Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 – Baptism with the Spirit
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dan Presbyterian Churches
January 10, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Today is the Sunday the church traditionally sets aside to think about baptism. We usually look at one of the scripture texts describing Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River by John. For those who are not baptized this is the time to think about what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to consider making a public declaration that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and obtaining membership in the church through the sacrament of baptism. For those who have been baptized in the faith this is a time to remember your baptism and consider the way the Holy Spirit is transforming you to new life. But before we talk about baptism and what it means, 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)
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 5 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." … 21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
John the Baptist was a prophet who was called by God to bring good news to the people living around the Jordan River in middle of the first century. The people then and there had been living lives that displeased God. They thought that they were ok with God. After all they were descendants of Abraham and were chosen as God’s own people. What did they have to worry about? But John told them that it was time to worry because tensions were building with the Romans and God’s people faced possible destruction by the Roman Empire. The people needed to prepare themselves for the coming crises and that meant getting right with God. John pointed out their lack of generosity with the poor, and told them that God’s righteousness demanded that if they owned two coats, one should be given away to someone who needed it. So John told them to change their behavior and go a different way, to repent, and God would forgive what they had done. To symbolize this fresh start John brought the people to the banks of the Jordan River where he baptized them with water symbolically washing away their old sinful lives and restoring them as God’s good creation. The people thought that John might be the messiah, the anointed one, they had longed for, for generations. But John said that he was only getting people ready for the real messiah who was coming soon and would baptize not with water but with the Holy Spirit.
So there is a difference between John’s baptism with water and Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit. And the church has debated, for two thousand years, what these differences are. This, in part, accounts for the fact that there are many churches here in Pocomoke City today because each one has a slightly different explanation for the difference between water baptism and Spirit baptism.
If you go down to the Roman Catholic Church and ask the priest to explain the difference between water and Spirit baptism he will probably say something like this: Water baptism is when an infant is presented to the church by its parents and God parents. Spirit baptism occurs when that child has grown up and is able to have faith for himself or herself. The water baptism is then confirmed by the Spirit baptism.
If you go over to the Assembly of God Church and asked the minister about the difference between water and Spirit baptism he would probably say: Water baptism is the process by which you join the church. Spirit baptism is the work of the Holy Spirit and the bringing of spiritual gifts from God to the believer such as speaking in tongues. And you will know that Spirit baptism has taken place when you begin to use these gifts of the Holy Spirit.
At the Methodist Church the minister would most likely tell you: Water baptism is the means by which you join the church. This is followed by a second baptism of the Spirit when all desires of the flesh are removed and you begin to live a holy life free from sin. When you stop smoking and drinking and having sex outside of marriage you know that you have received baptism of the Spirit.
An evangelical pastor would reverse the order and tell you: Baptism in the Spirit occurs, when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is then followed by water baptism for initiation into membership of the church.
In our Reformed tradition we see water baptism as a sign of God’s love for us, God’s desire to forgive us, and as a seal of our participation in God’s covenant with Abraham when God promised to bless us so that we would be a blessing. Spiritual baptism refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in a life long process of transforming the lives of baptized believers into what God had created them to be.
I think that there is a growing ecumenical consensus on all of this, that water baptism is a work of the church symbolizing what God has done for us, and Spirit baptism is a work of the Holy Spirit upon us sanctifying us, and making us holy. How and when this happens can be different with different individuals. And people tend to join churches with others who have experienced Spirit baptism in the same way.
My own experience of baptism, both water and Spirit, fits the Reformed model. I was baptized by water as an infant. Both of my parents were both believers and they brought me the church pledging that I would be raised in the faith. I attended Sunday School regularly my entire childhood receiving the nurturing in the faith that my parents had promised. When I was older and could understand my faith I confirmed my baptism and joined the church. This began a lifelong project of the Holy Spirit to transform me into what God wanted me to be.
The process of the Holy Spirit making me holy, or sanctified, was not instantaneous. At age 18 I went off to college and forgot all about church. Saturday night frat parties left little time for Sunday morning worship. I became an occasional church attendee sometimes showing up at Christmas or Easter. But the Holy Spirit did not give up on me.
In my late twenties a tragedy hit my family. My mother died suddenly of a heart attack. This caused me to rethink my life and the place of God in it. I realized that I missed the church and I missed worship. So I went back to church. I was there every Sunday morning. During this time my faith was intensely personal. I did not want to share it with anyone. So I found churches were I could sit in the back, anonymously. I didn’t talk with anyone. I just wanted to be alone with God to pray and worship. The Holy Spirit had me in its arms and would not let go.
Another ten years passed and the Holy Spirit was ready to continue its work of renewing my life. I was single and wanted a wife, but nothing I tried seemed to work. So I turned to prayer and one day I heard the voice of God give me the answer I had been searching for. God said, “It’s in the book.” I was sitting in church when I heard God’s voice and reached down to pick up the Bible in the pew. As I looked through it I realized that I knew some of the stories, but I did not really know what this book was all about. So the next Sunday I started attending a Singles Sunday School class, I went on an all church retreat, and I enrolled in a two year Bible study called the Bethel Bible Series. For the next two years I experience the transformative effect that the study of scripture has on the believer. I was trained by my pastor as a teacher for the Bethel Series and I taught Bible to people at National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC for the next four years. The Holy Spirit was transforming me into an entirely new person, but it had not yet completed my transformation to new life.
Six years ago I began of processes of discernment to understand where God was leading me. I had finished my term as a Deacon of the church. And the Bethel class I was teaching was coming to an end. I needed something new to do in service to God’s church. It was at this point that the Holy Spirit began to direct me toward seminary and ordination as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. I enrolled at Fuller Seminary to continue my education in the Bible and theology. I developed my multicultural abilities by teaching Bible to a group of international students learning English. And I married Grace who has opened for me a love of Korean culture and a passion for the church. Though all of this the Holy Spirit was transforming me into someone who was pleasing to God. The Holy Spirit had worked on me for over 50 years preparing me for service to the church, and the most exciting transformation was yet to come.
Two years ago I was ordained by the Presbyterian Church as a pastor and I was called by God to serve a small church in Los Angeles. God’s call was simple. Here was a very small church and most of the members were in their 80s and 90s. Their money was running out, and they feared that their church might be closed. God called me to build a multicultural church on this site that would reflect the surrounding community, and that is exactly what happened. I began the revitalization of the church by launching a web site, putting signs on the building, joining the Neighborhood Council and passing out fliers. I started two new contemporary services on Sunday afternoons and evenings followed by a fellowship meal. And I prayed for the church every morning at 6AM. The results were stunning. God sent people to the church for worship. New people were coming every Sunday. The fellowship hall was filled with over 60 people each week at dinner.
I realized that the church I was building truly reflected the community and this was frightening. Los Angeles has over 20% unemployment. People have lost their homes. Many are living in their cars. Some are sleeping in the park. They are hungry and trying to get by on $200 a month and some food stamps. And they started coming to my church. Two thirds of the new people were homeless and I was their pastor, a least for a little while. Last fall, after much prayer, I decided that God was calling me elsewhere. So I asked the pastor of a Filipino church meeting in our building to be the pastor for the whole church. God’s call was complete. I had created a church that reflected a community of aging whites, younger Filipinos, and the very poor, and had given me a way to make it continue even as I moved on to a new call.
The work of the Holy Spirit is never finished. Spirit baptism is a lifelong process of transformation. It begins as you pass through the baptismal waters. It requires your awareness of where God is leading you. If you let the Holy Spirit work in you heart you will be transformed into what God created you to be. And this will be the most exciting experience in your life.
Holy Spirit, come to us now with the baptism of fire. Grab hold of our hearts and transform them with your love. Make us into what God created us to be. And we pray this in the strong name of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Makemie Presbyterian Church
January 3, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Most of us have put the Christmas decorations away, taken down the lights, exchanged the gifts, and are ready to go back to work for yet another new year. But for many Christians around the world Christmas is still here. Where we start our Christmas celebration on Thanksgiving, or earlier, and end it on Christmas morning with the opening of presents and a great feast, most Christians start Christmas on the 25th and celebrate for twelve days, giving and receiving gifts, and culminating with the great feast on January 6th called Epiphany. Epiphany is the day when the church remembers the light of God coming into the world. At creation God said “Let there be light” and there was light. The light of the world was incarnate in Jesus Christ. And of course the wise men followed the light of that star. So today let’s celebrate the great festival of Epiphany and begin with prayer.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Matthew 2:1-12 NRS Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
This story of the wise men following a star is a familiar one for us. It is one of our favorite Christmas texts. We can remember Christmas pageants and displays with shepherds, angels, Mary and Joseph, the three kings, camels, the star and of course the baby Jesus.
Our understanding of this text from Matthew is heavily influenced by two thousand years of Christian interpretation. Early theologians surmised that the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh where so extravagant the wise men must have been kings. Other theologians speculated that there were three wise men because there were three gifts. And still other theologians have suggested the since the wise men came from the east they must be Asian. You can see how all of this influenced the theologian, pastor and song writer, John Henry Hopkins, when, in 1857, he wrote our opening hymn, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”
But in Matthew’s text there were no kings just wise men, we have no idea how many there were, and all we know about their origin is that they came from the east. So let’s ignore all of these historical Christian interpretations and take a close look at exactly what Matthew said. And what he said, to his original audience, was scandalous.
Let’s begin by asking, who were these wise men who came from the east to worship Jesus? Matthew calls them, in Greek, ma,goi. The Greek word ma,goi is the root of our English word “magic”. According to scripture the ma,goi were dream interpreters and astrologers. We first meet them in the book of the prophet Daniel. In chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has had a dream and calls in the ma,goi to interpret it. But the king does not trust the ma,goi so he insists that they not only interpret the dream but first they must also tell him what he had dreamed. The ma,goi insisted that this was impossible; no one could know what someone else had dreamed. But Daniel knew that the king’s dream had come from God. So with God’s help Daniel was able to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant thus embarrassing the ma,goi. We also see ma,goi in the Book of Acts. These ma,goi are always giving false prophecies which the Apostle Paul has to correct. It is clear from this that the Bible considers ma,goi to be charlatans whose prophecies from astrology and dream interpretation are useless. And now you can see the scandal in Matthew’s story: the hapless, incompetent, non-Jewish ma,goi were the ones that come to worship Jesus.
The setting for Matthew’s story is in Jerusalem, during the reign of Herod the Great, after the birth of Jesus, around years 4-6 BC. A group of ma,goi coming from the east, probably Babylon or Persia, arrived in Jerusalem and had an audience with the king. They had seen something in the sky which they thought indicated the birth of a King of the Jews. So they had come to Jerusalem to worship the new prince.
This made Herod suspicious. He always feared that someone would try to take his throne. And if someone was born who was to be King of the Jews this was not good. So he convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked the High Priests and Scribes from where the anointed one, the messiah would come. The searched the prophets and found that the messiah would come from Bethlehem. So Herod told the ma,goi to search for this new King of the Jews in Bethlehem and report back to him with their findings.
When the ma,goi arrived in Bethlehem they looked in the heavens and confirmed their findings indicating the birth of a king. And when they found Jesus they were overwhelmed with great joy. The promise of scripture is that anyone, no matter who, even the lowly ma,goi will experience great joy when they come to worship Jesus. Let me tell you some stories of the most unlikely people who have also experienced overwhelming joy by coming to Jesus.
Michiko was an international student from Japan. At an English language school she met
some Korean students who brought her to an international student ministry I was running with my wife, Grace, as an intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Michiko had very limited English skills and had never been in a church before, but she was interested in talking with me when she found out that I had married a Korean woman. I led an ESL, English as a Second Language Bible study, and helped Michiko to understand the basics of the faith. Her Korean friends wanted to take Michiko to church on Sunday morning, but they knew that she could not understand Korean. So they all, Japanese and Korean students, started to attend the English worship as Pasadena Pres. Eventually Michiko asked me what she had to do to become a Christian. I told her about our sacrament of baptism, and I began to teach stories to the group from Acts about baptism. Michiko flew back to Japan to talk with her mother about becoming a Christian. Her mother said “no” because Michiko’s name had been written on a tile used for the roof of a Buddhist temple. But when Michiko returned to Pasadena she decided to be baptized and pledged her allegiance to Christ because like the ma,goi before her, Michiko had experienced the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Star was a drug addict living in East Los Angeles. Her boyfriend was in prison. Four of her children were in foster care. She and her new baby lived with her mother who brought her to Faith United Presbyterian Church where my wife, Grace, served as an intern. The church did everything they could to care for Star during her pregnancy. We invited Star to help as a volunteer for a Friday evening evangelism program. As Star served the church she began to experience to joy of coming to Jesus. She asked us if her baby could be baptized in the church. We told her that before a baby is baptized the church has to be assured that the baby’s parent is a believer. So we invited Star to join the church. And after a new members class we baptized both mother and baby into the faith. Star had found, like the ma,goi and Michiko before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Sharon was a homeless woman. She came to a Sunday dinner we held at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church where I served as pastor, and she told me her story. Sharon had been taking care of her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, but when her mother had to enter a nursing home Sharon had to move out of the apartment. She moved in with a boyfriend, but he got sick too and his apartment was lost. So Sharon decided to temporarily live in her car until she could figure out what to do, but one day her brakes failed and her car rolled into a Taco Bell. This got Sharon on television. But she lost her car and had to move into an abandoned house with boarded up windows with some other homeless folks. That’s when she began to attend our dinner on Sunday nights because she was hungry and needed a meal. Her $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps didn’t go very far. Sharon wanted to be as “normal” as possible so she cleaned up as best she could and attended our Sunday morning worship service. Then she asked me if she could join the church. After conducting a new member’s class I baptized Sharon, one of three homeless people I baptized while pastoring the Eagle Rock church. Sharon had found, with the ma,goi, Michiko, and Star before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus Christ.
Our mission as the church of Jesus Christ is to lead people to Jesus where they too will experience this overwhelming joy. We are called by God to invite to church even the ma,goi, the alien, the addicted and poor in our community. So I challenge Makemie Presbyterian Church and the visitors from Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches to go out into your communities and invite everyone you find to come to church and experience the overwhelming joy that you have found in coming to Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the light of God, the Epiphany that has come into the world. We have come with overwhelming joy into your presence to worship you. Equip us in our mission to bring others to you to experience this joy. We pray this in your name, Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.
Sermon – Matthew 2:1-12 – Coming to Jesus
Makemie Presbyterian Church
January 3, 2009
Listen to this sermon.
Most of us have put the Christmas decorations away, taken down the lights, exchanged the gifts, and are ready to go back to work for yet another new year. But for many Christians around the world Christmas is still here. Where we start our Christmas celebration on Thanksgiving, or earlier, and end it on Christmas morning with the opening of presents and a great feast, most Christians start Christmas on the 25th and celebrate for twelve days, giving and receiving gifts, and culminating with the great feast on January 6th called Epiphany. Epiphany is the day when the church remembers the light of God coming into the world. At creation God said “Let there be light” and there was light. The light of the world was incarnate in Jesus Christ. And of course the wise men followed the light of that star. So today let’s celebrate the great festival of Epiphany and begin with prayer.
Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy Heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen. (John Calvin)
Matthew 2:1-12 NRS Matthew 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
This story of the wise men following a star is a familiar one for us. It is one of our favorite Christmas texts. We can remember Christmas pageants and displays with shepherds, angels, Mary and Joseph, the three kings, camels, the star and of course the baby Jesus.
Our understanding of this text from Matthew is heavily influenced by two thousand years of Christian interpretation. Early theologians surmised that the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh where so extravagant the wise men must have been kings. Other theologians speculated that there were three wise men because there were three gifts. And still other theologians have suggested the since the wise men came from the east they must be Asian. You can see how all of this influenced the theologian, pastor and song writer, John Henry Hopkins, when, in 1857, he wrote our opening hymn, “We Three Kings of Orient Are.”
But in Matthew’s text there were no kings just wise men, we have no idea how many there were, and all we know about their origin is that they came from the east. So let’s ignore all of these historical Christian interpretations and take a close look at exactly what Matthew said. And what he said, to his original audience, was scandalous.
Let’s begin by asking, who were these wise men who came from the east to worship Jesus? Matthew calls them, in Greek, ma,goi. The Greek word ma,goi is the root of our English word “magic”. According to scripture the ma,goi were dream interpreters and astrologers. We first meet them in the book of the prophet Daniel. In chapter 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has had a dream and calls in the ma,goi to interpret it. But the king does not trust the ma,goi so he insists that they not only interpret the dream but first they must also tell him what he had dreamed. The ma,goi insisted that this was impossible; no one could know what someone else had dreamed. But Daniel knew that the king’s dream had come from God. So with God’s help Daniel was able to tell the king what he dreamed and what it meant thus embarrassing the ma,goi. We also see ma,goi in the Book of Acts. These ma,goi are always giving false prophecies which the Apostle Paul has to correct. It is clear from this that the Bible considers ma,goi to be charlatans whose prophecies from astrology and dream interpretation are useless. And now you can see the scandal in Matthew’s story: the hapless, incompetent, non-Jewish ma,goi were the ones that come to worship Jesus.
The setting for Matthew’s story is in Jerusalem, during the reign of Herod the Great, after the birth of Jesus, around years 4-6 BC. A group of ma,goi coming from the east, probably Babylon or Persia, arrived in Jerusalem and had an audience with the king. They had seen something in the sky which they thought indicated the birth of a King of the Jews. So they had come to Jerusalem to worship the new prince.
This made Herod suspicious. He always feared that someone would try to take his throne. And if someone was born who was to be King of the Jews this was not good. So he convened a meeting of the Sanhedrin and asked the High Priests and Scribes from where the anointed one, the messiah would come. The searched the prophets and found that the messiah would come from Bethlehem. So Herod told the ma,goi to search for this new King of the Jews in Bethlehem and report back to him with their findings.
When the ma,goi arrived in Bethlehem they looked in the heavens and confirmed their findings indicating the birth of a king. And when they found Jesus they were overwhelmed with great joy. The promise of scripture is that anyone, no matter who, even the lowly ma,goi will experience great joy when they come to worship Jesus. Let me tell you some stories of the most unlikely people who have also experienced overwhelming joy by coming to Jesus.
Michiko was an international student from Japan. At an English language school she met
some Korean students who brought her to an international student ministry I was running with my wife, Grace, as an intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Michiko had very limited English skills and had never been in a church before, but she was interested in talking with me when she found out that I had married a Korean woman. I led an ESL, English as a Second Language Bible study, and helped Michiko to understand the basics of the faith. Her Korean friends wanted to take Michiko to church on Sunday morning, but they knew that she could not understand Korean. So they all, Japanese and Korean students, started to attend the English worship as Pasadena Pres. Eventually Michiko asked me what she had to do to become a Christian. I told her about our sacrament of baptism, and I began to teach stories to the group from Acts about baptism. Michiko flew back to Japan to talk with her mother about becoming a Christian. Her mother said “no” because Michiko’s name had been written on a tile used for the roof of a Buddhist temple. But when Michiko returned to Pasadena she decided to be baptized and pledged her allegiance to Christ because like the ma,goi before her, Michiko had experienced the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Star was a drug addict living in East Los Angeles. Her boyfriend was in prison. Four of her children were in foster care. She and her new baby lived with her mother who brought her to Faith United Presbyterian Church where my wife, Grace, served as an intern. The church did everything they could to care for Star during her pregnancy. We invited Star to help as a volunteer for a Friday evening evangelism program. As Star served the church she began to experience to joy of coming to Jesus. She asked us if her baby could be baptized in the church. We told her that before a baby is baptized the church has to be assured that the baby’s parent is a believer. So we invited Star to join the church. And after a new members class we baptized both mother and baby into the faith. Star had found, like the ma,goi and Michiko before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus.
Sharon was a homeless woman. She came to a Sunday dinner we held at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church where I served as pastor, and she told me her story. Sharon had been taking care of her mother with Alzheimer’s disease, but when her mother had to enter a nursing home Sharon had to move out of the apartment. She moved in with a boyfriend, but he got sick too and his apartment was lost. So Sharon decided to temporarily live in her car until she could figure out what to do, but one day her brakes failed and her car rolled into a Taco Bell. This got Sharon on television. But she lost her car and had to move into an abandoned house with boarded up windows with some other homeless folks. That’s when she began to attend our dinner on Sunday nights because she was hungry and needed a meal. Her $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps didn’t go very far. Sharon wanted to be as “normal” as possible so she cleaned up as best she could and attended our Sunday morning worship service. Then she asked me if she could join the church. After conducting a new member’s class I baptized Sharon, one of three homeless people I baptized while pastoring the Eagle Rock church. Sharon had found, with the ma,goi, Michiko, and Star before her, the overwhelming joy of coming to Jesus Christ.
Our mission as the church of Jesus Christ is to lead people to Jesus where they too will experience this overwhelming joy. We are called by God to invite to church even the ma,goi, the alien, the addicted and poor in our community. So I challenge Makemie Presbyterian Church and the visitors from Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches to go out into your communities and invite everyone you find to come to church and experience the overwhelming joy that you have found in coming to Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the light of God, the Epiphany that has come into the world. We have come with overwhelming joy into your presence to worship you. Equip us in our mission to bring others to you to experience this joy. We pray this in your name, Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Occidental Presbyterian Church
December 27, 2009
Listen to this sermon
Merry Christmas! Our time of waiting is over. Our savior has arrived. This is a glorious time for the church when we experience God with us.
Although we, here in America, begin celebrating Christmas as early as Thanksgiving for many people around the world Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and continues for twelve days ending at the great feast of Epiphany on January 5. That makes this the third day of Christmas which a popular song immortalized with “three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
Today we will be looking at the only place in scripture where we see Jesus as a boy growing up. There are other apocryphal stores about the young Jesus, but this is the only story in the Bible that talks about Jesus as a youth and gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and his parents. In this story Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration without telling his parents. They become extremely worried when they discover that Jesus is missing. And a missing Jesus is something to worry about.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we come into your presence today as we gather around God’s Holy Word. We ask that you be our teacher today and though the work of the Holy Spirit help us to understand today’s scripture and apply it to our lives. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
A Palestinian Christian is worshiping in his church in Palestine this morning. He has just read the scripture for today and is thinking about Mary and Joseph and their desperation in looking for Jesus. But his mind begins to wander and he thinks of all the problems Palestinian Christians have as a persecuted people. He thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Palestine today.
Labib is a Christian living in Palestine. I met him nine years ago when I stayed in his home with his family and worshiped with them at their church. When Labib was young he came to America for school and stayed with brother, a Catholic priest serving a congregation in Texas. But Labib returned to Palestine to take care of his mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Today he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. Life is difficult for Labib and his family. Since 1967 his community has been occupied by the Israeli army. Their land has been taken for settlements. And today their village is surrounded by a wall. They are imprisoned by Israelis who fear Palestinian violence. And Labib has to ask the question: Where is Jesus?
A homeless man is worshiping in Eagle Rock this morning. Later today he will be cooking a meal for 80 hungry people who come to the church every Sunday night looking for a meal and fellowship. I met Dirk when I first came to Eagle Rock. He was sitting on a wall next to the Nazarene church. So I invited him to come to church and I helped him to start a small business with a grant from the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church. Today Dirk is fighting a cold which won’t go away probably because his in living in the park. As he worships God this morning his mind wanders and he thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Eagle Rock.
Dirk was a prominent businessman. His security company was hugely successful. But he had a legal dispute with a former girlfriend over child support. It had not gone his way. He lost his license to do business and it closed. His assets were confiscated and he lost his home. He and his dog lived in his truck until it was impounded by the police. Today they live in the park. Life is difficult for Dirk and his dog. They get by on $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps. Dirk too must be asking the same question as Labib: Where is Jesus?
A pastor served a church in Los Angeles. The congregation was getting older and smaller. It was getting tougher to pay the bills. Although the church was growing there was no way he could financially remain. He has been looking for another church for several months, and has some leads. So he prays to God for a church and is confident that God will act. But so far God has not called him to a new church. And sometimes he is beginning to wonder the same question as Dirk and Labib: Where is Jesus?
We have all wondered, from time to time, where Jesus has gone. Sometimes this happens to us when we lose a job, or a loved one dies, or a doctor gives of some bad news, or a relationship ends. We pray for our jobs, and our families, and our health, but sometimes it seems that our prayers are not being heard, it seems that Jesus is missing.
Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth after the Passover festival. As obedient Jews they went annually to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifices and the Passover meal. The ancient festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days. But most people came for a couple of days and then went back to work. On the second day of the trip back home Mary and Joseph could not find their twelve year old son Jesus. He was supposed to be with the aunts and uncles and cousins, but he was no where to be found. Jesus was missing.
So his parents were worried and went looking for their absent son. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They retraced their steps, frantically looking for Jesus. Three days had passed and he still could not be found. They asked the same question we often ask: Where is Jesus?
Their frantic search ended at the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found their son, Jesus, sitting with the Teachers and discussing this God’s Holy Word. And according to Jesus this was just where he was supposed to be. Jesus had experienced his calling from God as a teacher of the Bible. No longer was he Mary’s little boy growing up quietly in Nazareth. No longer was he Joseph’s son preparing to be a carpenter. Jesus was going to be a teacher of scripture speaking with the full authority of God. Once Jesus did what God had called him to do to, by beginning his study of scripture, the relationship that he had with his parents improved. He became obedient to their wishes and the family lived in harmony. We see from this that obedient children and harmonious families are a direct result of study of the Word of God.
So whenever we fear that Jesus may be missing, we know where to find him. Jesus is always right here with us whenever we are gathered around God’s Word. This is what worship is all about. We live our lives each week becoming increasingly fearful that Jesus is missing, but we can always find Jesus each time we open our Bibles and begin to read. And this is why it is so important that we meditate on God’s Word every day and gather around God’s Word in worship every Sunday. This is where we find Jesus, right here in scripture. Our terror of being without a savior is washed away when we worship and when we rest in the confident faith that Jesus is right here with us.
As we read the Bible daily and attend worship weekly something amazing happens to us: we become wiser. Bible study and worship fills us we wisdom which we can apply to our lives. And this wisdom affects our behavior so that we have more harmonious relationships with our families and friends and teachers and coworkers and people in church. This is why it is so important for families to study the Bible and worship together because it is the source of wisdom that leads to obedient children and harmonious family relationships.
Today Labib and his family and his church in Palestine have found Jesus. As Labib read God’s Word in worship Jesus was found and the church rests in the confidence that their savior is on the way. No matter what oppression is facing them now they can persevere until the day that Jesus returns and makes all things right. They are sustained by their faith which is a gift from God activated by the wisdom they found in scripture. And churches around the world are just now beginning to pray for Palestinian Christians as they endure oppression. With all of this Labib can be assured that Jesus is found.
Today Dirk is worshiping at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. As he worships he can rest in the confidence of the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. In his cooking this afternoon he knows that he is responding to God’s call on his life. And tonight at 5:30 the very poor of North East Los Angeles will also find Jesus in worship and in the fellowship meal. But Dirk’s church is struggling to feed all of the hungry people who will come to the church this evening. So I challenge you, Occidental Presbyterian Church to help them out. They need volunteers to cook and clean up. They need money for the food. I urge anyone here that is able, to go down to Eagle Rock Pres this evening and offer to help. I can assure you that if you do this Jesus will be found.
And the pastor looking for new church is flying to Washington DC this week. He will be preaching at a church in Virginia and meeting with a Pastoral Nominating Committee from a Maryland Church. He is confident that in worship and in the study of God’s word Jesus will be found.
Lord Jesus, we are looking for you. As we experience problems in our lives you sometimes seem to be missing. But we thank you for the gift of worship and scripture where we find the wisdom we need to find you. So we thank you for being right here with us today. Amen
Sermon: Where is Jesus? – Luke 2:41-52
Occidental Presbyterian Church
December 27, 2009
Listen to this sermon
Merry Christmas! Our time of waiting is over. Our savior has arrived. This is a glorious time for the church when we experience God with us.
Although we, here in America, begin celebrating Christmas as early as Thanksgiving for many people around the world Christmas doesn’t begin until December 25th and continues for twelve days ending at the great feast of Epiphany on January 5. That makes this the third day of Christmas which a popular song immortalized with “three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”
Today we will be looking at the only place in scripture where we see Jesus as a boy growing up. There are other apocryphal stores about the young Jesus, but this is the only story in the Bible that talks about Jesus as a youth and gives us a glimpse of the relationship between Jesus and his parents. In this story Jesus stays behind in Jerusalem after the Passover celebration without telling his parents. They become extremely worried when they discover that Jesus is missing. And a missing Jesus is something to worry about.
Let us pray. Lord Jesus, we come into your presence today as we gather around God’s Holy Word. We ask that you be our teacher today and though the work of the Holy Spirit help us to understand today’s scripture and apply it to our lives. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord and our Redeemer. Amen.
Luke 2:41-52 41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
A Palestinian Christian is worshiping in his church in Palestine this morning. He has just read the scripture for today and is thinking about Mary and Joseph and their desperation in looking for Jesus. But his mind begins to wander and he thinks of all the problems Palestinian Christians have as a persecuted people. He thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Palestine today.
Labib is a Christian living in Palestine. I met him nine years ago when I stayed in his home with his family and worshiped with them at their church. When Labib was young he came to America for school and stayed with brother, a Catholic priest serving a congregation in Texas. But Labib returned to Palestine to take care of his mother with Alzheimer’s disease. Today he lives with his wife, two daughters and one son. Life is difficult for Labib and his family. Since 1967 his community has been occupied by the Israeli army. Their land has been taken for settlements. And today their village is surrounded by a wall. They are imprisoned by Israelis who fear Palestinian violence. And Labib has to ask the question: Where is Jesus?
A homeless man is worshiping in Eagle Rock this morning. Later today he will be cooking a meal for 80 hungry people who come to the church every Sunday night looking for a meal and fellowship. I met Dirk when I first came to Eagle Rock. He was sitting on a wall next to the Nazarene church. So I invited him to come to church and I helped him to start a small business with a grant from the Self Development of People program of the Presbyterian Church. Today Dirk is fighting a cold which won’t go away probably because his in living in the park. As he worships God this morning his mind wanders and he thinks that Jesus seems to be missing from Eagle Rock.
Dirk was a prominent businessman. His security company was hugely successful. But he had a legal dispute with a former girlfriend over child support. It had not gone his way. He lost his license to do business and it closed. His assets were confiscated and he lost his home. He and his dog lived in his truck until it was impounded by the police. Today they live in the park. Life is difficult for Dirk and his dog. They get by on $200 per month of General Relief and some food stamps. Dirk too must be asking the same question as Labib: Where is Jesus?
A pastor served a church in Los Angeles. The congregation was getting older and smaller. It was getting tougher to pay the bills. Although the church was growing there was no way he could financially remain. He has been looking for another church for several months, and has some leads. So he prays to God for a church and is confident that God will act. But so far God has not called him to a new church. And sometimes he is beginning to wonder the same question as Dirk and Labib: Where is Jesus?
We have all wondered, from time to time, where Jesus has gone. Sometimes this happens to us when we lose a job, or a loved one dies, or a doctor gives of some bad news, or a relationship ends. We pray for our jobs, and our families, and our health, but sometimes it seems that our prayers are not being heard, it seems that Jesus is missing.
Mary and Joseph were on their way back to Nazareth after the Passover festival. As obedient Jews they went annually to the Temple in Jerusalem for sacrifices and the Passover meal. The ancient festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread lasted for seven days. But most people came for a couple of days and then went back to work. On the second day of the trip back home Mary and Joseph could not find their twelve year old son Jesus. He was supposed to be with the aunts and uncles and cousins, but he was no where to be found. Jesus was missing.
So his parents were worried and went looking for their absent son. They returned to Jerusalem to search for him. They retraced their steps, frantically looking for Jesus. Three days had passed and he still could not be found. They asked the same question we often ask: Where is Jesus?
Their frantic search ended at the Temple in Jerusalem. There they found their son, Jesus, sitting with the Teachers and discussing this God’s Holy Word. And according to Jesus this was just where he was supposed to be. Jesus had experienced his calling from God as a teacher of the Bible. No longer was he Mary’s little boy growing up quietly in Nazareth. No longer was he Joseph’s son preparing to be a carpenter. Jesus was going to be a teacher of scripture speaking with the full authority of God. Once Jesus did what God had called him to do to, by beginning his study of scripture, the relationship that he had with his parents improved. He became obedient to their wishes and the family lived in harmony. We see from this that obedient children and harmonious families are a direct result of study of the Word of God.
So whenever we fear that Jesus may be missing, we know where to find him. Jesus is always right here with us whenever we are gathered around God’s Word. This is what worship is all about. We live our lives each week becoming increasingly fearful that Jesus is missing, but we can always find Jesus each time we open our Bibles and begin to read. And this is why it is so important that we meditate on God’s Word every day and gather around God’s Word in worship every Sunday. This is where we find Jesus, right here in scripture. Our terror of being without a savior is washed away when we worship and when we rest in the confident faith that Jesus is right here with us.
As we read the Bible daily and attend worship weekly something amazing happens to us: we become wiser. Bible study and worship fills us we wisdom which we can apply to our lives. And this wisdom affects our behavior so that we have more harmonious relationships with our families and friends and teachers and coworkers and people in church. This is why it is so important for families to study the Bible and worship together because it is the source of wisdom that leads to obedient children and harmonious family relationships.
Today Labib and his family and his church in Palestine have found Jesus. As Labib read God’s Word in worship Jesus was found and the church rests in the confidence that their savior is on the way. No matter what oppression is facing them now they can persevere until the day that Jesus returns and makes all things right. They are sustained by their faith which is a gift from God activated by the wisdom they found in scripture. And churches around the world are just now beginning to pray for Palestinian Christians as they endure oppression. With all of this Labib can be assured that Jesus is found.
Today Dirk is worshiping at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church. As he worships he can rest in the confidence of the presence of Jesus Christ in the church. In his cooking this afternoon he knows that he is responding to God’s call on his life. And tonight at 5:30 the very poor of North East Los Angeles will also find Jesus in worship and in the fellowship meal. But Dirk’s church is struggling to feed all of the hungry people who will come to the church this evening. So I challenge you, Occidental Presbyterian Church to help them out. They need volunteers to cook and clean up. They need money for the food. I urge anyone here that is able, to go down to Eagle Rock Pres this evening and offer to help. I can assure you that if you do this Jesus will be found.
And the pastor looking for new church is flying to Washington DC this week. He will be preaching at a church in Virginia and meeting with a Pastoral Nominating Committee from a Maryland Church. He is confident that in worship and in the study of God’s word Jesus will be found.
Lord Jesus, we are looking for you. As we experience problems in our lives you sometimes seem to be missing. But we thank you for the gift of worship and scripture where we find the wisdom we need to find you. So we thank you for being right here with us today. Amen
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