Sermon John 15:11 “Joy”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon John 15:11 “Joy”
December 16, 2018
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We have arrived at the third Sunday of Advent.    We hope in the forgiveness of sin and promise of eternal life because God has always been faithful to his promises.   We have peace in our heart because we pray filled with thanksgiving to the Prince of Peace who comes at Christmas.   Today we turn to happiness and ask “What brings us to complete joy?”.   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)

Today we will look at joy.   If you listen to many sermons, including some of mine, you will hear that there is a great distinction between happiness and joy.   But as I have been reading scripture this week, I haven’t seen this distinction.   In the Bible happiness and joy seem to be synonymous.    We read this in the Book of Esther 8:16 “For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor”.   Happiness and joy are really the same thing.

Happiness occurs when we are content, satisfied.   Happiness and joy are what we strive for.   We all really want to be happy.   So let’s look today at how we can achieve this happiness.

The philosopher Jeremy Bentham said that we will be happy when we pursue pleasure and avoid pain.   This is the operative moral code at work in America today.   Whenever we have a decision to make we calculate which path will give us the greatest pleasure and help us to avoid the most pain. 

For example, we have a Christmas party this afternoon.   Are you coming?   If you think that coming to the Christmas party will be more pleasurable than doing something else, like watching football, then you will be here.   If not, you will do something else, whatever gives you the most pleasure and helps you to avoid pain.  So when we make decisions we figure out how to maximize pleasure and minimize pain and act accordingly in order to be happy.

But there are some problems thinking this way.   Let’s look at a few of these problems.

Lisa was a popular girl in her college sorority.  And she loved sorority parties.   The girls would get together Saturday night and drink.   When Lisa graduated from college and went to work she wanted to recapture the feelings she had at sorority parties.   So she got together with a few other girls and when out drinking on Friday afternoons at what the bar called the “Happy Hour”.   As Lisa got older she began visiting bars a little more often.   She was careful not to let her drinking effect her job or get a DWI.   She calculated that the pleasure she got from drinking was better than the pain of going home to an empty house.   But then she got sick.   Her doctor told her that her years of drinking had caused cirrhosis of the liver.  Suddenly the behavior Lisa thought was bringing her much pleasure was now giving her much more pain.

What happened to Joyce was that she did not factor liver disease into her calculations of the pleasure and pain associated with drinking.   She only saw the pleasure of drinking and did not factor in the future pain of liver failure.   

Frank was making a good living.   The personnel department suggested he invest in the firm’s 401k retirement plan.   The company would match every dollar and the fund would grow tax-free.   But Frank liked expensive cars and exotic vacations.  These gave him pleasure.   Inventing in a 401k was pain.   But after 40 years with the firm Frank retired with a gold watch.    He had nothing invested for retirement.   And social security paid for only his basic needs.   The cars and vacations were only memories.   

Frank did what so many of us do.   We want our pleasure now and have little regard for future consequences.  We are short-sighted. 

This happens to everyone.   We have short-term happiness but long-term pain.   So we smoke cigarettes, engage in promiscuity, and fail to fund retirement accounts,  all in an effort to maximize current pleasure without considering the long-term consequences of what we do.   When these consequences occur we find that we were not able to avoid pain.  And therefore, we find that we are not as happy as we should be.

In order to deal with this problem, the government mandates warnings.   We are told that cigarettes are harmful to our health.   We are encouraged to plan for retirement.   We are told to take care of global warming.  The government tells us these things so that we will consider them as we make ethical decisions.   We are told to take long-term consequences into account when we make decisions to maximize pleasure and avoid pain.

  But this isn’t working.   We are unable to achieve happiness by pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain.  And the result of trying to do it this way has made America the land of very unhappy people. 
According to a recent Harris Poll, only 33% of Americans said they were happy. 
 That only a third of us is happy is a gloomy statistic.   But there is a silver lining.   According to Harris, we are getting a little happier year by year.   And Harris thinks that this is because more and more people see a positive influence from faith.    John Gerzema, CEO of the Harris Poll, said, “Maybe we are turning off cable news and turning back into our families and communities and faith.”

So if pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain does not lead us to happiness, what does?   Where can we find happiness?   Jesus has this to say.  John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
So our source of happiness comes not from pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain. 
 Rather our happiness comes from Jesus.   We get his happiness.   And when this happens our happiness is complete, perfect.   Jesus said it like this:   5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.

So according to Jesus joy comes not from seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.   It comes from abiding in him.  If we remain in Jesus, happiness grows in us like fruit.   We are the branches from which the happiness-fruit grows in abundance, provided that we are nurtured by Jesus.  So how do we get this joy in us?  How do we become happy?  Jesus said, 7” If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

Happiness comes from hearing Jesus’ words as recorded in the Bible and internalizing them.  We do this by reading the Bible and going to God in prayer.  This is how we abide in Jesus.   And this is the source of our greatest joy.  If you want to be happy and joyful, read your Bible and pray.  Do this and you will bear much fruit.

Larry was a good student, but his grades were just average.   He really wanted to go to a prestigious school so he applied to Harvard, Yale and Princeton.  One by one Larry got rejection letters.   His grades were not good enough.  And you might think that Larry was very unhappy.   But you would be wrong.   Larry was very happy.   Even though he had prayed to get into a top school he realized that this was not God will for his life.   So he applied to a lesser university and got in.   He experienced great joy because he and God were finally going in the same direction. 

Sally and Jim have been married for 60 years.   They love each other very much.    But last month Jim had a stroke.  After a month in the hospital, Jim is finally home.   But he needs 24-hour nursing, can’t walk and has trouble speaking.   You would think that Sally would be very unhappy.   But Sally feels that God has blessed her richly.    She has so many wonderful memories of her life with Jim.   She has a family she loves.  And she is filled with the hope of eternal life.   And so she believes that one day she and Jim will be together again in healthy bodies in the resurrection.   Sally is very happy, feeling blessed. 

Accord to Dr. Robert Puff in Psychology Today, “To be happy, you must accept that what happens is God’s will. When you accept that God’s will is being done, it means that whatever is in front of you is exactly what’s supposed to take place. This isn't easy to swallow when you feel disappointed with a particular outcome. But if happiness is your goal, then rather than bemoan what happened, you can tell yourself, “This wasn’t what I expected. But I did my best to rectify it. And now all I can do is to leave the rest to God.” This is the message that will lead to increased happiness in your life.”

So let me ask again, “Are you coming to the Christmas Party this afternoon?”  Most people would list their options for this afternoon and choose the most pleasurable in order to be happy.   But Christian know that pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain is the not the path to happiness.   Happiness comes from following

Jesus Christ.   So if coming to church this afternoon will bring you a little closer to Christ then you will be very happy.  So come to the Christmas Party and experience the joy of Christ. 

If you want to be happy it is not enough to simply pursue pleasure and avoid pain.    Unexpected long-term consequences will disrupt your calculations and you will be unhappy.    Your only source of complete happiness is Jesus Christ. 

 Abide in him by keeping his teaching in your hearts and you will find complete happiness.  Hold fast to the idea that God is in control, and to the idea that God loves you very much.   And you will feel the joy of Christ in your hearts.   Then you will be happy.  Let’s pray.

Lord God, we have tried for so long to search for true happiness by pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain.   But this has led us to unhappiness.   So we turn to you for help.   As we read our Bibles, help us to see your faithfulness.   Help us to be thankful for what you have given us.  Help us to realize that you love us and want us to be happy.   So we surrender to you and pledge to follow your son as disciples so that we will receive his joy and be truly happy.    In his name, we pray.   Amen.

Sermon Philippians 4:6-7 “Peace”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Philippians 4:6-7 “Peace”
December 9, 2018

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This is the second Sunday of Advent.   Last week we talked about our Christian journey.   This journey begins in faith and ends in hope.   And we have high confidence in this hope because God has been faithful to his people.

Today we will look at something we all want, peace.   We want to live with peace in our hearts.   This is our desire because, if we are honest with ourselves, we admit that our hearts are actually filled with anxiety.   So how do we replace anxiety with peace?   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)

There is no doubt that Americans are anxious people.   Money, relationships, health, and uncertain futures all contribute to a sense of anxiety.  People are anxious about buying gifts because the credit cards they used last year are still not paid off.  People are anxious about family at Christmas because of Uncle Joe, a Trump supporter will be coming.   All the people you can’t stand are coming to your house for dinner.  And you have to carry the tree up from the basement and climb a ladder to put up the lights.  At Christmas anxiety abounds.

This church is certainly dealing with anxiety.  Several people are anxious about finding work.   Others are anxious about disability or approaching retirement.   Some are anxious about their children.   Some are anxious about their parents.   The Pastor Search committee is anxious about finding a pastor for this church.   The Deacons are anxious about caring for the congregation.   The Trustees are anxious about how we will pay for a new pastor, fix the lights and fans in the sanctuary, buy new signs, and build a new shed for the lawn mowers.   The Session is concerned about the growth of the church numerically and spiritually.  I am anxious about where my next call will be.

Two members of this church were in extreme anxiety this week.   They were in the hospital with so much pain that they thought Jesus was just about to take them to heaven.   Thankfully they are doing better.

So how do we deal with anxiety?  Some people go into therapy to find out what in their childhood caused their anxiety.   Others get a prescription for Xanax from their doctor.  Some visit a local bar to drink whiskey until the anxiety goes away.   Some smoke crack or shoot heroin.   And in a few extreme cases, some take their own lives.

According to the National Health Service in England, they have seen a six-fold rise in prescriptions for Xanax, and a doubling of the use of Xanax by young people.  They are calling this an “epidemic of anxiety.”

That is why people look forward to Christmas.  The Price of Peace comes amid evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies.   Who could be anxious at a time like this?   Christmas is a wonderful time.   Jesus comes into our hearts.  God’s peace fills us.  Anxiety is no more. 

But, sadly, Christmas for many people no longer fills them with peace.    The reason for this is that more and more people have taken Jesus, the Prince of Peace out of Christmas.   They still enjoy the evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies.  But these things have no power to deal with our anxiety.  And without the Prince of Peace himself in our hearts, we are doomed to living anxious lives. 

For most of its history, the Christian Church did not celebrate Christmas.   Easter in our big holiday.  But in the late Middle Ages, the church began celebrating Christ’s birth to coincide with the Pagan Solstice celebration.   People could enjoy the evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies on the longest night of the year.  Then they would go to church and remember the birth of our Lord. 

The Protestant Reformers of the 16th Century abolished Christmas until they regained their senses and allowed the faithful to celebrate our Savior’s birth.  And gradually the evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies all made their way into churches.  As long as the center of the Christmas celebration was Jesus, the Prince of Peace, people would experience the peace of God in their lives.  But today people want evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies at Christmas, without Jesus.  And without the Prince of Peace, there is no peace only anxiety.   

So what are we to do?  How are we to find peace at Christmas.   Let’s turn to the world’s foremost authority on Christmas.   Maybe he knows what to do.   The world’s authority on Christmas is, of course, Saint Nicholas.   You may know him from the German pronunciation, Santa Clause.   Let’s check in with Old Saint Nick and find out how we can find peace at Christmas. 

I can’t vouch for the historical veracity of this story, but the church has been telling this story for a thousand years.   So here we go.

At the beginning of the 4th century, Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra.  He was summoned to Nicea for a council of bishops by order of Emperor Constantine.  While at the council Bishop Nicholas became enraged at the arguments of a scholar named Arius.  Arius argued the absurd idea that Jesus was not fully God.   Arius said that Jesus was less than God, just kinda like God.   Nicholas was so upset he went to the floor of the council and punched Arius in the nose.  The other bishops grabbed Nicholas and brought him before Constantine.

Constantine said that it was illegal for Nicholas to hit someone in the presence of the emperor.   But he allowed the other bishops to impose a sentence.   They removed Bishop Nicholas’ robes.   They put him in chains and threw him in the dungeon. 

While chained in the dungeon, Bishop Nicholas began to pray.  And as he prayed he received two visitors.   The first visitor was Jesus.   Jesus was bearing gifts.   He gave him four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the gospels.   The second visitor was Jesus’ mother, Mary.  She brought Nicholas a new bishop’s robe, possibly red with white trim. 

The next morning the bishops unlocked the dungeon.  They were shocked to see Nicholas free from his chains and dressed in the robe of the bishop.  They were convinced, by this miracle, that Nicholas was right in his argument with Arius. 
Jesus is fully God.   And Bishop Nicholas became Saint Nicholas.  He lives today on the North Pole and drives a reindeer sleigh bringing gifts to good children everywhere.

When Saint Nicholas was in that dungeon he must have experienced great anxiety.  But he received a full helping of God’s peace.   What did he do to bring peace into his heart?   He prayed. 

Prayer is our cure for anxiety.    When we pray God’s peace fills our hearts.  The Apostle Paul explained it this way.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.     

There have been recent mental health studies investigating the effect of prayer on anxiety.  The results have been mixed.   Sometimes prayer works and anxiety goes down.   Sometimes prayer doesn’t work.   A new study, published in the Sociology of Religion has taken this a step further.   “What they found was that those who prayed more frequently felt "a secure attachment to God." But those who thought God was distant and unresponsive were far more likely to show signs of anxiety-related disorders.”      So it is important to have a strong relationship with God so that when you pray God’s peace will fill your hearts.   This relationship with God requires regular prayer, Bible study, and worship. 

There is no reason for you to be anxious.  If you are anxious about anything offer it up to God in prayer.  Thank God for all the blessings you have received.   Your anxiety will go away.   Your heart will be filled with peace.  Peace does not come from evergreen trees, colored balls, bright lights, gifts, and cookies.   Peace comes from the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate at Christmas.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus come into our hearts today.   Purge our anxieties.  Fill us with God’s peace.  This we pray in your glorious name.   Amen.

Sermon Hebrews 6:19-20 “Hope”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Hebrews 6:19-20 “Hope”
December 2, 2018

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Today we begin a new church year.  The church year that begins today is divided into two broad seasons.   In the first season, we remember the events of Jesus’ life with Advent and Christmas when we remember the birth of Jesus.   It will continue through Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection in Epiphany, Lent, and Easter.   And the first broad season concludes on Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world. 

The second season of the church year is called “Ordinary Time.”   It not really ordinary.   Rather we talk about parts of the Bible that deal with things other than the important events of Jesus’ life.   So we begin today a journey through the church year.   We will get started, 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)

When I was in business in Washington DC I had to drive a lot to visit customers and talk to prospects.   Before I would drive to meet with someone I would call first and ask for directions.   I would be careful to write down landmarks that would guide me on my journey.  Then I would open an ADC map book for Metro Washington and would figure out my best route.   Then in the car, I would listen to the radio for traffic information so I could avoid congestion and accidents.

When I traveled away from Washington, I would go to AAA and get a triptik.  As a member of AAA, I would go to the office and tell them where I wanted to go.   They would bind together a series of printed maps which I could follow.
When I went to California to attend seminary I tried something new.  I went online to Yahoo Maps and searched for the best route from Washington DC to Pasadena California.  I noted each city on the journey at an about 500-mile interval.   Then I searched for and booked reservations at Hampton Inns every 500 miles or so across the country.   My final task was to print directions from Hampton Inn to Hampton Inn for each day of an eight-day journey.   With these maps and reservations, I was ready to go.

Today I use Google Maps on my Android phone.   I have each of you listed in my contact list.   So all I do is type in your name and a map from my location to your house pops us.   I then follow the map, using GPS, right to your front door.
Technology has changed how we journey from one place to another.  But one thing remains the same.   You must know where you are now and where you want to go. 

As Christians, we are on a journey.  We going places.   We do not stand still.   The starting point in our journey is to take a step of faith.  We see this in Mary’s story.

Luke 1:26 … God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

If Grace woke me up in the middle of the night, with the story of an angelic visitation, I would tell her to go back to sleep because it was just a dream.   But for Mary, the visit of the angel Gabriel was not a dream.  Gabriel told her an absolutely unbelievable story.  She, a virgin, would conceive.  Her baby will be the Son of God.  Who could believe that?   Mary did and she agreed to it.   Mary took a step of faith and began her spiritual journey.

That is where our Christian journey starts, faith.  We take a step in faith and our journey begins.  It might be that we go with a friend to a youth group outing.   Or maybe a coworker invites us to church.  Maybe a neighbor comes over to pray with us at the death of a loved one.  Maybe we see a preacher on Youtube who has something interesting to say.   These things happen all the time.   Your Christian journey starts with you saying yes to an invitation to attend a youth event or a church service or a prayer group or a Bible study.   You don’t know what will happen.  But you act in faith that God that wants you to take this first step.

So faith is where the Christian journey starts.  Like Mary, we respond to an invitation and take a step of faith.  This leads us to a question.  If faith is where we start, then where do we end up?   Where does our Christian journey end?    Our journey which begins in faith ends in hope.   Let’s go back to Mary.

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Hope is when we believe that God’s promises will be fulfilled.
Steve was just starting Middle School.   And made the soccer team.   This was the thrill of his young life.  It was what he always wanted.   He was so excited and asked Dad to come to his first game.   And he jumped for joy when Dad said, “Yes!”   But that afternoon when the game started Steve’s dad wasn’t there.  Steve was so disappointed.   He tried not to cry when his father came home.    His dad told him, “I had to work late.” 

The next game was scheduled for Friday night.  So on Monday at breakfast, Steve asked his father again to come.   And Dad said, “Yes, this time I’ll make it.”   Steve couldn’t wait to play in front of his father.  But when the game started, Dad was not there.   He had to work late again.
Steve had hoped that his father would keep his promise to come to his game.   But his father proved to be unfaithful.   And Steve said, “I hope my Dad will come, but he probably won’t.”

Hope is where we expect our desires and needs satisfied, and promises kept.  When someone makes us a promise we hope that it will be carried out.   We trust that the person making a promise is faithful.  If so then our hope is strong, built on confidence.  If not then our hope is weak, built on nothing.
We know what our hope is as Christians.   It is nothing less than eternal life in the resurrection.   This is the end of our journey.     But will we get there?   Is God faithful?   Will God keep his promises.  Let’s go back to Mary.

Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Mary certainly believed that God was faithful.    She was filled with confidence that God would fulfill his promises.  How could she be so sure?  Mary knew scripture.  In the Bible, God is faithful to God’s people.   By being familiar with Bible stories, Mary was able to recognize God at work in the world.   And when she recognized that it was God, the God of the Bible, who made promises to her she believed that those promises would be kept. 

That is why it is so important for you to study the Bible.   In the Bible, you will hear how God has acted in the world with his people for thousands of years.   Then when you see God acting in your world you will know that it is God.  And if that God makes you a promise you can have hope with confidence that that promise will be carried out.

We have been promised eternal life by Jesus.  This is our Christian hope.  Will Jesus carry out this promise?  Is Jesus faithful?   Is Jesus trustworthy?  The author of the Book of Hebrews certainly thinks so. 

Hebrews 6:13 When God made his promise to Abraham since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d] 15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

So God was certainly faithful to his promise to Abraham.   And we can believe that God will be faithful to us too.   And if God is faithful to us then our hope is justified.  We will be resurrected to new life.   And this hope is the foundation of our faith.

19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

The starting point of our Christian journey is a step of faith.   Our destination is hope in the promise of resurrection to eternal life.   We have confidence that Jesus will fulfill this promise because God has always been faithful to the promises he makes to his people.  So let’s enter these coordinates into our GPS:  Our current location is faith.  Our destination is our hope of eternal life through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.  Let’s get started on our Christian journey.  Let’s pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank you for the blessing of faith.   Bless us in our Christian journey from faith to eternal life.   Fill us with hope and the assurance of your faithfulness.   This we pray in name of Jesus, the anchor for our souls.  Amen.

Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful
November 25, 2018

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This morning we will be remembering all of the blessings that we have received in our lifetimes:  the blessings of our birth and loving parents, the blessing of our youth, education, and moral development, the blessings of our spouses, families, jobs and church, the blessings of retirement, travel, and lifelong friendships.  We have so much to be thankful for.  So God has given us this week to be thankful for all of our blessings.

Will you pray with me?  Father in heaven, we approach your throne this morning thankful for all you have done for us.  Purge from our minds the worries that often overwhelm us.  Help us to focus this week on all that you have provided for us, especially our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

If you are anything like me you worry most of the time.  I worry about the stock market going down and what is happening to my retirement funds.  I worry about my Dad getting older and how he will be cared for.  I worry about this church and the problems you face.  I worry, like so many others, about paying the bills each month.  Worry is a part of my life and I am sure that worry is a part of your lives too.

The Israelites were worried as they wandered in the wilderness.  Just a few days after God freed them from slavery in Egypt with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea they ran out of water.  Moses, who had been a shepherd in this desert for forty years, guided them to a watering hole, but the water was bitter and people were worried.  “O Moses, what have you done?  We had plenty of water in Egypt.  It would have been better to die there than die here in the desert of thirst.”  God knew they were worried so God led them to an area with twelve springs, one for each tribe. 

But a few days later the Israelites ran out of food.  They worried again.  “O Moses, what have you done?  We had plenty of food in Egypt.  It would have been better to die there with full stomachs that to die out here in the wilderness of hunger.”  God knew that they were worried so he rained down bread from heaven each morning and had quails fly by every evening so that the Israelites would never be hungry. 

You would think that with all these blessings from God the Israelites would never worry again.  After all time after time, God provided for them.  But when the spies returned from the Promised Land with a report that the people of Canaan were powerful, and descended from giants the Israelites were worried, really worried.  “O Moses, what have you done?  In Egypt, we weren’t facing slaughter.  It would have been better to remain, slaves, than to all be killed in this strange place.”  With that their God, who was slow to anger and abiding in steadfast love had enough.  God was ready to wipe out his people and start over.  But Moses intervened and reminded God of God’s love for God’s people.  So God relented, and permitted the Israelites to wander around the desert for forty years where they could worry all the time until a new generation, free from worry, could take what was being offered, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Worry is part of our lives.  We do it well because we practice it all the time.  We are worried about the economy and the values of our retirement investments and homes.  We are worried about keeping our jobs or finding a job.  We are worried about our health and what will happen to us as we age.  We are worried about our families and their future. 

The Christians of the Protestant Reformation were also filled with worry.  As William of Orange organized the rebel forces in the Netherlands to fight for political independence from Spain and religious independence from Rome the Reformed Christians worried about their churches, their country, and their lives.  They gathered into churches and confessed their faith which sustained them through these most dangerous times.  In the midst of their worry here is what they confessed.

“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens His will to make known; the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing, sing praises to His name; he forgets not His own.  Beside us to guide us our God with us joining, ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine; so from the beginning the fight we are winning; Thou, Lord wast at our side; all glory be Thine!  We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant, and pray that Thou still our defender wilt be, let thy congregation escape tribulation; thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!”

Whenever we are overwhelmed by worry there is a simple solution.  All we have to do is to turn to God with praise and thanksgiving.  By praising God our faith increases, which allows us to withstand anything that the world might throw at us.  We are able to face our worries with confidence only when we have first approached God in praise. 

And this brings us to this morning’s scripture and Jesus’ teachings on worry.

Matthew 6:25-33   25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  27 And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?  28 And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin,  29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.  30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?  31 Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?'  32 For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  33 But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

According to Jesus, the antidote for worrying all the time is service to others.  If we feed someone who is hungry today then we will not be worried about being hungry tomorrow.  If we clothe someone who is naked today then we will not be concerned with what we will wear tomorrow.  This is how the Kingdom of Heaven works.  God provides us with everything we need and all God asks us to do is to provide for the needs of others.  By caring for others we realize all the blessings that we have received and become a thankful people praising God in the highest.

Craig Barnes, the President of Princeton Seminary, tells a story about one Thanksgiving.  On Thanksgiving morning at about 11 AM while his family was preparing for a great feast the telephone rang.  It was a nurse at a local hospital saying that a member of his church was dying.  Craig was worried about the interruption this would cause in his family’s plans for the day.  He arrived at the hospital to find Jean, a seventy-eight-year-old member of the congregation surrounded by her family.  She had had another heart attack and was not expected to make it through the day.  Jean was about to die.  After Craig prayed with the family and read some scripture someone mentioned that it was sad for Jean to die on Thanksgiving.  But Jean replied that it was a glorious Thanksgiving because she would soon be with the Lord.  She then prayed for everyone in the room and then died.  While driving home Craig realized that Jean was a saint. She had taught Sunday School for thirty-five years until her eyesight failed and then settled into a ministry of prayer for others.  Jean had no worry about her fate because of her service to others in the kingdom.  She was grateful for all that God had done for her.  Craig arrived home just in time to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, but Jean was on his mind, and all he could say as he carved the bird was that this truly was a glorious Thanksgiving.

When we live lives of service to others we stop worrying about what the future will bring and become thankful people who praise God for our blessings.  As Christians, we are thankful for all the blessings God has provided for us:  the blue sky and bright sunshine, families coming together for the Thanksgiving feast, the food, water and clothing that our planet provides, and our saving faith in Jesus Christ.  All these and so much more have been provided to us by our loving God.  So we have come here today to thank God for all that God has done for us, to express our gratitude for all the blessings we have received, and to commit ourselves to lives of service to others.  As we gather together let's give our worries to God and be thankful for all the blessings we have received.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for all our blessings you provide for us.   We thank you especially for the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ, who gives us the promise of eternal life.  We confess that we worry when we should be thankful.   So help us to live lives of service so that we learn to be thankful for everything.   This we pray in Jesus’s name.   Amen.