Title: True love
Text: 1st Corinthians 13:1-13
I. Introduction
Valentine’s Day
As we know, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. For a lot of people, Valentine’s Day is a really fun day to spend with friends and that special someone in your life. For other’s, it’s a difficult day, reminding them that they are unlovable and unwanted.
When I was a teenager, I was a really shy person around girls. At every Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t wait for it to pass. I can remember in Middle School they would allow students to send cards to other students for Valentine’s Day. As all of my less-shy friends would always get a card, I rarely got one. Because I was so shy around girls. I can remember asking my mom, “Why do guys have to ask the girl out? Why can’t the girl do it?” If there was anything that I feared, it was girls. Eventually in high school I met a girl who I just had to ask out. So, swallowing my pride, I asked her to go to the homecoming dance. You can ask her yourself how terrible I was at that kind of thing. But, thankfully, she said yes and the following year I had my first Valentine.
As you shop for someone a Valentine’s Day card, chances are very high that you will come across a card with this verse on it. Love is patient. Love is kind. 1st Corinthians 13 has sold its share of Valentine’s Day cards. We have also heard it at weddings. This has come to be known as the famous love chapter.
However, as beautiful as this passage may be, it’s really not intended to be used for weddings. This text from Paul follows Paul’s discussion about the Corinthians being the body of Christ.
Love in the body of Christ
The last couple of weeks we have been talking about spiritual gifts within Christian community. We saw in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that we all have a spiritual gift. However, no matter how talented we are, it is worthless if we don’t have something……..love. Paul writes, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol”. We can have all of the talent and gifts in the world. We may be gifted to preach to thousands or able to evangelize and lead many to Christ. We may have the ability to work with troubled youth. We may be talented musicians who are constantly booked by people wanting to hear them. Those things are great, but if we aren’t doing them out of love, they become a “noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
II. Love in the community
God wants love to be present in our Christian community.
Jesus was once asked by someone, “What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus had plenty of options. He was a great student of the law so he could have answered with anything. He could have said, “Honor God!” or he could have said, “Keep the Sabbath!” or “Have no other gods before me!” However, in response to the question he said, “Love the Lord God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of our strength. Then, love your neighbor as yourself.” Then Jesus went on to say that if you love God and others, all of the other commandments will fall into place. If you love me, you will keep the Sabbath. If you love me, you won’t have others before me. If you love me, you will honor me. All of the commandments are tied up with loving God and others.
Sin
I have often been asked by people, “Is this a sin?” I’ve been asked, “Is smoking a sin? Is gambling a sin?” They ask this as if there is book in heaven where God has everything that’s a sin on one page.
I think we can determine what a sin is based on Jesus’ commandment “Love God and love neighbor.” Whenever you have a question about whether something is a sin or not, ask yourself this question, “Is this action harming my relationship with God or others?” Is gossip a sin? Well ask yourself, “Will this hurt others?” Is punching somebody a sin? Ask yourself, will this hurt others? If so, then it’s probably sinful. Sin is something that distances us from God and others. Whenever we have love at the center of our community, we will find reconciliation.
God wants love to be present in our Christian community. He also wants us to love the world.
III. Absent love in the world
Blemishes
Throughout history, Christianity have created some blemishes. We have a dark history of war and violence for the sake of our faith. For this fact alone, the church should always be humble and repentant.
The good
However, before I go too far, you should also be reminded that, through love, we have done a lot of good. Usually the church never finds its way into the news media until we do something wrong. I have a friend who isn’t a Christian and it seems that she literally waits like a vulture for the church to do something wrong. Please don’t feel the need to be apologetic all of the time. We make mistakes because we are human. It doesn’t make it right and we certainly should repent for our sins, but also remember the good that the church has done. We have started many hospitals. Hospice has Christian origins. The church has done very well in our response the Haiti. Most of our greatest universities were started by the church. We have our share of blemishes, but we have also done a lot of good in this world. Whenever love is present, the church is at its best.
Absent love
However, whenever love is absent, religion, even Christianity, can become dangerous. Whenever we forget that Christ called us to share the gospel through love, we can really turn people away from the gospel.
We must read the bible through the eyes of grace
Even the bible can be dangerous. God never gave us the bible to beat the life out of people. We must learn to read the bible through the lens of grace.
blue lens
Jade and I went to the Duke/GTech game this week. I’m usually not someone who yells at the referees (they have a tough job), but I did my share of yelling at that game. It seemed like they were constantly calling fouls on Duke. It seemed like every other play they were calling a foul on Duke. So we gave the refs a hard time. However, once I got home, I realized that they called as many fouls on Georgia Tech as they did Duke. Did I notice that during the game? No. I just noticed that calls that went against Duke. Whenever I watch a basketball game, I usually watch through Duke blue lens. The same is probably true for you Carolina fans and State fans. If there’s a call against your team, it was wrong. If the call was for your team, it was right. We wear shades that change our view.
We should also do this with scripture. Whenever we read scripture, we should put on our grace glasses. We should never read a passage without seeing it through the eyes of grace. We have a dark history because some have read scripture without reading it through grace. Even today, we can make judgments on people. At the core of the gospel is grace. May our lives and theology be filled with it.
Eucharist
As we turn our hearts to the Eucharist, be reminded that we are doing this in Thanksgiving to God and each other. Also, be reminded that this is a chance for us to be united in love. As we come as sinners, we get the chance to be reconciled to God and one another through repentance.
Sermon: 1.24.10
Title: Belonging
Text: 1st Corinthians 12:12-31a
I. Introduction
Campout chaos
Last September, I got to do something that I had wanted to do for a long time. I went and camped out for Duke basketball tickets. For graduate students, we have to campout for a weekend, usually in September, to be eligible to be put in the lottery for tickets. While camping out, you aren’t allowed to leave. They make sure that you don’t leave by blasting a siren on several occasions. When you hear the siren, you have to stop whatever you are doing and go get in line to check in. When you hear the siren, you look around and see about 2 thousand people running in the same direction. It’s pure chaos.
On Saturday of that weekend, I decided that I was going to try to sneak off to take a shower. We were camping out behind the football stadium and the Activities center was about a 20-minute walk from where we were camping. They hadn’t turned on the siren in a while so I decided to make a run for it. So I walked all the way there and as soon as I got to the activities center, Jade called me. When I answered, all that I heard was the siren in the background. So, I dropped everything and took off running. They give you 10 minutes to get in line, so I had to hurry. I ran in my flip flops all the way there. Thankfully, I made it in time. After I checked in, I went back to the showers. Of course, as soon as I got there, my phone run again. Yep. The siren had sounded again. So, still exhausted from the last run, I took off. Running and panting, I made it again. I checked in. Then, for some crazy reason, I decided to go back to the showers. Thankfully, they didn’t sound again and I was able to shower.
Hurting foot
Unfortunately, I realized that weekend that flip flops aren’t made to run it. Not long after my marathon, my foot started to hurt. I began to limp. My foot was hurting so bad that I even contemplated going to the hospital. I limped on that foot for about a week, but finally it got better on its own. It was the arch of my foot that was hurting. That week my mind was consumed with a part of my body that I didn’t think of often. Isn’t it funny that you never really value something until you can’t use it? You don’t think much about your thumb, but when it’s hurt, try to pick up something without it. It may be a very small part of your body, but once you are without it, you realize how valuable it is.
Every member is valuable
Paul is encouraging the Corinthians in this letter that every member of the church is valuable. He even goes so far to say that they are the body of Christ. (pause) In the same way, we are the body of Christ. We are all valuable members. We are all needed. We all belong. Paul tried to convince the Corinthians that regardless of who they were, they are included..
One thing that we learn from Paul is that we belong to the body of Christ.
II. We belong to the body of Christ
Baptism
Through baptism and the Holy Spirit, we are given a new identity. Whenever we come to the baptismal waters, we are individuals. After baptism, we are a part of the family of God. We belong. Regardless of our talents. Regardless of our nationality. We are a part of the family of God. Through accepting us, God fulfills one of our greatest desires; the desire to belong. We are no longer outsiders. We are like the prodigal child accepted back. We belong and just this fact leads us to worship.
Gangs
Have you even wondered why gangs are so popular? It’s because people want to be accepted and will seek it out where ever they can find it. Above everything, we desire to be apart of something. To add to this, we desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. Through baptism, we join the family of God.
Diversity
Being a part of the body of Christ means being apart of a very diverse group of people. v. 13 says “For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
When we are baptized into the body of Christ, we are becoming one with different races, nationalities, and people of different classes. Whenever we join, we are putting aside our other status to become one with the body of Christ. We are no longer simply individuals, but we are one.
However, that doesn’t mean that we neglect our diversity. As Paul says, we need the foot and the hand. We need the arms and the legs. We are able to be one because of our diversity.
Because of our politically correct society, we tend to feel the pressure to avoid talking about race. I’ve heard the comments that “Whenever I look at someone of another race, I don’t see their color. When I see them, they look just like me.” I understand that the purpose is to see past people’s race, but that’s impossible. God made us who we are and whenever we don’t see someone’s nationality, we overlook the diversity that God has created. We should celebrate our diversities, not pretend that they don’t exist. Now what we shouldn’t do is judge people based on their race. However, we should avoid pretending that they don’t exist. To do so, to use Paul’s illustration, would make the body of Christ only hands. We need to celebrate our diversity.
We belong to the body of Christ. However, belonging to the body of Christ means participating.
III. Belonging to the body of Christ means participating.
Wanting to belong without belonging
We live in a society where we want to belong without belonging. We want to get the discount at Food Lion without taking the time to fill out the membership form. We want the benefits without offering our allegiance and without being faithful. We want to belong while committing as little as possible.
Church weddings and showers
The church that Jade grew up in had a tradition that they did. Whenever a woman member of the church was getting married, the women of the church would give her a bridal shower. It was amazing how many people would join the church right before they got married, come often, have the shower, have the wedding, and then never come back again. It’s amazing that we want to be a part of the church, but only when it can benefit us.
Participation required
Paul is letting the Corinthians know that you are a part of the family of God. However, you aren’t called to be spectators but rather participants. Being in the family means being active. You have a job to do.
Saddleback
Rick Warren, the author of Purpose Driven Life, pastors a church and has certain requirements for his members. Whenever someone joins, they have to go through classes to learn the basics of the faith. Then, they are required to pay their tithes. They are also required to attend faithfully. If they get in a habit of not paying their tithes or missing church, they have their names removed from membership. In his church, participation is a requirement and if you don’t participate, you are removed from membership. While that may be going too far, I do think that it should raise some important questions for us to consider. Am I a faithful member of this church? Do I give all that can to this church? Am I upholding the membership vows that I took when I was baptized and joined? Whenever we don’t, it’s not that we hurt ourselves. More so, we crippled the body. If we are all valuable members, that means that whenever one of us is down hurts the rest of the body. It might not be very noticeable, but it does. Whenever you joined this congregation, you were asked, “Will you be loyal to The United Methodist Church, and uphold it by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, and your service?” Have you? Have you fulfilled your commitment? My guess is, probably not. At least not completely. Being human, we have all probably slipped on occasion. Thankfully, there is grace. However, it’s easy to swim in the justifying grace and neglect the sanctifying grace. May the Lord help us to be open to his grace that we are led us to commitment and service.
We belong to the body of Christ. Our belonging means that we are to participate. Above all, we are called to be one.
IV. Conclusion
The Homosexual debate
Over the last twenty year, there hasn’t been a more divisive topic in the church than the homosexual debate. Denominations are splitting over this issue. Christians are fighting. It’s very sad to see such a issue affect the church in such a negative way. Granted, this is an important issue and certainly should be discussed in the church. However, it should not be something that leads the body of Christ to division. If it does, we will be crippled. The only way that dark forces of this world can harm the church is by causes us to divide. Before Jesus was about to begin his journey to the cross, he prayed for the church. And he prayed what I think is of most importance to him. He prayed that we might be one, just he and the Father are one.
Belonging
We are a part of the family of God. We are a part of the body of Christ. We are a diverse group, which creates some difficulties and disagreements.
But more than us having our theology right, more than us being perfect, may God give us the grace and wisdom to remain united as one. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
“In need you and you need me”
At a church that I went to in college, we had this creed that we said to each other every Sunday. I invite you to stand together and say it with me:
I need you and you need me. We are all a part of God’s family. Stand with me, agree with me. We are all apart of Christ’s body. I’ll pray for you, you pray for me. I love you and I need you. I won’t harm you with words from my mouth. With attitudes of my heart. With actions of my hand. I love you and I need you. We are the family of God! We are the body of Christ! We are one in the bond of love!
Sermon: 1.17.10
Title: Gifted for the Common Good
Text: 1st Corinthians 12:1-11
I. Introduction
Martin Luther King quotes
Here’s are a few quotes from one of the greatest speeches in history:
“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”
“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”
“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
Martin Luther King’ Spirit
Tomorrow we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King. I have always had greatest respect for Martin Luther King. Being raised in a community where racism is still very prevalent, his words are still inspiration of a dream that we hope to one day be realized. Sadly, he was assassinated for his dream. However, his spirit lives on. He may have died, but his dream and vision lives.
The Holy Spirit
Jesus had a vision too. Jesus desired that the world that we live in would look more like the kingdom of God. Just like Martin Luther King, Jesus was put to death for his vision of hope and peace. However, his vision remains. It remains through his church, through the Holy Spirit. In the same way that Martin Luther King’s spirit and vision are with us, Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit. Jesus still desires to see his vision of God’s kingdom on this earth. Jesus may have died and ascended to the Father. However, his spirit, the Holy Spirit, remains with us. His Spirit also seeks to help us by giving us spiritual gifts. We have a tough task, but we also have gifts and talents to help us.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul is pleading for them to be united. He heard reports that they were living immorally and not unified. Here, in 1st Corinthians 12, Paul writes to them about the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is active in their lives.
One point that Paul makes to the Corinthians is that the Holy Spirit is given to everyone who confesses that “Jesus is Lord”.
II. The Holy Spirit is given to everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord.
v. 1-3 says “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I don’t want you to unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord, ” except by the Holy Spirit.”
Where did this gift come from?
When I was a boy, I loved getting gifts. I loved Christmas and I loved my birthday because I loved gifts. However, I can remember that my mom would always remind me, “Read who the gift is from before you open it.” I would usually get the gift, tear it open, and be playing with it without looking to see who gave it to me. If I got a card, I would look to see if it had money in it. If it did, I would usually take it without reading the card. If it didn’t have money, I still wouldn’t read the card! Overtime, I eventually learned that it’s important to know where your gifts come from.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
Some of the Corinthians were receiving spiritual gifts. However, many weren’t sure where these gifts were coming from. So, Paul wanted to make it clear to them that these gifts were from Jesus Christ and only those who have made Jesus the lord of their lives would receive these gifts. I believe he did this for a couple of reasons:
Gratitude
One reason that he wanted the Corinthians to be clear about where their spiritual gifts came from is so that they could respond with gratitude. The reason that my mom wanted me to know who gave me my presents was so that I could thank them for it. In the same way, we respond in gratitude to the Trinitarian God whenever we know that these gifts are from God.
Humility
Another reason that it’s important to know where these gifts come from was to humble the Corinthians. Some of them had been given certain gifts and apparently they had been prideful about it. Paul wanted to make it clear that these gifts had nothing to do with their merit. These spiritual gifts were just that. Gifts. Not deserved. Not earned.
The Holy Spirit is given to everyone who claims Jesus as Lord. The Holy Spirit also gives all of us spiritual gifts.
III. The Holy Spirit gives all of us spiritual gifts.
v. 4, 5 says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.”
Everyone is valuable
We all have spiritual gifts. All of us. One of the common excuses that people use when not serving in the church is that “Well, I’m just not good at anything”.
My reason for leaving my former denomination
The Holy Spirit is given to everyone who claims Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit gives all of us spiritual gifts, and we are gifted for the common good of everyone.
IV. We are gifted for the common good of everyone.
v. 7 says, “But to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Purpose of the gift: to edify the church
We are all given spiritual gifts. But the purpose of these gifts isn’t for selfish reasons. We aren’t given gifts to make us look more spiritual than the other person. We are given these gifts only for the edification and building of up the church. It’s the church’s health that’s at stake.
Hospital in Royston
America responds to Haiti
This morning, we should all be proud of our country. Since the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the US has responded very generously. The Red Cross has so far raised 35 million dollars. The US government donated 100 millions dollars which includes food and military support on the ground. The church is also responding. Churches all across the US have donated time, resources, as people to help the Haitians. We are fortunate to be apart of the greatest nation on earth, and we, at least in regards to this, have understood that with high blessings come high responsibilities. We are blessed with prosperity and power, so we are called to use it to help other. And we have responded well.
The gifted church
God has given the church gifts. Gifts that only we have. We are called to share the kingdom of God, and kingdom of peace, love, mercy, justice, and freedom, in a world that considers this foreign. With great gifts comes great responsibilities.
V. Conclusion
What’s your gift?
Children’s ministry
Ministry opportunity awareness
Playing with gift
Title: Why was Jesus Baptized?
Text: Luke 3:15-17;21-22
I. Introduction
high school initiation
Life is full of transitions. Probably one of the most difficult transitions is when teenagers enter high school for the first time. A few years earlier they were nervous sixth graders entering middle school. Then, they eventually became eight graders and ruled the school. They were the big people on campus. Then, once they entered ninth grade, they were once again the newbies, just trying to figure out where their next class was. And usually, the seniors like to pick on the freshmen. In my high school, like most, we had an initiation for the freshman. It was tradition for the seniors to pick up the freshman and throw them into the trashcan. My first day of high school, I can remember the seniors standing tall above everyone else with their arms crossed. They were looking for us freshman.
While I’m sure that some of the seniors were doing it to be mean, most of them did it in good taste. Throwing us into the trashcan was their strange way of saying to us, after you enter the trashcan, you are now one of us. We went into the trashcan as outsiders, but we came out as part of the family.
It’s an initiation. Much like boot camp is for the Army. You enter as hated person that everyone yells at; you leave as a respected family member. In our life, there are usually rites or initiations that we must do to pass into another part of our life. One of those is baptism.
Jewish Baptism
Jews also practiced a form of baptism. If they were defiled, for example by touching a dead body, they were required to cleanse themselves before entering the Holy Temple. Women were also required to be cleansed before their weddings and boys were required to be cleansed before their circumcisions. Baptism for them was a cleansing process, but it was also a rite of passage.
Christian Baptism
For Christians, baptism is also rite of passage. Through baptism, we are united with Christ’s holy church, as well as with this local church. We are cleansed from our sins and are made pure. Baptism is necessary because we are sinful people in need of cleansing before we enter the body of Christ.
So, if that’s the case, why was Jesus baptized?
One reason that Jesus was baptized was to indentify with us.
II. Jesus is baptized to identify with us.
Our bent system
At his baptism, Jesus was showing that he understood the full implications of the incarnation. Jesus lived within a bent system. Jesus was sinless, but he had come into a sinful world. His baptism was a reflection of the incarnation.
Marjorie Suchocki’s “Fall into Temptation”
In Marjorie Suchocki’s book, “Fall into Temptation”, she discusses a time when she was a jurist in a case where the defendant was found guilty. Although she believed that the defendant was indeed guilty, afterwards she began to reflect on her own place in the system that formed and eventually indicted this man. As a member of this interrelated system, she felt she had some relation to the man’s crime.
Neighborhood kids in Cordele
At the previous church that I served at, Jade and I, among others, spent a lot of time reaching out to the kids in our community. Our church was a downtown church and it was in an impoverished, low-income area. We provided different outreach events for them like provided meals, opening up the gym for basketball, etc. However, a lot of the kids were a bit rough around the edges. When they were at church, they made alot of people nervous. And rightly so. We would have them get into shoving matches, cussing out loud in church, disrespectful to adults, etc. We were able to reach several of these kids, but it was really difficult. Why? It was difficult because most of them were raised in environments of abuse and neglect. Many didn’t have loving relationships so they didn’t know how to love. Many hadn’t been given much so they didn’t know how to respond in gratitude. They were slaves to a system that was leading them to destruction. So were realized that, in reaching out to them, we would need to reach out and try to impact the system that they were apart. This is difficult if not impossible.
Do we identify with sinners?
Luke 3:21 says “Now when all the people were baptized”. Jesus was baptized because he was indentifying with the people. Whenever they were in line to be baptized, he joined in. Not because he was sinful, but because he was acknowledging the sinful world. In his holiness he was indentifying with the sinful world.
Like Jesus, do we too identify with sinners? Or do we sit in our churches and cast judgment? What is holiness? Is it us separating ourselves from the sinful world, or is it us standing with the world and reflecting Christ?
One reason that Jesus was baptized was to identify with us. Another reason was that his baptism symbolized God’s claim on his life.
III. Jesus is baptized which symbolized God’s claim on his life.
The Holy Spirit and Jesus
After he was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Then God spoke and said, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ baptism was symbolic and showed that he was God’s chosen one.
Jesus’ is chosen
Imagine what it felt like for Jesus to hear those words from God. “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.
Adoption stories
I love hearing about adoption stories. I remember hearing some brothers arguing with each other. One of the brothers was adopted. When they were arguing, one the birth child say, “Well, at least I’m not adopted.” The adopted child responded, “I’m glad I was adopted. You see, they were stuck with you. However, they chose me.”
These stories remind me of my relationship with God. We are God’s children, adopted into God’s family. He didn’t have to accept us but he chose to.
Blood diamond
One of my favorite all-time movies is Blood Diamond. It’s a movie that’s about people fighting over diamonds in Africa.
IV. Jesus’ baptism was accompanied with prayer
Luke 3:21 says, “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying, the heavens opened and descended upon him like a dove.”
The story of Jesus’ baptism is an important one. We know this because we can see the story in all four gospels. Each gospel has a special emphasis. In Luke’s gospel, the special emphasis is prayer.
Jesus: A man of prayer
When looking at Jesus’ ministry in the Gospels, it becomes clear that Jesus is a man of prayer.
Jesus was guided by the Holy Spirit
Jesus was also guided by the Holy Spirit. After his baptism, it says that Jesus, being full of the Spirit, was led into the wilderness.
Acts: People of prayer and the Spirit
V. Conclusion
virtue of baptism
Live into your baptism
Sermon: 1.3.09
Text: Isaiah 60:1-6
Mornings
I’m not much of a morning person. Once I get going, I’m usually ok. But the moments between hitting the snooze button for the fourth time and brushing my teeth are brutal for me. My dad used to drive me crazy in the mornings. While I was still in bed, he would come in with his guitar and play it as loud as he could. Then, my step brother would get a pan and a spoon out of the kitchen and join in on the drums. Not the best way to wake up. I’ve been drug out of bed, I’ve had cold water poured on me. I’ve heard yelling, I’ve heard banging on the door. And as a result, I have woken up on the wrong side of the bed on many occasions.
My mom, however, woke me up a different way. She would come in, gently rub my back, and say with her soft morning voice, “you have about 30 minutes before time to get up”. Then she would come in about 20 minutes later and tell me that I had 10. Then, when it was finally time for me to get up, she would come in and say, “Rise and Shine.” with her soft morning voice. I woke up much more peaceful after that.
As I was lying in the darkness of the night and early morning, my mom’s peaceful call to “rise and shine” was attractive. As much as I wanted to stay in bed, it would get light outside anyways. No point in lying in the darkness whenever everyone is walking in the light.
Jerusalem’s hope
Isaiah was a prophet to the Southern Kingdom of Israel, also known as Judah. At this time the Southern Kingdom had become destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, gained power over all of the great powers. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been taken over by Assyria, now Babylon was the powerful nation. Whenever Judah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, he destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and took many of the Jews back to Babylon. This is known as the exile. The chosen people of God are now scattered. These were some of the darkest times in Jewish history.
Eventually, however, hope would come. Isaiah prophesies to the Jews and tells them to Arise and shine. He tells them to arise because a light has come. They would eventually be able to return to their land. Persia would eventually take over Babylon and the Persia king Cyrus would allow the Jews to return to their land. Salvation had come for the Jews and they would be able to return to their home and be reunited with their family once again as they rebuilt Jerusalem and the temple.
Christmas is over and the New Year has already begun. The decorations are down and the weight loss plans that we were so dedicated to, have already been broken. But the light that came into the world is still with us. As the church, we are people who have seen the light and salvation of the Lord and are also called to share it with the world. This morning, as we begin the New Year, I have a couple of questions that I would like us to keep in mind.
Receive the light
Isaiah 60:1 says “Arise, shine; for your light has come. and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”
The first question is this: What is the light in your life today? Barbara Brown Taylor, one of favorite authors asked her students a great question:…… “What is saving your life today?” “What is saving your life today? “
Is it a relationship? Is it a hobby? Is it the church? Education? Exercise? We are people always in need of salvation. What is saving your life right now?
Spiritual retreat
About halfway through my first semester of divinity school, I was literally running on empty. I had papers due, sermons to be prepared, meetings to go to, papers due, classes to attend, and papers due. And as I was bogged down, I got to a point where my heart wasn’t quite in it. I found very little joy in reading my assignments and reading the bible seemed more like a chore. As I looked at my schedule for some free time, I noticed that I had a spiritual retreat coming up. Great. The last think I needed was another spiritual event crowding my calendar. But I went. And when I got there, I discovered that this was a very different kind of retreat. It was a two day retreat and from 9pm that Friday night until 1pm the next day, we were all to be silent. We couldn’t talk to each other. It was silent. However, we weren’t required to do anything. We were simply instructed to embrace to silence and enjoy the Sabbath time. I was able to spend some quality time reading some enjoyable books. We were on a beautiful campground so I was able to go for a walk and enjoy the birds, streams, and the forest. At the bottom of a hill, there was a beautiful little chapel that I was able to spend some time in. While in silence, I was somehow able to avoid thinking about the papers due. I was able to rest. I left that retreat feeling so….clean. I felt like all the baggage that I had been carrying was taken from me. What is saving your life? That retreat saved and renewed me. I left with a healthy heart and felt like I had encountered the light and life of Christ.
What’s saving you?
So what’s saving you? Salvation isn’t something that only happened once when you asked Jesus into your heart. Salvation is something that happens over and over again. Whether it be a great author, a great retreat, or a great relationship, God offers us salvation. He offers us light in our darkness. Will we embrace it? As we begin the new year, what is saving you?
Reflect the light
Another question to ponder is this: Who are you saving? We are given this great light to receive for ourselves and also to share with others.
Isaiah 60:2,3 says “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from far away, and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.”
Bugs
Being a typical boy, I used to like playing with bugs. I can remember playing with roly-poly’s when I was about 4. I also remember when I was in 3rd grade finding a ladybug on the playground and taking her back to the classroom to be my pet. My mom told me the story about when I was a baby and we were outside. She turned away from me for a moment and turned back to discover that I was gone. She then went and found me playing in a ant bed covered in ants. She has also found me eating bugs. It didn’t take me long to realize how to find bugs. One place that I could always find a bug, especially at night, was around a light. Bugs are attracted to light.
In the same way, people are also attracted to light. Whenever an alcoholic is in trouble, he doesn’t run to the bar that enjoys so much, he goes to rehab. Whenever the struggling parents can’t pay the rent, they don’t buy a lottery ticket, they come to the church for help. If we are indeed the light of the world, as Jesus said that we are, we will attract people. People will come to you for help. They may not realize that that’s what they want, but it is. Jesus said that we are the light of the world. In a world of darkness, we reflect the light that Jesus has offered us.
Family adopting troubled boy
During the holidays I heard a story about a couple in Oklahoma who couldn’t have children. So they decided to adopt. They filled out all of the paperwork, jumped through all of the loops, and then played the waiting game. Finally, they were able to adopt an 11 year old boy. They were so excited that they finally could start a family. However, things didn’t run so smooth. Not long after they adopted him they found out that many families and foster homes had taken him in and then kicked him out because he was so difficult. Since nobody wanted him, the boy had some psychological issues. He threatened to kill them on several occasions. He tried to set the house on fire. He would hide knives under his bed. The family had gotten a lot more than they had expected. They were able to get him admitted into a psychiatric hospital for several months. As I was listening to this interview, the boy was about to be released. The couple, feeling helpless and unable to raise this child, were begging the court to let them give him back to the state. “We can’t handle this!” they said. “We asked for a normal child. Were not capable of helping him.” When asked if they loved the boy they said, “Yes, and the best way that we can love him is by letting him go.”
Obviously, the family had inherited a very difficult situation. Of course, raising a child like that is difficult. But what that child needs more than anything is someone willing to love him and accept him, regardless of his flaws. He needs his parents to realize what a high calling they had been given and accept it. The last thing that the child needs is to be kicked out again. He needs a champion in his life.
High calling
So, what is your high calling? What’s something in your life right now that may be difficult, but you understand that God has called you to it? I’ve heard many stories about people accepting their high calling from God. My best friend who I met in college, whenever he had no place to go at age 16, had a family in Fayetteville NC open their doors to him. Believe me, he was a handful. But this family taught him discipline, modeled the Christian life for him, loved and forgave him whenever he failed, and to this day he will tell you that they are the reason that he is the man who he is today. So, what’s your high calling? More than ever, the world needs the light of the church to shine. Believe me, there are plenty of opportunities. During this upcoming year, my prayer is that we will be a church who is continuously finding searching for the light of Christ and sharing it with the world. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sermon: 12.13.09
Title: Rejoice!
Text: Zephaniah 3:14-20
I. Introduction
Judah background
Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah. The Israelites were on the brink of destruction. They were about to be taken captive by Assyria because, according to the prophets, they had been disobedient to God. After Egypt, things were great as they were on their way to a land flowing with milk and honey. Now, they were about to be taken off into exile. The prophets, especially Zephaniah, tell of a very gloomy outcome. The majority of these oracle is very negative. It talks about the Day of the Lord (yom yahweh) at hand in which God will punish them for their disobedience. There seems to be no hope. They made a good run, but now it’s over. However, at the end of the letter, a ray of hope is seen. The prophet begins to talk about a remnant of Israelites who will make it through the exile and be obedient to God again. In the midst of a bleak future, there’s a ray of hope. As they look to a very painful future, God tells them to sing aloud, shout, and rejoice.
Sing, shout, and rejoice
With God, there is always hope. No matter how painful life can be
II. We rejoice because the Lord is in our midst.
Verse 15 says “The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.”
Bicycle pick-up
Whenever I was a kid, I got embarrassed very easily. It also didn’t help much to have a crazy dad who didn’t care whether he embarrassed me or not. Probably the most embarrassing moment of my life came whenever I was in 4th grade. I was outside with my friends as we waited on our parents to come and pick us up. Parents would circle through with their cars to pick up their children. That’s the rules. You circle through with your CAR to pick up your children. Yet, of course, my dad had to be unconventional. As I was standing around waiting with my friends, I heard someone behind me say, “Hey Mr. Ronnie!” Ronnie’s my dad’s name. As I turned around, I saw that my dad was there. On his bicycle. My dad decided to come and pick me up from school, in front of all my friends, on his big, red, rusty, bicycle. Then he told me to “hop on the handle bars, bird dog.” That was by far the most embarrassing moment of my life.
A missing father
I can remember thinking as a child, “I wish that my dad wasn’t so weird.” Most of my friend’s dad’s were more of the business type. They would wear khakis to baseball games, my dad would show up with shoes that didn’t match. They drove Z71’s and my dad drove bicycles. There wasn’t anything conventional about him at all. And, being the self-absorbed kid that I was, that embarrassed me at times. However, I found out that my friends loved my dad. They loved him because they knew that he cared. They loved him because he was at the games, coaching them. They loved him because he would stop and have a conversation with them. They loved him because he was fair and didn’t overlook the kids that were less gifted athletically. I later realized how fortunate I was to have a dad who was there for me. Sure, he’s not perfect. But, he was what’s most important, present.
God is with us
As we look at this text, Zephaniah prophesies that the Lord is in your midst. He sees your suffering, and he’s going to do something about it. And not just from afar, he’s going to come down and be with you. Our God isn’t just in the clouds somewhere making things fall into place, but he’s with the people. He’s come down to make a way for us.
The incarnation
In no greater way has God come into our midst than through the incarnation. During the Advent season, we celebrate the coming of Jesus into our midst. Our judgments are taken away and we are set free, because the Lord has come.
We rejoice because the Lord is in our midst. We also rejoice because the Lord has taken away judgments against us.
III. We rejoice because the Lord has taken away judgments against us.
v. 14 and 15 say “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord ahs taken away the judgments against you.”
Judgments against the oppressors
As you read the prophetic books in the Old Testament, it becomes clear what upsets God more than anything; lack of humility, injustice, and compassion. In Micah 6:8 the writer says “and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humble with your God?”
Repentance
The Lord removes his judgments against us. However, we do have a responsibility. As you read Zephaniah, you see that God gets rid of many people but spares a remnant. As 3: 12says, he spares a people who are “humble and lowly who seek refuge in the name of the Lord.” God takes away his judgments against us whenever we repent.
John’s message
In Luke 3:8 John the Baptist says “Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin as our ancestor’s;for I tell you; God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.
Apparently a lot of the Jews were saying, “I don’t need to repent. Have you fogotten? Abraham is my father. So I’m ok. John the baptist responds, “I don’t care who your father is. Your father can’t repent for you. You have to repent for yourself. You can’t live through the faith of your parents. You must choose to live for God yourself.
The Lord is in our midst, he takes away our judgments, and he restores us.
IV. We rejoice because the Lord restores us.
verses 19 and 20 say “I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at that time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord.
Downtown homes
Whenever Jade and I moved to Cordele GA, we considered buying a home. We went downtown and looked at homes. All of the homes were run down. However, you could tell that at one time, these homes were very nice. All that they need was some work and they could be restored to their original form, possibly better.
Relationships
Married couples here, have you ever gotten into an argument with your spouse? Have you noticed that, after the argument, whenever you make up, your relationship is better? There’s just something about reconciliation that’s ever greater than never needing reconciliation.
God restores us
Because God restores us, we can sing a song that ever the angels can’t sing. We know about God’s goodness in a way that the sinless don’t. We know of a God who restores us from a broken down home into beautiful mansion. Notice all of the “I will” statements in our text. It’s God who will restore us. We just simply need to turn to him. That’s all that repentance is. Repentance isn’t deciding, “ok, now I’m going to be a perfect person.” Repentance is simply turning to God.
We are to restore others
And now that we are restored people, Jesus desires to restore other through us. We are restored so that we can restore others.
John the Baptist
Whenever John the Baptist was taking to those baptized, they asked him, “Now what?” He said in reply, “whoever has two coats must share with someone with none. Whoever has food must do likewise. When the tax collectors asked him,
“what should we do?”, he said “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” When the soldiers asked he said, “So not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Jesus restores us so that we can restore others. If you notice in the gospel, Jesus is very concerned about money. It’s not because he wants all of his churches to be huge and nice, but it’s because he wants people to spend it wisely. He wants people to help the poor, feed the hungry, heal the sick. If we truly want to be followers of Christ, we will follow his example.
the lame and outcast
V. Conclusion.
Restore others for Christmas
So as we celebrate Christmas this year, as we enjoy our restoration, as we indulge in our prosperity, be mindful of the people who Christ cares for. Be mindful of the outcast, the poor, and the sick. Think of them during this season. But also do something about it. God restores us, so that we can restore others. In the name of the father, son, and holy spirit. Amen.
