Sermon Philippians 2:3-4 “Humility”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon Philippians 2:3-4 “Humility”
April 10, 2022

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Today we are receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing.   This is a special giving opportunity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).   Through the One Great Hour of Sharing we support the Self Development of People program, the Presbyterian Hunger program and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

“Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to witness to the healing love of Christ through caring for communities adversely affected by crises and catastrophic events.”

Specifically, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance “focuses on the long term recovery of disaster impacted communities. Provides training and disaster preparedness for presbyteries and synods.  Works collaboratively with church partners … internationally, and nationally with other faith based responders, World Food Program, Red Cross, FEMA and others.

As of the end of March, around 10.5 million people – more than a quarter of the Ukrainian population – have been forcibly displaced by the ongoing military offensive, including nearly 6.5 million internally displaced and more than 4 million displaced across international borders – including 204,000 third-country nationals. Over 2.3 million people are seeking refuge in Poland alone.”  https://pda.pcusa.org/situation/ukraine/

“As the violence in Ukraine continues, the number of people being displaced internally

and fleeing to neighboring countries increases by the day. And in the midst of the chaos,

there are sibling churches and ecumenical partners who are already providing assistance

with basic items for survival. Our first priority is to provide funding to these partners

on the ground. While the scale of this crisis is new, receiving refugees from Ukraine and

other countries in Central and Eastern Europe is not, which means we have trusted,

established partners with the knowledge and expertise to carry out this important work.

Our response will include both financial and technical assistance as the network of faith

communities providing humanitarian assistance grows in the months ahead.”  https://pda.pcusa.org/pda/resource/ukraine-bulletin/

The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is our way of helping displaced people in Ukraine.   If you would like to participate in this effort please make a generous contribution to the One Great Hour of Sharing.

This will be my final sermon in the series on spiritual practices and Christian virtues.   Last winter we talked about spiritual practices, Worship, Prayer, Bible Study, Single-Mindedness, Total Surrender, Biblical Community, Spiritual Gifts, Offering My Time, Giving My Resources and Sharing My Faith.   This spring we have talked about Christian virtues, Love, Joy, Peace, Self-Control, Hope, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Gentleness.   As a result of our faith and spiritual practices we become virtuous like Jesus.  Today we turn to the final Christian virtue, humility.   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)

Let’s hear some biblical wisdom:

Psalm 18:27 You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.

Psalm 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

Psalm 147:6 The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.  19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 18:12 Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4 Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.

So God saves, guides, and sustains the humble.    And God gives to the humble wisdom, riches, honor and life.  There is no question about it.   It is wise to be humble.   Let’s look at the Christian virtue of humility.

Suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than anyone else in the group.   And you lord it over them.   You always tell others what to do.   You criticize them when they are doing it wrong.   You are always on them to get better.

Is this humility?  No.  This is arrogance.   You think that your superior gifts entitle you to boss everyone around.   They won’t like it.  They think you are arrogant.   And arrogance is the opposite of biblical humility.  You don’t want to be seen as being arrogant.

Now suppose you are part of a group, but you have low self-esteem.   You do not consider yourself to be very strong or smart or educated.   You don’t think that God has blessed you very much.   And you get pushed around by others.  You are a wimp.   Is this biblical humility?  No.  This is humiliation.  You don’t want to be a humiliated wimp.  

Humbleness is the opposite of being arrogant as a result of high self-esteem and is also the opposite of being a wimp from low self-esteem.  So, what is humbleness?   

To be humble you must have high self-esteem.   You must think of yourself as strong, smart and educated.  But unlike the arrogant person, you do not compare yourself with other people.   You do not think of yourself as being better than others.   Rather, you compare yourself with God.  

When you compare yourself with God,  you find that God is much stronger than you.   God is much smarter than you.   God is more educated than you will ever be.   You are pretty good but God is a whole lot better than you.  And when you realize this you will be humbled.   This is the virtue of biblical humility.

Suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than anyone else in the group.   But you also realize that you are nothing when compared to God.  What do you do?   Let’s turn to today’s scripture.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Again, suppose you are part of a group.  You have high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than anyone else in the group.   You also realize that you are nothing when compared to God.  You have the virtue of biblical humility.    So now, you are concerned not with your own wants and desires but with the interests of the other members of the group.  You lift the group up by helping them use their gifts.   You are not arrogant.  You are not a wimp.   You are humble.  

Jesus was certainly humble.   He came as our king but was born in a stable, wrapped with rags, and slept in a feeding trough.  Jesus ate his last supper with us, but instead of sitting in the place of honor he washed our feet.  Jesus came into Jerusalem as a messiah but instead of leading an army he went to a cross, for us.   That is biblical humility.  And the apostle Paul tells us this.

Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  6 Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.  7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Jesus had high self-esteem.   He was strong, smart and educated.   But he wasn’t arrogant.   And he wasn’t a wimp.  Jesus was humble and he sacrificed everything, even his life,  to serve us.  Let’s listen to Jesus’ own teaching on humility.

Mark 10:35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39 “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 

42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

So humility is the Christian virtue that allows us to put the needs of others higher than our own needs.   We serve others instead of demanding that they serve us.

Let me tell you a story about a man who learned humility the hard way.   His name was Saul in Hebrew.   But you probably heard his Greek name, Paul.   Paul was a strong man, very smart and highly educated.   He had extremely high self-esteem.   And it came out as arrogance.   He heard about a Jewish sect in Jerusalem that was worshiping a man who claimed to be God.   And he decided that they had to be stopped.  

Paul was part of a mob that stoned a church deacon, Stephen, to death for his belief in Jesus Christ.    He persecuted Christians pulling them out of churches and throwing them in jail.  And when he had decimated the church in Jerusalem he received permission to carry his persecution of the church to Damascus.   On the way to Damascus, Paul met Jesus and was converted.  And as a Christian Paul, this strong, smart and educated man,  repented of his arrogance and became humble.   Let’s listen to his own words.

2 Corinthians 12:7 … Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

So through a physical difficulty, Paul started comparing himself, not to others, but to God.  And this strong, smart, educated man realized that when he compared himself with God he was truly weak.   This created in him the Christian virtue of humility.   And it changed his behavior toward others.

2 Corinthians 13:9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.

So when we are humble we have high self-esteem and we use our gifts to build others up and not tear them down.   The Prophet Micah said that this was the essence of a faithful life.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

There are many people in this church with high self-esteem.  You are strong, smart and educated.   You have been richly blessed.  You realize that you are stronger, smarter and better educated than others in the church.   If you use your strength, intelligence and education to try to control others you will be seen as being arrogant.   But if you compare what you have to God you are actually very weak.  So use your strength, intelligence and education to serve others by lifting them up then you will be exhibiting the Christian virtue of humbleness.

Let’s pray.  Father in heaven, teach us to be humble.   Help us to be strong, smart and educated.   Give us high self-esteem.   But keep us aware that we are nothing compared to you.  And in our humility help us to lift others up.   Bless us we pray, in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Sermon Philippians 4:5 “Gentleness”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon Philippians 4:5 “Gentleness”
April 3, 2022

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Next week, Palm Sunday, we will be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing.   One Great Hour is a special giving opportunity of the Presbyterian Church USA.   It supports three important ministries of the denomination, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program and Self Development of People.   Today I would like to talk about Presbyterian Hunger Program.   

Our Lord Jesus fed the hungry and told us to do the same.   This is the foundation of Christian hospitality.  This church has helped people with food insecurity for a long time.  When hungry people come to our church we give them a grocery gift card for $25 and refer them to area food pantries.  The Presbyterian Hunger Program supports local churches to feed the hungry, and searches for long-term solutions to end the root causes of hunger around the world. Specifically the Presbyterian Hunger Program seeks to do five things:  Direct Food Relief combined with Root Cause Work, Sustainable Development, Advocacy, Intentional and Sustainable Living, Education.

Nyapan Gai is the widowed mother of six small children in South Sudan.   When her husband died she was, by law, unable to inherit his cattle.  This left her completely destitute.  The Presbyterian Hunger Program has trained a group of 200 widows, including Nyapan Gai, to provide for their families.   They are trained in agricultural techniques and given seed to make their home gardens flourish with abundant food to feed their families.   

You can support these widows and their home gardens with contribution in the Presbyterian Giving Catalog.   And you also can support the Presbyterian Hunger Program with a generous contribution to the One Great Hour of Sharing.

We are continuing today with our look at Christ-like virtues.  These virtues are developed from our faith and spiritual practices.  So far we have talked about faithfulness, patience, kindness, and goodness.   Today we turn to the Christian virtue of gentleness.   

Philippians 4:5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

We will talk about gentleness, 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 I was a kid I learned a very helpful proverb.  “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me.”   The meaning of this proverb was that there was a distinction between words and violence.   And it was important to keep our disputes non-violent by using words.   This is the basis of our court system.  If someone does something violent to me or my property, I can go to court arguing for damages rather than responding with violence.   

But today in many universities children are being taught that there is no difference between violence and speech.   They say that some speech is a form of violence.   And they say that if speech is used violently then a violent response is justified.

An example of this happened last Sunday.   At the Academy Awards the comedian, Chris Rock told a joke.   Everyone laughed except the woman who was the butt of the joke.   Then this woman’s husband, the actor, Will Smith, stormed the stage and hit the comedian. 

Just a few years ago an insulting joke would have been considered funny.  Today it is seen as violence justifying a violent response.    This is dangerous because it means that we do, no longer, use speech to defuse violent situations.   If words are a form of violence then words cannot be used to stop violence.   And if we cannot talk non-violently about our problems then violence will get worse.  

Our only hope is that the Holy Spirit will develop in us the virtue of gentleness.  Only with the gift of gentleness can we respond to violence calmly, with thoughtful and considerate words.     We must remember this wisdom in the Book of Proverbs. 

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

In the New Testament, there are two Greek words which are translated into English as “gentleness”, prautes and epiekes.   These words both mean gentleness, but they have subtle differences in meaning.  Let’s first look at prautes.  Prautes is the virtue that you develop so that you are not overly impressed by your own self-importance. 

2 Corinthians 10:1 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!

The Apostle Paul was the spiritual leader of the early church.   They accepted his letters as part of their Bible, the New Testament.   This position might have given Paul a big head.   But it didn’t.   Because God had given him the gift of gentleness he was able to respond to criticism with humility. 

While I was attending seminary I became the Multicultural Intern for Pasadena Presbyterian Church.  The church had three worshiping congregations.   Each worshiped in a different language, Spanish, Korean and English.   Pasadena is one church with three different language groups.  As the Multicultural Intern, I was to find ways of bringing the three groups together.   I was assigned the task of developing a Bible study for Lent.   We would intentionally form Lenten small groups containing Spanish, Korean, and English speaking participants.   

Usually, when you try to do this the English speakers dominate the discussions.   They already had mastered the language.  They had been born in America.  And they had been members of the church for many years.  They would speak first and dominate the discussion.

The Korean and Spanish speakers were new people with limited skills speaking in English.   So when the English speakers spoke they usually sat there quietly.  

I wanted to avoid this situation.   I wanted people from all three language groups to participate in the discussion equally.   So I used a technique called “Mutual Invitation” developed by the author, Eric Law.   A group facilitator would welcome the group and see that they were all seated comfortably.   Then the facilitator would pray, read scripture and ask a question.   The facilitator would then invite someone to speak.   The rules were simple.  Only one person could speak at a time, and everyone else had to remain silent when someone was speaking.   The person speaking could take a few moments of time to compose his or her thoughts;  this was very important for the Korean and Spanish speakers to get their answers into English.    No one could interrupt the person speaking.  And when that person was finished he or she would invite the next person to speak.  This process was repeated until everyone had spoken.   Then the facilitator would ask the next question.

The results were amazing.   The English speakers who wanted to interrupt had to remain silent until they were invited to speak.   The Spanish and Korean speakers had time to think before speaking, and they could speak without being interrupted.   Everyone had an equal opportunity to speak.  Through Mutual Invitation the dominant group learned to be gentle, and the less powerful groups had opportunities to participate in the discussion.   This is what the Greek word Prautes means.  Prautes means that you are gentle; you do not think of yourself too highly.    

Let’s now turn to the other Greek word translated as “gentleness”.   This is the Greek word, epiekes.   Epiekes means that you exhibit gentleness by not insisting on your rights.

Suppose you are in a crowded parking lot.   You have been driving around looking for a parking space.   Then you see someone get into her car and begin to back out of a space very near the store you are about to visit.   You thank God for this blessing and turn on your turn signal telling everyone that this is your parking spot.   

Then you see a car coming from the other direction.   You see an older man behind the wheel.   You see that the car has handicapped license plates.   There are no handicapped spaces available.   Your parking space is the only one close to the store.   What do you do?   Do you take the parking space right near the store as is your right?  After all, you were there first and your turn signal is on.   Or do you let the elderly driver with the handicapped plates use this spot while you find another?  If you have developed the Christian virtue of gentleness, then you will give up your right to the parking space and give it to the elderly driver who needs it. 

Of course, all this is hard to do.   We have difficulty giving up our privileges and giving others a chance.   This is especially true at church.   When someone comes to a church they want to participate in decision making and use their spiritual gifts.   In a growing church, older members will give up some of their own prestige and power to the newcomers.  This is why leaders of the church should not be an elder, trustee or deacon forever.   It is important to cycle off these boards so the newcomers can cycle on.  

If you are organizing fellowship activities or VBS or mission projects, your job is to get new people involved so that they will replace you.   This will only happen if you have the Christian virtue of gentleness, and are willing to give up some of your rights and privileges so that others can participate in decision making and use their gifts

So what are some practical things we can do to nurture the virtue of gentleness?  The first thing we can do is to be thoughtful.   In every situation, we take time to think about the proper thing to say and do.  We don’t act like a bull in a china shop pushing everything over, trying always to get our own way.  Rather, we try to always encourage others and do little things to help them.

We also need to be considerate.   Whenever we have an important decision to make we think about the impact it will have on others.  We get input from other people and take their opinion seriously.  And we follow our Christian role model, Jesus, to learn how to be gentle.

And finally, we must remain calm.  We have to let the passions of the moment dissipate and then act in confidence.  When someone comes at us filled with anger, we need to resist the temptation to respond violently.  Rather we try to diffuse the situation with gentle words before it can get worse.   

If Will Smith had the gift of gentleness he would have remained in his seat.  He would have thought about what Chris Rock had said.   He would have thought about his wife’s reaction.  And later, after thoughtful reflection he said this:

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” Smith wrote. “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”  (https://variety.com/2022/film/news/will-smith-apologizes-chris-rock-slap-oscars-statement-1235216526/)

So, with the Christian virtue of gentleness, we are to calmly be thoughtful and considerate in everything we do.   We are not to think too highly of ourselves.   And we are to forgo our rights and privileges in order to benefit others.  

The reason we are to be gentle is so everyone will know that Christians have something good to offer.  We are willing to give up our rights and privileges to lift others up.   We do not think too highly of ourselves.   And we always act calmly with thoughtfulness and consideration of others.  We do this because our Lord is here with us, watching us and guiding us.  We act as he did.   And we do what he told us to do.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Let’s pray.   Lord Jesus, we thank you for teaching us how to be gentle.   We promise to give up our rights and privileges to benefit others, and not to think too highly of ourselves.   With your help, we will remain calm, thoughtful and considerate.    This we pray in your gentle name.  Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 10

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 10
Presbyterian Church of Easton
March 27, 2022

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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)

Romans 2:17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

Paul is writing to a diverse church in Rome.   Many of the members of this church were once jewish.   They remained ethnically Jewish and still practiced some jewish customs.  They have held on to many of their traditional practices.   

Paul starts by looking at a problem in the church.     The jewish converts believe that they have a special privilege. They process the Torah, or Law of God.  Because they have the Torah, the jewish converts believe that they should be the teachers in the church.  Paul deals with this claim of special privilege by pointing out the distinction between having the Law of God and obeying it.   

It doesn’t matter how many Bibles you own.   It doesn’t matter how many Bibles you have worn out with constant use.   It doesn’t matter how many Bible studies you have attended.   If you want to be a Bible teacher in the church you must do what the Bible says.    If you teach one thing but behave differently you are open to the charge of being a hypocrite.   This is why teachers in the church must have and follow high moral standards.   They must do what they profess.

There seems to be problems in the Roman church with adultery, theft and sacrilege.   Participating in any of these behaviors disqualifies someone who wants to teach the Bible.   It is not enough to have a Bible or know what the Bible says.   You must obey the Bible if you want to teach it in the church.

Let’s pray.   Heavenly Father, bless our church with qualified pastors and teachers.  Help us to find a new pastor and Sunday school teacher who not only know the word of God, but also have a strong desire to obey it.   And help us to learn what is in the Bible and do what it says.   We pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

Sermon Psalm 66:18-20 “Prayer”

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon Psalm 66:18-20 “Prayer”
March 27, 2022

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This Palm Sunday we will be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing.   One Great Hour is a special giving opportunity of the Presbyterian Church USA.   It supports three important ministries of the denomination, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program and Self Development of People.   Today I would like to talk about Self Development of People.   

Self Development of People is a program that deals with the root causes of poverty around the world.   It provides grants to groups of impoverished people to help them better their lives.  These grants go directly to groups of economically poor people who directly benefit from it.   They are designed to provide long-term correction of conditions that keep people bound by poverty.

Last year the Self development of People program made a grant to Afghan Cattle Cooperative in  Bristow, Virginia.   As Afghan refugees arrived in Virginia it quickly became apparent that they needed jobs and Halal food.    Greenwich Presbyterian Church in Nokesville, Virginia thought that Self Development of People could help with these needs.  Afghan Cattle Correrative was formed by a group of refugees.   With the help of Self Development of People they received a grant to buy a farm in Bristow, Virginia.  This farm now employs refugees and produces Halal food.  All of this is supported by your contribution to Self Development of People through the One Great Hour of Sharing.   Please be generous.

Today we will look at a most important spiritual practice, prayer.   Our scripture for today is from the Psalms.   

Psalm 66:18-20

18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,

    the Lord would not have listened.

19 But truly God has listened;

    he has given heed to the words of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God,

    because he has not rejected my prayer

    or removed his steadfast love from me.

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 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. 8 And 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. 10 Whenever 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 early 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 from him.

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.  

Genesis 3:9 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. 

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 my 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, intercession, discernment and submission, 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's answers to your most difficult questions through meditation, and then submit to God's will for your lives.  

Your pastor search committee is doing this right now.  They started, last fall, by praying for the wisdom to develop a ministry information form and begin their search.  Pray for them as they do this work.  Pray that God will speak to them as they discern who God has chosen for this church.   And pray that the church will submit to God’s will by calling and embracing the new pastor.     

Of course, I am going through another round of discernment for my own call.  When my ministry for this church comes to an end I will be retiring as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament.    Grace and I are trying to discern where God is calling us next.   We certainly have some preferences for where we would like to go.   But ultimately we will submit to God’s will because God knows best about where and how we should serve in this next phase of our lives.

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 us 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.  

Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 9

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 9
Presbyterian Church of Easton
March 20, 2022

Watch Season 2 Episode 9

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)

Romans 2:12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

According to Paul some people sin apart from the law, and others sin under the law.   What could Paul mean by this?  The church at Rome was a multicultural church with both Jews and Gentiles worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ.   Jews are under the law that was given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Gentiles were everyone else who lived without God’s law.  

Jew are sinners because they have the law but do not follow it.   The law has been handed down, generation after generation since the time of Moses.   Parents, elders, teachers and priests all had the responsibility to teach the law to the children.   So the children grew up knowing the law, but because they were stained by Sin they violated the law.  And therefore are subject to God’s judgment and wrath.  

Gentiles, non-Jews, are also sinners.   Even though they didn’t learn God’s law as children they still knew it because God had given them consciences and the knowledge of right and wrong.   They too are stained by Sin and violate the law God has revealed to them.   Therefore Gentiles are also subject to God’s judgment and wrath.

What about us?   If you were raised in a faithful family who taught you the law of God, then you are subject to God’s judgment and wrath because of the Sin.  Or if you were raised in a family that never brought up the subject of faith, then you too are subject to God’s judgment and wrath.  

In other words all of us are stained by Sin and are subject to God's judgment and wrath.  Our only hope is God’s merciful forgiveness.   And God’s merciful forgiveness is available to all who believe in his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father we confess our Sin and humbly lay ourselves down at your feet.  Forgive us, we pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.   Amen.

Sermon Proverbs 3:3-4 “Faithfulness”

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Presbyterian Church of Easton
Sermon Proverbs 3:3-4 “Faithfulness”
March 20, 2022

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Today we will continue our look at Christian virtues.  We develop virtues as we grow in our faith.   Once we know what we believe and engage in spiritual practices we become more like Jesus.   Through this we develop patience, goodness and kindness.  Now, we will look at the virtue of faithfulness.   And as I have thought about faithfulness this week, I am convinced that you do not develop this virtue through an understanding of our faith and spiritual practices like the others.   Faithfulness comes to you in an entirely different way.   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)

Proverbs 3:3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.  4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

Let’s take a closer look at faithfulness.   You are faithful when people can rely on what you say and what you do.   Consider the Choptank river.   This river is faithful.   You can rely on it.   Water flows down to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean continuously.   Sometimes it is higher.   Sometimes it is lower.   Sometimes the current is fast.   Sometimes the current is slow.   Sometimes it floods over its banks.  But it is alway reliable.   It always has water and that water is always flowing.   You can count on it.   The Choptank River is faithful, reliable.

Think of your favorite auto mechanic.   You take your car in and he tells you that you need a muffler, it will cost $495.   You decide to rely on the advice of the mechanic and leave your car.  Later that day you pick it up.   You have a new muffler and it cost you $495.   The mechanic was faithful.   So give him a good online recommendation.

The God we worship is faithful.  When God revealed himself to Moses he identified himself this way:   

Exodus 34:6 “And (God) passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.’”

This faithful God calls us to be faithful.   Joshua said this when God’s people entered the promised land:  

Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness.” 

My favorite story in the Bible is in Genesis 24.   In this story Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah, was still single even though he was over 40 years old.   As I went through my 40s I often read this passage and prayed for a wife.  It is a story of God’s faithfulness.

Abraham sent his trusted servant to his home country to find a wife for Isaac from among his extended family.  The servant did as he was told and found a young woman to marry Isaac.   Her name was Rebekah.  And Abraham’s servant rejoiced when he found her:  

Genesis 24:27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” 

And later, after receiving some gifts, Rebekah agreed to return with the servant and marry Isaac.   And again the servant again rejoiced in this conversation with Rebekah’s parents:  

Genesis 24:49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”  50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the Lord; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.”

God was faithful in providing a wife for Isaac.   Abraham was faithful and cared for his son.   The servant was faithful, obeying Abraham and finding a wife for Isaac from the extended family.   And Rebekah became a faithful wife for Isaac.  

Faithfulness is a Christian virtue.   People can rely on what we say and what we do.    To be faithful means that we remain steady in whatever we are doing.   When the Israelites were in battle with the Amalekites,   Moses stood on a hill with his staff over his head.   As long as he held up the staff the Israelites prevail.   But when he got tired and dropped the staff the Amalekites took the advantage.   Moses had to be steady, faithful.   Here is what happened:

  Exodus 17:12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 

 So, Moses, with some help, remained steady and faithful.  To be faithful also means that people believe what we say.   After God spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, he and his brother went to speak with the elders of Israel:  

Exodus 4:29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, 31 and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.    

So, when we are proven to be faithful our words are believed and seen as reliable.  Our faithfulness pleases both God and the people who rely on us.  

Ruth was a Moabite widow of a Hebrew man.  She immigrated to Bethlehem.   There she met Boaz, a relative of her late husband.   Boaz was faithful to the law requiring him to marry his relative’s widow.  He married Ruth and their grandson was none other than the future King David.

Normally I pause here in my sermons and ask the question, “How do we acquire the virtue of faithfulness?   And I usually talk about being grounded in what you believe and doing spiritual practices.   This works for the virtues of patience, goodness and kindness.  But for faithfulness this does not work.  We develop faithfulness in a different way.  Let me give you an example.

On Palm Sunday,   we will remember Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the awful events of the week that followed which included his arrest, trial, death by crucifixion, and burial in a tomb.   There were 12 disciples who accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem that day.   They had been with Jesus for years, learning directly from him as their rabbi, and engaging in spiritual practices at Jesus’ direction.   These disciples should have been Jesus’ most faithful followers.   But were they?

One disciple was named Judas.   He was in the leadership and served as treasurer.   Judas was sitting at the head of the table next to Jesus.  He must have been faithful to Jesus.   Certainly Jesus could rely on him.   Well, no.   Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.  So Judas was not particularly faithful.

What about Peter?   Peter was also in the leadership.   Peter also sat at the head of the table with Jesus.  He vowed to follow Jesus wherever he went.  He must have been faithful.   Well, no.   On the night Jesus was arrested Peter denied, three times, that he ever followed Jesus. 

What about the other ten?    They had followed Jesus for years.   They had a strong foundation in the faith.   They had engaged in spiritual practices.   Surely they must have remained faithful to Jesus.   Well, no.  When Jesus was arrested they ran away and went back to the upper room to hide behind locked doors. 

So the disciples of Jesus did not develop the Christian virtue of faithfulness through spiritual practices built on faith.  But later they did become faithful.   They became the people who without regard for their own safety were witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus and started the church.   So what happened?   What made the disciples so faithful?  When Jesus was with the disciples he made a promise:  

Matthew 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.   

So, Jesus told them that he would go to Jerusalem, suffer and die.   And he promised them that on the third day he would be resurrected from the dead.   Was Jesus faithful to his promises?   Could the disciples rely on what Jesus said and did?  Well, yes.   As we will find out on Easter, everything that Jesus said would happen did happen.   Jesus was faithful.   Jesus did exactly what he said he would do.   The disciples could rely on what Jesus said and did.

Only after the disciples experienced the faithfulness of Jesus, on the first Easter Sunday,  could they become faithful themselves.  So faithfulness is a virtue we develop after we experience God’s faithfulness in our lives.  And this is why we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ every Sunday.   His rising from the dead was proof of his faithfulness.   He has faithfully promised us resurrection of our own bodies.   We can trust Jesus.   We can rely on Jesus.  Jesus is faithful, and we can be faithful too.  

Faithfulness is the Christian virtue where people can rely on us and on what we say and what we do.   We have seen numerous examples in scripture of people with faithfulness.   We acquire faithfulness, not by spiritual practices built on faith, but  by experiencing Jesus’ faithfulness to us.  We have experienced Jesus’ faithfulness to us by his rising from the dead.   And therefore we can be faithful.  People can rely on what we say and what we do.  Let’s pray.

Father in heaven, we thank you for your faithfulness.   We can rely on you and believe what you tell us.   You are steady and reliable.   We believe what you say.   And we pledge to always be faithful.   Amen.

Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 8

 Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Grace and Peace Episode Season 2 Episode 8
Presbyterian Church of Easton
March 13, 2022

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Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:7)

Romans 2:5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.

In this reading the Apostle Paul turns our attention to those who hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and reject it.    For all who hear the gospel and accept it the promise is forgiveness of sin and eternal life.   But what happens to those who hear the gospel and reject it?

Paul describes people who reject the gospel as those having stubborn and unrepentant hearts.   Those with hard hearts resist God’s purposes in the world.   They refuse to obey God’s will.   They reject God’s grace.   And therefore they must deal with God’s wrath.  God’s wrath will be poured out justly.  Those who try to be good will see less wrath.   Those who are evil will experience the full wrath of God.   But for those with faith, who accept God’s grace, and do what is good, they will be blessed by God with glory, honor and peace.

What Paul is describing here is the day of God's wrath.   God’s judgment has already occured.  Believers, those with faith, will have already received the judgment of innocence.   But now God will publicly pass out blessings and curses.   For believers who refuse to repent, ignore God’s will, and do evil, you will be receiving trouble and distress.  But for believers who have accepted God’s grace and demonstrated this by doing good, blessings will abound.           

The sole criteria for who will receive God’s blessings is your relationship with God.   It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman.   It doesn’t matter if you are white or black.   It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor.   It doesn't matter if you were born a jew or a gentile.   It only matters if you have faith and accept the grace that God is offering you and demonstrate your faith by doing good.  Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, we believe in your Son, Jesus Christ.   We accept him as Lord and pledge to follow him in doing good.    Through this we hope to build up treasures in heaven so that on the day of wrath we will be blessed by you in abundance.    We pray in our savior’s name.   Amen.