Sermon Isaiah 35:1–10 “The Holy Way”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 35:1–10 “The Holy Way”
December 15, 2019

We have arrived at the third Sunday of Advent.   We have been looking at the writings of the 8th-century prophet, Isaiah.   The 8th-century, as we have clearly seen, was a dangerous time for the people of God.  The northern kingdom, Israel, was destroyed and the people of God were scattered.   The southern kingdom, Judah, was threatened.   The Assyrian army surrounded Jerusalem and threaten its destruction.  Throughout this time the Prophet Isaiah warned the people of the approaching danger and gave them great hope.  Remember his words.

Isaiah 2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  4 He shall judge between the nations and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Judah was saved by God.  The Assyrian army was defeated, not by the weak Judean army, but by God Almighty.  And Prophet Isaiah again spoke a word of great hope.  The Kingdom of Judah, now just a stump, with grow again.

Isaiah 11:1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,  the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

This vision of the coming of a Messiah has filled the people of God with hope for thousands of years.

Today, we are still looking at the 8th-century before Christ.   And many of God’s people have been displaced from their homes.   Will they ever returned to the land that God has promised their ancestors?   Once again the Prophet Isaiah came forward to give them hope.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we have drifted far away from you.   We feel like strangers in a strange land.   Help us to return to you.   Give us a way, a road, that we can travel to get back to you.   We pray this in our savior’s name, Jesus the Messiah.   Amen.

For the first time since entering the promised land, many of God’s own people found themselves displaced and scattered all over the former Assyrian empire.   What will happen to them?   Will they ever return home?  With these questions ringing in his ear, the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed a word of God to all of God’s people.

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.  The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.  They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

For the people of God herding their sheep in the desert the promise of God is that the spring rains will and water the dry land.   Grasses will grow and there will be ample food for the goats and sheep to eat.  So the shepherds will rejoice at this renewal from God.

But many of the displaced people of God were fearful.   Would the Assyrians return and oppress them?   How can we make a living displaced from their farms?  Many of them must have fallen into a deep depression.   To them, the Prophet Isaiah spoke these words to fearful people.

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,  “Be strong, do not fear!  Here is your God.  He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”

Isaiah’s promise to them and to all of us is that God himself is a savior.  We do not have to save ourselves.   We do not have to depend on others to save us.   All we have to do is trust in God to save us.

But many of those living in exile were disable.   The blind, the deaf, the lame and the speechless were all fearful.   In the system that God established, they were cared for by their families.  But now families have been separated.  They no longer have their ancestral farms for economic support.   And so they cried out to their savior God.   And God responded through his Prophet Isaiah.

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;  6 then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. 

The disabled of God’s people were filled with hope that a savior will come to heal them.   So too with us.   When we are in the hospital facing surgery, we pray to our savior for healing.   When we are at home recovering from strokes, we pray to our savior for healing.   When our heart is not working properly and we are fatigued, we pray to our savior for healing.   When a child is having behavioral problems or is sick, we pray to our savior for healing.  And we trust that Jesus heals.

The people of God in the 8th century before Christ trusted in God.   But they never expected that God would bless them with abundance.   But this is exactly what God did.  Let’s return to Isaiah.

6 For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;  7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

The world tells us that we live in a time of shortages.   We must conserve and share if we are to get through.   But God tells us that we live in a world of abundance.    All we have to do is believe and God will bless us.

The biggest concern of the displaced people of God was the burning question, “Will we ever go home.”   They have been relocated to other places in the Assyrian empire.   Many were content to stay in their new homes.   But many wanted to return to the homes they left.   Will they ever go back?   To answer this question God spoke to his prophet Isaiah.

8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

What a glorious promise.  God will build a road in the wilderness, and the people of God will use it to come home.

These promises of God as spoken to the Prophet Isaiah have comforted God’s throughout the centuries that followed.   Two hundred years later, when the Kingdom of Judah was finally conquered by the Babylonian empire the people of God were comforted by the words of the prophet.   They believed that God would bless them while living in exile.   They believed that God would calm their fears.  They believed that God would care for the disabled.   They believed that they would live in a world of abundance.   And they believed that God would provide for them a way home.   God proved faithful in all of these.   God was their savior.

And then, eight hundred years after the Prophet Isaiah, another prophet came from the region of Galilee.   He entered into his own synagogue, opened the scroll of Isaiah and read these words.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus is our savior.    He is the one who will bless us in whatever exile we experience.   Jesus will calm our fears.  Jesus will make sure the disabled are supported.  Jesus will heal us.  Jesus will provide for us a world of abundance.   Jesus will be our way back to God.   And Jesus is coming at Christmas.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for sending your son as our savior this Christmas.   Bless us with fruitful lives.   Calm our fears.   Help us to care for those in need.  Heal our infirmaries.   Give us a world of abundance.   Thank you for our savior, your son, Jesus the Messiah, in whose name we pray.   Amen.

Sermon Isaiah 11:1–10 “World Filled With The Knowledge of God”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 11:1–10 “World Filled With The Knowledge of God”
December 8, 2019

We are continuing today with our look at the Book of Isaiah.   Isaiah was a prophet from the 8th century, before Christ.  He wrote beautiful poetry giving people hope during a turbulent time.   As we saw last week, the Assyrian Empire was on the rise.   The neighboring kingdoms, Israel and Syria, had been conquered.   Judah, under King Ahaz, had become a vassal state.   Assyrian gods were being worshiped in the Jerusalem temple.   Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, had been forgotten. 

Into this seemingly hopeless situation, the prophet Isaiah spoke a word of hope. 

Isaiah 2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Filled with hope, the nation of Judah welcomed a new king, Hezekiah.   Hezekiah restored the covenant between God and his ancestor King David, the son of Jesse.  He removed the Assyrian idols from the temple.  The worship of Yahweh resumed.  He did everything right.  And he nearly lost his kingdom.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, on this second Sunday of Advent, renew in us our hope for a return of Christ and fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy promising peace on earth.   We pray all this in the name of the Messiah who came and will come again, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

King Hezekiah removed the Assyrian idols from the Jerusalem temple and the Assyrians were angry.  The Assyrian army began an invasion of his kingdom.   Town after town fell before the onslaught until Sennacherib, the leader of the Assyrians, arrived at Jerusalem.  Only a stump remained of the once-proud kingdom of David, the son of Jesse.  So King Hezekiah entered into the Jerusalem temple and turned to God in prayer.

2 Kings 19:15 “O Lord the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have hurled their gods into the fire, though they were no gods but the work of human hands—wood and stone—and so they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, I pray you, from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

At this time of national despair, King Hezekiah has turned to his one and only savior, God.  And the prophet Isaiah proclaimed to the people a message of hope.

Isaiah 11:1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,  the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.

Sennacherib and the Assyrian army were no match for the God of Israel.   Here is how God answered Hezekiah’s prayers. 

2 Kings 19: 35 That very night the angel of the Lord set out and struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians; when morning dawned, they were all dead bodies. 36 Then King Sennacherib of Assyria left, went home.

Like King Hezekiah, we have one savior.  Our only savior is God.   Turn to him, keep his commands, and believe in his son.   He will save you.

This prophecy of Isaiah has been the hope of God’s people for almost 3000 years.   We long for the day when creation is reborn and the oppressed and the oppressor will join together in love.

Our hope is that a messiah will come, a descendant of David, son of Jesse, whose spirit will bring wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  We hope for a messiah who will lead us in righteousness and faithfulness.   We hope for a savior who will bring peace of earth.

And two thousand years ago some shepherds, in a field near Bethlehem, heard this from some angels.

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,  14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah.   He was born in Bethlehem and was named Jesus. 

Put your faith in him, for he is your savior.  He will save you from whatever Assyrians are threatening you.  Maybe your health is a concern.   Turn to Jesus in prayer.   Maybe you are worried about finances.   Turn to Jesus in prayer.   Maybe you are concerned about a loved one.   Turn to Jesus in prayer.   Jesus is your Messiah.  He will save you. 

Jesus has “The Spirit of wisdom and understanding”.   This endows him with discernment to make good decisions in governing his kingdom.  He has “The Spirit of counsel and power”.  This will give him diplomatic and military authority to rule.  He has “The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord”.  This will keep him close to God.  The “knowledge” here is not merely intellectual correctness or assent to the truth, but an intimate relationship with God.  “The fear of Lord” was at the heart of Jewish faith.  This leader, contrary to all others, will be centered on Yahweh, living a life of pure piety.  Indeed, more than anything else, his greatest delight will be his relationship with God.  Obviously, this describes Jesus as the Son of Man and Son of God.  This shoot from the stump, unimpressive in his birth and in his appearance, will be awesome in his reign because it will be characterized by righteousness and faithfulness in all he does.  The world has never seen a leader like this, but it is dying for one.  Isaiah promises that such a one is coming.  https://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/advent-2a-2/?type=old_testament_lectionary

By this time next year, we will have selected new leaders for our nation.   I won’t be telling you whom to vote for.   But I can suggest some characteristics you should look for in candidates.  Here is what God looks for in a leader.

Isaiah 11:2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,  the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness, he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

Let’s pick our leaders wisely.  Let’s pray.

Heaven Father, we thank you for the hope expressed by the prophet Isaiah that a messiah will come to save us.   We thank you for sending your son as that messiah and for the blessings of having a messiah in our lives.   And we thank you for the hope that Jesus will come again and complete the work of bringing peace on earth.   This we pray in Jesus’ glorious name.   Amen.

Sermon Isaiah 2:1-5 “Out of Zion Goes Instruction”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon Isaiah 2:1-5 “Out of Zion Goes Instruction”
December 1, 2019

Today we start a new church year with the Season of Advent.   Advent is a period of four Sundays leading up to our great celebration of Christmas.  During Advent, we look at the prophecy and events of Jesus’ birth and we anticipate his coming again.  For our Thursday mornings, our Bible study will look at the Book of Luke and examine the story of Jesus’ birth.   Beginning today on Sundays we will look at the Book of Isaiah and examine some of the prophecies of Jesus’ coming.  Today we look at a vision of the prophet Isaiah which is the foundation of our hope as Christians.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent season by examining the prophecies of your son’s birth, bless us with wisdom and understanding.   Help us to know the Savior we worship.  And prepare us for his coming into the world.   We pray this in Jesus’ glorious name.  Amen.

The eighth century before Christ was a time of trial for the small, vulnerable, kingdom of Judah.  Since the time of David and Solomon, Judah had been blessed by God with peace and prosperity.   A security agreement with the neighboring countries of Israel and Syria had kept enemies at a distance.  But all that was about to change.  The Assyrian Empire was growing.   Syria and Israel fell like dominos before the Assyrian onslaught.   And Judah was next.   Ahaz, a descendant of David and King of Judah,  had to make a decision.  Here is what he faced.

The Judean army was no match for the Assyrians.  So there was no military solution available  King Ahaz.  What he should have done was to rely on Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel, for protection as his ancestors had done.  He should have relied on the covenant between God and King David.  And if he did God would protect him and his country.  Here is the covenant between God and Ahaz’s ancestor David.

2 Samuel 7:16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me;[c] your throne shall be established forever.

But King Ahaz was afraid.   He refused to rely on this covenant with God.  So he went to see Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria, to beg him for peace.   Tiglath-Pileser agreed and told Ahaz what he had to do.   The Assyrian gods were to be worshiped in the Jerusalem temple.   And King Ahaz agreed to this blasphemy.
So God sent a prophet, Isaiah, with a message for King Ahaz.

Isaiah 1:2 Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth; for the Lord has spoken:  I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.  3 The ox knows its owner, and the donkey it's master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.

King Ahaz and the nation of Judah had abandoned God.   But God had compassion on them and wanted his people to come back.

18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.  19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

The choice was up to King Ahaz.   Will he and his country return to God or not?  Will he remove the Assyrian gods from the Jerusalem temple or not?  And if he does return what will God do for him?  Here is God’s answer.

Isaiah 2:2 In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.  3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

God’s promise is that Jerusalem will be on the “highest of mountains”.   Now, I have been to Jerusalem twice.  It is built on a small hill.  It only takes a few minutes to walk down from the temple mount area to the Kidron Valley.  In fact, the Mount of Olives, on the other side of the Kidron, is much bigger.  So I don’t think that God is talking about geological height. 

God is talking about authority and power.   Jerusalem will have the greatest authority on earth.   And all people on earth will respect this authority.   What is the source of this authority?  The highest authority on earth is this, the Bible, the holy word of God.

In ancient times, empires built their capitals on mountains surrounded by walls for protection.   They projected their authority and power by sending out armies.    These armies plundered surrounding kingdoms and brought back loot to pay for the military expeditions.  But Jerusalem will not be projecting its authority and power by sending out destructive armies.  No!  They will be sending out teachers equipped to proclaim the word of God.   

And what happens when everyone on earth respects the authority of scripture?   Wars come to an end.   And the implements of violence are melted down to become things that serve us.   “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.”

This prophecy of Isaiah was partially fulfilled, two thousand years ago, when Jesus was exalted on the mountain of Jerusalem while nailed to a cross.  News of Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension have gone forth from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. 

The promise of scripture is that the day will come when Jesus returns to earth with a new Jerusalem.   All nations will come to the city and bow their heads to Christ our Lord.  And we will have peace on earth. 

Shortly after Jesus’ return to heaven, a group of apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, left Jerusalem as witnesses of what Jesus said and did.   They took this good news to the ends of the world to prepare the world for his return.  And today we proclaim this word of God as the highest authority on earth praying for the day when Jesus will return as the Prince of Peace. 

King Ahaz was succeeded by his son King Hezikiah.  Hezikiah accepted the Lord’s offer to protect the nation.   He removed the Assyrian idols from the Jerusalem temple and returned the nation to God.   In return, God blessed him and his nation and protected them from the Assyrians.  Although the Assyrian army encircled Jerusalem, God would not let them enter and sent them home defeated.  This demonstrated that our God is the most powerful force on earth.  And his word goes out with supreme authority.

Like Jerusalem of the eighth century before Christ, American has enjoyed God’s protection and prosperity for hundreds of years.   The first settlers in this area believed that they were coming to a shining city on a hill, the promised land.   This church was established as a place where the word of God would go forth projecting God’s authority and power through the proclamation of the gospel throughout this land.

But today, sadly, the influence of the church is waning.  Our congregations are smaller.   Many people refuse to worship God.  Many people reject the authority of scripture.  Many people are worshiping gold and silver and the things these idols can purchase.   According to popular television commercials, our supreme God seems to be a Lexus with a big red bow sitting in the driveway.
This is dangerous.   If we as a people decide to break our covenant with God, then God’s protection may be lifted and our peace and prosperity vanish.   So return to God.   Help your family to return to God.   Witness to the work of God in your lives to everyone you meet.  Let’s bring this land back to the God of our ancestors.

Our popular culture tells us that the sounds of Christmas are jingle bells.  But we Christians know that another kind of bell will ring this season.   If will be the sound of a hammer on an anvil turning the implements of violence and war into things that make life better for all.   This is our Christian hope. Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to remain the shining city on a hill as our ancestors expected.   Keep us ever faithful to the covenant relationship with you.   Help us to bring others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ.   Help the world to accept the Bible as the supreme authority in all matters of morals and faith.   And send the Prince of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, to return and bring peace on earth.   This we pray in his glorious name.   Amen.

Sermon – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 – Planting Seeds of Thanksgiving

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon – 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 – Planting Seeds of Thanksgiving
Aldine Methodist Church - Community Thanksgiving Service
November 27, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving!  Today we give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received.  And I pray that this spirit of thanksgiving will be rooted in your hearts. Please give thanks for all of your blessings from God, as you gather with family and friends for your Thanksgiving feast.   Let 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)

I have learned a lot about farming over the years having pastored some churches in rural areas.  At one point in my ministry, I had a group of farmers meet with me every Friday morning at 6 am for Bible study and breakfast. Each week I would ask them what was happening on the area farms.  In the fall they talked about combines and the harvest of corn.  I now know that in order to harvest corn in the Fall you must plant it in the Spring.  In fact, you must plant it around the start of the baseball season so that it will pollinate before the heat of summer.  And provided that there is just the right amount of rain, and the harmful nor’easters and hurricanes stay away a bountiful harvest can be expected.

According to the apostle Paul, this is exactly how thanksgiving works.  You must first plant the seeds of thanksgiving before you can harvest it.  And this explains why some people are thankful on Thanksgiving Day while others find it very difficult to be thankful.     Those who approach Thanksgiving with a spirit of thankfulness have planted seeds of thanksgiving long before.  And these seeds of thanksgiving have been nurtured, weeded, watered and fertilized.  This has allowed them to harvest thanksgiving just in time for our big celebration.   But sadly, others have failed to plant the seeds of thankfulness or allowed them to be choked by weeds or burnt up in the sun or blown down in the wind and thus find no thankfulness to harvest at Thanksgiving. 

Where do we find these seeds of thankfulness?  You won't find them at Lowes or Walmart.    They aren't in any seed catalog.  The only place to find these seeds is in scripture.  So let's turn to scripture and see if we can find out about the seeds of thankfulness that we need to plant to experience the harvest of thanksgiving.

 2 Corinthians 9: 6 The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
    his righteousness[a] endures forever.”

10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.[b] 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

The Apostle Paul was writing to the church at Corinth.  Corinth was a wealthy trading center.  The Apostle was writing them to raise money for the church in Jerusalem which was in trouble. Tensions were rising in Jerusalem as Christians are being persecuted.  The Romans were concerned with maintaining order.  The church desperately needs help so Paul was accumulating the resources he needed to help the mother church in Jerusalem. 

Since Corinth was surrounded by a rich agricultural area he made his appeal to the Corinthians with an agricultural metaphor.  Just as corn seeds have to be planted in the Spring for corn to be harvested in the Fall so too must the seeds of thankfulness be planted for thanksgiving to be harvested.   And what are the seeds of thankfulness that must be planted?  According to these Apostle, the seeds which we must plant are called in Greek aploths. This word, aploths, has no single English equivalent.     Modern translators usually translate it as “generosity”.  But since it is crucial that we understand what it is that we plant in order to grow a bountiful harvest of thanksgiving let's take a closer look at what this word might mean.

Ordinarily, in our culture, we do things expecting to get something in return.  We work all week and expect a paycheck on Friday.  We put money in the bank and expect to get it back with interest.  We give to the church and expect a quality worship service and visits from the pastor.    This quid pro quo is apparent even in nature.  Isaac Newton observed that every action has an equal but opposite reaction.  Every act of kindness comes with an expectation that it will be reciprocated.

But the Greek term aploths is the opposite of this.  The seed of thanksgiving consists of giving without the expectation of receiving something in return.    There is no duplicity; rather we act with singleness, simplicity, sincerity, uprightness, and frankness.  Obviously, generosity is a part of this.  But aploths is much more.  It is an attitude where you joyfully give away what you have expected nothing in return.

This is the attitude that was present in the churches established by Paul.  And that is why they were so successful in adding new members.    Their friends and neighbor saw the changes in their lives when they became Christian.  People who would never give something for nothing suddenly changed when they joined the church.  Christians were people who gave without expecting any compensation.  According to Paul, this attitude of giving without receiving is the seed that grows into thanksgiving.

So how did Paul know this?  And what caused the earliest Christians to have a gracious world view where they joyfully gave away what they had?  The answers to these questions rest in the very character of God as revealed to us in Jesus Christ.  You see God forgives.  Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus.  This comes to us as a gift from God with no strings attached.  God gives us salvation with no expectation of receiving anything in return.   Aploths is a characteristic of God.  And so we who receive so many blessings from God and have received the blessing of salvation without any obligation are motivated to give our blessings to others expecting nothing from them because we are created in the image of our gracious, generous God.

You know the story of Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  Ebeneezer Scrooge is compulsive about never doing anything without getting something in return.  He won't give to poor and needy.  He won't give a borrower an extension on a loan.  He won't give his assistant a day off on Christmas, because none of these things would benefit him.  But God wanted Scrooge to think in a new way and sent three ghosts to talk with him.  That night the Ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge how he had received so many gifts and nothing was required from him.  The Ghost of Christmas Present showed Scrooge how his stinginess adversely affected the people of his day.  And the Ghost of Christmas Future showed Scrooge that loneliness and death would be the outcome of his stinginess.  Scrooge learned that the only way to be thankful was if he gave without the expectation of receiving anything in return.

Just imagine what would happen if suddenly all the Christians in South Jersey began doing things for others expecting nothing in return.  What would people be saying about us?  What would they be saying about the God we worship?  We wouldn't have enough space in our churches for all the people looking for what we have. 

Remember that each time you give without expecting something in return you are planting a seed of thanksgiving.  These seeds of generosity will grow, and you will harvest a great joy called thanksgiving.  Happy Thanksgiving!   Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we ask that you bless us with new hearts.   Help us to give to others expecting nothing in return.   And let these seeds thus planted grow into a glorious Thanksgiving.  This we pray in the name of our savior who gave so much to us.  In whose name we pray.  Amen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

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

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pittsgrove Presbyterian Church
Sermon – Matthew 6:25-33 Don’t Worry be Thankful
November 24, 2019

This morning we will be remembering the blessings that we have received in our lifetimes:  the blessings of our birth and loving parents, the blessings 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 might happen to my retirement funds.  I worry about my parents getting older and how they will be cared for.  I worry about this church and the problems each of 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 than 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 had 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 approach 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,[a] 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?[b] 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[c] and his[d] 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, a prominent Presbyterian pastor, tells a story about one Thanksgiving.  On Thanksgiving morning at about 11AM 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 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 of 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.  Let’s pray,

Gracious and loving God, we are a people who gather around tables. On Thanksgiving Day, many of us will gather around dining tables or kitchen tables or tray tables and share a meal with our family and friends. We give thanks to you, O God, for food and the time to enjoy it together. As we are seated at our tables, help us also remember the table where we gather in worship to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. At this table, we are all God’s people gathered in communion with Christ. May our joy-filled celebrations of Thanksgiving Day remind us of the joyful feast of the people of God. Thank you, God! Amen.