Sermon Romans 12:4-6 “Spiritual Gifts

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Romans 12:4-6 “Spiritual Gifts
February 17, 2019

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I am continuing today with my sermon series drawn from Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.   We started last Fall, by looking at what we believe.   Since the beginning of the year, we have been looking at what we do as a result of what we believe.   So, what are some of the things we do? 

We worship, pray and study the Bible.   We have a single-minded focus on Jesus, submit to God’s will, and be part of a biblical community.  As we do these things we become more like Jesus.   Today we turn to another important biblical practice, discerning and using the Spiritual Gifts we receive from God.  We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

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

There are two kinds of gifts that we receive from God, physical gifts and spiritual gifts.   Physical gifts are things we see, touch, weigh, and measure.  God has given us hands and feet.  God has given us a world with ample food and water.   God has given us air to breathe.   All of these are physical gifts.

But what are spiritual gifts?   Suppose that this week your true love gave you a dozen roses for Valentine’s day.  These roses are physical gifts.  But the physical gift is not nearly as important as the spiritual gift of the love that motivated someone to give you a dozen roses.   Love is a spiritual gift from God.   It cannot be measured and weighed.   But it exists and we know it.

There are many spiritual gifts from God.   What we have to do is discern which gifts we have received and then use those gifts in service to God.

When I was a kid I took piano lessons.   I loved playing the piano.   I would play classical music and show tunes.  The themes from Exodus and Hello Dolly were my favorite.   But as I grew older I lost interest in music and stopped playing the piano.

Then as a young adult, I start playing again.   I relearned some of the classical music I played as a kid and I started playing hymns.  I loved it.   And I thought that God would use my music ability in the church.   I heard some wonderful musicians at my church I wanted to do what they did.   So I signed up for piano lessons.   The wife of the Director of the Choral Arts Society of Washington was a piano teacher.   She taught from a concert Bosendorfer piano in a special room she added to her house.   I went there weekly, and I practiced every day.  I got better, but never good enough.   I realized that even if I practiced for hours every day I could never get to the point where I felt comfortable performing in church.

I had the desire to play the piano, but I did not have the spiritual gift for music.  Jenny on the other hand does.  I am certain that Jen practices a lot.   But she also has a spiritual gift from God that allows her to play the piano as an act of worship and through her playing, all of us can worship through singing. 

 Jenny has both recognized her spiritual gift of music and uses this gift in service to God by playing the piano for this church.

Ken has another spiritual gift.  His gift is teaching.   He has the God-given ability to teach people how to sing and play bells.   And now he is working with the youth teaching them to play instruments for a praise band.  Ken has discerned his gift for teaching music and is using this gift in service to God right here at New Covenant Church.

And this brings us to today scripture.

Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.

I discerned that I did not have the gift of music, and could not use music in service to God.  So I started to look for other gifts I might have and how I could serve.   I took a Bethel class at National Presbyterian Church.    I watch my teacher, Jennifer Walter, very carefully.   I admired the ease with which she presented the lesson.  She clearly had a gift for teaching the Bible.   And I thought that I might have this spiritual gift too.

In order to discern if God had provided me with the gift of being able to teach the Bible, I got involved in a Bethel teacher class with my pastor.   I studied as much as I could about techniques for teaching scripture.   And I could test out some of these techniques as a Bethel teacher at the church.   Though all of this I was able to discern that I did have the spiritual gift of being able to teach the Bible.   And I have used this gift in God’s service as a Bible teacher and as a pastor. 

There are many people in the Bible who had received spiritual gifts from God.  When the Israelites were wandering in the desert they needed a tent where Moses could talk with God.   They needed people with spiritual gifts who could design and build an appropriate tabernacle for the presence of God.    Here are the people who applied for these jobs.

Exodus35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

So God provided the Israelites with people with the spiritual gifts they needed.  Bezalel and Oholiab were both given the spiritual gifts of wisdom, understanding, and knowledge to design and build a beautiful tabernacle for God.   These same gifts were given to New Covenant Church as evidenced by the beautiful banner adorning our northern wall. 

Jesus knew that the church would need spiritual gifts.  And he promised to send his Spirit to the church to equip us with the gifts we need.

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

And Jesus kept his promise.  He sent his Spirit and equipped his church.

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

Acts2:17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women,  I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.  19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below,  blood and fire and billows of smoke.  20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[c]

So the promise of the prophet Joel and realized on Pentecost was that the church would receive the gifts of prophecy, visions, and dreams.

Some of you may have these gifts.   You may have other gifts.  What’s important is that you discern which gifts God has given you, that you nurture those gifts and use them in service to God.  The Apostle Peter put it this way.

1 Peter 4:10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

God had given each of us spiritual gifts.  We are to discern which gifts we have received.   We are to nurture these gifts in love and use them in service to others.   This biblical practice, discerning and using spiritual gifts, will make us more and more like Jesus.   Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, help us to know the spiritual gifts you have given us.    Guide us as we develop these gifts and use them to bless others.   This we pray in your son’s name.   Amen.   

Sermon Acts 2:44-47 “Biblical Community”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Acts 2:44-47 “Biblical Community”
February 10, 2019

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We have been looking at spiritual practices which bring us closer to God and make us more like Jesus.   Worship, prayer, Bible Study, a single-minded focus on Jesus, and submission to God’s will are all crucial to your spiritual development.   Today we turn to another important spiritual practice, Biblical Community.    We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

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

The New Testament was written in Greek.   And it uses a particular Greek word over and over again.   This word is “koinonia”. 

There is no word in English that means the same thing as “koinonia”.   So translators have some difficulty.    Most translate “koinonia” as “community” or “fellowship”.   But translations cannot tell you what “koinonia” means without some additional explanation.

“Koinonia” has three aspects.   First, it is a group of people who come together to form a community or fellowship.  Second, these people share their resources.  And third, they have a mutual interest.   So, “Koinonia” is a group of people who come together to share their resources to accomplish mutual interests. 
The most common “koinonia” is marriage.   A husband and wife join together in marriage.  They share everything they have.   And they mutual interests such as raising a family. 

Our God is “koinonia”.   When we began the Believe series we asked: “Who is the God we worship?”  We worship one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a “koinonia”.  They come together as one God.   They share all their knowledge and power.  And their mutual interest is to love their creation.
Humans were created in the image of this God.   So we were created with the need to be in “koinonia”.    When God created the first man, Adam, he said, Genesis 2:8 ... “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” 

It is not good for us to be alone either.  We were created to be in “koinonia”,  a community which shares its resources and has mutual interests.   We can satisfy our need in for “koinonia” many ways.   We can get married.   We can join clubs, associations, fraternal organizations.   Any of these can be “koinonia” if people gather together, share their resources and have mutual interests.

The New Testament is very clear that the church is to be a “koinonia”.  We gather together for worship, prayer, Bible study, service to ourselves and others, and care for our buildings and grounds.   We share our resources through gifts, tithes, and offerings.   And we have the mutual interest of bringing the people of Middletown to Christ. 

So, what are some of the ways that we have been a “koinonia” this week?  Last Friday we comforted Norma who lost her husband and offered food and transportation.  We took Craig for his colonoscopy.   On Tuesday morning we talked about biblical community and prayed for the church.   We practiced singing and playing bells for worship.   We talked about lights and signs for our new entrance.  We put up some wind flag to mark the entrance.  We cleaned the sanctuary.  We make bulletins and slides for worship.   We come together, share our time and money, and have the mutual interest of advancing the kingdom of God here in Middletown. 

And this brings us to today’s scripture.

Acts 2:44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This is the “koinonia” of the early church.   They gathered together to remember what Jesus said and did.   They broke bread and drank wine together as Jesus commanded them in his memory.   They shared their resources with each other taking care of each other’s needs.   They also took care of the people in the community.   They were sincere in their faith and happy.   They praised God for their blessings.  And it should not be surprising that almost everyone wanted to join them.  I would.   Wouldn’t you?

So why are people not banging down our doors to be part of our “koinonia” here a New Covenant Church?   Are we caring for anyone with a need?   Are we sharing our resources sufficiently so that we can respond to needs?  Do we have glad and sincere hearts?   We must be missing something. 

Let’s take a closer look at what was happening in the “koinonia” of the early church.

Acts 9:36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

Tabitha had the reputation of caring for people.   This was the reputation of the early Christians.   Everyone thought of Christians as people who were always doing good for others.   They fed the hungry.   They clothed the naked.   They cared for the sick, the widows and the orphans.   And everyone in the community knew that if you had a problem find a Christian to help you.

Evidently, everyone in the community depended on Tabitha.   So when she got sick everyone was concerned.  And when she died everyone grieved.

37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Tabitha had cared for others.   And now in her death, everyone wanted to care for her.  The washed her, placed her in a bedroom, and called for an apostle to come.

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

So we see Tabitha’s ministry.   She cared for the widows.  She made clothes for them.  These were destitute women with no husbands and no sons to care for them.   They could not own land or businesses.   So their only hope was to find a Christian who cared.   The widows found Tabitha who used the resources of the “koinonia” to care for them.   And so they grieved Tabitha’s death because they lost this good friend.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.

Not only were the early Christian able to care for others with their own resources they were also empowered by the Holy Spirit to care for people in extraordinary ways.   The Apostle Peter was empowered by the Holy Spirit to raise Tabitha from the dead. 

What if we cared for people in Middletown the way Tabitha cared for people in Joppa?  What if we were empowered by the Holy Spirit to do extraordinary things?   What would happen here in Middletown?   Well, here is what happened in Joppa.

42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

What if New Covenant Church had the reputation that we really cared for the people of Middletown?    What if we made sure that whatever people needed, a meal, a warm place to stay, clothes for the kids,  an ear to listen to problems?  What would happen to our church if this was our reputation?  People would want to be part of our “koinonia”.   They would join with us.   They would share their resources.   And they would join us in our mutual interests of praising God and serving God’s kingdom by caring for people.

So I urge you to continue being a “koinonia” for Middletown.  Care for people.  Meet their needs.   Feed the hungry.   Find warm places for people to stay.   Provide clothes for children to wear in school.  And invite people to join with us in this “koinonia” where we share our resources and have a mutual interest in following and becoming more and more like Jesus.

Let’s pray.   Father in heaven we thank you for Rev. Burkley and his work in starting the “koinonia” in Middletown.   We thank you for our desire to care for one another and the people of our community.   Help us to see the needs of people in this community and give us the resources to meet those needs.   We thank you for our partnerships with Our Daily Bread, Neighborhood House, the Presbyterian Church U.S.A and Compassion International.  And bless us Lord with people who want to be part of our “koinonia” which we call New Covenant Church.  In Jesus’ name, we pray.   Amen.

Sermon Romans 12:1 “Total Surrender”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Romans 12:1 “Total Surrender”
February 3, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices.   These are things that we do to become more like Jesus.  So we worship, pray, study the Bible, and single-mindedly follow Jesus.  As we do these things the Holy Spirit works within us to transform us into what God created us to be.

Today we turn to another spiritual practice, Total Surrender.   The idea here is that we dedicate our lives not to our own purposes but to God’s purposes.  We will get to this, but first let’s pray.

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

When we pray the Lord’s prayer we say these words, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”   This means that we want God’s will, not our will, but God’s will to prevail on earth.   And so we surrender our free will and pledge to do whatever God wants us to do.

Jesus put it this way, Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

The first Christian martyr, Stephen, said this as he was losing his life for Jesus,

Acts 7:54 “When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” ...

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Stephen, and all the Christian martyrs who followed him gave up their lives to follow Jesus.    They surrendered everything so that God’s will be done.

Whenever we make major decisions in our lives we must surrender our will and follow God’s will.   We have to discern God’s will through worship, prayer, and Bible study.   Once we know the character of God and what God has done in the past then we will know what God wants done now.   And we are to choose to follow God’s will over our own.

Let’s take a look at one of the most important decisions a person will ever make, and try to discern God’s will in this matter.    The important decision we will look at is whether or not someone should abort a unborn child.

Abortion is legal in every state. In 1973 the Supreme Court found an implied right of privacy in the Constitution and ruled that a woman could choose to abort a child growing within her.   This decision was and remains very controversial.   One side focuses on the mother, and the choice she can make.   The other side focuses on the child and the life that is lost.     We are divided between pro-choice and pro-life positions.

The standard that was set in 1973 was that a child could be aborted only if it was not viable.   Viability means that the child could live independently outside of the mother.    If a child could live outside of the mother then the abortion is prohibited.   This was the law in all 50 states.

But this week the law changed in New York.  New York was the first state to remove the viability standard.  Now an abortion can occur in New York right up to the time of birth for any reason.  Rhode Island and Virginia are considering similar laws.   And the Governor of Virginia suggested this week that a child could be aborted shortly after birth if a woman and her doctor so choose.
We know that it is the will of many people to abort children before they are born.   Thankfully it is the will of most people that a child be allowed birth.

 State law gives us this right to choose according to our own will.   But as Christians, we are to surrender our will and accept God’s will when we are making important decisions.   So what is God’s will for a child not yet born?

Let’s turn to the Law of Moses and see what God has to say.  Exodus 21 “22 If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”

Abortion is a clear violation of the sixth commandment, “You shall not murder.”  And the punishment for it is proportional to harm caused to the unborn child.
A child growing in a mother’s womb is a creation of God.   We read this in Job 31:13 “Did not he who made me in the womb make them?  Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?”

A child is created in the image of God.  We read this in Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

God cares for children before they are born.  We read this is Psalm 139, “13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.  15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God designed each child.   We read this is Exodus 4  “11 The Lord said to him (Moses) , “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
We have a wonderful story at the beginning of Luke’s gospel about a meeting between two pregnant women.   Here is what happened:

Luke 1:39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

The child in Elizabeth’s womb recognized that he was in the presence of Jesus and was able to receive the Holy Spirit.   And so children are able to worship even before birth.

And this brings us to today’s scripture, Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
When a woman is pregnant she is offering her body as a living sacrifice to bring new life into the world.   She is to bring her child into the world through birth and nurture it in the faith because this is holy and pleasing to God.

Let me tell you a story about a woman who led a life holy and pleasing to God.

 Agnes lost her father at 9 years old.   But her relationship with Jesus sustained her and at age 12, over her mother’s objections, she entered religious life as a nun.  Agnes felt God’s call to go to India to serve the poorest of the poor.   By the time Agnes died at 87 she had started over 600 homeless shelters, orphanages, AIDS hospices, leprosy clinics and homes for single mothers in over 130 countries.   In 1999, Gallup called her one of the most highly admired people of the 20th century.  You know Agnes by her religious name, Mother Teresa.

The spiritual practice of Total Surrender means that we surrender our free will and follow God’s will in every important decision we make.   We discern God’s will in our lives through worship, Bible study, prayer, and single-minded focus on Jesus.  Once we discern God’s will for a particular decision we surrender our own wills and follow God’s will.  We make a spiritual sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for designing us and caring for us in the womb.   We thank you for birth and for those who nurtured us in the faith.   Help us to always seek to know your will for every important decision in our lives.   And help us to surrender our will and follow your will in everything we do.   This we pray in Jesus’s name.   Amen.

Sermon Matthew 6:33 “Single-Mindedness”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Matthew 6:33 “Single-Mindedness”
January 27, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices.  These are things we do which help us to grow spiritually.   We become more and more like Jesus.   So far we have looked at three very important spiritual practices, worship, prayer, and Bible study.  These are all things you can do by yourselves, in small groups or here at church.   And you must do all of these.   You worship God by attributing supreme worth to him.  You pray, talking to God like you would a friend.   And as you study the Bible the Holy Spirit works in you.  So worship, prayer, and Bible study must be the starting point of your spiritual transformation.  Today we turn to a spiritual practice that will take you to the next level.     This is “Single-Mindedness.  We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

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

In the ancient world, their worst nightmare was to be on the water, alone and in the dark.   They had no radio, no radar, no GPS, no clock and sextant, nothing that would allow them to navigate on the sea.   They had to keep within sight of the shore.  If they were blown by the wind out past the horizon they were doomed.   And if it was dark they had no way of getting home.   This fear of water can clearly be seen in the second verse of the Bible.  Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep”. 

 Being alone on the sea in the dark was frightening.  And their worst fears were realized when it rained for 40 days and 40 nights and the Lord said, 

Genesis 6:7 ...“I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 

The people had stopped following God.   They had gone their own way abandoning their own creator, except for Noah, a righteous man who walked with God.   Noah followed God.  He obediently built a boat.   And his family was saved from the flood. 

This is an important principle.   If we single-mindedly focus on Jesus then he will save us from what we fear.    We have to focus on Jesus when we make decisions.   We have to focus on Jesus when we set priorities.  We have to focus on Jesus in everything we do.  And Jesus will save us from our fears.
Jonah had a problem with this.   He knew the God was sending him as a missionary to Nineveh, the capital city of the hated enemy, the Assyrians.   Jonah did not want this calling.   So he decided to ignore God and go the other way. 

 And Jonah experienced an even greater fear, the sea. 

Jonah 1:3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.  4 Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

So Jonah took his eyes off God.    He did not focus on God in making decisions and setting priorities.  He did not consider God in everything that he did and so he suffered the consequences.

The world was created by God.   If we focus single-mindedly on God in making our decisions and setting priorities, and in everything we do, then God will bless us.   But if we turn our backs on God and go our own way then we will, like Jonah, suffer the consequences. 

So if Jonah had focused on God, what would have happened?   Would God have saved him from the violent storm?   Or would he still be tossed into the sea?   Consider this story of some men who focused on God in the midst of a storm.

Matthew 4:37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

Jonah took his eyes off God and was tossed off a boat into the sea during a violent storm.   But the disciples focused on Jesus during a storm and the winds were still.  If we focus single-mindedly on Jesus in everything we do, in all our priorities and decisions the storms of our lives will be calmed and we will live in peace.

Of course, we all have many worries in our lives.   We worry about aging and health.   We worry about jobs and finances.  We worry about families and the church.   We worry about lots of things.   But if we focus single-mindedly on Jesus our worries go away.  Jesus put it this way:

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can anyone of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

So Jesus does not want us to worry.   He wants us to be confident and enjoy the life he has given us.  And so he points out the obvious fact that human beings are the only things in all creation that worry.    And Jesus gives us some practical advice to keep from worrying.  Here is what he said:

Matthew 6:33  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

The vaccine for worry is to single-mindedly focus on Jesus.   We make Jesus Lord of our lives.   In worship, prayer, and Bible study we find out what Jesus wants us to do.  And we do it.   And the benefit of following Jesus and doing what he wants you to do is that you will be freed from worry. 
We see a wonderful example of this in the Book of Acts

Acts 27:27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic[a] Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet[b] deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet[c] deep. 29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. 30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away.

Paul was a prisoner on a ship on his way to Rome.   The winds were against them.  The crew worried that they would sink.   But Paul was able through worship, prayer, and Bible study to know the will of God.   And he sensed that God wanted them to stay on the boat.   The crew obeyed Jesus and followed him as lord.  Then Paul led them in worship.

Acts 27:33 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven’t eaten anything. 34 Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” 35 After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat.

So they engaged in worship through the bread of communion.   They gave thanks to God and ate the nourishing food representing the body of Christ.   Through this, Paul knew that their worries would go away.   The next morning, with God’s help they avoided the rocks and the boat landed on a gentle sandbar.   All passengers were able to get to land safely.  God had saved them.

So if we keep our focus always on Jesus.   If we single-mindedly focus on Jesus in every decision we make, in every priority we set, in everything we do, then we have nothing to worry about.  The storms of life will pass over us.  We will find ourselves on a sandy shore.   

Jonah had lost his focus on God and was tossed into the sea.   So God sent a fish to swallow Jonah.  And in the belly of the fish, Jonah had three days to think about his relationship with God.   Jonah decided that he would obediently follow God in making decisions, in setting priorities, and in everything he did.   And he prayed to his creator.

Jonah 2:3 You hurled me into the depths,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.
4 I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’
5 The engulfing waters threatened me,[b]
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

7 “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

8 “Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God’s love for them.
9 But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

So if you are worried about anything just be single-minded, focus on Jesus in every decision you make, in every priority you set, and in everything you do.   God will save you from all your worries.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, help us to focus our minds on you continually.   Help us to single-mindedly focus on you in every decision we make, in all the priorities we set, and in everything we do.   As we follow you through the storms of life banish all our worries.   This we pray in your glorious name.   Amen. 

Sermon Hebrews 4:12 “Bible Study”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Hebrews 4:12 “Bible Study”
January 20, 2019

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We are continuing today with our look at spiritual practices in our series from Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.   We have looked at worship, where we attribute supreme worth to God.  Then we looked at prayer where we talk with God like a friend.   Today we turn to Bible Study where we gather in groups to read and discuss God’s word.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray. 

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

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The study of the word of God began with Moses.   Moses commanded the people to study scripture.

Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the Levitical priests, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Festival of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn to fear the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

So it was the responsibility of the priests and elders to make sure that everyone, men, women, children, and foreigners all hear the word of God on a regular basis.  They were to hear all of it, the first five books of the Old Testament, every seven years.  Moses was clear that God would be present with his people whenever the word of God was read and heard.  And the reason that the word of God must be read and heard was so the people would continue to revere and obey God generation after generation. 

This is the responsibility of the church today.    The session of the church is responsible for seeing that the word of God is read, heard and understood not only by those in the church but by everyone in Middletown.   Everything we do as a church is to support the reading, hearing, and understanding of the word of God in this community.   Everyone here must learn to revere and obey God.   And when we hear the word of God proclaimed, God is here with us. 

Moses’ successor was Joshua.   Joshua expanded on the commands of Moses to study the Bible.   Here is what Joshua told the people.

Joshua 1:7 “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Moses said that the entire word of God must be read and heard every seven years.   But Joshua wants the people to meditate on it every day.   The reason for this is so that we will remember to obey God.   God will with us as we read the Bible every day.   And if God is with us continually we will be strong, courageous, prosperous and successful.  So we too should read and meditate on scripture every day and receive all the blessings of God continually upon us.

A King of Judah took the responsibility of the proclaiming the word of God to his nation very seriously.   King Jehoshaphat trained teachers and made copies of scripture.   He then sent these teachers and scrolls to the farthest corners of his kingdom.

1 Chronicles 17:7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials … to teach in the towns of Judah. 8 With them were certain Levites … and the priests ... 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the Lord; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

But for many years God’s people stopped reading scripture.   They stopped obeying God and were conquered and exiled by the Kingdom of Babylon.   But God had mercy on them and brought his people back to their homes.   And they celebrated by reading the word of God.

Nehemiah 8:1  all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law...

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The psalmist declares, Psalm 119:97  “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.  98  Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.

Jesus firmly believed in the power of Bible study.   He described it this way, Matthew 13:23 “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

There is no doubt at all that Bible study will benefit you.   God is present when we gather around his word and God blesses us abundantly.
What are some of the benefits of regular Bible study?   The first is that your faith will be strengthened.  Romans 10:17 … “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”.

Faith comes from hearing the word of God.    So by attending Bible studies, you not only learn about God you also come to greater faith in God.    You grow spiritually.  And for this growth to occur the message that is heard must we about our savior Jesus Christ.  So we attend Bible studies to increase our faith in Christ.   What else do we receive?   We receive the Holy Spirit.

John 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

  So as we study the Bible the Holy Spirit is with us helping us to understand what we are reading and bringing us to faith in Jesus Christ.  Are there any other benefits of Bible study?   Yes, In Bible Study you experience deep transformation.

1 Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

By studying the Word of God the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ and we experience a transformation to a new life where we love one another.  But there are even greater benefits of Bible Study.   We are given hope.

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Through Bible study, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ, transforms us to new life, and gives us hope of eternal life.  What more could we expect?   Well, there is more.

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”...   34 … “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

So through Bible study, the Holy Spirit brings us to faith in Jesus Christ, transforms us to new life, gives us hope of eternal life, and frees us from slavery to sin so we may lead lives pleasing to God.

Since the time of Moses people have experienced for themselves the benefits of Bible study.   It is the church’s responsibility to provide Bible studies for the community to attend.    By attending Bible studies should faith will grow, you will experience transformation, you will develop hope in eternal life, and your slavery to sin will end freeing you to lead lives pleasing to God.

This church has many trained Bethel teachers.   This is a great blessing from God.   I urge those teachers to use the gifts they have received and offer Bible studies to this church, in your home, or someplace in the community where you can provide these benefits of Bible study to the community of Middletown Delaware.   Let’s pray.

Holy Spirit we thank you for your presence whenever the Bible is read and heard.   We thank you for the gift of understanding as we study the Bible.   We thank you for the gift of obedience as we try to obey God’s word.   Thank you for using the Bible to grow our faith, transform our lives, give us hope of eternal life, and free us from slavery to sin.   We pledge to meet you regularly in Bible study.   Amen.

Sermon Psalm 66:18-20 “Prayer”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Psalm 66:18-20 “Prayer”
January 13, 2019

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I am continuing today with our look at spiritual practices which is what we do to make us more like Jesus.   Last week we looked at the spiritual practice of worship.   In worship, we attribute supreme worth to God.   We do this with the reading, proclamation, and hearing of the word of God,  and the sacraments of baptism and communion.  We respond with offerings, prayer, and singing.   We do this every Sunday in our Service for the Lord’s Day.   And we can worship by ourselves or with our families during the week.   Do this and you will come closer and closer to God.

Today we will turn to another spiritual practice, prayer.   We will get to this, but first, let’s pray.

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

What is prayer?   If anyone knew how to pray it was Moses.   He prayed all the time. Let’s turn to Exodus 33 and see what prayer was like for Moses

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.

So Moses would go into a tent and speak with God the same way you and I would talk to a friend.   It is that simple.   You just talk with God and tell him whatever you want.  You don’t have to prepare anything.   You don’t have to go anywhere special.   You just talk with God.

Jesus also prayed all the time.   He would often get up very in the morning to pray.  Sometimes he would climb a mountain to pray by himself.  He prayed from the beginning to the end of his ministry.  And he taught his disciples how to pray.

Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

  God created us to be his conversation partners.   He put Adam and Eve in a nice garden where God could come down and talk with them.  But when sin came into the world our ability to talk with God was disrupted.   Adam and Eve were too ashamed to talk with God so they hid.

Genesis 3: 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

And what do you think God’s response was when he could no longer communicate with his people.   Well, here is what he said.  9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

So we are to talk with God as we would talk with a friend, but sin disrupts the communication and so God is left asking of us, “Where are you?”.

The first thing we must do before we can have conversations with God is to confess any ongoing sin and repent, stop sinning.   Sin always disrupts communication with God.   But God still wants to have a conversation with you.  And he is wondering where you are.   So put the sin behind you, confess and ask for forgiveness and your communication with God will be restored.
I believe that there are three stages of prayer which I have experienced in my own life.   And I would like to go over these different stages.

The first stage of prayer I call intersession.  Whatever is on our hearts we offer it to God.   If our mother has arthritis we pray that God will ease her pain.   If we are having trouble at work we ask God to make it better.  If we have financial difficulties we ask God for help.  If we have a test coming up in school we pray for assistance.    Whatever is on our hearts we pray to God.  This is intercession.  This is what we do in worship.   You say what is on your hearts into a microphone and we offer it up to God. 

Intersession is the first stage of prayer, but there is another stage of prayer I call discernment.  With a discernment prayer, we ask God questions.   We want to know God’s will for our lives.   We ask God, “Should I marry this woman?”.   Should I take that job?   How should I respond to sin affecting my children?    We offer these questions to God and patiently wait for an answer.    This waiting is called meditation.  The answer from God could be verbal, but more likely it will be a feeling that what you are doing is right.  The answer could come quickly or may take days or years before God responds.   So you have to be patient and quietly meditate until God answers.

So far we have looked at two stages of prayer, intercession, and discernment.    Now let’s turn to the third stage, submission.    Once you have told God what is on your hearts and have sensed an answer to your questions you are now to submit to God’s will.   Too often we pray for a certain answer from God.   And when God gives us an answer we didn’t expect we usually resist it.    But with prayer, a conversation with God, we begin to accept God’s answer and submit to his will.

I have experienced all this.   For years I operated a business in Washington.   I would often pray that the business would grow.   Sometimes it did well.  Sometimes I needed to fix it.   But, with God’s help, I was able to keep it going.   I was also active in the church.   I served as a deacon for three years and for nine years I was in the Bethel Bible Series program as a student, teacher, and coordinator.  I offered up prayers of intercession for my business and ministries.

After teaching Bethel for four years the church decided to end the program and do something different.   For the first time in years, I didn’t have my own ministry at the church.  I didn’t know what to do.   So I began to pray prayers of discernment to ask God what I was to do next.   I had trouble hearing directly from God, so I went to see a pastor of the church.   We prayed for discernment and began talking about requirements for becoming a pastor.   I left her office with an application to become an Inquirer in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).  And I prayed, asking God if this is what he wanted me to do.   I had a sense that the answer was yes.

So God wanted me to be a pastor.   I would have to spend three years of my life unemployed and in school.  I hadn’t been a graduate student in 30 years.   And my family thought I had lost my mind wanting to be a pastor.   But through much prayer, I submitted to God’s will, began the process of becoming a pastor, and moved to California to study at Fuller Seminary. 

As I went through these stages I found that I experienced great joy because I was doing what my creator wanted me to do.   This is available to you as well.   Just confess and repent any sin in your life, then offer up to God whatever is on your heart, discern God answers to your most difficult questions through meditation, and then submit to God will for your lives. 

You pastor search committee is doing this right now.  They started, a year ago, by praying for the wisdom to write a mission study and begin their search.  Then as resumes started to come in they had to discern which candidates God wanted to be considered.   The committee prayed, read sermons, listen to tapes, and viewed videos.  Now they are meeting candidates face to face and listening to them preach at neighboring churches.  They are doing this today.  All this is to discern which candidate is being called by God to serve New Covenant.

And some point your committee will submit to God’s will and announce that you have a new pastor.    This may be a difficult step because these are all really good candidates.   Members of the committee will like different candidates.   And they will try to push their own wishes forward.   But there is only one candidate whom God has chosen.   And once this choice is discerned then the committee must submit to God and bring God’s candidate to you.

Of course, I am going through another round of discernment for my own call.  As my ministry for this church comes to an end, I am trying to discern where God is calling me now.   I certainly have some preference for where I would like to go.   But ultimately I will submit to God’s will because God knows best about where I should serve.

So what have we learned today?   Prayer is a simple conversation with God.   Sin blocks this conversation so we must confess and repent for our prayers to be heard otherwise God asks, “Where are you?”   You offer up the concerns of your heart as intercessions to God.  You ask your deepest questions to God and meditate as you wait to discern the answers.   And once you discern God’s will you submit to it and do what God wants you to do.   This is prayer.  Prayer is a spiritual discipline that brings you closer and closer to God.  Let’s pray.

Lord Jesus, you are our model of a person who prays.   We know you prayed often, sometimes early in the morning, sometimes high on a hill.   You prayed for and received guidance at each stage of your ministry.  Hear our prayers now and help us to discern and submit to God’s will for our lives.   This we pray in your glorious name.   Amen. 

Sermon Psalm 95:1-2 “Worship”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
New Covenant Presbyterian Church
Sermon Psalm 95:1-2 “Worship”
January 6, 2019

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Today is Epiphany.   This is the day, 13 days after Christmas, when the church traditionally remembers the Magi who followed a star and visited Jesus.   Symbolizing the light of that star, our liturgical colors today are white.  By following the church calendar we shape our worship around the events of Jesus’ life. 

Today we are going to talk about worship, as a spiritual practice 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)

We are continuing our journey through Believe, Living the Story of the Bible to Become Like Jesus.  Before the Advent season, we looked at what it is we must believe.   We talked about who God is and that God loves us.   We talked about what the Bible is and who we are.   We talked about the Church and the requirements of compassion and stewardship.   And we talked about our own salvation and the promise of eternal life.    These are all things we believe.

Today we turn to what we do to become like Jesus.  We will be looking at spiritual practices which, when built upon the foundation of what we believe, allow us to spiritually grow and become more like Jesus.   Our goal is to achieve what we talked about in Advent, hope, peace, joy, and love.  The first spiritual practice we will look at is worship.

This is a dollar bill.   It is a piece of paper with some green ink on it.   It has no intrinsic value.   A piece of paper with some ink on it is worthless.   But we attribute worth to it.   We give it value.   And so I can take this piece of paper with green ink to McDonald's and exchange it for a bag of small fries.   I am happy to receive the fries.   McDonald’s is happy to receive this piece of paper.  So we attribute worth to a piece of paper and it becomes something valuable for us.

Worship is when we attribute worth to the most valuable thing in our lives.  We worship     

God by attributing supreme worth to him.  We give God all glory and all honor.  We worship.  The psalmist put it this way.

Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

We are gathered to worship our God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit who is alive and is here with us.   We glorify this God through Word and Sacrament.  Then we are sent out into the world to glorify this God in our service to others.

We are worshiping here today because the grace of God has blessed us in many ways.   God has promised to love us generation after generation.   God has blessed us with Jesus Christ who forgives our sins and promises us eternal life.  And so we have come to express our gratitude to God for these amazing blessings.

We express our gratitude for our blessings with the reading and hearing of God’s holy word and with the sacraments of baptism and communion.    We express our thanks for God equipping the church to carry on his mission for the world. 

The earliest Christians took three ordinary elements of human life, water, bread, and wine, and attributed to them great worth.    They said that water symbolized our baptism into a new life in Jesus Christ.  They said that the bread and wine symbolized the sacrifice of Christ that brings us salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life. 

In America today there are many ways that people worship God.    One of the most popular is the rock band church.  The rock band church has a praise band, and a sound system turned up to 95-100 decibels.   As the praise band sings of their love for Jesus many young people have intense spiritual experiences that bring them closer to God.

When I lived in Washington I worked at the National Cathedral School.   I loved the evensong services in the cathedral when, as the sun set, the choirs of St. Albans and National Cathedral schools would sing music from the Renaissance. 

 A service of evening prayer would be read from the Book of Common Prayer.   I was overcome by the beauty of these services and they brought me closer to God.

Just before I started at my first church, Grace and I went to Korea.  I had the privilege of preaching at her church.   Grace was my translator.   Eight hundred people gathered on a Wednesday night.   There were no musicians, so the pastor began worship by pounding rhythmically on the pulpit as people sang old hymns a capella.   The pastor pounded faster and faster until all 800 people were shouting in tongues.   When this finished I was invited forward to preach in the church where Grace began her spiritual journey of becoming closer to God.
So people worship in many different ways.   And I urge this church to try new things.   You might find that a second service with an alternate worship style may help the church grow. 

 You can worship God at any place and at any time.   All you have to do is acknowledge God’s supreme worth.   You can sing in the shower or pray before meals.  I set aside the 7 am hour every day for devotions with Grace.   We read the Bible together and pray.   Whenever I come to church I like to be here before anyone else.   So I get here early during the week and on Sundays.   I pray the intercessions I wrote down on Sunday.  I pray while looking at your pictures in the directory.  I listen to devotional podcasts.   I ask God to bless this church.  This is all worship.   I praise God for what he has done in my life and for what he is doing for this church. 

Sunday is a special time for worship because Sunday morning is when we worship together remembering the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   We use a Service for the Lord’s Day.   A Service for the Lord’s Day begins with scripture gently calling us to worship God.

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

Then we praise God in song by joining our voices with heavenly choirs as we are lifted up into the presence of God.    Since we are coming into the presence of that which we attribute supreme worth we must first humble ourselves and confess our sin.  “Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.”

Suppose for a moment you are an army general and your king has ordered you into battle.  Suppose also that you lose this battle and your army scatters.   You are alone in the battlefield when the opposing king comes toward you.   What is going to happen to you?   The king will probably kill you so that you will never threaten him again.   But if you discard your weapons and remove your armor, and go face down in the dust as a sign of your complete devotion to the victorious king, what will happen?  Probably you will be killed.  Maybe, if the king is merciful, he will graciously spare your life and restore your honor. 

Our God is merciful.  He graciously forgives our sins.  And so we hear these wonderful words, “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. I declare to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.”  When we hear these wonderful words we respond again with a song.

As forgiven children of God, we then gather around the word of God which is read and proclaimed.  And then we respond with gifts, tithes, and offerings, with prayers for ourselves, our families, our church, our community, and the world, and with singing. And we conclude by holding hands and boldly proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. 

We worship God with a Service for the Lord’s Day every Sunday morning.    We attribute to God supreme worth because of his value in our lives. 

You are to continue worshiping throughout the week until we return to worship together next Sunday.  I urge you to take the bulletin home with you.   In the bulletin, you have the order of worship we used today, the scripture we read, and household prayers for morning and evening.   Use these throughout the week as part of your worship for every day.

In worship, we attribute supreme worth to our God.    We humbly confess our sins and remember the forgiveness we have received from our merciful God.  We acknowledge all the blessings we have received with gratitude.   We gather to hear the word of God read and proclaimed.  We respond with tithes and prayers.  We use water, bread, and wine to remember what God for us.   And we go into the world to glorify God by serving others and by bringing people to Christ.   We are a worshiping people.   Let’s pray.

Lord God thank you for this freedom to worship you.   We give you all honor and praise.   You are our Creator, our Sustainer, and our Redeemer.   You love us, forgive our sins and promise us eternal life.  And so we worship you together every Sunday and continue throughout the week.  We attribute to you supreme worth and you are the most valuable part of our lives.   Amen.