Musical Worship Service at Beaver Dam

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches

Musical Worship Service at Beaver Dam

August 31, 2014

Prelude                                                    Beaver Dam Strings and Choir with Second Chance

Medley                                                                                                              Congregation

Welcome and Announcements Pastor Jeff Howard

Invitation - Psalm 33:1-4

Opening Prayer

Bible Song Psalm 98:4 -9

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn-- shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;

let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Give Me that Old Time Religion                                                                        Congregation

Farther Along                                                                    Donna Hardin and Eunice Esposito

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder                                                                               Choir

Prayer of Illumination

Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of your Holy Spirit, that as the scriptures are read and your Word is proclaimed, we may hear with joy what you say to us today. Amen.

First Reading 1 Samuel 16:14-23

The Word of God for the People of God

Thanks be to God!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms                                                                      Congregation

Where Could I Go                                                                                           Duet and Choir

Take The Name of Jesus                                                                                    Congregation

Lonesome Valley                                                                         Jimmy Worth and Eric White

Prayers of the People

The Lord's Prayer

Presentation of Tithes and Offerings

Just a Closer Walk

Standing on the Promises                                                                                  Congregation

Blessing

Sermon - Isaiah 56:1-8 House of Prayer for All Nations

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon - Isaiah 56:1-8 House of Prayer for All Nations

August 17, 2014

One of our favorite activities is to set boundaries. We like to know who is in and who is out. We like bright lines that separate us from them. We want clear distinctions between right and wrong and good and evil. We have always wanted to draw a line in the sand. Today we will talk about the lines that separate us, but first let's pray.

Gracious Lord, bless me and make your face clear to me that I may see your will for my life and know the power of your salvation. Amen.¹

One of the brightest lines dividing good from evil can be found in the first chapter of the Book of Romans were Paul says this:

Romans 1:20-32 ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. ²⁵ They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. ²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. ²⁷ In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. ²⁸ Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. ³² Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

I think we can all agree the Paul has made a list of people on the other side of line from us. They are evil. We are good, so long as we remain on this side of the line. Right? Well, let's hear Paul's conclusion to all this.

Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

According to Paul the greatest of all sins is being judgmental. Whenever we a draw a line in the sand and say that we are in and others are out we are committing a sin and liable to God wrath. Judging others is itself a sin because judgment is reserved for God alone.

This is a problem facing the American church today. We have spent a generation drawing lines in the sand and saying who is in and who is out. We cannot presume to know who God considers in and who God considers out. But the American Church constantly divides into smaller and smaller units by making the lines we draw more and more restrictive. We are divided by lines of doctrine, of race, of age, of economic level, and of sexual orientation. We say, “I am in and you are out.” But God says no more lines. Let's hear from the Book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 56:1-8 ^NIV Isaiah 56:1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. ² Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil." ³ Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely exclude me from his people." And let not any eunuch complain, "I am only a dry tree." ⁴ For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-- ⁵ to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. ⁶ And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant-- ⁷ these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." ⁸ The Sovereign LORD declares-- he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."

In the 6^th century before Christ the people of God returned from exile in Babylon and rebuilt their temple. They then had a decision to make. Who could enter the temple? Who could worship there? And, who must be kept out? During the years of exile many foreigners had relocated to Jerusalem and the surrounding area. They joined a remnant of people who had stayed behind. Many of the foreigners converted and worshiped the LORD, God of Israel. Should these people be allowed in the temple? The returning exiles decided that only the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob should be permitted to worship. A line was drawn in the sand that separated people along ethnic lines. Foreigners were judged unworthy to enter the temple and were excluded.

But God spoke through a prophet. This prophet was devoted to the writings of the prophet Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. We don't know his name, but his work, from the time of the restoration of the temple is included in the last eleven chapters of the Book of Isaiah. This prophet told the people not to draw lines. The temple was to be house of prayer for all people. The people of God were not to choose who goes in and who stays out. The only person capable of making a judgment like this was God. So too today. God does not want us to draw lines excluding people from church. He wants the church to be inclusive and welcome everyone into it's doors.

But we fail to obey this command of God. We are judgmental, drawing lines and choosing for ourselves who is in and who is out. In other words we eat from the tree of the knowledge of good of evil. We want to be the judge of who is evil and who is good. This is sin. We are not to judge. Is there is evil in the world? Yes! Will it judged? Yes! Who is the judge? Certainly not us. God alone is the judge.

So, is there any hope to the church in America? I think so. Young people today are leaving the church saying that we are too judgmental. I think they are right. And one day God will gather them back into church which hopefully will be less judgmental and where there are no lines of separation only gracious acceptance.

I hope that all of us will graciously accept into fellowship all who desire to worship God. I pray that we will be accepting and inclusive. I pray that people of all ages, economic levels, races and sexual orientations will be welcome here at Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches. I know that one day God will judge evil. But I also know that we are not to judge others. Let us be a house of prayer for everyone.

As I thought about this scripture from Isaiah this week I began to think of what Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam might look like if the line that divides people was erased. Last weekend I was at Walmart waiting for Grace to finish her shopping. I noticed that most of the people going in and coming out were young Latino families. Also this week I was at McDonald's. A middle age couple was sitting at the next table. When they stood up I realized that they were speaking Spanish. And did you know that the pizza shop next to Pitts Creek church plays Spanish language television most of the time. Regardless of your political views on immigration the reality is that Pocomoke is becoming increasingly Hispanic. Already Glad Tidings and Holy Name of Jesus churches here in Pocomoke have Spanish speaking congregations which have revitalized their programs for children and youth. What should be our response be to our changing community? Let's pray.

Lord God of heaven, listen our prayers. We ask that you form us into a gracious church where all people feel welcome. Help us to not draw lines which exclude people from our fellowship. Help us to not be judgmental because you alone judge. Let us be a house of prayer for all people. This we pray in your son's name who told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Amen.

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p127.

Sermon 1 Kings 19:9-18 God in the Silence

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon 1 Kings 19:9-18 God in the Silence

August 10, 2014

We are all waiting for God to do something big, something so tremendous that everyone will take notice and come to faith. We expect this to occur with Jesus returns, or maybe sooner. We wait for the day when God demonstrates his supernatural power for all the world to see. But is this how God intends to bring people to faith? We will get to this, but first let's pray.

Holy God, the new day begins with such promise. Help me to enter into this day with joy and confidence in your power and goodness. Whatever challenge I may face, help me to trust in your presence, remembering that you are stronger than any difficulty or threat. If you will surround me in the embrace and affection of steadfast love and faithfulness, of righteousness and peace, then I will be lifted up and strengthened to follow you. In Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.¹

1 Kings 19:9-18 ⁹ There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁰ He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." ¹¹ The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 

¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" ¹⁴ He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." ¹⁵ The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. ¹⁶ Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. ¹⁷ Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. ¹⁸ Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel-- all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

Elijah was concerned about the decline in faith among the people of Israel. He watched as Queen Jezebel introduced Baal worship to the nation. He saw the temple desecrated. He watched as people, led by their queen, climbed to the high places to worship the weather god. So Elijah came up with a test, one that would demonstrate the power of the God of Israel and the lack of power of Jezebel's god, Baal. He went up to the high place on Mount Carmel to challenge Baal to a contest. Which god, Baal or the God of Israel, was able to send lightening to ignite a fire. Baal did nothing. The God of Israel demonstrated his power for all to see.

Elijah thought that this was all that was needed to bring people to faith. One big event showing the power of God would surely lead everyone to belief. Or so he thought. But he found out that it doesn't work that way. Queen Jezebel found out about the test and ordered that Elijah be arrested and executed. Elijah, at the moment of his highest achievement, was terrified of Jezebel and fled. So much for big miracles.

Elijah remembered another big miracle from centuries before when Moses ascended Mount Horeb to receive the law from God. Elijah retraced the route of the Israelites through the wilderness, climbed Mount Horeb, and hid in a cave. That is where God found him and asked:

1 Kings 19:9 "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Of course God knew exactly why his prophet was hiding in a cave. But he wanted to hear this from the mouth of the prophet himself. And Elijah replied:

1 Kings 19:10 "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."

So Elijah is afraid of losing his life, and has returned to the mountain of God hoping that God will do something big, some huge miracle, that will put everything back the way it should be. But God has something else in mind, and said:

1 Kings 19:11 "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

This is what Elijah has been waiting for. The test on Mt. Carmel had not been big enough. Now God was about to do something enormous that everyone would notice and know that what Elijah had been saying was true. So Elijah must have been overjoyed when a hurricane blew in from the sea and battered him as he stood on the mountain. He must have thought that God would display his power by stopping the hurricane in its tracks. Certainly everyone would believe in a God who could stop the wind. But God didn't stop it. God did nothing. There was no miracle. And so a confused Elijah waited for God to do something else.

Then Elijah felt the ground shake. It was earthquake, the big one. Elijah must have thought that finally God would demonstrate his power by stopping the earthquake. Certainly a god who could stop the earth from shaking must be a most powerful God worthy of our faith. But God didn't stop the earthquake. He did nothing. There was no divine demonstration. And as before Elijah was dumbfounded.

Finally Elijah saw a great fire coming up the mountain. The wind and the earthquake had just been preliminaries. Certainly God would demonstrate his great power by stopping the fire. This would bring everyone to faith. But again God did nothing, and Elijah had no idea what God was doing.

And then God came to Elijah in “a gentle whisper” (NIV), “a sound of a gentle blowing” (NAS), “a still small voice”(RSV), “a sound of sheer silence” (NRSV). God came to Elijah in quietness of prayer.

God's message to Elijah was that God will not bring the world to faith with a great miracle, even though miracles will occur that do bring people to faith. But for the world to come to faith it requires not a big miracle, but rather our prayers. Praying is the most important thing we do to bring the world to faith.

And this is why we pray for evangelism. We pray that God will equip us a witnesses to the good news that in Jesus Christ, God loves us. We pray for those with the gift of evangelism as they go into the world to meeting people and invite them to believe. As a followup to last week's evangelism camp, we will be praying for the evangelist here in Pocomoke as they go into our community to proclaim the good news. Please join us Monday at 2pm at the manse as we engage in evangelism Bible study and prayer.

So don't expect a big miracle to bring everyone to faith. Some of the biggest miracles in the Bible had no such effect. Rather expect that people will come to faith as we engage in the silence of prayer … Amen.

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p116

Sermon Isaiah 55:1–5 Come All Who are Hungry

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon Isaiah 55:1–5 Come All Who are Hungry

August 3, 2014

Isaiah 55:1-5 ^NIV Isaiah 55:1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. ² Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. ³ Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. ⁴ See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander of the peoples. ⁵ Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor."

This summer we have been looking at the Old Testament and thinking about our relationship with God. God told the prophet Isaiah that we should not value things of stone, metal and wood more than we value God. God told King Solomon that we should not set priorities that place wealth and power above our relationship with God. Today, we return to Isaiah and take a look at what really satisfies our hunger. We will get to this, but first, let's pray.

Holy One, as I walk through this new day, help me to see each experience as an opportunity to reflect on what it means to be your servant and a chance to help Jesus feed those in need, guided by your steadfast love for me. Amen.¹

In the sixth century BC the Hebrew people were taken into exile in Babylon. The Babylonians had taken all the people that could help them, the government officials, the artisans, the professionals, the farmers, and anyone else they thought could help to support the empire. To keep them happy the Babylonian king did what all governments do. They gave away free stuff hoping that the Hebrews would be satisfied in their new home. Listen to their sales pitch in the Babylonian marketplace.

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1)

The Babylonian king was offering free wine and milk. What a great deal! This was very seductive as is free stuff today. Our government tries to keep us satisfied with subsidies on homes and education and farms and food and even light bulbs for churches. Our government provides free food, phones, health care and subsidizes housing for the poor. The government's hope is that we will be satisfied with all the free stuff. But are we? I think we now know that free stuff from the government always comes with strings attached. It seduces us into accepting taxes and regulations that advance government power. The free stuff is causing us lose our freedom.

Let me give you an example. Grace and I have our health care through the Presbyterian Board of Pensions. Recently I received a notice from them about some free stuff. A provision in the Affordable Care Act says that we will receive free preventative care. This sounds like a great deal: a free physical with no copay or deductible. But there is a string attached. The cost of insurance is going up and next year many pastor's wives and families will lose their coverage because churches cannot afford the insurance. My “free” preventative care is paid for by the loss of insurance for my wife. Am I satisfied with a “free” thing that is not really free? Not really.

So if free things don't satisfy us, what does? Maybe it is what we pay for. Certainly what we spend our money on will satisfy? Won't it? Well, let's see.

I remember a time around thirty years ago when Ford came out with a new design for the Thunderbird. It's aerodynamic shape was perfect for times requiring fuel economy. And it looked so good compared to the boxy cars of the 70s. I wanted one more that anything else, but I couldn't afford it. Then a few years later I saw one the original models for sale on a used car lot. It was black with a red stripe and had the Ford 5-liter V8 engine. It was a power car. I really wanted it and was sure that that it would satisfy me. But after I bought it I soon began to have problems. The air conditioning stopped working, $500. It needed new brakes, $300. Every month brought a new problem that cost hundreds of dollars. The dealership told me that 1983 was an experimental year for the Thunderbird and all parts had to be custom ordered. The cost escalated until I couldn't wait to get rid of the thing. I found that buying things, even things I really wanted, did not satisfy me . God put it this way.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? (Isaiah 55:2a)

Good question! Getting free stuff doesn't satisfy us. And spending our money on things doesn't satisfy us either. So what does satisfy us? Let's hear what God has to say.

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. (Isaiah 55:2b-3a)

Are you interested? Do you want to hear what God wants to give you that will satisfy you more than anything else? Well, here it is.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David. (Isaiah 55:3b)

So God wants us to be in a covenant relationship with us that will satisfy all of our hungers. In ancient times God had entered into a covenant with the kings of Israel. God promised to love Israel, King David and his family forever. And when David's dynasty ended 600 years before Christ, that covenant was extended to include all the people of God. God would bless them forever and they were to obey his laws. That promise continues to be offered to us today. God loves us and wants our obedience. Are we ready to enter this covenant with God today? If we are, the promise is that our hungers will be satisfied because we will be filled with God's love.

God is offering us a contract. He will love and bless us. He wants us to obey his laws and to love one another. Our entrance into the covenant begins when we pass through the baptismal waters and is renewed when we come around this table. You are God's people, loved by God.

So, what we are to do as members of this covenant? We know that God loves us. How are we to respond? Let's go back to Isaiah and listen to our God.

Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor." (Isaiah 55:4b-5)

Our responsibility, according to our covenant with God, is to witness to others about the good news that God loves us. God has equipped us for this work by giving us everything we need. All we have to do is to share God's love with others. We do this by loving our neighbors as much as God loves us. And this means sharing with our neighbors the good news that our God wants to love them too.

So, this week come to our evangelism camp. It begins tomorrow at 2pm at the Dickinson Memorial Manse. You will receive all you need to share God's love here in Pocomoke. We will learn to share the good news that God loves us. Sharing this is our responsibility as part of covenant we have with God. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, your church is preparing to proclaim your gospel to the world. Before we go into the streets of Pocomoke we pray that the forces of darkness in our community be bound. We pray that you help us to find the workers you have prepared for town. And we pray that this will help the churches of Pocomoke to unite and continue the gospel movement in this region. This we pray in your name. Amen.

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p105

Sermon John 11:1-45 The Resurrection and the Life

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek Church

Sermon John 11:1-45 The Resurrection and the Life

April 6, 2014

For the last three weeks we have watching people come to faith. Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, and a man blind from birth. And we have discerned a pattern that occurs whenever someone experiences conversion. First, they see a sign, something God does in their lives. Then they have a conversation with Jesus who explains the sign and reveals who he is. Finally people come to faith. This process has occurred countless times since Jesus walked on earth. Our role as Christians is to help people recognize what God is doing in their lives. Then we help people engage Jesus in conversation thought worship, prayer and Bible study. Through this people come to faith. And the benefit of coming to faith is that the promise of eternal life comes with it.

All of the conversions we have seen so far have been of individuals. But this process works with groups of people as well. We will see this, but first let's pray.

“O God, I know that you are the Lord, for you gave me my life, and caused me to rise this day. Put your Spirit within me, and let my words and actions help others to know that you are my Lord and my God. Amen”.¹

Let's start with a contemporary story of conversion. Nabeel Qureshi is an author who converted from Islam to Christianity. His parents immigrated from Pakistan to America, and Nabeel grew up in a Muslim home. In college he began to consider Christianity through his Christian roommate. But he wasn't sure if he should follow Jesus or Mohamed. After college he continue to pray to God asking for discernment. In Islam, Allah is thought to communicate to his people through dreams. So Nabeel prayed for a dream to help him know who he should follow. Here is what happened, in his own words.

“In it I was standing at the threshold of a strikingly narrow door, watching people take their seats at a wedding feast. I desperately wanted to get in, but I was not able to enter, because I had yet to accept my friend David’s invitation to the wedding ... When I awoke, I knew what God was telling me, but I sought further verification. It was then that I found the parable of the narrow door, in Luke 13:22–30. God was showing me where I stood.”²

Nabeel then made the difficult decision to leave the faith of his family and embrace faith in Jesus Christ. Notice what happen. People engaged in conversations with Nabeel about their faith. They invited him to examine his faith with prayer, worship and Bible study. And Jesus came to Nabeel in a dream. All of this combined to bring Nabeel into faith. You can read more about his conversion in his book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.³

Let's turn now to how Jesus converted a large group of people.

^NIV John 11:1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." ⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." ⁵ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Our story today begins with a message from a couple of Jesus' dearest friends. Their brother is sick, near death, and they want Jesus to come at once. Can Jesus heal their brother? Of course. Does Jesus heal people who are near death? All the time. Does Jesus keep everyone from dying? No. We all die, even those who are close to Jesus. In Christ we are not promised immortality. We will not live forever. Jesus has something better for us. Let's continue.

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. ²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. ²¹ "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

We have all been there. We have prayed, and prayed, and prayed over and over again for a loved one. We have asked Jesus for healing. But we find ourselves instead sitting in church in front of a casket, grieving. At times like these Jesus wants us to know something. Listen to his explanation to Martha.

²² But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." ²³ Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴ Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ²⁵ Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶ and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" ²⁷ "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Jesus' promise is not that we will live forever. We are not immortal. Rather, he promises us resurrection and eternal life. We will die, but we will rise again. Resurrection is our Christian hope. God preserves our souls, memories, and personalities in heaven until the glorious day when our bodies are recreated and then we will live together with Jesus on earth in the Kingdom of God. But how can we believe this? Jesus has to give us some proof, some sign, that gives us confidence to believe in the resurrection from the dead. Let's see what Jesus did.

³⁴ "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. ³⁵ Jesus wept. ³⁶ Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" ³⁷ But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" ³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ "Take away the stone," he said. "But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." ⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

We have the sign. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in front of numerous witnesses. What's our reaction? Do we believe in the resurrection from the dead? The evidence is right there. Many of the witnesses who saw it came to belief. What about us? If we have engaged in a conversation with Jesus through worship, prayer and Bible study this sign will bring us to belief. And promise for all who believe is resurrection to eternal life. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for being the resurrection and the life. We thank you for the promise that we and our loved ones will one day be resurrected from the dead to live eternally with you in the Kingdom of God. Help us to believe that this is true. In your name we pray. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 119.

2http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/01/the-supernatural-thing-an-ex-muslim-claims-guided-him-to-christianity/

3http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0310515025/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0310515025&linkCode=as2&tag=theboo09-20

Sermon 1 Kings 3:5-12 Prayer for Wisdom

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches

Sermon 1 Kings 3:5-12 Prayer for Wisdom

July 27, 2014

1 Kings3:5-12 5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” 15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream.

He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

As King David approached his final days his wife and closest advisers asked him to put his young son, Solomon, on the throne of Israel. With David's blessing Solomon was made king, and his mother, Bathsheba, had her throne placed at his right hand. Bathsheba was the power in Israel.

We first heard about Bathsheba when she appeared naked on her roof-top enticing the king to send for her. She then cheated on her husband, a military commander, by sleeping with King David. Her pregnancy was a scandal throughout Israel. Her baby died at birth. But her second son, Solomon, was now on the throne.

Bathsheba established priorities for her young son's reign. First, she wanted a political alliance with Egypt. And so she arranged for the daughter of Pharaoh to become her son's wife. She wanted her son and his new wife to live in luxury suitable for a king. Work was started on the palace. She also wanted to build a temple to house the ark of the Lord God of Israel which David had brought into the city. And she wanted to complete the wall around Jerusalem.

Bathsheba then took her son to Gibeon, a religious shrine to offer 1000 sacrifices. With this she thought Solomon was ready to be king, with her help. But God had something else in mind. God wasn't real happy about coming in third place behind a wedding and a palace. And why exactly was Solomon in Gibeon? And what god was he worshiping there? Shouldn't Solomon be in Jerusalem worshiping at the ark? Bathsheba was not guiding her son the way God wanted. So God took charge, went around the king's mother and spoke directly to the young king in a dream. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

I awake this day eager to receive divine instruction and to enact your word. As the day unfolds, may I step more deeply into your heavenly realm through loving you and serving your world. Amen.¹

Let's take a closer look at Solomon's dream

1 Kings 3:5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

God decided to talk directly with his new king. And God wanted the king to decide for himself what he wanted for his kingdom. His mother was not around. Her desire for political power and great wealth, was not an issue in this conversation. God just wanted to know what Solomon wanted from his God. Young Solomon had to think about this for a few minutes. To buy some time while he thinks he started talking about the relationship between God and his father.

6 Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

Solomon had figured out that everything he has was a gift from God. The kingdom he inherited was from God. His political power and great wealth came from God. Solomon and his father had been richly blessed by God in many ways. Solomon realized how much he has been blessed, but he has no idea what else to ask of God. Listen to what he said.

7 "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.

I'm just a kid. I don't know what I'm doing. What am I suppose to do as king? As Solomon said these things he realized that he had an awesome responsibility. God had given him a huge kingdom, and Solomon had no idea what to do with it. And so he asked for the only thing that will help him. Here is his request.

9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

What Solomon wanted was to be in constant contact with his God. He wanted God to tell him what to do. He wanted God to distinguish for him between right from wrong. He knew that to govern his kingdom he needed God, not his mother, at his right hand. God will be his principle adviser, not Bathsheba. God will give Solomon the wisdom he needs to govern his people.

This is true for us too. We need God to advise us on everything we do. We need God's wisdom as we make decisions. That is why before we make any major decision we must first take it to God in prayer. Our time in worship, prayer and Bible study gives us the wisdom we need to make important decisions. We need time with God every day to give us the wisdom we need to live our lives.

Let's go back to the scripture to see what God's reaction was to Solomon's request.

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

Consider for a moment the content of your prayers. Do you pray for long lives? Do you pray for wealth? Or do you pray for wisdom to make right judgments? God is most pleased when you let him decide what is best for us. So don't pray by telling God what He should do for you. Rather pray that God will give you the wisdom you need to know what truly is best for you. And pray that God will give you what He knows you need.

After the dream Solomon woke up and realized the Gibeon was not where he was supposed to be. Here is what he did.

15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

Solomon's kingdom is off to a good start. His principle adviser is God. With this relationship Solomon will be able to make good decisions consistent with the will of God. Wouldn't this be a great way to live our lives too? Let's pray.

Father in heaven we pray for wisdom Show us how you created us to live our lives. Teach us right from wrong. Bless us with understand of your plan for our lives. We pray this in the name of the greatest gift of all, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2 © 2014 Westminster John Knox Press p97