Sermon Exodus 24:12-18 Worship

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Exodus 24:12-18 Worship[1]

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

February 26, 2017

            Today is Transfiguration Sunday.  This is the Sunday each year when we remember Jesus’ mountaintop experience.  As you heard earlier Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountaintop.  There they met Moses and Elijah.  And God came as a cloud that covered the mountain to speak with them.  The purpose of all of this was for the world to know that Jesus is God’s son, that God is pleased with Jesus, and that we are to obey him. 

            Both Moses and Elijah had their own mountaintop experiences.  Elijah’s experience was on Mount Carmel.  He had challenged the prophets of the weather god, Baal, to a contest.  Wood was prepared for large bonfires.  The prophets of Baal asked the so called weather god to send lightening to start their fire.  Nothing happened.  But when Elijah drenched his wood with water and asked God for lighting God responded by igniting the wood in a display that proved that Yahweh alone is God.

            Moses also had a mountaintop experience.  This is what we will be looking at today.  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. (Calvin)

            Moses first met God on Mount Sinai in a burning bush which was not consumed.  This was Yahweh, the God of Israel. He wanted to talk with Moses.  And here is part of what he said.

Exodus 3:7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

            And with that God offered to enter into a covenant with his people.  There would be an end to their suffering and misery.  God would deliver them from slavery in Egypt.  And there would be a promise of land and abundance.  But before this could happen there was something else the people had to do.  Let’s go back to Exodus and hear what God wants his people to do.

Exodus 3:12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

            So God’s instructions to his people was that they were to come to him and worship.  This was part of a covenant relationship God was offering his people.  God promised to free his people from slavery in Egypt and lead them into the promised land.  In return the people are to worship him and obey his commands.     These are terms of the covenant between God and his people.  So too with us. God delivers us from sin, and gives us a world of abundance, and we are to worship him and only him.  God kept his promise to the Hebrews.  He freed his people from slavery in Egypt.  And now, at the base of Mount Sinai, they are ready to worship the God who has come down from heaven to bless them.  But first they had to know what their responsibilities were under the covenant and agree to it.  So Moses assembled the people and told them the law of God. 

Exodus 24:3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do.” 4 Moses then wrote down everything the Lord had said.

            And with that the people agreed to their portion of the covenant.  Moses gave the people God’s law, instructions for living.  This was a great blessing because it taught them how to live long and abundant lives.  All they had to do was to obey God’s law.  And that is exactly what they agreed to do.  With this the people have entered into a covenant relationship with their God.    One thing more was needed for this to be a binding contract.  God had to sign the contract.  And that is exactly what happened.  Let’s go back to Exodus.

4 He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. 6 Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”  8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

            The Hebrews obeyed God by worshiping at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Worship consisted of a sacrifice of a bull, symbolizing the atonement of the people.  God had forgiven their sin and had reconciled them to himself.  For us the sacrifice we remember is that of Jesus Christ who gave up his life in payment for our sins.  His blood, symbolized in the juice of communion, is for us a sign and seal of the covenant we have with God.   We pledge to be obedient to God’s commands.  God pledges to bless us with a world of abundance. 

            Once the Hebrews had promised their obedience and entered into the covenant with sacrifice, Moses was ready to take the contract to God for his signature.  Here is what happened.

Exodus 24:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2 but Moses alone is to approach the Lord; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”

            With this God has told Moses that he is ready for Moses to ascend Mount Sinai for God to ratify the covenant with his people.  Moses is to be accompanied by the priests and elders for part of the journey.  But he alone will come into the presence of God.  But first Moses, the priest, and elders must worship.  Let’s go back to Exodus.

9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

            This is what happens during our worship when we have communion.  We are lifted up spiritually into the presence of God as we eat the bread and drink the juice of the Lord’s supper.  During this meal Moses, the priests and elders heard God’s voice.  And here is what he said.

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

            Moses is to go up the mountain alone where God will sign the contract putting the terms of the covenant on two stone tablets.  These summarize the law, the instructions for good living, the Hebrews had already agreed to follow.   So this is what Moses did.

13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

            Moses left the priests and elders behind as he ascended the mountain.  Joshua when with him part way.  And Moses was ready for his encounter with God.  This is what happens in worship.  We can only go part way up to God.  We are only lifted up to the level of our communion service.  We need someone, like Moses to go the rest of the way.  And we have that person.  His name is Jesus.  Jesus is with us, spiritually, in worship and takes our prayers up the mountain to God the Father just as Moses did so long ago.  Let’s get back to Moses.

15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day, the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.

            As Moses ascended the mountain he experienced God in a dense thick heavy fog.  He waited six days for God to call him into his presence.  Then on the Sabbath day,  God told Moses to enter.  To the people at the base of the mountain looking up, this must have been spectacular.  When Moses entered the heavy fog they saw an amazing sight.

17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

            And with that Moses was ready to come into the presence of God.

18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

            The number 40 is biblically important.  It is the number of years in a generation.  By staying with God for 40 days and nights Moses was entering into a covenant that would last longer than a generation.  The Hebrews will wander in the wilderness.  Then 40 years later they will enter into the promised land.  The covenant applies not just to the people worshiping at the base of the mountain.  Rather the covenant also applies to the generations that will follow.  This is really good news for us because it means that the covenant applies to us too in our generation.  If we agree to obey God’s law, instructions for life, God will bless us with lives of abundance. 

            Worship is our response to the covenant relationship we have God.  We come to worship to offer up our prayers of praise and adoration.  We confess our sins remembering the forgiveness we receive through Jesus’ death on the cross.  We remember his sacrifice in communion.  We hear and pledge to obey God’s instructions for life.  And we carry out this pledge by organizing ourselves to care for people in our community.  Our covenant with God is renewed each Sunday in worship.  And we celebrate our abundant lives throughout the week.  Why would anyone want to miss what we do here on Sunday mornings?  Let’s pray.

            Father in heaven we thank you for your promise of abundant life.  We pledge to follow you by keeping your commandments.  We engage in worship every Sunday as a way of renewing this contact each week.  We are thankful that Jesus intercedes on our behalf.  And we thank you for all the blessings we have received.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

---

[1] Derived from:  John Hilber, “Theology of Worship in Exodus 24,” Journal of Evangelical Theological Studies 39, no. 2 (June 1996): 177-89.

Sermon Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18 “Be Holy”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18  “Be Holy”

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

February 19, 2017

            Today we will look at the Book of Leviticus.  Leviticus is the third book of the Bible.  It was written after the Hebrews had been freed by God from slavery in Egypt.  They had received from God, through Moses, the law on Mount Sinai.  As they wandered for forty years in wilderness they were being prepared for life in the Promised Land.  And through all of this the most important thing was their relationship with God.  Their relationship with God was important because God was with them, leading them through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They needed to know how to live with God residing so close.  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. (Calvin)

Leviticus19:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

            The basis of the relationship between the Hebrews and God was that people were to be holy just as God is holy.  Let’s take a look at what this means.  The Hebrew word for holy is qadosh.  Qadosh simply means to be separate, apart.   God is up in heaven.  We are down here on earth.  God is infinite.  We are finite.  God is the creator.  We were created.  God is separate, apart from us.  God is Holy, qadosh, and we are not. 

            But there is a problem with this because God has chosen to be with his people.  God does not want to be separate, apart.  That is why he came as Jesus and remains with us as the Holy Spirit.  And if God is with us, how can he still be holy, separate and apart?  The Hebrews said that if God is with us then the land he resides on must be holy.  And the tabernacle they built on that land also must be holy.  And the furniture in the tabernacle must be holy.  And the priests who enter that tabernacle must also be holy.  And so they consecrated the land, the tabernacle, the furniture and the priests as holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  The Hebrews built a holy tabernacle on holy land.  They consecrated holy furniture and holy priests to serve the holy God.    God resided in the tabernacle and he and everything in it was holy, set apart for God’s purposes.

            But surrounding the tabernacle were the people of God.  And they had to be holy too.  For a holy God to be with his people, his people must be holy.  And in order to be holy there were somethings that God wanted them to do.  Let’s take a look at some of these.

9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

            In ancient times land owners has an abundance of food.  Occasionally they would suffer a draught or war and famine might result, but usually God provided for them an abundance of food.  But people who had no land had no food to eat.  These would include widows who could not own land, orphans, too young to own land, the poor and the aliens from another country.  God wanted to ensure that everyone land owners and landless all had plenty to eat.  And so this system of leaving some of the crops in the field for the poor to glean was instituted.  By making certain that everyone had something to eat the people could become holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  

            So too with us.  We can be a holy people  by making certain that everyone in this community has plenty to eat.  Out of you giving the church keeps TV dinners in the freezer which I pass out to hungry families.  Also the nonperishables that you bring to church and place on the rattan shelves in fellowship hall help feed needy families.  Please keep those shelves full.  The need in Ocean City is great.  Make sure that no one in our community is hungry and this church will be holy.

            So far we have seen that dealing with hunger in the community makes a church holy.  Let’s look at how honesty does the same.

11 “‘Do not steal.

“‘Do not lie.

“‘Do not deceive one another.

12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

            In ancient times a man without land could work for a landowner for a daily wage.  The wage was needed for a worker’s family to eat that night.  Failure to pay wages when day was finish meant that a family would go hungry.  A holy people would never do this.

            We have to consider how to fairly treat workers in our community.  I recently met a couple who had moved into our community with a bunch of teenagers and a little one.  The father first lost his job and then lost his home.  They moved in across the street with enough to pay rent but not enough to feed the family.  We gave them some food.  But let’s look at the larger issue.  We live in a city that only has employment for part of the year.  Many people lose their jobs in the fall.  Unemployment insurance helps, but it is often not enough.  There is usually a gap between the loss of a job and the reception of benefits.  Some people don’t qualify for benefits at all.  There has to be a better way.  Ocean City must find some way to provide some year-round employment.  Surely the business community could do something here to provide wintertime jobs.   Some kind of industry could come here and provide employment.  If we could figure out how to provide offseason jobs for people then we would be holy.

            So far we have seen that the  church can be holy, set apart for God’s purposes, if the people in our community are not hungry and are given opportunities to work.   These are important.  But let’s look at one more thing that would make the church holy.  For us to be holy, we must  treat each other fairly.

14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

            What if a person who couldn’t hear came to our church.  Do we provide a sign language interpreter?  No.  If a blind person came on Sunday would we give them a braille bulletin?  No.   If a poor person came to our church on Sunday, would we treat them the same way we would treat a rich person?  No.   At this church do we ever talk about someone behind his back or crack coarse jokes?  Yes.  Do we hold grudges against one another and seek revenge?  Yes.  Do we love, really love, everyone who comes in our doors or lives in our community?  No. 

            So how can we become holy?  There are some who say that holiness comes about through increased piety.  As you read your Bible every day, pray every day, and worship every Sunday you will grow and become more like Christ.  This is important, but it is not enough.  Others say that holiness comes from taking care of yourself properly.  Do not smoke.  Do not drink alcohol.  Do not have sex outside of marriage.  All of this is important and will help each of you become more holy.  But it is not enough.

            Holiness is not something we achieve alone.  We become holy as a group, as a church.  The church is called to be holy because the God who dwell within it is holy.  If God’s holy presence is here with us, as it surely is through the Holy Spirit, then we must be holy.   This church must be set aside for God’s purposes.  And God’s purposes are that we must share our food with the poor in our community.   God wants everyone in our community to find work that will allow families to support themselves.  God wants everyone in our community, the poor, the blind, the deaf, the unemployed, the immigrant from another country, everyone to be warmly welcomed in this church.  If we do these things, the church will be holy and God will remain with us.  But if we not do these things then the church will not be holy and our holy God might leave us.

            So when a poor person comes to this church in the winter, treat them like you do the rich people vacationing here in the summer.  Make sure they have something to eat.  Help them to find work.  Encourage them to come to church and learn about Jesus.  Be holy because the Lord your God is holy.

            I recently heard a story about a man visiting a church[1].  It was an old Presbyterian church with a large sanctuary, stained glass windows and a tall steeple from another era.  Inside was a small congregation.  Near the beginning of the service prayers were read and a young women asked visitors to remain seated where they would be greeted by members of the church.  He sat there quietly as instructed but no one came to greet him.  The members just talked with each other.  He was crushed and decided never to come to that church again.  What are some of the things we can do to prevent this from happening here?

            First, we should stop worrying about ourselves.  We don’t talk to new people because we worry that they won’t like us.  If this is the attitude of the church then we are going nowhere.  We have to swallow our pride and reach out our hands to warmly greet visitors from our community.

            Second, we must be willing to put in the time.  Getting to know someone takes time.  And we often don’t want to spend time with new people.   If this is our attitude the church’s decline will continue.  We have to spend time getting to know people.  We have to learn their names and the names of their children.  We have to ask where they work and what they do for fun.

            And third, we must walk along with people.  So often we walk at people.  We come at people with “finger raised and shaking in disgust”.  People need to know that church is a safe place for themselves and their families to worship God.  If they feel that they are being judged, or fearful of doing something wrong they will run out of the church never to return.   This is not to say that we excuse poor life choices or condone sin.  But we have to realize that the world is broken and people are broken.  Church is a community where people can experience healing and get help with the problems they face.  Greet people warmly when they come to your church.  Spend time getting to know them.  And remember that we are all broken people who need help now and then.  Do these things and this church will be holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  And God will be with us.  Let us pray.

            Holy God we pray to you this morning as your people.  We ask that you set us apart and use us to achieve your purposes here in Ocean City.  Bless us with your presence and make us holy.  We pray this in your son’s name, Jesus our lord.  Amen.

---

[1] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/3-ways-church-can-build-better-community

Sermon Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Life and Prosperity

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Life and Prosperity

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

February 12, 2017

            Good Morning.  My name is Jeff Howard.  I am a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  I am a member of New Castle Presbytery, and currently I serve the church in Ocean City as their interim pastor.  Before we begin this morning I would like to talk a little about the transition you are facing. 

            You have already said goodbye to a beloved founding pastor.  I have been friends with Scot for several years and have admired what he was able to do to build this church.  I am sure he will be missed.  Your session will soon call an interim pastor.  This person will look and act like any other pastor.  He or she will preach, teach, visit the sick, do weddings and funerals and provide leadership to the church.  After you and the interim pastor get to know each other well enough then the church will embark on a mission study.  This study will put into writing all you do, the opportunities and problems you face, and your dreams for this church.  When this study is complete the church’s nominating committee will find people to serve on a pastor nominating committee.  The congregation will meet to approve the mission study and the pastor nominating committee.  The PNC will then use the mission study to recruit a new pastor.  All of this will take some time.  Ocean City has spent two years in this process and they now about to call a new pastor.  You are just beginning.

            3500 years ago the people of God were also facing a transition.  Moses, their founding pastor, had led them for 40 years in the wilderness.  Now he is ready to retire and let someone else take the people into the promised land.  But before Moses leaves, as the transition begins, he has something important to say. 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. (Calvin)

            When I was 18 I had a choice to make.  Like many kids in my generation I went with my family every Sunday for worship and Sunday School.  I loved going to church as a kid.  But when I went to college I forgot all about that.  I lived in a frat house which hosted parties every Saturday night.  I slept in most Sunday mornings.  God was the farthest thing from my mind.  Then ten years later my mother died.  And filled with grief I turned back to God.  I have worshiped God every Sunday morning for over 30 years.  I made a bad choice and suffered for it for a decade.  But God allowed me to make a good choice.  And with that good choice my life has prospered.  I have beautiful wife and a wonderful career as pastor.  God is giving you this choice today, a choice to live life and prosper.  Moses put it this way:

Deuteronomy 30:¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

            There are two kinds of laws.  One type of law comes about because someone wants someone else to do or not do something.  The Department of Transportation puts up signs regulating the speed limit to 55mph.  They clearly want you to drive no faster than 55.  You may agree with them, or you may think that 45mph is more appropriate on this road.  Or maybe you think it would be perfectly safe to go 65.  You have a choice to obey the law or not.  And if you choose not to obey the law you may have to suffer the consequences when you get a ticket. 

            There is another type of law that does not reflect what someone else wants you to do.  Let's look at the Law of Gravity.  The water tower near my home in Ocean City came down this week. Men were working on its demolition and I could see them working high in the air.  The Law of Gravity says that if one of them jumps off the tower he will not survive the fall.   The Law of Gravity is not something that someone came up with to limit your freedom.  Rather the Law of Gravity is set in the creation of the world.  If we follow it we live and prosper.  If we ignore it then we fall to our deaths.

            So too with the commands of God.  We are perfectly free to ignore God’s decrees, but of course we will suffer the consequences.   This is Moses’ point.  God’s teachings, the torah,  is our user manual.  If we follow torah we will life prosperous lives.  If we ignore torah life will be short and not so good. Your car comes with a user manual.  It tells you to change the oil every 3000 miles.  If you follow these instructions your car will take you wherever you want to go for many years.  But if you don’t change the oil, well you’ll be scrapping that car and buying a new one.  The Bible is our user manual.  Follow God’s commands and lead a long and prosperous life.  Ignore the Bible and follow your own way then your days will be short.  It’s your choice.

            The Hebrews had experienced slavery in Egypt.  They had been freed from slavery by the God of their ancestors.  And they entered into a covenant with God at Mt. Horeb where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  They had survived forty years in the wilderness with God’s provision of food and water and protection from their enemies.  And now they were ready to enter the promised land.  Moses has given them a warning.  If they continue to love the God who loved them so much, if they continue to walk in his ways and obey his commands then life in the promised land would go well for them just as it had in the wilderness.  Their crops will grow.  Their children will prosper.  They will live in security without threat from their neighbors.  But if they turn away from their God their time in the promised land will be short.  Crops will fail.  Children will die.  Armies will invade.  They have a choice. 

            So too do we.  If we make God the most important thing in our lives we will prosper.  I don’t mean we will get rich or win the lottery.  We will live the abundant lives God created us to live.  But if we turn away from God, walking in our own ways, and ignoring his commands what do you think would happen?

            According to Moses there are three things we should do to live long prosperous lives.  The first is  to “love the Lord our God”.  God must be the most important thing in your lives.  Some people love money more that God; your checkbook shows your priorities.  Some people love coffee or golf more than God; you will see them at Starbucks on the golf course on Sunday mornings.  But the people who love God more than anything else will be in church every Sunday, they will participate in small groups and Bible studies.  They will tithe.  And they will pray every day.    If you truly love God more than anything else you will want to be with him and support his church in giving, worship, prayer and Bible study.

            The second thing Moses tells us to do is to “to walk in obedience to God”.  As you worship, study scripture and pray God will tell you what he wants you to do.  To live a long and prosperous life you are to follow God’s instructions, the torah. 

            Many years ago I took the Bethel Bible Series at my church in Washington DC.  After two years of going through the Old and New Testaments I felt a strong call from God to teach Bethel.  I had numerous conversations with my pastor about this for over the next year.  Then he invited me to attend his Bethel teacher’s class.  I loved it and taught in the program for four years.  Then I felt a strong call from God to go further.  I talked with my pastor.  Then, in obedience to God, I went to Fuller Seminary to begin work to become a pastor.  I found that when I walk in obedience to God, my life is filled with abundance. 

            The third thing Moses tells us to do is  “to keep his commands, decrees and laws”.  What are some of the things God commands us to do?  Well, here some of them.  Cancel the debts of the poor (Deut 15:1-11).  Guard against excessive wealth (16:18-20).  Limit punishment to protect human dignity (19:1-7).  Restrict who can be drafted (20:1-8).  Offer hospitality to runaway slaves (23:15-16).  Pay employees fairly (24:15-16).  And leave part of the harvest for those who need it (24:19-22).  Do these things and life will be good for you.

            There is something I need you to remember.  We do not obey the law to go to heaven.  We do not obey the law to get God to love us.  All we have to do is declare Jesus as our Lord and believe that he was resurrected for the dead.  This is faith.  Faith is what saves you.  But now as restored and forgiven sinners we should gratefully love God will all our hearts, souls and minds.  We should with gratitude love our neighbors as we love ourselves.   We should listen for God in worship, Bible study and prayer and do what he says.  And we should obey God’s commands.  All of this will bless us so that we can be a blessing for others.

            Moses has provided a choice for the people of God.  They can choose either to follow the way of God or not.  Of course Moses wants his people to choose the way of life.  Here is how he put it.

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

            New Covenant church, I urge you to choose life.  Love God with all your heart soul and mind.  Love your neighbors as you love yourselves.  Listen for God’s voice in worship, Bible study and prayer and do what he tells you to do.   Keep his commands so that your life will be blessed.

            I believe that God is getting ready to bless this church.  As I drive around the community I see numerous housing developments with many empty building lots.  I see a  new road connecting 301 with 13 and going right by the church.  I think that this community will be experiencing population growth soon.  And this church must be ready.  When new people move into the community we must knock on their doors with food casseroles in our hands, information about schools and shopping, and a personal invitation to come to church.  Do this and new people will come to New Covenant Church.  I believe that this church could double in size very quickly.

            For this to happen you will need someone to nurture youth, children and families.  As chair of the Church Development Unit of New Castle Presbytery I worked with your former pastor to get you a grant for this position.  Hire someone with a passion to bring kids to this church and equip them with Christian education.  Do this and this church will be filled with families.

            Of course the limiting factor in the size of this church’s membership is its facilities.  You have a beautiful Christian education building and fellowship hall.  What you are missing is a sanctuary.  What if we could raise the money to build a sanctuary and have it ready when road construction ends?  What if we are inviting new families to our church?  What if we have a great education program for all ages?  What if we have meaningful worship, prayers and Bible studies?  I think we are on the edge of the promised land.  I urge you to enter the promised land and choose life and prosperity.  Let us pray.

            Father in heaven we choose life and prosperity.  We pledge to love and follow your son Jesus.  We promise to obey your commands.   We ask for the empowerment of your Holy Spirit to allow us to grow this church and expand your kingdom.  This we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Sermon Micah 6:1-8 Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Micah 6:1-8 Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

January 29, 2017

I have some bad news for you this morning. We have received a summons to go to court because we are being sued. We have been accused of not fulfilling a contract we had agreed to follow. And so the other party of contract is suing us for not do what we promised to do. We are about to enter into the courtroom and be confronted by our accuser. So we better begin with prayer.

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

Micah 6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;

let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he is lodging a charge against Israel.

So we have come into a courtroom unlike any you have ever visited to seen on TV. Sitting as our judge are the mountains and hills and the foundations of the earth. Our Judge is everything from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, the highest and lowest places of earth. This means that all of God’s Creation will judge the dispute between God and us. We, the people of God, are the defendants. That is why we are here, to answer God’s complaint. God himself is our accuser. And God is ready to bring an accusation against us. Let’s listen to God’s opening remarks.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

So what God wants to know is there anything that God has done or not done that creates problems for us. This would be your opportunity to tell God what you are angry about. But before we do this let’s try to remember what God has done for us. What kind of blessings have we received from God? Here is what God wants you to remember.

4 I brought you up out of Egypt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

also Aaron and Miriam.

5 My people, remember

what Balak king of Moab plotted

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

God has reminded Israel the he had provided for them during their forty years in the wilderness. He redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. He provided them with leaders, priests and prophets. He protected them from curses and armies. He provided them with food and water. God had blessed his people abundantly.

So too with us. We should remember how much God has blessed us. God has given us life and health and good land, water and food, and families and homes and church, everything we need for a good life. God has given us a world of abundant blessings. God has also given his Son to us, who died for our sins, and was raised from the dead leading us to eternal life. It is important to remember all that God has given us. And we should gratefully respond.

But we don’t respond gratefully and God has a problem with our tepid response. His blessings for us came as part of a covenant. God promised to bless us richly, which he has, so that we may be a blessing to others. Listen to the terms of the contract

Genesis 12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

We are blessed to be a blessing. God has blessed us richly in many different way. But we have not kept our end of the bargain. And so God is suing us demanding that we fulfill our end of the contract.

We have reached the end of God’s opening statement in the trial. Now it is time to hear from our defense attorney. And so an unnamed man stood up to speak and here is what he said.

6 With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

How are we supposed to respond to God’s complaint? We come to church on Sundays. Maybe we should have church every day, maybe six times a day. We tithe to the church. Maybe we should empty our bank accounts and max out our credit cards to give to the church. How much does God want from us? What are we supposed to do?

We have heard God’s complaint that we are not performing our responsibility in the contract. And we have heard our response that we are doing enough, to do more would be absurd. Now it is time for the judge to proclaim a just decision. All of creation from the mountain tops to the depths of the sea are now ready to resolve our dispute with God. And here is what we must do.

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

That’s it! What we must do to be in compliance with the covenant between God and his people is “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our creator.

Act Justly

God has given us a world of abundance. But sin has caused an imbalance. Some people do not share in the rich abundance God has provided. Our role as people of God is to reorder our world, to mitigate the effects of sin, to ensure that the abundant blessings provided by God are shared by all. We are to share the blessings we receive from God with those who unjustly have been denied. We are to act with justice, mishpat, and care for the poor and needy and disabled in our city.

Love Mercy

God loves us. God’s love is steadfast. God is loyal. God will never leave us. God’s love for us is like the love a parent has for a child. When a young child feels alone and vulnerable she begins to cry. A loving parent picks her up and the child knows that she is safe and secure in the arms of a loving parent. This is how God loves us. It is called, hesed, steadfast love. And we are to love others just as God loves us. So when people in our church or our communities are feeling vulnerable we are to love them as God loves us and keep them safe and secure.

Walk Humbly

As we go about our ordinary lives we should always remember that God is always there with us. As the psalmist said: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) We should always be aware that God is with us continually. And God is always bringing us opportunities for us to do justice and love mercy. We should recognize what God is doing in the world around us and act in the way God wants us to act.

The judgment has been handed down. And we are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Let’s conclude today with a story of someone who did justice, loved mercy and walked humbly with God.

“In his book, To End All Wars, Ernest Gordon describes his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II along the Kwai River. His Japanese captors forced their prisoners to work in low-lying swampland. They beat to death or simply beheaded any prisoners who seemed to lag.

Eventually a combination of beriberi, malaria, dysentery, typhoid and diphtheria took its toll on Gordon. Basically paralyzed and no longer able to eat, he asked his fellow prisoners to bring him to the Death House where prisoners went to die.

However, while Gordon was in the Death House, God’s Spirit moved along the Kwai River. One particular event exemplified that movement. When no one confessed to stealing a Japanese guard’s missing shovel, he began to scream, “All die! All die!”

As he raised his rifle to fire at the first prisoner in line, a prisoner of war stepped forward and said, “I did it.” The enraged guard then raised his rifle high in the air and beat the man to death with it.

However, when the prisoners inventoried their tools that evening, they discovered the guard had made a mistake: no shovel was missing. They realized that their fellow prisoner had voluntarily given his life in order to spare them.

Gordon remembers how God used such selflessness to change the prisoners along the River Kwai. They began looking out for each other instead of themselves. Two Christian Scots demonstrated this change by coming to the Death House every day to care for Gordon.

They dressed the ulcers on Gordon’s legs and massaged his atrophied muscles. By doing so, they gradually restored him to what passed for health along the Kwai River. Those Christians showed their love of mercy by tenaciously nursing Gordon back to health.¹

Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, We thank you for all the blessings we have received from your hand. We thank you for the day you have created. We thank you for our lives, our health, and our joy. We thank you for family, friends and church. And we thank you for the gift of your son our Lord, Jesus Christ who saved us from sin. In his name we pray. Amen.

1 http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/epiphany-4a/?type=old_testament_lectionary