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Life: God’s Version of ‘Take Your Child to Work’ Day: Week 3: The Family Business, a sermon on Hebrews 11:32-12:3
Life: God’s Version of
‘Take Your Child to Work’ Day
Week 3: The Family Business
Hebrews 11:32-12:3
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ strength your trust in them, as it did all of His family throughout history!
Dad, I Can’t…
As we continue our journey of life in Christ, as we conitnue to compare it to God taking us to work like dad’s took their kids to work we come to an interesting passage in Hebrews,
One that desribes those our Father in heaven worked with before, those He raised up before, those He gave His Spirit too, empowering them and guiding them in the work He was doing.
It doesn’t help us that some have named chapter 11 as the Hall of Faith, as if these older and brothers of ours were superheroes, and we were the little brothers and sisters who looked up to them, wanting to be like them, and thinking that would be miraculous.
I mean, look around, not many of us have the physique of Samson, or the holiness of Samuel or the myriad of abilities and talents of King David. Those guys are heroes, holy, talented, able to withstand the most challenging of times—I mean hear what they did..
33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword.
And how they could embrace suffering,
But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. 36 Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
I mean if we had to suffer like that, I would hope we would be like this..
But, too often I’II look at these hero’s and look at what God asks us.. and I tell him, “I can’t do that…” I feel the same way I did when my dad asked me to carry a couple of 12 foot long 2×4’s from the van to the house. I tried to pick up from one side. Not knowing how to pick them up in the middle and blance them om my shoulder.
We need to hear this line out of the middle of the passage, “Their weakness was turned to strength.”
Weights that impede us from running with endurance
If you try to carry a 2×4 or a board from one end, you will never be able to do it – the weight of the wood will bear to heavily on you. You won’t be able to carry/drag the weight very far. It will wipe you out.
The same thing goes for spiritual weights, they wreck our endurance…. Hear agin from Hebrews, “let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Notice that sin isn’t the only weight, but it is “especially” important to toss away. Other you could ad our anxieties, fears, doubts, but really, all those go back to the idea of sin. It’s going to hurt to when I say this at first, but hear it out..
Most of our issues do get back to sin…even if it is simply the sin of not letting God be our God. That’s the one I am guilty of the most, as I try to play God, trying to lift the board by one end and wearying myself out too quickly, too completely.
Scripture is clear – strip off that weight!
Don’t let it trip you up!
Look to Jesus.
Here is the key to carrying our burdens,
“2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
Please hear that correct – he initiates and perfects our fatih.
Not our faithfulness – he initiates and perfects our faith, our trust in His – in the work He did at the Father’s command.
If we look at Jesus – we realize He picked up our burdens.
He carries them to the cross, they were dealt with there, and now, raised to life with Him, He carries us
If we are concentrating on what we can or cannot do, we lose sight of what Jesus has done. We are along for the journey, we travel by looking and trusting in what He did.
Again – Jesus initiates and completes our trust in Him, not our faithfulness.
It’s the entire reason He came, and here is what is amazing –
It was for joy set before him that He did it! For the joy of carrying us home, he carried our sin.
It was for the joy set before Him that endured the betrayals, from Adam and Eve, through Cain, and all those people mentioned in the chapter. They had faith in God, not in their faithfulness.
They found His strength in the midst of their own weakness, and learned to depend on God – who is their strength. Who is our strength, when we are at our weakest point.
And so we get to the bottom line,
“3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.
there is a secret to living in Christ, to working alongside of the Father in seeing people made perfect and mature in Christ—it is found in thinking about what Jesus has done for us, does with us.
And as He is perfecting our faith, as He has for every member of our faith family. He will sustain us, and carry us, and those whom follow…
Amen!
Christmas Take-Away: Dis-Cordia- a sermon on Colossians 3:12-17
Christmas Take-Away
Dis-Cordia
Colossians 3:12-17
† In Jesus’ Name †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Chirst reveal to you the unity that exists between all those God has called to be His family, and whom He loves!
- The Preponderance of Discord
Back in the 1990s, there came into existence something called chat boards, and message boards. ChurchChat and ChurchUSA were places people would “gather” online and discuss their faith, in what was called “realtime.” You type your comment, someone else posts a response, or 20 others do. Similar boards were set up where the messages weren’t live, but one thread included messages responding to another—allowing t he messages to stand forever.
It was soon realized that both types of communication needed referees called moderators. Why? Because some people came in and were determined to cause trouble, and others simply Christianity with a much narrower lens, saying that only their “brand” of Christianity was acceptable to God.
Those desiring to cause division or those who caused it in ignorance had to be dealt with, and I was occasionally put in that role. I hated it, as it often meant I had to kick people out that had become “friends.” But sometimes the discussions proved so emotionally laden and divisive that it was reduced to name-calling, cursing and even condemning each other.
The modern versions of these programs, called social media, can are often this contentious. Twitter, FB, and other forms of social media seem to be prevalent with this, and one of the biggest is actually called “discord!”
Hear a few comments recently from social media,
“he recognizes no god and he prays for no one, he’s a vile decrepit (next words erased) crawling with the diseases of corruption”
“burn in hell (explicit)!”
“For sure it could not have been just for praying. (He’s) trespassing, embarrassing staff, threating people and the usual “b.s.”
And the one that scares me the most,
“I don’t pray for him”
All of these comments coming from “good, committed, every week church going people. No wonder the place where these were posted by Christians is named after the mark used to tell you an answer is wrong on a test…
Ironic, a place to exchange ideas is titled with a word that means “disagreement” and “a lack of harmony.” Discord is the opposite of a word we use around here all the time… Concordia.
And it is the opposite of what Paul writes to the church in Colossae, “4 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
That harmony, that peace is Concordia… and it is who we are!
- Dealing with faults
I think the discord we have to let Jesus remove from us is caused first by a lack of love. If we are not clothed with Christ’s love, we aren’t dwelling in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness or patience.
Without that love, and all its companions, all that is left is pride and envy, which quickly turns to discord, and hatred. What does that result in? Well, what’s your first reaction to these words of Paul?
13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others!
If your reaction is “what about them?” or to ask what Paul means when using the phrase, “anyone who offends you” or even to try and define “faults” asking if that includes this and that sin, then we’ve got a problem!
A problem called sin!
And left undealt with, it will continue to rob us of God’s peace, and destroy and sense of Concordia, of harmony.
The problem is that we can balance having mercy with tolerating evil or sin. We struggle with that division, and rather than gently correct in love. In frustration with the error and we struggle with having the mercy, kindness, humility , gentleness and patience.
Yet those are what we are to be clothed in, that is what is supposed to define out life life, and that is where we find our harmony. Ity is not something that can be forced, anymore than a tree can force itself to bear fruit.
So where does Concord come from? And how do we delete discord?
- Chosen, and called to
- The Message filling your lives
The key is not in our effort, but in the work and glory of Christ, and the transformation that the Holy Spirit works in you while clothing you in Christ Jesus.
Verse 12, “ Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves…”
Verse 14, “. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Those sort of sound like we are responsible for the work, don’t they? After all – most of us dress ourselves – in my case, ethat’s easy to tell! 😊
But these are the work of God who calls us into this relationship and forgives our sin, literally separates or strips us of it. He takes us of our filthy rags, and we are clothed instead in Christ. It’s the same concept as Ezekiel’s words that promise the Spirit replaces out stony heart with a heart of flesh, or Paul’s words that talk about the transformation of our mind – the concept of repentance which the Holy Spirit gifts us with…
This is where harmony, where Concordia is created, by God in His presence as He transforms us. As the message of His love fills your life and your praises, as His peace fills your hearts and mind…
This is what your baptism is about, what communion is about, what prayer and Bible study is about, helping you do more that hear these words, but experience the truth of the love…
Paul instructs us to sing songs and hymns and praise songs to God, the more we take His message in, the more we are bound together, the more we sing with all the harmnony and with all the abandon we have!
For we are His…
Advent Take-aways: Distractions! A Sermon on Malachi 3:1-7b
Advent Take-aways:
Distractions!
Malachi 3:1-7b
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus purge us o all distractions, all impurities that would weaken and cause us to break.
- The Spots get all the attention!
In today’s reading from Malachi, there are two illustrations about cleansing and purifying, one is doing so with metals and furnaces, refining or smelting metals. I don’t know much about that, besides what I read. The other illustration is something I am much more familiar with…
I think there is a law that governs such things, at least in my life.
It is definitely guaranteed, that if I am on the way to an important meeting, I will spill something on me that will stain the shirt I am wearing. It could be mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, the grease from a burger or burrito, or even someone bumping into me with a cup of coffee or tea…
But there will be a stain that can be seen 50-75 feet away!
Guaranteed!
Then, during whatever presentation I am doing, I can feel people staring at the spot on my shirt, they gain a laser focus, and everything I say is lost, for the stain distracts everyone…
That’s the nice thing about preaching in a robe… 😊
But that only covers the sin…err the stain
(at least that means you cant see it!)
- The distractions
That big stain on my shirt becomes an issue when it distracts people from the message, or when knowing it is, and people will think I am a slob, or a klutz, or both. Or they don’t even have to focus on it – I know its there and stain there, and thinking others are focused on it will distract me!
The same thing happens with our sin, the unrighteousness in our lives. There was once a book called the “Scarlet Letter” where the sin of one person was marked on their forehead. Sometimes sin is that clear to the world, if not marked on their forehead, then at least shared on Twitter.
And even if the world doesn’t know yet, we are panic that they might come to know our dirty dark secrets. If that is not enough to cause some anxiety, there is this,
5 “At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
It’s one thing for people to know what my sin is, and it is very hard to live with the hidden sins, the ones whose guilt and shame rob us of peace. But to think about God almighty testifying against us and judging us should be terrifying.
The guilt and shame for those God speaks against must be, more than we can bear. And don’t be confused, this isn’t just about those sins listed—they are just a sampling – it would include those who idolators, and those who do harm in word or deed to others, to those who engage in extra-marital intimate relationships and gossip and trying to be equal to or better than the Joneses.
This is part of the nature of Advent – looking at both our world and our lives and realizing that even we, the people of God, need to delivered from our sin.
Our sins, as in ours individually and those our our community.That is the cry of Advent, the cry of Faith, trusting in God and His nature to compassion and do what He’s already said he would.
- The Gospel
But Malachi is clear about the hope we have,
6 “I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7 Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
God doesn’t change – he will clean the laundry of our lives, erasing the stains with the strongest cleaner ever – the blood of Jesus. He acknowledges he could have destroyed all the sinners, and would be right in doing so,
But He promises reconciliation – with a simple promise – you come back, we’re back. If that means he needs to do ur laundry or cleanses us from great.
Remember – the promise was that He purifies the gold and silver, he removes the stains, He cleanses our souls. This was the prophecy of Malachi, and the message of John we heard this morning.
It is here we find our identity, in Christ, not as broken sinners, but as healed members of His family, as those made righteous because He left His throne to come bring the glorious light on God into our darkness.
All those sins that we dread to think about, He removes, and they become no more than passing distractions that are brushed away, as God embraces us. The stains will be long forgotten, washed away with a trace remaining.
This is what we consider in Advent, as we still deal with some of the earthly consequences of them – but even there God can work, bringing His healing and reconciliation to bear. But even those are minimized as all are reconciled to Jesus, as we look forward to a day when we all see Jesus, as clearly as Mary, Joseph and the shepherds did one glorious night as angels sang.
So let us eagerly look forward to the 2nd advent, rejoicing in what God has done, and is doing even today.
Today, as we dwell in the peace of God, which is beyond reason and understanding, but one we are treasured and kept safe in by Jesus! AMEN!
Come and See What We Treasure! The God Who Comes Near! Deut. 4:1-2,6-9
Come and See What We Treasure!
The God Who Comes Near!
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
† In Jesus Name †
Blessing
May the grace and mercy of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ help your treasure the fact that you dwell in the very presence of God, and will, forever!
Who Do You Hear?
Have you ever been in a situation where you were talking to someone, and you didn’t quite hear what they said?
When you look at them, you realize that they know you lost track of the conversation, and they know you realize that they know?
Do you politely ask them to repeat themselves? Do you just pretend you know what they were talking about? Do you hope that they somehow say something that gives you some clue as to what they are talking about, and the importance of it?
Have you been listening to what I am talking about?
What did I just say?
Hmmmmm! (does Mandarin have a thought like “Hmmmm”)
In the passage this morning, God is talking through Moses to Israel about the relationship He wants to have with them, and the most incredible blessing that would provide a blessing—not just to the people of Israel of that day, and their descendants—but to all who would become part of the family of God.
Decrees and Regulations!
What it seems the descendants of Abraham, Issac and Jacob need to listen to, are the decrees and regulations that they are about to learn about. We aren’t just supposed to hear them, but not add or subtract from them. We just have to obey and treasure them.
The challenge is that most people in the world really don’t like being told what they are supposed to do and what they aren’t supposed to do. You want proof? Just watch the speed of cars out on the street when children are being dropped off here and across the street Monday through Friday! You don’t even need to look to the street—just try standing out in the parking lot with a slow sign! If you aren’t run over cussed at, you will understand that people don’t like obey the decrees and regulations they hear or read in the scriptures!
“Love your neighbor!
“Maybe?”
“Honor your father and mother?”
“Uh… do I have to?”
“Make disciples of all ethnicities?”
“God, what did you just say?”
“love your enemies”
“…..”
Hmmmmm!
Israel, even with reminders of the Tabernacle and Temple, with the pillar of smoke and the pillar of fire, struggled to keep what they saw as the rules God forced on them.
That’s going to be the problem—one that continues even in our day. We see God’s decrees as His rules, rather than what it is… and the regulations we see as the judgment God makes on those who fail to live life in the way God advises—and therefore live as those facing condemnation.
We still feel that way today sometimes – that either God has condemned us, or we take care of that for Him, condemning people, and condemning ourselves.
Because we didn’t listen, and we didn’t hear…
You see, the word decree is from the Hebrew word “engraved” as in “engraved in stone.” Engraved in stone like the Decalogue – the 10 words, or as often translated, “the 10 Commandments.”
Where the first thing engraved is, “Anokiy YHWH ka Elohe aser hose ti’mi” translated “I am the LORD your God who rescued you,”
When we need to hear God speak of our relationship, the first thing we need to hear, is that
“I am the LORD your God who rescued you!”
Wisdom!
That is why Deuteronomy goes one to say…” When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ 7 For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8 And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?
They nations understood what the primary decree was—and the relationship it established between God and His people – the people through whom the salvation of all nations would come, as Jesus saved them.
That’s how they go from the decrees to the fact that God came near to His people when they call on Him. They understand the decree starts with the fact the God declared Himself to be their God—for He was involved in their lives
As He is in ours.
He calls us to hear this, this intimate relationship He establishes with His people whom He loves. That was what was decreed, that was what the regulations, the judgments of God are based on—even in the Old Testament, as God promised to always forgive and restore His people.
That is what the Mosaic Covenant promised, it is what the tabernacle pointed to, it’s what is found over and over in the prayers as the Temple was dedicated, when Solomon voiced, “34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them…” 1 Kings 8:34 (NLT2)
And that is fulfilled at the cross, as Jesus looks down at us, not condescendingly, but full of love, and tells the Father to “forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Remember this (and pass it on!)
That is why the passage ends with these words: “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.”
never forget….
Never forget…
23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (NLT2)
This is how we listen carefully, how we see what those who saw God come near the people of Israel saw – that we have “a God as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on Him.”
Amen!
A Father’s Proudest Moment? Yeah! A sermon on Luke 23:32-43
By My Hands, for My Sake
A Father’s Proudest Moment
Luke 23:32-43
† I.H.S. †
May the grace and peace of God our Father assure you that you too will be in paradise (though not today!)
- St Dismas Church.
It would be centuries after his son died, but a beautiful church would be named after his son. Hand carved sones make up the walls, and the pews and all the word work done by members of the community. Even the stain glass windows were made onsite – by another member of the community…
It is a beautiful place, a sanctuary for those who can climb the hill to enter the church, where the grind of their daily lives would be lost in the peace, and even the joy of such a beautiful church.
I could imagine the dad’s smile, thinking what a blessing it was…
One former member of the community wrote,
I can honestly say that the only breath of fresh air in that wretched environment was that church. An absolutely gorgeous structure which does grant reprieve from the drudgery of every day life.
Sounds like an impressive place! He goes on…
Clinton correctional facility is the embodiment of hell on earth. Nevertheless retired Priest (Father Bill Edwards)and ,Deacon Dibeck are truly blessed man and will always hold a place in my heart. Imagine signing up to take a job in a maximum-security prison as a Priest and a Deacon.. I would otherwise refer them to seek psychiatric help but they are clearly blessed by the Lord and are carrying the good word to those in need. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVuftGUjRBE)
Oh, did I mention the man’s son was the only person in scripture who Jesus said would see him in paradise, thus declaring Dismas a saint?
And the church named after him is a church set placed in a maximum-security prison named after him?
St. Dismas Church…
As we’ve looked at various hands throughout this lent, tonight I want you to consider what went through the mind of the father of the man who died alongside Jesus, who shared the crucifixion…
And the day that was undoubtedly the proudest day, and the most meaningful day possible for a dad.
- Did my sin lead to his?
But let’s go back and put our feet in the shoes of this man on the cross’s father. Can you imagine the pain of hearing that sentence being placed on your child?
We don’t know how long the son had been in trouble in life, but crucifixion was for capital crimes. It was for someone who committed such a horrible act that society, both the Jews and the Romans, wanted to publicly torture him on the cross for hours, even days.
This was a crime they wanted no other person to think of, never mind commit.
I doubt this was a onetime loss of focus, and I don’t think he was stealing a nice BLT from the local sub shop.
I don’t think the father’s distress was all caused by the sentence either. Sure, I doubt he talked to his neighbors about that, I am sure rumors were spread, and the family felt shame and hurt because of their son.
But I can imagine the father’s shame was more personal. I can imagine him questioning how he failed his son. Was he not there enough, did he not pray with him enough, did he not send him to the right synagogue, the right school, did he not train him up in the ways he should go?
Not all thieves and murders had parents who did the same, yet I can easily imagine the man’s father lying in bed at night, wondering how his own sin, how his sin influenced his son. Did the things his son saw him do set such a bad example that his son thought there was nothing wrong with sinning? After all, the son must have thought- if my dad didn’t care if he sinned, if he didn’t feel remorse, why should he?
Did the dad see in his son’s sentence to death his own failure, his own guilt, his own shame?
Was the weight of his own sin crushing him even more as he looks on his condemned, dying son, as he realized its impact on the son he held as a baby…. And wanted the best for?
He knew what his son had in him, he knew his heart – and yet what happened… and did he take on the blame?
- The Proudest Moment—and one that gives hope for me..
As the son hung there with the son of God, the interaction reveals that hearts of both sons,
The one son, who is sorry for his sin, who confesses it, much as Judas did last week. God was working in his heart—and the compassion he showed there, showed that he, like most of us, was not completely corrupt, his sin—while strongly gripping him—did not own him past the point of redemption.
Those words may have helped the dad a little, but the words of Jesus to his son, oh how glorious those were…
“today, you WILL BE with me in paradise.”
Ultimately, I do not think there is anything more incredible to know about anyone we love who has struggled in life, than to know God’s love has broken through—and that they will be in His presence eternally. That they will finally know the peace we want them to know, even as they seem so hardened by sin.
The proudest day—far more important than a wedding day, far more important than a graduation, it would even overshadow the death on the cross…
His son was going to heaven…to walk boldly before the throne of God pure, holy, sinless… godly.
The prodigal saved into the arms of His heavenly Father.
I am making the assumption here that the father was at least a nominal believer, history tells us he was—though not much more than that..
But I can imagine him, as the weight of his sin and guilt was lifted as well, as he saw in his son’s salvation. The guilt and shame for not raising his son well enough disperses but so does all the other sin, for Christ’s death secures the promise of forgiveness for all who believe.
It may take even to Pentecost to sink in, until the father is baptized, but the joy and its healing began then, even as the skies darken, as first Christ dies, and then his son.
This gives us hope, as we pray for our families and for our spiritual families. For those who think they can avoid God, or dismiss Him… and those of us who wonder what we could have done differently.
This is the power of the cross, the ultimate victory, the ultimate moment of glory—as God proved that He loves us, and the people we love whom we worry about, who frustrate us….
Keep praying for them, and remember the story of Dismas and his dad… and the Lord who loved them both… and loves us.
AMEN!
I Got Shotgun! A sermon on Matthew 10:32-45
I got shotgun!
Mark 10:32-45
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you the ability to concentrate on what Jesus said, and in those words, find peace and hope!
ADD or something worse?
I’m not sure how it started, but from my earliest days, back before seatbelts, if we were going somewhere in a car in my family, we all yelled out “shotgun” if either one of our parents were not going.
Whoever said it first got to sit up front, leaving the other two in the car.
We “played” the same game in High School, both on the east coast and out here, as we piled way to many people in our cars. I’ve even heard older church leaders call out shotgun when carpooling together… and I might have done it…once or twice
It is a lot like the passage in the gospel – as two of the apostles think they get the best seats in heaven, or at least they are trying to get them!
Let me re-tell the story in Pastor Parker’s Poignant Paraphrase.
Jesus: Hey guys, we are heading to Jerusalem, so I can be betrayed by one of you, beaten up, tortured, put through 2 sham trials and then crucified…
James and John: Jesus – we are going somewhere? Awesome! Can we get the best seats?
Apostles: You two are mean!
Jesus: (shakes his head!) Okay – let’s go over this again….
Did I mention that the apostles have a problem listening—and a very short attention span?
I mean, Jesus is distraught by his imminent crucifixion, and looking for a little support, trying to prepare them for the biggest trauma in their life… and what does he get in response?
“I got shotgun!”
Sacrifice
Let’s go back to Jesus words – we need to hear what they missed.
Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. 33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man* will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”
A couple of things to notice here.
The first is the phrase. “once more!” This is not the first time Jesus has talked about it, and he will bring it up after the resurrection, They will remember what he says—later!
Far more important is that phrase that ends Jesus words,
“but after three days he will rise again!”
I can’t imagine Jesus didn’t say that without a huge smile, and glint in his eyes! Especially after talking about the betrayal, the trials, the mental and physical torture and death…and oh by the way – three days later…I will be alive…
I cannot imagine anything Jesus saying in the three years the 12 followed him that was any more shocking, any more important!
I am going to be murdered – you will witness it—and then, I will live again!
“Shotgun!”
Sigh….
Sin & Narcissism
As someone who stands up here, I sort of understand people loosing track of what I say, it happens. But I am not sure if this is just an attention span issue, or if there is something deeper at work in this.
Something deeper like a sense of privilege, “We deserve to sit beside you on the throne of God Jesus! By the way, if one is on the right, and one on the left – where does God the Father sit?
You see, that’s the problem with sin, and desiring what we truly don’t understand. We don’t consider the implications and consequences of what we “want!” We don’t the capacity to understand that this sin, which seems so small, can set off a war, damage relationships, hurt our future,
In this case, the other 10 apostles, heard James and John, and the translation says, they were indignant! I thought that meant ticked off, but it actually means grieved and hurting. This stung – whether they simply beat them to it, or that someone would demand Jesus put them first, indicating the others were 2nd or 3rd class.
No matter what, all 12 were sinning, and their relationship with God and each other took the backseat, because they wanted the front seat…
We often do the same thing, placing our wants and desires in our lives in a place where we set God aside, and don’t care what happens to others, as long as we get our way… as long as way…
The blessing
It is a God thing, that Jesus will use this situation to teach a strong lesson about love, and leadership. He uses the sin, and its consequences to call them together to show them an incredible truth.
43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Here is the lesson, that what Jesus came to be about, what the Father wants is not someone who desires the power that people think is being at the top. It’s not about having the ability and authority to command,
When Jesus came into His glory, was on the cross when He died. There was a guy on his right and left – and one went to paradise to be with God for ever. That’s why talked them about being baptized, and about suffering – for that is where God’s glory shown in the greatest and most complete way ever.
As He served, as He gave His life as a ransom for you and I, and so many others.
This is why we proclaim His death until He comes again – because it is glorious – the pain and suffering He endures for our sake… that we share in because we were baptized into His death, so we can rise with Him in the resurrection.
We share in His glory, as we realize the depth and breadth, the height and width of His love for us. And the ability we have to love, because He loves us – our ability to love God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to love each other.
Are you listening? Are you reading to be crucified with Christ, that you might rise with Him? Do you want to go where He is, not today – but for eternity?
And who wants the front seat?
Let’s pray!
The Hands, Guilty and Ashamed: Judas – A Lenten Sermon on Matthew 27:3-10
By My Hands, for My Sake
The Hands, Guilty and Ashamed
Judas
Matthew 27:3-10
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ show you Jesus died for your sake, because God loves you!
- The Third set of Hands
On Ash Wednesday, we looked at the hands of Adam, in whose hands a piece of fruit created a burden we still bear today. Then last week, we looked at Nicodemus, to afraid to raise his hand to ask questions in a crowd, but who Jesus transformed in such a way, he would rather identify with Jesus’s death that celebrate the greatest feasts and victories of his community.
Tonight, we look at another set of hands, hands so hated, so maligned throughout history, that many would say he was most evil man in history.
In his hands just prior to the crucifixion was a bag, and in the bag 30 silver coins.
Think about Judas’s hands and the role they played. If any could say that Jesus would be killed “by my hands,” it would be Judas, and if anyone… no—we will get to that thought later.
The coins in his hands—though not for long–symbols of our greatest sin, symbols of his temptation, symbols of ours…
- Burdened by Temptation and Sin
What we know of Judas, picked up from this comment and that, isn’t pretty. He was one of the 12, handpicked by Jesus, the treasurer/bookkeeper of the group. Very focused on money and the things of the earth, critical of those he thought were wasting money, like the prostitute who cleaned and anointed Jesus feet with her tears, and with perfume that cost a year’s salary…oh did Judas get upset by that, for by that stage in his life, sin gripped his heart, and corrupted his desires.
Just as it did Adam and Eve’s hearts and souls. Just as Nicodemus knew failure. All betrayed their God, all denied Him, all of us have sinned….
Judas was not the worst sinner, he wasn’t the most guilty of sin, and there are people that feel far more shame for what they’ve done—there are people who know the same hopelessness…..
As I look at Judas, I see again the power that sin can have over an individual—that while they choose to sin the demonic powers at work against don’t give them much choice—they can be in bondage to that sin.
And it doesn’t matter which, greed—like Judas, lust, gluttony, even the desire to gossip, that burning in your gut that tells you have to share that juicy bit of news about this person, that sing, that politician or even that church. Sin is oppressive and because we have sinned, we have an equal share with Adam, Nicodemus, and yes Judas, in the death of Christ.
He died by our hands…but tonight we hear again, it was for our sake.
- What He missed – what we can’t let others miss.
In our reading tonight, Judas goes to the priests and elders—the leaders of the Sadducees and Pharisees. He is tortured by the weight of his guilt and sin…
Hear this part again, from a different translation…
3 Judas, the one who betrayed him, realized that Jesus was doomed. Overcome with remorse, he gave back the thirty silver coins to the high priests, 4 saying, “I’ve sinned. I’ve betrayed an innocent man.” They said, “What do we care? That’s your problem!” 5 Judas threw the silver coins into the Temple and left. Then he went out and hung himself. 6 The high priests picked up the silver pieces, but then didn’t know what to do with them. “It wouldn’t be right to give this—a payment for murder!—as an offering in the Temple.” Matthew 27:3-6 (MSG)
These church leaders recognize their bribe was used to arrange for the murder of Jesus! Yet their attitude to a sinner—overwhelmed by guilt and shame was, “we don’t care! That’s your problem!” The entire temple, the entire reason for it was to assure people of the forgiveness of sins, and the response was… “we don’t care.” While Judas sinned, I think I have a solid case that their sin, was worse…
Judas walks away, without the comfort of knowing not only would Jesus die by his hand, but for his sake. For even Judas’s sin could be forgiven, as Peter would find out.
As you and I find out tonight,
As every person should find out.
Jesus was beaten and crucified for our sake.
To not only forgive our sin, but to break its power over us, freeing us from it terror, freeing us from the pain it causes.
That’s why I talk about our sacraments so much, because people need to know….these burdens don’t have to be carried, this oppression- what Paul described as not being able to do what I know I should and doing what I shouldn’t—and therefore being a wretch… can be dealt with…
As we meet Jesus, and trust that it was for our sake he died.
Let’s pray…
Go! And Search for Them! A sermon on Matt. 18:10-20
The Good Shepherd, carrying His own.
† In Jesus Name †
May the grace, mercy and love of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you as you walk through this time of Harvest!
- Context! Context! Context!
I recently began riding a bike again, and I am amazed at how much more you are aware of everything around you than you are in a car. From the potholes to neighborhood dogs to whether you are going uphill or down.
You end up so much more aware of your context!
As we look at scripture, we need to be aware of the context of the passage! Not just who is talking to whom, but what surrounds the passage we are looking at, what bookends the passage.
Today we see these bookends:
10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.
And
4 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish…
And so there is a lot of focus on those God considers His little ones… and the rest of the passage gives us insight into who they are…
- Take Care of the Little Ones
So who are these little ones? We start to see who they are in what the two comments book end.
12 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice over it more than over the ninety-nine that didn’t wander away! 14 In the same way, it is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish.
So this isn’t just about those we normally think of as “little ones.” It follows through their lives, and God is the Shepherd who never gives up. So God’s little ones include those of us who have occasionally wandered away, whom He is working to return.
God cares about each of us, as much as every parent cares for their child. It is something that never changes, this care that God has for us. The only difference is God doesn’t worry like a mom whose son just got a new bike. (Even if he is a 58-year-old pastor!)
But God rejoices when we He is able to forgive and restore us. His joy is so enthusiastic that Isaiah says He will dance when we arrive at the point where all of God’s children are home! And that, even now, when someone comes to depend on God and the promises He has made to save them, all heaven rejoices!
Lost
That’s something that to me shows God’ love. It doesn’t stop because we throw a tantrum, or we tell Him off, or we decided we would rather have it our way, and dwell in what we call sin – the destructive behaviors God has warned us about—because those behaviors destroy our relationships, with God, with others and our internal peace.
What is worse is that when we are caught up in such behavior, we are like that lost sheep, we don’t even see the mess and the danger we’ve gotten ourselves into!
Which is why God sends Jesus, and his followers out to find us, and bring us home.
And He does do that—He searches for us, He sends friends and pastors and other believers to find us, He might even drag us to see a friend or family member prayed for, or a child’s back blessed and to see them sing…
All to bring a lost wanderer home to where they can find peace, where they can know they belong, where their souls can find rest and healing.
Because we are God’s children, this is what He wants for us!
- Those Needing Forgiveness
Which brings us to the last section of our gospel reading this morning.
15 “If another believer* sins against you,* go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid* on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit* on earth will be permitted in heaven.
We have to see that this passage isn’t about just correcting someone who has done us wrong. It’s about bringing that little one, that sheep that is wandering lost, back into the family, to make sure they know they are welcome at home.
Notice it doesn’t put the emphasis and the work on the sinner, but rather on the one who was sinned against, the one still in the family, still part of the church. It is our job to restore people, to take on the sin and work for reconciliation in a process.
Not just one conversation, several, then several involving wise men of the church skilled in reconciliation, then even bringing the entire church into the discussion – that the lost sheep might be restored…
That is the responsibility of forbidding and permitting, what is called the authority of the keys. To use the responsibility God gives us to say sin is forgiven, or not, to rejoice in the announcement of reconciliation—this is even the end of treating someone like a pagan or tax collector – the people that Jesus reached out to, and died to save.
It’s all about bringing the children of God back to Him – no matter how far we have wandered.
SO let’s go bring everyone who is lost and wandering home, even as God has brought us here.
AMEN!
Be an Influencer! A Sermon from Jeremiah 15
Be An Influencer!
Jeremiah 15:15-21
† I.H.S. †
May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ influence others through you, even as it has influenced you!
- Word of Mouth
IT has been true for a long time that “word of mouth” advertising is the best way to build a business, a school or any other ministry. You can have the greatest media campaigns, the most state-of-the-art equipment, the greatest of staff people, and if no one recommends you to their friends, nothing happens!
Some people have made this a fine art and use the internet and social media to help people hear the words of their mouth, and they are called influencers. For one reason or another, people trust them, listen to them, and try what they say. Some of the infleuncers are teenagers, not even old enough to work at McDonald’s. But they make significant money because millions of people trust the words that come out of their mouth and the pictures they post on Instagram.
Jeremiah foresaw this, or actually God did, when he had Jeremiah write, “You must influence them; do not let them influence you!
So how do you become an influencer?
You start by sharing your story…like Jeremiah did…
- The Journey
For Jeremiah, the journey began with these words, “15 Then I said, “LORD, you know what’s happening to me. Please step in and help me. Punish my persecutors! Please give me time; don’t let me die young. It’s for your sake that I am suffering.
So many of our journeys start when we give up, and we turn in despair to God. We may be believers who have been around forever, some of us are newer, and all of us try to do it on our own, But there is a point, where we realieze the presence of God and reach out in desperation.
This call for help can only be heard because God has been waiting for us, gently drawing us closer, until we call out… and He answers.
That answer explains the next section of Jeremiah’s prophesy, “6 When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.”
For someone desperate enough to call out on an unseen God, the promises sin the word of God are a breath of fresh air! That’s why Jeremiah wants to devour them – the blessings and the curses, the sin and the reconciliation. The hard times and the rescues where God comes ot the aid of His broken people.
You see, reading God’s word isn’t because Greek and Hebrew are so interesting, nor is it to become the world’s greatest theologian.
The reason Jeremiah found such joy in reading scripture, the reasoned he devoured them is because it is told Him that God would be there for Him, as God was for so many across the pages of Scripture.
- Righteous Indignation?
The next phase of growth is different in fact, Jeremiah’s words describe someone who is going backwards,,,,
17 I never joined the people in their merry feasts. I sat alone because your hand was on me. I was filled with indignation at their sins. 18 Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”
I think there is a part of Jeremiah here that is like the prodigal son’s older brother. He is so into God’s word, and trying to do what pleases God, that he forgets his responsibility to his family and friends.
That’s the danger we have to watch out for, the more we see how much God loves us, we have to remember that God loves them just as much.
To say it another way – the first 3 commandments tell us how we relate to God, but we fail at that, we sin, if we don’t follow the next 7, and love our neighbor, even our sin plagued neighbor. The more we focus on their sin, the more our own weaknesses haunt us, that is why Jeremiah says the wound is incurable.
And why we feel our sin, and the brokenness of the world – even now. The more we look at the sin of the world, the sin of those who oppose us, the more we feel the guilt and shame of our own.
However, the more we try to reach out with His grace, with His love, the more we realize the power of Christ that has cleansed us.
- How is this possible?
Hear Jeremiah’s record of God’s response, “19 This is how the LORD responds: “If you return to me, I will restore you so you can continue to serve me. If you speak good words rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. You must influence them; do not let them influence you!
Here is God’s idea of an influencer!
It is each one of you! Just as it was each one of Israel, who remembered the promises of God that hade made them. So the natural reaction to His drawing us back to Him, to our returning, it s to serve God as His messengers to the world. Each one of us, from Manny and the elders to Jonah and Violet. Each of us has the ability to be influencers with something far more influential than a car, or a new computer. Our influence leads people to peace, to freedom from guilt and shame, into an eternal relationship with God.
And not just any relationship – a relationship where God adopts us as His children, where Jesus welcomes us as His brothers and sisters.
This won’t be an easy journey, we will face some opposition, even as Jeremiah did.. but hear what God promised,
“They will fight against you like an attacking army, but I will make you as secure as a fortified wall of bronze. They will not conquer you, for I am with you to protect and rescue you. I, the LORD, have spoken! 21 Yes, I will certainly keep you safe from these wicked men. I will rescue you from their cruel hands.”
He will rescue us, for He has invested in us the blood of His Son, And He will always save us, grabbing us when we take our eyes off of Him and begin to sink.
He will be there for us, He is there for us now.
For the Lord is Risen! (He is risen indeed! Alleluia!) therefore… (we are risen indeed! ALLELUIA!)
Before the Harvest! A Sermon on Psalm 67
“Before the Harvest”
Psalm 67
† In Jesus Name †
May the grace of God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be evident in your life in the Harvest field!
- You are that answer to Prayer
For the next 11 weeks we are going to be talking about God working through us, turning us into an answer to prayer—a prayer Jesus taught us to pray. It comes from Matthew 9:38, There, we find written:
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”
Matthew 9:36-38 (NLT2)
And so we pray, and then we find that we are the answer to pray – each one of is not just sent into the harvest fields once in a while, God has called us to live in the midst of the field that He has planted.
As we look at this, there are a number of lessons to learn experientially, before we get to the reading of Revelation 7, and the final eternal celebration of the Harvest:
We will hear that description on Reformation day,
“9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout, (have everyone read this part) “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” Revelation 7:9-10 (NLT2)
I can’t wait to hear you say that in heaven!
Today’s reading from Psalm 67 talks about it… we see the promise of the harvest, 6 Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us. 7 Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him.
So what happens before that…
- Before the harvest
Is prayer – a prayer that God’s blessings be known, not just to us, or to the Israeli people, but to everyone. Hear it again!
2 May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere. 3 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 4 Let the whole world sing for joy, because you govern the nations with justice and guide the people of the whole world.
5 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you.
I still wish Bible translators knew of the existence of exclamation points!
People throughout the whole earth, people everywhere, need to know what God is doing! How He is using all His power to save people everywhere! We need to know, everyone needs to know God is there, to the point where their reaction is simply to praise Him.
Which means to know what it means to be saved.
We need to explore that – because to just say, “hey, you were just saved.”—especially without a exclamation point…. Doesn’t inspire a lot of praise and adoration.
Our salvation – yeah that does. Or it should!
- Justice and Guidance
So to understand salvation – we have to look deeper into the passage, to where it talks about God governing the nations with both justice and guidance.
The first is justice – everyone thinks they want justice in this world, until you really think about what it means. I had two instances where I had to think about what justice truly is this week. One situation has played out in the news, the other was regarding something I witnessed.
The first case, I urged patience in, the details of the court case was only given by one side. And the other side is only beginning to be heard. Rumors abound, which doesn’t help anyone, it just divides people. The second case, I thought I wanted what I thought would be justice… and then, when it didn’t go quickly or easily, I became uneasy, and when the dust settled – my thought was the accused got way too light of a sentence for the suffering he caused.
And then I looked at my sermon notes again…
If anyone of us got the sentence that justice demands for our sins, the sins we commit in our thoughts through our words and what we do, not one of us should be here. Not one of us should be allowed to receive communion, in fact, Bob and I should be struck dead as we approach the altar…
So God’s justice cannot be what we call justice. It must be something more…
It has to be God’s justice, or to use the other word that is translated as–His righteousness. God governs us, which is about judging us and our lives.
And in His righteousness, He sees us as righteous.
His level of righteous…for in Christ’s death and resurrection, Jesus was credited with our sinfulness, as He credited us with His complete righteousness. So, God is completely just, His judgment is unquestionable.
After judging us as righteous, God does something even more phenomenal. He invests in our lives. He guides us and takes responsibility for our lives.
This is why we praise Him! He makes us His own, caring for us, cleansing us, walking with us through life, simply because He loves us.
These are His ways that need to be made know throughout the earth, the effective way He will save everyone who depends on Him..
- The Harvest that is now – and not yet
As we spread that message, as those seeds are planted, they grow until the harvest at the end of time. We heard it from the Psalmist earlier, but let’s hear it again,
5 May the nations praise you, O God. Yes, may all the nations praise you. 6 Then the earth will yield its harvests, and God, our God, will richly bless us
Or as Jesus said it
13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Matthew 24:13-14 (NLT2)
So its simple – we work in the fields we live in, sharing the work of God, knowing His presence, and then, the harvest happens, and we are all brought before the throne of God. Until that day, God governs us and guides us, His people as we dwell in His peace…doing His will, sharing His love with the world. AMEN!!
