Sermon Romans 12:4-6 “Spiritual Gifts

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Romans 12:4-6 “Spiritual Gifts
February 17, 2019

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I am continuing today with my sermon series drawn from Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.   We started last Fall, by looking at what we believe.   Since the beginning of the year, we have been looking at what we do as a result of what we believe.   So, what are some of the things we do? 

We worship, pray and study the Bible.   We have a single-minded focus on Jesus, submit to God’s will, and be part of a biblical community.  As we do these things we become more like Jesus.   Today we turn to another important biblical practice, discerning and using the Spiritual Gifts we receive from God.  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 are two kinds of gifts that we receive from God, physical gifts and spiritual gifts.   Physical gifts are things we see, touch, weigh, and measure.  God has given us hands and feet.  God has given us a world with ample food and water.   God has given us air to breathe.   All of these are physical gifts.

But what are spiritual gifts?   Suppose that this week your true love gave you a dozen roses for Valentine’s day.  These roses are physical gifts.  But the physical gift is not nearly as important as the spiritual gift of the love that motivated someone to give you a dozen roses.   Love is a spiritual gift from God.   It cannot be measured and weighed.   But it exists and we know it.

There are many spiritual gifts from God.   What we have to do is discern which gifts we have received and then use those gifts in service to God.

When I was a kid I took piano lessons.   I loved playing the piano.   I would play classical music and show tunes.  The themes from Exodus and Hello Dolly were my favorite.   But as I grew older I lost interest in music and stopped playing the piano.

Then as a young adult, I start playing again.   I relearned some of the classical music I played as a kid and I started playing hymns.  I loved it.   And I thought that God would use my music ability in the church.   I heard some wonderful musicians at my church I wanted to do what they did.   So I signed up for piano lessons.   The wife of the Director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington was a piano teacher.   She taught from a concert Bosendorfer piano in a special room she added to her house.   I went there weekly, and I practiced every day.  I got better, but never good enough.   I realized that even if I practiced for hours every day I could never get to the point where I felt comfortable performing in church.

I had the desire to play the piano, but I did not have the spiritual gift for music.  Jenny on the other hand does.  I am certain that Jen practices a lot.   But she also has a spiritual gift from God that allows her to play the piano as an act of worship and through her playing, all of us can worship through singing. 

 Jenny has both recognized her spiritual gift of music and uses this gift in service to God by playing the piano for this church.

Ken has another spiritual gift.  His gift is teaching.   He has the God-given ability to teach people how to sing and play bells.   And now he is working with the youth teaching them to play instruments for a praise band.  Ken has discerned his gift for teaching music and is using this gift in service to God right here at New Covenant Church.

And this brings us to today scripture.

Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

I discerned that I did not have the gift of music, and could not use music in service to God.  So I started to look for other gifts I might have and how I could serve.   I took a Bethel class at National Presbyterian Church.    I watch my teacher, Jennifer Walter, very carefully.   I admired the ease with which she presented the lesson.  She clearly had a gift for teaching the Bible.   And I thought that I might have this spiritual gift too.

In order to discern if God had provided me with the gift of being able to teach the Bible, I got involved in a Bethel teacher class with my pastor.   I studied as much as I could about techniques for teaching scripture.   And I could test out some of these techniques as a Bethel teacher at the church.   Though all of this I was able to discern that I did have the spiritual gift of being able to teach the Bible.   And I have used this gift in God’s service as a Bible teacher and as a pastor. 

There are many people in the Bible who had received spiritual gifts from God.  When the Israelites were wandering in the desert they needed a tent where Moses could talk with God.   They needed people with spiritual gifts who could design and build an appropriate tabernacle for the presence of God.    Here are the people who applied for these jobs.

Exodus35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

So God provided the Israelites with people with the spiritual gifts they needed.  Bezalel and Oholiab were both given the spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to design and build a beautiful tabernacle for God.   These same gifts were given to New Covenant Church as evidenced by the beautiful banner adorning our northern wall. 

Jesus knew that the church would need spiritual gifts.  And he promised to send his Spirit to the church to equip us with the gifts we need.

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

And Jesus kept his promise.  He sent his Spirit and equipped his church.

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Acts2:17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women,  I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below,  blood and fire and billows of smoke.  20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]

So the promise of the prophet Joel and realized on Pentecost was that the church would receive the gifts of prophecy, visions, and dreams.

Some of you may have these gifts.   You may have other gifts.  What’s important is that you discern which gifts God has given you, that you nurture those gifts and use them in service to God.  The Apostle Peter put it this way.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

God had given each of us spiritual gifts.  We are to discern which gifts we have received.   We are to nurture these gifts in love and use them in service to others.   This biblical practice, discerning and using spiritual gifts, will make us more and more like Jesus.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to know the spiritual gifts you have given us.    Guide us as we develop these gifts and use them to bless others.   This we pray in your son’s name.   Amen.   

Sermon Acts 2:44-47 “Biblical Community”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Acts 2:44-47 “Biblical Community”
February 10, 2019

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We have been looking at spiritual practices which bring us closer to God and make us more like Jesus.   Worship, prayer, Bible Study, a single-minded focus on Jesus, and submission to God’s will are all crucial to your spiritual development.   Today we turn to another important spiritual practice, Biblical Community.    We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

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

The New Testament was written in Greek.   And it uses a particular Greek word over and over again.   This word is “koinonia”. 

There is no word in English that means the same thing as “koinonia”.   So translators have some difficulty.    Most translate “koinonia” as “community” or “fellowship”.   But translations cannot tell you what “koinonia” means without some additional explanation.

“Koinonia” has three aspects.   First, it is a group of people who come together to form a community or fellowship.  Second, these people share their resources.  And third, they have a mutual interest.   So, “Koinonia” is a group of people who come together to share their resources to accomplish mutual interests. 
The most common “koinonia” is marriage.   A husband and wife join together in marriage.  They share everything they have.   And they mutual interests such as raising a family. 

Our God is “koinonia”.   When we began the Believe series we asked: “Who is the God we worship?”  We worship one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a “koinonia”.  They come together as one God.   They share all their knowledge and power.  And their mutual interest is to love their creation.
Humans were created in the image of this God.   So we were created with the need to be in “koinonia”.    When God created the first man, Adam, he said, Genesis 2:8 ... “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 

It is not good for us to be alone either.  We were created to be in “koinonia”,  a community which shares its resources and has mutual interests.   We can satisfy our need in for “koinonia” many ways.   We can get married.   We can join clubs, associations, fraternal organizations.   Any of these can be “koinonia” if people gather together, share their resources and have mutual interests.

The New Testament is very clear that the church is to be a “koinonia”.  We gather together for worship, prayer, Bible study, service to ourselves and others, and care for our buildings and grounds.   We share our resources through gifts, tithes, and offerings.   And we have the mutual interest of bringing the people of Middletown to Christ. 

So, what are some of the ways that we have been a “koinonia” this week?  Last Friday we comforted Norma who lost her husband and offered food and transportation.  We took Craig for his colonoscopy.   On Tuesday morning we talked about biblical community and prayed for the church.   We practiced singing and playing bells for worship.   We talked about lights and signs for our new entrance.  We put up some wind flag to mark the entrance.  We cleaned the sanctuary.  We make bulletins and slides for worship.   We come together, share our time and money, and have the mutual interest of advancing the kingdom of God here in Middletown. 

And this brings us to today’s scripture.

Acts 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is the “koinonia” of the early church.   They gathered together to remember what Jesus said and did.   They broke bread and drank wine together as Jesus commanded them in his memory.   They shared their resources with each other taking care of each other’s needs.   They also took care of the people in the community.   They were sincere in their faith and happy.   They praised God for their blessings.  And it should not be surprising that almost everyone wanted to join them.  I would.   Wouldn’t you?

So why are people not banging down our doors to be part of our “koinonia” here a New Covenant Church?   Are we caring for anyone with a need?   Are we sharing our resources sufficiently so that we can respond to needs?  Do we have glad and sincere hearts?   We must be missing something. 

Let’s take a closer look at what was happening in the “koinonia” of the early church.

Acts 9:36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

Tabitha had the reputation of caring for people.   This was the reputation of the early Christians.   Everyone thought of Christians as people who were always doing good for others.   They fed the hungry.   They clothed the naked.   They cared for the sick, the widows and the orphans.   And everyone in the community knew that if you had a problem find a Christian to help you.

Evidently, everyone in the community depended on Tabitha.   So when she got sick everyone was concerned.  And when she died everyone grieved.

37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Tabitha had cared for others.   And now in her death, everyone wanted to care for her.  The washed her, placed her in a bedroom, and called for an apostle to come.

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

So we see Tabitha’s ministry.   She cared for the widows.  She made clothes for them.  These were destitute women with no husbands and no sons to care for them.   They could not own land or businesses.   So their only hope was to find a Christian who cared.   The widows found Tabitha who used the resources of the “koinonia” to care for them.   And so they grieved Tabitha’s death because they lost this good friend.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.

Not only were the early Christian able to care for others with their own resources they were also empowered by the Holy Spirit to care for people in extraordinary ways.   The Apostle Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit to raise Tabitha from the dead. 

What if we cared for people in Middletown the way Tabitha cared for people in Joppa?  What if we were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things?   What would happen here in Middletown?   Well, here is what happened in Joppa.

42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

What if New Covenant Church had the reputation that we really cared for the people of Middletown?    What if we made sure that whatever people needed, a meal, a warm place to stay, clothes for the kids,  an ear to listen to problems?  What would happen to our church if this was our reputation?  People would want to be part of our “koinonia”.   They would join with us.   They would share their resources.   And they would join us in our mutual interests of praising God and serving God’s kingdom by caring for people.

So I urge you to continue being a “koinonia” for Middletown.  Care for people.  Meet their needs.   Feed the hungry.   Find warm places for people to stay.   Provide clothes for children to wear in school.  And invite people to join with us in this “koinonia” where we share our resources and have a mutual interest in following and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Let’s pray.   Father in heaven we thank you for Rev. Burkley and his work in starting the “koinonia” in Middletown.   We thank you for our desire to care for one another and the people of our community.   Help us to see the needs of people in this community and give us the resources to meet those needs.   We thank you for our partnerships with Our Daily Bread, Neighborhood House, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A and Compassion International.  And bless us Lord with people who want to be part of our “koinonia” which we call New Covenant Church.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.   Amen.

Sermon Romans 12:1 “Total Surrender”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Romans 12:1 “Total Surrender”
February 3, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices.   These are things that we do to become more like Jesus.  So we worship, pray, study the Bible, and single-mindedly follow Jesus.  As we do these things the Holy Spirit works within us to transform us into what God created us to be.

Today we turn to another spiritual practice, Total Surrender.   The idea here is that we dedicate our lives not to our own purposes but to God’s purposes.  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)

When we pray the Lord’s prayer we say these words, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”   This means that we want God’s will, not our will, but God’s will to prevail on earth.   And so we surrender our free will and pledge to do whatever God wants us to do.

Jesus put it this way, Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

The first Christian martyr, Stephen, said this as he was losing his life for Jesus,

Acts 7:54 “When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ...

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen, and all the Christian martyrs who followed him gave up their lives to follow Jesus.    They surrendered everything so that God’s will be done.

Whenever we make major decisions in our lives we must surrender our will and follow God’s will.   We have to discern God’s will through worship, prayer, and Bible study.   Once we know the character of God and what God has done in the past then we will know what God wants done now.   And we are to choose to follow God’s will over our own.

Let’s take a look at one of the most important decisions a person will ever make, and try to discern God’s will in this matter.    The important decision we will look at is whether or not someone should abort a unborn child.

Abortion is legal in every state. In 1973 the Supreme Court found an implied right of privacy in the Constitution and ruled that a woman could choose to abort a child growing within her.   This decision was and remains very controversial.   One side focuses on the mother, and the choice she can make.   The other side focuses on the child and the life that is lost.     We are divided between pro-choice and pro-life positions.

The standard that was set in 1973 was that a child could be aborted only if it was not viable.   Viability means that the child could live independently outside of the mother.    If a child could live outside of the mother then the abortion is prohibited.   This was the law in all 50 states.

But this week the law changed in New York.  New York was the first state to remove the viability standard.  Now an abortion can occur in New York right up to the time of birth for any reason.  Rhode Island and Virginia are considering similar laws.   And the Governor of Virginia suggested this week that a child could be aborted shortly after birth if a woman and her doctor so choose.
We know that it is the will of many people to abort children before they are born.   Thankfully it is the will of most people that a child be allowed birth.

 State law gives us this right to choose according to our own will.   But as Christians, we are to surrender our will and accept God’s will when we are making important decisions.   So what is God’s will for a child not yet born?

Let’s turn to the Law of Moses and see what God has to say.  Exodus 21 “22 If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

Abortion is a clear violation of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.”  And the punishment for it is proportional to harm caused to the unborn child.
A child growing in a mother’s womb is a creation of God.   We read this in Job 31:13 “Did not he who made me in the womb make them?  Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?”

A child is created in the image of God.  We read this in Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

God cares for children before they are born.  We read this is Psalm 139, “13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.  15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God designed each child.   We read this is Exodus 4  “11 The Lord said to him (Moses) , “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
We have a wonderful story at the beginning of Luke’s gospel about a meeting between two pregnant women.   Here is what happened:

Luke 1:39 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!”

The child in Elizabeth’s womb recognized that he was in the presence of Jesus and was able to receive the Holy Spirit.   And so children are able to worship even before birth.

And this brings us to today’s scripture, Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
When a woman is pregnant she is offering her body as a living sacrifice to bring new life into the world.   She is to bring her child into the world through birth and nurture it in the faith because this is holy and pleasing to God.

Let me tell you a story about a woman who led a life holy and pleasing to God.

 Agnes lost her father at 9 years old.   But her relationship with Jesus sustained her and at age 12, over her mother’s objections, she entered religious life as a nun.  Agnes felt God’s call to go to India to serve the poorest of the poor.   By the time Agnes died at 87 she had started over 600 homeless shelters, orphanages, AIDS hospices, leprosy clinics and homes for single mothers in over 130 countries.   In 1999, Gallup called her one of the most highly admired people of the 20th century.  You know Agnes by her religious name, Mother Teresa.

The spiritual practice of Total Surrender means that we surrender our free will and follow God’s will in every important decision we make.   We discern God’s will in our lives through worship, Bible study, prayer, and single-minded focus on Jesus.  Once we discern God’s will for a particular decision we surrender our own wills and follow God’s will.  We make a spiritual sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for designing us and caring for us in the womb.   We thank you for birth and for those who nurtured us in the faith.   Help us to always seek to know your will for every important decision in our lives.   And help us to surrender our will and follow your will in everything we do.   This we pray in Jesus’s name.   Amen.

Sermon Matthew 6:33 “Single-Mindedness”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Matthew 6:33 “Single-Mindedness”
January 27, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices.  These are things we do which help us to grow spiritually.   We become more and more like Jesus.   So far we have looked at three very important spiritual practices, worship, prayer, and Bible study.  These are all things you can do by yourselves, in small groups or here at church.   And you must do all of these.   You worship God by attributing supreme worth to him.  You pray, talking to God like you would a friend.   And as you study the Bible the Holy Spirit works in you.  So worship, prayer, and Bible study must be the starting point of your spiritual transformation.  Today we turn to a spiritual practice that will take you to the next level.     This is “Single-Mindedness.  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)

In the ancient world, their worst nightmare was to be on the water, alone and in the dark.   They had no radio, no radar, no GPS, no clock and sextant, nothing that would allow them to navigate on the sea.   They had to keep within sight of the shore.  If they were blown by the wind out past the horizon they were doomed.   And if it was dark they had no way of getting home.   This fear of water can clearly be seen in the second verse of the Bible.  Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep”. 

 Being alone on the sea in the dark was frightening.  And their worst fears were realized when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and the Lord said, 

Genesis 6:7 ...“I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 

The people had stopped following God.   They had gone their own way abandoning their own creator, except for Noah, a righteous man who walked with God.   Noah followed God.  He obediently built a boat.   And his family was saved from the flood. 

This is an important principle.   If we single-mindedly focus on Jesus then he will save us from what we fear.    We have to focus on Jesus when we make decisions.   We have to focus on Jesus when we set priorities.  We have to focus on Jesus in everything we do.  And Jesus will save us from our fears.
Jonah had a problem with this.   He knew the God was sending him as a missionary to Nineveh, the capital city of the hated enemy, the Assyrians.   Jonah did not want this calling.   So he decided to ignore God and go the other way. 

 And Jonah experienced an even greater fear, the sea. 

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.  4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

So Jonah took his eyes off God.    He did not focus on God in making decisions and setting priorities.  He did not consider God in everything that he did and so he suffered the consequences.

The world was created by God.   If we focus single-mindedly on God in making our decisions and setting priorities, and in everything we do, then God will bless us.   But if we turn our backs on God and go our own way then we will, like Jonah, suffer the consequences. 

So if Jonah had focused on God, what would have happened?   Would God have saved him from the violent storm?   Or would he still be tossed into the sea?   Consider this story of some men who focused on God in the midst of a storm.

Matthew 4:37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Jonah took his eyes off God and was tossed off a boat into the sea during a violent storm.   But the disciples focused on Jesus during a storm and the winds were still.  If we focus single-mindedly on Jesus in everything we do, in all our priorities and decisions the storms of our lives will be calmed and we will live in peace.

Of course, we all have many worries in our lives.   We worry about aging and health.   We worry about jobs and finances.  We worry about families and the church.   We worry about lots of things.   But if we focus single-mindedly on Jesus our worries go away.  Jesus put it this way:

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

So Jesus does not want us to worry.   He wants us to be confident and enjoy the life he has given us.  And so he points out the obvious fact that human beings are the only things in all creation that worry.    And Jesus gives us some practical advice to keep from worrying.  Here is what he said:

Matthew 6:33  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

The vaccine for worry is to single-mindedly focus on Jesus.   We make Jesus Lord of our lives.   In worship, prayer, and Bible study we find out what Jesus wants us to do.  And we do it.   And the benefit of following Jesus and doing what he wants you to do is that you will be freed from worry. 
We see a wonderful example of this in the Book of Acts

Acts 27:27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[a] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[b] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[c] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

Paul was a prisoner on a ship on his way to Rome.   The winds were against them.  The crew worried that they would sink.   But Paul was able through worship, prayer, and Bible study to know the will of God.   And he sensed that God wanted them to stay on the boat.   The crew obeyed Jesus and followed him as lord.  Then Paul led them in worship.

Acts 27:33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

So they engaged in worship through the bread of communion.   They gave thanks to God and ate the nourishing food representing the body of Christ.   Through this, Paul knew that their worries would go away.   The next morning, with God’s help they avoided the rocks and the boat landed on a gentle sandbar.   All passengers were able to get to land safely.  God had saved them.

So if we keep our focus always on Jesus.   If we single-mindedly focus on Jesus in every decision we make, in every priority we set, in everything we do, then we have nothing to worry about.  The storms of life will pass over us.  We will find ourselves on a sandy shore.   

Jonah had lost his focus on God and was tossed into the sea.   So God sent a fish to swallow Jonah.  And in the belly of the fish, Jonah had three days to think about his relationship with God.   Jonah decided that he would obediently follow God in making decisions, in setting priorities, and in everything he did.   And he prayed to his creator.

Jonah 2:3 You hurled me into the depths,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

7 “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

So if you are worried about anything just be single-minded, focus on Jesus in every decision you make, in every priority you set, and in everything you do.   God will save you from all your worries.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, help us to focus our minds on you continually.   Help us to single-mindedly focus on you in every decision we make, in all the priorities we set, and in everything we do.   As we follow you through the storms of life banish all our worries.   This we pray in your glorious name.   Amen.