Sermon Matthew 5: 13-20 You Are Salt and Light

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 5: 13-20 You Are Salt and Light

February 9, 2014

Throughout this season of Epiphany we have been following Jesus as he began his ministry. Last week we were with him as he climbed to the top of a hill to speak to his disciples and the people of Capernaum. He sat down to teach as any rabbi would. And he explained how they would be blessed as the kingdom of heaven became manifest on earth. As the kingdom of heaven arrives there will be conflict between it and the kingdoms of the earth. Specifically the people needed to know how they should practice their faith given the Roman occupation they lived under. How could they obey God when the empire demanded total obedience to Caesar? We will get to this, but first let's pray.

God, open my eyes to see the world through your compassion. Open my mind to understand the world through your wisdom. Open my heart to receive the world through your love. Amen.¹

In Jesus' day the people of God lived under Roman occupation. This was nothing new. For hundreds of years one empire or another controlled the Middle East. The people continued to live in their ancestral homelands. This was the land promised to the children of Israel as a perpetual inheritance. But now the people worked the land and fished its lakes not for themselves but to feed a vast empire. And they wondered how to practice their faith within the context of a hostile government. There were three responses.

The first came from the Zealots. The Zealot said that the people of God would never be able to worship freely until the Romans were gone. So they took up arms and began a violent revolution.

The second response came from the Sadducees. They said that the people of God could only practice their faith if they cooperated with the Roman authorities. If the law of God was in conflict with the law of Rome the people had to obey Rome. They had to compromise their faith. The Sadducees became religious leaders by being puppets of Roman government.

And the third response came from the Pharisees. Unlike the Zealots the Pharisees did not advocate a violent response to Roman occupation. And unlike the Sadducees they did not advocate compromising God's law. They told the people to practice their faith privately. Go inside and draw the drapes. There you can keep the Sabbath, obey dietary laws, pray and fast without the Roman authorities knowing what was going on.

So which of these responses would Jesus adopt? Or would Jesus advocate a different way? Let's listen in.

Matthew 5: 9-12 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus did not agree with the Zealots. They argued for violence. But Jesus said that the peacemakers would be blessed in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus did not agree with the Sadducees. They wanted the people to compromise the laws of God. But Jesus said that he had come not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. And Jesus did not agree with the Pharisees. They told the people of God to practice their faith privately. But Jesus warned them about covering the light of their faith with a basket. Jesus wanted the people of God, nonviolently, to follow God's commands publicly for everyone to see.

But Jesus, wouldn't put us in conflict with our increasingly atheistic culture? Wouldn't we get into trouble by publicly following our God? Well … yes, it would. John the baptist got in trouble for publicly practicing his faith. So too did Jesus. And so too will we. We are called to obey God's law even if it makes us unpopular. We are to obey God's law even if the culture calls it foolishness. We are to obey God's law even if we are arrested and punished for our beliefs. And there is to be no violence, or compromise, or hiding in fear.

Jesus explained all of this with two parables. In the first one Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth”. Salt is necessary for life. We would die if we didn't have enough salt in our diets. Salt enhances the flavor of food. And it allows us to store food for long periods of time. So too with faith. Faith is necessary for life. We would die a spiritual death were it not for the faith we are given by God. Faith enhances the flavor of our lives. We find greater satisfaction living a life of faith. And a faith extends our lives to eternity. If we are the salt of the earth then we are required to bring our faith to the world. Bringing people to faith is necessary for their lives. Faith will season their lives with blessing. And faith will lead them to eternal life. So season the world you live in by sharing your faith. Be the salt the world needs.

In his second parable Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” You have been brought from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. You are not to leave this light behind when you leave church today. Rather the light of your faith is to shine in your lives. Live your lives in the joy of obedience to God. People will see your faith at work. Give them the gift of faith bringing them from the darkness of unbelief into the light.

There is an old story about a man who was certainly the salt of the earth and light of the world. Former President Woodrow Wilson told this story about being in a barbershop when someone with an enormous personality entered the room and sat in the next barber chair. He listen as this person talked to the barber. And he was impressed with the compassion this person had for the barber and his family. As the man spoke to the barber, Wilson had the impression that he was in a worship service of some kind. So who was it that had this powerful effect on the man who would be president of the United States? Woodrow Wilson found out who it was. And it was none other the Dwight L. Moody, evangelist, missionary, preacher, teacher and president of Moody Bible Institute.² Moody was empowered by God to be salt and light for the world. And this is our calling. We are to season and enlighten the world by the publicly following our God. Let us pray.

Father in heaven, enable us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Give us the gift of faith which will shine in our live bring others to the saving faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 64.

2http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody6.html

Sermon Matthew 5: 1-12 Blessed by God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 5: 1-12 Blessed by God

February 2, 2014

On this fourth Sunday in the season of Epiphany we will focus on the beginning of Jesus' teaching ministry. We have seen so far the his ministry on earth began with his baptism and ended with his command to the church to make disciples and baptize others. We have also seen that Jesus public ministry began with the arrest of John the Baptist and will end with Jesus' own arrest. And today we will see that Jesus' teaching ministry will begin with a proclamation that people will be blessed in the coming kingdom of heaven. And later in Matthew's gospel we will see that Jesus' teaching ministry will end with a proclamation that teachers will be cursed if they fail to teach what Jesus has been teaching. We will get to the blessings we can expect to receive in the kingdom of heaven. But first, let's pray.

“Blessed God, I yearn to see your vision of justice, love, and peace made real for me this day. Open my eyes to the way of love that I may see your brilliant light shining into the hidden places of my heart and the darkened corners of the world. Amen.”¹

Matthew 5:1-2 “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak and taught them.”

Jesus' disciples have assembled the people of Capernaum on the side of a hill near the town. This hill is concave and is a natural amphitheater so a speaker standing at the top can be heard by everyone below. The people are the poor of the area working boats and farms to produce food for the vast Roman empire. They have suffered as occupied people for hundreds of years. And Jesus has come to proclaim the good news that a new kingdom is coming. And the new king is their God. So Jesus climbed to the top of the mountain just as Moses, the prophet, did before him and he sat down as a distinguished teacher. Here is what he told them.

Matthew 5:3-5 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

In the Roman empire, people suffered at the hands of the rich and powerful. Life was cheap and the powerful thought nothing of killing someone who didn't cooperate with the system. People were expected to submit to authority or risk the consequences. And so the people were condemned to poverty, mourned for loved ones who have been killed unjustly, and learned to be submissive to authority.

But Jesus had come to proclaim a radical message. The oppressive life they had lived for so long was coming to an end. A new kingdom was coming. The kingdom of heaven was coming to earth. And in this new kingdom the poor, the sad and the powerless would be blessed. No longer would they suffer under oppressive regimes. No longer would mourn the death of loved ones who died unjustly. No longer would they be beaten into submission. In the kingdom of heaven, God would be their king. God would comfort them. And God would be in charge of the whole world.

Jesus promised that in this kingdom of heaven those who desired justice, mercy and pure faith would find what they longed for. Listen to what he said.

Matthew 5:6-9 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

And so, in the kingdom of heaven, the people of God are to strongly desire that everyone be treated fairly, and that the poor be cared for. People of God are to forgive and live in harmony. And people of God are to follow only one authority, God. As the people of God do these things God's presence will be made known, they will experience God's forgiveness, and God's justice will rule on earth.

Jesus promised that in this new kingdom those who desire peace, and an end to oppression and persecution and violence would be satisfied. Listen again to his teaching.

Matthew 5: 9-11 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed of those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

As the advance guard of the kingdom of heaven we are called, as children of God, to be peacemakers. We are to do whatever we can to stop war and violence. The Romans claimed that the peace of the empire was ensured by the legions, but in reality the empire was filled with war and violence. In the kingdom of heaven there would be no army to enforce the peace. Rather the people of God through their desire for justice and mercy would be the peacemakers. They would work, nonviolently, to bring about peace on earth.

And so we have seen from Jesus' teaching that the poor, those who mourn and the oppressed will all be blessed with the coming of the kingdom of heaven. We have seen that those who desire justice, mercy and faith will be satisfied in the kingdom of heaven. And we have seen that those who are persecuted, oppressed and victims of war will be blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

So, how will we be blessed in this new kingdom? My guess is that today you will feel really blessed if your team wins the Superbowl. And the game today will make at least some of you really happy. But this happiness won't last very long. By Monday morning you will be back at the old grind not feeling particularly blessed. So I suggest that you might find greater happiness if you help someone. Deliver food to the Samaritan Shelter. Visit someone who recently lost a spouse. Forgive someone who did you wrong. Do these things and you will feel truly blessed.

I would like conclude today with a story about a man who embodied these teachings of Jesus. His name was Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador. On February 17, 1980 he wrote a letter to President Carter asking that the United States not send military arms to El Salvador. He feared that these weapons would be used to oppress his people. On March 23^rd, five weeks later, Bishop Romero delivered a radio sermon to the people of El Salvador saying, “Soldiers, do not obey your superiors when they order you to kill. You are killing your brothers and sisters. In the name of God, in name of these suffering people whose laments rise to heaven, each day more tumultuous, I beg of you, I ask of you, I order you, in the name of God, stop the repression!”² The bishop was denounced at a traitor.

The next day Bishop Romero was conducting a funeral mass for the wife of a dear friend in the chapel of the cancer ward in a local hospital. As he held the bread and wine and began to pray, shots rang out. The bishop was standing at the communion table facing the people and fell at the base of a large crucifix. As he died he mumbled words of forgiveness.

Bishop Romero served the pour, comforted the mourning, and defended the oppressed. He hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He was a peacemaker. And in the kingdom of heaven he is surely blessed. Let us pray.

We humbly ask, O God, that you work though us to bless the poor, the sad and the persecuted. Fill us with the desire for justice and righteousness. Make us into peacemakers. This we pray in you son's name. Amen.

1Kimberly Long, Feasting On the Word Worship Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2013), 60.

2http://day1.org/915-oscar_romero_beatitude_made_flesh

Sermon Matthew 4:12-23 Fishers of Men

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 4:12-23 Fishers of Men

January 26, 2014

This is the third Sunday after Epiphany and we are continuing our look at the manifestation of God on earth as a man named Jesus. We witnessed Jesus' baptism where he received his commission to bring people from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. We have seen that this is done by sharing our testimony with others which then allows God to invite people into a relationship with his son. Today we will look at what Jesus said and did in his public ministry as a model for what we can say and do in our ministries today. But first, let's pray.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Matthew 4:12-23 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned."

Jesus' public ministry began with the arrest of John the Baptist. John was handed over to the authorities in Galilee just as Jesus will be handed over to the authorities in Jerusalem at the end of his public ministry. Jesus' response to John's arrest was courageous. He went toward the trouble and began his public ministry in Galilee, the kingdom of Herod Antipas, who had arrested John.

The reason Jesus did this, as Isaiah foresaw, was to bring the Jews, descended from the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith. These people has suffered much for hundreds of years. They had been oppressed by the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. In Jesus' day they were the poor laborers working on farms and fishing from boats to feed the Roman empire. Jesus could have stayed in Nazareth or traveled the short distance to Sepphoris, a prosperous Roman city, but instead he went to minister to the working poor in Capernaum. Let's see what he did when he got there.

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

So Jesus continued what John the Baptist had started. He told people to repent, change their ways. Turn to God. But the reason he gave for doing this was very different. John had told people to repent for the “forgiveness of sins”. But Jesus told them to repent “for the kingdom of heaven is near”. There is much confusion about this phrase, “the kingdom of heaven in near”. Some believe that Jesus was teaching us to change our ways in order to get to heaven when we die. But this is not at all what Jesus was talking about. For Jesus, heaven is not just some place you go to when you die. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven was coming here to earth. And and if the kingdom of heaven is arriving on earth then don't we owe our total allegiance to the God of heaven and not to something else?

In order to proclaim this radical message Jesus needed a group of disciples to assist him in his ministry. These disciples had to be courageous because the message Jesus was going to proclaim would be considered treason. Jesus knew that fisherman were very courageous because they battled the weather and the sea every day trying to make a living. He also knew that they were hard working, fishing all night and repairing their heavy nets by day. And he knew that fishermen were persistent, fishing night after night even if they were no fish to catch. So Jesus got some fishermen to follow him and assist in his ministry. Let's see what happens next.

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Peter, Andrew, James and John all left the only lives they had ever known to follow Jesus into ministry. They left families, boats and nets to respond to Jesus' call. We see from this that the kingdom of heaven demands our total loyalty. The government and business puts up obstacles to worship. We worship anyway. Our employers tell us we have to work on Sunday. We come to church anyway. Our families tell us that going to church is foolishness. We go to church anyway, because in the kingdom of heaven, God is our king. We need to be courageous because our faith will bring us into conflict with government authorities, employers and our families. But God demands our total allegiance. With this cost in mind, let us see what Jesus wants us to do.

Notice that Simon, Andrew, John and James were not told to follow Jesus because of anything they had done. Jesus' command was to follow him because he will make us into something. We don't have to be fishermen to be useful to Jesus. We just have to be who we are and Jesus will make us into what he needs. For years I never thought that I would be a pastor. But Jesus has made me into one. All I did was worship and pray and study the Bible. God changed me completely. And he will do that to you as well. If you continue to worship, pray and study scripture God will change you too. And you will be made into fishers of men. Let's return to the story and watch Jesus at work.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

And so our ministry as followers of Jesus Christ is to teach, preach and heal. We start by teaching what the Bible says. This is why we offer Christian education for all ages. We teach what the Bible says and hold it in our hearts. Then we proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. We preach that God is our king to whom we owe our total allegiance. And we pray together asking God to heal our relatives and friends. We model our ministry on Jesus' ministry, teaching, preaching and praying for healing every Sunday. And we carry on these ministries of teaching, preaching and praying throughout the week as we witness to others.

Doing these things may come at a high cost. Many people mistakenly believe that being a Christian will make you prosperous and happy. But we have seen in both John and Baptist and Jesus that Christian ministry often leads to imprisonment and death. But we do it anyway because of the great love we receive from God, and the example of Jesus sharing this love with people living in darkness by bringing them into the light of faith. Let us pray.

We thank you dear Lord for choosing us to engage in ministry. We accept your call to fish for men and women by teaching, preaching and praying for healing. We pledge to follow you alone as our God and Lord. This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Sermon John 1 29-42 Bringing People to Jesus

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon John 1 29-42 Bringing People to Jesus

January 19, 2014

This is the second Sunday of Epiphany, and we are looking at the manifestation of God on earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Last week we saw that Jesus began his ministry on earth with his baptism. His ministry was to bring people from the darkness of their ordinary lives into the bright light of faith. And at the end of his ministry he gave this task to the church. Our ministry is to bring people into the light of faith. Today we will see how this is done, 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)

John 1:29-42 ²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' ³¹ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." ³² Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³ I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' ³⁴ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Notice that in John's gospel the baptism of Jesus is not told as a story the way Matthew did last week. In this gospel the baptism of Jesus is a remembered event in the life of John the Baptist. John saw an extraordinary event. Jesus was baptized. A dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit came down from the sky. John the Baptist saw this and recognized God in it.

This is the first step in evangelism. We see God at work in the world around us. God is constantly doing things for us and for our families and friends. These things are going on all the time, but we usually miss it. It is hard to see God at work in the world. So what can we do to help us recognize that God is actively doing things around us? The best thing we can do is to be in small group Bible studies. The stories in the Bible are records of the interactions between God and people throughout history. As we read these stories we learn how to recognize God at work. Our study of the Word of God helps us to see God working in the world. So the very first thing we do in evangelism is to study the word of God with a group so that we will recognize God when he does things for us. Though Bible study we begin to notice God working today. And this becomes the content of our testimony. So, attend a Bible study and then start looking for evidence that God is a work in the world. Let's go back to the gospel of John.

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

This is the second step in evangelism. Once we recognize God at work in our world then we share this with someone else. We tell our testimony of what God is doing in our lives to our friends and families. The American church has been very good at telling our testimony to our children. We want our kids to be nurtured in the faith. And so we tell them about God working in our lives and we bring them to Sunday school where they learn Bible stories. This is a wonderful ministry and we are very good at it. But it is not enough. We can no longer sustain the church just by evangelizing just our kids because the culture is against us. There are many things pulling our children away from the church. And many of them are growing up in the darkness of unbelief. Today there are many people, right here in Pocomoke, who to not regularly study the Bible in groups and therefore are unable to see God at work in their lives. They desperately need you to share your testimony to release them from the darkness of unbelief.

It is hard to share your testimony with others, but this is a skill you can develop. As you attend Bibles studies you have the opportunity to talk about your faith with other people in the group. By doing this regularly you develop the skill of sharing your testimony with others. So continue to attend Bible studies, look for God in the world around you, and share your testimony with others who cannot see God for themselves drawing on the skills you have developed in your group. Let's get back to the gospel of John and see what happened after John shared his testimony.

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" ³⁹ "Come," he replied, "and you will see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

The third step in evangelism, after you have recognized God at work in the world around you, and after have shared your testimony, is to invite people into a relationship with Jesus. I know that this is the hard part. We find it very difficult to invite people to come to church, or study the Bible with us, or even to pray with us. We are not very good at this. John the Baptist wasn't good at this either. All he could do was share his testimony. The invitation to follow Jesus had to come from Jesus himself. All we need to do is to recognize God in the world around us and share our testimony with others. Jesus will invite them into a relationship. Let's go back to the gospel and see how all this works.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

So Andrew spent an evening studying scripture in a group with his Bible teacher, Jesus. He was enabled by this to recognize that Jesus himself was the Messiah that was promised. So he shared this testimony with his brother, and brought him to Jesus. Jesus initiated a relationship with his brother calling him “Peter”, the “rock”, because Simon would become the rock upon which the church would be built.

So what should we do to fulfill our mission to bring people from the darkness of unbelief into the bright light of faith? Study the Bible in groups. Recognize God in the world around you. Share your testimony with others, introducing them to Jesus. And let Jesus initiate a relationship with them bringing them from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith.

There is a interesting story that illustrates all of this going around the internet as I speak. There is a dog in Italy named Tommy. Tommy was a stray German Shepherd, but he found a good home. And he formed a strong relationship with the woman who cared for him. She went to church every day for prayers and took Tommy with her. Recently this woman died and Tommy went to the church to find her. He arrived during her funeral and walked down the center aisle to lie down in front for the ceremony. Since then every time the church bell rings, Tommy, the German Shepherd comes to church. The church feeds and cares for him while they pray for him to find a new human. I think Jesus has adopted him. Let's pray.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/01/18/loyal-dog-continues-to-attend-mass-every-day-at-church-where-his-owners-funeral-was-held/

Father in heaven, help us to see you at work in our world. Gife us the skill of sharing our testimony with others. And invite our friends and families into a relationship with your son, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Sermon Matthew 3:13 - 17 To Fulfill All Righteousness

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Matthew 3:13 - 17 To Fulfill All Righteousness

January 12, 2014

We are now in the season of Epiphany. An epiphany is an appearance of God on earth. We had an Epiphany when Jesus walked on this planet. This year during Epiphany we will follow Jesus through the early stages of his ministry through the eyes of Matthew and John as recorded in their gospels. We begin today with the baptism of Jesus. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

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

Matthew 3:13 - 17 ¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. ¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

I recently heard a story about a man who had been homeless living on the streets of New York City. He is currently living in a church run shelter and is active in the church. Recently, his church celebrated his 60^th birthday with a dinner at the shelter. A person in the church remarked that he did not look like a 60 year old man. So he opened his wallet and removed two cards. The first, was a drivers license that clearly showed him to be 60. The other was his baptismal card. He had been baptized in an Episcopal church in the city as an infant and had carried this card with him all his life. This card showed that he belonged to the family of God.¹

Like this man, when we were baptized, we were adopted into God's family. And at our baptisms, or later at our confirmations, we pledged to be followers of Jesus Christ.

Jesus began and ended his ministry on earth with baptism. According to Matthew, Jesus went to the Jordan river to be baptized by John to begin his ministry. And at the end of his ministry he took his disciples to a mountain in Galilee where he told them to make other disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

John's baptism was for people experiencing guilt for the sins they had committed. John wanted them to experience God's forgiveness by symbolically washing their sin away and by telling then to repent, to stop sinning and obey God. The last thing Jesus needed was this sort of baptism. We know that Jesus was free from sin. He had no need for repentance and forgiveness. Coming to John for baptism just didn't make any sense at all. So when Jesus arrived for his baptism John argued with him. Something else was going on, but what was it? What might this something else be? Why was Jesus at the Jordan with John?

Jesus answered these questions with this: “it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Does this make any sense to you? I sure have no idea what Jesus is talking about. I'm not sure if John had any idea what Jesus was talking about, but he went ahead and baptized Jesus anyway. What could Jesus have meant when he said that his baptism was “to fulfill all righteousness”? I think the God, his Father, gave us the answer when he shouted down from heaven, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." When God spoke these words he was echoing the words of the Prophet Isaiah which you heard earlier.

^NIV Isaiah 42:1 "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.

Clearly, Isaiah saw the day when Jesus, the Son of God, would be baptized by the Holy Spirit coming down from God, the Father, who would then speak these words. And Isaiah told us that when this happens God will enter into a new covenant with us. Here is what God said to the prophet.

⁶ "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, ⁷ to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

We learn from this that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river by John to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah that through Jesus people living in darkness will see the light. Jesus had come, not only to heal the blind, but to bring people from the darkness of unbelief into the light of faith, fulfilling the righteousness of God.

We will see this as we follow Jesus in his early ministry. Through his teaching and healing he will be bringing people into the light of faith. And we are to do the same. As baptized Christians we are to follow his commission and bring others to faith in Jesus Christ making new baptized disciples. This is our ministry, the ministry of the church.

There are people right here in Pocomoke who are living in darkness. They know little or nothing about Jesus. They are slaves to sin. And sin has so stained their lives that they have little hope. The only hope they have is if a follower of Jesus Christ tells them that Jesus can break the yoke of their slavery to sin and offers them new life. This is why it is so important for us to talk about our faith with others. We are comfortable talking about faith with other Christians, but our ministry is to talk about our faith with people outside of the church. We are equipped for this work by our worship, prayers and Bible studies. But this is just the beginning. Our ministry is to get out of the church and proclaim the good news of new life in Christ to people living in darkness, who desperately need to hear it.

One of my great joys in ministry was to baptize a homeless man in Los Angeles. Dirk had been a successful businessman. But his addiction to drugs and alcohol and his failure to pay child support caused him to live on the streets. All he had was a dog for protection. I encouraged Dirk to come to church where he would find a hot meal we prepared every Sunday night. I also encouraged him to attend worship. He became one of our most faithful volunteers. He asked if he could join the church. So, I taught a class to prepare him for baptism. On the night he was baptized the church was packed. It seemed that every homeless person in the community had heard about what was happening and came. It was glorious night as I baptized Dirk into his new life in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Dirk had come from the darkness of homelessness and addiction into the bright light of Jesus Christ.

I found great joy working with Dirk. You too will find this joy when you tell the good news of Jesus to people who need it. So build up your faith by praying every day, and worshiping on Sundays and attending Bible Studies. And then talk with others about a faith that brings light into the darkness. Let's pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, in your baptism you entered into a covenant where your disciples would bring the light of faith into the darkness of peoples lives. In our baptisms we accepted this covenant and pledge to grow spiritually to pass on our faith to others. We pledge to make disciples of you baptizing them into this covenant. This we pray in your glorious name. Amen.

1Patricia Calahan, Feasting On the Gospels, ed. Cynthia Jarvis and E. Elizabeth Johnson (Louisville: Westminster - John Knox Press, 2013), 44-46.

Sermon –Ephesians 1:3-14 – Gifts from God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon –Ephesians 1:3-14 – Gifts from God

January 5, 2014

Tomorrow is the day the church remembers that God appeared on Earth. This is called an Epiphany. God came as Jesus, a flesh and blood human. For the last 12 days we have been celebrating his birth. But now it is time to take down the tree, put away the decorations, and write all those thank you cards. This is important work and we will get to it shortly. 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)

Ephesians 1:3-14 ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸ that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹ And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment-- to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. ¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-- to the praise of his glory.

When you opened your Christmas gifts this year did you do it by yourself, or did you do it with friends and family? I think, for most of us, we open gifts with others. Christmas is a time to gather together in groups to share what we have been given. So too with gifts from God. We gather in groups, called churches, to open the presents God gives us at Christmas. Sadly so many Christians today see no need for church. They see only the need for a personal, individualistic relationship with Christ. They can worship God by reading the Bible on their own and watching sermons on the internet. Church seems unnecessary. But we know that receiving gifts from God is always better when done together. That way we can share our blessings and praise God together as church. Church is vitally important because the gifts we receive are meant not for the individual but for all of us. We have receive many blessings from God. And it is time to write our thank you notes.

As we gather up the Christmas gifts to write our thank you notes, let's take a look at some of the presents we have received. The first thing we see is a big box labeled, “spiritual blessings”. This one came from God, the Father of Jesus Christ. Inside we find what we have wanted, for a long long time. God has granted our request that we be a part of his holy family. Even though we are not descended directly from Abraham and Sarah, God has decided to adopt us into his family as a gift. What a wonderful gift to receive at Christmas. And there is something extra in this box, a bonus gift from God. God has chosen us to live holy lives. We have been given the great honor of being the ones who will obey his commands. God chose us for this glorious task before he created the world. And this Christmas we have received it as a glorious gift. Let's remember to write a thank you note to God, the Father, for these wonderful gifts of adoption into his family as obedient children.

And this is another box under the tree. Let's open it up and see what's inside. It is a gift from Jesus, and the box is filled with wisdom and understanding. And here is another box from Jesus with a second gift. It's not under the tree. It is on the table where we eat and drink the bread and juice of communion. Let's look in this box. It is the gift of redemption. We no longer have to worry about the devil and his temptation leading us to sin. We are free from slavery to sin and the clutches of Satan. We are free to live lives pleasing to God. What a great gift! And look here, there is a third box from Jesus. And inside is still another gift. It is the gift of forgiveness. All that we have done is forgiven. The shame and guilt we have carried for years is washed away. Remember to write thank you cards for these gifts from Jesus of redemption and forgiveness of sin.

So, how did all these wonderful gifts get under the tree? Did Saint Nicholas bring them or someone else? Maybe a group of wise men from the east put them there. These are all possibilities. But I think that the person who came down the chimney with these gifts was none other than the Holy Spirit who brings these gifts to us whenever we assemble to hear the Word of God read and proclaimed.

Oh, I almost missed it. There is one more gift, but it's not under the tree. It is sitting on the pulpit wide open. And it is for us, right here in Pocomoke. The wrapping paper around the box says “Hope”. Let's open it up. And inside, look at what we have found. It's a book with the title, “Bible”, and it has God's plan for us. God is going to use us to bring the whole world under the lordship of Jesus. Every thing, every nation, every leader, every person in heaven and on earth will be subject to our Lord Jesus Christ. And God is working through us, the church, to make this a reality.

So now it is time to write those thank you notes. We need to thank God for choosing us as his people. We need to thank Jesus Christ for redeeming us from slavery to sin. We need to thank the Holy Spirit for working though God's word sealing these gifts upon us. So how do we thank our triune God? Well, the best way to do this is to gather as church and offer up our praise and worship. This is why we come to church each Sunday, to receive God's gifts and offer our prayers of thanksgiving to our wonderful God.

We have been chosen by God, before time began, for the very special purpose of leading obedient lives. We have been redeemed by Christ, freed from slavery to sin and forgiven. All these gifts have been sealed upon us by the Holy Spirit working through the proclamation of the Word of God. God's purpose in doing all this is to bring of all creation into unity in Christ. So let's thank God for all of this. Let's offer our praise and thanksgiving to God in worship. Let this be our New Year's resolution to be God's people. Let's pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank you for choosing us as your people and we pledge to lead obedient lives. Lord Jesus Christ, we thank you for your gifts of redemption and forgiveness allowing us to lead lives pleasing to God and in service to others. Holy Spirit, we thank you for being with us today sealing these gifts upon us through the proclamation of God's Holy Word. We thank you God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for inviting this church to be part our your holy family. Amen.

Sermon Titus 2:11-14 Zealous for Good Deeds

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon Titus 2:11-14 Zealous for Good Deeds

December 24, 2013

Listen to our Christmas Eve service  http://jeffhoward.podbean.com/

The Advent wreath is brightly lit. And finally the light of Christ is burning brightly in our hearts. The candles we hold tonight are symbols of this light. We celebrate not only a birth two thousand years ago, but also the coming of Christ into our lives today, and our expectation of the coming again of Christ in hopefully the not too far off future. The light of an oil lamp that flickered in a cave in Bethlehem just before Jesus' birth is the same light that pierces the darkness of our lives. Let us 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)

We meet on a dark night in this sanctuary. Darkness is all around us. And darkness affects our lives. Year after year we have said things we shouldn't have said, and we have done things we shouldn't have done and the darkness has gotten deeper. Also there are things we should have said and things we should have done but didn't. And our lives descend even deeper into darkness. Tonight we a surrounded by this darkness when, suddenly, something amazing happens. Listen to how the Apostle Paul described it to a young pastor named Titus.

Titus 2:11-14 ¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.

^{By God's grace the light of Christ burns in our hearts dispelling the darkness of our lives. With this light we wake up from unbelief into the light of faith. We get dressed with the Spirit of Christ leaving our sinful nature behind and sharing our faith with others. As the light of Christ burns brightly in our hearts we are changed, transformed into new creatures. This come as a Christmas gift from God. Listen again to what the Apostle tells the young pastor.}

¹² It (the Grace of God) teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

^{And so we are blessed with the transforming power of the spirit to live harmoniously with each other. We treat those with whom we have disagreements with dignity and respect. Conflicts are resolved and we are at peace. All this is wrapped and placed under the tree as a Christmas gift from God. But the Apostle has more for the young pastor.}

¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

^{As we wait for the coming again of Christ to earth we develop patience. We grow spiritually with prayer, Bible study and worship. We stop grumbling with each other and patiently wait. We can do all this because we have received it as a wonderful Christmas gift from our gracious God. But there are still more gifts under the tree. Listen to how Paul describes this gift to Titus.}

¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness

We worship tonight the one who was born on Christmas, and through his life, death and resurrection from the dead redeemed us from slavery to sin. We are no longer slaves to sin. We have been purchased as slaves to Christ. And now we live for him free from bondage to sin, free to live lives pleasing to God. What a great Christmas gift from our creator. But according to Paul there is one more gift under the tree. Let's open it up.

14 and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

And so the biggest and best gift under the tree this evening is a strong desire to do good. Notice that this is not an obligation to do good. There are no oughts and shoulds around here. If there were we would just descend further into darkness unable to ever do enough. No! We are to do good not because we are supposed to. Rather we do good because we want to in gratitude for all the gifts we have received from God this Christmas. Our gracious God gives us the desire to do good. What a wonderful Christmas gift.

And with that the light of Christ burns brightly in our hearts. We live together in harmony. We patiently wait for Christ to come again. We are freed from slavery to sin and become slaves of Christ. And we have been given the desire, the strong desire to do good works.

So what do we do with all these gifts from God. Do we hide them in the garage and take them out next Christmas? I think not. Gifts from God are meant to be used. So lets make Beaver Dam and Pitts Creek Churches places where the light of Christ burns brightly this year. Let's live harmoniously, treating each other with dignity and respect. Let's wait patiently for Christ's return with a minimum of grumbling. As former slaves to sin let us put all sin behind us and live lives pleasing to God. And let's us have a strong desire, based on our gratitude for all of these gifts to do good works in our community and around the world. Let's make Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam churches shining examples for other churches to follow.

Remember these word's from the Prophet.

Isaiah 9

² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. ³ You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴ For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.

And remember these word's from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Luke 2

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

This great light has come today to pierce the darkness of your lives and to give you great joy. Let us pray.

Father in heaven, this Christmas, send the light of Christ, your own glory into our hearts. Transform us into a church that patiently waits for Jesus to return and serves our community in gratitude. Help us to proclaim this good news to everyone we meet. We pray this in your son's name. Amen.