Sermon Luke 6:39-49 Jesus the Comedian

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Luke 6:39-49 Jesus the Comedian

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

May 22, 2016

            We have reached the midpoint of the church calendar.  The church calendar begins with the season of Advent, when we anticipate Jesus’ birth and coming again.  It continues through the events in Jesus’ life, baptism, transfiguration, death and resurrection.  It concludes with a look at the implications of the resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The second half of the church calendar deals not with the events of Jesus’ life.  Rather it looks at Jesus’ teaching.  And this is what we begin today, a look at Jesus’ teachings as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.  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, and to Thy glory. Amen. (Calvin)

            Jesus was a teacher.  The Hebrew name for teacher is rabbi.  And Jesus, like a rabbi, would teach people practical ways to live their lives.  He drew upon the law of God and the centuries of rabbinic commentaries which form Jewish wisdom literature.  Jesus was a very good teacher and drew large crowds for his lessons.  Like any good teacher he taught in many different but still entertaining ways.  And today will hear Jesus use humor to communicate to his students.  And so Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Jesus the Comedian.

Luke 6:  ³⁹ He also told them this parable: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰ The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

            I have a riddle for you.  Two people are walking down the side of the road.  Both are blind.  Now, solve the riddle. While you are thinking about this let me tell you a true story.  I once knew an elderly couple living in Florida.  The husband had Alzheimer’s and the wife was blind.  When they had to go to the grocery store they always went together.  He drove because he could see.  But he couldn’t remember where he was going.  She couldn’t see, but could remind him that he was going to the store.  Somehow they got to the store and back.

            Now, back to our riddle: Two people are walking down the side of the road.  Both are blind.  The solution to the riddle is that both will fall in the ditch.  What could Jesus have meant from a riddle like this?

            If you want to be a good person find a good person to follow.  And do whatever that good person does, imitate him, so that you too will be a good person.  But if you follow someone with a life of trouble then you too will live a life of trouble, and no one wants that.  So find a good person, preferably in church, and follow him or her to become good too.  And Jesus, whom you may follow, would be a great choice.

            Now, let’s go back to Jesus the Comedian and hear him use a literary device called. exaggeration.  

⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

            I recently heard one presidential candidate criticize the husband of another about his infidelity to his wife.  He seemed not to remember that he himself has had three wives and numerous girlfriends.  There seems to be some hypocrisy here.

            Whenever we criticize someone without first examining ourselves we are open to the charge of hypocrisy.  Jesus tells us not to do this.  Never criticize someone else until you have first examine your own life, confess what you have done, and change your ways.  Most of us don’t do this because it is much easier to see someone else’s faults than our own.  But if we do this, Jesus would call all of us hypocrites. 

            Church is the only place in our culture that encourages you to examine yourself and confess you sin to God.  We do this every Sunday in order to build confession into a habit.  Always examine yourself, confess your sin, and repent before you even think of criticizing someone else.

            So far we have heard from Jesus the very practical advantages of finding good teachers and examining ourselves before criticizing others.  Now, let’s return to Jesus the Comedian as he uses absurdity to illustrate a point.    

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. ⁴⁴ Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. ⁴⁵ A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

            Suppose your wife planted tomatoes in the garden a couple of weeks ago.  Already they are choked with weeds.  Your wife tells you to pull the weeds and spay fertilizer on the tomatoes.  But you, in a hurry to get back to the baseball game on TV, decide to just spray the fertilizer and call it a day.  But instead of fertilizer, in your haste, you pick up a bottle of Roundup and the tomatoes are history.  What will your wife do to you when she finds out?

           You see, the quantity and quality of tomatoes depend on what goes in them.  If tomato plants have good soil, plenty of sun, and the right amount of water and fertilizer, tomato plants will produce abundant good fruit.  But if you spray weed killer on them they will die.  So too with us!  If we put good things in us then good fruit will come from us.  But if we put garbage in then garbage comes out.  That is why it is so important to pray and meditate on scripture every day.  This is the good fertilizer that will yield in you good fruit.  But if you fill yourself with bad stuff, then don’t be surprised if your life consists of one problem after another.  Fill yourself will good things and your life will produce good fruit.

            So, find good teachers and follow them, examine yourself before criticizing others, and fill yourself with goodness every day.  You will be blessed.  Now let’s listen to the comedian Jesus as he tells a humorous story.

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. ⁴⁸ They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

            I moved to California in 2004 to attend seminary.  The first thing I noticed was that it does not rain in Los Angeles.  Not a drop had fallen for months.  Only around 5 inches fall in a year.  And this has a impact on the land.  Here on the eastern shore our land is flat.  Any hills that were once here were long ago eroded away by the wind and the rain.  But in California the hills remain.  They are large piles of sand which have compacted together over the centuries with minimal rain for erosion.   A few years ago a developer wanted to build a housing development on one of these hills.  Engineers told him that he had to anchor the houses to the bedrock beneath the sand.  Since this was too expensive he abandoned the project.   But in 2004 another developer bought the land, and ignoring the engineers, began building homes without anchoring them in the bedrock.  The homes were beautiful and expensive and sold quickly because of the great view on top of the hill.  Then in January of 2005 the rains came.  And the houses began sliding down the hill, ruined.  The money lost in those houses far exceeded the cost of a proper foundation.

            This is also true for us.  Our lives need a proper foundation so that we can withstand the troubles of life.  One day a loved one will die.  One day you will lose your health.   One day your job may be eliminated, or your retirement income won’t be enough.  What do you do?  You better have a firm foundation for your life or you will be blown away.  So, how do you build a strong foundation for your life?  Listen again to what Jesus said.

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷ As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like.

            It is not enough to just come to worship.  That will not prepare you with a firm foundation for life.  You need more.  Let’s look at what Jesus tells you to do.

            First, you are to come to Jesus.  You are to come to church and get involved.  You are to pray and meditate on scripture every day.  You are to develop a relationship with Jesus through constant engagement.  This relationship will be for you a necessary part of a firm foundation.

            Second, you are to hear what Jesus says.  You are to pay attention to the scripture read and proclaimed in worship.  You are to attend Bible studies.  You are to read your Bible every day.  Listen to what Jesus says.  Learn from him.  And this will be for you another necessary part of a firm foundation.

            And third, you are to do what Jesus says.  You are to care for the needs of poor and the needy.  You are to assist the widow and orphan.  You are to ensure that aliens in the land receive justice.  You are to love your neighbor.  Do what Jesus says and you will build a solid foundation for your life.

            Come to Jesus in a close relationship, hear what Jesus says through study of scripture and do what he tells you to do.  Then you will have a firm foundation which can withstand the problems of life.

            What happens when the blind lead the blind?  They both fall in a ditch.  So to live a good life, find a good teacher.  What happens when you criticize others without first examining yourself?  You will be a hypocrite.  So always examine yourself and confess your sin before you even consider criticizing someone else.  What happens when you spray weed killer on tomato plants?  They won’t produce any tomatoes.  So to live a good life, fill yourself with good things. What happens if you build your house on sand?  It will blow away.  So to live a good life, come to Jesus for a relationship, hear what he says in the Bible in worship and Bible study, and always do what he says.  Do all of this and lead a blessed life. Let’s pray.

            Lord Jesus we thank you for your teaching.  Help us to lead good live.  Provide with good teachers.  Feed us with good things in your word.   Bring us closer to you so that we may learn from you how to live our lives.  This we pray in your glorious name.  Amen.

Sermon – Revelation 22:6-21 Washing Laundry

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Revelation 22:6-21  Washing Laundry

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

May 15, 2016

            This is my sixth and final sermon in a series from the Book of Revelation.  In this book Jesus has revealed to us a hidden spiritual reality.  Jesus is with us in worship.  As we worship the Holy Spirit lifts us up to heaven where we see Jesus sitting on a throne as a lamb who has been sacrificed for our sin.  Joining  Jesus in heaven are the souls of believers who have died wearing white robes as signs of their forgiveness by Jesus’ blood shed on the cross.   Meanwhile, here on earth we are experiencing an extended period of time when the devil and his demons have been bound and limited but are still active.  The promise of Revelation is that evil will be ultimately be destroyed when Jesus returns.  Last week you heard from Sherry Snyder about the coming together of heaven and earth in a new creation preparing for Jesus’ return.  And today we will see that in order to enter into this new creation we must first wash our clothes.  That’s right!  We have to wash our laundry before we can live forever with Jesus.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

“Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Revelation 19:6-8)

            Let’s turn now to the last chapter of the last book of the Bible.

Revelation 22: 6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

            So the message of the angel is that we can trust what we read in the Bible.  That which is revealed to us in scripture is true.  The hidden truth in the book of  Revelation is now revealed as a spiritual reality.  And Jesus will return fulfilling this reality soon.  Listen to Jesus’ own words.

7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

            And so we see in the final chapter of Revelation that which was promised to us in the first chapter that all who read and obey the Bible will be surely blessed.  We are a people of the Bible.  We gather around it every Sunday to learn from it, pray over it, and let it shape our lives.  We read and meditate on it every day.  And so the promises in it belong to us.  And through it we are richly blessed. 

            So far we have heard from an angel messenger and from Jesus.  Let’s hear now from our brother John on Patmos.

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” 

            John has testified that he truly saw the hidden spiritual reality that Jesus had revealed to him.  His reaction was to bow down and worship.  This is our reaction too.  Whenever we are exposed to the word of God we are moved to worship that God.   That is why we are here.   As we hear the word of God proclaimed and are brought spiritually into the presence of God in Jesus Christ we bow our heads in worship pledging our total loyalty and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Let’s go back to John.

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near.

            This is Jesus’ commandment to the church.  We are not to seal the Bible and keep it a secret.  Rather we are to keep it open to read it and proclaim it as much as we can.  By sharing scripture with others we can bring people to faith where they too will enjoy the same promises that we enjoy.  But, sadly, not everyone will respond.  We are to stand firm in our faith and ethical practice, but others will fall away.  Jesus continued:

11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

            We are live our lives in a manner consistent with the teaching of the Bible.  Not everyone will do this.  But we are call to persevere.  With that let’s turn to the promise of scripture.  Listen to Jesus.

12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

            By washing your laundry you will enter the new creation and live eternally in the presence of God.   Washing laundry?  That’s what it says.  14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes.”  So get to it.  Put your dirty clothes in the washing machine, add the detergent, and set the cycle.  Then put the clothes in the dryer.  Do all this and you will enjoy eternal life…  Well, not exactly.   We will be washing laundry but it won’t be in a washing machine.  To understand this we have to go to the Old Testament and the Book of Zachariah.

Zachariah 3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”  Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”  5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.  6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.

            Sometime around 500 years before Christ the people of God returned from exile in Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem.  They brought with them many of the ancient artifacts from the destroyed temple.  Probably they brought along a trunk carrying priestly robes.  Joshua, the high priest, probably put on an old robe that hadn’t been washed in a generation.  God sent an angel to tell him to take off the dirty clothes and wear a clean robe as a symbol that God had washed away the sin of the people.  Clean clothes therefore are symbols of God’s forgiveness.  We saw this earlier in the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 7:13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 

            So, we will wash our laundry, but not with detergent in a washing machine.  Rather we will wash our clothes in the blood of Jesus.  All this means is that if we believe in Jesus and follow him as our Lord our sin will be forgiven.  Do this and your robes will be white, and you will enter the new creation for eternal life. 

            But, sadly, many people will not wash their clothes in the blood of the lamb.  Many people will reject the word of God and refuse to worship God.  And they will be left outside.

Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

            All those who practice witchcraft and worship Satan will be left outside.  All those who engage in sexual activity outside of a covenant of marriage will be left outside.  All those who resort to violence and murder will be left outside.  All who worship other Gods, worship money, or worship power, will be left outside.  All who follow the lies of our culture instead of  the truth of scripture will be left outside.  All of this is true.  It is the word of Jesus delivered  by angel messengers.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

            And so what is our response to all of this?  What should we as the church wearing the clean clothes of forgiveness do?  Listen as Jesus gives us our commission.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

            We are to go to  “those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” and tell them the good news.  We are to proclaim to them the gospel that has been revealed to us.  We are to make the offer to those outside to come into fellowship with Jesus Christ.  This is our responsibility.  Jesus has a final warning for us.

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

            And so we are to proclaim to the world the whole counsel of God.  We are to preach and teach both the Old and New Testament.  And we not to add anything from a personal revelation.  Our only guide on faith and morals is the holy scripture.  For us who are faithful we receive this promise.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”  Amen.

Let us pray,

20b Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. 

Sermon – Revelation 21:1-6 – The Missing Sea

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Revelation 21:1-6 –  The Missing Sea

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

May 1, 2016

            This is the fifth in a series of sermons drawn from the last book of the Bible, Revelation.  We have seen that this book reveals a hidden spiritual reality that has been revealed for us by Jesus Christ.  The first thing revealed was that Jesus is with us in worship.  Then it was revealed that he is present with us sitting on a throne as a sacrificed lamb who paid for our sins.  He is also a shepherd gathering the souls of the Christian dead into Heaven.  And this is part of an extended period of time when Jesus rules from heaven after binding Satan when Jesus came the first time.  The promise is that Jesus will come again and evil will be no more. The 21^st chapter of Revelation begins this way.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

            “There was no longer any sea.”  This may sound like bad news here in Ocean City.  We depend on the sea.  We eat fish, crabs and oysters from the sea.  The livelihood of our community comes from the visitors who play on the sea shore every summer.  The Atlantic Ocean just two blocks away is beautiful.  So the last thing we want is for the sea to be no more.  But I assure you, that this is good news.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

            “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.” (Revelation 19: 1-2)

            Revelation tells us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth because the old heaven and old earth have passed away.  And in this process the sea will be removed.  To understand what is going on here we have to look at the first creation and for this we turn to the first book of the Bible.

Genesis 1:2a   In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,

            “Darkness was over the deed.”  Picture yourself in a small wooden boat just off the coast of Ocean City.  The waters are calm.  The warmth of the sun in comforting.  But suddenly the winds pick up.  The waves are beating against the side of your boat.   The rain pours down.  Thunder and lightning are everywhere.  You are helplessly pushed further and further away from the coast until you can no longer see land.  Then the sun goes down and heavy clouds block the moon and the stars.  The world you experience is in deep darkness over the surface of the deep.  This is what the world would be like without God’s creative power.  Let’s see what happens next.

Genesis 1:2b  and the Spirit (wind) of God was hovering over the waters.

            Suddenly out in the darkness and the deep a breeze picks up.  You raise you sail and God takes control of your boat.  You are comforted because God is in control.  Then this happens.

Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

            And with this light you can see the coast.  God’s wind is guiding you westward toward safe harbor.  You are saved be God.

            This is what the original creation was like.  The world started with the deep, a sea filled with dangerous sharks that could eat you, giant whales that could overturn your boat, and jagged rocks that could rip open a hole in your hull.  In ancient times the sea was a symbol of evil.  It was frightening place.  But with God’s wind in your sail and God’s light it could also be a place of beauty and plenty.  And so filled with faith in the Lord ancient Hebrew fishermen would set sail confident in God’s protection and would return with the bounty of the sea.

            Ancient people feared the sea.  We hear this prayer from the Psalmist.

Psalm 68:14  Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters.

            The sea was a symbol of evil for ancient people.  It stood for things that separate us from God.  This is best seen in the story of the Exodus.  The people of God were enslaved in Egypt.  God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go into the wilderness to worship God.   The people of God were blocked from worship by Pharaoh and separated from God by the Red Sea.  But God removed the sea so that his people could find and worship him.  Here is what happened.

Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

            By removing the sea God eliminated the barrier between God and his people.  God’s people were free to worship him.   The same is true for us.  Evil separates us from God and enslaves us to sin.  The symbol of this evil is the sea.  Only by removing the sea completely, by fully destroying evil, can we come close to our God. 

            According to Revelation the sea is the home of Satan.  We read in the 12^th chapter.

Revelation 12:12  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

            And it is from the sea that a great beast emerges to menace the earth.

Revelation 13:1 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

            And according to Revelation the sea is the repository of all evil on earth. 

Revelation 18:21  Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.

            And the faithful who have died at sea will be raised to new life.

Revelation 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.

            So what will happen to the sea, the source of evil that separates us from our God.  What will happen to the devil, and the dragon, and beast, the all the evil on earth?  Well listen again to the good news.

Revelation 21:1  Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

            All that separates us from our God will be removed.  All evil will be destroyed.  There will be no more temptation and no more sin.  And with that we are no longer separated from our God.    And so it is time for a wedding, joining us and our God together forever.

2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

            The promise of scripture is that heaven and earth will come together.  Nothing, anymore, will separate us from our God.  The hidden spiritual reality that now exists will become our eternal reality.             All of this is unbelievable.  How can this happen?  How can it be true?  Well, here is what God said.

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.

            And with that the sea, the source of evil, is completely destroyed and replace by a spring.  And those who drink from the waters of this spring will enjoy eternal life.    This is all good news.  God will destroy the evil that separates us from him.  Then heaven will come down to earth and God, the scarified lamb on the throne, will rule for eternity in justice and righteousness.

            And as believers all of us will be there.  We will be invited to join with God at a great banquet.  In a few moments we will gather around this table as a foretaste of this banquet.  But in the meantime remember that until the sea is removed, heaven and earth are still separated, and so in this banquet we will be spiritually lifted up to dine with Jesus in heaven.  Let’s pray.

Revelation 19: 6 “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.  8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”  Amen.