Sermon Mark 2:1-12 Engage, Going Deeper into Our Spheres of Influence

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Mark 2:1-12 Engage, Going Deeper into Our Spheres of Influence¹

July 19, 2015

This is the final of my six week series on evangelism. Let's review where we are. 

 Over the last fifty years or so the world has changed. Christendom, the idea of a close relationship between the church and the state, which had been a governing principle in Europe and North America since the fourth century has ended. The church no longer enjoys a privileged position in our culture. On Sunday mornings people work, or sit in coffee shops, or just stay home. Many don't go to church. And so we have to get out of the church to meet people and talk about Jesus Christ to bring them to faith.

Before we can talk with people about our faith we must first develop our own story of how Christ has transformed our own lives. We do this by engaging in ancient spiritual practices. We pray every day. We read scripture every day. And we gather for worship every Sunday. We do these things not because we must for salvation, because salvation is always a gift from God. We do these things because we will experience transformation to new life. And it is this story of our own transformation that we must share with others.

We must also share the big story of what God is doing in our world. This story must include that the God we worship is the creator God who made the world good. It must also include the story of how men and women have messed it up by disobeying the creator. And it must include what God is doing to fix the problems of the world by sending us his son, Jesus Christ, and giving us the church to advance the Kingdom of God.

Once equipped with our story and the Big story of God we are ready to talk with others. We start with people we know, our friends and family. Then we tell our story to other people who look like us and dress like us and talk like us and act like us. Finally we tell our story to people who aren't like us until everyone in world has heard the story of Jesus Christ.

Today we will ask the most important question, “How much do we want to bring people to Christ?” Is our desire to evangelize others so great that it overcomes our fears? Or do our fears overcome our desire to bring people to Christ? We will get to this, but first let's pray.

May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.

Mark2:1-12  A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves,7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God,saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

A group of four men wanted to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus. They really, really, really wanted to bring him to Jesus. Really! They carried him to where Jesus was speaking, but couldn't even get close to the door. What to do? They really wanted to get their friend to Jesus. So they climbed up on the thatch roof to look for a way in. When no way was found they cut a hole in the roof and lowered their friend to Jesus through the hole. That's how much they wanted to bring him to Jesus.

How much do we want to bring people to Jesus? I know many of us fear evangelism. We are paralyzed by fear with just the thought of sharing our story with others. So let me repeat the question. How much do we want to bring people to Jesus? Is our desire to evangelize strong enough to overcome our fears?

I believe that God is testing the churches of North America and Europe. God wants to know how strong our desire to bring people to Christ is. If our desire is strong enough to overcome our fears then God will bless us richly. But if we allow our fears to paralyze us into inaction and we refuse to evangelize others, God will allow the church to die and then will start something new. This is the test the church is facing.

There was a day in my life many years ago when God tested me. God wanted to know how much I wanted to bring people to Christ. So God setup a test to see if I could overcome my fears of evangelizing people. Here is the story of my test.

Twenty years ago I joined the National Presbyterian Church in Washington DC. My reasons for joining that church were simple. The church had a large number of singles in its fellowship and I felt certain that if I joined that church I would find a wife. In short order I started dating and found a nice girlfriend. I also became involved in leadership with the singles group. I began the sense that God was calling me into ministry of some kind. Things were going very well and I was very happy.

Then God tested me to see how much I desired to serve Him and bring people to Christ. So God took the girlfriend away. I was hurt, angry, and afraid to set foot in that church again because of the shame I would experience for knowing that everyone there knew that I had been dumped. I told God in prayer of my intention to find another church. It was then that God decided to test me.

That night I received a call from a member of my church's nominating committee. He told me that they were impressed with what I had done with the singles group. The committee wanted to nominate me as a Deacon. This would require me to make a three year commitment to serve the church. I told him I had to pray about it.

You can image what those prayers sounded like. “Why God do you want me to stay at this church? I want to leave it and go someplace else.” The last thing I want to do was to make a three year commitment to a church I intended to never go to again. But what I didn't realize was that God was testing me. God wanted me to be in ministry, and was testing my desire. God wanted to know if my desire to serve his church was greater than my feeling of embarrassment at being rejected.

At this point, however, I was ready to say no to serving as a Deacon. I was too angry to attend this church. Certainly I could find another church that needed a Deacon. So I asked God in prayer to help me find another church. But then I found out that the test wasn't over. Let me tell you what else God did.

For two years I had attended a overview of the Bible called Bethel. I loved the class and had asked the pastor if I could attend a teacher training class in the Bethel series the next time it was offered. The pastor let me know that a new teacher class was beginning next week. I would receive from him two years of intensive Bible training but first would have to commit to teaching in the program for the following two years.

So I had a most important decision to make. On the one hand I didn't want to go back to a church where I would have to watch my ex-girlfriend date other guys. On the other hand that church was asking me to serve congregation as both a Deacon and a Bible teacher. If I left the church I would be starting over. If I stayed at the church I would be heavily involved for the next four years. What should I do?

What I didn't realize at the time was that God was testing me. God wanted to know how much I valued bring people to Christ. Did I value this so much that I would ignore my fears and do it anyway? I prayed a long time about this and finally made a decision. I decide that serving God and the church was more important than my personal fears. The next Sunday I went to my church. I was ordained as a Deacon and served three years. I was trained as a Bible teacher and taught for four more years. Six years later I finally left that church and went to seminary to become a pastor. Serving God was such a great value that I ignored my fears to do it.

Had I made a different decision that night I would not be here today. I would not be a pastor. I would have never met Grace. I don't know where I would be or what I would be doing right now. My life would be very different if I had failed the test. But I didn't fail the test. I overcame my fears. I did what Christ wanted me to do.

So what about us? I know that many of us have a great fear of evangelism. I know that many of us are terrified of telling others their story of faith. This is a test from God for the church. Are you willing to talk to others about faith and bring people to Christ in spite of your fears? If you are then God will bless this church with abundance. But if you let your fears paralyze you into inaction, and you don't talk with others about Jesus and what he has done in your lives then God will let this church die and start over. Will we pass the test or not? Let's pray.

Father in heaven we are scared to death to talk about our faith with others. We need your help. Send your Spirit to help us overcome our fears so that we may boldly proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through your son. Help us to share our stories with others. A bless us with abundance in your church. This we pray in you son's name. Amen.

1http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/

Sermon Acts 1 1-8 Engage, Connecting with Our Spheres of Influence

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Acts 1 1-8 Engage, Connecting with Our Spheres of Influence¹

July 12, 2015

We are now in our fifth week talking about evangelism. We started off by looking at the world around and seeing how much it has changed in our lifetimes. And we concluded that now we must get out of the church and go into our communities as missionaries of Jesus Christ. To do this we must be prepared by daily reading and meditation on scripture, prayer and by gathering with each other every Sunday in worship. Through these practices we grow as disciples and develop our own story of how our lives were transformed as we developed a relationship with Christ. We also develop a Big Story where we can tell the story of God. The Big Story includes God’s work in creating a world he declared good. It includes the work of evil in corrupting God’s creation into what we see today. It includes what God is doing about this by sending his Son and establishing his church. This all fits into a framework of good news we can share with people who need to hear it. Today we will ask the question, “Who are the people who need to hear the good news. We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

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

Acts 1:1-8 1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with^[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Just before Jesus ascended to heaven he spoke to his disciples about their mission on earth. First, they were to wait in Jerusalem. This means that they must be prepared before they witness to others. They can’t go into the world until they have spent sufficient time in prayer, meditation on scripture and worship. So if you are spending time with God in prayer each day and if you are worshiping with others every Sunday then you are ready. You have received the power of the Holy Spirit. Your personal story of faith is ready. And now you are ready to witness.

Notice that according to Jesus evangelism is a partnership. You have your responsibility. The Holy Spirit has its responsibility. You are witnesses. You are to tell your story of what God has done for you. The Holy Spirit will handle everything else. We see this clearly in the Gospel of Mark. The disciples shared their story of Jesus calming the wind and waves, and the Holy Spirit revealed that Jesus was more than a teacher. Then the disciples shared their story of Jesus bringing a dead girl back to life, and the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to be a prophet. The disciples shared their story of Jesus feeding thousands with just a few loaves of bread, and the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to be the messiah. And the disciples shared their story of Jesus transfigured on a mountaintop, and the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus to be the Son of Man who came from heaven. This happens to us too. We share our story of what Jesus has done for us, and the Holy Spirit brings people to faith. Your role is to be witnesses and leave conversion up to the Holy Spirit.

After engaging in prayer, Bible study and worship the disciples received power from the Holy Spirit to begin their ministry of witnessing. They were ready to begin sharing their stories, but with whom should they witness? Jesus told them that the people to whom they should witness are first, the people of Jerusalem, then the people of Judah, then the people of Samaria, and finally all people on earth. Let’s talk about each of these.

The disciples are to start witnessing, sharing their story, in Jerusalem. This is home field. These are the people they know, people they grew up with. These people dress like them and speak the same language. They are already talking with people in Jerusalem every day. So talking about faith with people just like you is the easiest thing in the world.

So where is our Jerusalem? Where should we begin our witnessing? Let’s start with friends and family members. Talk with the people who come to your business or clean your house, or serve you at a restaurant. These are people you already talk to all the time. Now, share you story of faith with them. Witness to the good news of what Christ has done in your lives. As you grow as disciples this should be easy.

When I was in business I called my company TARSUS Point of Sale Systems. Tarsus is a city in Turkey where the Apostle Paul came from. I would have personal conversations with my customers. Some of them would recognize the biblical reference in the name and we would have conversations about our churches. Others would have no idea what the word “tarsus” meant and would ask. This would open the door for me to tell my story of what Jesus did for me, and what Jesus did for the Apostle Paul. That's what I did. Find some way to share your story with the people you know.

Jesus told his disciples that they were to start with the people of Jerusalem and then move into Judah. Judah, at this time was a Roman province with Jerusalem as its capital. Jesus’ disciples were to move from their own limited circle of friends, families and acquaintances and begin to talk with people they didn’t know. This was a little harder to do, but still not too difficult. The people of Judah spoke their language and dressed like them. They shared a national history and faith in God. So there was already a basis for conversation. All the disciples had to do was get out of Jerusalem and witness to others. The Holy Spirit took it from there.

When I taught this material to our Christian education classes they identified their Judah as people coming to the church. They already have conversations with people who come to the Grace Parker breakfasts, or the Rummage sales, or summertime visitors to the church, or people at Panera, or customers of Walmart. These are all people just like you. They dress like you. They talk like you. They have the same concerns you have. They all need Jesus as much as you do. These people are your Judah. That’s where you begin to leave your comfort zone and start witnessing to others about your faith.

The third place the disciples were to go after Jerusalem and Judah was Samaria. A thousand years before Christ, King David’s kingdom stretched from Egypt all the way to the Euphrates River. After his death his kingdom gradually became smaller and divided. A southern kingdom was called Judah and a northern kingdom was called Israel. Three hundred years after David the northern kingdom, Israel, was destroyed by the Assyrian army. The people were deported to other places in the Assyrian empire. Other people were brought to the former Israel to a land now called Samaria. They became the Samaritans. The Assyrians encouraged the Samaritans to worship the local God of Israel. And so they became disciples of God through prayer, Bible study and worship. But they were not ethnic Jews. They did not dress, or talk like other believers. And this led to years and years of conflict.

By sending his disciples to Samaria, Jesus was sending them to a place with people not like them. These people spoke with an accent. They wore different clothing. They were discriminated against. But Jesus sent his disciples to Samaria as witnesses. This is more difficult, but doable. So, who is our Samaria?

This winter Worcester County taught ESL and GED classes for immigrants who have moved into our community. These people live here in Ocean City, but they speak with an accent and dress a little differently. They are our Samaritans. And that is why we established this summer ESL classes and simple English Bible studies so that you would have the opportunity to share your story with people who are different from you, your Samaritans. And we have almost 300 international students coming for breakfast every Wednesday morning. They would love to talk with you. That’s why they learned English and came to America, to meet you. You don’t have to travel very far to find your Samaria. It’s right here at the church. All you have to do is come as a conversation partner and share your story.

Finally, Jesus sent his disciples to the ends of the earth. Many of them left Jerusalem and traveled great distances to share their stories. The Apostle Paul started out three times to evangelize people in every country around the Mediterranean Sea. We do this through our mission giving. We support world missionaries through New Castle Presbytery and the Presbyterian Mission Agency. Bill and Ann Moore, Presbyterian missionaries in Japan, came here in May to share their story with us and thank us for the stained glass windows we provided for his church in Japan. Bill told us that many communities in Japan still have no churches. There is a great opportunity for people who want to share their faith at the ends of the earth. So all we have to do is to continue to support missionaries financially and when possible go visit them.

As you gather around tables at lunch talk about where your Jerusalem, your Judah, your Samaria and your ends of the earth are. Where is God calling you to witness? Where is God calling you to go? Where would sharing your story be easy? Where would it be harder? What would you have to do to share your story with someone who looks and talks differently from you?

As you grow as disciples you will develop a story to share and God will show you who needs to hear your story. Just follow God’s lead and be witnesses of what Christ has done for you. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father help us to grow in discipleship so that we may witness to others. Help us to see you at work in our lives. Help us to develop our own stories. And help us to share our stories wherever you may send us. This we pray in your son's name. Amen.

1http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/

Sermon Ephesians 2:1-10 Engage, The Big Story

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Ephesians 2:1-10 Engage, The Big Story¹

July 5, 2015

For the last three weeks we have been looking at evangelism during our time together here in the sanctuary and in our small groups during the meal after church. We have talked about how the world is changing and how the cultural shifts here in America are having a negative impact on the church. This means that we can no longer sit here complacently waiting for new people to come to church. Rather we must be missionaries going into Ocean City to bring people to Christ. To do this we must grow as disciples through daily prayer and meditation on scripture, and by joining together in worship each Sunday. As we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ we find our lives transformed. This transformation is the basis of the stories we tell others about what Christ has done for us. These stories of our lives form part of what we share with others. But there is something more we must share. We must tell people the good news of what God is doing in the world. We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

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

The Apostle Paul told people about what God was doing in the world of the late first century. He proclaimed this in his teaching and preaching. And we get a glimpse of what he was saying in his letters. Let’s turn now to Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus and hear what he told them about God.

Ephesians 2:1-10 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Paul knew that to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ he had to talk about God and what God was doing in the world. He pointed out the truth that sin was causing the world to rot. Our disobedience of God was leading not to blessings but to cursings. We were experiencing not God’s love but God’s wrath. But God has taken the initiative to solve this problem. Even though we don’t deserve God’s love, God loves us anyway. Even though God should judge us harshly, God mercifully forgives us. 

Even though God could demand payment for what we have done, God kindly offers grace and forgiveness without payment. And the proof that God has done all this is that he raised Jesus from the dead. Even though we should die for our sins, God promises us resurrection, like Jesus, and eternal life. And now free from God’s condemnation and judgment we are free to do what God created us to do: To love one another, just as God loves us.

That was the story about God that Paul told the church at Ephesus. What is the story about God that we should tell other’s here in Ocean City? When we talk with others about our faith we should always start with our own story of what God has done for us. But eventually we will receive a question about the God we worship. When this happens we will need to tell them a story about what God is doing in the world from its beginning to its end. Let me share with you the story that I wrote and passed out to over 260 international students last Wednesday. Feel free to use this story, it is in the literature racks, or use another story about God you come up with. As long as you faithfully follow what the Bible says about God you’ll be ok. Here is the story of God I told.

The God I worship is the creator of everything. God created the world and everything in it. God created you and me. I don’t know when God created the world. I don’t know exactly how God created the world. But I do know two things. First, God did create the world. And second, when God finished creation he declared that it was all good.

So God created a good world for us to live in. And all he asked us to do was to let God decide for us what is right and what is wrong. But God gave us freedom, and with that freedom we chose to decide right and wrong for ourselves. We chose to follow our own ethical code. Our earliest ancestors did this, and we do it today. This is sin. We are to use the ethical code given to us by God rather than the one we developed for ourselves.

As a result of this choice, problems came into the world. And today the world is really messed up. You can see this in the news. Countries are defaulting on debt. Nations are at war with each other. People lie and cheat to get want they want. Our problems seem to get bigger and bigger. This is all a result of sin, our choice to decide right and wrong for ourselves rather than following God. What is God going to do about all this? Will God have the universe collapse and start a new Big Bang?

What God did was to go to a man named Abraham with an offer. God promised to bless Abraham richly with land, and cattle, and crops, and offspring. All Abraham had to do was bless others with a portion of the blessings he had received from God. Abraham was blessed to be a blessing. God’s plan was simple. We are to love him with all our hearts, souls and minds and we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. But we have continued to decide for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. And so the problems of the world continue to deepen.

God then decided to come to earth himself to remind us that God created the world good, and blesses us richly so that we can bless others. God came as a man, Jesus. Jesus told us that God is displeased with the generations of men and women who have ignored God and chose to decide right from wrong themselves. But God wants to be reconciled with us because he loves us. Jesus told us that our sin is forgiven. Jesus reminded us that we are to love God and love our neighbor.

Those who wanted to continue to decide for themselves what is right and wrong, were disturbed by Jesus’ message, and put him to death. But Jesus proved them all wrong by rising from the dead and ascending to heaven.

Before Jesus left he gave us his Spirit to remind us of all the blessings we have received and encourage us to bless others. He also left behind a church which loves God, and attempts to follow God by loving our neighbors. And Jesus left behind the Bible which explains to us what God had done in the world and the promises he has made to us. Today Jesus’ church, filled with his Spirit and love, and guided by the Bible, works to restore the world to God’s good creation.

Jesus’ church does all this because it is filled with the glorious hope that like him we will rise from the dead. We believe that the day will come when Jesus returns to earth. On that day our bodies will rise from the grave. Our souls, spirits, personalities, and memories, which are stored in heaven when we die, will return to our bodies in the resurrection. Then we will live, as our creator intended, with God deciding right from wrong. We will love him with all of our soul, mind and strength. We will love others just as we love ourselves. We will be richly blessed by God so that we can richly bless others. This is the good news.

That’s the story I would tell. How about you? What story would you tell to people who are curious about the God you worship? To get you started on developing your story about God, let me give you four things every God story should have.

First, you should talk about God’s intentions for the world. God wanted the world to be good, free from problems. So he created a world with enough food and water and everything else we need.

Second, talk about how this world has been damaged by evil. This won’t be hard. The world we live in is far from what God intended. God has provided an abundance of water to drink, but some people are thirsty because they have no clean drinking water. God created a world with plenty to eat, but many people go to bed hungry and some even starve to death. This list goes on and on.

Third, talk about how God is working to restore the world. The tools he is using are love, forgiveness, grace, spirit, church and Jesus.

And fourth tell people how God is using this church to restore the world. Talk about how this church ministers to the needs of international students by giving them a weekly breakfast.

There you have it. The world was design for good. It was damaged by evil. It was restored for better. And the church is sent to heal.

As you gather around tables for small groups today put the Big Story about God in your own words. Talk with each other about how God created for us a perfect world, but by our disobedience we messed it up. Talk with each other about what Jesus did to fix it, and what the church is doing to continue that work.

Let pray. Father in heaven we thank you for your work of creation that made a world which satisfies all our needs. We confess that through our disobedience we have messed it all up. We thank you for sending Jesus Christ with your grace, love and forgiveness to restore the world to what you intended. Guide you church to continue in this effort. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

1http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/

Sermon Philippians 3:1-11 Engage, Sharing Your Story

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Philippians 3:1-11 Engage, Sharing Your Story[1]

June 28, 2015

            I am continuing today with my third in a series of sermons on evangelism.  Two weeks ago we heard that the world is changing and so the church must change how it approaches evangelism.   Last week I tried to give you ways of growing as disciples of Jesus through daily prayer and meditation on scripture in addition to worship on Sundays.   Through this you develop a relationship with Jesus and a story you can share with others.  Today we will talk about sharing your story.  We will get to this, but first let's pray.

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

            For many many years evangelists would introduce Jesus to people who did not believe in him through a discussion of heaven and hell.  All we had to do was ask someone where they wanted to go when they die.  Do you want to go to heaven or hell?  Since just about everyone prefered heaven we would then tell them that believing in Jesus Christ was the ticket to heaven.  We would say the eternal truth, “believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from the agony of hell and go to heaven.”  Talking about salvation was the method of bringing people to faith.

            But today this method is less effective.  The problem is that people who don't believe in Jesus Christ tend not to believe in hell either.  In fact some Christians question the existence of hell too.   Here is the problem.  Ask someone if they have been saved.  That person will reply, “Saved from what?”  And you respond “from hell”.  And they say, “I don't believe in hell.”  Then, what do you do?  Do you just walk away from this lost sheep?  Or do you try to find some other way of bringing this person to faith?

            The Apostle Paul was a Christian evangelist in the later part of the first century.  He knew that in order to evangelize different groups he needed different techniques.  For people who already believed in God he would go into synagogues and argue that the Hebrew Scriptures had been fulfilled.  Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, they had been waiting for.  This message brought some Jews, not all, to faith in Jesus.  But when Paul talked with people outside of the synagogues his message changed.  For gentles he argued that Jesus was the son of the creator of the world who wants a relationship with us and promises us eternal life.  And, according to Paul, Jesus proved he was the son of God by rising from the dead.  So, Paul had two messages, one for the people who were familiar with the Hebrew Bible, and one for those who were not.

            For us, the message of God's salvation in Jesus Christ only works as an evangelism tool with people who already fear going to hell and need Jesus' salvation.  People who don't believe in hell need to be approached in a different way.  Increasingly in North America and Europe, people do not believe in hell.  And thus we need a different message for those who do not fear it. I will give you what I think may be an effective message today, but first let's listen to Paul.

Philippians 3:1-11 1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

            What Paul has done in his letter to the church at Philippi is to share his story.  He talked about growing up as a Jew, being circumcised and learning the law of God from the Hebrew Bible.  He talked about his studies as a Pharisee student, and his desire to keep God's commands as best he could.  But he also talked about how all of this was twisted.  How his desire to please God led him to do the opposite and persecute the members of the church.  He was present at the stoning of a Christian, Stephen.  He arrested Christians for putting their faith in Jesus, calling him the Christ.  And he chased down Christians trying to flee to Damascus.  Today this Paul would probably be an ISIS terrorist.

            But then Paul met Jesus and developed a relationship with him.  And everything in his life changed.  Paul began to realize that there was nothing for him to fear.  He had feared his own death.  But with the promise and hope of the resurrection he knew that death would not stop him. He would go on.  So with no fear of death, Paul boldly shared his faith in a God who expresses his love for us through his son Jesus Christ. 

            The story Paul shared was about how his life changed after developing a relationship with Jesus.  His relationship with Jesus made him a more loving and caring person.  And he had a strong to desire to share his story with others so that they too would experience God's love and transformation of life.

            I have certainly experienced this.  I went through life struggling with my job and business.  I had a hard time forming relationships.  I became a loner.  But then I developed a relationship with Jesus.  My fears subsided.  I became active in church. I made friends.  Eventually I found a wonderful wife and made an important career change to become a pastor.   Though my relationship with Jesus, I experienced God's love for me, and his transformation of my life. 

            As you develop your relationship with Jesus you too will experience God's love and transformation of life.  If you pray and read the Bible every day, if you worship with your church every Sunday, then you will develop a relationship with Jesus, and your life will change.  The story of how your life changed after coming closer to Jesus is the story you need to share with people who need to hear it.  This is evangelism.  It is the sharing of the good news of what God has done for you.  And it is the invitation to others to experience God's love for themselves.

            We all have stories about what life was like before we developed a relationship with Jesus.  This may have happened a long time ago or more recently.  It may have been a sudden experience or maybe it happened over a lengthy period of time.  Maybe it happened so long ago it is hard to remember what it was like before you accepted Jesus.  Or maybe it hasn’t happened for you yet.  But if you are in the Bible and prayer every day and worship every Sunday then your relationship with Jesus will deepen and your life will change.  Your story is about that change.  How has being a growing disciple of Jesus Christ changed your life for the better?  Your answer to this question is what people around you who haven’t experienced what you have desperately need today.

            Last Wednesday a young man came to our church.  He was expecting breakfast for international students but was a week early.  There were tables with other students who made the same mistake.  He volunteered to help us with breakfast then he sat alone.  I sat across from him and started a conversation.  He came from Turkey earlier this week.  Already he has experienced problems with his job and housing, but all this is now straightened out.  He was surprised that a church would give away free food.  In Turkey his mosque would never do such a thing.  If a student wanted to eat he had to pay for it.  I told him that in the church if a hungry person comes to our doors we offer him food.  The young man was very impressed and promised to return next Wednesday for breakfast.  Who would like to share their story of a relationship with Jesus with a young Muslim who is already curious about why we do what we do?  Let me know and I’ll introduce you.

            Think about other people you know who would benefit from hearing your story.  Maybe you know of people who are suffering from mental or physical illnesses.  Maybe you know people who have recently lost a loved one.  Maybe you know people who suffer from addictions.   Ask yourselves, “Would sharing your story about what Jesus has done for you, help them in any way?”  If so, help them by sharing your story.

            As we gather in small groups today I want you to share your stories with each other.  Talk about what your life was like before you met Christ.  And talk about how your life has changed as a result of your relationship with Jesus.  Talk about how you have experienced God’s love in your lives.  Let’s pray.

            Lord Jesus we thank you for your ministry to us bringing us closer and closer to you.  Help us to develop a story of how our lives changed after we met you.  Calm our fears as we approach others with the good news of what you have done for us.  Use us to bring others into relationship with you.  This we pray in your glorious name.  Amen.

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[1]    http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/

Sermon John 15:1-8 Engage, Engaging Your Story

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon John 15:1-8 Engage, Engaging Your Story[1]

June 21, 2015

            This morning we will continue with our study of evangelism.  We heard last week that the world around us, here in North America and Europe is changing.  No longer is the church in a privileged position.  No longer is it possible to bring people to Christ simply with a building and a sign. No longer can we just pass out tracts on the boardwalk, or fliers in front of a supermarket and expect our church to grow.        

             The reason for this is that we have moved into a post Christian, Postmodern world.  People no longer trust institutions.  People no longer accept authority and truth claims.  People no longer trust the church thinking that we try to coerce people into believing what we believe and obeying our ethical code. And so the old ways of bringing people to faith no longer work and we must change.

            The way we will change is by having Christians share their stories of faith.  This is easy.  We all love to talk about ourselves.  We do this all the time.  What we now must do is talk about what God has done in our lives.  I know this is a little more difficult.  But there are ways of doing this that aren't so bad.  And we will be looking at one way that worked for me.  We will get to this, but first let's pray.

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

            Shortly before his death on a cross Jesus gathered his disciples together and told them that he would be leaving them.  As you might expect they were very concerned about what was happening to Jesus and what would happen to themselves.  So Jesus assured them that he would send his Holy Spirit to guide them and strengthen them and comfort them once he was gone.   Then Jesus made a surprising claim.  He said that even though he would leave in some sense he would remain in them and they in him.  This would be accomplished through his love and through his word.  Let's listen to what Jesus said.

John 15:1-8  1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

            5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

            Jesus has told us that the church is like a vine.  Each one of us is a branch on that fine and our role is to produce fruit.  The fruit Jesus is talking about consists of people we bring to faith in Jesus Christ.  God, the gardener, will prune back any branches that are not producing fruit.  Therefore if we want to continue to be part of the vine we must produce the fruit of new disciples of Jesus Christ.  We do this by bringing people to Jesus by telling them the stories of how we have experienced God's love through our relationship with Jesus.

            Before you can share your story about your relationship with Jesus you must have a story to share.  Sadly many people in church do not have a story to share because they don't have a relationship with Jesus.  And without a relationship with Jesus there is no story to tell.  Many people come to church to see their friends, or listen to music, or find helpful advise in the preaching.  There is nothing wrong with any of this, but coming to church should be much much more.  We should come to church to form a close relationship with Jesus Christ.

            When you come to church you are coming not to a concert or a social club.  Rather you are coming to be in the presence of God.  That is what worship is all about.  Normally this would be a very frightening thing.  But with Jesus here and our forgiveness guaranteed our fear goes away and our praises take center stage.  Jesus wants us to come into his presence every Sunday morning.  But this is just the start.  He has told us that we are to remain in him throughout the week.  How should we do this?  Let me tell you my story.

            About 20 years ago my church in Washington DC published a prayer book for the congregation to use.  This book had scripture, prayers, all the Psalms, and a list of daily Bible readings called the Daily Lectionary. I was curious about this lectionary so I looked into it and found that Christians all over the world were using it.  Millions of people were reading the same Bible passages every day.  So I decided to read them each day too.  I had a small desk in my bedroom.  On that desk I put the Prayer Book and my Bible.  Every morning I would read the selection from the Psalms, the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Gospel.  Then I would say a prayer and go to work.

            As I followed this daily practice, my life completely changed.  I hadn't been in a Sunday School class since I was a kid.  Suddenly I was there every Sunday morning.  I never went back to church during the week.  Suddenly I was at church every Wednesday night for Bible study.  I became a leader in the singles groups, and was trained as a Bible teacher.  Eventually I went to seminary and became a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  All of this happened because I developed a relationship with Jesus by reading and meditating on scripture every day.

            Grace and I have our own practice of daily prayer and meditation on scripture.  We come into this sanctuary every day, Monday-Friday to read scripture.  We read responsively two chapters of the New Testament and three chapters of the Old Testament every morning.  Then we pray for the church.

            This is my story which I just shared with you of how I developed a relationship with Jesus Christ through daily devotions.  This gave me a story to share with others.  Now you need a story you can share with others. So you need a habit of daily devotions.  Let me give you a simple way to do this.  Please open your bulletins and turn to the side with the picture of the church.  In the bottom left corner you will see the Daily Lectionary.  This is the daily list of Bible verses you can read each day to remain in Christ throughout the week.  These are the same readings which were so influential in my life.  I urge you to read them every day.  I know that some of you do read these because I have been getting some questions about the daily readings.

            Now, look right above the Daily Lectionary.  There you will see the prayer concerns of the church.  Grace and I pray for the people on this list every day.  You should do the same.  Right after you read the daily scripture verses, pray for the church and for your friends and family.  By reading God's word and praying for the church every day you remain in Christ throughout the week.  And you will develop your story of your relationship with Jesus Christ which you can share with those who have yet to meet him.

            Please turn over your bulletin and I will show you some other things you can do in your daily devotions.  On the left panel you will see a prayer of confession.  Use this prayer to confess your guilt for anything you may have done and are sorry for.  Say this prayer each day as a reminder of the forgiveness your are offered in Jesus Christ.  In the middle panel you will see a prayer of illumination.  Say this prayer if you have trouble understanding the daily Bible readings.  With this prayer you will ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you are reading.  And on the right panel you will see the Lord's prayer.  This is the prayer Jesus gave us for daily use. 

            Here is one way to do this each day:  confess your sin, pray for illumination, read the Daily Lectionary in your Bibles, pray for the church and others, and conclude with the Lord's prayer.  Do this every day, and you will find yourself coming closer to God, and forming a relationship with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

            So you have heard my story and the way I came closer to Jesus.  You are welcome to try my way.  There are other ways of doing this too.  What is crucial is that you pray and meditate on scripture every day as a way of developing a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Once you have developed this relationship then you will be equipped with a story that you can share with others.

            According to Jesus, if we abide in him through daily prayer and meditation on his word we will grow as his disciples.   As we grow in discipleship, we experience God's love for us.  As we share God's love and God's word with others by what we say and what we do, we become evangelists.  Sharing our story of God's love for us is our mission as church.  It is the fruit of our discipleship.  And it glorifies God.

            Jesus' disciples heard what he had to say at dinner.  Then they experienced his death and lost all hope.  But Jesus kept his promise.  Through the Holy Spirit, scripture and prayer, Jesus continues to be with us and through him we experience God's great love for us.  This is good news.   Do you know anyone who needs to hear some good news today?  Is there anyone who could benefit from knowing God loves them?  Is there anyone who could experience positive transformation by experiencing Christ through daily meditation on scripture and daily prayer?  If so I urge you to glorify God by sharing this good news with people who need to hear it.

            Today during our fellowship time at 11 we will once again gather in small groups.  In these groups I would like for you to share your thoughts and concerns about having a deeper relationship with God.  Is it easy or hard to believe that God really loves you and wants to be in a relationship with you?  Talk about ways you have experienced God's love in your lives, and how God's love has changed you.  And consider how people you know in the community could benefit from knowing that they too are loved by God.

            Let's pray.  Father in heaven we thank you for nourishing us as a branch on Jesus, the vine.  Help us to develop a closer relationship with Jesus through daily spiritual practices.  Help us to produce fruit by sharing your love and our story with others.  This we pray in your son's name.  Amen.

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[1]    http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/

Sermon Acts 17:16-34 Engage, The New Normal

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon Acts 17:16-34 Engage, The New Normal[1]

June 14, 2015

            Today we begin our look at evangelism.  As we grow as disciples of Jesus Christ we find that the Holy Spirit plants in our hearts a gift and a desire to share our faith with others.  This results in other people coming to faith, and Kingdom of God grows.  The church is the bearer of good news.  It gathers people for worship and then sends them into the world to work arm and arm with God.  We follow God into areas of great need.  And we return to worship proclaiming that our mighty God meets the deepest needs of people.  This is called evangelism.  We will get to this, but first let's pray.

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

            I am a child of the 1950s and 60s.  I remember church back then.  We lived in the new suburbs around Washington DC and attend a new church.  The original building, built in the 1950's was already too small by 1961.  We didn't have enough classroom space for all of us kids.  The fellowship hall was too small for our monthly pot luck dinners.  The sanctuary was too small and the adults complained about sitting on metal foldup chairs.  Over 600 people were attending each week.  So the church embarked on a building campaign, funds were raised for a new sanctuary.

            Those were the days of the 1950s and 60s when this church experienced the same thing.  You bought land at the edge of town and erected this building to serve your growing congregation. 

            From the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment in the 17^th century through the mid 20^th century the church had a privileged position in the culture of Western Europe and North America.    We had the answers for life's most pressing questions.  We had the solution for life's most pressing problems.  Government closed businesses so everyone could come to church on Sunday.  And most people got up on Sundays mornings and made their way to church.

            In this environment all we had to do was put up a nice building with a sign out front and people knew who we were and came Sunday morning knowing what to expect.   Evangelism consisted of educating children in the faith so that they would be good church members when they grew up.  But all of this has changed.

            Today, the church I grew up in, the one with over 600 members now has about 100 in worship.  And many of these are older.  They have combined their youth group with a Korean church that rents space in the building.  Like all churches they have seen their youth grow up and leave.  And they wonder where the people will come from who will run the church's programs when they are no longer able.  What happened?

            In the last 50 years our culture has changed.  We have entered a time we call Postmodern.  People our now skeptical about any claim of truth.   When the church says that we have the answers for our most pressing questions, the response we get is that you may have your answers, but we have ours.  When the church says that we have the solutions to our most pressing problems, the response we get is it that you may have your solution, but we have ours.  People see the church as coercive.  We are accused of trying to make people believe what we believe.  People see us as intolerant.  We are accused of demanding that people follow our ethical laws.   Today, our culture values all beliefs and all behaviors and distrust any institution that wants to force specific beliefs and behaviors on people.

            And so we live in a world today that distrusts the church.  People wake up on Sunday mornings and read the newspaper, or go to work, or sit on the beach, or play volleyball, anything but come to church.  The church is no longer privileged.  Our old ways of evangelism no longer work.    Something must change or we die.  Of course, God will not die.  And God will not let the church die.  But things must change.   And whenever the church must reform our starting point is always scripture.  And so we turn to the 17^th chapter of the Book of Acts.

           

            Acts 17  16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

            Paul arrived in Athens sometime in the middle of the first century.  And what he saw there broke his heart.  He knew that people were longing for authentic spirituality.  Their spirit longed for their creator.  But as he walked around the city his heart broke because this deep spiritual need was going unfilled.  People were trying everything they could think of.  If their traditional “god” didn't work they would try one from one of the provinces.  But nothing seemed to work and their deep spiritual needs went unmet.

            So too today.  People in our community have a deep hunger for true spirituality.  To satisfy this hunger they mix a cocktail of spiritual practices and beliefs.  They might combine a little Buddhism, add some Force from Star Wars,  throw in the nice part of Jesus, and finish it off with ideas from the latest vampire movie.  They mix all this together to form their own personal god.  But then they find that this god has no satisfying answers to there deepest questions, and no satisfying solutions to their deepest problems.  And so they keep searching and adjusting the recipe for their unsatisfying spiritual soup.

            So if our situation is the same as what Paul found in Athens what should we do?  Well, what Paul did is he talked about his faith, and what Jesus did for him.  Let's listen to what he had to say.

            Acts 17  22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

                24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c]

                29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

                32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” 33 At that, Paul left the Council. 34 Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

            So what are we to do?  In the situation we find ourselves today we cannot just sit here in church hoping that more people will join us.  We can't start a new program or call a new pastor and expect everything will return to the way it was.  What God wants us to do is get out of the church and talk with others about our faith.  If we really believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and eternal life, then we will have a strong desire to share this good news with others.  We can't compel anyone to accept our belief.  But if we have developed a level of trust with someone else then we will be able to share our story of what Jesus has done in our lives.  This is God's mission in world.  When we talk about our faith with others, we are loving God and loving our neighbors. 

            You may be thinking that this is too hard.  It's just too difficult to talk about faith with others.  And you are right.  It scares me to death.  But if we are going to do what God wants us to do we have to start somewhere.  Don't we?

            That is why we have created a safe place when you can begin to talk about faith.  Right after church in our Fellowship Hall during lunch I would like for you to talk about the changes you have seen in our culture and how this affects the church.  Talk about what church was like 30, 50 even 70 years ago.  And talk about what has changed in the community and in the church.    The people you will be talking with are your friends right here.  And these are conversations you already have all the time.  I hear them every week.  So I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to get together over lunch for a conversation about church.  I am certainly looking forward to it.  Let's pray.

              Father in Heaven, we thank you for this day when we can come into your presence and worship you.  Help us to see the spiritual needs in the community around us.  Help us to talk about you with people we meet.  This we pray in your son glorious name.  Amen.

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[1]    http://www.pcusa.org/resource/engage/