Sermon Philippians 1:21-20 “Heaven on Earth”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Philippians 1:21-20 “Heaven on Earth”

September 24, 2017

I am beginning today a sermon series drawn from the Book of Philippians.   This book consists of a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to a church he founded around 10 years before.   Paul is writing from prison where he may be executed, but he is thinking about this church and longs to be with them.   The church at Philippi must have been a wonderful church.   We will look at the letter they received from Paul, 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)

Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke arrived on European soil for the first time around 50AD.   They went to the city of Philippi.  Philippi has been resettled by the Romans as a colony.  It sat on a major east-west trading route, at the base of a mountain pass leading to Asia.   Most of the inhabitants were Roman citizens with others who had come there for international trade.   It as a relatively new city so many of the people there were starting over with new lives.   On the first Sabbath after their arrival, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke searched for a synagogue for a time of worship and prayer.   Finding no synagogue in the city, they went down to the river to pray.  There they met a group of women who were also praying.   So they got to know each other.   The group of women was led by a merchant of purple cloth named Lydia.     

My guess is that these women were supporting each other.   It was unusual for a woman to own her own business.  And it had to be very difficult for a woman to walk an independent path.  But that seems to be what these women were trying to do.  They had come to Philippi to start a new, independent lives for themselves.  They needed each other for support while trying to navigate in a man’s world.

We know that these women began meeting in Lydia’s house to listen to Paul talk about Jesus Christ.   They were attracted to a gospel of God’s grace and love.   And so a church was formed that loved God and loved each other.

We know of one woman in this church.  She had been a slave but was now independent.   An evil spirit had enslaved her spiritually.   And some men had enslaved her economically.    The evil spirit allowed her to do fortune telling.  And the men profited from this.   Paul had compassion for her and asked Jesus to cast out the evil spirit.   And when this happened the men got rid of her because she could no longer tell fortunes.  This woman, freed from slavery and now independent, joined the church at Philippi.  

Lest you think that only women joined this church, we do know of one male member.  He was a prison guard.   One evening while guarding Paul and Silas an earthquake destroyed the prison.  The guard was filled with fear and was most receptive when Paul told him about Jesus Christ and invited him to church.  Presumably, he was one of the first men to attend the church in Lydia’s house.

So the church at Philippi was made up of people who were making a fresh start in life and needed each other.   If someone lost a job they were there to help.   If someone had problems with health or relationship or finances they would support and pray for each other.  They were a church that loved God and loved one another.

Ten years after starting this church Paul was again in prison this time in Rome.   He was under a death sentence and could be executed at any time.  Life was cheap in Rome.  People could die at any time at the whim of a powerful person.   People were eaten alive by lions for public entertainment and sport.  Paul could lose his life at any moment.

But Paul had reconciled to all that.  He was ready to die because he knew that moment he dies he will be in heaven with his Lord Jesus Christ.

But as Paul prepared for his death and glorious life in heaven he began to think about the church in Philippi.  He remembered how much they loved God and loved each other.  He remembered how they cared for each other and how they prayed for each other.  He remembered how generous they were. And he realized that being with the church in Philippi, with Jesus in their midst, is far better than dying and seeing Jesus in heaven.  And so he picked up a pen and wrote them a letter.

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.  20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.  And Christians suffer in silence.

Many come to church for an hour respite from their troubles.   The come to worship expecting to be filled with hope that one day they will leave all their problems behind and go to heaven to be with Jesus.  This is a most comforting thought.   And I can assure you that if you believe in Jesus you will live with him forever.

The Apostle Paul was comforted by this as he sat in his cell.   But he realized that something much better was being offered.  He realized that he didn’t have to die to go to heaven to see Jesus.  All he had to do was find a loving church with Jesus in its midst.   And he remembered Philippi.

Paul knew that when Christians die we all go to heaven.   There we live with Jesus until the day of resurrection.   This is a glorious thought and the source of our Christian hope.  But wouldn’t it be much better if heaven came to earth right now, and we could enjoy it while we live.   And this is possible.   Any church that exalts Christ, loves God and loves one another is a heavenly outpost on earth.   The kingdom of God is brought down to us as we worship.   God’s kingdom is here now.

New Covenant church prays every Sunday: “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.”   Are serious about this?  Do we really want the church to be like heaven?   

If the church was the same as heaven we wouldn’t have to wait until we die to get there.  If we want to go to heaven all we would have to do is go to church.   And if New Covenant Church was like heaven we couldn’t handle the crowds who would want to be here.  

So how would we do it?  How would we make this church just like heaven?  We would do that by exalting, lifting up Jesus.  Jesus Christ would be the most important thing in our lives.   Worshiping Jesus would be the most important thing that we do.   And we would obediently do what Jesus tells us to do.  We would love God and we would love one another.   And this love would be deep like a mother’s love for her child.   Our love for one another would cause us to care for each other.   We would pray each other’s joys and concerns.  We would help those who have financial difficulties.  We would visit shut-ins and comfort with the bereaved.   We would pray for the sick.  Anyone’s concern would be all of our concerns.   We would truly love each other.  And then this church would be just like heaven.

So let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will fill us with so much love for one another that this church will be a bit of heaven on earth, and Jesus will be here with us.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, send your spirit down among us.  Fill our hearts with faith and love.   Teach us how to love God and love each other.   And help this church be heaven on earth.   Amen.

Sermon Romans 14:1-12 Stumbling Blocks

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Romans 14:1-12 Stumbling Blocks

September 17, 2017

This is my third sermon from Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.  So far we have learned is that as forgiven sinners we are transformed with new minds and a new way of thinking.   Then we learned last week that this transformation leads to loving one another.   Today we will look at something that is often a stumbling block to love.   This would be judgment.   When we judge others for their faults it is hard to love them.   Thankfully, as we will see, God does not want us judging one another.   We don’t have to judge because God does it for us.   And freed from the responsibility to judge we now can love one another.  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)

Romans 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

The church in Rome was experiencing a dispute.  They were arguing with each other.   And this dissension was preventing them from doing what Jesus wanted.  Jesus wanted a church of people who love each other.  And if people in the church are in heated arguments it is hard to love.

Specifically, the Roman church was experiencing cultural differences.   One group, the weaker one, wanted to maintain Hebrew cultural practices.   The wanted to eat food and celebrate festivals as described in the Old Testament.  The other group, the stronger one, didn’t care about these things.  So when someone brought a potato casserole with bacon in it to a potluck dinner the weaker group, who wanted kosher food, was offended.  They ended up eating only vegetables fearing the meat was not prepared to their standards.  The stronger group was upset because the weaker group wouldn’t eat what they had brought.   The dinner turned ugly when the two sides started yelling at each other.  Let’s go back to Romans.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.  10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
   every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

When a person joins the church he or she must stand before the congregation and publically declare that Jesus in their Lord.  This is proof that the Holy Spirit is with them and that they are justified in the sight of God.   Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is forgiven and put right with God.   One day all of us will be judged by God, but Jesus will be there to give us a full pardon.  All of us will be forgiven.  So if, when we get to heaven, we experience forgiveness, why would we not also experience forgiveness in church?

We are not to judge one another.  Judgement is God’s prerogative, not ours.  God will judge.   And we already know the verdict for all who believe:  Not Guilty!   Rather than judging one another, we are called to forgive and love one another.

Today the church is also divided.   Recently a group of conservative evangelicals released a document called the Nashville Statement.  Article 1 of the Nashville Statement states:

WE AFFIRM that God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong
union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant
love between Christ and his bride the church.
WE DENY that God has designed marriage to be a homosexual, polygamous, or polyamorous
relationship. We also deny that marriage is a mere human contract rather than a covenant made
before God.

Many good Christian believe this with all their hearts.   Many good Christians think that the Nashville Statement is an abomination of the gospel.  There are good theological arguments on both sides.   I’m not here today to talk about same-sex marriage.  What I am here to do is to tell both sides that you are to love each other.  This may be difficult in the heated polarized environment we find ourselves in today.  But scripture teaches us that we must love God and love our neighbor even if we disagree with them.

We do this by remembering that what brings a church together and gives it unity is not our position on cultural or theological matters.  What brings together is Jesus Christ.  Think of a circle.  With Jesus at the center of the circle, the divisions at the perimeter don’t seem so important.   Remember this when you talk with people from the other side.   Do not let your disagreements cause you to take your eyes off Jesus.  And do not allow yourself to become a stumbling stone for people trying to get to Christ.

 

The story is told of a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. Once it was a great order, but as a result of the waves of anti-monastic persecution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the rise of secularism in the nineteen, all its branch houses were lost and there were only five monks left in the decaying mother house: the abbot and four others, all over seventy in age. Clearly, it was a dying order.

In the woods surrounding the monastery, there was a little cabin that a rabbi from a nearby town occasionally used as a retreat. The old monks could always sense when the rabbi was visiting the cabin. "The rabbi is in the woods, the rabbi is in the woods again," they would whisper to each other. As he agonized over the imminent death of his order, the abbot decided to visit the rabbi and ask for any advice that might save the monastery.

The rabbi welcomed the abbot at his hut. But when the abbot explained the purpose of this visit, the rabbi could only commiserate with him. "Yes. I know how it is," he exclaimed. "The spirit has gone out of the people. It is the same in my town. Almost no one comes to the synagogue anymore." So the old abbot and the old rabbi wept together. Then they read parts of the Torah and quietly spoke of deep things. When the time came for the abbot to leave, they embraced one another. "It has been a wonderful thing that we have talked after all these years," the abbot said. "But is there nothing you can tell me, no piece of advice you can give me that would help me save my dying order?"

"No, I am sorry," the rabbi responded, "I have no advice to give you." But then the rabbi paused and said quietly to the abbot, "But, there is one thing I have to tell you: One of you is the Messiah."

When the abbot returned to the monastery his fellow monks gathered around him and asked, "Well, what did the rabbi say?"

"He couldn't help," the abbot answered. "We just wept and read the Torah together. The only thing he did say, just as I was leaving—he said that one of us was the Messiah! Maybe it's something from Jewish mysticism. I don't know what he meant."

In the days and weeks and months that followed, the old monks began to think about this and wondered whether the rabbi's words could actually be true? The Messiah is one of us? Could he possibly have meant one of us monks here at the monastery? If that's the case, who is it? Do you suppose he meant the abbot? Yes, if he meant anyone he probably meant Father Abbot. He has been our leader for more than a generation. On the other hand, he might have meant that Brother Thomas is a holy man. Everyone knows that Thomas is a man of light. Certainly, he couldn't have meant Brother Jonathan! Jonathan gets crotchety at times. But come to think of it, even though he is a thorn in people's sides when you look back on it, Jonathan is virtually always right, often very right. Maybe the rabbi did mean Brother Jonathan, but surely not Brother Philip. Philip is so passive, a real nobody. But then almost mysteriously he has a gift for somehow always being there when you need him. He just magically appears by your side. Could Philip be the Messiah? Of course, the rabbi didn't mean me. He couldn't possibly have meant me. I'm just an ordinary person. Yet supposing he did? Suppose I am the Messiah? Oh God, me?

As they contemplated in this manner, the old monks began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one of them might actually be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each monk himself might be the Messiah, they began to treat themselves with extraordinary respect.

Because the monastery was situated in a beautiful forest, it so happened that people occasionally came to visit the monastery to picnic on its tiny lawn, to wander along some of its paths, even now and then to go into the dilapidated chapel to meditate. And as they did so, without even being conscious of it, they sensed this aura of extraordinary respect that now began to surround the five old monks and seemed to radiate out from them and permeate the atmosphere of the place. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling, about it. Hardly knowing why, people began to come back to the monastery more frequently to picnic, to play, to pray. They began to bring their friends to show them this special place. And their friends brought their friends.

Then it happened that some of the younger men who came to visit the monastery started to talk more and more with the old monks. After a while, one asked if he could join them. Then another. And another. And it happened that within a few years the monastery had once again become a thriving order and, thanks to the rabbi's gift, a vibrant center of light and spirit.

The Messiah was present in that monastery.   Jesus was there.   And when them monks realized that Jesus was with them they began to treat each other with respect, love, and forgiveness.   What would happen if the church today thought that Jesus was present?   What would we do if Jesus’ love and forgiveness filled this place?   What would visitors think if they came here and found a vibrant, loving, forgiving, and nonjudgmental community?   I think that is what people are really looking for and would fill a church where it is true.

And so I urge you to treat others with love and respect and forgiveness.  Remember that Jesus is here with us, watching what we do.  Let’s do what Jesus wants.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven be with us today and fill us with your love.  Help us to love one another.   And help the families living around the church to sense that this is a loving place.   We pray this in the name of your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sermon Romans 13:8-14 Love One Another

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Romans 13:8-14 Love One Another

September 10, 2017

I am continuing today with my series of sermons drawn from the Book of Romans.  Last week, in chapter 12 we saw the foundation of living a Christian life.   As sinners, forgiven by a gracious God, we are now transformed.   Our minds are made new.  We have new ways of thinking.   And we love one another.  We show grace and love to everyone.   We love the victims of violence.  We love victims of hurricanes.  And we love those with whom we disagree.  We love our enemies.  Today we will look a little closer at our obligation to love.  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)

In 387 AD, a 33-year-old man presented himself in church for baptism.  He his was Christian, but he took a roundabout way of coming to faith.  He had been promiscuous and was falling behind others of his age and abilities.  His mother had been praying for him, hoping that he would return to church.  He moved from town to town looking for employment.  His mother went with him to take care of him.  He loved singing in church, but his lifestyle was too far away for him to be considered a Christian.  His struggles deepen into despair, and he turned to scripture for answers, but quickly abandoned this effort.  Finally, he reached the end of his rope.  One day he just cried out, “How long O Lord?”  Just then a children’s tune came to his mind.  He sang to himself, “Take it and read it”.   This must have come from God he thought.   Immediately he picked up a Bible and read:

Romans 13:13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Suddenly the Holy Spirit took charge.   This young man was filled with faith.  So he presented himself for baptism and studied for the priesthood.   When his mother died he moved to North Africa where he founded a monastery and became a bishop.   His name was Augustine.   Bishop Augustine was one of the greatest Christian thinkers and writers the world has ever seen.   He was transformed through the reading of Romans 13 to which we turn today.

Jesus told us that he had come not to abolish but to fulfill the law.  And he said that there are two commands that sum up all the obligations we have.  The first is that we must love God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength.   The second is that we are to love others just as we love ourselves.  If we love God and love others, have we obeyed God’s law?  Yes.   Let’s turn to the Romans 13 and read for ourselves about what we should do as Christians of faith.

Romans 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

The one obligation we have as Christians, before all others, is to love.  Love, agape, is a gift of God for God’s people.  God is love.  We receive God’s love as a gift.   We give God’s love away to others.  Love is a mark of the church.  A Christian community will be, by definition, a loving community.  Christian mystics have said that when you love you stand on two feet, love of God on one foot and love of neighbor on the other.  The mystics said that the love of God and the love of neighbor are actually the same because God has become our neighbor.  

If we are to love our neighbor, we must first define who our neighbor is.   Are members of the church our neighbors?  Yes.   So we should love one another.   Are people who live in the community your neighbors?  Yes.  So love them as much as you love yourselves, and invite them to worship.  How about Christians being persecuted in dangerous places in the world, are we to love them too?  Yes.  Our love for others must stretch around the world.

There is one particular group we need to talk about.   There are children, living here in America, who came here with their parents from other countries.   Many of these children have parents who do not have proper documentation to live and work in America in violation of American law.   President Obama decided to selectively enforce immigration laws to allow these kids to go to school without fear that their families would be sent home.  President Trump has decided that selective enforcement is not the proper way to deal with this problem, so he is phasing out the DACA program.   Congress is debating the proper way to deal with this problem.   Now, I really know very little about immigration laws.  And I have to trust congress to make a good decision.  What I do know is that as a Christian I am called to love these kids.   This Thursday at 1 pm, a group from New Castle Presbytery, the Matthew Action Committee, MAC, will be here to discuss this issue.  Lunch will be provided.   Please join us.

Now according to Paul, loving others fulfills the law.  I often visit people in the hospital because this is something I can do to love them.   We I get to the hospital I sometimes have a hard time finding a place to park.   Is it ok to park illegally, provided that I bring God’s love to patients in the hospital?  The answer to this is no.   If I park illegally I will get a ticket.  Loving others does not relieve me of the obligation to obey the laws of Delaware.   State laws are necessary for the well ordering of society.  Just imagine the nightmare on the streets if we had no traffic laws.

But all the law can do is to regulate our behavior.   Love goes way beyond this.  Love changes our hearts.  When we receive the gift of love we are transformed into people who love.   There is no need for law to regulate our behavior with one another because we already love one another.  There is no need for police to enforce laws when we are already filled with love for each other.  And when all the members of a church receive this gift of love that church is characterized by practices of radical love and generous hospitality.

All of this is revolutionary.  Our society is built on law.  We put many resources into law enforcement.   Those who violate the law are imprisoned.    But we desire for a society built not on law but on love.    Just imagine if everyone loved each other.   If that were true the only laws we would need are those to facilitate our ability to love.  If everyone acted on the principle of doing no wrong to anyone then there would no longer be a need for police, lawyers, judges, and prisons.

Imagine your neighborhood if everyone loved each other. Your community would be built up.  No one would hoard resources out of greed because love would cause them to share what they have.  No one would practice unethical business behavior because businesses would love their customers.  Kids could play outside again because you would love your neighbor’s children.  No one would experience the pain of discrimination or the power of privilege.   Imagine if we lived in loving communities.

Of course, there are a lot of things trying to prevent us from living harmoniously in loving communities.   Whenever we try to execute God’s gifts, evil will try to stop us.   The devil will do whatever he can do to stop us from loving one another.   Just as he led Adam and Eve into lives of disobedience so too will he tempt us.   And that temptation is great.   Our only hope is that Jesus will be in our midst to protect us as we are transformed into a loving community.  And Jesus promised that whenever two or three of us gather in his name he will be with us.   With this promise in mind, it is vitally important that we gather together for worship, prayer, and Bible study because when we gather together in groups Jesus is with us and we become transformed into a loving community.  

After our second service today we will be dedicating our new adult study rooms.  The purpose of this is to ask Jesus to be present whenever two or more people gather in those rooms.   I urge you to use those rooms by attending Bible studies on Sundays and Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings.  We gather together to study scripture.   God transforms us into a loving community.

You may be wondering, What is the rush?  I am so busy I have no time to attend Bible studies.   Maybe, after I retire I can go.  But right now I have my life to lead.   If you think this way, and many do, consider this from Paul.

  

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

The time of waiting is over.  It is time to clothe yourself with Jesus Christ.   It is time to make worship a priority in your lives and come to church every Sunday.  It is time to make Bible study a priority in your lives and come weekly.   The time is short.  Don’t wait too long.

As a young adult, I was a loner.  I did have many friends.  You would call me a couch potato.  I knew I had a problem and I needed God’s help.  So I prayed.   I prayed for a softer more loving heart.   And it worked.  God drew me to a loving community, the church.  There I learned how to love others.  I attended worship each week.  I got involved with a singles group and Bethel Bible Series.   My heart of stone began to melt.  I started to make friends and participate in activities.   I was transformed into a far more loving person.  I believe that all of this was an answer to prayer.   And I believe that God answered my prayers through the church.   

I have benefited so much from this that I want others to experience it for themselves.   That’s why I am a pastor today.  I want people to experience the transformation to new life that I experienced.   That’s why I encourage you to come to worship every Sunday and attend Bible studies.  I want you to experience transformation to new life.   And I want New Covenant Church to become a loving community.  Let’s pray.

Holy Spirit we ask this day to enter the hearts of all of us in worship.   Turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh.  Transform us into people who love one another.   Bless us with faith and the desire to know more of God.   Bless us with the need to attend worship and Bible studies regularly.   Bless us with the presence of Jesus Christ whenever we gather.   In his name, we pray.  Amen.

Sermon Romans 12:9-21 Live in Harmony

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon Romans 12:9-21 Live in Harmony

September 3, 2017

On on the third of June of this year, a detachment of Islamic fighters from ISIS rode in a white van toward London Bridge.   When they arrived they used the van as a weapon killing 8 and injuring many others.  Then the Islamic fighters entered a popular nightclub with hunting knives.   The London Police brought them down with a hail of bullets. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/04/world/europe/uk-london-attacks.html

Two weeks later James T. Hodgkinson arrived at a baseball field in Northern Virginia.  He asked if the players on the field were Republican or Democrat.   When he found out that they were Republican he started shooting.  Five people were injured including Rep. Steven Scalise.  Members of the Capitol Police shot the gunman preventing further bloodshed.  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/congressional-baseball-gunman-had-list-gop-lawmakers-names-n773571

On Saturday, August 12, a group of White Supremacist protesters came to a park in Charlottesville Virginia.   They were confronted by counter protesters.   Violence erupted.   The President of the United States tweeted, “ We ALL must be united & condemn all that hate stands for. There is no place for this kind of violence in America. Let's come together as one!”   Less than a  half hour later a White Supremacist rammed his car into a group of people killing a 32-year-old woman and injuring 19 others.  http://wjla.com/news/nation-world/charlottesville-violence-a-timeline-of-events

This has been a summer of violence.   It is time for the church to take a stand against violence and hatred.  It is time for us to show the world a new and better way.   For this we turn to the Bible.  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)

NIV Romans 12:1 I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

In the Book of Romans, Paul talks realistically about a world filled with sin.   He asks:  what should Christians do, living in a world of sin, but desiring to be reconciled with God, and to live a better life?  The typical answers to this question usually revolve around obeying the law or trying to be a better person.   But sin is too strong for these solutions.   We have been following the law, and we have been trying to be better people.  But sin still seems to be in control in our world and in our lives.  What are we to do?   

Paul’s answer is that our only hope, to get out of this mess, is for God to mercifully intervene.   God has to do something to reconcile people to himself and with each other.  God has to do something to free us from sin in our lives.  God must act, and He did.  In Jesus Christ, God has reconciled people to himself.  In Jesus Christ, God has freed us from slavery to sin.  In Jesus Christ, God forgives us and restores us to new life.

And if God has graciously done all of this for us, then what should be our response?  Out of gratitude, we come to worship and praise God, and we leave here to love and serve a world that desperately needs us.

Paul tells us that in worship we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.   In ancient times people would bring an animal to be sacrificed in worship.   The animal would be killed.   But God no longers wants a dead sacrifice.  He wants a living sacrifice.  He wants your body, alive.  He wants your mind, your hands, and your feet to do His mission in the world.

Paul tells us that this is our spiritual worship.  In ancient times non-Jews would worship spirits.   They would make images of wood or metal or stone to represent spiritual realities.   They believed that these spirits did things to affect the world.  Paul said that we don’t worship spirits.   The God we worship has a body, a resurrected body.  And so we worship this God with our bodies.   We worship Jesus Christ with our minds, our hands, and our feet do His mission in the world.

So what is it that we do with our bodies to worship Jesus Christ.   One thing we do is to gather around the table to commune with him as we share the bread and wine.   But this is only part of what we do with our bodies.    We must go beyond this.  Paul says that we must do nothing less than a total transformation of our minds.  Only after a total transformation can we hope to know what God wants us to do and live lives pleasing to him.    And thankfully, by the grace of God, we do receive new lives.

And what to these new transformed lives look like?   What would the church look like if we were all truly transformed by God?   We would look something like this.

9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

If we really received transformed lives as a gift from our creator then our love for one another would be genuine.   In the world around us love is an illusion.   People pretend to love each other.  In reality, their love for others is just a show.   In a world stained by sin, love is little more than a handshake and a warm greeting.   In most churches that is as far as love goes.   But if we are truly transformed our love for each other would be genuine.

Genuine love looks like this.  First, we would never look down on people as inferiors.  We would think of others as superior to ourselves.   A homeless person comes to the church for a handout.  In a world of sin, we think we are better than this person.    But with a transformed mind and genuine love, we realize that this homeless person was created by God.   And this person has come to church to seek God’s mercy.   This person must be held up and honored by us.

The second aspect of genuine love is that we pray the joys and concerns of others.  When someone is looking for a job, we pray with them filled with hope that God will help them find one.   When someone is sick, we pray with them filled with hope that God will heal them.  When someone is suffering from the effects of personal sin,  we pray with them filled with the hope that God will forgive them.  And when someone has been healed, or a relationship restored, or a new child has come into the world,  or a new marriage is about to be consummated, then we pray with great joy and gratitude to the God who made all this possible.

The third aspect of genuine love is that we serve those in need.   When someone comes to a soup kitchen to find a warm meal we use our bodies, our hands, and feet, to relieve their hunger.  When someone needs a place to sleep on a cold winter’s evening we use our bodies to find them suitable shelter.  And we let them know about the gracious and compassionate God we worship.

We know that God has transformed our minds with genuine love when we think of others as better than ourselves when we pray for others filled with hope that our prayers to be heard, and when we serve with joy people who need our love.   

It is easy to love our neighbors here in Middletown.   But what about our enemies?  What about Islamic terrorists and white supremacists?  Are we called to love them too?   Well, yes.   

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In 2014 a group of Neo-Nazis came to Wunsiedel, a city in northeast Bavaria, to march near the grave of Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess.   The Christians there wanted to respond appropriately.   So they came up with the idea of an involuntary walkathon.    They asked people to contribute money for each step the Neo-Nazis took in their city,   Each step raised money for an organization that helped young people get out of Nazi hate groups.   When the marchers arrived they were surprised.  They were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd.   They saw signs thanking them for participating in the walkathon.   The people of the town setup rest areas where that marchers could receive water and bananas to give them endurance on the walk.  The town encouraged the Neo-Nazis to march further and further so they would raise more and more money. Every meter they walked raised another ten euros for the good cause.  As the march ended the town’s people warmly thanked the protesters for the “contribution” they gave.  They raised $12,000.   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/18/neo-nazis-tricked-into-raising-10000-for-charity

This is how the people of Wunsiedel blessed those who persecuted them and heaped burning coals on their heads.  They turned weeping into rejoicing.  They repaid evil with good.  They brought harmony to a people living with dissension.  How did they do all of this?  They received the gift of genuine love from our loving heavenly Father.

All of this is available to us.  We receive genuine love from God as a gift.  In gratitude, we follow him as he establishes a harmonious world.   God working through us is the answer the world needs to deal with problems it faces.  So let’s love one another, and live harmoniously together.

Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we grieve with so much violence in the world today.   Help us to be sources of hope for those who desperately need it.   Help us to be role models of love that others can follow.   Give us the gift of genuine love.  And send the Prince of Peace, in whose name we pray.  Amen.