very much.
And finally God told Moses and Joshua to not fear. Whenever we are faced with major transitions in our lives paralyzing fear cannot be far away. I remember many years ago falling off a bicycle. I broke my collar bone, and was afraid to get on a bicycle again. Every time I tried to ride I would panic and fall off. But many years later, as my faith grew stronger, I wondered if my trust in God could overcome my fear. I bought a bicycle. It took me a few days to get used to riding one again. But eventually my balance returned and I could ride with enjoyment rather than fear. The knowledge that God was with me helped me to overcome my fear. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should have no fear because we know that God is right there with us.
In November, this church will be experiencing a transition of it own. I will be leaving this pulpit. The Reverend Kyle Burch of the Filipino Community Presbyterian Church will take my place as your pastor. As we approach this transition I charge you to be bold and courageous. I have started new worship services and the ESL program. I challenge you to keep these ministries alive and continue to bring new people to this church. As you do these things remember that God is the leader of this church, and even though pastors might change God’s leadership does not change. God remains forever faithful and will lead this church into an exciting future. And with God in control there is no reason to fear this transition. Change in pastoral leadership can lead to anxiety, but if your focus is always on God’s Word and God’s presence in worship, then there is nothing for you to fear.
When Joshua went with the people of God into the Promised Land God told him that no one would stand in their way as they claimed God’s promises to their ancestors. God told Joshua to be bold and courageous in battle. God reminded Joshua that God would be with them throughout the war. God told Joshua not to fear the enemy because the Lord, God of his ancestors was leading the way. God also told Joshua to take the book of the Law that Moses had prepared and see to it that the people obeyed all these instructions. God promised his people success and prosperity in all that they would do if they just followed the commands he had given to Moses. And God fulfilled his promises blessing his people richly with the land God had promised. This promise is offered to us as well. Meditate on the Word of God and live your lives as God has instructed. Then God will bless you with success and prosperity in all you do.
Father in heaven we come to you today boldly in worship. We acknowledge your presence here with us, and this gives us confidence which overcomes our fears. We have meditated on your Word this day and pledge to you to follow these instructions as we live our lives. And we claim the promise of your blessing of success and prosperity as your obedient people. In your son’s name: Amen.
Sermon – Deuteronomy 31-34 – Biblical Transitions: Moses to Joshua
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 11, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
We have all experienced transitions in our lives. Our first transition occurred at birth when we emerged from our mother’s womb and entered a world full of light and sound and other frightening things. Do you remember your first day of school, or the day you went off to college? How about when you started your first job or entered the military? We have positive transitions: getting married, becoming a parent, finding a job. And we have negative transitions: losing a job, ending a relationship, the death of a loved one. Everyone experiences transitions in their lives, and therefore it is helpful to see what God says to people in the Bible who are experiencing transitions. But before we get to this important work please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Deuteronomy 31:1-8 NRS Deuteronomy 31:1 When Moses had finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 2 he said to them: "I am now one hundred twenty years old. I am no longer able to get about, and the LORD has told me, 'You shall not cross over this Jordan.' 3 The LORD your God himself will cross over before you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua also will cross over before you, as the LORD promised. 4 The LORD will do to them as he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, and to their land, when he destroyed them. 5 The LORD will give them over to you and you shall deal with them in full accord with the command that I have given to you. 6 Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you." 7 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: "Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it. 8 It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."
Moses was approaching a transition. He had been active all of his life. For 40 years he was raised not as the son of a slave as he had been born, but in the Egyptian royal household as the adopted son of a princess. For another 40 years he guided his father-in-law’s sheep as they grazed in the wilderness. And combining these experiences of leadership and shepherding he led God’s people through that wilderness for yet another 40 years. But now at age 120 the Bible says that Moses was “no longer able to get about”. His eyesight was still good. He was still potent as a man. But he must have been experiencing problems walking and so his ability to accompany a nomadic people on the move was limited. He was experiencing a transition from being very active and independent to being inactive and dependent on others.
Even at this stage of his life God had one final task for Moses to do. Moses was to have all of the laws which God had given the people while they were wandering in the wilderness written down on sheep skins and rolled up into scrolls. These scrolls were to be given to the church workers from the tribe of Levi to be placed with the Ark of the Covenant and preserved in perpetuity. The elders of the twelve tribes were to study these scrolls and have them read to the people every seven years so that the people would know how God wanted them to live their lives. These scrolls were known as the way of life or instructions for life, which in Hebrew is called the Torah. And these rules of life are still available for us to follow, and are contained in the first five books of our Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The reason that God wanted these scrolls prepared and preserved was to ensure that his people would know how to live their lives as transitions occur. God knew that the Israelites were about to transition from being a nomadic people wandering in the wilderness to being a settled people in the land that God had promised. God wanted them to have a set of instructions for living their lives. And God has preserved these instructions for us so that we too have instructions for living our lives.
The task of bringing the people of God into the Promised Land was given to Joshua. Joshua had been a young man when the Israelites left Egypt and showed his courage and faith as a spy sent by Moses to checkout the Promised Land and in his urging of his people to enter the land immediately, confident that God would lead them to victory. Now nearly 40 years later Joshua was ready to accompany the Israelites as they crossed the Jordan River and settled in the land they had been promised.
It may appear that leadership was being passed from Moses to Joshua. But this would be incorrect. Neither Moses nor Joshua was the leader of the Israelites. This was not the death of one king and the rise of another. Both Moses and Joshua had important things to do, but the Bible is clear that the true leader of the Israelites was neither of them. The true leader of Israel was their God. And if God was there leader then was no transition in leadership. This is an important principle for us to remember: that no matter want transitions we face life God always remains the same and is our Lord.
As Moses and Joshua faced transitions in their lives God told them to do three things: first, to be bold and courageous, second, to remember that God is with you, and third, to not be afraid. Let’s look at each of these.
When facing transitions in life we should be bold and courageous. I have known people who fear retirement because they just don’t know what they will do when they retire. So they keep working at jobs they dislike rather than boldly entering active retirement. I know someone who loves hunting and fishing. A few years ago he bought a house high in the mountains of western Virginia were he spends most weekends and his vacation time. He continued to work at a job that he didn’t really like, but it paid well and had good benefits. Recently he decided that the joy of spending his time in the mountains, hunting and fishing, was far greater than the benefits of earning more money. So he boldly took early retirement and is now enjoying his new home in the mountains and his new life. So as we approach transitions in our lives let’s be bold and see transitions as opportunities for new joyful experiences. Let’s be courageous and tackle transitions with enthusiasm.
God also told Moses and Joshua that he would always be with them. No matter what transitions we experience God is faithful and is always there to bless us. I have a friend in Washington who experienced a devastating divorce. At first he eased his pain by drinking alcohol, but that just created other problems. He had been a Christian and often prayed, but after the divorce God seemed very far away. Then he became involved with a new church. He made friends and developed an active social life. And he developed a closer relationship with God realizing that God had always been right there with him even as he experienced his greatest despair. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should always remember that God is with us. God is faithful and just and loves us very much.
And finally God told Moses and Joshua to not fear. Whenever we are faced with major transitions in our lives paralyzing fear cannot be far away. I remember many years ago falling off a bicycle. I broke my collar bone, and was afraid to get on a bicycle again. Every time I tried to ride I would panic and fall off. But many years later, as my faith grew stronger, I wondered if my trust in God could overcome my fear. I bought a bicycle. It took me a few days to get used to riding one again. But eventually my balance returned and I could ride with enjoyment rather than fear. The knowledge that God was with me helped me to overcome my fear. So as we approach transitions in our lives we should have no fear because we know that God is right there with us.
In November, this church will be experiencing a transition of it own. I will be leaving this pulpit. The Reverend Kyle Burch of the Filipino Community Presbyterian Church will take my place as your pastor. As we approach this transition I charge you to be bold and courageous. I have started new worship services and the ESL program. I challenge you to keep these ministries alive and continue to bring new people to this church. As you do these things remember that God is the leader of this church, and even though pastors might change God’s leadership does not change. God remains forever faithful and will lead this church into an exciting future. And with God in control there is no reason to fear this transition. Change in pastoral leadership can lead to anxiety, but if your focus is always on God’s Word and God’s presence in worship, then there is nothing for you to fear.
When Joshua went with the people of God into the Promised Land God told him that no one would stand in their way as they claimed God’s promises to their ancestors. God told Joshua to be bold and courageous in battle. God reminded Joshua that God would be with them throughout the war. God told Joshua not to fear the enemy because the Lord, God of his ancestors was leading the way. God also told Joshua to take the book of the Law that Moses had prepared and see to it that the people obeyed all these instructions. God promised his people success and prosperity in all that they would do if they just followed the commands he had given to Moses. And God fulfilled his promises blessing his people richly with the land God had promised. This promise is offered to us as well. Meditate on the Word of God and live your lives as God has instructed. Then God will bless you with success and prosperity in all you do.
Father in heaven we come to you today boldly in worship. We acknowledge your presence here with us, and this gives us confidence which overcomes our fears. We have meditated on your Word this day and pledge to you to follow these instructions as we live our lives. And we claim the promise of your blessing of success and prosperity as your obedient people. In your son’s name: Amen.
October Vision Column
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Vision Column
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 2009
From the Pastor’s Desk
When David's time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the LORD will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: 'If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.' (1 Kings 2:1-4)
David knew that it was time for him to move on. He was ready to die and to move to the next stage of life in the arms of the God he loved so much. He remembered all that God has promised, an everlasting kingdom, and he wanted his son, Solomon, to continue following God just as he had done. So he called Solomon to his bedside and handed him the Law of Moses, the first five books of our Old Testament, and told him to obey what God had commanded just as he, David, had done. He urged his son not only to obey God fully, but to meditate on the law so that it filled his heart and soul with God’s love.
This is the model for all biblical transitions. We move from generation to generation, pastor to pastor, phase of life to phase of life, by passing on the Bible and teaching those who follow us to follow God in our footsteps and meditate on God’s Word as we have done.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is approaching its own transition. All Saints Day, November 1, will be my last Sunday with you as your pastor. God is calling all of us to new ministries. And we need to follow God as these changes occur. The only way to do this is by meditating on the scripture every day. This will imprint God’s law on our hearts and souls. That way we can be assured that wherever God is calling us, we will be following in the footsteps of David.
When I leave, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch, of the Filipino Community Presbyterian Church, will become your pastor. This means that you will have the joy of children joining with you in the morning worship. And Rev. Burch is committed to continuing what I started at 5:30. The ministries here at Eagle Rock will continue to thrive and grow only if you keep yourselves following God by meditating of scripture every day. This will prepare you for the glorious future God has for you.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeff
Vision Column
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
October 2009
From the Pastor’s Desk
When David's time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the LORD will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: 'If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.' (1 Kings 2:1-4)
David knew that it was time for him to move on. He was ready to die and to move to the next stage of life in the arms of the God he loved so much. He remembered all that God has promised, an everlasting kingdom, and he wanted his son, Solomon, to continue following God just as he had done. So he called Solomon to his bedside and handed him the Law of Moses, the first five books of our Old Testament, and told him to obey what God had commanded just as he, David, had done. He urged his son not only to obey God fully, but to meditate on the law so that it filled his heart and soul with God’s love.
This is the model for all biblical transitions. We move from generation to generation, pastor to pastor, phase of life to phase of life, by passing on the Bible and teaching those who follow us to follow God in our footsteps and meditate on God’s Word as we have done.
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is approaching its own transition. All Saints Day, November 1, will be my last Sunday with you as your pastor. God is calling all of us to new ministries. And we need to follow God as these changes occur. The only way to do this is by meditating on the scripture every day. This will imprint God’s law on our hearts and souls. That way we can be assured that wherever God is calling us, we will be following in the footsteps of David.
When I leave, Rev. Dr. Kyle Burch, of the Filipino Community Presbyterian Church, will become your pastor. This means that you will have the joy of children joining with you in the morning worship. And Rev. Burch is committed to continuing what I started at 5:30. The ministries here at Eagle Rock will continue to thrive and grow only if you keep yourselves following God by meditating of scripture every day. This will prepare you for the glorious future God has for you.
Blessings,
Pastor Jeff
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sermon – James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 Wisdom From Above
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 Wisdom From Above
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 20, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am continuing my series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we have seen Jesus’ own brother, James, is concerned with problems in the early church. These problems concern the introduction of poor people into congregations. This has resulted in partiality, favoritism, and sometimes hot discussions with tongues on fire. James told the churches to always listen first and then be slow to speak and slow to anger. This appears to be useful advice and could be given by any lecturer speaking on conflict resolution. But James is talking to Christians in a church setting. Is there anything about the faith, growing in our hearts, that helps us to be slow to anger and welcoming to everyone. James says yes because we Christians are the beneficiaries of a gift from God called wisdom. But before we look at wisdom, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. NRS James 4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The Book of James is a book of wisdom. Wisdom is the integration of our thoughts, our wills, our actions, and the context within which we exist. Therefore to be wise means that our beliefs inform and control what we do. King Solomon defined wisdom in this way: 1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil"
According to James there are two sources of wisdom. One source is the world we live in. Here we find wisdom such as maximize your happiness. It teaches us to be jealous of what others have, and selfish. With wisdom like this our actions might be to stay out late and get drunk, or have a lot of sex outside of marriage, or get rich by taking advantage of others. You can find the world’s wisdom taught in schools, glorified on television and in the movies, and generally accepted by most people in our culture. The world’s wisdom encourages us to be self-absorbed and destructive. The ultimate source of the world’s wisdom is the devil who wants to corrupt us and ruin our lives.
Another source of wisdom is from above. With this wisdom we are encouraged to be peaceful, gentle, holy, obedient, compliant, and filled with compassion. With wisdom from above we love our neighbors; welcome everyone in worship with no partiality or favoritism, and our actions match our faith. Wisdom from above is a gift from God and should be taught in churches.
You can see this difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom from above in a story in the current Presbyterians Today. Seven years ago a woman came to her pastor, Gary Catterson in Pottsville Iowa with an unusual request. She asked if a group of Pentecostals from Guatemala could worship in their sanctuary. This woman had been teaching ESL at a local manufacturing plant and met new immigrants there. The session approved the request and around 100 Guatemalans came to Community Presbyterian Church every Friday and Saturday evening. The church did not ask them to pay rent, but the immigrants gave them handmade needle work and had other fund raisers to give the church as much as they could every October when they worshiped with the Presbyterians and thanked them for letting them use the building. Clearly all concerned were wise, from above, exhibiting gentleness and compassion toward each other.
But the wisdom of the world was not far away. In May of 2008 federal immigration officials raided Agriprocessors Inc. and arrested 389 undocumented workers. When this happened the pastor was on his way to Ohio. So he missed the helicopters and the sight of frightened immigrants herded into buses. His cell phone rang from members of the church asking if the families of those arrested and too frightened to go home could find sanctuary at the church. Several members of the church stayed with these families and immigration lawyers from out of town came to help. The church was silent on Friday and Saturday evening because most of the Pentecostal church had been arrested. A year later the town has yet to recover from the raid. Businesses have left. Lots of houses are for sale. Most of the men remain in jail or have been deported. Those who have been released are prohibited from working. And the meat packing plant has gone bankrupt.
So wisdom from above is based on love and has compassion for all people. But the wisdom of the world enforces laws that harm people for selfish gain.
James gives us three questions to ponder about wisdom. These are: Who is wise among you? From what do conflicts arise? And what does God want? Let’s look at how James answers each of these.
Who is wise among you? One answer could be, “the pastor” or maybe “the officers of the church”. We assume that being wise was one of the reasons officers attained their offices. And we hope that the pastor and session of the church will be wise in making decisions. But this is not what James says. As we look around the church for people of wisdom, look for humbleness, kindness, willingness to yield, gentleness, with no partiality or hypocrisy. These, according to James are the marks of wise people. Do you know anyone like this? Wise people seem not to be ego-driven and not envious of each other. Do we have any wise people in the church? Wise people are not like everyone else; they are a little counter cultural in a society that is driven by ambition and self-gratification.
Now let’s turn to James’ second question. What is the source of conflicts? According to James, the world’s wisdom leads to disordered desires. These desires include bitter jealously and selfish ambition. A few years ago there was an ad on television for an automobile. It started with a father putting finishing touches on a tree house for his kids. He came down from the tree and went to look for the children. He found them in the back seat of his new car playing cards. The father told them about his new creation. But the kids asked him: “Does it have leather seats?” “a DVD player?” They had no interest in the tree house their father had just built. Even children are taught the wisdom of the world: to desire the wrong things.
When the disordered desires of two or more people come into contact conflicts will arise. Ultimately all conflicts come from desiring something someone else has. We want the newest television set and a bigger home. We want the most expensive car on the block. We want husbands that will take care of us, or wives that look like a trophy, or children in the top 10% of their class. And when we don’t get what we want we just take it from someone else and so conflicts arise. Our only hope to avoid conflicts is to rely not on the wisdom of the world but on the wisdom from above.
And this leads us to the third question in James. What does God want? And the answer to this is a God who created us in his image and wants us to lives that way. So we must turn away from the worldly wisdom that leads to conflict, destruction and death. And turn toward the wisdom from above. A wise person, therefore, is defined not by what he has, or what she desires, but by their relationship with God.
We have a biblical story of James using wisdom from above. A dispute arose over whether or not to accept Gentiles into the church. An assembly was held in Jerusalem and, according to the Book of Acts, this is what James did.
Acts 15:12-19 12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, … 19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God.
In this story James listens patiently. He is slow to speak. But when he does speak he speaks from a position of humility and gentleness. He reflects God’s love not just for a chosen few but for all of creation. He demonstrates the hours he has spent meditating on the word of God and developing a relationship with God so that he can make a decision with wisdom from above.
I have a few suggestions for this church based upon the book of James. First, when selecting church officers, choose people who demonstrate wisdom from above with gentleness of spirit and humbleness of heart rather than those who contribute the most money or have served the longest. Second, make sure that all disputes in the church are settled with mercy and love never selfish ambition. Third, pray, not just for your own selfish desires but for the good of everyone and that the needs of the poor will be met. And fourth, always remember that your worth is measured not by the things you possess but by your closeness to God.
So how is one to be wise? You start by resisting the devil and the selfish desires of your heart to focus on the more important matter of God’s place in you life. Wash the sin away and come to God in purity and humbleness. Develop a relationship with God with regular prayer and worship. Receive the gift of faith by meditating on the Word of God. Nurture that faith and let it grow in your hearts so that it transforms you into what God created you to be. Then ask God for wisdom in your prayers and the gift of wisdom from above will be yours. You will become wise.
Lord Jesus Christ, we will follow you wherever you lead us. Help us to turn from our selfishness and greed. Help us to be instruments of your love, and humbly and gently receive your gift of faith. We ask for wisdom and pray this in your name, Prince of Peace. Amen.
Sermon – James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 Wisdom From Above
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 20, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am continuing my series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we have seen Jesus’ own brother, James, is concerned with problems in the early church. These problems concern the introduction of poor people into congregations. This has resulted in partiality, favoritism, and sometimes hot discussions with tongues on fire. James told the churches to always listen first and then be slow to speak and slow to anger. This appears to be useful advice and could be given by any lecturer speaking on conflict resolution. But James is talking to Christians in a church setting. Is there anything about the faith, growing in our hearts, that helps us to be slow to anger and welcoming to everyone. James says yes because we Christians are the beneficiaries of a gift from God called wisdom. But before we look at wisdom, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 3:13 - 4:3, 7-8 13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. NRS James 4:1 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? 2 You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
The Book of James is a book of wisdom. Wisdom is the integration of our thoughts, our wills, our actions, and the context within which we exist. Therefore to be wise means that our beliefs inform and control what we do. King Solomon defined wisdom in this way: 1 Kings 3:9 “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil"
According to James there are two sources of wisdom. One source is the world we live in. Here we find wisdom such as maximize your happiness. It teaches us to be jealous of what others have, and selfish. With wisdom like this our actions might be to stay out late and get drunk, or have a lot of sex outside of marriage, or get rich by taking advantage of others. You can find the world’s wisdom taught in schools, glorified on television and in the movies, and generally accepted by most people in our culture. The world’s wisdom encourages us to be self-absorbed and destructive. The ultimate source of the world’s wisdom is the devil who wants to corrupt us and ruin our lives.
Another source of wisdom is from above. With this wisdom we are encouraged to be peaceful, gentle, holy, obedient, compliant, and filled with compassion. With wisdom from above we love our neighbors; welcome everyone in worship with no partiality or favoritism, and our actions match our faith. Wisdom from above is a gift from God and should be taught in churches.
You can see this difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom from above in a story in the current Presbyterians Today. Seven years ago a woman came to her pastor, Gary Catterson in Pottsville Iowa with an unusual request. She asked if a group of Pentecostals from Guatemala could worship in their sanctuary. This woman had been teaching ESL at a local manufacturing plant and met new immigrants there. The session approved the request and around 100 Guatemalans came to Community Presbyterian Church every Friday and Saturday evening. The church did not ask them to pay rent, but the immigrants gave them handmade needle work and had other fund raisers to give the church as much as they could every October when they worshiped with the Presbyterians and thanked them for letting them use the building. Clearly all concerned were wise, from above, exhibiting gentleness and compassion toward each other.
But the wisdom of the world was not far away. In May of 2008 federal immigration officials raided Agriprocessors Inc. and arrested 389 undocumented workers. When this happened the pastor was on his way to Ohio. So he missed the helicopters and the sight of frightened immigrants herded into buses. His cell phone rang from members of the church asking if the families of those arrested and too frightened to go home could find sanctuary at the church. Several members of the church stayed with these families and immigration lawyers from out of town came to help. The church was silent on Friday and Saturday evening because most of the Pentecostal church had been arrested. A year later the town has yet to recover from the raid. Businesses have left. Lots of houses are for sale. Most of the men remain in jail or have been deported. Those who have been released are prohibited from working. And the meat packing plant has gone bankrupt.
So wisdom from above is based on love and has compassion for all people. But the wisdom of the world enforces laws that harm people for selfish gain.
James gives us three questions to ponder about wisdom. These are: Who is wise among you? From what do conflicts arise? And what does God want? Let’s look at how James answers each of these.
Who is wise among you? One answer could be, “the pastor” or maybe “the officers of the church”. We assume that being wise was one of the reasons officers attained their offices. And we hope that the pastor and session of the church will be wise in making decisions. But this is not what James says. As we look around the church for people of wisdom, look for humbleness, kindness, willingness to yield, gentleness, with no partiality or hypocrisy. These, according to James are the marks of wise people. Do you know anyone like this? Wise people seem not to be ego-driven and not envious of each other. Do we have any wise people in the church? Wise people are not like everyone else; they are a little counter cultural in a society that is driven by ambition and self-gratification.
Now let’s turn to James’ second question. What is the source of conflicts? According to James, the world’s wisdom leads to disordered desires. These desires include bitter jealously and selfish ambition. A few years ago there was an ad on television for an automobile. It started with a father putting finishing touches on a tree house for his kids. He came down from the tree and went to look for the children. He found them in the back seat of his new car playing cards. The father told them about his new creation. But the kids asked him: “Does it have leather seats?” “a DVD player?” They had no interest in the tree house their father had just built. Even children are taught the wisdom of the world: to desire the wrong things.
When the disordered desires of two or more people come into contact conflicts will arise. Ultimately all conflicts come from desiring something someone else has. We want the newest television set and a bigger home. We want the most expensive car on the block. We want husbands that will take care of us, or wives that look like a trophy, or children in the top 10% of their class. And when we don’t get what we want we just take it from someone else and so conflicts arise. Our only hope to avoid conflicts is to rely not on the wisdom of the world but on the wisdom from above.
And this leads us to the third question in James. What does God want? And the answer to this is a God who created us in his image and wants us to lives that way. So we must turn away from the worldly wisdom that leads to conflict, destruction and death. And turn toward the wisdom from above. A wise person, therefore, is defined not by what he has, or what she desires, but by their relationship with God.
We have a biblical story of James using wisdom from above. A dispute arose over whether or not to accept Gentiles into the church. An assembly was held in Jerusalem and, according to the Book of Acts, this is what James did.
Acts 15:12-19 12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, … 19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God.
In this story James listens patiently. He is slow to speak. But when he does speak he speaks from a position of humility and gentleness. He reflects God’s love not just for a chosen few but for all of creation. He demonstrates the hours he has spent meditating on the word of God and developing a relationship with God so that he can make a decision with wisdom from above.
I have a few suggestions for this church based upon the book of James. First, when selecting church officers, choose people who demonstrate wisdom from above with gentleness of spirit and humbleness of heart rather than those who contribute the most money or have served the longest. Second, make sure that all disputes in the church are settled with mercy and love never selfish ambition. Third, pray, not just for your own selfish desires but for the good of everyone and that the needs of the poor will be met. And fourth, always remember that your worth is measured not by the things you possess but by your closeness to God.
So how is one to be wise? You start by resisting the devil and the selfish desires of your heart to focus on the more important matter of God’s place in you life. Wash the sin away and come to God in purity and humbleness. Develop a relationship with God with regular prayer and worship. Receive the gift of faith by meditating on the Word of God. Nurture that faith and let it grow in your hearts so that it transforms you into what God created you to be. Then ask God for wisdom in your prayers and the gift of wisdom from above will be yours. You will become wise.
Lord Jesus Christ, we will follow you wherever you lead us. Help us to turn from our selfishness and greed. Help us to be instruments of your love, and humbly and gently receive your gift of faith. We ask for wisdom and pray this in your name, Prince of Peace. Amen.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sermon – James 3:1-12 Tongues of Fire
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 3:1-12 Tongues of Fire
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 13, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
We are continuing, this morning, with our look at the Book of James, a New Testament book written in the first century probably by Jesus’ brother, James, who served as the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was writing to all of the churches that started in Jerusalem on day of Pentecost and were now scattered around the Mediterranean.
Two weeks ago we heard from James about the need for members of the church to always listen first and then respectfully to respond so that disputes are slow to turn to anger. Last week we saw that one of the disputes in the early church was how to handle the issue of poor people coming into the church. According to James the Word of God that is planted in our hearts though prayer and worship causes us to welcome our brother and sisters who are much poorer than ourselves.
Today we will look closely at how the words we speak can lead to conflict within the church and discover why it is so important to follow James’ wisdom of listening first and then speaking. But before we get to the third chapter of James, let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 3:1-12 NRS James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Let’s get started with a story. Robin and Ken have been married for seven years and are having some trouble in their marriage. They are visiting a marriage counselor. Robin starts the conversation by saying, “Ken just does not appreciate me.” Ken looks at her and then at the counselor and says, “Of course I do and I tell her how much I appreciate her all the time.” Robin replies, “When do you tell me that you appreciate me?” Ken says “yesterday”. Robin says, “When yesterday?” And Ken replies “When I came home for lunch.” Robin says, “You never said that you appreciate me yesterday at lunch, you didn’t even thank me for fixing the meal.” Ken said, “I came home to show you how much I appreciate you. You never listen.” The counselor pointed out that Ken was trying to communicate his appreciation of Robin by doing things for her, but Robin was waiting to hear Ken express his appreciation with words. Ken needs to accompany his good works with the words that Robin needs to hear.
We can see from this story that words are very important. Men and women are the only animals in God’s creation with the gift of speech. And we are commanded to use our gift of speech as a blessing for others. But as a result of sin, the gift of speech is often twisted from being a blessing into being a curse.
Using speech as a curse is common in our culture. How often have we heard: “Mind your tongue!” “Shut your mouth!” “Button your lip!” and since Archie Bunker appeared on television, “Stifle yourself!” We give people a “tongue-lashing”. And we do awful things called gossip and slander. James understood the harmful effects of the tongue. He called the tongue a symbol of evil, and told us that a misspoken word can cause as much devastation as a small fire recently did in the Angeles National Forest. Just imagine the harmful effect of the following words: “A C+. What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you more like your brother?” or “I don’t love you any more.”
The reason words can be so damaging is that once spoken they can never be taken back. Words spoken in anger are remembered and continue to hurt for a long time. A word spoken as a curse cannot be undone by God. That’s why James refers to spoken curses as coming from the fires of hell. It is up to you to control your tongue so that it will always be a blessing and never a curse. You need to think about what you are about to say and consider the consequences of your speech before you utter the words. Otherwise you might speak foolishly with unintended and lasting results.
James knows that the real problem with words is not just these harsh phrases, which we can control, but the insidious effect of an uncontrolled tongue in ordinary conversation. For example, you arrive at the church to help with Vacation Bible School and one of the super volunteers tells you with a slight sneer, “I am glad you are here today. You are usually so busy.” Sometimes a simple “Oh?” with an arched eyebrow is all it takes is to say a curse. We may think that we are speaking kind words, but our nonverbal body language can communicate our real feelings of anger.
According to James, just as a boat needs a rudder and a horse needs a bridle to control their actions so too does the tongue need something to control it. This is why James gave us the wisdom of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. This gives us time to consider what we are about to say so that when we do speak we speak the truth in love. By being slow to speak we have time to realize the true source of our anger in our hidden fear, hurt, and guilt, and sometimes are able to deal with these issues before possibly ruining a relationship by speaking impulsively.
Of course, being slow to anger does not mean we should never be angry. Anger itself is not necessarily destructive, but the way we express it can be. The fourth psalm tells us to “Be angry, but do not sin.” We must never deny our anger because doing so means that our anger will come out in digs and jabs, and we speak cutting remarks with smiles on our faces. But if we acknowledge our anger then we can direct it to more healthy expressions. So “being slow to anger” means that we consider our anger first and not compound a problem by speaking a curse without thinking.
We have to confess that we do not always use speech as a blessing. Sometimes we use it as a curse. Once I was on a mission trip. I was with the pastor when a young woman ran into the room. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Then she said “Pastor, we need to pray.” We joined hands and the young woman prayed, “Jesus, help Mrs. Smith because I just heard that Mr. Smith is having an affair with his secretary.” Then the pastor stopped the prayer and pointed out that gossip is gossip even if it in the form of a prayer. Whenever we gossip, talking about someone else when they are not there and have not given us permission to talk about them, we are cursing, and according to James this is a sin.
Those who lead the church as pastors and teachers have an even greater responsibility to control their tongues. Those who preach and teach from the Bible are speaking God’s words. So the words that people hear when a pastor or Bible teacher speaks must always be words of blessing that communicate the blessings of God. Curses and words of anger are never appropriate when preaching and teaching in the church. Rather pastors and teachers must always speak words of blessing to build up the body of Christ and lead the church toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
James tells us that we should always use our tongues as blessings. He points out that both fresh water and salt water never come out of the same spring. So blessings and curses should never come out of the same mouth.
The ancient wisdom writer Sirach put it this way:
Sirach 5:11 - 6:1 11 Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering. 12 If you know what to say, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall. 14 Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued. 15 In great and small matters cause no harm, NRS Sirach 6:1 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend; for a bad name incurs shame and reproach; so it is with the double-tongued sinner.
The book of Proverbs tells us: Proverbs 21:23 23 To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.
The author Eric Law gives us some practical advice for controlling our tongues. To help us remember what to do he has given us the acronym RESPECT. “R” means that we must always take Responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others. “E” means that we always engage in Empathetic listening. “S” reminds us to always be Sensitive to differences in communication styles. “P” follows the advice of James to always Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak. “E” teaches us to Examine our own assumption and perceptions before speaking. “C” tells us to keep what we hear from other Confidential unless given permission to tell it to other. And “T” reminds us to Tolerate ambiguity remembering that when we speak there is not always a right or wrong. So when we speak lets always do it out of RESPECT.
The best way to learn how to use our tongues as blessings is to use them in worship, by praising God. When we gather for worship we are practicing together the proper way to use our gift of speech when we speak prayers and praise. We use speech as a blessing when we read the Bible out loud, welcome each other by name, and extend the peace of Christ to one another. In church and Bible classes we learn the language of faith and begin to testify about God’s work in our lives. As faith grows in our hearts so too does our ability to use speech as a blessing.
The only way that we can be sure that we are using words as blessing and not curses is if we follow God’s command to love our neighbor. If we are filled with God’s love by our faith, and if we then speak motivated by love then the words we use will be blessings for others. Language itself is tainted by sin. So we must always be immersed in the language of faith to ensure that the words we use are always blessings for others.
So today exercise your tongues in worship. Join in the singing and prayers. Greet people in love as you leave worship. Use this to practice your ability to speak as a blessing to others. And remember this as you speak to others throughout the week. Whenever you are tempted to use language as a curse to hurt some, pause for a moment, consider where your anger is coming from, and hold your tongue until you are once again able to speak a blessing. You have this ability, given to you by God, to control what you say. So never speak words of anger and hatred. Always speak words of love and desire for blessing.
The bottom line from James is that controlling your tongue is very difficult to do, but you must do it because failure to bridle your tongue can cause great harm. But with faith growing in your hearts you have the ability to tame your tongue so that it is always an instrument of blessing and never a curse.
Holy One of Israel, we worship you today with tongues of prayer and praise. Help us to control our tongues and prevent them from speaking curses. Always keep a blessing on our lips. We remember your words to us that you would bless us so that we would be a blessing to others. And help me to always use words of blessing when I preach and teach. Amen.
Sermon – James 3:1-12 Tongues of Fire
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 13, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
We are continuing, this morning, with our look at the Book of James, a New Testament book written in the first century probably by Jesus’ brother, James, who served as the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was writing to all of the churches that started in Jerusalem on day of Pentecost and were now scattered around the Mediterranean.
Two weeks ago we heard from James about the need for members of the church to always listen first and then respectfully to respond so that disputes are slow to turn to anger. Last week we saw that one of the disputes in the early church was how to handle the issue of poor people coming into the church. According to James the Word of God that is planted in our hearts though prayer and worship causes us to welcome our brother and sisters who are much poorer than ourselves.
Today we will look closely at how the words we speak can lead to conflict within the church and discover why it is so important to follow James’ wisdom of listening first and then speaking. But before we get to the third chapter of James, let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 3:1-12 NRS James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. 4 Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, 8 but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.
Let’s get started with a story. Robin and Ken have been married for seven years and are having some trouble in their marriage. They are visiting a marriage counselor. Robin starts the conversation by saying, “Ken just does not appreciate me.” Ken looks at her and then at the counselor and says, “Of course I do and I tell her how much I appreciate her all the time.” Robin replies, “When do you tell me that you appreciate me?” Ken says “yesterday”. Robin says, “When yesterday?” And Ken replies “When I came home for lunch.” Robin says, “You never said that you appreciate me yesterday at lunch, you didn’t even thank me for fixing the meal.” Ken said, “I came home to show you how much I appreciate you. You never listen.” The counselor pointed out that Ken was trying to communicate his appreciation of Robin by doing things for her, but Robin was waiting to hear Ken express his appreciation with words. Ken needs to accompany his good works with the words that Robin needs to hear.
We can see from this story that words are very important. Men and women are the only animals in God’s creation with the gift of speech. And we are commanded to use our gift of speech as a blessing for others. But as a result of sin, the gift of speech is often twisted from being a blessing into being a curse.
Using speech as a curse is common in our culture. How often have we heard: “Mind your tongue!” “Shut your mouth!” “Button your lip!” and since Archie Bunker appeared on television, “Stifle yourself!” We give people a “tongue-lashing”. And we do awful things called gossip and slander. James understood the harmful effects of the tongue. He called the tongue a symbol of evil, and told us that a misspoken word can cause as much devastation as a small fire recently did in the Angeles National Forest. Just imagine the harmful effect of the following words: “A C+. What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you more like your brother?” or “I don’t love you any more.”
The reason words can be so damaging is that once spoken they can never be taken back. Words spoken in anger are remembered and continue to hurt for a long time. A word spoken as a curse cannot be undone by God. That’s why James refers to spoken curses as coming from the fires of hell. It is up to you to control your tongue so that it will always be a blessing and never a curse. You need to think about what you are about to say and consider the consequences of your speech before you utter the words. Otherwise you might speak foolishly with unintended and lasting results.
James knows that the real problem with words is not just these harsh phrases, which we can control, but the insidious effect of an uncontrolled tongue in ordinary conversation. For example, you arrive at the church to help with Vacation Bible School and one of the super volunteers tells you with a slight sneer, “I am glad you are here today. You are usually so busy.” Sometimes a simple “Oh?” with an arched eyebrow is all it takes is to say a curse. We may think that we are speaking kind words, but our nonverbal body language can communicate our real feelings of anger.
According to James, just as a boat needs a rudder and a horse needs a bridle to control their actions so too does the tongue need something to control it. This is why James gave us the wisdom of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. This gives us time to consider what we are about to say so that when we do speak we speak the truth in love. By being slow to speak we have time to realize the true source of our anger in our hidden fear, hurt, and guilt, and sometimes are able to deal with these issues before possibly ruining a relationship by speaking impulsively.
Of course, being slow to anger does not mean we should never be angry. Anger itself is not necessarily destructive, but the way we express it can be. The fourth psalm tells us to “Be angry, but do not sin.” We must never deny our anger because doing so means that our anger will come out in digs and jabs, and we speak cutting remarks with smiles on our faces. But if we acknowledge our anger then we can direct it to more healthy expressions. So “being slow to anger” means that we consider our anger first and not compound a problem by speaking a curse without thinking.
We have to confess that we do not always use speech as a blessing. Sometimes we use it as a curse. Once I was on a mission trip. I was with the pastor when a young woman ran into the room. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. Then she said “Pastor, we need to pray.” We joined hands and the young woman prayed, “Jesus, help Mrs. Smith because I just heard that Mr. Smith is having an affair with his secretary.” Then the pastor stopped the prayer and pointed out that gossip is gossip even if it in the form of a prayer. Whenever we gossip, talking about someone else when they are not there and have not given us permission to talk about them, we are cursing, and according to James this is a sin.
Those who lead the church as pastors and teachers have an even greater responsibility to control their tongues. Those who preach and teach from the Bible are speaking God’s words. So the words that people hear when a pastor or Bible teacher speaks must always be words of blessing that communicate the blessings of God. Curses and words of anger are never appropriate when preaching and teaching in the church. Rather pastors and teachers must always speak words of blessing to build up the body of Christ and lead the church toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
James tells us that we should always use our tongues as blessings. He points out that both fresh water and salt water never come out of the same spring. So blessings and curses should never come out of the same mouth.
The ancient wisdom writer Sirach put it this way:
Sirach 5:11 - 6:1 11 Be quick to hear, but deliberate in answering. 12 If you know what to say, answer your neighbor; but if not, put your hand over your mouth. 13 Honor and dishonor come from speaking, and the tongue of mortals may be their downfall. 14 Do not be called double-tongued and do not lay traps with your tongue; for shame comes to the thief, and severe condemnation to the double-tongued. 15 In great and small matters cause no harm, NRS Sirach 6:1 and do not become an enemy instead of a friend; for a bad name incurs shame and reproach; so it is with the double-tongued sinner.
The book of Proverbs tells us: Proverbs 21:23 23 To watch over mouth and tongue is to keep out of trouble.
The author Eric Law gives us some practical advice for controlling our tongues. To help us remember what to do he has given us the acronym RESPECT. “R” means that we must always take Responsibility for what we say and feel without blaming others. “E” means that we always engage in Empathetic listening. “S” reminds us to always be Sensitive to differences in communication styles. “P” follows the advice of James to always Ponder what you hear and feel before you speak. “E” teaches us to Examine our own assumption and perceptions before speaking. “C” tells us to keep what we hear from other Confidential unless given permission to tell it to other. And “T” reminds us to Tolerate ambiguity remembering that when we speak there is not always a right or wrong. So when we speak lets always do it out of RESPECT.
The best way to learn how to use our tongues as blessings is to use them in worship, by praising God. When we gather for worship we are practicing together the proper way to use our gift of speech when we speak prayers and praise. We use speech as a blessing when we read the Bible out loud, welcome each other by name, and extend the peace of Christ to one another. In church and Bible classes we learn the language of faith and begin to testify about God’s work in our lives. As faith grows in our hearts so too does our ability to use speech as a blessing.
The only way that we can be sure that we are using words as blessing and not curses is if we follow God’s command to love our neighbor. If we are filled with God’s love by our faith, and if we then speak motivated by love then the words we use will be blessings for others. Language itself is tainted by sin. So we must always be immersed in the language of faith to ensure that the words we use are always blessings for others.
So today exercise your tongues in worship. Join in the singing and prayers. Greet people in love as you leave worship. Use this to practice your ability to speak as a blessing to others. And remember this as you speak to others throughout the week. Whenever you are tempted to use language as a curse to hurt some, pause for a moment, consider where your anger is coming from, and hold your tongue until you are once again able to speak a blessing. You have this ability, given to you by God, to control what you say. So never speak words of anger and hatred. Always speak words of love and desire for blessing.
The bottom line from James is that controlling your tongue is very difficult to do, but you must do it because failure to bridle your tongue can cause great harm. But with faith growing in your hearts you have the ability to tame your tongue so that it is always an instrument of blessing and never a curse.
Holy One of Israel, we worship you today with tongues of prayer and praise. Help us to control our tongues and prevent them from speaking curses. Always keep a blessing on our lips. We remember your words to us that you would bless us so that we would be a blessing to others. And help me to always use words of blessing when I preach and teach. Amen.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Sermon – James 2:1-10, 14-17 – Heirs of the Kingdom
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 2:1-10, 14-17 – Heirs of the Kingdom
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 6, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today I am preaching my second in a series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we heard last week, this book, written possibly by the brother of Jesus Christ and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, is very important not only for the early church but for our church as well. In the first chapter James starts with the idea that faith comes to us though the Word of God, but for this faith to be effective for our salvation it must be implanted in our hearts and grow. So it is important that we not allow the Word of God to come in one ear and out the other. Rather we must meditate on the Word of God every day to let it be planted and nourished in our hearts. And this will lead to our transformation as a people who care for the widows and orphans and the poor and needy.
But James also told us that as faith grows in our hearts it will lead to divisions within the church and people will become angry with each other. So James told us to first listen and then speak so that we can be like God: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love.
Today we will be looking at what caused the anger in the early church that prompted this letter from James. This problem is not confined to the first century church. It affects all churches including this one in Eagle Rock. So we have to listen carefully to what James has to say. But first, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
NRS James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? 8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Imagine that you are sitting in the great Synagogue of Alexandria. You are there with Hellenistic Jews who have adopted the Greek culture and language, but maintain their belief in the God of their ancestors. With you are also God Fearer’s, gentiles who have been attracted to the faith in one God, the God of Israel. Also imagine that an evangelist has come from Jerusalem proclaiming glorious good news. This evangelist’s name is Matthew, and for last several weeks he has been telling stories about a rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth. He has said that this Jesus was a great teacher and healer and proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven was very near. And this was good news to all who were oppressed by the Romans, especially the very poor, the widows and the orphans. It was hoped that this Jesus was the long awaited messiah, but he was arrested by the authorities and crucified. Incredibly, Matthew’s story didn’t end there. He said that this Jesus, on the third day, rose from the dead and was seen and heard by many. Matthew’s stories about Jesus had energized the city like nothing before it. Everyone was talking about this Jesus who had risen from the dead.
One Sabbath evening while sitting in the synagogue waiting for Matthew to speak you notice that the crowd inside is beginning to stir. A man dressed in a spectacular white robe, a Roman Senator, enters the synagogue. He is wearing the gold ring of an Equestrian. He is truly a distinguished guest. The leaders of the synagogue rush to the entrance to greet the Senator. They lead him to the front of the assembly to a special seat reserved for the most honor guests. He eagerly waits for the entrance of the evangelist from Jerusalem so that he could hear for himself the good news that was being proclaimed.
While the Roman Senator is being taken to a seat of honor, a man and woman enter the door of the synagogue. They are wearing old clothes that look like they came from Good Will. They have a tinge of body odor because they had spent the night spent under a bridge. The couple had not eaten since yesterday, and was very hungry. Someone had told them of the visitor from Jerusalem had come proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, really good news for the very poor. A few people near the back of the synagogue saw them enter and turned away. They assumed that this couple had come to beg and they didn’t want to be hit up for money.
The Roman Senator and the homeless couple were treated differently when they came into the synagogue. This is what James calls “partiality” and is inconsistent with our faith. James says that any favoritism that we show because of the wealth of someone in worship is a sin.
The problem in the churches that James was writing to was that the poor had heard news that the Kingdom of God was near, and were prompted to come to church to hear what this was all about. The arrival of the poor in the churches of Jesus Christ had caused great divisions among the members of those churches. This led to anger and is the reason James has counseled the opposing sides to listen first and then respond being slow to anger. Those with faith implanted deep in their hearts had compassion for the poor and wanted them in worship. Others wanted their church to remain as it was with just the “respectable” people in it. So anger flared between these two groups and James was concerned.
We can understand why having poor people come to church would be a problem. They leave cigarette butts in the parking lot and beer bottles in the bushes where preschoolers could find them. Since there is little affordable housing in the city, and they have to sleep somewhere, they might sleep on the church grounds. They may even have to use the church toilets. Those with a strong faith planted in their hearts want to help the poor. Others see them as problems and wish that they would go away. James says that this situation is intolerable in the church because we have been commanded by God to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
I recently read a new book called Not Just a One-Night Stand, Doing Ministry with the Homeless. This book was about a church that had a passion for helping the poor. Several times each year, they would pack up the audio equipment and the gas grills into rented trucks, and move them to the local homeless shelter. There they would sing praise songs with the homeless and serve them burgers and hot dogs. When the event was over they would pack everything up and return to their middleclass church. This continued until they noticed the homeless men and women who were living on the sidewalks around the church. They thought about their homeless ministry and saw that it was just a one night stand. They met and served the homeless for a day and went home. But they wondered how could they serve the homeless right there in the neighborhood of the church on a continuing basis. They started a Sunday morning breakfast and invited the homeless on the streets in front of the church for a warm meal. At breakfast they developed relationships with the homeless and began inviting them to worship. Gradually some of the homeless men and women came to worship and the church, guided by the Book of James, welcomed the homeless into their fellowship. This is what a ministry for the homeless is all about: inviting and welcoming the poorest of the poor to worship with us.
Many of the homeless in our community come to our 6:30 fellowship dinner because they are hungry. It is there that we meet them, develop relationships and invite them to attend our 5:30 worship - which some do. Having a dinner for the community is our way of feeding the hungry, and inviting people to attend our worship is our way of loving our neighbor.
Of course not everyone is happy with homeless coming to the church. Some prefer to have the nice respectable church they always had. Some are concerned with stains in the carpet or dogs in the playground. But I am pleased to say that most in this church are very welcoming of the homeless. Through your generosity and the work of the Deacons our evening meal is provided. Through the Session of the church our evening worship is maintained. Faithful people clean the stains from the carpet, mop the floors and pickup beer bottles and cigarette butts. They do this because of the faith that is growing in their hearts nurtured by the Word of God.
So in the months and years ahead I urge you to continue the ministry that you have on Sunday nights. Continue to feed the hungry in our community. Continue to welcome everyone into our fellowship showing no partiality or favoritism. Always keep, in the forefront of your minds and rooted deep in your hearts God command to love your neighbor as you love yourselves.
Lord Jesus Christ, we follow in your footsteps in loving the poorest in our community. Help us as we continue this vital ministry. Give us the resources and volunteers we need to continue this work. And fill us with God’s love so that we may love others. Amen.
Sermon – James 2:1-10, 14-17 – Heirs of the Kingdom
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
September 6, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today I am preaching my second in a series of sermons drawn from the Book of James. As we heard last week, this book, written possibly by the brother of Jesus Christ and the leader of the church in Jerusalem, is very important not only for the early church but for our church as well. In the first chapter James starts with the idea that faith comes to us though the Word of God, but for this faith to be effective for our salvation it must be implanted in our hearts and grow. So it is important that we not allow the Word of God to come in one ear and out the other. Rather we must meditate on the Word of God every day to let it be planted and nourished in our hearts. And this will lead to our transformation as a people who care for the widows and orphans and the poor and needy.
But James also told us that as faith grows in our hearts it will lead to divisions within the church and people will become angry with each other. So James told us to first listen and then speak so that we can be like God: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love.
Today we will be looking at what caused the anger in the early church that prompted this letter from James. This problem is not confined to the first century church. It affects all churches including this one in Eagle Rock. So we have to listen carefully to what James has to say. But first, please pray with me.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
NRS James 2:1 My brothers and sisters, do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? 2 For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3 and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, "Have a seat here, please," while to the one who is poor you say, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," 4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? 7 Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? 8 You do well if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 9 But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Imagine that you are sitting in the great Synagogue of Alexandria. You are there with Hellenistic Jews who have adopted the Greek culture and language, but maintain their belief in the God of their ancestors. With you are also God Fearer’s, gentiles who have been attracted to the faith in one God, the God of Israel. Also imagine that an evangelist has come from Jerusalem proclaiming glorious good news. This evangelist’s name is Matthew, and for last several weeks he has been telling stories about a rabbi named Jesus of Nazareth. He has said that this Jesus was a great teacher and healer and proclaimed that the Kingdom of Heaven was very near. And this was good news to all who were oppressed by the Romans, especially the very poor, the widows and the orphans. It was hoped that this Jesus was the long awaited messiah, but he was arrested by the authorities and crucified. Incredibly, Matthew’s story didn’t end there. He said that this Jesus, on the third day, rose from the dead and was seen and heard by many. Matthew’s stories about Jesus had energized the city like nothing before it. Everyone was talking about this Jesus who had risen from the dead.
One Sabbath evening while sitting in the synagogue waiting for Matthew to speak you notice that the crowd inside is beginning to stir. A man dressed in a spectacular white robe, a Roman Senator, enters the synagogue. He is wearing the gold ring of an Equestrian. He is truly a distinguished guest. The leaders of the synagogue rush to the entrance to greet the Senator. They lead him to the front of the assembly to a special seat reserved for the most honor guests. He eagerly waits for the entrance of the evangelist from Jerusalem so that he could hear for himself the good news that was being proclaimed.
While the Roman Senator is being taken to a seat of honor, a man and woman enter the door of the synagogue. They are wearing old clothes that look like they came from Good Will. They have a tinge of body odor because they had spent the night spent under a bridge. The couple had not eaten since yesterday, and was very hungry. Someone had told them of the visitor from Jerusalem had come proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven was near, really good news for the very poor. A few people near the back of the synagogue saw them enter and turned away. They assumed that this couple had come to beg and they didn’t want to be hit up for money.
The Roman Senator and the homeless couple were treated differently when they came into the synagogue. This is what James calls “partiality” and is inconsistent with our faith. James says that any favoritism that we show because of the wealth of someone in worship is a sin.
The problem in the churches that James was writing to was that the poor had heard news that the Kingdom of God was near, and were prompted to come to church to hear what this was all about. The arrival of the poor in the churches of Jesus Christ had caused great divisions among the members of those churches. This led to anger and is the reason James has counseled the opposing sides to listen first and then respond being slow to anger. Those with faith implanted deep in their hearts had compassion for the poor and wanted them in worship. Others wanted their church to remain as it was with just the “respectable” people in it. So anger flared between these two groups and James was concerned.
We can understand why having poor people come to church would be a problem. They leave cigarette butts in the parking lot and beer bottles in the bushes where preschoolers could find them. Since there is little affordable housing in the city, and they have to sleep somewhere, they might sleep on the church grounds. They may even have to use the church toilets. Those with a strong faith planted in their hearts want to help the poor. Others see them as problems and wish that they would go away. James says that this situation is intolerable in the church because we have been commanded by God to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
I recently read a new book called Not Just a One-Night Stand, Doing Ministry with the Homeless. This book was about a church that had a passion for helping the poor. Several times each year, they would pack up the audio equipment and the gas grills into rented trucks, and move them to the local homeless shelter. There they would sing praise songs with the homeless and serve them burgers and hot dogs. When the event was over they would pack everything up and return to their middleclass church. This continued until they noticed the homeless men and women who were living on the sidewalks around the church. They thought about their homeless ministry and saw that it was just a one night stand. They met and served the homeless for a day and went home. But they wondered how could they serve the homeless right there in the neighborhood of the church on a continuing basis. They started a Sunday morning breakfast and invited the homeless on the streets in front of the church for a warm meal. At breakfast they developed relationships with the homeless and began inviting them to worship. Gradually some of the homeless men and women came to worship and the church, guided by the Book of James, welcomed the homeless into their fellowship. This is what a ministry for the homeless is all about: inviting and welcoming the poorest of the poor to worship with us.
Many of the homeless in our community come to our 6:30 fellowship dinner because they are hungry. It is there that we meet them, develop relationships and invite them to attend our 5:30 worship - which some do. Having a dinner for the community is our way of feeding the hungry, and inviting people to attend our worship is our way of loving our neighbor.
Of course not everyone is happy with homeless coming to the church. Some prefer to have the nice respectable church they always had. Some are concerned with stains in the carpet or dogs in the playground. But I am pleased to say that most in this church are very welcoming of the homeless. Through your generosity and the work of the Deacons our evening meal is provided. Through the Session of the church our evening worship is maintained. Faithful people clean the stains from the carpet, mop the floors and pickup beer bottles and cigarette butts. They do this because of the faith that is growing in their hearts nurtured by the Word of God.
So in the months and years ahead I urge you to continue the ministry that you have on Sunday nights. Continue to feed the hungry in our community. Continue to welcome everyone into our fellowship showing no partiality or favoritism. Always keep, in the forefront of your minds and rooted deep in your hearts God command to love your neighbor as you love yourselves.
Lord Jesus Christ, we follow in your footsteps in loving the poorest in our community. Help us as we continue this vital ministry. Give us the resources and volunteers we need to continue this work. And fill us with God’s love so that we may love others. Amen.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sermon – James 1:17-27 – Be Doers of the Word
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – James 1:17-27 – Be Doers of the Word
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 30, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am beginning a series of sermons on the Epistle, or letter, of James. The letter begins by identifying the author as: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1a). James or Jacob is a common biblical name. Two of Jesus disciples were called James. But Church tradition has always held that this letter was written by James the Just, the brother of Jesus Christ, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and a martyr for the faith in 62AD. So it is possible that either this James or James’ disciples after his death wrote this letter. And if this is true, then this letter is indeed very important.
James has written this letter “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1b). This is an historical reference to the dispersion of the Jews in ancient times, and also refers to the first century church that was scattered around the Mediterranean. The letter’s specific audience was probably to Jewish-Christians who were trying to hold onto old customs while adopting the new faith. These people may have felt unwelcome by the new Gentile converts coming into the church and by their Jewish friends and families who stayed in the synagogue. Thus James has written a letter that deals with the problem of the day, but it also helps us who face many of the same problems of understanding our faith within the context of the world we live in. So let’s jump into the text, but before we do let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 1:17-27 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-- they will be blessed in their doing. 26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
As Christians we have compassion for those in need. We see someone who is struggling with English and we help them to learn the language. We see someone who is homeless and hungry and we give them something to eat. Why is it that Christians do these things and so many more? According to James the compassion that we have for others and our desire to care for them a gift we have received from God. God perfects our faith, brings it to maturity, and this leads to our love of neighbor. Thus even though we live in a community with troubled schools and gang violence, we, as Christians, are given the gift of love for our community and the gift of the desire to do something about our community’s problems.
This gift of love for our neighbors comes to us though the Word of God. That is why it is vital that you immerse yourselves in God’s word every day. On Sundays you hear God’s word read and proclaimed. Every day at 6AM right here God’s word is read initiating our daily prayers. Daily reading of God’s word is necessary so that we may receive the gift of love from God and have the ability and desire to love others. So read scripture every day and God will change you making you more and more compassionate with a greater desire to help the poorest in our community.
What I am about to say may seem paradoxical: As people in the church change and become more loving and compassionate, problems and dissensions will arise and Christians will become angry with each other. This anger prevents the resolution of the problems, and we find that we are unable to love one another. That is why sometimes it is possible to love our neighbor even when we cannot love one another.
One of the early controversies in the early church was over the issue of circumcism. Peter and Paul disagreed on whether or not the new Gentile converts had to be circumcised. James had to mediate the dispute at a meeting in Jerusalem. Maybe it was here that James learned the lesson of listening carefully before he spoke. By doing so James was able to reduce the anger in the meeting and propose a lasting settlement to the dispute.
James saw anger in the early church and anger is certainly present in the church today. James tells us that when anger flares among Christians we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. Certainly we know many people who speak first and refuse to listen. They are so sure that they are right they have no interest in anyone else’s opinion. This especially happens when disagreements have gone on for a long time and positions become rigid. But James advises us to listen first and then speak. By listening with respect we find common ground, resolve our disputes and dissipate our anger. So by listening first and speaking later our anger can be replaced by love.
The only way that we can receive God’s love though God’s word is if we first confess our sins and change our evil ways. This is what repentance is all about. We come to church and confess our sin. We promise to stop doing those things that separate us from God and from each other. We then approach God in humility and receive God’s blessing through the spoken and preached word of God. This is why worship is so important. It is here that we put on the cloak of humility and still our tongues so that we may listen to what God has to tell us this day. Confession, repentance and hearing the word of God are necessary for your salvation and transformation into caring people.
But we can’t stop here. We can’t just listen to what God says and then forget it. We can’t let God’s word go in one ear and out the other. Last week I was getting ready for early morning prayers. I went into the bathroom to comb my hair. I saw in the mirror that my hair was a mess. I knew that I should pick up the comb and use it. But I immediately forgot what I was suppose to do and left my apartment without ever combing my hair.
Don’t let this happen to you in church. Don’t let the word of God come into your heart here in worship and then let it slip away as you leave this place to live your lives. Hold on to the word of God as you leave church this morning. Put it deep in your heart. Give it a permanent place in your mind. And let it transform you into compassionate people who control their anger and care for the disadvantaged.
When the word of God is firmly planted in your heart you will be transformed. Not only will you think in a new way, but you will also act in a new way. James says that you will be doers of the Word. Your faith will transformed your will and this will be seen in your good works.
When Calvin read James he realized that the church had to exhibit God’s love in the community. So he established the deaconate. Deacons were responsible for the care of the sick, the elderly and the poor in the community. An offering was taken during communion to support the work of the deacons. We still do this today. We have a deacon’s offering during communion every month. The deacons use this money to help those in need in our church and community. This is just one way that we as church are doers of the word. And I am certain that there are many stories of how the Christians in this church have shown the faith that has been implanted in their hearts though act of service for those in need.
So James is telling us that a true church is not one where the members are angry with each other because anger demonstrates that faith has not yet been implanted and is not yet growing in our hearts. Anger in the church indicates that God’s love is far from us. Anger demonstrates that the word of God has gone in one ear and out the other with no saving effect. But a true church is one that cares for the widows and the orphans and poor and the needy. A true church hears the word of God and keeps in their hearts. A true church is transformed by the word of God into a loving church.
I heard a story once about a man who was weeding his garden on a hot summer’s day. He then went into his air conditioned house and drank a tall glass of lemonade. He then decided to pickup a dictionary to lookup the word “weed”. It said that a weed was any plant growing where you did not want it. He then went outside and looked at his garden. He decided that every plant was exactly where he wanted it. So he went back inside to watch the baseball game on TV.
This man had rationalized away his need to weed the garden. The idea of the necessity of weeding the garden had entered his mind and heart, but it found no place to be implanted and grow. Rather the idea died in the heat. Don’t let this happen to you. You have heard God’s word this day to be a people who are slow to anger and have compassion for the poor. Don’t let this word of God get away. Nurture it. Let in grow in your heart. Fertilize it every day with a reading from the Bible. And let it transform you into the person God created you to be.
Father in heaven, we thank you for providing your word for us this day. We ask that you plant this word in our hearts and let it grow to maturity. Help us to be as you are: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love for our neighbor. We pray this in the name of your son and our savoir. Amen.
Sermon – James 1:17-27 – Be Doers of the Word
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
August 30, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
This morning I am beginning a series of sermons on the Epistle, or letter, of James. The letter begins by identifying the author as: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1a). James or Jacob is a common biblical name. Two of Jesus disciples were called James. But Church tradition has always held that this letter was written by James the Just, the brother of Jesus Christ, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, and a martyr for the faith in 62AD. So it is possible that either this James or James’ disciples after his death wrote this letter. And if this is true, then this letter is indeed very important.
James has written this letter “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1b). This is an historical reference to the dispersion of the Jews in ancient times, and also refers to the first century church that was scattered around the Mediterranean. The letter’s specific audience was probably to Jewish-Christians who were trying to hold onto old customs while adopting the new faith. These people may have felt unwelcome by the new Gentile converts coming into the church and by their Jewish friends and families who stayed in the synagogue. Thus James has written a letter that deals with the problem of the day, but it also helps us who face many of the same problems of understanding our faith within the context of the world we live in. So let’s jump into the text, but before we do let’s pray.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
James 1:17-27 17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. 21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. 23 For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; 24 for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. 25 But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-- they will be blessed in their doing. 26 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
As Christians we have compassion for those in need. We see someone who is struggling with English and we help them to learn the language. We see someone who is homeless and hungry and we give them something to eat. Why is it that Christians do these things and so many more? According to James the compassion that we have for others and our desire to care for them a gift we have received from God. God perfects our faith, brings it to maturity, and this leads to our love of neighbor. Thus even though we live in a community with troubled schools and gang violence, we, as Christians, are given the gift of love for our community and the gift of the desire to do something about our community’s problems.
This gift of love for our neighbors comes to us though the Word of God. That is why it is vital that you immerse yourselves in God’s word every day. On Sundays you hear God’s word read and proclaimed. Every day at 6AM right here God’s word is read initiating our daily prayers. Daily reading of God’s word is necessary so that we may receive the gift of love from God and have the ability and desire to love others. So read scripture every day and God will change you making you more and more compassionate with a greater desire to help the poorest in our community.
What I am about to say may seem paradoxical: As people in the church change and become more loving and compassionate, problems and dissensions will arise and Christians will become angry with each other. This anger prevents the resolution of the problems, and we find that we are unable to love one another. That is why sometimes it is possible to love our neighbor even when we cannot love one another.
One of the early controversies in the early church was over the issue of circumcism. Peter and Paul disagreed on whether or not the new Gentile converts had to be circumcised. James had to mediate the dispute at a meeting in Jerusalem. Maybe it was here that James learned the lesson of listening carefully before he spoke. By doing so James was able to reduce the anger in the meeting and propose a lasting settlement to the dispute.
James saw anger in the early church and anger is certainly present in the church today. James tells us that when anger flares among Christians we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. Certainly we know many people who speak first and refuse to listen. They are so sure that they are right they have no interest in anyone else’s opinion. This especially happens when disagreements have gone on for a long time and positions become rigid. But James advises us to listen first and then speak. By listening with respect we find common ground, resolve our disputes and dissipate our anger. So by listening first and speaking later our anger can be replaced by love.
The only way that we can receive God’s love though God’s word is if we first confess our sins and change our evil ways. This is what repentance is all about. We come to church and confess our sin. We promise to stop doing those things that separate us from God and from each other. We then approach God in humility and receive God’s blessing through the spoken and preached word of God. This is why worship is so important. It is here that we put on the cloak of humility and still our tongues so that we may listen to what God has to tell us this day. Confession, repentance and hearing the word of God are necessary for your salvation and transformation into caring people.
But we can’t stop here. We can’t just listen to what God says and then forget it. We can’t let God’s word go in one ear and out the other. Last week I was getting ready for early morning prayers. I went into the bathroom to comb my hair. I saw in the mirror that my hair was a mess. I knew that I should pick up the comb and use it. But I immediately forgot what I was suppose to do and left my apartment without ever combing my hair.
Don’t let this happen to you in church. Don’t let the word of God come into your heart here in worship and then let it slip away as you leave this place to live your lives. Hold on to the word of God as you leave church this morning. Put it deep in your heart. Give it a permanent place in your mind. And let it transform you into compassionate people who control their anger and care for the disadvantaged.
When the word of God is firmly planted in your heart you will be transformed. Not only will you think in a new way, but you will also act in a new way. James says that you will be doers of the Word. Your faith will transformed your will and this will be seen in your good works.
When Calvin read James he realized that the church had to exhibit God’s love in the community. So he established the deaconate. Deacons were responsible for the care of the sick, the elderly and the poor in the community. An offering was taken during communion to support the work of the deacons. We still do this today. We have a deacon’s offering during communion every month. The deacons use this money to help those in need in our church and community. This is just one way that we as church are doers of the word. And I am certain that there are many stories of how the Christians in this church have shown the faith that has been implanted in their hearts though act of service for those in need.
So James is telling us that a true church is not one where the members are angry with each other because anger demonstrates that faith has not yet been implanted and is not yet growing in our hearts. Anger in the church indicates that God’s love is far from us. Anger demonstrates that the word of God has gone in one ear and out the other with no saving effect. But a true church is one that cares for the widows and the orphans and poor and the needy. A true church hears the word of God and keeps in their hearts. A true church is transformed by the word of God into a loving church.
I heard a story once about a man who was weeding his garden on a hot summer’s day. He then went into his air conditioned house and drank a tall glass of lemonade. He then decided to pickup a dictionary to lookup the word “weed”. It said that a weed was any plant growing where you did not want it. He then went outside and looked at his garden. He decided that every plant was exactly where he wanted it. So he went back inside to watch the baseball game on TV.
This man had rationalized away his need to weed the garden. The idea of the necessity of weeding the garden had entered his mind and heart, but it found no place to be implanted and grow. Rather the idea died in the heat. Don’t let this happen to you. You have heard God’s word this day to be a people who are slow to anger and have compassion for the poor. Don’t let this word of God get away. Nurture it. Let in grow in your heart. Fertilize it every day with a reading from the Bible. And let it transform you into the person God created you to be.
Father in heaven, we thank you for providing your word for us this day. We ask that you plant this word in our hearts and let it grow to maturity. Help us to be as you are: slow to anger and abounding with steadfast love for our neighbor. We pray this in the name of your son and our savoir. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)