Sermon – Psalm 73, Philippians 4:4-23

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Psalm 73, Philippians 4:4-23

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

May 25, 2008

Tomorrow our nation will be setting aside a day to remember all the men and women who have died or been injured in our wars. This practice was started after the Civil War to remember the sacrifice that so many men made to keep our nation free and undivided. Many people in our congregation have served in the military or have family members who are currently serving. All of you have made a great sacrifice for our country.

Please pray with me. Lord Jesus Christ, many of us today need healing in our hearts as we remember family members and friends who have gone to you; we ask that you heal our broken hearts this day. Many of us today need healing in our bodies as we or family members deal with disease or injury; we ask that you heal those bodies this day. We boldly make these requests to you because you healed the sick and comforted the bereaved while with us. So today we call on your power. Amen.

Philippians 4:4-13 ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. ¹⁰ I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. ¹² I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

When I was growing up, every Memorial Day, or as it was once called Decoration Day, we went to my grandmother’s house and visited the cemeteries. My father’s family is in Oak Grove, near the hospital. My mother and her family are in Silvian Heights up on the hill. We always took flowers to decorate the graves. And my grandfather’s grave had an American flag indicating that he had served during World War One. There was always a picnic outside in my grandmother’s backyard with burgers, deviled eggs, and potato salad. And there were parades and patriotic songs. But what I remember most of all about Memorial Day was watching my grandmother become older and more and more feeble until she died and then we stopped placing flowers on all those graves.

As I think about my grandmother I remember her great faith in God and her desire for me to find God myself. She had a pure heart and scripture says that anyone with a pure heart will be blessed by God. But if my grandmother was blessed, why was she a widow for so many years? Why did she have problems with her heart? Why did she suffer though so many illnesses? Does God really bless those with a pure heart as scripture says?

Anyone watching television this week might conclude that scripture is wrong on this point. You might believe the God blesses people for reason other than a pure heart. If you watched the finals of Dancing with the Stars you might think that God blesses those who are beautiful and can move about the dance floor gracefully. If you watched the finals of American Idol you might think that God blesses those who can sing popular songs with powerful voices. And if you watched the Lakers in the playoffs you might think the God blesses athletes who can dribble and shoot. But when we think about the saints of this church, the people who have worshiped with this church so faithfully for so long, who have such pure hearts, and now see them suffering from cancer, or seizures, or neurological diseases we have to wonder if God really does bless the pure in heart.

This observation that the godless seem to prosper while the faithful suffer illness bothered the psalmist. It angered her that this injustice prevailed. She was ready to enter the sanctuary and complain to God about it. Surely God would hear her prayers and punish those who profit unjustly. But when she entered the sanctuary something amazing happened. She began to see the world from God’s perspective.

The way God sees it, the prosperity of those who do not know God is here today and gone tomorrow. Those who depended on beauty or ability or skill will find that one day all of these things will fail. Those who are beautiful now will grow old and wrinkled. Those who can sing beautifully now will one day lose their voices. And those who are great athletes will one day lose their skills to age or injury. Their blessings are temporary and will soon fade.

But those with pure hearts will be blessed for eternity because they are always renewed by being in the presence of the living God. God holds us in his arms and guides us in her way and receives us with great honor. When we realize that God truly blesses us we are filled with the overwhelming desire to be with God. So as we age and our bodies begin to fail we are blessed because God is right there with us to comfort us along the way.

The Apostle Paul tells us that as we grow old and experience difficulties in life we should not hesitate to bring those difficulties to God. We do this in prayer where we ask God to help us, to heal us, and to heal our families and our friends. Whatever troubles us: grief for a loved one who has died or sickness in our bodies or in the bodies of members of our families and friends we are not to worry about these things, but with confidence we should believe that we and our families will be blessed by God. We are to take all of our concerns for our bodies and our families to God in prayer.

When it comes to healing our bodies there are those who think that prayer does no good. Some discount the existence of miracles today and believe that only modern medicine can heal. Others believe that God knows when we are sick and will decide for himself whether or not to heal us. So why bother praying? Scripture tells us the Jesus healed the sick and gave that power to us to heal in his name. Jesus simply spoke a command and people were healed. For us we heal by praying in Jesus’ name. And when we pray in confidence for Jesus to heal us or a loved one we are filled with hope.

When we pray for healing we must first understand the God desires healing for all who experience illness. This understanding allows us to anticipate that our prayers will be heard and acted upon. We must also have compassion for those we pray for. Our prayers for healing will only be effective if we truly desire for someone to be healed. When we pray for someone who is ill we become vulnerable, but we take the risk because the reward is so great. And finally we must always remember that when we pray for healing we are not doing magic. There is no direct cause and effect relationship between prayers and healing. Many times our prayers do not have the desired result. But we should not be discouraged because God heals in many different ways; our job is just to pray unceasingly and to trust God to act.

So on this Memorial Day Weekend lets not just spend our time at picnics and parades and decorating the graves of those who have gone to the Lord a long time ago. Rather spend some time in prayer for the living who are experiencing sickness. Boldly, pray for healing, believing that God desires the everyone be whole. Pray for the well being of the people in your family and in your church. Be a part of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ on earth.

Lord Jesus, we ask this day that you give us the authority to heal. Help us to pray for healing. Listen to our prayers as we pray for family and friends this Memorial Day Weekend. And heal those in Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church who are suffering from illness this day. We pray in your strong name, amen.

June Vision Article

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

June Vision Article

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

May 28, 2008

Every two years the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) meets to debate and decide, with God’s help, important matters facing the church. This month commissioners from presbyteries all over the United Stated will be gathering in San Jose for the 218^th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These commissioners will be meeting from June 20^th to the 28^th prayerfully discerning God’s will for the church.

Among the important issues to be decided are: a revised form of government for the church that would be more flexible, foundational, and appropriate for a missional church in the 21^st century, the addition of the Belhar Confession from South Africa in our Book of Confessions, ways of seeking peace and justice in the Holy Land, and the election of a new Moderator for the next two years. The commissioners will be guided by scripture especially these words from the prophet Micah, “Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly with your God”, the theme of this General Assembly.

The decisions the General Assemble have to make will have a profound impact on the church’s future. Please pray for the commissioners to the as they do God’s work on a national level. – Pastor Jeff

Almighty God,
in Jesus Christ you called disciples
and, by the Holy Spirit, made them one church to serve you.
Be with members of our General Assembly.
Help them to welcome new things you are doing in the world,
and to respect old things you keep and use.
Save them from empty slogans or senseless controversy.
In their deciding, determine what is good for us and for all people.
As this General Assembly meets,
let your Spirit rule,
so that our church may be joined in love and service to Jesus Christ,
who, having gone before us, is coming to meet us in the promise of your kingdom.
Amen.

Sermon: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 – Making Disciples of All Nations

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 – Making Disciples of All Nations
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
May 15, 2008

This past Sunday an extraordinary event happened in our church. We had a multicultural concert as a lead in to our evening worship service. Singers and dancers from a variety of ethnic churches were invited. We had Native American, Hispanic and Jamaican Christians doing what they do in their own churches, performing here for us as part of an event that was designed to demonstrate to the community that we are a church that welcomes people from different cultures, nations and ethnicities. We wanted to show Eagle Rock that we celebrate the diversity of our community. This is part of our effort to build Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church into a multiethnic and multicultural church. Today I will be reflecting theologically on this event, and what it means for our church.

But first will you pray with me? Father in heaven, calm our fear of others and help to follow you into our multiethnic community here in Eagle Rock. Send your Spirit to fill us with love for you and for our neighbors. Help us to make disciples of people from every nation and ethnic group who live in our community. And send Jesus Christ to be with us always in worship. We pray this in the name of our triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Our scripture reading today is from Matthew. It is the Great Commission that Christ gave to the church. This scripture is therefore our mission as the church of Jesus Christ. This is what Christ is calling us to do. So listen carefully to this familiar text.

Matthew 28: 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Matthew first tells us that the disciples of Jesus were obedient. After the crucifixion they could have fled. And they justifiably could have concluded that all the Jesus had said was a lie. A rumor was already circulating that Jesus had not been resurrected by God, but that his body had been stolen. The disciples could have believed this lie and continued their lives as if nothing had happened, as if they had never met Jesus. But as followers of Jesus they chose to follow him wherever he might lead. This is the calling of the church: to follow Jesus wherever he leads us. So we have to not only listen carefully to Jesus’ words, but we have to be willing to put those words into action. We have to turn understanding into obedience.

Once we have chosen to obey Christ we are led by him into worship. Worship is always directed at Jesus Christ because Jesus is God and therefore the only acceptable object of our worship. The important question is not how we worship but who we worship. Over the centuries there have been many different ways of worshiping but the direction of worship is always turned toward Christ. The earliest church worshiped in the Greek tongue in house churches. The medieval church built great cathedrals and worshiped in Latin. The reformed church translated the Word of God into the language of God’s people, and emphasized that the reading and proclamation of the Word of God was vital to legitimate worship. In the 20th and 21st centuries worship has included a wide variety of cultural expressions. The manner of worship is unimportant so long as the object of worship is Jesus Christ.

Worship is not limited to only those who believe. Even some of the 11 who had followed Jesus for years still doubted much of what he had to say. Even nonbelievers should be invited to worship because it is through the worship of Jesus Christ that we come to belief. In worship Jesus comes to us. So it does not matter where or when we worship as long as our worship is centered on Jesus. The authority to worship comes to us not from the state or even from the congregational leaders. Our authority to worship comes directly from Jesus himself who has unlimited power from God.

Jesus uses this authority to tell us that our mission as church is to make disciples, followers of Jesus, and baptized them in the name of our triune God. As we are going about our day to day lives we are to tell everyone we meet about the good news we have found in Christ. We are to proclaim this Good News to people of all nations. Jesus was not talking about modern nation states like we have today. Rather Jesus used the Greek word ethnos from which we get the word “ethnic”. In other words Jesus was telling us that we are to make disciples of all the different ethnic groups who live in Eagle Rock. To obey Jesus means that we must make disciples of all the people in Eagle Rock regardless of their ethnic background, nationality, language, dress, documentation or income level. Therefore, obedience to Jesus requires that we become a multiethnic church in this diverse community.

I grew up in a church just like this one. We had lots of families and the church was building classrooms and a larger sanctuary. We were all white and worshiped in a very traditional Presbyterian style. Our biggest fear was the blacks would move into our community and take away what we had. As an adult I was able to make enough money to live in the affluent suburbs far away from the poverty and crime of the city. I worshiped in traditional Presbyterian churches. Almost everyone in these churches was white.

Several years ago I joined a Masonic lodge in Washington DC. It was a great source of friendships that last to this day. Unlike the churches in Washington the Masonic lodges are very multiethnic. People from all over the world come to Washington to live and have joined Masonic lodges for activities and friendships. I was able to meet and establish friendships with people from many different nations. I loved this experience. So when I was looking at seminaries I wanted a place where I could study with people from all over the world. That is why I chose Fuller. And while at Fuller I lived in an extremely multinational apartment complex. My neighbor on one side was from Africa and on the other was from China. While at Fuller I met and married a woman from Korea. And my internship at Pasadena Presbyterian Church was with a ministry to international students from around the world. So when it came time to look for a church I wanted to find a call to a multiethnic community and a church that was willing to welcome into its fellowship people from many different nations and languages and cultures. That is why I came to this church because you offered me the opportunity to build a multiethnic church.

Christ wants us to build a multiethnic church because that is in the very nature of God. We believe that we have one God. This is the God of the Hebrews who created everything. But this one God exists in diversity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So too must the church be united as one while existing in a diversity of ethnic worship all centered on Jesus Christ. Our triune God is held together as one by the bonds of mutual love. So too must the church be bound together by the love of God and our love for each other. A multiethnic church is tied together into one unified church by the bonds of genuine mutual love.

If we are going to build a multiethnic church here in Eagle Rock we must confess our fears to God. Only God can settle our hearts and fill us with love so that we can reach out into the community around us with offers of that love. We must confess the anger that prevents us from loving our neighbor as God love us. We must be obedient to Christ and reach out to our neighbors with worship that is sensitive to their cultural needs. We must accept changes, meals after worship, new musical and cultural styles that are sensitive to the desires of people in the community, and new hearts which allow us to love our neighbors in new ways. Change is always scary. But I urge you not to be afraid of the diverse people who now live in Eagle Rock. Ask God to calm your fears and fill your hearts with love. The promise of scripture is that if we love those who live in Eagle Rock and make disciples of all the different ethnic groups who live here then Jesus will be with us in worship until he returns at the end of time. So I hope you will attend and enjoy the multicultural events and worship which with God’s help will bring new people into our church. I pray that all of our hearts will be filled with love as we come into contact with people from other ethnic groups. I want us all to be as welcoming as we can to everyone who comes looking for Jesus in this place.

God in heaven, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bind us together with your mutual love. Fill our hearts with desire to take this love into our diverse community. Bless us with a multiethnic church which can worship you in many different ways. And we pray this in name of the one with supreme authority and whom we will obey, amen.

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 12:1-13

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – 1 Corinthians 12:1-13
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

May 11, 2008 – Pentecost Sunday and Mother’s Day

Let me start this morning by welcoming all the mothers who are worshiping with us today. I can report that last week I returned to Washington DC with a box of Sees Milk Chocolate, my step mother’s gift for Mother’s Day. The church is honoring mothers with carnations this morning and a special concert this afternoon at 3PM on the patio. Our evening worship musical group, A Matter of Faith, has organized a wonderful program featuring many different musical groups from different churches. Everyone is invited.

But first will you pray with me? Holy Spirit, we ask that you come upon us today as you did on that day of Pentecost so long ago. Empower us to be your church. Enable us to worship God. And be with us to comfort us in our times of need. We pray all of this in the glorious name of Jesus, Amen.

1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. ² You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. ³ Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. ⁴ Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ⁵ and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; ⁶ and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. ⁷ To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. ⁸ To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-- and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

In the 20^th century the Christian Church experienced the initiation and growth of a new type of Christianity whose power came nor from the state, or from the congregation, but from the Holy Spirit. On New Years Eve 1900 a young Methodist minister, Charles Fox Parham, was leading a healing ministry and Bible study group in a home in Topeka, Kansas. Parham asked his Bible study group “What proof or evidence is there in scripture that shows the Apostles received Baptism with the Holy Spirit?” The class answered that according to the Book of Acts the Apostles had spoken in other tongues. So that night they prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to give them the same gift, and they all began speaking in tongues.

On April 9, 1906 a student of Parham, William Seymour, the son of slaves, was leading a prayer meeting in Los Angeles. While Seymour was teaching several people began speaking in tongues. People started arriving to see what was going on. They moved the prayer meeting to 312 Azusa Street which became known as the Azusa Street Mission. According to the LA Times, on April 18, 1906 thousands of people had come from around the world for Christian revival. The Azusa Street Revival continued unabated for nearly three years. Hundreds of new congregations were formed. Today, 25% of all Christians around the world are part of traditions that trace themselves back to this powerful event.

Today, many Christians have reported an encounter with the Holy Spirit. They say that they have experienced an extraordinary sense of God’s reality, which has brought them into a deeper encounter with the deity. This has enabled them to praise and worship God in new ways. They experience a heightened desire and capacity to bear witness to the gospel within a more strongly bonded community. Many claim that speaking in tongues, healing, or prophecy has accompanied these heightened experiences and awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Presbyterian Church has had a difficult time dealing with these experiences. We have always stressed the role of the Spirit in uniting us with Christ and thus bringing to us the fruit of salvation. But in this contemporary manifestation of the Spirit there seems to be more going on than our Reformed theology allows. Some Presbyterians have questioned the authenticity of these experiences. Others say these experiences are signs of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This often leads to divisions within the church. We need to understand what is happening when Christians report an experience of spiritual empowerment and be able to discern whether or not those gifts are from God.

According to the Apostle Paul ecstatic experiences, such as speaking in tongues, can only be from God if they acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord. Spirituality without Jesus at the center is not from the Holy Spirit. But the experience of spiritual gifts within the context of the worship of Jesus Christ is definitely an authentic experience of the Holy Spirit. Paul also says that if spiritual experiences come from the Holy Spirit then they will be used for building up the church, its ministries, its activities, and its good works. And finally Paul says that if these experiences come from the Holy Spirit then they will lead to the unity of the church. Just as we have one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit so also we have one church with many members, each one receiving spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit.

For Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church to grow again and be revitalized we too must be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The government will not help us grow. Neither will the denomination. Rather we are dependent on gifts from the Holy Spirit that empower us for ministry in this neighborhood. And this is happening here in our church. I have often sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit in this sanctuary. Every morning at 6AM we begin by reading the Word of God to place us in the presence of Christ for worship. Then we begin to pray. I pray for the needs of the church. As I pray I have heard other people speaking in tongues. I don’t have this gift, at least not yet. But I have found universally that those who speak in tongues at our early morning service believe that the revitalization effort at this church will be successful. Every person who has spoken in tongues in the morning has told me that the Holy Spirit will send more people to this church. I am now convinced that this church has a bright future ahead of it because it is being empowered by gifts from the Holy Spirit.

There is clear evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in this church. Rapidly growing churches in Latin America and Africa all report that their growth begins with the arrival at the church of the poorest people in the community. The poor are powerless and can sense when the church is worshiping in the power of the Holy Spirit. They are drawn by this power to worship. In Eagle Rock there are many people who live on the streets. The Roman Catholic Church feeds them; this is a good thing to do. But recently several homeless people have been coming here, not for a feeding program, but to worship with us. They join us for worship and fellowship and share their gifts with us. One man, who lives here on the street, cooked the dinner for last Sunday’s worship. The poorest in our community are sensing the power of the Holy Spirit at work here at Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church, and are drawn to that power. This is the power that God will use to make this church grow and proper.

Of course, as the church grows conflicts will arise. Personalities will clash. Resources must be shared. Our ways of doing things will change. Stress will increase. And tempers will flair. We will begin to think that the newcomer’s spirits are not from God. Paul has told us to test the spirits. Only one Spirit comes from God. As long as the entire church is focused on Jesus Christ we know that this is the Holy Spirit. We also know that if the Holy Spirit is empowering our church she will unite us into one church.

So pray that Holy Spirit will empower the church for the work she is calling us to do. Do not be afraid if you begin hearing others speaking in tongues, or have some special knowledge or wisdom. Do not be afraid if new experiences begin to happen to you. As long as we are centered in Jesus Christ what we experience will be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. This will empower our church. And this power will attract others who will join us in doing God’s work here in Eagle Rock. This is the promise of Pentecost.

Holy Spirit, pour down your gifts upon us. Bring us closer to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And give to this congregation the power to grow and thrive in the Eagle Rock community, Amen.

Sermon – 1Peter 1:10-25 – Living Holy Lives

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – 1Peter 1:10-25 – Living Holy Lives

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

April 6, 2008

This is the second in a series of sermons focused on the implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Last week we saw that as a result of the resurrection we now have new life, so that even if we still experience problems we can still rejoice because of all that Christ has done for us and the hope we have for a glorious future. Today we will be looking at how we get this new life and how that new life changes us in important ways.

Will you pray with me? Holy Father we ask that you allow us to be in your presence this morning as we worship. Help us to hear your word through my preaching today. Transform us by that word into holy people who truly love one another. We pray this in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

1 Peter 1:10-25 ¹⁰ Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours made careful search and inquiry, ¹¹ inquiring about the person or time that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look! ¹³ Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. ¹⁴ Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. ¹⁵ Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; ¹⁶ for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." ¹⁷ If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. ¹⁸ You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. ²⁰ He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. ²¹ Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. ²² Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. ²³ You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, ²⁵ but the word of the Lord endures forever." That word is the good news that was announced to you.

A prophet is someone who sees clearly what is happening in the world and discerns what God thinks about it. They are not future tellers or psychics although what they say does have an element of timeless truth. Rather they are truth tellers who understand what is going on in the world around them and are connected sufficiently to God’s spirit through prayer to discern what God wants done about it. Moses saw the oppression of the Israelites and discerned God’s desire for their freedom. Amos saw the injustice to the poor and needy in his society and discerned God’s warning that the destruction of the nation was near if they did not repent and change their ways. Prophets are needed whenever the world we live in diverges from the Creator’s intent.

The Apostles of Jesus Christ who witnessed his resurrection were prophets. They saw clearly what was happening in the world around them and they knew what God wanted through the Holy Spirit. They spoke in synagogues, homes and later churches proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. As the church grew Apostles trained other preachers teaching them the message that God wanted proclaimed about the grace of Jesus Christ. So long as these new preachers proclaimed a message consistent with the teaching of the Apostles their words were considered to be the word of God. This was made possible by the Holy Spirit who speaks though the faithful words of the preacher to the attentive hearts of the congregation. According to Peter, the angels, God’s own messengers, are so interested in what is be proclaimed in the churches by faithful preachers they bend over to listen to what is going on. Because of this we can believe in the resurrection of Jesus from the dead because in the New Testament and in faithful preaching the teachings of the Apostolic witnesses are preserved. So long as my preaching is based on teachings of the Apostles who witnessed the event and is carried from my mouth to your ears by the Holy Spirit you are hearing God’s holy word.

When we hear and understand the Word of God proclaimed we are filled with hope of receiving the grace of Jesus Christ which was revealed in his resurrection. This is what brings us to new life in Jesus Christ. As you sit here in this sanctuary you are being transformed by God’s Word into God’s obedient children. That is why, as we listen to the word of God more and more, we find ourselves leaving our old lives behind, our lives of dishonesty, drunkenness, promiscuity, violence, anger. We begin to realize that these things are in our pasts and were washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Recently I heard a story from a woman working in the entertainment industry. She had been a talented singer at one point, but her lifestyle eventually caught up with her and the hope of a promising career turned into a night of darkness and desperation. She contemplated suicide as the only solution to her problems. But then she looked at the calendar and saw that it was Christmas Eve. She did not know Jesus, but he seemed like the only alternative for someone in her situation. So she prayed that Jesus would send his spirit to help her. And that night she received new life in Jesus Christ. I can’t say that a story as dramatic as this one will happen to everyone who accepts Christ in their lives. But I can say the Christ is offering new lives to anyone who comes to him.

Shortly you will have the opportunity to ask Christ for new life. We have been hearing the word of God read and proclaimed so Christ’s work of transformation has already begun. As we gather around this table we will be sitting at the family table of God with Christ at the right hand seat of honor. We will be eating with the Creator, the transcendent God of the Universe and Supreme Judge. This should terrify us and scare us to death. Approaching God in this way should fill us with fear, awe, reverence and wonder. We should we amazed at what is happening. Coming into the presence of God can’t help but be transforming, and a new life can’t help but be terrifying to someone who is comfortable in his old life. But if the word of God is faithfully preached and this sacrament is properly administered then we will come into the presence of God and our lives will never be the same again.

When this happens and we find ourselves with new lives we just can’t stop giving glory to God for all she has done for us, for our news lives, for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the promise of eternal life. Coming into the presence of God has the effect of purifying our lives. We become holy just as God is holy. And this allows us to do what God really wants us to do. God gives us new lives so that we will love each other, genuinely, truly, love one another. This is an intense, fervent concern for the well being of the people in the church, in our community and around the world. We are to love each other as much as God loved his own son. And this love will burn in us forever because it is indivisible from the new life we have in Christ.

There is an old story about a man named about a man named William Beeterwolf. Dr. Beeterwolf lived around a hundred years ago. One day while working on a scaffold three stories above the ground Dr. Beeterwolf tripped and plunged to the ground for what appeared to be certain death. But a workman below saw Dr. Beeterwolf falling to the ground directly above him so he braced himself breaking Dr. Beeterwolf’s fall and saving his life. But as a result of breaking Dr. Beeterwolf’s fall nearly every bone in his body was broken. The crippled man was asked how Dr. Beeterwolf had treated him since the fall. He replied saying, “Well he gave me half of everything he owns. I also have a share in his business. He never lets me want for a thing. He is constantly concerned about me and hardly a day passes that I don't receive from him some little token of remembrance.”[1]

This is a wonderful story of gratitude and love. Remember that Jesus died for you so that you could live a new life. Like Dr Beeterwolf we should be grateful to Jesus for giving us new life. And our response to Christ’s sacrifice for us should be to love one another as much as God loves us.

So, the word of God is what God uses to transform our lives into people who love one another. That is why it is so important to immerse yourselves regularly in the Bible. Every day as you read from God’s holy word you take on a new life and become more holy, hopeful and loving.

Lord Jesus transform us into the children of God so that we can love others as fully as you love us. Continue to speak to us your transformative word through the Bible and my preaching. We pray this in your glorious name, Amen.

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[1] John Macarthur, http://www.gty.org/Resources/Transcripts/60-14

Sermon – 1 Peter 1:3-9 - Rejoice in the Midst of Suffering

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – 1 Peter 1:3-9

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

March 30, 2008

This morning I am beginning as series of sermons on the implications of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As we saw last week Jesus’ resurrection was an historical event which gives us a glimpse of a glorious future reality when all of God people will be resurrected into God’s recreation of the world. Today we will look at one of the implications of the resurrection for the followers of Jesus, now that we have new life in Christ.

Will you pray with me? Lord Jesus, we know that you now sit on the right hand of God ready to rule this earth. We come to you as your people and pray that you will transform us into God’s children. Mold us into the lives that you would have us live. And we pray this in your strong name, amen.

1 Peter 1:3-9 ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴ and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶ In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith-- being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire-- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸ Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, ⁹ for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Although I grew up going to church with my parents I stopped almost as soon as I went to college. This is common as many people find this transition difficult. There are many people in their 20s and 30s who have stopped going to church. Many of these will return when life events occur: a parent dies, a marriage starts, a child is born. I went back to church after my mother died because I needed something that was old and familiar. Church seemed like the right thing. And I assumed that if I went back to church many of my problems would be solved. My business would grow. I would have more friends and find a wife. I would be happier. Although I came closer to God as I attended worship the problems I had experienced continued. Christianity, I found was not something that solves all your problems like a good luck charm. And when we find that our problems remain we are tempted to conclude that church is worthless and it is time to leave. It was to a group of people in a similar situation, who believed in Christ but their problems continued, to whom Peter wrote his letter.

The Apostle Peter wrote what we now call First Peter from Rome near the end of his long and important career. Originally he was known as Cephas, a fisherman on the Lake of Galilee. He lived in Capernaum, a city on the shore of the lake and on the main highway leading from Egypt to Damascus. So he grew up meeting people from different ethnic groups, cultures and languages. One day he was asked by a rabbi from Nazareth to follow him as a disciple, which he did. And his life was never the same after that.

Cephas knew better that anyone else what it means to follow Jesus. He knew that it is not easy. He knew that following Jesus might not turn out as you expected. But he also knew of Jesus’ love, grace and forgiveness. Jesus knew that Cephas, though not perfect, was stable and strong so he renamed him “Petros” or Peter, which means “rock”. Jesus used Peter as the bedrock upon which he would build his church.

In the first thirty years after the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead the church experienced spectacular growth. Peter was partially responsible as an evangelist who went out from the Jerusalem to other communities. His activities are not as well known as Paul’s because they are not covered as well in the Book of Acts and the only writings we have from Peter are two short letters in the New Testament.

In the Book of 1Peter we have a circular letter that was sent to a group of churches in Asia Minor. A messenger would arrive at one church, read the letter to the congregation and then move on to the next church. The people in these churches were experiencing the cost of following Jesus and needed encouragement. So Peter was encouraging them to maintain their faith even in the midst of their hardships.

The Christians in these churches had experienced difficulty in their lives. Many of them, before accepting Christ, participated in the debauchery of the popular culture. They would get drunk; have sex outside of marriage and so forth. But once they encountered Jesus they stopped drinking and were faithful to their spouses. This strained the relationships they had with friends who continued in their old type of behavior. Christians were considered asocial.

These Christians also had problems politically. By following Christ they would necessarily stop worshiping the pagan god of their city. Now the city leaders had no problem with Christians worshiping their own god because in pagan culture there were many gods to worship. But by not worshiping the god or goddess of the city they were risking the displeasure of that god. And if misfortune happened to the city, then the Christians would be blamed. Christians who did not worship the god of the city were called atheists. Another problem was that by calling Jesus Christ “Lord” Christians were denying the lordship of Caesar thus opening themselves up to charges of treason. So Christians were considered asocial, atheistic, and treasonous and thus were ostracized by their culture.

In this letter Peter begins by assuring them that the new life they have experienced in Jesus Christ is not their choice but an act of God. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead to new life so too does God raise us, through the waters of baptism, into our new lives. In our new lives we have a new way of looking at our problems. The world we live in suggests that we despair over these problems. But Peter wants us to focus not on the problems of today but on our present new lives in Christ and our future hope of resurrection through faith in Jesus Christ. Just as the Israelites were promised land by God centuries ago so too does God promise us an inheritance of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. And God also promises protection in this life though our faith and the promised salvation.

Peter points out that Christian faith is not permanent. He should know. When Jesus needed him most Peter denied ever knowing him. Three times Peter denied him as Jesus was on trial for his life. This memory must have haunted Peter his entire life. And it was a story the church new well. Peter eventually realized that the faith he now has is far stronger because of this experience, just as gold is refined in a fire so too was his faith refined by sin and suffering. So Peter is urging the congregation to persevere in the faith even in the midst of their suffering because the faith that survives suffering is much stronger.

So if you are wondering where the money will come from to make your next mortgage payment, or if you worrying if it is time to go into a retirement home, or if you are having trouble finding a job, or if a loved one is suffering with a disease remember to maintain your faith in Jesus Christ and God will sustain you and comfort you. And in the end your faith will be even stronger than it is now.

Of course it is difficult keeping faith when troubles befall us. When the world looks bleak it is hard to see Jesus at work. When a loved one dies, or a home is lost to foreclosure, it is tempting to wonder where Jesus is. But if we keep faith through these times the promise of scripture is that Jesus will be revealed to us. When we see Jesus in the midst of our pain, our response turns from gloom to joy, praise, glory, and honor because we experience the great love of Jesus in our lives. And this allows us to love Jesus even though we have never seen him in person.

So rejoice in the Lord because of all the benefits you have received. Rejoice for the steadfast love that God has given you. Rejoice for the salvation of your life from sin and death. Rejoice for your hope in a future resurrection. And rejoice in the new life that has been given to you through your faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Father in heaven, we thank you for the wonderful gifts of salvation and eternal life that you have provided us. Help us to deal with the difficulties of our lives. And help us to keep our faith by revealing to us Jesus Christ in the world around us. In this we rejoice and offer praise, glory and honor to you, amen.

Sermon – Matthew 28:1-10 – Life after Death

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

Sermon – Matthew 28:1-10 – Life after Death[1]

March 23, 2008 – Easter

Section 1 – Ways people deal with death today

An elderly Buddhist Monk in rural China is making his way up a mountain to a small stream where he has sat many times before to meditate. There he watches the water playfully dance over the rocks. For him this is the most peaceful place on earth. He imagines that one day he will be a tiny drop of water gliding over these stones and then melting into the stream to exist no more.

A mother drives to isolated section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. She stops her car and gets out. She looks around at the curve where her son died in a traffic accident a week before. She places his picture, an old teddy bear, some flowers, and a white cross on the side of the road as a memorial to her son. Then she gets back in her car and drives home in tears.

A disabled Hindu man is being cared for by some Christian mission workers in New Deli. He is desperately poor and without their assistance he would surely die. He thinks, “What could I have done in my past lives to deserve this terrible fate?” He is encouraged when the missionaries tell him that in Jesus there will be new life. So he thinks “I must try harder in this life so that my next life will be better.”

A woman in Korea prays silently before dawn. She has a small altar in her living room. On it stands a picture of her dead father. She prays to him daily fully believing that these prayers will protect her family. Some Christians told her that Jesus prayed to his father. “This is good”, she thinks, and continues her prayers.

In Gaza a Muslim father is outraged when his older son is killed by the Israelis in an air attack on his car. His son had been a member of Hamas and did good things for the elderly and the widows of Gaza. So he told his younger son to go into Israel as a suicide bomber confident that the spirits of both sons would go immediately to paradise as martyrs.

A group of friends in ten cars proceed slowly toward the edge of town. They stop at a seedy building and go inside. They say their final goodbyes to an old friend. One places a golf ball in the casket. They hear supermarket music from an old organ. A button is pushed and their friend is cremated. Then they all go out for lunch.

People deal with death in many different ways. Our beliefs and practices come to us from our families, traditions and cultures. We watch how our parents deal with death and what they say about it. This shapes our beliefs. Religious teachings may have some influence. What we all want to know is, “What happens after we die?”

Section 2 – Interpretations of life after death in biblical times

In ancient times people had their beliefs about life after death. The pagans mostly believed that at death one becomes a disembodied spirit. Many thought that these spirits hung around the earth looking for new bodies to inhabit. They were ghosts. Others believed that these disembodied spirits go somewhere much better that here. Plato taught that the world we live in is inferior and incomplete. It is a mere shadow of a perfect world that exists someplace else. Plato said that our bodies decay to dust in this world while our spirits ascend to the perfect world above.

The ancient Hebrews did not accept pagan teaching on death. They believe that the world we live in is not inferior or imperfect. Our world was created by God and was created good. The Hebrews thought that men and women, through sin, had corrupted the world, but one day God would restore the world to what it was supposed to be. So when we die our bodies return to the dust of the earth, and our souls, our personalities, thoughts, and feelings are preserved by God. Then one day the bodies of God’s people will be resurrected from the dead and reunited with their souls to live forever in the presence of God in this world as they were created to live.

Section 3 – Historical Support for the First Easter

Although these ancient ways of thinking about life after death are well known, there was not much written about the topic before the 1^st century. Authors realized that they just did not know very much about what happens after we die so there was not much to write about. Then all of that changed and suddenly there was an enormous amount of literature from many sources all about life after death. What happened to cause this great proliferation of literature about an obscure subject? Historians would ask: “what historical event occurred to cause all of these writers to begin writing about life after death?”

And that brings us to a very strange story we find in Gospel of Matthew. Let me read it to you.

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

This story is strange for several reasons. First, there is no pronouncement by Matthew that this is to fulfill some prophecy. Usually Matthew tells us with great fanfare that something Jesus did was to fulfill the words of the prophet who said … But in this story there is no prophecy quoted. The prophets knew that one day all of God’s people would be resurrected from the dead, but they never envisioned the resurrection of one person before everyone else. This story is also strange because the witnesses are all women. Women were considered unreliable and could not testify in court in that culture. So why would Matthew write a story where the only witnesses were women? It appears that this story was not written by Matthew at all. Rather it seems to be an eyewitness account from someone who saw what actually happened.

In this story we have an empty tomb. There could be many reasons for an empty tomb. Maybe the women were confused and went to the wrong one. Or maybe Jesus’ body had been stolen by grave robbers. If an empty tomb is all we have then we can’t say much about life after death. But in addition to the empty tomb we also have an appearance by Jesus. Of course Jesus could have been a ghost, a disembodied spirit. But the appearance of Jesus combined with the empty tomb indicates that it was an embodied Jesus who came out of that tomb and appeared to the women.

The only rational explanation for all of this is that Jesus truly and historically was resurrected from the dead. Jesus did not disappear like a drop of water into a stream. Jesus was not reincarnated into another person. Jesus was not a disembodied spirit or a ghost. Jesus did not stick around to help his descendants. Jesus’ spirit did not go to heaven leaving his dead body behind. Rather Jesus’ body was raised from death to life proving, by his example, that the Hebrew idea of a future resurrection of all of God’s people was true.

Section 4: Life after Death

When we die our bodies will decay, but God will preserve our souls, our identity, intellect, personality, memories and feelings. And one day in the future we can expect that God will resurrect us, just as he resurrected Jesus, with renewed bodies for our preserved souls.

Most of us believe that our spirits go to heaven when we die. In reality the opposite is true. Heaven comes to us. The promise of scripture is that the resurrection of God’s people is part of God’s recreation of the world. When Jesus in his flesh and blood resurrected body ascended to heaven he began the work with God of creating a new world for us. Our existing world will not be destroyed. Rather it will be transformed and renewed. Not only all of us, but all of creation, will be resurrected by God into a new creation. And it is in this new creation where we will live in our resurrected bodies with Christ for eternity. This is why the resurrection of Jesus Christ was so important. It gave us a glimpse of a glorious future reality. We now know what the future hold for us. And this gives us great hope.

So to the Buddhist monk sitting beside the stream, you will never become a drop dissolving into the water. But if you accept Jesus Christ you will be resurrected in the new creation and will enjoy this beautiful stream forever.

To the mother in Pennsylvania, do not be afraid for the day will come when you will be reunited with your resurrected son in a glorious new creation through your faith in Jesus Christ.

To the disabled Hindu man, you will not be reincarnated over and over again always hoping to enjoy a better life. But if you believe in Jesus Christ you will be resurrected in a new, glorified, and healthy body to life forever in a glorious new earth.

To the woman in Korea, your father has no ability to protect your family. Instead you should direct your morning prayers to Jesus Christ. Jesus will protect your family. And one day you can expect to be resurrected with all those in your family who accept Jesus Christ as Lord.

To the father in Gaza, your son’s spirit does not fly off to paradise. Rather his body will simply be blown apart by the bomb. But if you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord then you can pray for peace in your land with the confidence that you will be one day reunited with you dead son in a glorious and peaceful future resurrection.

And to the group of friends who just cremated their old friend, if you accept Jesus Christ in your lives the Holy Spirit will be there to comfort you in your loss with the assurance that God will gather up your friend’s dust and breathe new life into his resurrected body, so that your group will be reunited in the resurrection.

Conclusion

Today we celebrate the day when an historical event proved that our bodies will one day be resurrected from the dead and we will live in the presence of God forever. The historical event which happened that day was a foretaste of our future resurrection. And what happen that day? What happened was the central tenant of our faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the Lord is Risen!

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[1] Adapted from, N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope – Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church (New York: Harper One 2008)