Sermon – Psalm 27 – Seek God’s Face

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – Psalm 27 – Seek God’s Face

February 21, 2016

            I am continuing today with our look at the Psalms of Lent.  Lent symbolizes, over a 40 day period, the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before the start of his ministry.   And so Lent encourages us to look inward and find peace in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  The first step in this was to believe that God is your refuge, the place you can go when you are in trouble.  Today we will hear that in order to arrive at this place of refuge it is important to seek God’s face.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Psalm 27:1The Lord is my light and my salvation—
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
    of whom shall I be afraid?

            With this bold statement King David has declared that God is his refuge, his fortress, his stronghold.   Whatever happens, David has the confidence to act because he knows that God is with him.  We know this too.  Whenever we face trouble, hardship, illness, disability, financial distress, relationship problems, the death of a loved one, care of aging parents, or just growing old we have a God we can count on.  Let’s go back to David and see why he needs God to be his fortress.

² When the wicked advance against me
    to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
    who will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besiege me,
    my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
    even then I will be confident.

            For those who have been Christian for a long time you have built up a large reservoir of trust in God.  Younger Christians need to follow your lead to develop that trust.  We need to trust God and be confident in his protection, when we are experiencing difficulties.  And so today we will see how to build up our trust in God. 

            The benefit of trusting God is that when you face difficulties you will be free from fear.   When non-Christians lose a job they are quite fearful.   But when we lose a job we are confident that God will lead us to a new one.  When non-Christians get sick they fear death.  But when we get sick we are confident in God who not only heals but also resurrects from the dead.  When non-Christians experience relationship problems they become fearful and angry.  But we worship a God of relationship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who actively works to restore relationships.

            All these benefits are for those who trust God.  This trust assures us of God’s continuing presence both now and in the future.  But how to we come to trust God?  What can we do to build up our confidence in him?  Let’s hear what David has to say.

⁴ One thing I ask from the Lord,
    this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.

            The first thing we can do to build up our trust in God is to worship him.   We do this by coming to church each Sunday.   Here in worship we come to seek God’s presence.  We gaze on God’s beauty.  We hear God’s word.  We sing God’s praises.  We speak to God in prayer.  All of this helps us to trust God more fully.  In worship we develop the confidence that God will be there when you need him.  Listen to how David puts it.

⁵ For in the day of trouble
    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
    and set me high upon a rock.

⁶ Then my head will be exalted
    above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

            And so worship is where we come to develop our confidence that God will be there when we need him.  But there is more that we can do.  We can go beyond worship to seek God.  We can pray.  We can offer up prayers any time of the day or night.  But it is crucial that you pray every day as a way to develop trust in the Lord so that you will not fear during your times of trouble.  Listen to David’s prayer.

⁷ Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.

            So far we have seen two things we can do to build up our trust in God.  First we worship every Sunday.  And second we pray every day.  But there is even more that we can do to build up our confidence in the Lord.  We can receive teaching from God.  Here is how David put it.

¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the Lord will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, Lord;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.

            We learn a lot from our parents and teachers in school.  But there is more we have to learn about God if we are to have a lasting relationship with him.  We need to study God’s word to receive instruction from him on how we should live our lives.  That is why it is crucial to attend Bible studies.  In Bible studies you have an opportunity to read scripture, understand what it means, and discuss practical applications with others.  Through this process you become more and more aware of what God is doing in the world around you.  You see what God did in biblical times and now you can recognize what God is doing in the world around you today.  Through this you learn to trust God more and more with your own lives. 

            King David learned to trust God.  He worshiped God in the temple.  He prayed to God daily.  And he learned about God from people knowledgeable of scripture.  And so when he experienced trouble in his life God was his stronghold.  Here is what happened.

¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.

¹³ I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.

            False witnesses are spreading lies about King David.  These are malicious lies, slander, designed to ruin his reputation and possibly bring down his kingdom.  But because of a lifetime of worship, prayer and Bible study, David is confident that God will protect him from these lies.  David has some wisdom for us.  Listen to the conclusion of the psalm.

¹⁴ Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

            And so this is what we are to do whenever we face troubles in our lives.  We sit back and wait, trusting God to do what needs to be done.  When the doctors say there is no hope, when the landlord demands money that you do not have, when your job seems like hell on earth, the thing to do is rest in the confidence that God is with you to protect you and show you the way.  Listen to this story about trusting God.

            “A man just got married and was returning home with his wife. They were crossing a lake in a boat, when suddenly a great storm arose. The man was a warrior, but the woman became very much afraid because it seemed almost hopeless:

            The boat was small and the storm was really huge, and any moment they were going to be drowned. But the man sat silently, calm and quiet, as if nothing was happening.

            The woman was trembling and she said, “Are you not afraid?” This may be our last moment of life! It doesn’t seem that we will be able to reach the other shore. Only some miracle can save us; otherwise death is certain. Are you not afraid? Are you mad or something? Are you a stone or something?

            The man laughed and took the sword out of its sheath. The woman was even more puzzled: What he was doing? Then he brought the naked sword close to the woman’s neck, so close that just a small gap was there, it was almost touching her neck.

            He said,” Are you afraid?”

            She started to laugh and said,” Why should I be afraid?  If the sword is in your hands, why I should be afraid? I know you love me.

            He put the sword back and said, “This is my answer”. I know God Loves me, and the storm is in His hands.”  (http://rishikajain.com/2013/01/22/inspirational-short-story-with-moral-trust-in-god/)

            So, whenever we experience difficulties in life we can trust with confidence in the Lord our God.  We develop this trust by seeking God’s face.  We do this by worshiping every week, praying every day, and attending Bible study regularly.  Do these things and God will become your stronghold.  Let’s pray.

            “Lord our God, blessed is the one who comes in your name! Gather us in your gentle presence as a hen shelters her brood beneath her wings. Finish the work you have begun in us so that we may show your glory; through Jesus Christ our peace.”  Amen. (PCUSA Office of Theology and Worship)

Sermon – Psalm 91 – God is Your Refuge

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – Psalm 91 – God is Your Refuge

February 14, 2016

            This is the first Sunday in the season of Lent.  Lent is a forty day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter.  Sundays are not counted as part of Lent because Sundays are always set aside for a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  On Ash Wednesday Lent began with the stark reminder that we are mortal and were created from dust and to dust we shall return.  We learned that Sin was preventing us from eating from the Tree of Life.  And so confession was the first step in reconciling with God and receiving the gift of eternal life.  Today we will see that whatever happens to us in this life we can trust God who is our refuge, our fortress in times of trouble.  We will get to this, but first let's pray. 

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

            According to the church father, Athanasius, “If you desire to establish yourself and others in devotion, to know what confidence is to be reposed in God, and what makes the mind fearless, you will praise God by reciting the 91^st Psalm”. (Interpretation Psalms p.296)

            Listen to the good news from the psalmist.

Psalm 91: 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

            The psalmist wants us to think of God as a fortress, a refuge.  Whenever you experience trouble, whenever you have problems, whenever you can't pay your bills, whenever your relationships are on the rocks, whenever your health fails, there is one place you can turn.  You can turn to God.  God won't prevent all your problems.  There is just too much sin in the world for that.  But God will comfort and strengthen you in your difficulties if you turn to him. 

            Once I was planning a memorial service for a family.  They didn't know God and didn't go to church.  They were filled with grief and had no idea what to do about it.  Prayer was an alien concept for them.  But I did pray with them and they seemed to appreciate it.  And I designed a memorial service that would explain to them the benefits of knowing Christ.  My hope was that through this they would find Christ who would be a refuge for them in times of trouble.

            We are so privileged as Christians to worship God every Sunday and pray every day so that when we experience the loss of a loved one, our relationship with God will sustain us through the grief.  God is our refuge.  Here is how the psalmist put it.

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.

            I was once talking with a young couple preparing for marriage.  The woman had grown up in a Presbyterian church.  She went to church every Sunday and prayed every day.  But she was concerned about her future husband.  He grew up feeling forced to attend church with his family.  Church was not a part of his adult life and prayed rarely.  But he knew about about his future wife's faith and was willing to go with her to church on Sundays.  He wanted to pray more, but he was uncertain about how to begin having a more fervent prayer life.  I suggested that the two of them could pray together before each meal they shared.  The woman's family had done this when she was growing up.  And the man agreed that this would be a good thing to do.  My prayer is that God will always be a refuge for them, somewhere they can go whenever they experience trouble.  Listen again to the psalmist.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

            Is this true?  Can we jump off the roof of the church with the assurance that angels will catch us?  Are the words “The Lord is my refuge” a magical incantation that will protect you from all harm?  There was one Bible scholar who interpreted Psalm 91 this way.  His name was Devil and he had a discussion about this psalm with Jesus.  Here is what he said. 

Luke 4:9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

            So is this true?  Will God prevent all harm regardless of what we do?  I think not.  That would be a very foolish thing to think.  And Jesus responded to the Devil's interpretation of Psalm 91 this way. 

Luke 4:12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

            God will protect you from evil, but not from your own stupidity.  I heard about a young woman who was learning to drive.  She was a good girl and very active in her church.  Her parents put her in a driver education class and gave her plenty of practice driving the family car under their supervision.  On her sixteenth birthday she got her driver's license and her parents gave her a used car.  For the next few months God protected her as she drove to and from school.  But then one day she was at a friend's house.  The friend was drinking beer and offered her some.  After a couple of hours drinking together they decided to go for a ride.   The young woman started driving recklessly.  Her car was going too fast around a curve and overturned in a ditch.  Both girls were hurt. 

            Why didn't God protect them from the accident?  God does protect us from the consequences of sin.  But we should not test his protection because testing God is itself a sin.   And taking God for granted is never a good idea.  God does not always protect us from ourselves.  So what should we do?  We should avoid sin and rest in the assurance that God is our refuge when trouble arises.  God will be in the hospital room after an accident.  God will be with you in physical therapy.  God will be there as you recover at home, because God is faithful and loves you.  Let's go back to the psalmist.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

            Last week Nancy and I visited Dora in the nursing home.  It's been a long journey for Dora since her strokes.  But throughout the healing process God has been with her.  Slowly her brain is recovering.  Last Thursday she not only remembered who I was she actually seemed like the old Dora.  We talked about the day when she could be with us once again in worship.  And I thanked God that he has been with Dora comforting her, healing her, and being her refuge.

            The promise of scripture is that the God you worship will be with you always.

            This Thursday we will have a memorial service for Irene.  Irene loved this church and loved the Lord.  But given her health problems over the last year she was unable to worship with us.  But her faith sustained her.  She knew God was with her in the hospital.  God was with her in physical therapy.   God was with her in assisted living.  And Irene rejoiced at news about this church because she loved all of you.  God was her refuge and strength.  And so this Thursday we will assemble to remember her and the God she worshiped.

            So I urge all of you to continue deepening your relationship with God because this relationship is your refuge in troubled times.  It is so important that you worship every Sunday and pray every day.  Through these practices your faith will grow.  This faith will sustain you in times of trouble.  You will then experience the presence of God as your refuge.  Let's pray.

            “Cherishing and Reassuring God, we come to worship and thank you for your goodness to us as individuals, and as a community of faith.  Each of us, at various times, have gratefully found shelter under your wings, and we have found a secure refuge in your invincible presence when battered by life’s storms, and for this we thank you. Intimate God, the Psalmist called you “...my refuge, my place of safety… my God…”, and invites each of us into that same intimate relationship of trust and acceptance. Satisfying God, help us to let go all that we cling to that belongs to this “world”, and to place our complete trust in the God of the ages, the God of millions of saints in light, and the God of our future.
            God of reliable promises, you said: “...This I declare: I will rescue you...I will shield you... I will protect you... I will answer you...I will honour you...I will be with you... I will satisfy you...” In humble thanks, we hear and we acknowledge these  gracious and generous gifts from you, our Loving God.  Help us to respond your love and trust all the days of our lives.  Amen.

http://www.thetimelesspsalms.net/w_resources/pentecost19[26]c_2013.htm

February 14, 2016

            This is the first Sunday in the season of Lent.  Lent is a forty day period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter.  Sundays are not counted as part of Lent because Sundays are always set aside for a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  On Ash Wednesday Lent began with the stark reminder that we are mortal and were created from dust and to dust we shall return.  We learned that Sin was preventing us from eating from the Tree of Life.  And so confession was the first step in reconciling with God and receiving the gift of eternal life.  Today we will see that whatever happens to us in this life we can trust God who is our refuge, our fortress in times of trouble.  We will get to this, but first let's pray. 

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

            According to the church father, Athanasius, “If you desire to establish yourself and others in devotion, to know what confidence is to be reposed in God, and what makes the mind fearless, you will praise God by reciting the 91^st Psalm”. (Interpretation Psalms p.296)

            Listen to the good news from the psalmist.

Psalm 91: 1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

            The psalmist wants us to think of God as a fortress, a refuge.  Whenever you experience trouble, whenever you have problems, whenever you can't pay your bills, whenever your relationships are on the rocks, whenever your health fails, there is one place you can turn.  You can turn to God.  God won't prevent all your problems.  There is just too much sin in the world for that.  But God will comfort and strengthen you in your difficulties if you turn to him. 

            Once I was planning a memorial service for a family.  They didn't know God and didn't go to church.  They were filled with grief and had no idea what to do about it.  Prayer was an alien concept for them.  But I did pray with them and they seemed to appreciate it.  And I designed a memorial service that would explain to them the benefits of knowing Christ.  My hope was that through this they would find Christ who would be a refuge for them in times of trouble.

            We are so privileged as Christians to worship God every Sunday and pray every day so that when we experience the loss of a loved one, our relationship with God will sustain us through the grief.  God is our refuge.  Here is how the psalmist put it.

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.

            I was once talking with a young couple preparing for marriage.  The woman had grown up in a Presbyterian church.  She went to church every Sunday and prayed every day.  But she was concerned about her future husband.  He grew up feeling forced to attend church with his family.  Church was not a part of his adult life and prayed rarely.  But he knew about about his future wife's faith and was willing to go with her to church on Sundays.  He wanted to pray more, but he was uncertain about how to begin having a more fervent prayer life.  I suggested that the two of them could pray together before each meal they shared.  The woman's family had done this when she was growing up.  And the man agreed that this would be a good thing to do.  My prayer is that God will always be a refuge for them, somewhere they can go whenever they experience trouble.  Listen again to the psalmist.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

            Is this true?  Can we jump off the roof of the church with the assurance that angels will catch us?  Are the words “The Lord is my refuge” a magical incantation that will protect you from all harm?  There was one Bible scholar who interpreted Psalm 91 this way.  His name was Devil and he had a discussion about this psalm with Jesus.  Here is what he said. 

Luke 4:9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here.10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

            So is this true?  Will God prevent all harm regardless of what we do?  I think not.  That would be a very foolish thing to think.  And Jesus responded to the Devil's interpretation of Psalm 91 this way. 

Luke 4:12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

            God will protect you from evil, but not from your own stupidity.  I heard about a young woman who was learning to drive.  She was a good girl and very active in her church.  Her parents put her in a driver education class and gave her plenty of practice driving the family car under their supervision.  On her sixteenth birthday she got her driver's license and her parents gave her a used car.  For the next few months God protected her as she drove to and from school.  But then one day she was at a friend's house.  The friend was drinking beer and offered her some.  After a couple of hours drinking together they decided to go for a ride.   The young woman started driving recklessly.  Her car was going too fast around a curve and overturned in a ditch.  Both girls were hurt. 

            Why didn't God protect them from the accident?  God does protect us from the consequences of sin.  But we should not test his protection because testing God is itself a sin.   And taking God for granted is never a good idea.  God does not always protect us from ourselves.  So what should we do?  We should avoid sin and rest in the assurance that God is our refuge when trouble arises.  God will be in the hospital room after an accident.  God will be with you in physical therapy.  God will be there as you recover at home, because God is faithful and loves you.  Let's go back to the psalmist.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

            Last week Nancy and I visited Dora in the nursing home.  It's been a long journey for Dora since her strokes.  But throughout the healing process God has been with her.  Slowly her brain is recovering.  Last Thursday she not only remembered who I was she actually seemed like the old Dora.  We talked about the day when she could be with us once again in worship.  And I thanked God that he has been with Dora comforting her, healing her, and being her refuge.

            The promise of scripture is that the God you worship will be with you always.

            This Thursday we will have a memorial service for Irene.  Irene loved this church and loved the Lord.  But given her health problems over the last year she was unable to worship with us.  But her faith sustained her.  She knew God was with her in the hospital.  God was with her in physical therapy.   God was with her in assisted living.  And Irene rejoiced at news about this church because she loved all of you.  God was her refuge and strength.  And so this Thursday we will assemble to remember her and the God she worshiped.

            So I urge all of you to continue deepening your relationship with God because this relationship is your refuge in troubled times.  It is so important that you worship every Sunday and pray every day.  Through these practices your faith will grow.  This faith will sustain you in times of trouble.  You will then experience the presence of God as your refuge.  Let's pray.

            “Cherishing and Reassuring God, we come to worship and thank you for your goodness to us as individuals, and as a community of faith.  Each of us, at various times, have gratefully found shelter under your wings, and we have found a secure refuge in your invincible presence when battered by life’s storms, and for this we thank you. Intimate God, the Psalmist called you “...my refuge, my place of safety… my God…”, and invites each of us into that same intimate relationship of trust and acceptance. Satisfying God, help us to let go all that we cling to that belongs to this “world”, and to place our complete trust in the God of the ages, the God of millions of saints in light, and the God of our future.
            God of reliable promises, you said: “...This I declare: I will rescue you...I will shield you... I will protect you... I will answer you...I will honour you...I will be with you... I will satisfy you...” In humble thanks, we hear and we acknowledge these  gracious and generous gifts from you, our Loving God.  Help us to respond your love and trust all the days of our lives.  Amen.

http://www.thetimelesspsalms.net/w_resources/pentecost19[26]c_2013.htm

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 14 Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 14 Gifts of Prophecy and Tongues

February 7, 2016

Today I will be preaching my third in a series of sermons on spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit provides many gifts for the building up of the church. There are people gifted in preaching and teaching and administration. Others have the gifts of cooking, caring for children and evangelism. Still others care for the building, finances and personnel. This list can go on and on. We have many gifted people in this church.

We have seen that a church must have the gift of wisdom. With this gift we can understand the good news of scripture. Wisdom allows us to know who God is and what He expects of us. We know how God blesses us in Jesus Christ. We acquire the gift of wisdom by diligent study and daily meditation of the word of God. The gift of wisdom is present in the church’s preachers and teachers.

We have also seen that a church needs the gift of knowledge. With this gift we can see what God is doing in our lives. And we are empowered to share our testimony of what God has done for us. Sharing testimony is the basis of all evangelism. And so everyone in the church should be praying for the gift of knowledge so that you will see what God is doing in your life, and will share this with others.

Last week we saw that the gift of healing was a gift the early church prayed for and received. But for centuries this gift has been neglected by the church. I think it is time to reclaim this gift and pray for healing for those who suffer. We couldn’t offer any greater gift to the world than this.

Today we will look at two gifts that divide the church. These are the gifts of prophecy and tongues. We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

The church at Corinth is divided over worship. There is a group within the church that wants an emotional worship service where people can experience the presence of God. Another group in the church wants a more intellectual worship service where people can understand more about faith in God. Is worship to be emotional or intellectual? This is what Paul is dealing with in the book of 1 Corinthians. Let’s listen to the good news from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth.

1 Corinthians 14: 1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. ² For anyone who speaks in a tongue^[a] does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.³ But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. ⁴ Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. ⁵ I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,^[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,^[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

Paul is talking about two gifts from the Holy Spirit, prophecy and speaking in tongues. Let’s start by looking at prophecy. Sometime we are confused about what a prophet does. We confused prophets with people who try to predict the future. Prophets do not use crystal balls. They will not read your palm and tell you your fortune. Prophets are always grounded in the word of God. They have studied the Bible for years. They know what God expects of his creation. Prophets also have eyes and ears to see and hear what is going on in the world around them. What prophets do is to show how the behaviors they see and hear deviate from God’s plan as revealed in scripture. Then they speak a warning that unless we live our lives in accordance with God’s plan disaster will fall upon us.

The prophet Jeremiah read in scripture that the king was responsible for feeding the poor and needy. But he saw that King Zedekiah did no such thing. So he warned Zedekiah that unless he obeyed God as revealed in scripture, God would remove his kingdom. And this prophecy turned out to be true.

Today a prophet might read Jesus’ commission to the church that we are to make disciples. He might see that the church refuses to talk about faith with others and invite people to church. And so he would warn the church that unless they were obedient to Christ, Christ would take the church away from them. This would be a prophecy.

The gift of prophecy is therefore manifest in the ministry of preaching. The preacher, like the prophet, must be firmly rooted in the word of God. The preacher, like the prophet, must have eyes and ears to see and hear what is happening in the congregation. And so the preacher, like the prophet, should issue warnings to the church that they must follow Jesus Christ or suffer the consequences. The gift of prophecy is used in the ministry of preaching.

Now let’s turn to the gift of speaking in tongues. Unlike a prophet or preacher who speaks in a language that others can understand those who speak in tongues use a language that is usually not understandable to people. It probably is understandable to God. Because of this fact speaking in tongues, according to Paul, should not be done in worship. In worship we are brought for greater understanding of our faith through preaching. Speaking in tongues does not lead to greater understanding and therefore has no place in worship.

It does have a very important place in our personal devotions. As we pray and meditate on scripture each day you will begin to sense the presence of God with you. You will rest in his arms. You will allow the Holy Spirit to comfort you. You will experience his love. As a part of this emotional experience of God you may find yourself speaking in a language you don’t know. And this is ok. If speaking in tongues helps you to experience God more fully then do it. But experiencing the presence of God in speaking in tongues in private must never be allowed to replace the understanding of God you receive from preaching in worship. So in your daily devotionals strive to experience God. And come to worship on Sundays to understand more about your faith.

The Apostle Paul put it this way.

¹⁸ I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. ¹⁹ But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

On January 1, 1901 at the Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas, Charles Parkam was leading an intensive Bible study on the book of Acts. That night some the students began speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them this gift. A preacher in Los Angeles, William Seymour, began preaching about this at the Azusa Street Mission. Soon his church was filled with people speaking in tongues. This went on day and night for years. Thousands of churches were started all over America and then the world. Today there are nearly 500 million Pentecostal Christians in the world, the largest group in the church.

In the 1950’s many people in traditional churches became curious about what was going on in the Pentecostal movement. Some of these people began speaking in tongues and receiving other gifts of the Holy Spirit. These became known as Charismatic Christians.

Pentecostals and Charismatics have introduced new ways of worship, just as people speaking in tongues tried to change worship in Corinth. Here is how the Apostle Paul describes true worship to them.

²⁶ What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. ²⁸ If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God.

²⁹ Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. ³⁰ And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. ³¹ For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. ³² The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. ³³ For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

So in worship we are to sing, read scripture, pray and listen to prophecy from preachers and teachers. If someone speaks in tongues there must be someone to interpret because everything in worship must be to improve our understanding of the faith that builds up the church. And so ordinarily there is no place for speaking in tongues during worship.

The protestant reformers were very clear about this. At the beginning of the 15^th century all churches in the west worshiped in Latin. Almost no one spoke Latin. So almost no one understood what was going on. Most priests didn’t know Latin either and they just mumbled through an unintelligible worship service. The reformers said that worship should be conducted in a language that people can understand. And so today we worship in English. Using the gift of speaking in tongues in worship would be a backwards step to an unintelligible worship.

I have visited my wife’s old church in South Korea. This is a Presbyterian church, and you would recognize its worship. They sing to God. They read the Bible. The preacher delivers a prophetic sermon. They celebrate the sacraments. They are a church. The only thing you would find a bit unusual is that they worship in Korean instead of English because everyone there speaks Korean. But on Wednesday evenings something else happens. There is preaching and singing, but then they begin to pray. They all pray together, in loud voices, speaking in tongues. It’s quite an experience.

I don’t speak in tongues. I am far more on the understanding side of things. But there are people in this church who do speak in tongues. And there is nothing wrong with that. As long as we understand our faith through the gift of prophecy in worship, then we have the liberty to experience God in times of meditation and prayer through the gift of tongues. And when you are meditating on scripture and praying if you begin speaking in tongues, don’t be afraid; rejoice that God is with you.

This church has been blessed with many spiritual gifts. These all work together for the building up of the church. Each of us has gifts that are needed by the church. And each of us has the opportunity to ask God for even more gifts. We are blessed with the gift of prophecy in the preaching and teaching of God’s Holy word. We are blessed with God’s presence in our private devotionals. We are a blessed church. Let’s pray.

Father in heaven we ask for the gift of prophecy so that with the wisdom of your Holy word and with the knowledge our own lives we may know what we need to change to please you. We ask for an experience of your presence in our private devotionals. We pray this in the name of our loving God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 – Gift of Healing

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 – Gift of Healing

January 31, 2016

            This is the second sermon in a series on spiritual gifts.  As we heard last week the Apostle Paul wants us to understand what spiritual gifts are when they come from the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit gives us gifts of work and service so that we have people who do what the church requires.  We have the gift of wisdom so that we can proclaim the great truths of our faith that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected that we may have eternal life.  We also have the gift of knowledge so that we can see what Christ is doing in our lives and share this testimony with others.  Today we will explore the gift of healing.  We will get to this, but first let's pray.

            “Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

            Listen to the good news from the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. 

            1 Corinthians 12:^`27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

            Each of us has been gifted by the Holy Spirit.  And Holy Spirit has brought us together with all our gifts for the purpose of building up the church.  In today's reading Paul mentions three specific gifts, miracles, healing and tongues.  We will talk about speaking in tongues next week.  This week let’s look at healing, especially miraculous healing from the Holy Spirit.

            We know that Jesus healed when he walked on earth.  He became known as a healer and through this he attracted great crowds.   He tried to limit the size of the crowds by telling the people he healed not to tell anyone about it. But this failed and the word spread wherever Jesus went.  By healing people Jesus demonstrated that he was more than just an ordinary man.  He was, in fact, God, with the supernatural ability to heal. 

            But after Jesus' death and resurrection there was a question about whether or not the church he left behind would also be able to heal diseases.  Let’s look at how the church received the gift of healing.

            As the church grew the religious leaders in Jerusalem became concerned about what they were doing, and so they brought Peter and John in for questioning.  They told these Apostles to stop talking about Jesus.  The Apostles then went back to the church and prayed.  Here is what they said.

Acts 4:  29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

The Apostles asked for both the gift of wisdom that would allow them to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness.  They also asked for the gift of healing so that the church could continue this important ministry of Jesus.  Here is what happened after they prayed.

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

And so the early church was given the ability to proclaim the gospel, but what about healing?   Well, here is what happened.

Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

            The prayer of the Apostles was answered.  The early church was given the gift of healing by the Holy Spirit.  But over the centuries that followed, Christians gradually stopped using this gift.  Here is what happened.

            From the second into the fourth century the church suffered from intense persecution.  They were forced into hiding.  Many Christians were jailed and tortured.  Some were killed.  In the midst of this suffering the focus of the church was on survival rather than healing.  They began seeing suffering not as something to be healed but as something to be honored because it was a way of following Jesus to the cross.  And those who died, the martyrs, received the greatest honor of all. 

            This idea that suffering is our cross to bear is still with us today.  That's why so many of us refuse to ask for prayer when we suffer.  We think that it is better to suffer in silence than find healing in prayer.  And the church often condones this by telling us to accept our suffering and place our hope in healing after we die and go to heaven.  Our focus is on getting to heaven rather than the blessings of this life.   And therefore we don't expect blessings today and we don't pray for healing.

            After Constantine established the church as the official religion of the Roman Empire our focus changed.  The church was no longer persecuted.  God was now in control.  And if God is in control there should be no more suffering and illness.  The church began to think that suffering was deserved.  The sufferer must have disobeyed God in some way.   Suffering is a part of God's justice.  And so instead of praying for those who suffer, the church condemned sufferers as sinners.

            We do this today.   We see someone who lost their job because of alcohol abuse and we say that they got what they deserved.  We see someone who gets a venereal disease after a visit to a prostitute and they get no sympathy from us.  Why pray for sinners who deserve the punishment they get?  And so we just don't pray for healing.

            Today Christian healing is out of favor.  We have been plagued with charlatans, false healers, who claim to heal a whole auditorium filled with sufferers.  They claim to be healing in the name of Christ.  But in reality they are pursuing fame and fortune through church growth.  Their excesses have been documented.  And we are fearful of healing that may associate ourselves with them.

            The church has neglected its gift of healing for centuries.  We have allowed suffering to be something we honor or something we condemn or something we use but not something we pray for.  Failure to use the gift of healing is a sin.  It is time for the church to confess this sin and repent.  It is time for us to pray again to receive from the Holy Spirit the gift of healing. 

            The reason we pray for healing is that the God we worship loves us and does not want anyone to suffer.  We know this because Jesus healed people who were suffering.  Also the Holy Spirit gave the early church the gift of healing for the building up of the church.  And so we can be confident that we can ask for the gift of healing now and it will be granted to us.   Then we will then have the great privilege of being able to pray for those who suffer with the assurance that God will hear our prayers.

            Let me tell you what happened to me.  One day, I received a call in the chaplain’s office.  I was urgently needed in a room on the 3^rd floor.  When I arrived the nurse informed me that the patient had just returned from surgery and was in considerable pain.  The device that was supposed to deliver morphine had failed.  It would take ten minutes for it to be replaced.  The nurse asked, “Was there anything you can do for those ten minutes to relieve his pain?  I sat down next to the bed and held the patient’s hand.  I prayed that God would release him from pain.  As I prayed I felt him relax.  And I continued praying until he was properly medicated and fell asleep.  The next day he thanked me for my prayers.  He said, “Prayers work.”  That was when I realized that it is important to pray for healing.

            As a pastor I am often called to hospitals to sit with members who are sick or dying.  I always pray with them reminding Jesus that just as he healed when he walked on earth so too do we expect healing now.  On two occasions I prayed with people who were close to death.  Their doctors had given up all hope and removed life support.  Both times I held the patient’s hand and prayed for healing.  Both of those people are alive today.

            Last September we decided that the best way to help First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City grow was to do what the early church did.  We prayed for the gift of healing and started a new healing service.  At 1:00 pm every Sunday we have a praise worship service, share in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and pray for healing.  At the conclusion of worship people are invited to come to the rear of the sanctuary where they can kneel and receive prayers from elders and pastors.  It is my prayer that people will be healed by Jesus and through this ministry the church will grow.

            So I urge all of you to pray for the gift of healing.  Join me in praying, every day, for prayer concerns in the bulletin.  Ask Jesus to heal them.  And if you know anyone who is suffering, pray with them and ask God to heal them.  The Holy Spirit will be delighted to give you the gift of healing.  Jesus will work through you to heal people.  Pray for the doctors and nurses.  Pray that the medicines will be effective.  Pray for the specific thing the sufferer needs.  Pray trusting that God loves us and wants people to be healthy and whole.  Praying for healing is your privilege as a follower of Jesus Christ.

            Let's conclude today by hearing from our Lord Jesus Christ.

John14  12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

            So pray for people who are suffering.  Ask Jesus to heal.  And expect that he will do it.  Let's pray.

            Father in heaven I ask that you send your Holy Spirit upon this congregation.  Bless us with the gift of healing.  Give us the boldness to proclaim your word and ask Jesus to heal in all circumstances of illness and suffering.  We remind Jesus that just as he healed when he walked on this earth so too do we expect healing today.  And so we pray for healing for all those on our prayer concern list, and our families and friends, and everyone we encounter who needs healing.  This we pray in the name of the one who heals, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.