Sermon John 10:1-10 A Statement On Presbyterian Ordination Standards

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
Sermon John 10:1-10 A Statement On Presbyterian Ordination Standards
May 15, 2011

Last week I opened an internet news service on my computer and saw this headline. It said, “Gay is now OK for Presbyterian Clergy”. ( http://www.theblaze.com/stories/gay-is-now-ok-for-presbyterian-clergy/ ) Is this true? We need to talk about what the Presbyterian Church did this past week. But first we have to 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)

John 10:1-10 10“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

In the fourth Gospel John repeatedly uses a literary device. He starts with a miracle of Jesus, then tells about a conflict over the meaning of the sign, and finishes with a teaching from Jesus. Here we have a miracle, the healing of a blind man. This is followed with a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees on the subject of sin. The Pharisees contended that physical deformities, such as blindness, was caused by sin. A man who is blind from birth must have parents who sinned. Jesus replied to them is characteristic cryptic fashion, he told a riddle: who is both the shepherd of the sheep and the gate for the sheep? This confused the Pharisees, but opened them to received Jesus' teaching. And Jesus told them that he had come not to condemn sinners but that sinners might be forgiven and receive abundant life.

We have similar discussions today about sin and abundant life. The Presbyterian Church has been in a discussion about the way we select leaders and the reality of sin in our lives. In the Presbyterian Church the process by which we selected our leaders is called ordination. All of the deacons and elders of our church have been ordained. I have been ordained as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament. It is important for all who are ordained as leaders of the church to be followers, disciples of Jesus Christ. This means that church leaders must have life styles that reflect Christ's teachings and submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. These are the historic standards that have guided sessions and presbyteries in selecting leaders since the church started.

In the 1970s we decided that ordination standards were needed to guide presbyteries and sessions in the ordination process. It happened in this way. A candidate for the Ministry of the Word and Sacrament was being examined by Pittsburgh Presbytery. His name was Will Kenyon. Although women had been ordained as deacons, elders and pastors in our denomination for many years, Mr. Kenyon told the presbytery that for theological reasons he could not ordain women. The presbytery decided that this scruple would not disqualify Mr. Kenyon from serving as a pastor. But the national church disagreed and spoke through the General Assembly that all churches should have women elders. As a result of this decision the General Assembly began to develop specific ordination standards for all churches and presbyteries in the United States.

Meanwhile a church on Long Island faced another dilemma. A person in their congregation was clearly gifted for ministry and they wanted to ordain him as an elder, but he was a practicing homosexual. The church didn't know what to do. So they asked the General Assembly to form a committee to explore the subject. The decision of the General Assembly was that homosexual behavior was clearly sinful, but if a homosexual repented of this sin and abstained from this behavior then they could serve as leaders of the church.

This policy governed the church until 1996 when changes in American culture caused the church to want more specific standards for ordination. Over the last twenty years homosexuality had become increasingly accepted in American culture. And this caused a split in the church on the issue of ordination standards. Some wanted looser standards so that homosexual members of the church could share their gifts. Others wanted tighter standards to prevent presbyteries and sessions from ordaining homosexuals. The Presbyterian Church USA wrote the following language
into the Book of Order, its constitution.

“Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to Scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self - acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.” (G 60106b)

Since the mid-nineties the church has been in a conversation about sin and ordination. Should we honor homosexuals with gifts of ministry with ordination? Should we withhold ordination from people leading sinful lifestyles? The one thing we can all agree on is that we are now tired of the constant debate.

Last summer the General Assembly adopted new standards for ordination and changed the language in the Book of Order. These changes have been approved by a majority of presbyteries and will become effective next month. Here is what it says:

 “Standards for ordained service reflect the church’s desire to submit joyfully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life (G-1.0000). The governing body responsible for ordination and/or installation (G.14.0240; G-14.0450) shall examine each candidate’s calling, gifts, preparation, and suitability for the responsibilities of office. The examination shall include, but not be limited to, a determination of the candidate’s ability and commitment to fulfill all requirements as expressed in the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003). Governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates.”

To understand what the church has done we have to look at both the actual meaning and the effective meaning of these words. The actual meaning of this new ordination standard is that it has actually become more stringent. Presbyteries and sessions can no longer just apply a simple rule to determine who to ordain or not ordain. Now we must look at the entire lifestyle of a candidate to see if there is evidence that this person is truly a follower of Jesus Christ. This is a much more difficult task, but it will engage the church is a broad discussion of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

But the effective meaning of this new standard is that the church has now removed the specific language prohibiting practicing homosexuals from serving in ordained ministries. And this may open the door to homosexual ordinations How all of this works out is still to be determined as presbyteries and session deal with individual candidates for ordination.

So, has the church said that it is OK for Presbyterian clergy to engage in homosexual behavior. Of course not, although some do think that this is exactly what the church has done. What we have done is to substitute an historic principle that all leaders must “joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in all aspects of life” for a specific rule that prevented practicing homosexuals from serving in leadership roles.

There are four principles that I think can guide the church as we move into a somewhat uncertain future. First, we need to remain faithful to our communities. This is not the time to get angry with the church and leave. This applies to both individual members and churches. We need everyone engaged in a conversation on what it means to joyfully submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ is all aspects of our lives. We need together to study scripture and engage in theological discussions about what discipleship means developing our own biblical standards for leadership in our churches.

The second principle is that we should find graceful ways of finding leaders for our church. We need to speak the truth in love. Remember that the church is a hospital for sinners. Our reason for being is to help people be transformed from sinners to disciples. So we have to provide opportunities for the the Holy Spirit to transform people into disciples of Jesus Christ through nurture in God's word and by engaging in the ministries of the church. And sinners who are becoming disciples need to be nurtured for leadership positions.

The third principle is that we need to hold each other accountable. It's not enough to simply apply some arbitrary rule from the General Assembly. Rather we must be involved in each others lives so that we can nip sin in the bud before it can develop into an evil lifestyle. We can encourage each other as we all become disciples of Jesus. We can nurture each other's faith, grow in God's love, and develop leadership skills.

And the fourth principle is that we must always remember that each of us is a forgiven sinner. Be careful when calling someone else a sinner, because you are one too. If we were truly honest none of us is really qualified for ordained office. None of us is holy enough or pure enough to lead the church. But we are forgiven sinners and by the grace of God through Jesus Christ we have been given that wonderful opportunity of serving the church.

So as we move into a new era for the Presbyterian Church USA let's remember that Jesus came not to condemn sinners, but that all of us may live life abundantly. So lets use this as opportunity to grow as disciples, leave sin behind, and experience the abundant life Christ is offering us.

“You sent your Son Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. We praise you that he calls his faithful servants to lead your holy people in love; to proclaim your Word and to celebrate the sacraments of the new covenant.” (Book of Common Worship p. 137) Amen.

Sermon adapted from Charles Wiley III http://www.vimeo.com/23560820

Sermon Luke 24:13-35 - Opened Their Minds

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Luke 24:13-35 - Opened Their Minds
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches
May 8, 2011

Two weeks ago we saw that the primary emotion on the Easter was fear, fear of death and of an empty tomb, fear of the unknown and of all the monsters our imaginations can gather. We saw that God does not want us to be afraid, and so God sends messengers to tell us to fear not because in the resurrection of Jesus Christ death is no longer something to fear.

But as that early first Easter morning gave way to Easter afternoon and evening the fear they had been experiencing gave way to a profound sadness at losing such a great teacher and prophet as Jesus. Today we will drop in on two companions of Jesus returning to Galilee on that Easter afternoon. They are discussing the events of the past week. Let’s listen in to what they are saying:

Luke 24:13-34 13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19 He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." 25 Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!"

Cleopas and I were walking back home. We hoped to at least arrive at Emmaus before sunset and stay at the inn. As we slowly walked we talked about and all that had happened in the preceding week and during our time with Jesus.

We first met Jesus in Galilee. Everyone was talking about how Jesus had the power to heal. And how he had commissioned twelve of his disciples to go out and cast out demons. Two of these disciples came to our village and stayed in our house. They told us about Jesus and the next day we watched as they cured a young boy with a demonic spirit. When they left our village Cleopas and I wanted to follow them and meet this Jesus. We followed them and heard that Jesus was in Bethsaida; so went there. A large crowd had assembled and Jesus brought them to a hillside where he began to teach about the kingdom of God. A great many people were healed that day. We began to get hungry and started to worry about dinner; we were so far from home. And the whole crowd seemed to be as hungry as we. We could see that Jesus and his disciples had only about five loves of bread a couple of fish. Jesus blessed the bread and broke it and the disciples distributed it to everyone. Surprisingly there was enough for everyone and each disciple had a whole basket full of bread left over.

So Cleopas and I decided to keep following Jesus. One day we saw him alone and asked if we could be followers. He warned us that there would be hardships doing this, after all he frequently had no place to sleep at night as he traveled. One person in our group wanted to leave to bury his father, but Jesus told him that his work for the kingdom of God was more important.

Shortly after this Cleopas and I were commission in a group of seventy. He and I were to go to towns where Jesus was about to travel to prepare the people for his coming. He didn’t give us any money; rather we were to rely on the generosity of the people we would meet. Whenever a town welcomed us we told them about the kingdom of God. But if any town refused us we simply shook off the dust of our shoes and warned them that the kingdom of God had come near.

A week ago Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. As usual Cleopas and I went ahead to make sure everything was ready. Our job was to find a young donkey for Jesus to ride. We found the colt, but its owner thought we were stealing it. But we told him that the Lord needed it and we brought it to Jesus. Some people were lining the road with branches and the cloaks. And I saw Jesus crying when he saw the Jerusalem.

Last Thursday we all had a cedar supper for Passover. Peter and John took care of the arrangements. During supper Jesus told us that this would be his last supper with us until the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. We were wondering what this meant when Jesus took some bread, broke it, and said: Luke 22:19 "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Later, during the supper he did the same thing with a cup of wine and gave it to us saying: Luke 22:20 "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Then Jesus surprised all of us by saying that someone was going to betray him to the authorities.

Cleopas and I went with Jesus that evening to the Mount of Olives. Jesus told us to pray and he went off by himself. I tried to pray, but I fell asleep. Jesus woke us up and was very angry when all of sudden a crowd showed up with one of the twelve, Judas. I was with Peter ready to fight when Peter raised his sword and cut off a soldier’s ear. But Jesus told us to stand back, healed the ear, and was led away by the temple police and elders. Cleopas and I ran as fast as we could back into the city and got lost in the crowd.

The next day we saw on old friend, Simon who had just arrived from Cyrene. We told him how Jesus had been arrested the night before and rumors in the city that he would be crucified. Just then we saw a group of soldiers leading prisoners to the city gate. Jesus was carrying a cross beam. Simon ran out and carried it for him. Cleopas and I were scared to death so we hid in the city.

Three days have passed. Today is the first day of the week. Jerusalem is getting back to normal. Visitors are going back home. Farmers are returning to their fields. Merchants are opening their stores. We were walking, just before sun rise, and saw a group of women from Galilee. They told us that they were going to Jesus’ tomb to prepare the body with spices as was their custom. A few moments later we saw them running. They were out of breath, but were trying to tell us something. They said the tomb was empty and that they had seen Jesus.

So Cleopas and I decided that it was time for us to go home our village in Galilee. Jerusalem was no place for foreigners whose leader had been crucified and now his body missing. So we set out on foot and hoped to arrive in Emmaus before sunset. The fear we had felt in Jerusalem had given way to sadness. While we were walking we suddenly noticed a stranger was walking with us. He asked about the things we had been talking about. Cleopas got angry with the stranger for not knowing what had been happening in Jerusalem those last few days. When Cleopas calmed down I told the stranger about Jesus the prophet and miracle worker. We told him how Jesus had been executed by the religious leaders and Roman authorities. We told him how we had hoped the Jesus would redeem us from slavery to Rome. And we told him how three days later some women had found his tomb to be empty and heard a angel say that Jesus was still alive!

That’s when the stranger got angry with us. He told us we were foolish and ignorant of what the prophets of Israel has said. He talked about the Hebrew Scripture and how it predicted that the Messiah would suffer before entering into glory.

Eventually we arrived at the Inn of Emmaus. The stranger wanted to keep going, but Cleopas and I persuaded him to stay with us. We wanted the conversation to continue, and the three of us entered the inn. Then the stranger took the bread blessed and broke it and gave it to us. We then realized that the risen Jesus was there with us, and suddenly Jesus vanished.

Although it was dark out and the road was very dangerous we decided to return to Jerusalem immediately to tell the others we had seen and heard. We arrived very late that night in Jerusalem and found the eleven. We told them about seeing Jesus who opened our minds to the scriptures and revealed himself to us in the bread and wine. After some discussion we all decided to meet every Sunday beginning next week to ask the risen Jesus in prayer to be with us as we remember the stories of Jesus, interpret scripture in the light of the resurrection, and in the breaking of bread. Amen.

Sermon - Matthew 28: 1-10 - What Happened?

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon - Matt. 28: 1-10 - What Happened?
April 24, 2010

In ancient times priests would look to the heavens for wisdom. They wanted to know when the farmers should being planting. So the priests would watch the sun rise and the sun set each day. When they saw that the daytime and nighttime were equal they knew that the Sun had spoken and the planting should begin soon. But they had to wait for the moon to confirm this. So they waited for the first full moon after the equinox. Once the moon had spoken the people would be gathered and the priest would tell them that it was time to plant.

The ancient Hebrews knew the sun and the moon do not decide when the planting should begin. God, the creator of the sun and moon decides when this should occur and God used the sun and moon to tell us when to plant. So the Hebrews held the great feast of Passover on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox.

On the night before his death Jesus celebrated this passover meal with his disciples on the first full moon after the vernal equinox and the church has traditionally celebrated Jesus' resurrection from dead on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox.

On March 21st we experienced the arrival of Spring with the equinox as the length of day and night were the same. Last Monday, we saw a full moon. Today is Sunday, the day Jesus was resurrected from the dead. So we are at the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. It is time for the farmers to plant. And this must be Easter. 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)

Matthew 28:1-10 RS Matthew 28:1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." 8 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

It was the first day of the week, a work day. A couple of women got up early as the sun was rising. They wanted to get to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. So they made their way hurriedly and arrived just in time to see something that scared them to death. Fear was the emotion everyone was experiencing on that first Easter morning.

We all experience fear. Maybe you are afraid that you won't have enough money to pay for both groceries and gasoline. Maybe you are afraid that your company may downsize and you will be out of a job. Maybe you are afraid that the pain you are feeling may be sign of deeper problems. Maybe your are afraid that your loved one will leave you all alone.

Fear is a part of our lives. It is our early warning system that something, something bad is about to happen. God has given the us the gift of fear to protect us. When in danger fear causes us to either flee or freeze. Of course with any gift from God it can be twisted around by the devil. Sometimes we flee from what we are suppose to do. We flee from our responsibilities to our families. We flee from the ethical behavior we learned as children. We flee from God. Sometimes we freeze when we shouldn't. A child has an important question about life and we freeze up fearing to talk about important issues. We freeze when the boss offers us a promotion fearing losing the comfort of our existing jobs. We freeze went God is offering us new lives. Fear is always around us.

For a long time I was afraid of riding a bicycle. I fell off once when I was a kid and I was too frightened to get back on. Years later as an adult I decided to try to tackle this fear. So I bought a bicycle and started riding it. It wasn't until I fell off a few times and got back up that my fear finally dissipated.

The Israelites were afraid to enter the promised land. There was a report of giants in Canaan. They said, “28 Where are we headed? Our kindred have made our hearts melt by reporting, 'The people are stronger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified up to heaven! We actually saw there the offspring of the Anakim!'" (Deuteronomy 1:28). The Israelites experienced great fear that froze them in the wilderness. But, God does not want us to be afraid. That's why he keeps sending messages with the angels who say, “Fear Not”. Moses told the people who feared entering the promised land,

Deuteronomy 1:29-33 29 I said to you, "Have no dread or fear of them. 30 The LORD your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place.

Fear is what keeps us in slavery to sin. Why else would we remain enslaved? Slavery can only be maintained in the slaves fear their masters. And if we fear the devil more than we fear God then we will remain as slaves to sin forever. But if we no longer fear the devil then we are free to leave sin behind and embrace the promised blessings of God.

On that first Easter morning fear was everywhere. The Jewish leaders in the temple feared the Roman reaction to the Kingdom of Heaven talk that had swept across Jerusalem that Passover. Pilate feared that there might be a revolution in the streets for which Rome would hold him accountable. The guards at the tomb were afraid of the earthquake that rolled away the stone. And a couple of women were afraid at what they saw inside the tomb, or more specifically what they didn't see. The tomb was empty. Jesus' body was not there. Immediately they were fill with fear. They feared the unknown. They feared the Roman reaction. There feared for their families in a possible civil war.

God was so concerned about their fears that he immediately dispatched an angel with an important message, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for he has been raised.” Of course this didn't work. The women were even more afraid. Their fear caused them to flee. They ran as fast as they could to get back to the safety of the others. So God sent another messenger to comfort them. A more familiar messenger. Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid”. So it is Jesus who comes to remove our fears so that we are no longer paralyzed by fear into slavery to sin. Jesus is the messenger from God who comforts us in our fears and helps us to leave our fears behind and enter into the promised blessings of God.

Our most fundamental fear, of course, is our fear of death. We are afraid of death more than anything else. We grieve when a loved one dies because of our fear that this will be the last time we will ever see them again. We fear death because is seem that a giant The End to our lives. We fear the unknown and wait for what may or may not happen after we die.

This fear of death is what keeps us in slavery. The Israelites could not freely worship their God because the Egyptian army would kill them. The people of Jesus' day were unwilling to stand up to the Romans for the same reason. And we remain slaves sin because we fear our own deaths.

But the message God sent to those women through Jesus was that death was to be feared no longer. Death was not the end. The Egyptians or the Romans could kill you, but not end your life. And Jesus demonstrated this fact in his resurrection from the dead.

In Jesus Christ we see that death is no longer the last page of our life story. We live on in life after death. Our slave masters can threaten us with death, they can kill us on a cross, but the promised blessing of Jesus Christ is eternal life for all who believe. The apostle Paul spoke of this promise in this way, “5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) And Peter said, “ 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3).

So hope replaces our fear. As Christians we no longer fear death. Death has no sting. Rather, we are a people of hope who believe in the promised blessing of Easter that even though we may die and return back to the dust of the ground from which we came, we will one day be resurrected to new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ.

So I urge you this Easter morning to fear not. Rather, be filled with hope that in Jesus Christ death is not the final chapter, but the beginning of a glorious future in a resurrected body, in a new creation, in the Kingdom of God.

“Brightness of God’s glory and exact image of God’s person, whom death could not conquer nor the tomb imprison, as you have shared our frailty in human flesh, help us to share your immortality in the Spirit. Let no shadow of the grave terrify us, and no fear of darkness turn our hearts from you. Reveal yourself to us this day and all our days, as the first and the last, the Living One, our immortal Savior and Lord. Amen.” (Book of Common Worship p 324)

Sermon Matthew 21:1-11 Who Is This?

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon Matthew 21:1-11 Who Is This?
April 17, 2011

Our journey on the road from slavery to sin to promised blessing is almost at an end. We have hit potholes and fallen off cliffs along the way, but God has always been there with us. We have arrived at Jerusalem where the road leads us to a table where we will gather Thursday evening, and at the foot of a cross next Friday at noon. Today we will see that the road from slavery to promise has some unexpected surprises for us. Before we look at these 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)

Matthew 21:1-11 NRS Matthew 21:1 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, just say this, 'The Lord needs them.' And he will send them immediately. " 4 This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, 5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7 they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" 10 When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

One thing we all like about church is that it is familiar. It is the one thing in our culture that is slow to change. And we take comfort in that church is about the same as it was when we were 12. We don't want anything unexpected to happen.

But life is filled with things we just don’t expect. Last Wednesday evening I was with a group and we talked about those “ah ha” moments when we suddenly realize something we hadn’t realized before. We debated whether, when these moments occur, do they indicate the presence of angels or the presence of the Holy Spirit? But we realized that whenever we experience a change in our thinking God is present in a variety of ways.

Sometimes unexpected things happen to us that devastate our lives. On Thursday evening a group talked about a man who recently came home from work one Friday not feeling well. He went to the hospital on Saturday and one week later was dead from cancer totally unexpectedly. For the last couple of weeks we have been praying for a man whose shoulder was crushed in a farm accident. Unexpected things happen that turn lives, families, churches and communities upside down.

Last Friday I was leading a devotional from the Book of Proverbs for the 6am men’s group. As usual I outlined that passage and printed in out. I was prepared to talk about the benefits of receiving wisdom. Here is the passage from Proverbs
Proverbs 4:1-9 NRS Proverbs 4:1 Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight; 2 for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching. 3 When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother's favorite, 4 he taught me, and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. 7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. 8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. 9 She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

As we read this passage I began to realize how truly unexpected the events of Holy Week were. By prizing wisdom we will be exalted, lifted up. But this image of being lifted up changes when someone is lifted up on a cross he has been nail to. And the image of a fair garland and beautiful crown is a image of imperial power and wealth. But this image of a crown changes when one is made out of thorns.

Something very unexpected happened one day in Jerusalem around the year 30AD. It started when a symbol of imperial power arrived in Jerusalem. Pontius Pilate had left his Mediterranean palace and traveled to Jerusalem. He rode a mighty war horse, a symbol of Roman authority and power, just as Alexander the Great had done nearly four hundred years before. Accompanying Pilate was the Roman Legion, the instrument of imperial power. Pilate wanted to make certain that nothing would adversely affect Roman interests during the Passover celebration. He wanted nothing to happen unexpectedly.

As Pilate entered the West gate leading into Jerusalem something unexpected did happen. A prophet from Galilee, riding a donkey and accompanied by a ragtag bunch entered Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives through the East Gate.

According the Matthew the city was in turmoil. Literally the earth the shaking, a 9.0 earthquake. Earthquakes are caused when two large plates of the earth’s crust collide with each other. This happens today, regularly, and is happening now in Japan. But the shaking in Jerusalem was not caused by geographic collisions, spiritual collisions were happening at the two gates. In Jerusalem that day something happened that no one expected. The Roman Empire collided with the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Kingdom of Heaven that rode in with Jesus on that Palm Sunday was not some future hope or something people are called to build. Rather it is a kingdom built by God and ruled by God where all of us submit to God’s will. The Kingdom of God is what society would be like if we all submitted to God’s authority. Listen to these words from Jesus: Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." Matthew 4:17 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." Luke 4:43 "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."

The Kingdom of Heaven is not something we build. God is the creator. We receive it. We inherit it. We wait for it. We proclaim it. God is creating a kingdom of justice and mercy. This gives us a great opportunity, but also subjects us to judgment. And it is happening right now.

The author John Dally in his book Choosing the Kingdom gave a small group of students a printout of every passage in scripture from a particular Biblical book that talks about the Kingdom of Heaven and asked them to respond to these intuitively.

Here are some of the results of the students from the Gospel of Mark: “The kingdom of God can be near or far. You can go into the kingdom. The kingdom is hard for some to go into and easy for others. The kingdom grows like magic. The kingdom can be pointed to. The kingdom is mysterious. The kingdom is for the innocent, the simple, and children. The kingdom is costly. The kingdom is a refuge or home. The kingdom puts you in conflict with the status quo. The kingdom is powerful. The kingdom is uncomfortable for the rich. The kingdom is expanding.

What we see in all of this is that the Kingdom of God is not some other place or some other time. It is here and now. It is offered to us. We may think that we live under the authority of the federal or state or local government. But in reality we have the choice to live under the authority of God.

As a exercise this week I would like for all of you to imagine what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like on earth. How would your life be different if you lived in the Kingdom of God? How would the church be different if we lived in the Kingdom of God? How would our community be different if it lived under the Kingdom of God? Think about these questions this week. Let your imaginations grow. And I ask that the Adult Christian Education teachers allocate some time for discussion about what the Kingdom of God would look like if it was here in Pocomoke.

In Jesus’ day the Empire of Rome had no desire to give up power. They wanted no part of a competing authority. That’s why Pilate showed up at the West Gate with the Legions behind. But he was soon confronted by the humble rabbi entering the East Gate on a donkey. The clash of these two kingdoms was like a earthquake that rattled the city for a week. The Roman kingdom would do whatever it took to defeat the kingdom of God. That great battle will take place this week in last supper and under a cross. And we will see who wins, the kingdom of the world or the Kingdom of God next Sunday.

So as we travel down that road from slavery to promise we run into something we never expected. We are in the middle of a clash of two kingdoms. We can’t remain neutral. We can’t be citizens of both. We have to choose one or another, either the kingdom of the world or the Kingdom of Heaven.

So on the holiest of weeks expect the unexpected. Expect to receive the Kingdom of God which has come near. Receive it into you lives. And experience for yourselves the unexpected blessings from God.

Lord Jesus, bless us this week as we travel with you toward the cross. Give us what we don't expect. Surprise us with your blessings. And lets us enter into the Kingdom of God. Amen.

Sermon Ezekiel 37:1-14 What Will God Do?

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon Ezekiel 37:1-14 What Will God Do?
April 10, 2011

So far this Lent we have been on a journey from slavery to promise. We have seen that God is there with us whenever we hit the potholes along the way. We have also seen that if we honestly confess our sins and turn to God, God will forgive us and we will never lose God's love. Today we will see that sometimes there are deep chasms on the side of the road from slavery to sin to promised blessings, and we can literally lose our lives if we fall down one of these. But remarkably God will be there to put us back together again when we do fall. 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)
Ezekiel 37:1-14 NRS Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. 3 He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5 Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6 I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." 7 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." 10 I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. 11 Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' 12 Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. 14 I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD."

A couple of years ago there was a major fire in the San Gabriel mountains just north of Los Angeles. Two experienced firefighters found themselves in a dangerous situation while battling the fire on a narrow mountain road. These mountains are a third higher then the Appalachians to our west. If you drive off one of these mountain road you would plunge thousands of feet. The firefighters took refuge in their truck and then attempted to back down one of these roads. In the smoke and confusion they drove off the road and plunged to their deaths.

This image of falling into a fiery place is the image we have of hell. This past week I have been thinking a lot about hell. This is something that I do not recommend. Thinking about hell is a terribly depressing thing to do. But I got thinking about hell while I was visiting some of our shut ins at a nursing home in Salisbury. I was walking out of a room when a woman from across the hall asked me if I was Luella's son. I said “no, I am her pastor.” And immediately she wanted to talk with me. It wasn't really a conversation. It was more like a warning. She asked me if I had ever read the book 23 Minutes in Hell. I admitted that I had not read it even though an elder had handed me a copy months ago and I just let it sit on the table all that time. I didn't really want to read about hell. She told me that I had too because it was important for my soul. So I went home and read it and began thinking about hell.

This book is a first hand account of an experience someone had of what he thought was hell. I have no doubt that he truly experienced this. It seems like a revelation from God warning us to repent. And God certainly could reveal hell to us in this way if God wanted too. But to see if it is of the Holy Spirit or not the test is always: How consistent is it with scripture? So, let's look at what the Bible says about hell.

The Hebrew of the Old Testament has a word that refers to the dark, mysterious place people
go to when they die. It means grave or pit. That word is “Sheol” or the Greek equivalent “Hades”. Jesus used another Hebrew word that people in the first century would have understood. That word is “Gehenna”. There was an actual Gehenna, or Henna Valley, near Jerusalem in Jesus' time. It was the garbage dump. Fires burned there continuously. Dead animals would be taken there. The poor people who could not afford a proper burial would be taken there. Anything you didn't want any more would go to Gehenna.

Remember that God created us, and God blesses us richly so that we can be a blessing for others. But the tragedy of humanity is that some of us choose to reject these blessings. God loves us dearly. But for those who turn their back on God it means to live an unblessed life which is like living in a place like Gehenna. Jesus warned us that disobedience of God's will shall lead us into this awful place.

Hell could be experienced on earth. We could live in our own Gehennas. It is the consequence of sinful behavior, our own or someone else's. We lose the blessings God has already given us. Think of people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Consider women who have been beaten and sexually abused by their fathers and husbands. And what must if be like to raise children with severe disabilities. Hell is a reality for many.

And what about those whose evil works go unpunished in their lifetime? What about the Hitler's of this world who died without ever receiving the punishment due. The church has always taught that God's justice requires that the evil done here on earth that goes unpunished must be punished in the afterlife. So we are all warned that disobedience today can lead to hell tomorrow.

So who goes to hell? Wouldn't we all like to know. What we do know it that our souls: our thoughts and dreams, our beliefs and memories, our talents and skills are all preserved by God until the day of resurrection when our souls will be reunited with our bodies in God's new creation. Some believe that our souls will sleep through this intermediate stage not conscious of what is happening around them. Others believe that God loves us so much that all of our souls will enjoy the bliss of heaven. But most believe that our souls will be conscious during this time experiencing the reality around them, and God's love is such that some must endure the fires of hell as a refining fire.

Rob Bell, the pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids Michigan has written a controversial book about who goes to hell. He criticizes churches that tell people that God will send them to hell if they don't believe what that church believes. Picture this conversation. A couple of Christians have entered the home of a non-believer. They tell this person about a loving God who created all there is. They talk about God's blessings. But then they say something like this: “If you don't believe as we do and ten minutes from now you die then our God will torment you in hell for eternity.” What would you think about a God like that? Does God really save just the few who happen to join the right church and have the right beliefs and then condemn all the others to hell? That's what many churches believe. But Bell criticizes this because it distorts our view of a loving and compassionate God who blesses us richly and wants, really wants, all of us in heaven.

Commenting on Bell's book, Dr Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Seminary, talked about something he calls “generous orthodoxy”. He said that this is where we ask the question: “Is God stingy or generous concerning entrance into heaven?” To answer this question Mouw suggests that we apply two principles from our Reformed tradition. The first Reformed principle is that people who disagree with each other about theology can both go to heaven. So if I believe that infants should be baptized, and the Baptist pastor down the street believes that only mature believers should be baptized, even though we disagree with each other we can both go to heaven. So just because we disagree with how someone else believes in Jesus that is not a reason to conclude that that other person is going to hell. The second Reformed principle is that there will be a significant amount of mystery concerning who gets into heaven and who goes to hell. We have to remember that God's blessings are not necessarily shut off for those we think should lose them. We don't really know who God allows in heaven and who goes to hell. So we must reserve judgment about who is or is not going to hell and let God decide.

So how does God deal with those who go to hell. We know that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah certainly went to hell. Sin was rampant in those cities and God's punishment was warranted. Sodom and Gomorrah have been used as examples for thousands of years to show people that God will act swiftly and decisively. But listen to what the Prophet Ezekiel heard from God concerning Sodom and Gomorrah. “I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters” (Ezekiel 16:53), and “ As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state (Ezekiel 16:55). So we see that our God does not punish us forever. Forgiveness is always offered through salvation in Jesus Christ.

And this brings us to today's scripture from Ezekiel. In it we see the true end of humanity. Yes when we dies our bodies with go back to dust and our souls will experience an intermediate state of either heaven or hell. Eventually our souls will be reunited with our resurrected bodies in God's new creation here on earth. Resurrection, not hell, is what we celebrate at Easter. Listen to these words of God spoken to the prophet Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 36:22-28 2 Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. 23 I will sanctify my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD, when through you I display my holiness before their eyes. 24 I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sermon 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Who is God Using?

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Who is God Using?
April 3, 2011

Our Lenten journey continues. So far we have found that God has given us limited freedom and we throw all of our blessings away by lusting after things we shouldn’t have. So God has made a great promise to us that in spite of our disobedience God will bless us in abundance so that we will be blessing for other. But on the road from sin to promise there will be potholes. And we can be assured that God will be right there with us no matter what happens. Today we will see the importance of our confession as we pursue God’s promised blessings. 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)

1 Samuel 16:1-13 NRS 1 Samuel 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." 2 Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you." 4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come peaceably?" 5 He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed is now before the LORD." 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the LORD chosen this one." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." 11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one." 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

In this scripture we see four important Old Testament figures. Three of them were kings, Saul, David and, of course, God. One was a prophet, Samuel. God had rejected Saul as king over Israel and wanted to replace him with David. Both Saul and David were kings of Israel. Both had been chosen by God. Both were capable of uniting the nation and defeating their enemies. And both Saul and David were sinners. Both had been richly blessed by God, but both had lusted after things that were prohibited. Saul lost his kingdom as a result, but David continued to receive God’s blessings. What was the difference?

I once heard a story about boy who brought home a D on his report card. When his father asked about the D the boy said that it was “that old teacher’s fault”. “She gave me the D”, he said. “That’s her handwriting”. But the wise father pointed out that the D was his. He earned it. The teacher had simply recorded her evaluation of what the son had done.

We love to blame our sins on someone else. Remember, it started with Adam who blamed his disobedience on his wife. We still do it. Blaming others for what we do makes us look like victims. And victims receive a lot of sympathy. But blaming others is not what God wants from us. God prefers a honest confession and a contrite heart. Let’s take a look at King Saul.

King Saul was told by God through the prophet Samuel to attack the Amalekites. God was using Saul’s army to punish them. God ordered that the King of the Amalekites, all the people and all the ox, sheep, cattle and donkeys should be killed. Saul attacked the Amalekites and killed all of them just as God had instructed. But, Saul captured their king, Agag, alive and he took their ox, sheep, cattle and donkeys as booty. When the prophet Samuel confronted the king with his disobedience, Saul lied about what he had done and then tried to justify his actions by blaming them on others. Even though Saul was the king, he blamed his disobedience on the people of his nation. He said they made him do it; they wanted the loot. He said that he was afraid of his own people. All of this was a lie. As a result God removed from Saul his blessings and his kingdom. In God’s eyes he was no longer a suitable king. And Saul died on the battlefield as his kingdom was taken away. Saul sinned by disobeying God. Others have sinned as well, but in much uglier ways. Let’s take a look at King David.

We all know the story of David and Uriah. David slept with Uriah’s wife, tried to cover it up with an elaborate lie, and then had Uriah murdered. This might work for some of the dictators around the world today, but we can’t imagine that God would approve of three violations of the Ten Commandments. So God dispatched the prophet Nathan to confront the king. David’s response was not to lie about what he had done, or try to justify himself, or blame it on others. David simply confessed his sin. As a result of David’s sin he lost the blessings of peace. His kingdom was at war. His son conspired to overthrow him. And his newborn baby died. But because he had freely confessed his sin, David lost neither his kingdom nor God’s love.

What we learn from this is that whenever we lust after that which is prohibited we will lose the blessings we already have. That’s the way it is. But if we confess our sins and truly repent God will forgive us and will continue to bless us richly. The choice is ours. We can try to hide our sins from God like Adam, Eve and King Saul. We can blame our sins on others. We can try to justify ourselves. Or we can honestly confess our sins and continue to receive God’s promised blessings.

King David later wrote about his confession and the forgiveness that he had received from God. In Psalm 51, he asked God for a clean heart filled with the Holy Spirit of God. He asked God not only for forgiveness but also for a willing spirit that would help him to obey God. David promised to publically declare the salvation he had received in his teaching and singing so that others would also confess their sins honestly.

This is what we are called to do as forgiven sinners. We are to honestly confess our sins to God without blaming others for what we have done. We are to ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit so that we might become able and willing to obey God in the future. Then we are to tell others, our families, our coworkers, and our friends about the salvation we have received from God urging them to seek God with contrite hearts with the promise of blessing and forgiveness. This is the good news that we are called to proclaim as the ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

From Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
Wash me through and through from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.
And so you are justified when you speak and upright in your judgment.
Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, a sinner from my mother's womb.
For behold, you look for truth deep within me,
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
Make me hear of joy and gladness, that the body you have broken may rejoice.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence and take not your holy Spirit from me.
Give me the joy of your saving help again and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise. Amen.

Sermon What is God Doing? Ex. 17: 1-7

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Presbyterian Churches
Sermon What is God Doing? Ex. 17: 1-7
March 27, 2011

We are continuing to look at our questions about God. Two weeks ago we started by asking “What did God say?” We found that God has given us limited freedom and asks that we obey his commands. But we follow our lusts and desire what is prohibited causing us to lose the blessings that we already had. Then last week we asked about God’s plan to deal with this problem and found that God has decided to bless us richly so that we can be blessings for others and that all the families of the world will be blessed. So we are on a journey from slavery to our lusts and desires and on our way to the promises of God. But as we will soon see there are potholes on the road from Slavery to Promised Land. Before we hit one 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)

Ex. 17: 1-7
1From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages,
as the LORD commanded.
They camped at Rephidim,
but there was no water for the people to drink. 

2The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.”

Moses said to them,
“Why do you quarrel with me?
Why do you test the LORD?” 
3But the people thirsted there for water;

and the people complained against Moses and said,
“Why did you bring us out of Egypt,
to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?”

4So Moses cried out to the LORD,
“What shall I do with this people?
They are almost ready to stone me.”

5The LORD said to Moses,
“Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you;
take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb.
Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.”

Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
7He called the place Massah and Meribah,
because the Israelites quarreled and tested the LORD,
saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

I usually do not talk about baseball from this pulpit. But with Spring Training almost over and the Major League season about to start I just can’t resist. You see I was a Washington Senators fan while growing up, and suffered a broken heart when they left in 1971. For thirty-four years I prayed for a team to return and was overjoyed when the Nationals came to DC in 2005. I listened to their games on the internet in California and now I can watch them on TV.

In 2005 one of my most favorite players was a pitcher named Chad Cordero. Chad had a strong arm and could throw a baseball 95 miles an hour. He was the closer, and would enter in the ninth inning to preserve a lead. But Chad suffered the fate of many young pitchers. He hurt his shoulder and underwent surgery the type that pitchers rarely return from. Chad was never the same and was released by the Nationals. He has bounced around several teams and this year is trying to catch on with Toronto.

Shortly after leaving the Nationals Chad married his college sweetheart, Jamie, and they have had two children. One day they dropped the kids, eighteen month old Riley and the eleven week old baby Tehya, at the Grandparent’s house for a much needed parent’s night out. Grandma put the sleeping baby on the bed and checked her from time to time. Everything was fine,. The baby was sleeping normally. And then baby died. Tehya, just 11 weeks old was dead. The doctors had no idea what happened. The baby was not sick. The Grandmother did nothing wrong. The autopsy was inconclusive. When there is no explanation doctors call this Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, SIDS. This was last December. The Corderos experienced inconsolable grief. They blamed themselves for what happened. And somehow they had to get ready for Christmas. (Adapted from Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post, 3/21/2011)

At a time like this all we can do is ask God why. Why did this happen? Why, God, did you allow this? We complain about these potholes in the road from slavery to promise. At the root of these questions is our fear that maybe God is not around anymore. Maybe God has left us, abandoned us. Maybe God is dead.

The Israelites experienced this feeling. They were on the journey from slavery to Promised Land. They had seen the great miracles of God who had freed them from slavery in Egypt and was leading them to the promise God had made to Abram. But suddenly they faced a crisis, a pothole in the road. Their water ran out. They feared that they would die. They should have had great confidence in Moses. After all he had tended his father-in-laws sheep in this very desert for 40 years. Surely he knew every watering hole. There was no need to fear about water. But underlying all of this was their fear that God had left them, disappeared.

Even Jesus experienced this feeling. In the incarnation Jesus needed to feel all of our emotions. He needed to experience the potholes on the road from slavery to promise. On the cross he felt the absence of God and cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

So when times get tough, when we lose a child, or lose a job, or lose our health we feel that we have been abandoned by God. And this we fear more than anything else because we were created to be with our creator. God’s absence scares us to death. Of course the Bible teaches us that God is always with us. When the Corderos lost their child, God was there. When the Israelites ran out of water, God was there. When Jesus cried out from the cross, God was there. Remember the promise, Jesus Christ is Emmanuel. In Christ, God is always with us.

Whenever we fear the God is far from us there are three things that scripture teaches us to do. So lets take a look at each of these.

The first thing to do when God seems to be missing is to pray. Moses cried out to God. He used the prayer most pastors have spoken at one time or another, “Oh God, they are about to stone me.” But seriously, whenever God seems absent the first thing we have to do is to call out. God will hear our prayers and will respond. Prayer is the only way we can be assured that God is with us and we not alone. We when are overwhelmed with fear, experience an indescribable loss, feel abandoned and alone we need to first turn to God in prayer and rest in his loving arms.

The second thing we must do whenever we experience the absence of God is to get together with other believers. Moses called together the elders. As a group they faced the problem together. So too with us, when God seems distant we need to be with others in prayer and worship. It temping, when tragedy strikes, to stay away from church. But church is exactly where you need to be. Remember that whenever a group of two or three believers join together and pray, God will be in their midst. So when you experience the absence of God always get together with other believers and pray.

And the third thing we must do whenever it seems that we can’t find God is to remember all the blessings God has given us in the past. Moses picked up his staff reminding the people that God was with them in Egypt when the sea was parted and they were freed from slavery. That staff reminded the people of God great providence. And the water coming from the rock assured then that God was
still with them. So whenever God seems distant count you blessings, remember how God has so richly blessed you and your family and then you will begin to feel God’s presence.

Sadly the Corderos seem to be approaching their grief the way many people do, with hard work. Chad is trying to reenter baseball and has been in camp with the Toronto Blue Jays. He hoped that baseball would be his savior. But it has been reported that he hides in the bathroom stall, crying. There is only one savior who can save us from the potholes on the journey from slavery to promise, only one savior who hears our prayers, only one savior who had experienced the feeling of being abandoned by God, and only savior who sits at God's right hand. That savior is the one we worship today, Jesus Christ.

The Israelites did not die of thirst. Moses struck the rock with the rod that had freed the Israelites from slavery. The people realized that through Moses’ prayer and through faithfulness of the elders that God was with them. They had never been abandoned. They had never been alone. They realized that God was faithful and would never stop loving them in spite of all the potholes from on the road from slavery to promise. After learning this lesson the Israelites were ready for their next blessing from God. They were at the foot of Mt. Horeb where God was just about to give them instructions and laws, which if followed would lead to a blessed life. Moses was just about to ascend the Mountain to receive the Ten Commandments. So we see that as we travel on the road from slavery to promise we are blessed along the way with God's word.

One the blessing that we have been promised by God is the blessing to be satisfied whenever God seems to be missing. Jesus taught us that all who hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God will be filled. This is a great blessing we have received because our God loves us so much.

Everlasting Father, we thank you for your steadfast love. We thank you for always being right there with us, especially when we need you the most. Amen.