Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-12
Did you know that the Lord goes to great lengths to get his people to listen to him? Last week, we considered the various ways that he got Moses, Jonah, Esther and others to listen to the word that he had for their lives. For others, He has used the prophets to bring his word to life – many of them, spread over hundreds of years – and for the most part, the people discounted their every word, they refused to believe. God must get very frustrated with us, don’t you think? But frustrated or not, he never gives up!
Pastor John Stendahl writes:
This Word, then, is not simply a message you can put into words. It comes as a person, a life enfleshed and enacted. It has to do with compassion and vision, but there is also something frightening about it, a kind of desperate insistence. “IF YOU WON'T LISTEN TO THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, MAYBE NOW YOU'LL SEE.”
God, so vulnerable, casting this unphilosophical proposition into our world, this baby, is dependent on our response. Now even the cross that lies ahead takes on a seemingly strange and eerie reality: “THEN maybe their hearts will be moved, THEN they'll know how I love them.”
The messenger and the message are thus joined. Even in those tellings of the gospel in which Jesus struggles against this identification, it proves finally to be so. The Word is enfleshed, and born to die.
--John Stendahl, The message and the messenger, Christian Century, December 17, 1997, 1187.
And God said “Do you think they’ll listen to my Son?”
Read Hebrews 1:1-4
Jesus – heir of all things - present, past and future; jointly involved in creation of the entire universe; the radiance of heavenly glory; the exact representation of the Father; the source of purification for our sins.
What an incredible statement of faith! If we truly believe all of this, why wouldn’t we listen? I would think that every follower of Jesus would want to hang on every single word that he has to say to us. Think about some of these attributes: heir of all things – there is nothing that isn’t his; a co-creator with the Father – he pre-existed creation, he has always been and always will be, and his signature is on the created order; radiance of glory – he isn’t just filled with heavenly glory – he is the glory; the exact representation of God – whoever God is, whatever God gives, whatever God says, it’s also true of Jesus. There is no difference. They are not copies. They are exactly the same; purification for our sin – he doesn’t just redeem, he doesn’t just forgive – he is the redemption and the forgiveness for our lives.
This is what God wants us to know, this is what he has been trying to tell us for two millennium!
Read Hebrews 1:5-9
Some folks tend to get hung up on the significance of the angels, and some even believe that we should worship these heavenly beings. The writer of Hebrews, though, wants us to see them differently. Angels are not divine – they are simply the ones who carry out the desires and the message of God – they are not God themselves.
The text tells us that angels are not sons of God - but who is? First, Jesus is the one and only begotten Son, and through him, we also can become children of God. Not angels. Believers! Jesus is the first-born of God, and by being born again in Christ, we then can also come to the Father as his children.
In verse 7, we are given something else that we need to think about – our relationship with the angels. Angels, scripture tells us, are the winds, and we are the flame. Have you ever watched the fire department fight a grass or brush fire? If there is no wind, the fire moves very slowly, and sometimes, it even burns itself out. Those are the easy ones. But if even a little wind stirs up, the flames jump and you will be hard pressed to catch them. It’s a real race trying to get to the head of the fire, because that is the only place you can stop its spread.
Imagine – God’s messengers are the winds that fan the flames of our faith! And rightly so. Consider the effect that the angel had on Mary and Joseph! The fire of their spirit was fanned into a full blown blaze, to the point that nothing could interfere with their faithful completion of the task God had given them. How about the angels that visited the shepherds on that first Christmas? Were they on fire or what? You’d better believe that they were! How about the disciples on Pentecost? Paul on the Road to Damascus? You and me when we discovered how personal and loving and close Jesus actually is to us?
The angels carry a message that comes directly from God’s heart, and how could his servants not burst into a roaring inferno?
But does Jesus need to be fanned into flame? Of course not. He is God, and he is already full of the holy fire. “therefore, God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” The angels are the constant companions of the Lord. They are available to provide for any of Jesus’ human needs, such as after his 40 day fast in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), but he has no need of spiritual encouragement. He is the encouragement for our lives.
Read Hebrews 1:10-12
This is the Lord God Almighty. Eternal, imperishable, unchanging, and yet, humble, gentle, loving, forgiving. An enigma, a puzzle, if you will. The heavenly home of our Eternal God, the place that has been promised to us, is going to perish and then be remade in a whole new way. Don’t try to figure that out, just claim it. God can never perish, but everything else will either completely disappear or will be radically changed. And that includes you and me. 1 Corinthians 15:53, a passage that is used quite often in our funeral liturgy, tells us that the perishable must put on imperishability, and the mortal must put on immortality. Nothing that is created is eternal – it all is perishable, and that includes you and me.
But for those who are in Christ, for those who “are clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-28), they are embraced in eternity, and are changed forever. Jesus told the parable of a wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14). The parable ends with the words “Many are invited, but few are chosen.” In the story, everyone was expected to be wearing wedding clothes, and those who were not were escorted out of the hall, to their eternal dismay.
“They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment.” (v.11) On that first Christmas day, everything began to change. The Newborn of Bethlehem, even though he came in a perishable human form, was the eternal and imperishable God who is both before and beyond creation. The Child who would be nourished by a human mother’s milk would, himself, bring spiritual nourishment – eternal sustenance – for the entire world. That helpless Infant who had to be held and fed and carried wherever he went, would be the One who would redeem humanity from their self-destructive existence, the One who would carry the entire burden of worldly sin all the way to Calvary.
Christmas is our beginning. It is the first ray of hope in an otherwise dark and forbidding life; it is the dawn of a new day; it is the offer to be clothed in the Immortal and Incarnate Christ; it is the gift of imperishability and the hope for eternity.
But as with any gift, it has to be accepted. In the wedding banquet parable that was mentioned before, many had been invited to come to the celebration, but many were just too busy to attend. And they soon found themselves “on the outs” with the King.
Parable after parable is offered to show us the necessity for Christ in our lives (eg. Rich man and Lazarus; The Tenants; and others). Without the Baby Jesus, the perishable world would just continue on their merry way, believing that doing “good things” is good enough.
Without Jesus of Bethlehem, mortality and finality would be our sentence. But in Christ, we will never “wear out like a garment and be rolled up like a used up robe.” His garment is forever. Hallelujah! At Last!
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
“Sorry, No Room!”
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 (Christmas Eve)
Sixty-odd years before the birth of Christ, in an aristocratic community of Rome, a very important child was born. As soon as he arrived, a messenger raced into the Roman Senate and announced, “The next ruler of the world is born.” His name was Octavius, and he was destined to become the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
He grew up in the palace. He was educated by the finest teachers of literature, philosophy and government. And at the age of 33 he was the uncontested ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He only had to give the word and armies would march and ships would sail. He only had to give the word and the world would move for him. The Senate gave him the name Emperor Augustus, meaning the exalted, or revered one, and he would reign over the golden age of the empire.
- M. Craig Barnes, Becoming God’s child, National Presbyterian Church Web Site, December 13, 1998, Natpresch.org.
Augustus would greatly expand Roman influence through conquest and subjugation, but within the core of the empire, peace would become the watchword of the day – Pax Romana – or Roman Peace would be the normal day’s expectation for his subjects. He would establish a network of roads, he would create an early form of the mail system, he would create a standing police and fire fighting force in the city of Rome, he would create the Praetorian Guard (the Roman version of our Secret Service), and the eighth month on the calendar – August – would be named after him. And upon his death, the Roman senate would declare him to be a god, worthy of worship by all of the known world.
And this is the person who is mentioned in the first 5 words of our text for this night:
Read Luke 2:1-7
For just a moment, compare the life that Augustus would lead, to that of Jesus. They were born into the opposite ends of the social spectrum – Augustus into power and superiority, and Jesus into humility. Augustus would be educated in the ways of the elite, while Jesus would be trained to be a carpenter. Augustus would live in the finest of homes, but Jesus would never have any home that he could truly call his own. Augustus would be surrounded by the most influential and powerful people of his day, while Jesus would choose to be in the midst of the poorest and rejected of earth. And even though they would both be declared to be divine at their death (Augustus by the Roman senate and Jesus by Thomas), Augustus would stay dead, while Jesus would continue to live.
And if the truth were known, Augustus would probably fit Israel’s vision of Messiah far better than Jesus ever would. He would be powerful, he would be a warrior, he would be a conqueror, he would be respected by his friends and feared by his enemies; and he brought a sense of peace and honor to those who would follow him.
Jesus would never do these things, but then, was he supposed to? He would be meek and humble so that everyone might be welcome at his side, he would offer forgiveness so that good and bad alike could come to his table, he would offer a new way to glory, but never demanded allegiance, he would be misunderstood by his friends, and hated by his opponents, and peace and respect in this life would never come to either him or those who chose to follow.
Augustus would force his way into the lives of countless people in many nations, but Jesus would never force his way into anyone’s life. Augustus would demand that others make room for him, but even at his birth, there was no room whatsoever for Jesus.
But as different as their lives were, they would intersect at Bethlehem, and even though Augustus didn’t know it, he was to become the instrument that would fulfill Divine prophesy.
Read Luke 2:8-14
Just a little difference in the birth announcements, too! Augustus’ birth was announced to the highest and most powerful government officials in the greatest empire on earth, - they were told that “The next ruler of the world is born.”
Jesus birth, on the other hand, was proclaimed to the lowest of Jewish society, the unclean, the uneducated, ones with no power whatsoever – and they were told “A Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord … Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace.” Augustus may have been the next ruler of Rome, but Jesus would be humanity’s Ruler for eternity!
No matter where Augustus went, there was plenty of room and nearly unlimited glory for him. But Jesus? There was no room and no glory at all for him.
Why would his heavenly Father allow such an inordinate discrepancy to occur? Who really deserves the honor and praise and glory of earth – the Savior of the world, or the “next ruler of Rome”? But before we get too judgmental of the people of the 1st century, let’s consider who we elevate to the status of “god” in our lives – who we give honor and glory to! Our jobs? Our social position? Drugged up and over paid sports figures? Shallow, conceited, immoral movie and recording stars? Elected officials who put their own agendas ahead of the needs of the nation? People who try to use the church to implement their own form of what is right, their own personal agenda, instead of letting the Holy Spirit reform and re-make them?
We make lots of room for the “Caesars” of the 21st century, but how much room do we really make for Jesus? The fact there was no room in the inn for the Anointed One of God seems more and more appropriate. The King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the Glory of the Heavens, relegated to an out of the way stable. It was prophesy, plain and simple!
Is it any wonder that it was shepherds who were the first to hear of Christ’s birth? They had no agendas, no position, no possessions, no wealth to distract them. They could make all kinds of room for Messiah!
Read Luke 2:15-20
When was the last time that we truly spent time seeking Jesus for our lives?
Shepherds left everything behind – their supper, their blankets, even their worldly responsibilities – and headed out to discover Jesus for themselves. Shepherds, who were considered unworthy because they were covered with blood and other filth that came from caring for their sheep, were the only ones who heard the heavenly messengers that evening, and were the only ones who left earth behind to find heavenly glory. They made room for God.
Mary, an unwed teenager, and her fiancé Joseph, committed themselves solely and completely to God’s purpose, and they set their fear of the world’s condemnation aside. And burdened with condemnation, they would be. And yet, they made room for God.
Pastor and author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us. There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness. There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige. There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin. There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride. There's no room for bitterness and personal greed.
There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, Do You Believe the Angels? Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.
On this night, we all must make room for him, like Mary and Joseph did, and like the shepherds did, and as countless millions have done over the centuries. Reach out to receive the grace and mercy that he holds out to you. Will you do that, or will you be saying to Jesus “Sorry, Lord. My life is just too busy and too hectic, and there is no room for you right now. Maybe one day I can carve out some room, but not now!”
Jesus spent his entire ministry with the masses. He sought no glory, no honor, no earthly position – his only and greatest desire was to bring those gifts to the world. Will you receive them tonight as his birthday gift to you?
Sixty-odd years before the birth of Christ, in an aristocratic community of Rome, a very important child was born. As soon as he arrived, a messenger raced into the Roman Senate and announced, “The next ruler of the world is born.” His name was Octavius, and he was destined to become the adopted son of Julius Caesar.
He grew up in the palace. He was educated by the finest teachers of literature, philosophy and government. And at the age of 33 he was the uncontested ruler of the entire Roman Empire. He only had to give the word and armies would march and ships would sail. He only had to give the word and the world would move for him. The Senate gave him the name Emperor Augustus, meaning the exalted, or revered one, and he would reign over the golden age of the empire.
- M. Craig Barnes, Becoming God’s child, National Presbyterian Church Web Site, December 13, 1998, Natpresch.org.
Augustus would greatly expand Roman influence through conquest and subjugation, but within the core of the empire, peace would become the watchword of the day – Pax Romana – or Roman Peace would be the normal day’s expectation for his subjects. He would establish a network of roads, he would create an early form of the mail system, he would create a standing police and fire fighting force in the city of Rome, he would create the Praetorian Guard (the Roman version of our Secret Service), and the eighth month on the calendar – August – would be named after him. And upon his death, the Roman senate would declare him to be a god, worthy of worship by all of the known world.
And this is the person who is mentioned in the first 5 words of our text for this night:
Read Luke 2:1-7
For just a moment, compare the life that Augustus would lead, to that of Jesus. They were born into the opposite ends of the social spectrum – Augustus into power and superiority, and Jesus into humility. Augustus would be educated in the ways of the elite, while Jesus would be trained to be a carpenter. Augustus would live in the finest of homes, but Jesus would never have any home that he could truly call his own. Augustus would be surrounded by the most influential and powerful people of his day, while Jesus would choose to be in the midst of the poorest and rejected of earth. And even though they would both be declared to be divine at their death (Augustus by the Roman senate and Jesus by Thomas), Augustus would stay dead, while Jesus would continue to live.
And if the truth were known, Augustus would probably fit Israel’s vision of Messiah far better than Jesus ever would. He would be powerful, he would be a warrior, he would be a conqueror, he would be respected by his friends and feared by his enemies; and he brought a sense of peace and honor to those who would follow him.
Jesus would never do these things, but then, was he supposed to? He would be meek and humble so that everyone might be welcome at his side, he would offer forgiveness so that good and bad alike could come to his table, he would offer a new way to glory, but never demanded allegiance, he would be misunderstood by his friends, and hated by his opponents, and peace and respect in this life would never come to either him or those who chose to follow.
Augustus would force his way into the lives of countless people in many nations, but Jesus would never force his way into anyone’s life. Augustus would demand that others make room for him, but even at his birth, there was no room whatsoever for Jesus.
But as different as their lives were, they would intersect at Bethlehem, and even though Augustus didn’t know it, he was to become the instrument that would fulfill Divine prophesy.
Read Luke 2:8-14
Just a little difference in the birth announcements, too! Augustus’ birth was announced to the highest and most powerful government officials in the greatest empire on earth, - they were told that “The next ruler of the world is born.”
Jesus birth, on the other hand, was proclaimed to the lowest of Jewish society, the unclean, the uneducated, ones with no power whatsoever – and they were told “A Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord … Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace.” Augustus may have been the next ruler of Rome, but Jesus would be humanity’s Ruler for eternity!
No matter where Augustus went, there was plenty of room and nearly unlimited glory for him. But Jesus? There was no room and no glory at all for him.
Why would his heavenly Father allow such an inordinate discrepancy to occur? Who really deserves the honor and praise and glory of earth – the Savior of the world, or the “next ruler of Rome”? But before we get too judgmental of the people of the 1st century, let’s consider who we elevate to the status of “god” in our lives – who we give honor and glory to! Our jobs? Our social position? Drugged up and over paid sports figures? Shallow, conceited, immoral movie and recording stars? Elected officials who put their own agendas ahead of the needs of the nation? People who try to use the church to implement their own form of what is right, their own personal agenda, instead of letting the Holy Spirit reform and re-make them?
We make lots of room for the “Caesars” of the 21st century, but how much room do we really make for Jesus? The fact there was no room in the inn for the Anointed One of God seems more and more appropriate. The King of kings, the Prince of Peace, the Glory of the Heavens, relegated to an out of the way stable. It was prophesy, plain and simple!
Is it any wonder that it was shepherds who were the first to hear of Christ’s birth? They had no agendas, no position, no possessions, no wealth to distract them. They could make all kinds of room for Messiah!
Read Luke 2:15-20
When was the last time that we truly spent time seeking Jesus for our lives?
Shepherds left everything behind – their supper, their blankets, even their worldly responsibilities – and headed out to discover Jesus for themselves. Shepherds, who were considered unworthy because they were covered with blood and other filth that came from caring for their sheep, were the only ones who heard the heavenly messengers that evening, and were the only ones who left earth behind to find heavenly glory. They made room for God.
Mary, an unwed teenager, and her fiancé Joseph, committed themselves solely and completely to God’s purpose, and they set their fear of the world’s condemnation aside. And burdened with condemnation, they would be. And yet, they made room for God.
Pastor and author James Harnish writes:
I've begun to think that in one sense, the manger is a very small place. There isn't room in there for all the baggage we carry around with us. There's no room at the manger for our pious pride and self-righteousness. There's no room in the manger for our human power and prestige. There's no room at the manger for the baggage of past failure and unforgiven sin. There's no room at the manger for our prejudice, bigotry and hostile national pride. There's no room for bitterness and personal greed.
There is no room at the manger for anything other than the absolute reality of who and what we really are: very human, very real, very fragile, very vulnerable human beings who desperately need the gift of love and grace which God so powerfully desires to give.
--James A. Harnish, Do You Believe the Angels? Tampa, Fla., 24 December 1994.
On this night, we all must make room for him, like Mary and Joseph did, and like the shepherds did, and as countless millions have done over the centuries. Reach out to receive the grace and mercy that he holds out to you. Will you do that, or will you be saying to Jesus “Sorry, Lord. My life is just too busy and too hectic, and there is no room for you right now. Maybe one day I can carve out some room, but not now!”
Jesus spent his entire ministry with the masses. He sought no glory, no honor, no earthly position – his only and greatest desire was to bring those gifts to the world. Will you receive them tonight as his birthday gift to you?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
“You’ve Gotta Be Kidding!”
Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
For most folks, when they begin their new life with the Lord, it’s an exciting time. They begin to realize a new purpose for this existence, and a new way to walk through it. They come to know that they now have a new partner – one who cares both about and for them. And then a strange thing happens. They begin to sense that the Lord has plans for them that had never entered their mind before – plans that, at first, don’t seem to make much sense.
Consider Moses – In Exodus 3, we find him on Mount Horeb, watching a bush, engulfed in flame without being consumed, and hearing the voice of the Lord telling him that he was to go back to Egypt to bring the people out of slavery and into a new land. Moses wasn’t all that happy about going, and offered every excuse possible. But God had a response for every one of his objections.
Consider Jonah – In Jonah 1, the prophet is called by the Lord to go to the city of Nineveh to preach against their evil life styles. Down deep, he knows that God isn’t sending him to condemn the city, but rather to change the lives of the people, and he isn’t about to go quietly. He runs as far and as fast as he can, but to paraphrase the old saying - “You can’t out run God!”
Consider Esther – a young Jewish woman who has become the chosen queen of King Xerxes, ruler of the Medo-Persian empire. She is told of a plot by a man named Haman that would destroy the lives of every Jew in the empire, and she is the only one who is in position to reveal the truth to the King. She knows that to do so would violate the law and would result in certain death for her, but her cousin Mordecai reminds her that she had come to her royal position “for such a time as this.”
Consider the Gibson Corners United Methodist Church – called to go to Ecuador on a mission trip, thinking that they knew what it was all about, but in all actuality, could never have even imagined that the call would last 10 years, and that there is still more to do even today!
Consider Bill Prentice – still a relatively new man in Christ 15 years ago, who was invited to join a prison ministry. It was an effort that would reach out to drug and alcohol and sex offenders. He didn’t want to seem reluctant to serve the Lord, but he would shortly ask the same question that had to have been on the hearts and lips of Moses, and Jonah, and Esther, and some folks at Gibson Corners, as well as countless millions of the faithful over the past three thousand years - “Who? Me? You want me to do what? Lord, you’ve gotta’ be kidding!”
And then there was that young unmarried woman of Israel who was called by God to do something that was even more incredible than these.
Read Luke 1:26-29
“Greatly troubled”? I would certainly think so! Anyone who isn’t at least a little nervous when the Lord comes to offer them an opportunity to serve, probably doesn’t know just how strange God’s call can be! Mary had to have been a truly faithful woman, and when the angel called her “highly favored”, that would be equivalent to a friend of ours saying to us – “Hey – you’re really smart – I’ve got a job for you!” She knew instantly that the conversation was going to become pretty weird!
“Who? Me?”
Moses and Jonah and Esther and Gibson Corners and Bill all gave God every reason as to why his plan wouldn’t work, but in every case, God let them (us!) know that they wouldn’t be going and working alone – that he would be there with them (us!). The truth is that God doesn’t give calls to just anyone! They go to those who he knows will do it in his way and in his time. He gives them to those who know that it is the good Lord Himself who will be doing all the “heavy lifting”, and that our part of the job is to be faithful. But we all still suffer from the “Peter Syndrome”, and tend to keep at least a glimpse of the storm within our range of vision.
Read Luke 1:30-34
“You want me to what? But that’s impossible! I may be young, and I may not be married, but I know how this works, and I haven’t done that yet!” But God isn’t in the “normalcy” mode of doing things! He is in the “miraculous” mode! If his will could be accomplished in a human way, we wouldn’t need him. The calls would simply be “assignments”, and they could be completed with a conscientious attitude, a focused work ethic, and a great, personal effort.
But God calls us to do, through him, the impossible.
Consider Moses – 10 plagues that he couldn’t even have begun to put together, 2 water crossings that were miraculous in many ways, sustenance that came to them out of nowhere, visible signs that would lead them through the entire journey, and if that wasn’t enough, God’s own blessed word that was given by his own mighty hand! And after 40 years of trial, the people would receive the gift that had been promised to Abraham 600 years before.
Jonah – he would be stopped in his head long flight by a violent storm, the crew would cast lots that would fall immediately on Jonah, he would be thrown overboard and would promptly be swallowed up by a great fish, only to be vomited out 3 days later on the very shore that he had just left. He would surrender to the Lord’s desire, and as a result, 120,000 people and their herds and flocks would be saved.
Esther – she works up her courage, asks for 3 days of fasting, and then goes and does what she has been prepared to do. “If I perish, I perish” is her watch word, and not only are the Jews of the empire saved, and not only doesn’t Esther perish, but the scoundrel Haman and his henchmen are duly punished.
Gibson Corners – through their faithful struggle and loving service to the people of Ecuador, a school is now in operation, serving over 150 children with not only the 3 R’s, but is bringing the word of God to their hearts and souls.
Bill – he was scared stiff when he entered through the sally port of that Pennsylvania State Prison the first morning, wondering just what he could possibly have to say to “those despicable criminals”. But over the years, he would be blessed beyond all measure over and over again, and on one weekend a few years later, in the chapel at Waymart SCI, he would accept the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry.
And Mary, too, would accept the Lord’s impossible call on her life.
Read Luke 1:35-38
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Please note this – do NOT miss this very important point! The angel told Mary, and he tells each of us, that the impossible is accomplished “with” God, not “for” God or “through” God or "by" God! With God!
A businessman was asked to tell what his personal faith meant to him. He reached back to his boyhood experience and recalled walking with his father one day, having to reach up to hold on to his hand. After a while he said, “I can't hold on any longer, and you'll have to hold on to me for a while.” And he remembered the moment when he felt his father's hand take over. That, he said, was the way it felt to him to have faith in God. And that it was precisely an act of grace.
It is important that Christians not let grace become a universal principle or ideology. It is the grace of God of which the Bible speaks. Not the grace of some abstract principle of justice or love or acceptance. As God's grace, and not some principle of grace, God is the one who determines what it will be and where it will go. God ... called us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to his own purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:9). But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph.4:7).
- Homiletics On Line
The Lord’s call to us is not just an assignment that we are expected to carry out. It is a measure of his grace that is given freely to each of us. It was to Moses, it was to Jonah, it was to Esther, it was to Gibson Corners, it was to Bill Prentice, and it was to Mary.
Grace is unexplainable, it is irrational, it is impossible, it is irresistible, and, quite honestly, it has to be just a little bit crazy.
After all, who but God Himself would ever think that the perfect way to enter this world would be through the womb of a young, unmarried virgin? Who but God Himself would ever decide that the perfect place to make this entrance would be in a dirty, drafty, smelly stable? Who but the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God would decide to come into this world as a helpless human infant who can’t speak or reason or even understand what is happening. Who else but a Loving and Almighty God would consent to be attended by humble adopted parents, by a group of unclean shepherds who were considered outcasts by their society, and by a few foreign astrologers? And by you? And by me?
God never “kids us” when he calls us to ministry and mission – he is always perfectly serious in his call - and yet, his ways are so unlike ours that they are hard to comprehend, and even harder to accept. And yet, as the angel told the woman who would soon bear the Son of God, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Do you trust him enough to believe that? Do you trust him enough to accept the call that he is placing on your life in this very moment? Do you trust him enough to know that our God is always in the “let’s-do-the-impossible-together” business? “Nothing is impossible with God!”
That’s what Christmas is about. The impossible act being made real, the unworthy sinner being loved beyond all reason, the grace of God shared throughout the physical world, the glory of Jesus Christ coming down for you and me and all who will say yes to the impossible.
That is the message of Christmas. Proclaim it, live it, share it.
For most folks, when they begin their new life with the Lord, it’s an exciting time. They begin to realize a new purpose for this existence, and a new way to walk through it. They come to know that they now have a new partner – one who cares both about and for them. And then a strange thing happens. They begin to sense that the Lord has plans for them that had never entered their mind before – plans that, at first, don’t seem to make much sense.
Consider Moses – In Exodus 3, we find him on Mount Horeb, watching a bush, engulfed in flame without being consumed, and hearing the voice of the Lord telling him that he was to go back to Egypt to bring the people out of slavery and into a new land. Moses wasn’t all that happy about going, and offered every excuse possible. But God had a response for every one of his objections.
Consider Jonah – In Jonah 1, the prophet is called by the Lord to go to the city of Nineveh to preach against their evil life styles. Down deep, he knows that God isn’t sending him to condemn the city, but rather to change the lives of the people, and he isn’t about to go quietly. He runs as far and as fast as he can, but to paraphrase the old saying - “You can’t out run God!”
Consider Esther – a young Jewish woman who has become the chosen queen of King Xerxes, ruler of the Medo-Persian empire. She is told of a plot by a man named Haman that would destroy the lives of every Jew in the empire, and she is the only one who is in position to reveal the truth to the King. She knows that to do so would violate the law and would result in certain death for her, but her cousin Mordecai reminds her that she had come to her royal position “for such a time as this.”
Consider the Gibson Corners United Methodist Church – called to go to Ecuador on a mission trip, thinking that they knew what it was all about, but in all actuality, could never have even imagined that the call would last 10 years, and that there is still more to do even today!
Consider Bill Prentice – still a relatively new man in Christ 15 years ago, who was invited to join a prison ministry. It was an effort that would reach out to drug and alcohol and sex offenders. He didn’t want to seem reluctant to serve the Lord, but he would shortly ask the same question that had to have been on the hearts and lips of Moses, and Jonah, and Esther, and some folks at Gibson Corners, as well as countless millions of the faithful over the past three thousand years - “Who? Me? You want me to do what? Lord, you’ve gotta’ be kidding!”
And then there was that young unmarried woman of Israel who was called by God to do something that was even more incredible than these.
Read Luke 1:26-29
“Greatly troubled”? I would certainly think so! Anyone who isn’t at least a little nervous when the Lord comes to offer them an opportunity to serve, probably doesn’t know just how strange God’s call can be! Mary had to have been a truly faithful woman, and when the angel called her “highly favored”, that would be equivalent to a friend of ours saying to us – “Hey – you’re really smart – I’ve got a job for you!” She knew instantly that the conversation was going to become pretty weird!
“Who? Me?”
Moses and Jonah and Esther and Gibson Corners and Bill all gave God every reason as to why his plan wouldn’t work, but in every case, God let them (us!) know that they wouldn’t be going and working alone – that he would be there with them (us!). The truth is that God doesn’t give calls to just anyone! They go to those who he knows will do it in his way and in his time. He gives them to those who know that it is the good Lord Himself who will be doing all the “heavy lifting”, and that our part of the job is to be faithful. But we all still suffer from the “Peter Syndrome”, and tend to keep at least a glimpse of the storm within our range of vision.
Read Luke 1:30-34
“You want me to what? But that’s impossible! I may be young, and I may not be married, but I know how this works, and I haven’t done that yet!” But God isn’t in the “normalcy” mode of doing things! He is in the “miraculous” mode! If his will could be accomplished in a human way, we wouldn’t need him. The calls would simply be “assignments”, and they could be completed with a conscientious attitude, a focused work ethic, and a great, personal effort.
But God calls us to do, through him, the impossible.
Consider Moses – 10 plagues that he couldn’t even have begun to put together, 2 water crossings that were miraculous in many ways, sustenance that came to them out of nowhere, visible signs that would lead them through the entire journey, and if that wasn’t enough, God’s own blessed word that was given by his own mighty hand! And after 40 years of trial, the people would receive the gift that had been promised to Abraham 600 years before.
Jonah – he would be stopped in his head long flight by a violent storm, the crew would cast lots that would fall immediately on Jonah, he would be thrown overboard and would promptly be swallowed up by a great fish, only to be vomited out 3 days later on the very shore that he had just left. He would surrender to the Lord’s desire, and as a result, 120,000 people and their herds and flocks would be saved.
Esther – she works up her courage, asks for 3 days of fasting, and then goes and does what she has been prepared to do. “If I perish, I perish” is her watch word, and not only are the Jews of the empire saved, and not only doesn’t Esther perish, but the scoundrel Haman and his henchmen are duly punished.
Gibson Corners – through their faithful struggle and loving service to the people of Ecuador, a school is now in operation, serving over 150 children with not only the 3 R’s, but is bringing the word of God to their hearts and souls.
Bill – he was scared stiff when he entered through the sally port of that Pennsylvania State Prison the first morning, wondering just what he could possibly have to say to “those despicable criminals”. But over the years, he would be blessed beyond all measure over and over again, and on one weekend a few years later, in the chapel at Waymart SCI, he would accept the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry.
And Mary, too, would accept the Lord’s impossible call on her life.
Read Luke 1:35-38
“For nothing is impossible with God.” Please note this – do NOT miss this very important point! The angel told Mary, and he tells each of us, that the impossible is accomplished “with” God, not “for” God or “through” God or "by" God! With God!
A businessman was asked to tell what his personal faith meant to him. He reached back to his boyhood experience and recalled walking with his father one day, having to reach up to hold on to his hand. After a while he said, “I can't hold on any longer, and you'll have to hold on to me for a while.” And he remembered the moment when he felt his father's hand take over. That, he said, was the way it felt to him to have faith in God. And that it was precisely an act of grace.
It is important that Christians not let grace become a universal principle or ideology. It is the grace of God of which the Bible speaks. Not the grace of some abstract principle of justice or love or acceptance. As God's grace, and not some principle of grace, God is the one who determines what it will be and where it will go. God ... called us with a holy calling, not according to our work, but according to his own purpose and grace (2 Tim. 1:9). But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift (Eph.4:7).
- Homiletics On Line
The Lord’s call to us is not just an assignment that we are expected to carry out. It is a measure of his grace that is given freely to each of us. It was to Moses, it was to Jonah, it was to Esther, it was to Gibson Corners, it was to Bill Prentice, and it was to Mary.
Grace is unexplainable, it is irrational, it is impossible, it is irresistible, and, quite honestly, it has to be just a little bit crazy.
After all, who but God Himself would ever think that the perfect way to enter this world would be through the womb of a young, unmarried virgin? Who but God Himself would ever decide that the perfect place to make this entrance would be in a dirty, drafty, smelly stable? Who but the Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient God would decide to come into this world as a helpless human infant who can’t speak or reason or even understand what is happening. Who else but a Loving and Almighty God would consent to be attended by humble adopted parents, by a group of unclean shepherds who were considered outcasts by their society, and by a few foreign astrologers? And by you? And by me?
God never “kids us” when he calls us to ministry and mission – he is always perfectly serious in his call - and yet, his ways are so unlike ours that they are hard to comprehend, and even harder to accept. And yet, as the angel told the woman who would soon bear the Son of God, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Do you trust him enough to believe that? Do you trust him enough to accept the call that he is placing on your life in this very moment? Do you trust him enough to know that our God is always in the “let’s-do-the-impossible-together” business? “Nothing is impossible with God!”
That’s what Christmas is about. The impossible act being made real, the unworthy sinner being loved beyond all reason, the grace of God shared throughout the physical world, the glory of Jesus Christ coming down for you and me and all who will say yes to the impossible.
That is the message of Christmas. Proclaim it, live it, share it.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
“A New Way In The New Life”
Scripture: Isaiah 61:1-11
When we consider the relationship that we have with God, and that God has with humanity, we usually speak of it as a “covenant”. A covenant is more than just an agreement; it is much stronger than a contract; it isn’t a pact that can be modified or broken. A Covenant is about a new relationship, an entirely new approach to life - it is mutually beneficial, and it is eternal.
In Isaiah 59:21, we read a few thoughts on the covenant that God has made for us. The words are generally seen as a promise to Israel, but the truth is that they are for all who come to the Lord, whether as the Chosen People of God, or as redeemed Gentiles who come to God through Jesus Christ. He has placed his Spirit upon us, and his word is on our lips, and it will not depart for generations to come. This fits with God’s word in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:6), “.. showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
God’s covenant – his offer of relationship – his newness - is unlike anything created by humanity, and it never ends.
Read Isaiah 61:1-3
God’s covenant is unique in yet another way, in that it always seems to be oriented toward those who are not powerful, who are anything but worthy. And while his covenant is certainly mutual in it’s make up, the benefits are heavily weighted in our favor. These first 3 verses from our text today describe what God is and will be doing for our world, but we also must note that he does it through us. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, ..”, and the prophet continues to list those things that the Spirit will do through those who claim God’s Holy Spirit. His people are anointed, commissioned, if you will, to carry God’s good news, his gospel message, to the masses. This preaching isn’t just scripture, but it is, in the fullest sense of the word, about being God’s representative to the world in every way possible. Let’s look at these words again to see what they are trying to tell us:
First, we are to “preach good news to the poor” – not necessarily with words, although we need to be ready to do that, but the most important way is in the way we live our lives. We are to be the reflection of God to everyone we come in contact with, and to be the good news for those who have yet to hear it. There are no exceptions as to who we share the message with, but, again, our emphasis will be on the “poor” – those who have been rejected by worldly standards.
Next, we are to “bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captive, and release from darkness for the prisoner.”
I put these 3 together because each one is about being the means of comfort and restoration and release for those who are severely burdened with life. These folks come with many faces – they are the deserted and abandoned, the abused, the shut in, the infirm, the challenged. They are our family and they are our neighbors, they live next door and they live far away, some have no place to live and others are shut away from the world. They have lost all of their family and friends, and they have no one left to love them. And we are the ones who Christ calls to bring them a sense of freedom and joy and hope.
We are to share the “year of the Lord’s favor and the day of his vengeance.” We are to be sure that others understand that both are coming, and that even though vengeance is for a day, it doesn’t mean that it will end in 24 hours. But we are to also proclaim that the year of favor will be far greater than anything we can imagine – it will be glory to eternity! And the choice is up to each and every person – it isn’t God who decides which we will receive, but it certainly is the Lord who will respond in whatever decision we make.
We are to be part of the lives of those who are distressed. And not just to make them comfortable, but to show them the joy that awaits them in Jesus Christ. We aren’t expected to take them out of their situation, we aren’t called to make everything better, but Jesus does expect that we will walk with them through their trials. We are to help them to see that the struggles of today will, one day, end, but that the glory of Christ can be theirs forever. Isaiah writes about the “crown of beauty” and the “oil of gladness” and the “garment of praise”. These are the alternatives to the dejection and the mourning and the despair that this life can bring to us; they are the better ways of life, and we are to help others to discover them. It isn’t that the trials are to change drastically – it is simply that our vision and our response to them is to change.
The next section of our text describes our lives when we do follow and carry the good news into the darkness of the world.
Read Isaiah 61:4-7
These verses speak of the glory that comes to those who put the old ways behind and begin to live in the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord. But don’t take them too literally – I believe that the references to rebuilding are intended to indicate what will become of our lives, not necessarily our cities. It is about the rebuilding of our hope, the gift of salvation, that new place in eternity that Christ has won for us. It’s about the discovery that we are working with others who we may have never thought much about before – we may have even despised “those people” in the past, and now we find ourselves walking together and serving together in Jesus name, moving in the same direction and in the same Light.
And we will be seen as priests and ministers of the One High God. Now I know that those words scare a few of you, but ministry is simply doing all of those things in the first 3 verses, and giving the Lord all the glory and credit for what they accomplish.
A number of years ago, several ministers were invited to visit the Ringling Brothers Circus at its winter quarters in Venice, FL. Coming in via the performers' entrance, they passed by the elephant area. Someone noticed that the ropes around the elephants' feet were not tied to anything.
This oversight was pointed out to the handler. “Oh”, he said, “don't worry. We never tie them up. We just tie a rope around their leg and drop it, and they think they are tied up.”
How many of us imagine ourselves tied up to something from which we cannot get away, when in truth the ropes are in our head and heart, not on our hands and feet?
--Thanks to J. Walter Cross, Bradenton, Florida, for this illustration.
Think about it – God wants us to represent him in so many ways that it boggles our minds! He wants us to experience grace instead of disgrace, mercy instead of condemnation, glory instead of rejection, joy instead of fear. And as richly as we may be blessed, it is never for our edification – it is for the benefit of others. It isn’t about dragging others kicking and screaming into the kingdom of God – it is about revealing the choices that they have before them, and showing them what the choice that we have made have brought to us. But we hesitate to take that step, because our head and heart is tied to both the failures of our yesterdays and the fears of our tomorrows.
The truth is, though, that these “ropes” that hold us back aren’t tied to anything except our own sense of limitation.
Read Isaiah 61:8-11
If we can just throw off those self-limiting ropes and chains, if we could begin thinking in a new way and living in a new life, just think what the church could become! The text says that the Lord hates robbery and injustice. And if the truth was known, these are the very things that keep us from being all that the Lord has created us to be. When we deny the Lord’s call to serve him, aren’t we robbing the Lord of our ministry? When we claim that “we can’t go out and share the Good News with others”, aren’t we creating a bias, and injustice against those who are still walking without the Lord?
He has offered an everlasting covenant to not only us, but to all the world, and when it is claimed, in its entirety, without reservation, it is then that ministry begins to happen and grow without bounds. But we can’t continue to imagine that our lives are chained to this earthly existence. We must vigorously deny the limitations of earth, and eagerly claim that we live in the soil that God has created, and that our greatest desire is that the garden that Jesus Christ has planted in us might bear wonderful fruit day in and day out.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
We have the opportunity to be the means of allowing healing and comfort and beauty and praise and righteousness to come into the lives of this world. But we need to let the garden of Christ’s covenant in us become a new way, to be a glorious new life that sprouts and grows and blossoms and yields so that the nations can truly see the glory of God in a fresh and new and truthful way.
The Spirit of God is on us, and the Word of God is within us. So what are we going to do with them? Hide them and keep them safe? Or take them out into the world and expose them to the light of this day? Will we keep them “high and dry”, or will we dare to let them get dirty and worn and used?
It’s up to each and every one of us, and we need to make a conscious decision about them every single day.
What will you do with them? Will you minister with them, will you share them? Will you keep the Good News of Jesus Christ poised in your heart and on your lips, ready to spring into the life of the seeker?
It’s all up to you, you know! It’s all up to you.
When we consider the relationship that we have with God, and that God has with humanity, we usually speak of it as a “covenant”. A covenant is more than just an agreement; it is much stronger than a contract; it isn’t a pact that can be modified or broken. A Covenant is about a new relationship, an entirely new approach to life - it is mutually beneficial, and it is eternal.
In Isaiah 59:21, we read a few thoughts on the covenant that God has made for us. The words are generally seen as a promise to Israel, but the truth is that they are for all who come to the Lord, whether as the Chosen People of God, or as redeemed Gentiles who come to God through Jesus Christ. He has placed his Spirit upon us, and his word is on our lips, and it will not depart for generations to come. This fits with God’s word in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:6), “.. showing love to a thousand generations, of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
God’s covenant – his offer of relationship – his newness - is unlike anything created by humanity, and it never ends.
Read Isaiah 61:1-3
God’s covenant is unique in yet another way, in that it always seems to be oriented toward those who are not powerful, who are anything but worthy. And while his covenant is certainly mutual in it’s make up, the benefits are heavily weighted in our favor. These first 3 verses from our text today describe what God is and will be doing for our world, but we also must note that he does it through us. “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, ..”, and the prophet continues to list those things that the Spirit will do through those who claim God’s Holy Spirit. His people are anointed, commissioned, if you will, to carry God’s good news, his gospel message, to the masses. This preaching isn’t just scripture, but it is, in the fullest sense of the word, about being God’s representative to the world in every way possible. Let’s look at these words again to see what they are trying to tell us:
First, we are to “preach good news to the poor” – not necessarily with words, although we need to be ready to do that, but the most important way is in the way we live our lives. We are to be the reflection of God to everyone we come in contact with, and to be the good news for those who have yet to hear it. There are no exceptions as to who we share the message with, but, again, our emphasis will be on the “poor” – those who have been rejected by worldly standards.
Next, we are to “bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom for the captive, and release from darkness for the prisoner.”
I put these 3 together because each one is about being the means of comfort and restoration and release for those who are severely burdened with life. These folks come with many faces – they are the deserted and abandoned, the abused, the shut in, the infirm, the challenged. They are our family and they are our neighbors, they live next door and they live far away, some have no place to live and others are shut away from the world. They have lost all of their family and friends, and they have no one left to love them. And we are the ones who Christ calls to bring them a sense of freedom and joy and hope.
We are to share the “year of the Lord’s favor and the day of his vengeance.” We are to be sure that others understand that both are coming, and that even though vengeance is for a day, it doesn’t mean that it will end in 24 hours. But we are to also proclaim that the year of favor will be far greater than anything we can imagine – it will be glory to eternity! And the choice is up to each and every person – it isn’t God who decides which we will receive, but it certainly is the Lord who will respond in whatever decision we make.
We are to be part of the lives of those who are distressed. And not just to make them comfortable, but to show them the joy that awaits them in Jesus Christ. We aren’t expected to take them out of their situation, we aren’t called to make everything better, but Jesus does expect that we will walk with them through their trials. We are to help them to see that the struggles of today will, one day, end, but that the glory of Christ can be theirs forever. Isaiah writes about the “crown of beauty” and the “oil of gladness” and the “garment of praise”. These are the alternatives to the dejection and the mourning and the despair that this life can bring to us; they are the better ways of life, and we are to help others to discover them. It isn’t that the trials are to change drastically – it is simply that our vision and our response to them is to change.
The next section of our text describes our lives when we do follow and carry the good news into the darkness of the world.
Read Isaiah 61:4-7
These verses speak of the glory that comes to those who put the old ways behind and begin to live in the Spirit of the Sovereign Lord. But don’t take them too literally – I believe that the references to rebuilding are intended to indicate what will become of our lives, not necessarily our cities. It is about the rebuilding of our hope, the gift of salvation, that new place in eternity that Christ has won for us. It’s about the discovery that we are working with others who we may have never thought much about before – we may have even despised “those people” in the past, and now we find ourselves walking together and serving together in Jesus name, moving in the same direction and in the same Light.
And we will be seen as priests and ministers of the One High God. Now I know that those words scare a few of you, but ministry is simply doing all of those things in the first 3 verses, and giving the Lord all the glory and credit for what they accomplish.
A number of years ago, several ministers were invited to visit the Ringling Brothers Circus at its winter quarters in Venice, FL. Coming in via the performers' entrance, they passed by the elephant area. Someone noticed that the ropes around the elephants' feet were not tied to anything.
This oversight was pointed out to the handler. “Oh”, he said, “don't worry. We never tie them up. We just tie a rope around their leg and drop it, and they think they are tied up.”
How many of us imagine ourselves tied up to something from which we cannot get away, when in truth the ropes are in our head and heart, not on our hands and feet?
--Thanks to J. Walter Cross, Bradenton, Florida, for this illustration.
Think about it – God wants us to represent him in so many ways that it boggles our minds! He wants us to experience grace instead of disgrace, mercy instead of condemnation, glory instead of rejection, joy instead of fear. And as richly as we may be blessed, it is never for our edification – it is for the benefit of others. It isn’t about dragging others kicking and screaming into the kingdom of God – it is about revealing the choices that they have before them, and showing them what the choice that we have made have brought to us. But we hesitate to take that step, because our head and heart is tied to both the failures of our yesterdays and the fears of our tomorrows.
The truth is, though, that these “ropes” that hold us back aren’t tied to anything except our own sense of limitation.
Read Isaiah 61:8-11
If we can just throw off those self-limiting ropes and chains, if we could begin thinking in a new way and living in a new life, just think what the church could become! The text says that the Lord hates robbery and injustice. And if the truth was known, these are the very things that keep us from being all that the Lord has created us to be. When we deny the Lord’s call to serve him, aren’t we robbing the Lord of our ministry? When we claim that “we can’t go out and share the Good News with others”, aren’t we creating a bias, and injustice against those who are still walking without the Lord?
He has offered an everlasting covenant to not only us, but to all the world, and when it is claimed, in its entirety, without reservation, it is then that ministry begins to happen and grow without bounds. But we can’t continue to imagine that our lives are chained to this earthly existence. We must vigorously deny the limitations of earth, and eagerly claim that we live in the soil that God has created, and that our greatest desire is that the garden that Jesus Christ has planted in us might bear wonderful fruit day in and day out.
“For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
We have the opportunity to be the means of allowing healing and comfort and beauty and praise and righteousness to come into the lives of this world. But we need to let the garden of Christ’s covenant in us become a new way, to be a glorious new life that sprouts and grows and blossoms and yields so that the nations can truly see the glory of God in a fresh and new and truthful way.
The Spirit of God is on us, and the Word of God is within us. So what are we going to do with them? Hide them and keep them safe? Or take them out into the world and expose them to the light of this day? Will we keep them “high and dry”, or will we dare to let them get dirty and worn and used?
It’s up to each and every one of us, and we need to make a conscious decision about them every single day.
What will you do with them? Will you minister with them, will you share them? Will you keep the Good News of Jesus Christ poised in your heart and on your lips, ready to spring into the life of the seeker?
It’s all up to you, you know! It’s all up to you.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
“A Shout for Peace”
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11
For many people, the Old Testament is all about a wrathful God who is out to punish anyone and everyone who doesn’t do exactly as he tells them. Personally, if that is all they have gotten out of the Hebrew text, I have to think that they have missed a good portion of God’s word for their lives! Over and over again, we see Jehovah God giving Israel second and third and fourth chances that should boggle our minds. Every time that Israel is forced to endure some privation, it is always because they have brought the trial on themselves. The restoration that God always brings to them is never because they deserve it – it is only because of God’s overwhelming love for the people and his infinite desire that they should know that love.
He comforts, he blesses, he renews, he reestablishes the relationship and covenant that the people have broken, and never lets his displeasure with them last very long. Our reading today begins with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, …” Hardly the words of a hateful, condemning, judgmental God! Listen to the love and comfort that fills each and every word that he gives to both Israel and the Church.
Read Isaiah 40:1-5
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” – God himself is preparing the way for the people to once again know that he is their God, their champion, their strength, their shepherd. And he does it in the humblest and gentlest way that anyone can ever imagine.
Malcolm Muggeridge was a successful literary critic when the BBC asked him to go with a film crew to India to see what was going on with some “do-gooder” named Mother Teresa. Muggeridge tells of watching her work with the very lowest of the low, and he wrote about the absurdity of bringing comfort and affection to men and women who were the derelicts of Indian society and who could have no possible influence upon history.
“Is this any way to spend one's life?” he asked.
Years later, in explaining how these five days spent in India were the most important five days of his life, literally turning his life upside down, he put it like this: “Humankind will not be changed by being taught, but they will be changed by what is caught.” This is what happened to him: the infection called Christianity. He caught it from a carrier of the infection named Mother Teresa, and from then on he has shared her disease.
- Homeletics On Line
Malcolm learned about grace through a loving “do-gooder” who was living out the glory of God in the slums of Calcutta. And as the story tells us, it was “infectious”. You see, we have no chance whatsoever in creating peace and comfort for ourselves – as a matter of fact, whenever we do try to gain that on our own, we always seem to fail in the most spectacular ways possible!
Read Isaiah 40:6-8
People are like grass – even when we try to gain a little glory for ourselves, it never lasts – we are bound to simply wither and fall away. So, since we are so inadequate, what words do you suppose God wants us to cry out? Simply this – We can’t, but God can. We aren’t, but God is. We don’t, but God does. We fail, but the word of our God stands firm forever.
Those are some pretty good words, aren’t they? But how often do we shout them out? How often do we let the world know just how incredible our God really is? Have you been sharing the Lord with folks this week? Have you invited anyone to join you in worship today? Are you afraid that you won’t say the right thing, or even worse, say the wrong thing? Every morning, read Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Do you think that maybe the words we are to call out to our world aren’t supposed to be our words! Maybe we are to call out to almighty God, to seek his plan for our lives, his words for our joy, the love and peace that he wants us to share with others.
After all, isn’t that what the season is all about? To share the Christ Child with others who don’t yet know that he has come? Think ahead to Christmas eve when we read of the shepherds, who, after they had visited the manger in Bethlehem, returned home, and, as Luke 2:17 tells us, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who hear it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Remember the Samaritan woman in John 4? After meeting Jesus as Jacob’s well, and discovering for herself who this man was, she went to all the townspeople, who, no doubt, had been ridiculing her on a daily basis, and told them (v.28) “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” A question that is also an invitation to come and decide for themselves!
Remember the man who was filled with a Legion of demons until Jesus healed him? Mark 5:20 “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
These people – the shepherds, the woman, and the man – were shouting the glory of God to the nations. Not by raising their voices, but simply by offering their witness to Christ’s presence in their lives. Raise a Shout for peace and glory in the world, by sharing your life in Christ with others.
Seems simple, yes? But I know that it isn’t all that simple when it comes to the doing. There is always the human factor to contend with.
Read Isaiah 40:9-11
“Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the [people of our towns], “Here is your God!”
Advent is about shouting out the praises of our God! And just what does he bring to our lives? It isn’t condemnation, it isn’t impossible commandments, it isn’t rejection, it isn’t suffering. The Lord brings, as described in Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit - “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
These are the things of Advent. Each week, we light candles representing these Godly attributes, and each week, we are encouraged to live by them.
A man is flying in a hot-air balloon and realizes that he's lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts: “Excuse me - can you tell me where I am?”
The man replies: “Sure - you're in a hot-air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field.”
“You must work in Information Technology”, the balloonist says.
“I do”, the man replies. “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone.”
The man below says, “You must work in business.”
“I do”, the balloonist replies, “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the man, “you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault.”
- Homeletics OnLine
Are we in the “same position” that we were in yesterday, or last week, or last year? Are we still searching for the evidence that Galatians 5 is an active and intimate part our lives? Or are we secure in our knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that the glory of God is ours for the claiming? It’s certain that the world is still searching and struggling, and needing something new, and they may even be in a worse position now than they were before!
There is only one way for them and us to make any headway, and that is to look to the only one who has made all the plans and who knows all the directions. The balloonist and the man on the ground weren’t a bit of help to each other, and both of them did nothing but aggravate the situation even more. Christians are called to resolve the quandaries of life for each other and not to feed them! But if we just sit on our hands and keep our mouths shut tightly, everyone is going to stay right where they are.
Lift up your voice with a shout this week. Shout a word of peace, shout a word of love, shout a word of kindness, tell just one person that “their God is here”! Be a lowly shepherd, be a rejected woman, be a healed man – be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and share the good news that Jesus Christ is born with one person who hasn’t met him yet. And as scripture tells us, “don’t be afraid”. Just tell others what you know and what you have experienced. And then let the Holy Spirit bring the sense of amazement into their lives.
For many people, the Old Testament is all about a wrathful God who is out to punish anyone and everyone who doesn’t do exactly as he tells them. Personally, if that is all they have gotten out of the Hebrew text, I have to think that they have missed a good portion of God’s word for their lives! Over and over again, we see Jehovah God giving Israel second and third and fourth chances that should boggle our minds. Every time that Israel is forced to endure some privation, it is always because they have brought the trial on themselves. The restoration that God always brings to them is never because they deserve it – it is only because of God’s overwhelming love for the people and his infinite desire that they should know that love.
He comforts, he blesses, he renews, he reestablishes the relationship and covenant that the people have broken, and never lets his displeasure with them last very long. Our reading today begins with the words “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, …” Hardly the words of a hateful, condemning, judgmental God! Listen to the love and comfort that fills each and every word that he gives to both Israel and the Church.
Read Isaiah 40:1-5
“And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it.” – God himself is preparing the way for the people to once again know that he is their God, their champion, their strength, their shepherd. And he does it in the humblest and gentlest way that anyone can ever imagine.
Malcolm Muggeridge was a successful literary critic when the BBC asked him to go with a film crew to India to see what was going on with some “do-gooder” named Mother Teresa. Muggeridge tells of watching her work with the very lowest of the low, and he wrote about the absurdity of bringing comfort and affection to men and women who were the derelicts of Indian society and who could have no possible influence upon history.
“Is this any way to spend one's life?” he asked.
Years later, in explaining how these five days spent in India were the most important five days of his life, literally turning his life upside down, he put it like this: “Humankind will not be changed by being taught, but they will be changed by what is caught.” This is what happened to him: the infection called Christianity. He caught it from a carrier of the infection named Mother Teresa, and from then on he has shared her disease.
- Homeletics On Line
Malcolm learned about grace through a loving “do-gooder” who was living out the glory of God in the slums of Calcutta. And as the story tells us, it was “infectious”. You see, we have no chance whatsoever in creating peace and comfort for ourselves – as a matter of fact, whenever we do try to gain that on our own, we always seem to fail in the most spectacular ways possible!
Read Isaiah 40:6-8
People are like grass – even when we try to gain a little glory for ourselves, it never lasts – we are bound to simply wither and fall away. So, since we are so inadequate, what words do you suppose God wants us to cry out? Simply this – We can’t, but God can. We aren’t, but God is. We don’t, but God does. We fail, but the word of our God stands firm forever.
Those are some pretty good words, aren’t they? But how often do we shout them out? How often do we let the world know just how incredible our God really is? Have you been sharing the Lord with folks this week? Have you invited anyone to join you in worship today? Are you afraid that you won’t say the right thing, or even worse, say the wrong thing? Every morning, read Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Do you think that maybe the words we are to call out to our world aren’t supposed to be our words! Maybe we are to call out to almighty God, to seek his plan for our lives, his words for our joy, the love and peace that he wants us to share with others.
After all, isn’t that what the season is all about? To share the Christ Child with others who don’t yet know that he has come? Think ahead to Christmas eve when we read of the shepherds, who, after they had visited the manger in Bethlehem, returned home, and, as Luke 2:17 tells us, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who hear it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
Remember the Samaritan woman in John 4? After meeting Jesus as Jacob’s well, and discovering for herself who this man was, she went to all the townspeople, who, no doubt, had been ridiculing her on a daily basis, and told them (v.28) “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” A question that is also an invitation to come and decide for themselves!
Remember the man who was filled with a Legion of demons until Jesus healed him? Mark 5:20 “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”
These people – the shepherds, the woman, and the man – were shouting the glory of God to the nations. Not by raising their voices, but simply by offering their witness to Christ’s presence in their lives. Raise a Shout for peace and glory in the world, by sharing your life in Christ with others.
Seems simple, yes? But I know that it isn’t all that simple when it comes to the doing. There is always the human factor to contend with.
Read Isaiah 40:9-11
“Lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the [people of our towns], “Here is your God!”
Advent is about shouting out the praises of our God! And just what does he bring to our lives? It isn’t condemnation, it isn’t impossible commandments, it isn’t rejection, it isn’t suffering. The Lord brings, as described in Galatians 5:22, the fruit of the Spirit - “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
These are the things of Advent. Each week, we light candles representing these Godly attributes, and each week, we are encouraged to live by them.
A man is flying in a hot-air balloon and realizes that he's lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts: “Excuse me - can you tell me where I am?”
The man replies: “Sure - you're in a hot-air balloon, hovering 30 feet above this field.”
“You must work in Information Technology”, the balloonist says.
“I do”, the man replies. “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the balloonist, “everything you told me is technically correct, but it's of no use to anyone.”
The man below says, “You must work in business.”
“I do”, the balloonist replies, “How did you know?”
“Well”, says the man, “you don't know where you are, or where you're going, but you expect me to be able to help. You're in the same position you were before we met, but now it's my fault.”
- Homeletics OnLine
Are we in the “same position” that we were in yesterday, or last week, or last year? Are we still searching for the evidence that Galatians 5 is an active and intimate part our lives? Or are we secure in our knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that the glory of God is ours for the claiming? It’s certain that the world is still searching and struggling, and needing something new, and they may even be in a worse position now than they were before!
There is only one way for them and us to make any headway, and that is to look to the only one who has made all the plans and who knows all the directions. The balloonist and the man on the ground weren’t a bit of help to each other, and both of them did nothing but aggravate the situation even more. Christians are called to resolve the quandaries of life for each other and not to feed them! But if we just sit on our hands and keep our mouths shut tightly, everyone is going to stay right where they are.
Lift up your voice with a shout this week. Shout a word of peace, shout a word of love, shout a word of kindness, tell just one person that “their God is here”! Be a lowly shepherd, be a rejected woman, be a healed man – be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and share the good news that Jesus Christ is born with one person who hasn’t met him yet. And as scripture tells us, “don’t be afraid”. Just tell others what you know and what you have experienced. And then let the Holy Spirit bring the sense of amazement into their lives.
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