Sermon Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18 “Be Holy”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18  “Be Holy”

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

February 19, 2017

            Today we will look at the Book of Leviticus.  Leviticus is the third book of the Bible.  It was written after the Hebrews had been freed by God from slavery in Egypt.  They had received from God, through Moses, the law on Mount Sinai.  As they wandered for forty years in wilderness they were being prepared for life in the Promised Land.  And through all of this the most important thing was their relationship with God.  Their relationship with God was important because God was with them, leading them through the wilderness as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They needed to know how to live with God residing so close.  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. (Calvin)

Leviticus19:1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

            The basis of the relationship between the Hebrews and God was that people were to be holy just as God is holy.  Let’s take a look at what this means.  The Hebrew word for holy is qadosh.  Qadosh simply means to be separate, apart.   God is up in heaven.  We are down here on earth.  God is infinite.  We are finite.  God is the creator.  We were created.  God is separate, apart from us.  God is Holy, qadosh, and we are not. 

            But there is a problem with this because God has chosen to be with his people.  God does not want to be separate, apart.  That is why he came as Jesus and remains with us as the Holy Spirit.  And if God is with us, how can he still be holy, separate and apart?  The Hebrews said that if God is with us then the land he resides on must be holy.  And the tabernacle they built on that land also must be holy.  And the furniture in the tabernacle must be holy.  And the priests who enter that tabernacle must also be holy.  And so they consecrated the land, the tabernacle, the furniture and the priests as holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  The Hebrews built a holy tabernacle on holy land.  They consecrated holy furniture and holy priests to serve the holy God.    God resided in the tabernacle and he and everything in it was holy, set apart for God’s purposes.

            But surrounding the tabernacle were the people of God.  And they had to be holy too.  For a holy God to be with his people, his people must be holy.  And in order to be holy there were somethings that God wanted them to do.  Let’s take a look at some of these.

9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.

            In ancient times land owners has an abundance of food.  Occasionally they would suffer a draught or war and famine might result, but usually God provided for them an abundance of food.  But people who had no land had no food to eat.  These would include widows who could not own land, orphans, too young to own land, the poor and the aliens from another country.  God wanted to ensure that everyone land owners and landless all had plenty to eat.  And so this system of leaving some of the crops in the field for the poor to glean was instituted.  By making certain that everyone had something to eat the people could become holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  

            So too with us.  We can be a holy people  by making certain that everyone in this community has plenty to eat.  Out of you giving the church keeps TV dinners in the freezer which I pass out to hungry families.  Also the nonperishables that you bring to church and place on the rattan shelves in fellowship hall help feed needy families.  Please keep those shelves full.  The need in Ocean City is great.  Make sure that no one in our community is hungry and this church will be holy.

            So far we have seen that dealing with hunger in the community makes a church holy.  Let’s look at how honesty does the same.

11 “‘Do not steal.

“‘Do not lie.

“‘Do not deceive one another.

12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.

13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

            In ancient times a man without land could work for a landowner for a daily wage.  The wage was needed for a worker’s family to eat that night.  Failure to pay wages when day was finish meant that a family would go hungry.  A holy people would never do this.

            We have to consider how to fairly treat workers in our community.  I recently met a couple who had moved into our community with a bunch of teenagers and a little one.  The father first lost his job and then lost his home.  They moved in across the street with enough to pay rent but not enough to feed the family.  We gave them some food.  But let’s look at the larger issue.  We live in a city that only has employment for part of the year.  Many people lose their jobs in the fall.  Unemployment insurance helps, but it is often not enough.  There is usually a gap between the loss of a job and the reception of benefits.  Some people don’t qualify for benefits at all.  There has to be a better way.  Ocean City must find some way to provide some year-round employment.  Surely the business community could do something here to provide wintertime jobs.   Some kind of industry could come here and provide employment.  If we could figure out how to provide offseason jobs for people then we would be holy.

            So far we have seen that the  church can be holy, set apart for God’s purposes, if the people in our community are not hungry and are given opportunities to work.   These are important.  But let’s look at one more thing that would make the church holy.  For us to be holy, we must  treat each other fairly.

14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

            What if a person who couldn’t hear came to our church.  Do we provide a sign language interpreter?  No.  If a blind person came on Sunday would we give them a braille bulletin?  No.   If a poor person came to our church on Sunday, would we treat them the same way we would treat a rich person?  No.   At this church do we ever talk about someone behind his back or crack coarse jokes?  Yes.  Do we hold grudges against one another and seek revenge?  Yes.  Do we love, really love, everyone who comes in our doors or lives in our community?  No. 

            So how can we become holy?  There are some who say that holiness comes about through increased piety.  As you read your Bible every day, pray every day, and worship every Sunday you will grow and become more like Christ.  This is important, but it is not enough.  Others say that holiness comes from taking care of yourself properly.  Do not smoke.  Do not drink alcohol.  Do not have sex outside of marriage.  All of this is important and will help each of you become more holy.  But it is not enough.

            Holiness is not something we achieve alone.  We become holy as a group, as a church.  The church is called to be holy because the God who dwell within it is holy.  If God’s holy presence is here with us, as it surely is through the Holy Spirit, then we must be holy.   This church must be set aside for God’s purposes.  And God’s purposes are that we must share our food with the poor in our community.   God wants everyone in our community to find work that will allow families to support themselves.  God wants everyone in our community, the poor, the blind, the deaf, the unemployed, the immigrant from another country, everyone to be warmly welcomed in this church.  If we do these things, the church will be holy and God will remain with us.  But if we not do these things then the church will not be holy and our holy God might leave us.

            So when a poor person comes to this church in the winter, treat them like you do the rich people vacationing here in the summer.  Make sure they have something to eat.  Help them to find work.  Encourage them to come to church and learn about Jesus.  Be holy because the Lord your God is holy.

            I recently heard a story about a man visiting a church[1].  It was an old Presbyterian church with a large sanctuary, stained glass windows and a tall steeple from another era.  Inside was a small congregation.  Near the beginning of the service prayers were read and a young women asked visitors to remain seated where they would be greeted by members of the church.  He sat there quietly as instructed but no one came to greet him.  The members just talked with each other.  He was crushed and decided never to come to that church again.  What are some of the things we can do to prevent this from happening here?

            First, we should stop worrying about ourselves.  We don’t talk to new people because we worry that they won’t like us.  If this is the attitude of the church then we are going nowhere.  We have to swallow our pride and reach out our hands to warmly greet visitors from our community.

            Second, we must be willing to put in the time.  Getting to know someone takes time.  And we often don’t want to spend time with new people.   If this is our attitude the church’s decline will continue.  We have to spend time getting to know people.  We have to learn their names and the names of their children.  We have to ask where they work and what they do for fun.

            And third, we must walk along with people.  So often we walk at people.  We come at people with “finger raised and shaking in disgust”.  People need to know that church is a safe place for themselves and their families to worship God.  If they feel that they are being judged, or fearful of doing something wrong they will run out of the church never to return.   This is not to say that we excuse poor life choices or condone sin.  But we have to realize that the world is broken and people are broken.  Church is a community where people can experience healing and get help with the problems they face.  Greet people warmly when they come to your church.  Spend time getting to know them.  And remember that we are all broken people who need help now and then.  Do these things and this church will be holy, set apart for God’s purposes.  And God will be with us.  Let us pray.

            Holy God we pray to you this morning as your people.  We ask that you set us apart and use us to achieve your purposes here in Ocean City.  Bless us with your presence and make us holy.  We pray this in your son’s name, Jesus our lord.  Amen.

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[1] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/3-ways-church-can-build-better-community

Sermon Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Life and Prosperity

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon  Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Life and Prosperity

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

February 12, 2017

            Good Morning.  My name is Jeff Howard.  I am a Teaching Elder in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)  I am a member of New Castle Presbytery, and currently I serve the church in Ocean City as their interim pastor.  Before we begin this morning I would like to talk a little about the transition you are facing. 

            You have already said goodbye to a beloved founding pastor.  I have been friends with Scot for several years and have admired what he was able to do to build this church.  I am sure he will be missed.  Your session will soon call an interim pastor.  This person will look and act like any other pastor.  He or she will preach, teach, visit the sick, do weddings and funerals and provide leadership to the church.  After you and the interim pastor get to know each other well enough then the church will embark on a mission study.  This study will put into writing all you do, the opportunities and problems you face, and your dreams for this church.  When this study is complete the church’s nominating committee will find people to serve on a pastor nominating committee.  The congregation will meet to approve the mission study and the pastor nominating committee.  The PNC will then use the mission study to recruit a new pastor.  All of this will take some time.  Ocean City has spent two years in this process and they now about to call a new pastor.  You are just beginning.

            3500 years ago the people of God were also facing a transition.  Moses, their founding pastor, had led them for 40 years in the wilderness.  Now he is ready to retire and let someone else take the people into the promised land.  But before Moses leaves, as the transition begins, he has something important to say. 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. (Calvin)

            When I was 18 I had a choice to make.  Like many kids in my generation I went with my family every Sunday for worship and Sunday School.  I loved going to church as a kid.  But when I went to college I forgot all about that.  I lived in a frat house which hosted parties every Saturday night.  I slept in most Sunday mornings.  God was the farthest thing from my mind.  Then ten years later my mother died.  And filled with grief I turned back to God.  I have worshiped God every Sunday morning for over 30 years.  I made a bad choice and suffered for it for a decade.  But God allowed me to make a good choice.  And with that good choice my life has prospered.  I have beautiful wife and a wonderful career as pastor.  God is giving you this choice today, a choice to live life and prosper.  Moses put it this way:

Deuteronomy 30:¹⁵ See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

¹⁷ But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, ¹⁸ I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.

            There are two kinds of laws.  One type of law comes about because someone wants someone else to do or not do something.  The Department of Transportation puts up signs regulating the speed limit to 55mph.  They clearly want you to drive no faster than 55.  You may agree with them, or you may think that 45mph is more appropriate on this road.  Or maybe you think it would be perfectly safe to go 65.  You have a choice to obey the law or not.  And if you choose not to obey the law you may have to suffer the consequences when you get a ticket. 

            There is another type of law that does not reflect what someone else wants you to do.  Let's look at the Law of Gravity.  The water tower near my home in Ocean City came down this week. Men were working on its demolition and I could see them working high in the air.  The Law of Gravity says that if one of them jumps off the tower he will not survive the fall.   The Law of Gravity is not something that someone came up with to limit your freedom.  Rather the Law of Gravity is set in the creation of the world.  If we follow it we live and prosper.  If we ignore it then we fall to our deaths.

            So too with the commands of God.  We are perfectly free to ignore God’s decrees, but of course we will suffer the consequences.   This is Moses’ point.  God’s teachings, the torah,  is our user manual.  If we follow torah we will life prosperous lives.  If we ignore torah life will be short and not so good. Your car comes with a user manual.  It tells you to change the oil every 3000 miles.  If you follow these instructions your car will take you wherever you want to go for many years.  But if you don’t change the oil, well you’ll be scrapping that car and buying a new one.  The Bible is our user manual.  Follow God’s commands and lead a long and prosperous life.  Ignore the Bible and follow your own way then your days will be short.  It’s your choice.

            The Hebrews had experienced slavery in Egypt.  They had been freed from slavery by the God of their ancestors.  And they entered into a covenant with God at Mt. Horeb where Moses received the Ten Commandments.  They had survived forty years in the wilderness with God’s provision of food and water and protection from their enemies.  And now they were ready to enter the promised land.  Moses has given them a warning.  If they continue to love the God who loved them so much, if they continue to walk in his ways and obey his commands then life in the promised land would go well for them just as it had in the wilderness.  Their crops will grow.  Their children will prosper.  They will live in security without threat from their neighbors.  But if they turn away from their God their time in the promised land will be short.  Crops will fail.  Children will die.  Armies will invade.  They have a choice. 

            So too do we.  If we make God the most important thing in our lives we will prosper.  I don’t mean we will get rich or win the lottery.  We will live the abundant lives God created us to live.  But if we turn away from God, walking in our own ways, and ignoring his commands what do you think would happen?

            According to Moses there are three things we should do to live long prosperous lives.  The first is  to “love the Lord our God”.  God must be the most important thing in your lives.  Some people love money more that God; your checkbook shows your priorities.  Some people love coffee or golf more than God; you will see them at Starbucks on the golf course on Sunday mornings.  But the people who love God more than anything else will be in church every Sunday, they will participate in small groups and Bible studies.  They will tithe.  And they will pray every day.    If you truly love God more than anything else you will want to be with him and support his church in giving, worship, prayer and Bible study.

            The second thing Moses tells us to do is to “to walk in obedience to God”.  As you worship, study scripture and pray God will tell you what he wants you to do.  To live a long and prosperous life you are to follow God’s instructions, the torah. 

            Many years ago I took the Bethel Bible Series at my church in Washington DC.  After two years of going through the Old and New Testaments I felt a strong call from God to teach Bethel.  I had numerous conversations with my pastor about this for over the next year.  Then he invited me to attend his Bethel teacher’s class.  I loved it and taught in the program for four years.  Then I felt a strong call from God to go further.  I talked with my pastor.  Then, in obedience to God, I went to Fuller Seminary to begin work to become a pastor.  I found that when I walk in obedience to God, my life is filled with abundance. 

            The third thing Moses tells us to do is  “to keep his commands, decrees and laws”.  What are some of the things God commands us to do?  Well, here some of them.  Cancel the debts of the poor (Deut 15:1-11).  Guard against excessive wealth (16:18-20).  Limit punishment to protect human dignity (19:1-7).  Restrict who can be drafted (20:1-8).  Offer hospitality to runaway slaves (23:15-16).  Pay employees fairly (24:15-16).  And leave part of the harvest for those who need it (24:19-22).  Do these things and life will be good for you.

            There is something I need you to remember.  We do not obey the law to go to heaven.  We do not obey the law to get God to love us.  All we have to do is declare Jesus as our Lord and believe that he was resurrected for the dead.  This is faith.  Faith is what saves you.  But now as restored and forgiven sinners we should gratefully love God will all our hearts, souls and minds.  We should with gratitude love our neighbors as we love ourselves.   We should listen for God in worship, Bible study and prayer and do what he says.  And we should obey God’s commands.  All of this will bless us so that we can be a blessing for others.

            Moses has provided a choice for the people of God.  They can choose either to follow the way of God or not.  Of course Moses wants his people to choose the way of life.  Here is how he put it.

¹⁹ This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live ²⁰ and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

            New Covenant church, I urge you to choose life.  Love God with all your heart soul and mind.  Love your neighbors as you love yourselves.  Listen for God’s voice in worship, Bible study and prayer and do what he tells you to do.   Keep his commands so that your life will be blessed.

            I believe that God is getting ready to bless this church.  As I drive around the community I see numerous housing developments with many empty building lots.  I see a  new road connecting 301 with 13 and going right by the church.  I think that this community will be experiencing population growth soon.  And this church must be ready.  When new people move into the community we must knock on their doors with food casseroles in our hands, information about schools and shopping, and a personal invitation to come to church.  Do this and new people will come to New Covenant Church.  I believe that this church could double in size very quickly.

            For this to happen you will need someone to nurture youth, children and families.  As chair of the Church Development Unit of New Castle Presbytery I worked with your former pastor to get you a grant for this position.  Hire someone with a passion to bring kids to this church and equip them with Christian education.  Do this and this church will be filled with families.

            Of course the limiting factor in the size of this church’s membership is its facilities.  You have a beautiful Christian education building and fellowship hall.  What you are missing is a sanctuary.  What if we could raise the money to build a sanctuary and have it ready when road construction ends?  What if we are inviting new families to our church?  What if we have a great education program for all ages?  What if we have meaningful worship, prayers and Bible studies?  I think we are on the edge of the promised land.  I urge you to enter the promised land and choose life and prosperity.  Let us pray.

            Father in heaven we choose life and prosperity.  We pledge to love and follow your son Jesus.  We promise to obey your commands.   We ask for the empowerment of your Holy Spirit to allow us to grow this church and expand your kingdom.  This we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Sermon Micah 6:1-8 Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Micah 6:1-8 Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

January 29, 2017

I have some bad news for you this morning. We have received a summons to go to court because we are being sued. We have been accused of not fulfilling a contract we had agreed to follow. And so the other party of contract is suing us for not do what we promised to do. We are about to enter into the courtroom and be confronted by our accuser. So we better begin with prayer.

“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. (Calvin)

Micah 6:1 Listen to what the Lord says:

“Stand up, plead my case before the mountains;

let the hills hear what you have to say.

2 “Hear, you mountains, the Lord’s accusation;

listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth.

For the Lord has a case against his people;

he is lodging a charge against Israel.

So we have come into a courtroom unlike any you have ever visited to seen on TV. Sitting as our judge are the mountains and hills and the foundations of the earth. Our Judge is everything from the top of Mount Everest to the bottom of the Marianas Trench, the highest and lowest places of earth. This means that all of God’s Creation will judge the dispute between God and us. We, the people of God, are the defendants. That is why we are here, to answer God’s complaint. God himself is our accuser. And God is ready to bring an accusation against us. Let’s listen to God’s opening remarks.

3 “My people, what have I done to you?

How have I burdened you? Answer me.

So what God wants to know is there anything that God has done or not done that creates problems for us. This would be your opportunity to tell God what you are angry about. But before we do this let’s try to remember what God has done for us. What kind of blessings have we received from God? Here is what God wants you to remember.

4 I brought you up out of Egypt

and redeemed you from the land of slavery.

I sent Moses to lead you,

also Aaron and Miriam.

5 My people, remember

what Balak king of Moab plotted

and what Balaam son of Beor answered.

Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal,

that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

God has reminded Israel the he had provided for them during their forty years in the wilderness. He redeemed them from slavery in Egypt. He provided them with leaders, priests and prophets. He protected them from curses and armies. He provided them with food and water. God had blessed his people abundantly.

So too with us. We should remember how much God has blessed us. God has given us life and health and good land, water and food, and families and homes and church, everything we need for a good life. God has given us a world of abundant blessings. God has also given his Son to us, who died for our sins, and was raised from the dead leading us to eternal life. It is important to remember all that God has given us. And we should gratefully respond.

But we don’t respond gratefully and God has a problem with our tepid response. His blessings for us came as part of a covenant. God promised to bless us richly, which he has, so that we may be a blessing to others. Listen to the terms of the contract

Genesis 12:1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;

I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

We are blessed to be a blessing. God has blessed us richly in many different way. But we have not kept our end of the bargain. And so God is suing us demanding that we fulfill our end of the contract.

We have reached the end of God’s opening statement in the trial. Now it is time to hear from our defense attorney. And so an unnamed man stood up to speak and here is what he said.

6 With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

How are we supposed to respond to God’s complaint? We come to church on Sundays. Maybe we should have church every day, maybe six times a day. We tithe to the church. Maybe we should empty our bank accounts and max out our credit cards to give to the church. How much does God want from us? What are we supposed to do?

We have heard God’s complaint that we are not performing our responsibility in the contract. And we have heard our response that we are doing enough, to do more would be absurd. Now it is time for the judge to proclaim a just decision. All of creation from the mountain tops to the depths of the sea are now ready to resolve our dispute with God. And here is what we must do.

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

That’s it! What we must do to be in compliance with the covenant between God and his people is “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our creator.

Act Justly

God has given us a world of abundance. But sin has caused an imbalance. Some people do not share in the rich abundance God has provided. Our role as people of God is to reorder our world, to mitigate the effects of sin, to ensure that the abundant blessings provided by God are shared by all. We are to share the blessings we receive from God with those who unjustly have been denied. We are to act with justice, mishpat, and care for the poor and needy and disabled in our city.

Love Mercy

God loves us. God’s love is steadfast. God is loyal. God will never leave us. God’s love for us is like the love a parent has for a child. When a young child feels alone and vulnerable she begins to cry. A loving parent picks her up and the child knows that she is safe and secure in the arms of a loving parent. This is how God loves us. It is called, hesed, steadfast love. And we are to love others just as God loves us. So when people in our church or our communities are feeling vulnerable we are to love them as God loves us and keep them safe and secure.

Walk Humbly

As we go about our ordinary lives we should always remember that God is always there with us. As the psalmist said: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105) We should always be aware that God is with us continually. And God is always bringing us opportunities for us to do justice and love mercy. We should recognize what God is doing in the world around us and act in the way God wants us to act.

The judgment has been handed down. And we are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Let’s conclude today with a story of someone who did justice, loved mercy and walked humbly with God.

“In his book, To End All Wars, Ernest Gordon describes his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II along the Kwai River. His Japanese captors forced their prisoners to work in low-lying swampland. They beat to death or simply beheaded any prisoners who seemed to lag.

Eventually a combination of beriberi, malaria, dysentery, typhoid and diphtheria took its toll on Gordon. Basically paralyzed and no longer able to eat, he asked his fellow prisoners to bring him to the Death House where prisoners went to die.

However, while Gordon was in the Death House, God’s Spirit moved along the Kwai River. One particular event exemplified that movement. When no one confessed to stealing a Japanese guard’s missing shovel, he began to scream, “All die! All die!”

As he raised his rifle to fire at the first prisoner in line, a prisoner of war stepped forward and said, “I did it.” The enraged guard then raised his rifle high in the air and beat the man to death with it.

However, when the prisoners inventoried their tools that evening, they discovered the guard had made a mistake: no shovel was missing. They realized that their fellow prisoner had voluntarily given his life in order to spare them.

Gordon remembers how God used such selflessness to change the prisoners along the River Kwai. They began looking out for each other instead of themselves. Two Christian Scots demonstrated this change by coming to the Death House every day to care for Gordon.

They dressed the ulcers on Gordon’s legs and massaged his atrophied muscles. By doing so, they gradually restored him to what passed for health along the Kwai River. Those Christians showed their love of mercy by tenaciously nursing Gordon back to health.¹

Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly with your God. Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, We thank you for all the blessings we have received from your hand. We thank you for the day you have created. We thank you for our lives, our health, and our joy. We thank you for family, friends and church. And we thank you for the gift of your son our Lord, Jesus Christ who saved us from sin. In his name we pray. Amen.

1 http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/epiphany-4a/?type=old_testament_lectionary

Sermon Isaiah 42:1-9 Christian Leadership

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Isaiah 42:1-9 Christian Leadership

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

January 15, 2017

Today is the second Sunday in the season of Epiphany. An epiphany is an appearance of a deity. Whenever God appears to men and women we have an epiphany. And thus the appearance of God as a man named Jesus was an epiphany. We celebrate this epiphany of God on earth every year on January 6, at the end of the Christmas season. Epiphany will last until Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. During this season of Epiphany we usually look at the work and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Over the next few week we will all be experiencing changes in leadership. On the national level, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45^th President of the United States. With him will come new leaders for all departments and agencies of government. In two weeks this church will select new elders, deacons and trustees to lead us for the next year. And I expect your pastor nominating committee to have a candidate as your new pastor very shortly. So today Christian leadership is on our minds.

As Christians our role model as a leader is Jesus Christ. We can be good leaders just by imitating him. But where did Jesus learn about leadership? I think he learned leadership by studying the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. When Jesus was ordained for ministry in his baptism, God quoted Isaiah,  “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) And when Jesus preached his first sermon he also quoted Isaiah and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21) So Jesus modeled his ministry on the writings of Isaiah. He learned how to lead others from Isaiah. And so let’s turn, as Jesus did, to Isaiah to learn for ourselves how to be leaders. 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. (Calvin)

“Today, to begin, I need to tell you a story about Billy and Bobby. Billy was twelve years old and Billy was very smart. He was in all the honor’s classes and was one of the top students in his class. He was also a good musician. He played in the orchestra, sang in the choir, and played in a rock band. Billy was also an incredible athlete. He was a superstar soccer player, baseball player, basketball player, a track star and every other kind of athlete. Billy was also president of his class at high school and also president of the Luther League at church. No matter what Billy did, he was always elected president.

Now, Billy had a younger brother by the name of Bobbie, and something happened along the way to Bobbie. Bobbie was a handicapped person; he was disabled physically and somewhat intellectually. He couldn’t sing a note. He never was on an athletic team. He was never elected to anything. In school, he was in all the other classes; that is, he was always in the special ed classes for slower learners. Bobbie’s heart was full of love, but he just couldn’t do what his older brother could do. But that did not mean that Bobbie’s heart was not full of love. Bobbie was really a loving kid, but was not gifted in the way that his older brother, Billie was.

Well, one day their mother made breakfast and there were three wonderful cinnamon rolls. These were wonderful, gewy, chewy, yumscious, dripping with brown sugared syrup, freshly baked cinnamon rolls and they had just come out of the oven and they were still warm and fresh. Within seconds, each boy had devoured a cinnamon roll, when the telephone rang and the mother momentarily was distracted by the telephone call. Meanwhile, back at the breakfast table where there was one cinnamon roll left, Billy was taking charge. Billy, who was stronger, faster, smarter, more musical, more athletic, said to Bobbie, “This is my roll, brother. You are younger and I am the older and wiser and the rights belong to me. This is my cinnamon roll,” and he inhaled it. Without a thought, Bobbie starts to cry and shout and whale, and about that time, the mother gets off the telephone and rushes back to the kitchen but the telephone rings again and the mother rushes back to the phone again. The next day, it is the same song but the second verse. Three cinnamon rolls that were freshly baked, dripping with syrup. Billie is there, the older, the wiser, the smarter, the more gifted. Bobbie is also there, the younger, the weaker, the less gifted. Each swallows one roll. Bobbie again reaches for the extra cinnamon roll, and is about to inhale it, when the mother says, “Wait a minute. I am going to cut the cinnamon roll in two halves and give each one of you a half.”  …

When the mother did that, she made a judgment. The word, mishpat, means judgment. It means God’s wisdom, God’s rule, God’s law, God’s judgment…that there would be fairness  and equity within a family.

Likewise with God, God has judgments and God’s judgments always protect the Bobbies of life from the Billies of life. You have to protect the Bobbies of life from the Billies of life.

Now, that does not mean that Billie was mean. No, Billie was not mean. Billie was not cruel. Billy did not hate Bobby. No, Billie was a strong, smart, intelligent human being, who like all human beings, was selfish. And Billie was going to take more than his fair share. Billie was going to use his resources of a stronger body, a stronger mind, a stronger personality in order to take more than his fair share.

But God has designed the world in such a way that the Bobbies of the world need to be protected from the Billies of the world.“ (http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_a_baptism_of_jesus.htm)

Let’s now turn to Isaiah’s instructions on biblical leadership. We turn to the 42^nd chapter of Isaiah and meet the person who will be instructing us on leadership today. Let me introduce our teacher.

Isaiah 42:5 This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it:

So, our teacher this morning on the subject of leadership is our creator God. This God created the entire world. And this God created us and breathed life into us. This is our creator. And so we should listen to him when he speaks. And here is what he said:

Isaiah 42:6 “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,

The covenant God is speaking about is the one he made with Abraham. In that covenant God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants richly. And he has. God has given us a world of abundance. There is plenty of food and water. We have clothes to wear and houses to live in. We have families and friends and places to work and leisure time. Our blessings are abundant.

Our responsibility, according to this covenant is to be blessing to others. This is necessary because the abundant blessings of God are unevenly distributed. God’s justice requires that we work to distribute God’s blessing to those who don’t receive it. We to do this by bringing the blind to spiritual light, and freeing those bound to evil by proclaiming the good news that God has come into the world as Jesus Christ.

Remembering that we have been blessed by our creator so that we have blessings to share with those in need, let’s now turn to Isaiah’s teaching on leadership.

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.

Christian leaders are chosen by God for this important work. And those leaders are to please God by bringing justice to the nations. We have heard this word “justice” before. “Justice is an English translation of the Hebrew word “mishpat” Whenever systems of power, whether they be government, business, academia or church, cause people to not receive the blessings God is providing them we have injustice. Christian leaders must work to change this. We are to work for justice. Justice requires that unjust systems that prevent people from receiving the blessings God intends for them must be brought down. The Christian leader must work to ensure that all people receive the blessings they are entitled to receive. Therefore the Christian leader must work for the poor and vulnerable in our society and around the world.

Let’s now go back to Isaiah to look at some of the characteristic of a Christian leader.

Isaiah 42:2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. ³ A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; ⁴ he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.  In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

The Christian leader will not be loud and boisterous. You will probably not hear him on the cable news channels. Not will a Christian leader be tweeting controversial statements. Rather the Christian leader will be seen serving the vulnerable, a bruised reed or a smoldering wick. The Christian leader will be with those who are about to give up all hope, those who have not received the abundant blessings promised by God. And the Christian leader, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will persevere ignoring setbacks and pushing forward until all of God’s blessings are distributed to the people who need them. The Christian leader will be known because the vulnerable people he works with are filled with hope.

Sadly many leaders do not heed God’s instructions. They snuff out smoldering wicks and throw the bruised reed on the trash pile. They will ignore the poor and vulnerable. They will not work to end injustice that traps people enslaving them to poverty. These are not Christian leaders and must be avoided.

Let’s return to Isaiah as see exactly what a Christian leader will do.

Isaiah 42:7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

The Christian leader will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to heal the sick and deliver the oppressed from evil. The Christian leader must therefore be a person of prayer. Christian leaders are to pray for sick asking Jesus to heal. The Christian leader will also pray for those oppressed that they will be delivered from evil. Through our prayers our expectation is for a total renewal and restoration of the world God created.

But Christian leadersmust always remember that the work of transformation is not something the leader does, but is something that God does. Let’s listen as God articulates this:

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.
⁹ See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

So God has told us to pray and work for justice. He will use us and our work to bring about transformation and renewal. This is extremely good news for the vulnerable who live on the margins of our society.

Isaiah’s prophecy of a servant leader was fulfilled by Jesus. Jesus’ ministry was all about renewal and restoration of God’s creation. He was chosen by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He helped the poor and marginalized in his society by reforming unjust systems. He healed the sick and cast out evil spirits. And he left behind a church to continue his work.

And so today the work of a Christian leader is to follow Jesus and do what he did in his ministry. We are to seek renewal and restoration of God’s creation. We have been chosen by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We are to work for justice for the marginalized in our society. We are to pray for healing of the sick and deliverance of those suffering from evil. We are to serve others because we have been blessed by God and God wants us to be a blessing for others. Let’s pray.

Lord in heaven, we ask that you raise up for us leaders who are concerned about justice. Bring us a pastor with compassion for the needs of the people in our community. Give us elders, deacon and trustees, who see that our work for the poor is God’s mission for us in Ocean City. Bless the Trump administration with a desire to uphold your justice. This we pray in the name of our King, the Lord Jesus. Amen.   

Sermon – Hebrew 2:10-18 – Our High Priest

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Hebrew 2:10-18 – Our High Priest

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

January 1, 2017

            We are now at the second Sunday of Christmas.  Christmas is a twelve day period when we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This is the eighth day of Christmas when the popular song tells us that you should have received eight “maids a milking” from your true love.

            Here in America we start celebrating Christmas early, beginning just after Thanksgiving.  Decorations go up and gifts are purchased.  We exchange gifts on Christmas eve or Christmas day.  So for us Christmas is almost over and it is time to take down the tree.  But for most of the world Christmas starts on December 25^th and will last until January 6 and great feast of Epiphany.  The traditional reading for Epiphany is the coming of the wise men with their gifts.  So for most people in the world Epiphany not Christmas is the day for giving and receiving gifts.

            There is nothing in scripture that tells us that the first Christmas occurred on December 25^th.  There are two contemporary theories about why we celebrate Christmas when we do.  The first theory is that Romans celebrated the pagan festival “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” on December 25, because on that date the sun stops its southward journey.  This theory suggests that the festival was Christianized by the early church as the birthday of Jesus, the Light of the World.  The second theory is that the early Christians celebrated the annunciation to Mary and the resurrection of Jesus on the same day.  Under this theory one can simply count up nine months and you get to December 25.  According to this theory the celebration of the pagan festival on that date was just a coincidence.

            We celebrate Christmas as the time when God came into the world as a human.  We call this the incarnation.  The incarnation is an extraordinary event which is attested to in scripture and of which we we believe by faith.  But what does this mean for us?  In what way does the incarnation affect us and our lives?  Why is the incarnation important for us?  These are most important questions.  We will get to these, but first please pray with me.

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

Hebrews 2:10-18  10 In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.  11 Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.  12 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."  13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again he says, "Here am I, and the children God has given me."  14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-- that is, the devil--  15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants.  17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.  18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

           

            The author of Hebrews want us to remember that Jesus was fully a human being.  He certainly was God.  But he also needed to be human.  In his humanity he was tempted and suffered like us.  In his humanity he learned to take his concerns to God in prayer.  And in his humanity he saves us by being our High Priest and taking our prayers to God.  This is important because the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple.   And with that destruction there is no longer a High Priest to intercede for us with God.  Here is what happened.

            It is AD70.  General Vespasian has brought the Roman Legion to the gates of Jerusalem.  He purpose is to negotiate terms of surrender with rebels inside.  If that doesn't work he will reduce the city to ruble and kill all of it occupants.  Inside Jerusalem a leading Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai urges acceptance of Vespasian's demands.   No one listens to his advice.  So the rabbi calls for his assistants Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua.  They put Rabbi Johanan into a coffin and carry him to the city gate.  The gatekeeper will not open the gate because of the danger without.  But the rabbis call out and say that it is unlawful to keep a dead body in Jerusalem overnight.  So the gate is opened and rabbis escape the coming destruction.  They flee across the Jordan River, and establish a synagogue in Pella where Jewish prayers and instruction could continue after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple.  Before leaving Jerusalem, Rabbi Johanan Ben Zakkai predicted that Vespasian would become emperor, a prophecy that was realized just two days later.   The Roman Legion then reduced the city to rubble and killed everyone in it.

            In the years that followed Jewish scholars wrestled with a most important religious matter.  How could people deal with the problem of sin with no temple and no high priest to atone for their sins? Although this important issue dominated Jewish discussions in the years after the destruction the temple, Christian scholars rarely mentioned it.  We know that the early Christians used the temple regularly for prayers and teaching.  With the destruction of the temple, prayer and teaching continued in churches.  But there was no concern among Christians over the loss of the sacrificial system. 

            While the temple was operating, people would come for teaching, prayer and sacrifices.  To deal with sin people would bring something, a couple of pigeons, or a handful of grain.  These would be burnt on the altar and the smoke would symbolize their prayers going up to heaven.  Then the High Priest would pray and tell them that God had forgiven them.  But with the destruction of the temple there was no altar and no High Priest.  What were people to do?

            Christians had no problem with the destruction of the sacrificial system because the sacrifice that God desires was made once and for all by Jesus on the cross of Calvary.  Jesus' death on the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for the atonement of all of our sins. And so, for Christians, the sacrificial system was no longer needed.  They used the temple for prayers and teaching, but avoided the sacrifices.  This accounts for much of the animosity between Christians and Jews during the temple period.  And this accounts for the ease Christians had in moving from the temple to churches for prayers and teaching after the temple was destroyed. 

            In order for the sacrificial system to end God had to come to earth as a man because only as a human being could he be our sacrifice.  And only as a human being could Jesus be our High Priest.  An unknown Jewish - Christian writer in about 150AD looked back on the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem.  He said that the temple was destroyed by the sin of the continuing sacrifices, and argued that Jesus Christ abolished sacrifices altogether by his death on the cross.  He also said that Jesus instituted baptism as a means of absolving us of our sin through his atoning sacrifice. (Recognitions 1:33-71)

            According to the author of Hebrews the reason that God came to earth as a human was to glorify us.  Glorification is the lifelong process whereby the Holy Spirit purges sin from our lives and makes us holy.  This process could not occur unless God is with us.  So God became one of us so that we could be glorified.  Suppose that you wanted to learn to swim. So you go to the YMCA and sign up for swimming lessons to make you a swimmer.  What would you think if your swimming instructor could not swim and was afraid of the water?  What if the instructor sat way up in the lifeguard chair and yelled instructions to teach you how to swim?  Would you learn how to swim that way?  Of course not!  You would want an expert swimmer for an instructor who would get into the pool with you.  That's the only way you could learn how to swim with an instructor with you.  The same is true with glorification.  You need God with you to be glorified.  And that's the good news of Christmas.  God is with us to glorify us.

            Now if glorification is the process by which sin is removed from our lives we would expect it to be a very traumatic event.  Suppose you have been diagnosed with cancer and the doctor says you need surgery, radiation and chemo.  As you go through these procedures you will suffer pain, your hair will fall out, and you won't have the energy to do the things you normally do.  But all this suffering is worthwhile because of your hope that the cancer will go away.   It's the same way with glorification.  The removal of sin is an awful process.  The devil and evil spirits don't want to lose you as a human sinner.  So they will fight back.  And the only way for you to fully get sin out of your life is to die.  Who wants to die to get sin out of your life? Do you?  Of course not! No one wants to die just to get sin out of his or her life.  We would prefer to live and keep on sinning.  So we need someone to experience suffering and death for us.  We need a proxy.  And that's why the incarnation is so important.  God came to earth to suffer and die for us removing our sin and starting us on the road to glorification.

            According to Hebrews Jesus Christ not only died as a sacrifice for our sins, but also the risen Jesus Christ continues to serve as our High Priest.  As High Priest Jesus hears our prayers and delivers them directly to God.  You have probably played the parlor game where the first person tells a story to person number two.  Person number two tells the same story to person three and so forth until everyone hears the story.  Then the last person then tells the story and it is compared to the original story.  Everyone is surprised by how much the story changes.  So too with prayer.  If we tell our prayers to a priest what assurance do we have that our prayers will be accurately communicated to God?  But if Jesus Christ is our High Priest then all of us must be priests and we have the ability to say our prayers directly to him.  Jesus, being fully human, is fully able to understand our feelings and thoughts and words.  Jesus, being fully God, can perfectly communicate our prayers to God.  So through the incarnation God was able to abolish the old sacrificial system and replace it with a direct channel for our prayers to go to God.

            So Jesus Christ is our High Priest.  He came to earth to save us from sin and restore us to what God created us to be.  He did this through his suffering and death that removed sin from us.  And now he serves us by hearing our prayers with a human ear and perfectly communicating our prayers to his father, God Almighty.  This is the good news of Christmas.  We now have a High Priest in heaven who listens our prayers, forgives our sins and leads us to glory.  Let us pray.

            Lord Jesus, we are here on the anniversary of your birth.   Hear our prayers of confession.  Communicate them to God.  And respond to us with the gift of forgiveness.  We ask that you be with us to purge us from sin and bring us to glory.  Amen.

Sermon – Hebrews 1:1-12 Angels

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City

Sermon – Hebrews 1:1-12 Angels[1]

December 25, 2016

            Merry Christmas!  Today we celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord, the birth of Jesus Christ.  This is the Season of Christmas.  Christmas is a twelve day period beginning today and concluding on January 5^th.  Accord to a popular song this is the day that your true love should give you a partridge in a pear tree. 

            There are many angels associated with the Christmas story.  The Angel Gabriel came to Mary to explain to her that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit and was to name her son Jesus.  Joseph was visited by an angel to tell him not to be afraid to marry Mary even though she was pregnant.  Joseph was also visited by angels in dreams telling him when to take his family to Egypt and when to return.  And some angels visited a group of shepherds in the field tending their flocks with an announcement that our savior had been born in Bethlehem.  Angels were everywhere talking to everyone on that first Christmas.  They seem to be pretty important.  So on the Christmas morning, let’s take a closer look at angels.  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)

            If you go to Barnes and Nobel bookstore in Salisbury you will find many shelves with books about angels.  Interest in angels got started when Billy Graham published his book, Angels, in 1975.  By 1994 there were eight books about angels on the New York Times bestseller list.   Today there are 151,359 books about angels on Amazon.com

Interest in angels is nothing new.  In the Middle Ages  “angelology” was the rage.  The scholar Dionysius searched the Bible for all references to heavenly beings and compiled a list in his book Celestial Hierarchies.  He placed the seraphim at the top followed by cherubim, then thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities and finally archangels and ordinary messengers to humans.  Speculation about angels grew throughout the Middle Ages.  Saint Albert the Great concluded that there were precisely 399,920,004 celestial beings!

The Bible is filled with angels.  God sent some cherubim to guard the Garden of Eden.  This is just the beginning of 122 verses in the Old Testament about angels.  The New Testament adds another 170 verses about angels.  The Book of Revelation has the most mentions of angel with a whopping 79.   We know of two angels by name, Michael and Gabriel.  The name Lucifer had one mention in the King James Version but is translated as “Day Star” in more modern translations.   Jude 6 talks about “fallen angels”, but nowhere in the Bible are these identified as Satan.  We do see Satan identified as a dragon leading his angelic army against the angel Michael in Revelation 12.  

There are three categories of angels.  Some angels are “praisers”.  These are the ones we hear about at Christmas praising God in the Highest.  They were heard by the shepherds.  The second type of angel are the “messengers”.  The angel Gabriel was the most famous of these with the important message he had from God to Mary.   Messagers were also sent to Zechariah, Joseph and the shepherds.  And the third type of angels are the “guardians”.   We read this in Psalm 91:11, "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."  Of course there are also avenging angels like those led by Michael in Revelation.  In the Bible angels always serve as agents of God.  They never operate independently.  Angels always do God’s work. 

            So, what do angels look like?  In popular culture their robes glow, and they have halos and wings.   In the Bible angels sometime look like heavenly beings.  In Luke 24 the women saw “two men in dazzling clothes.”  More often angels just look like human beings.  They are recognized later when people sense that they have been in the presence of God.  In Genesis 18 three men approach Abraham and later Lot in Sodom.  They are described first as men, then as angels, and finally as the Lord.  And Jacob wrestled with a man at Peniel.  We often think of this as an angel.  But Jacob later realized he has wrestled with God.  The point of all this is that we don’t always know when we have come into the presence of angels until we have had time to reflect on their words and actions. 

            At the end of Hebrews there is a story about not neglecting hospitality to strangers because these could be angels.  So perhaps this is what we should expect.  An angel may appear not with a halo, wings and glowing robe,  rather angels may be in disguise as people in need.  Remember that the best way to serve God is to serve the least of these as Jesus taught us.

            From all of this it would appear that angels were the most important characters in the Christmas story.  They gave messages to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds.  They were praising God with the heavenly hosts.   Without them no one would have noticed the first Christmas.  But they are not the most important characters in the Christmas story.  That distinction goes to a newly born baby sleeping away in manger.  His parents named him Jesus.  And the author of Hebrews says this about him.

            Hebrews1:1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. ³ The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴ So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father”^[a]?

Or again,

“I will be his Father,
    and he will be my Son”^[b]?

⁶ And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God’s angels worship him.”^[c]

⁷ In speaking of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels spirits,
    and his servants flames of fire.”^[d]

⁸ But about the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing you with the oil of joy.”^[e]

¹⁰ He also says,

“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.
¹¹ They will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
¹² You will roll them up like a robe;
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
    and your years will never end.”^[f]

            Angels are not the most important Christmas characters.  All they did was to deliver God’s message.  They were not God’s Christmas gift to us any more than the UPS driver is our Christmas gift from others.  The angels delivered a Christmas gift from God.  The gift we received was our savior, Jesus Christ.

            This Jesus Christ is far more than any angel.  Jesus is God son.  Jesus was present when the universe was created.  Jesus died on a cross in payment for our sin, procuring for us full pardon and forgiveness.  Jesus was resurrected from the dead giving all who believe the assurance of eternal life.  And Jesus reigns in heaven at the right hand of God bringing about the Kingdom of God through the church.  And Jesus will come again to rule the earth in justice and righteousness.  Do you think any angel could pull this off?  No way!  Only Jesus, the son of God, fully divine, could do this.  And Jesus is the gift we receive at Christmas.

            So don’t worship angels, they are not God.  Don’t pray to angels, only Jesus hears your prayer and forwards them to his Father.  Don’t ask angels for protection or power.  The Holy Spirit will do this for you.   But do care for the marginalized in our society because they could be angels testing our compassion.  The person we are to worship, the person who hears our prayers, the person who sends his spirit to empower us, is the baby born on Christmas, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let's pray.

            “Glory to you, God most high— you have given us a Savior, the Messiah, the Lord— good news of great joy for all. Make us messengers of the gospel and shepherds of your people; guide us always in paths of peace; through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.”

https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/theologyandworship/pdfs/prayers_for_christmas.pdf

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[1]             Adapted from :A Fascination with Angels , MICHAEL ROGNESS  Luther Seminary St. Paul, Minnesota