Sermon Proverbs 14:29 “Patience”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Proverbs 14:29 “Patience” 
March 24, 2019

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Today we begin the third phase of our discipleship program called “Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.”   Last fall we went through the first phase and asked the question, “What do we believe?”.   The Bible answered our question and told us that we believe in our one, triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.   This God is revealed to us in scripture and proclaimed by the church. 

Then over the winter, we asked the question, “What should we do as a result of what we believe?”.   In the Bible, we found spiritual practices.  These include worship, prayer, Bible study, surrender to God’s will with the help of a biblical community,  giving our resources and sharing our faith.   If you missed any of my sermons on what we believe or what we do, based on our beliefs, just go to the Sermons tab of the church website.   Press the Archive button and you will be able to read or hear any of these past sermons.

Today we move to the third stage of the Believe series.   We will now ask the question, “What will we become as a result of what we believe and what we do?”.   We will be looking at the Christian virtues we develop as a result of our biblical faith and spiritual practices.  The first Christian virtue we will look at is “patience.”   And thank you for your great patience as I finish this long introduction.   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)

Proverbs 14:29 Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

It shouldn’t be too hard to think of things that make you impatient.    The other day I was picking up the two girls, who are living with us, from Red Lion School.   I drove down Wrangle Hill Rd and turned left on Route 71.   I was just a couple of minutes from arriving at the school when I saw a line of brake lights immediately ahead of me.   Up ahead I saw the flashing railroad signal and a train crossing the road.   These trains are usually pretty short so I didn’t expect a long wait.   But then I saw the problem.   The train wasn’t moving.  The train that blocked Route 71 was stopped.   I didn’t know how long I would have to wait.  I lost my patience.

So I pulled out my phone and loaded Google Maps.   I searched for a way to get around the train.   I decided to turn left on County Road, drive under the railroad bridge and drive all the way to Old Porter Road and then backtrack to Route 71 and the school.  This took about 10 minutes.  I got to school on time.   But as I turned into the school I saw that the train was gone, and traffic was moving.  If I had just a little more patient I would have arrived at school on-time without the aggravation and extra driving. 

Patience is a virtue.   You develop it with spiritual practices built on faith.
What is patience?   Patience is when you are slow to anger.   You have a long long fuse that burns slowly before you erupt in rage.   Being slow to anger is a characteristic of God.   We have patience because we are created in God’s image.   We become impatient because of sin.   But we can regain patience through our faith and spiritual practices.

Related to patience is another biblical word, “perseverance”.    What is “perseverance”?   Perseverance refers to our ability to withstand heavy burdens over a long period of time.   My mother was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis as a young woman.  She suffered from chronic joint pain for forty years.    But she was able to bear this with her faith in God and spiritual practices of daily prayer and regular attendance at worship.   So, as a result of our faith and spiritual practices, we develop patience and perseverance.

The Apostle Paul talked about this with the church at Ephesus.    Here is what he said:

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Paul is telling us that patience is a Christian virtue along with humility, gentleness, and love.   Christians are to be slow to anger and endure patiently. 

 Let’s take a look at a biblical story of patience and perseverance.

Genesis 15:2 Abram said, “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”

Abram and his wife Sarai have been bearing this burden for a long time.   They had been richly blessed by God in every way but children.   And as they got older their fuse got shorter and shorter.   Abram was on the verge of getting angry with God.

We know what Abram was going through.   We pray and pray and pray for a specific blessing and it doesn’t happen.   We bear our burdens.   We try to be slow to anger.   But the longer we wait, the angrier we get.

But Abram did the right thing.   As he approached the end of his rope Abram turned to God in prayer.   And God spoke to him.

4… “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

God has assured Abram that if he is patient and continues to persevere the blessings are his.    And then we are told,

6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

So if we trust God our patience and perseverance will be rewarded.   But when?   How long do we have to wait?  Abram and Sarai waited for ten years!  And after a decade had passed their patience ran out.  The took the matter into their own hands and looked for the quick fix.

Genesis 16:3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

I bet we can all find flaws in this strategy.    Sleeping with his slave doesn’t seem like the right way to do this.   And this does place Saria under a burden she could not withstand.

5 Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.”

So Sarai and Abram have lost their patience and have a burden they cannot bear.   Then God came to Abram and said this:

17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

God can’t be serious.   Can he?  This must be a joke.  Abram certainly thought so.

17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Abram, now Abraham, the father of many nations, thought that this was a joke.   But it wasn’t.   The burdens that Abraham and Sarah had endured had been part of God’s plan.   And God was faithful to his promises.  Their burden was lifted.   Sarah bore a son, Isaac.

In America today we are told that we can have anything we want, right now.   We can get a credit card and go to Amazon a buy anything.   We can satisfy any desire instantly.   But the result is that we bear an ever-increasing burden of debt.  And eventually, this burden will become too much for us to bear.  When that happens our patience will run out.  Wouldn’t it be better to follow this basic biblical wisdom?

Ecclesiastes 7:8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

As we mature in Christ we must avoid quick fixes, become more patient, and persevere until we receive God’s blessings in abundance. 

The next time you are about to angry, try this.   Put a spiritual thermometer under your tongue.   As see how long it take for you to get really angry.    If you get angry quickly you are lacking the Christian virtue of patience.  If you are slow to anger then God is transforming you making you more and more patient. 

Two and a half years ago you said goodbye to a beloved pastor, the Rev, Dr. Scott Burley, Pastor Emeritus,  who had started this church and served it faithfully for over twenty years.  Your session then looked for an interim pastor to guide you through this transition.   I arrived two years ago.   In the last two years, we have grown in faith and maintained spiritual practices.   We have become more patient.  And now our patience is being rewarded.

On the first Sunday after Easter, we will welcome into this pulpit, the Rev.
Dr. Carol Fisher.  Then the congregation will receive the unanimous recommendation of your Pastor Search Committee and Session that Rev. Fisher be called as pastor for this church.  The burden of this transition is about to be lifted.   Your patience is about to be rewarded.   God is ready to bless you with a new pastor.

Remember that patience is developed through spiritual practices.   So to become more patient engage in prayer, Bible study, worship,  offering your time and resources within a biblical community, and sharing your faith with others.   And your patience will be rewarded.   Your burdens will be lifted.   You will be blessed by God.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, it is so hard to be patient.  We want to be satisfied right now. 
 But know that you have a plan for our lives and a plan for our church.   So bless us with patience so that we can wait, bearing our burdens, until we receive your bountiful blessings.   This we pray in the name of your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.   Amen.

Sermon Ephesians 6:19-20 “Sharing My Faith”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Ephesians 6:19-20 “Sharing My Faith”
March 10, 2019

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Today is the first Sunday in the season of Lent.   Lent is a 40 day period, excluding Sundays, that begins on Ash Wednesday and continues into Holy Week.   We prepare ourselves during Lent for the death of Jesus.   Sundays are excluded from Lent because Sunday is always a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.   The early church used Lent as a time of preparation when people would learn about Jesus leading to their baptisms on Easter.

We are continuing our look at Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.  We started this series last Fall when we looked at what we believe, the content of our faith.   This winter we have been looking at what we do as a result of what we believe, spiritual practices. 

Next week I will be on study leave.  Mark Hetterly will be in this pulpit.   In two weeks I will return and we will begin the third stage of the Believe series.   We will look at what we become as a result of what we believe and what we do.   We will be looking at Christian virtues we develop as we become more like Jesus.

Today we will look at the final spiritual practice in the Believe series, “Sharing My Faith”.  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 Psalmist asked a very important question,  Psalm 8:4 “what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”   What are human beings?  This is a fundamental question we all face and how we answer it affects how we think about the world we live in.

One thing that is beyond dispute is that human beings are troubled.   We are all mortal and face death.  We remember our dear friend Clinton Dunn who died last month.   We are all subject to disease.   Alex Trebek, the host of the tv show Jeopardy, was just diagnosed with 4th stage pancreatic cancer.   We suffer from violence.   Murders in New York City are up 30% since the first of the year.   We suffer economic shortages in a world of plenty.  And every Sunday there is a long list of suffering we pray over in worship. 

Why do human beings suffer?  In America today there are two answers to this question.   Let’s look at these.

One view, that is increasingly popular in America, is that we suffer because we are victims of injustice and bigotry.   We see women getting paid less than men and say that they are suffering from centuries of male preference.   We see black men in prison and say that they are victims of slavery and Jim Crow laws which enforced white privilege.  We see discrimination against transgendered men and women and say that this is due to continuing fear of changing sexual practices.    In this view, we are all victims. 

So being a victim is one explanation for why we experience troubles.    There is another view, which I would call a biblical view.

In the biblical view, we are not victims of injustice and bigotry.   Rather, we are sinners.   We refuse to follow God and have been doing this as far back as our earliest ancestors.    As a result of sin, we experience death, disease, violence and economic scarcity. 

So there are two world views to explain our troubles, either we are victims or we are sinners. 

Both world views suggest solutions to our problems.    Those who believe that we are victims of injustice and bigotry say that the solution is political power.   If we elect the right people to political office they will deal effectively with the injustice and bigotry.   That is one solution.  Here is the other.  Those who believe that we are sinners say that the solution is a savior.   If we accept Jesus Christ as Lord then Jesus will deal with sin and its consequence. 

So, which of these theories best fit the world we live in?   Which one is true?   Are we victims or sinners?   The best test would be to see which one best helps to bring people out of trouble. 

Have you ever heard anyone who claims to be a victim of injustice and bigotry say that they are now no longer a victim because of the action of a political leader?   I don’t hear it.    I have heard in every election cycle since I have been an adult that certain groups are still victims of injustice and bigotry regardless of who gets elected and what policies they enact.   Even today  I hear that people in certain groups are still victims.   Electing the “right” political leader seems to have little or no effect.

Now, what about those who consider sin to be a problem?   Have you ever heard someone say that they were troubled by sin, but when Jesus entered their hearts, they experienced transformation to new life?   Of course!   We hear this all the time when Christians give their testimonies.   There is a book in the back of the sanctuary which has all of your stories of transformation. 

So which one of these world views is true.   I think it is clear that the biblical worldview, that we are sinners in need of a savior, is true because we have experienced the transformation that comes from a life where Jesus is Lord and Savior.

We believe in the biblical world view.   But there are many people in our community, in our families, where we work, in the MOT retirement center, in our restaurants, and in our stores who believe that they are victims without hope of transformation.    So, what would be the kind thing to do for them?   What could we say or do to help them find the transformation to new life in Jesus Christ? 
Well, we could share our stories.  We could tell people we meet about what Jesus has done for us.   We could share our testimony.   This would be the kind thing to do.    It would give people a new way to think and a solution to their trouble.  Just tell people what Christ has done for you.

If you are having trouble knowing what to say I urge you to speak with Nancy Carol Willis.   She is a professional writer and will help you to express your love for Jesus.   Once you have the words and develop the skill to share your testimony, talking to others about your relationship with Jesus will be easy. 
We hear the Apostle Paul talk about this in his letter to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

The spiritual practice of “Sharing My Faith” means that we fearlessly share our testimony about what Jesus has done for us.    All we have to do is be kind and engage in conversations with people we meet.   We don’t have to worry about what to say.   God will give us the words.   All we have to do is tell people about what Jesus has done for us.   God takes it the rest of the way.   Listen to this example from the Apostle Paul.

Acts 22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.”

2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul!
Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.

10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.

12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

This is called evangelism.    We share our story with others.  Notice that evangelism is not the same as church growth, but they are related.   Church growth requires that you knock on doors, or pass out fliers, or pay for advertising that will entice people to come to church.    These are all ways of getting people who already know Christ to come to our church.   But evangelism is being willing to talk to people who believe that they are victims of injustice and bigotry.    We share our stories about our savior who has transformed our lives.
Humankind suffers from all kinds of problems.   It is tempting to think that these problems are caused by injustice and bigotry, and we are victims.   This is false. 

  Our problems are caused by sin and we need a savior.    We know this because Jesus is that savior and he has given us new life.   We share our stories of new life with those who still believe that they are victims.   We invite them into a relationship with our savior Jesus Christ.   This is the spiritual practice of sharing your faith.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for all that you have done for us.   We thank you for the transformation to new life we have experienced.   Give us opportunities to share our stories about the benefits of having you in our lives.    This we pray in your glorious name.   Amen.

Sermon 2 Corinthians 8:7 “Giving My Resource”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon 2 Corinthians 8:7 “Giving My Resource”
March 3, 2019

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We are continuing our look at spiritual practices which as we do them will make us more and more like Jesus.  Last week we talked about our time and how that could be used for God’s purposes.   Today we will talk about our money and how that too should be used for 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)

Our scripture today comes from 2 Corinthians 8:7  “But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
“Grace of giving.”   What could this be?

The word “grace”  has to do with giving or receiving an unmerited favor.   Grace is a characteristic of God.   God gives us blessings we do not deserve.

      Many Christians have a much too narrow view of God’s grace.  They believe that Jesus graciously gave up his life on the cross for us so that we would receive by this grace forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life.   This is absolutely true.   You can count on it.   But God’s grace is so much bigger than this.

Consider that God gave you a brand new day this morning.  Did you make the sun rise?  What did you do to earn this day?  How much do you think this day is worth? God created this day and God graciously gave it to you. 

Consider the family that God gave you.   God placed you with your parents.   God brought you and your spouse together.   God blesses families with children.   How much is family worth to you?   Do you have enough money to pay God what your family is worth?  Thankfully God has graciously given you your family.

Consider the job you work.   Who gave you the abilities and talents to do what needs to be done?   Who brought you and the perfect job together?   God graciously gives us our talents and abilities.   How much are these worth to you?   How much are your student loans to God?  Thankfully any debt we may owe to God is paid in full by Jesus Christ.

So if by God’s grace we are constantly blessed what should be our response?   Bethel folks, “We are blessed to be a  … ? 
We are created in the image of God.   So if a characteristic of God is to graciously bless us then we should gracious bless others.   Right?

So what does “grace of giving” mean?   It just means that we are to graciously give from our resources as a blessing to others just as God has blessed us.

While on his third missionary journey, the Apostle Paul heard that the church in Jerusalem was struggling.   He was in Macedonia, so he asked the Macedonian churches to share their resources.   Then he wrote, to a wealthier church in Corinth and asked them to do the same, not out of some obligation, but in gratitude for all the blessings they had received from God.  Here is what Paul wrote.

2 Corinthians 8:1 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

So the Macedonian churches were very poor.   They were just fisherman.   And they are suffering some kind of intense trial.   You wouldn’t think that they would be able to give much for the Jerusalem church.   But they did.  They gave more than they could really afford because of the great joy their gracious God has given them.   Filled with joy they gave more and more.

  Paul then sent Titus to Corinth to ask them to give for the Jerusalem church.  Corinth was a much more substantial church.   It was on a major crossroads between the shipping routes east and west.    And so the Corinthian church could be expected to give far more than the Macedonian churches could. 

 Here is the message Titus took from Paul to Corinth.

7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

Paul wants the Corinthian church to give not out of compulsion but out of a desire to be generous and helpful because that is what Jesus did.   So if we want to be more like Jesus we too should give out of our generous hearts.  Notice that Paul is not asking for something extraordinary.    He simply wants them to give an amount proportional to the blessings they had received from God.  And all of this is a form of insurance.   If all Christians are generous then no one would ever suffer from financial difficulties.

Let me tell you an old story.   There was once a church in a growing affluent community.   Everyone in this church had a nice house.   Everyone drove a nice car.   No one suffered from extreme poverty. 
One day Mary got in her car and turned the key.  She heard a horrible noise coming from under the hood.   And the car would not start.   So the car was towed over to Big Al’s Car Repair.   Big Al looked at the car and said that he could fix it, but it would be expensive and the car was just not worth the repair.  So Mary went out and bought a brand new car and she was so happy.   It cost almost $30K, but Mary could afford that.

The next Sunday Mary drove the new car to church.    Everyone was so impressed.   They really liked the color and the leather interior and the new car smell.   Everyone agreed that Mary had made a good choice.

That Sunday the preacher talked about using our resources for God’s purposes.   Mary loved the sermon.

Immediately after worship, the church had a special meeting.   Mary attended as she always did.   The pastor told the church that the road construction in front of the church was almost done and the church has a new entrance.   The pastor said that the entrance was too dark at night and the church really needed a new sign and additional parking lot lighting.   He said that the cost of doing these things was about the same as the cost of Mary’s new car.   And he urged the church to buy a sign and lights as soon as possible. 

Mary wasn’t sure how to respond.   The church had so many needs.   And the church budget couldn’t support everything.   But she also realized that the pastor was right a new sign and parking lot lights were really needed.   What should Mary do?  What should the church do?

Of course, this is not some old story about a church far away.   This is the story of us.   We are the ones who have no problem buying a new car, or taking a long vacation, or doing expensive home improvements.   But our church struggles with extreme poverty unable to buy a new shed for the mowers, unable to resurface the parking lot, unable to buy new parking lot lights and a new sign, unable to build a much-needed sanctuary.  So what’s wrong?   Why is a church of affluent Americans having financial difficulties unable to make the capital improvements we desperately need?  It must be because we do not do the spiritual practice of giving my resources.

Paul encouraged the Corinthian church to give with these words.

9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

So the spiritual practice of Giving My Resources means that we give to bless others just as God blesses us.   And as we bless others with our giving the promise is that God will bless us even more.

So if we all increase our giving right now then we could easily afford to put up a new sign and lights in the parking lot.   We can resurface and stripe the old parking lot.   We can buy a new shed for the mowers.   All of this would be a blessing not just for ourselves but for the growing community around us.   And God will bless this church with people and money that will flow in abundance.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven we thank you for the blessing of this church.   And we pledge to bless the church with our financial resources.   Help us to use these resources to bless the community.   And continue to bless us with resources so that we can proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to a community that will be blessed by you and your church.   This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Sermon – Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Solemn Assembly

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – Joel 2:1-2, 12-17  Solemn Assembly
New Covenant Church
Ash Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Tonight we have gathered in a solemn assembly for the imposition of ashes.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of forty days, excluding Sundays leading up to Easter.  It begins by reminding us that we are dust, from dust we came to dust we shall return.  Ashes are a sign of our own mortality.  They help us to remember our sin and desire for forgiveness.   And so tonight we gather for repentance and prayer.

We have received a warning from the Prophet Joel.  I'll tell you what he has to say, 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)

Let's look at some of today's headlines.  A tornado rips through the southern part of our country killing 23.   Violent protests continue in Venezuela over economic conditions.  Tensions are escalating between India and Pakistan.  China is experiencing an economic downturn. 

Are these signs that God is about to do something?   I hope so.  I pray every day that Jesus will return and put everything right.  But do we really want this?  Do we really want the Day of the Lord to fix the world?  We turn to the Book of Joel for some guidance.

Four hundred years before the birth of Christ, a giant swarm of locusts and grasshoppers descended on the farms around Jerusalem.  The devoured all the barley and wheat growing in the fields.  They ate all the leaves on grape vines and olive trees.  When the holocaust ended God sent the Prophet Joel to deliver some bad news.

Joel first went to see the alcoholics.  He told the drunks the bad news.  Locusts had eaten all the grapes and there would be no grape harvest and no wine this year.  They would not have the wine they needed to stay drunk.

Then Joel went to see the priests.  He told the religious people in the temple the bad news.  Locusts had eaten all the grain growing in the field and the grapes on the vine.  There would be no grain offerings or drink offerings this year.  The people would not have the offerings they needed to bring into the temple as symbols of their relationship with God.

Finally, Joel went to see the farmers.  He told them the bad news.  Locusts had eaten their crops and vineyards.  There would be no joyful harvest this year. 

Joel realized that the disaster was bad, but they would survive.  He also realized that one day, maybe one day soon, there would be a more complete, more terrible disaster.  This would come on judgment day when God comes to judge the earth.  The locusts were just a warning that the Day of the Lord was coming.  This is what the prophet Joel said.
 
Joel 2:1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill.  Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand— 2  a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.  Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come.

Joel's warning is that God is coming.  He will come with the angelic army, the heavenly hosts, with the power to destroy all he has made.  This will be a day of judgment when all people must account for their sin.  And God will punish us for what we have done. 

This is my warning to you.  God is coming.  He may come soon.  And we will all be judged.  God will not come to judge an individual or a group of people.  God will come to judge everyone.  All of us should be afraid, literally scared to death of this judgment, because none of us is righteous.  None of us is good enough.  None of us can stand before God with pure hearts and clean hands.

So what are we to do?  Is there no hope?  Let's go back to the prophet.

12 “(But)  Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  13 Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. 14 Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing—grain offerings and drink offerings for the Lord your God.

Joel has told the people that it is now time to repent:  to stop worshiping false gods, to stop ignoring the needs of your neighbor, to stop your sinful behavior.  Now is the time to change your ways and become obedient to God not because God is a fearful judge, but because God is gracious, kind, loving, and wants to forgive you and give you everything you need for a good life.  So, what should we do?  Let's go back to the prophet and find out.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. 16 Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast.  Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber.


So, we are to come together in this a sacred assembly.  We are to confess our sin and ask God for forgiveness.  And no one should be left out.  This assembly is for everyone, men and women, old and young, rich and poor, everyone.  Everyone needs to repent, turn away from sin and turn to God in prayer.  The prophet Joel then told the priests how they should pray in this assembly.

17 Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples,  ‘Where is their God?’”

So my job as your pastor tonight is to ask God to forgive you.  I am to remind God of his love and faithfulness.  And give God the opportunity to forgive us and love us as a sign to the world of his character and power.

The Prophet Joel leaves us tonight with a promise.  If we turn from our evil ways and turn back to our creator then we will be blessed.  Let's listen.

Joel 3:17 “Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill.  Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her.  18 “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water.  A fountain will flow out of the Lord’s house and will water the valley of acacias.

If we turn from sin and turn to God, God will forgive us and bless us as his children.  This is the good news, the promise of scripture.

So when will this happen?  When can we expect the Day of the Lord when God will come to Earth.  Joel tells us.

Joel 2:28-29  I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

And so the Day of the Lord, when God comes to judge and forgives all who repent, is when the Holy Spirit comes to earth.  This has already happened.  Listen to this from the Book of Acts.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

According to the Apostle Peter, this was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.  The Day of the Lord has come.  And in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our sins are washed away and we are made new. So in gratitude for what God has done for you repent, turn away from sin, and turn toward your savior, Jesus Christ, with obedience.   And receive God’s gracious forgiveness and love.  Let's pray.

O Lord, your people have assembled.  Spare us your judgment.  Grant us forgiveness.  Fill us with your Spirit.  This we pray in your son's name.  Amen.

Sermon Colossians 3:17 “Offering My Time”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Colossians 3:17 “Offering My Time”
February 24, 2019

Listen to this sermon.

We are continuing with our look at spiritual practices.  These are things that we do which when built upon faith help us to become more like Jesus.   So we worship, pray and study the Bible.  We have a single-minded focus on Jesus, we surrender to God’s will, we are a part of a biblical community and we use our spiritual gifts for God’s purposes.  All of these are important and if you do them the Holy Spirit will transform you into what God created you to be.

Today we turn to another spiritual practice.   This is “offering my time.”  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)

Our scripture for today comes from the third chapter of Colossians, verse 17.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

God has given us 24 hours every day.   About a third of these are used for sleep.  About 16 hours every day we are awake.  And scripture is teaching us that every waking hour should be dedicated to fulfilling God’s purposes in the world.  So how do we do this?   How do we put God first in everything we do?

First, our focus must be on Jesus.   When I wake in the morning I go in the bathroom and talk to God about the day ahead.   Before breakfast, I give thanks to God for so many blessings.   As I drive to the church I listen to podcasts. 

 There are not strictly speaking Christian podcasts although to do listen to some of those.   I like to listen to Christian thinkers talking about world events.   When I arrive at church I pray in the sanctuary and then work in the office preparing Bible studies, sermons, liturgies and phone messages.   The rest of the day is visiting people or answering email or doctor’s appointments or do something with Grace.   But everything I do I try to think about Jesus.   Scripture teaches us that we should always focus on Jesus.

Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

So the first step is offering our time is to focus always on Jesus every hour of the day.   If we are always focusing on Jesus then we begin to realize how our own behavior is far short of what God wants.  This is called sin.  And so the second thing we must do is to stop sinning and start leading a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.   Scripture puts it this way.

5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

So as we live our lives, we first focus on Jesus and second repent of our sin.  The third thing that we do is that we accept everyone regardless of race or class.

11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

So focusing on Jesus, repenting sins, and accepting everyone are the first three steps in living a life pleasing to God.   The next step is to put on virtue.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

So every waking hour we should be kind to everyone we meet.   We should be humble, gentle and patient.   And we should be forgiving just as God forgave us. 

So we focus on Jesus, repent of our sins, we accept everyone regardless of race,  and we act a virtuous people living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.
If we do these things we receive two benefits.   The first benefit is a peaceful heart.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

So if we want to live peaceful lives we focus on Jesus, repent of our sin, accept everyone, and live virtuously.  Then our hearts will be filled with the peace of Jesus.   And we will have a second benefit.

15 … And be thankful.

Not only are our hearts overflowing with peace but also gratitude for all God has for us. 

So what are some of the things that we can do to make sure that we are following Jesus every hour of the day? 

One useful practice is to keep a journal.   I urge you to keep a journal and write down everything you do for a couple of days.    For each hour of the day ask the question, “Did I please or displease God?”  Write down all the times you fell short.   Write down all the times you were virtuous.  Then read your journal.   This will give you a pretty good idea about how well you are offering your time to God.

Another useful practice is to use the time in the car for God’s purposes.    Many of us are in a car a lot.    And if you are like me we listen to the radio or podcasts or music or audiobook.   But what if we used driving time as a time to connect to others.    Grace is really good at this.    When we are in the car together I drive and she is on the phone.  She is connecting with friends, people in the church, people we have known in other places and family.   This is something we could all do.   We have a new portrait directory.   If you are a passenger in a car use this time to connect with people in the church.    See what they are doing and the problems they face.   Pray for them.   Setup visits.   Build community. 

So we are keeping journals and searching for opportunities to talk with people by phone.   And a third thing you can do is to set aside a period of time every day to serve others.   Maybe you have lunch with someone who just lost a loved one. 

 Maybe you visit someone who has a hard time getting around in the winter.  Maybe you join the choir or bell and offer you musical talent.   Every day, think about how you can do something to help someone else. 

So we keep a journal, call people and try to help someone every day. 
There is an old story about offering time.   A man has been working for a long time at a very stressful job.   He works long hours.  And he comes home late, exhausted.

One evening as he sat, exhausted, on the couch his 5-year-old son said, “Daddy can I ask you a question?”

To which his tired father said, “I guess, what is it?

His little boy then asked, “How much money do you make an hour?

The father became irritable and said, “Why would you ask such a thing?”

The child said, “I just need to know.   How much do you make an hour?”

The father replied, “I make $20 per hour.”

The little boy looked at his father and said, “May I borrow $10?”

The father was now furious. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can buy a toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. I work long, hard hours every day, and I don’t have time for this right now.” The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

After a bit, the dad calmed down and began to think he may have been too hard on his son. Maybe he really did need the ten dollars for some good reason. He went to the door of his little boy’s room. The dad asked, “Are you asleep, son?”

“No, Daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day, and I took out my frustrations on you. Here’s ten dollars. What do you need it for?”

The little boy sat straight up. “Oh, thank you daddy!” Reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some crumpled bills he had saved from his allowance.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father asked, about to get irritated again.

The son slowly counted out his money and then, looking up at his dad, said, “Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have twenty dollars now. Can I buy an hour of your time? I miss you.”

While this story certainly tugs at our heartstrings and causes us to evaluate our own priorities of time, we cannot help but think of and be grateful for our heavenly Father, who gives us his constant, undivided, and unending attention to the details of our lives.

We need to offer our time to God.   We focus on Jesus.   We repent our sins.   We welcome everyone regardless of race.  And we live virtuous lives.   We do this by keeping a journal to chronical how we spend our time.   We find time to connect with others.   And we serve someone in need every day.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to devote every hour you give us to your purposes.   Help us to focus on Christ.  Help us to find time to connect with each other.   Help us to serve others every day.   Help us to live with peaceful hearts, filled with gratitude.  This we pray in the name of your son whom we serve.  Amen.