Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:1-11
One of the problems in society is that we have forgotten how to communicate in a personal way. We text and IM in a language that only other “texters” understand. We use “social” networks that totally un-define what the word “social” really means. Personal contact only occurs when we have no other option, and verbal communication is something that only news commentators use. Even writing letters has become a thing of the past.
Now we email everything from Christmas greetings to our annual family letter, and we don’t even have to touch a greeting card anymore – we can obtain them on line for nearly any occasion and can transmit them electronically. No muss, no fuss! I even post my sermons on line so you and others can review them at your leisure! Hard copies are almost a thing of the past, although I still carry a few with me each week in case someone would like a copy to read over later!
Language has become a series of abbreviations, verbal communications has become an awkward and last resort process, and personal, handwritten notes are a thing of the past. Letters used to mean “I care.” Mother Teresa once said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”
- Mother Teresa, quoted in News Summaries, September 1, 1982.
A pencil being used to write a love letter. Now that is the personification of a personal letter! A letter that will always be carried within me was one that my learning disabled son Chris gave me once. In his own way, he simply wrote “Dad I love you”, and he signed it. In that very moment, he was that “little pencil” for me at just the time I needed it. And I still have that letter today.
While Dietrich Bonhoeffer was in prison, he and his fiancé Maria von Wedemeyer continued to write to each other. In a May 1944 letter from his prison cell in Tegel, Bonhoeffer wrote:
“A blessing is the visible, perceptible, effective proximity of God. A blessing demands to be passed on -- it communicates itself to other people. That someone should be a blessing is the greatest thing of all, isn't it? Not just a helpmate, or a companion or a friend, but a blessing. May that be how it is in our marriage.”
Dietrich and Maria would never marry, but these words continue to challenge us, even today. That is the kind of heart that a deep and personal relationship can grow from.
Read 2 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul is asking whether they need an introduction or not. Should he and his friends introduce themselves? Should they offer letters from people they have lived with? Should they take letters from these people to show to others? How will the next town know that they are worth listening to?
The answer that he gives is a version of the age old saying “Actions speak louder than words!” The introduction that they need isn’t that they should blow their own horn, or that others should offer their take on what had been given. What they need is the evidence of a personal relationship between the evangelists and the people. “Seeing is believing!”
What if Paul and Timothy and Silas had sat at home, and had sent their witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people in Greece through some electronic means. How effective do you think that would have been? The truth is that it probably would have little, if any, impact on these lives, and the name of Jesus would have died in the air waves. The impersonal contact has never worked as well as a face to face connection.
When the “letter of introduction” is the very lives that have been changed, when the means of conveying the authority are the very hearts and lives that have been touched, when the author of that proof is the Holy Spirit’s work and not some poor human attempt at expression, then others can believe that the message is genuine and not just some new gimmick.
Think about the moment when you finally came to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Was it because of something that you read, or was it because of something that you saw in another person? Was it an impersonal written plea, or was it the heart and soul of a friend that helped you to see the truth of Jesus? Chances are that it was the personal, and not the impersonal. That is what Paul is telling the church in Corinth – be the proof of Christ for the world, and not just a “stay-at-home” messenger who no one ever gets to know.
Read 2 Corinthians 3:4-6
The apostle readily admits that he, as well as others, are unable to proclaim the message themselves and that they are simply the channel through which God is working. Again, the messenger and the message-giver need that personal relationship if others are ever going to hear and respond to the truth.
And then he tells the people that “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (v.6) I think he is saying that letters are unreliable and open to misinterpretation, that they are nothing more than one person’s opinion. The saying “The proof is in the tasting” has a lot of truth in it. You can have the finest recipe, developed by the finest chef, but until you see the final product, and smell its aroma, and taste its flavor, you will never know just how good it really is. I’ve discovered that with some of my very amateur efforts at cooking. It might look good on paper, but unless I am able to translate it into something relatively appetizing and nourishing, it is useless to me and anyone else who might join me for dinner.
It all comes back to a personal experience, doesn’t it? From my own perspective, I have read about Israel in scripture and in books and have had classes on early church history, but until Diane and I went to Israel a week ago, I didn’t have a clue as to what the land and the history and the people were all about. I had to see it up close, to smell the smells, to hear the sounds, to feel the earth, to walk the steps. Reading about it seemed to be adequate at the time, but it wasn’t even close to being the real thing!
Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-11
Paul is now talking about the letter of the law versus the Spirit of the law. It’s interesting that the law itself is never condemned by Jesus or Paul or any other writer. Jesus followed the law of God, but was always at odds with the interpretations that were offered by the people. Condemnation came against the law as a means to righteousness and salvation, but not the intent.
Paul writes that the law is a ministry of death, for it can never save. Only the Spirit of God can do that. But even in that, he claims that the law came to us, from God, in glory. We have to understand, though, that this is referring to the giving of God’s law, and not in the living out of the law in human terms and in human ways.
The law, even though important, condemns us to the point that we can never immerge from it, but the glory of the Spirit is so much greater than the law that there is simply no comparison. It’s the same as reading about Israel versus actually being there. Reading about it gives us the facts, but being there is living it. The law gives us the facts, but that’s all – it’s the Spirit that brings us the life. The law can be misinterpreted, revised, and perverted, and it is all the time, but the Spirit is directly from God, with no intermediaries and no chance for corruption. It is either accepted or it is rejected, it is either the truth, or it isn’t.
There is an old story about the man who wrote a letter to the IRS and enclosed five $100 bills. In the letter he admitted having cheated the IRS [some 20 years before] and that he had not slept well since. He closed the letter as follows: “If I don't sleep better now, having enclosed the five $100 bills, I will send the rest later.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for what is right, is it? It was his interpretation of what he should do, but is there any doubt that the IRS didn’t agree with his stance?
The bottom line is this. The ways of the world are complicated and limiting and messy, but the way of the Spirit is simple and freeing and cleansing. In Deuteronomy 6:4 we read the Shema – “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.” The passage then goes on to call the faithful to wear this on their hands and on their foreheads – the little boxes (phylacteries) that you see on the orthodox contain this commandment. But Jesus took it one step further – he quotes Leviticus 19:18 which tells us to “love our neighbor as yourself”, and he says that this is like the Shema. You can’t do one without the other.
The Spirit is simple – as simple as “Dad I love you.” But the world, with all of its laws and demands and requirements and expectations is so restricting that we can never live up to the letter. But if we come to Christ and allow him to write his love on our hearts, all will come from it.
Come to him today and make it a personal and simple love for God and for those around you.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
“Living our Baptism”
Scripture: Acts 19:1-7
There is a United Methodist document in print with the name “By Water and the Spirit”. It was published in 1996 by the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship as a means to address the debate over the United Methodist understanding of baptism. Over the centuries, the issue of baptism - what is correct and valid, and what is not - has been considered, explained, debated, revised, denounced, and revised again, time after time after time. Denominational splits have occurred, at least in part, over this very issue, and still there is no universal agreement on its proper administration, and even on its significance.
People still come to the church to have their babies baptized, without having even a basic appreciation for what it’s all about, but they insist that it be “done” just the same. And the tragedy is that many pastors continue to accede to their wishes instead of taking the time to educate them in the ways of the Church.
And the struggle is nothing new - it began in the earliest days of the church and continues to today, and it will continue into the future. And so I’ve decided to use this time today to discuss some of the particulars of baptism in the context of our scripture for the day, and to try to dispel some of the myths.
Read Acts 19:1-3
The most basic tenants of faith – believing in Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit – didn’t seem to be all that important to some. The statement “Come and join the church – that’s all you need to do!” has apparently been around since Paul’s time, and is still popping up in some of our congregations. If there is no belief in the Spirit, how could a person possibly be a follower of Jesus Christ? Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), and John told us that Christ will baptize with the Spirit (Mark 1:7-8). The Holy Spirit was one of his great gifts to us – that we would never be left alone, that when he left this world, he would send the Spirit – the Counselor – to convict us of sin and to lead us in righteousness (John 16:5-11).
And yet, these early disciples didn’t know that there even was a Holy Spirit. It makes you wonder just what they did believe!
And if that wasn’t enough, they felt that they had received John’s baptism, not that of God. Today, there is still a confusion over who and what is involved. In “By Water and the Spirit”, we read of the difference between a dedication and a baptism – it says, in part, that “in a dedication we make a gift of a life to God for God to accept, while in a sacrament [i.e. baptism]God offers the gift of God’s unfailing grace for us to accept.” Baptism isn’t our gift to God, and it isn’t one person’s gift [i.e. the pastor!] to another. Baptism isn’t from me any more than it was from John. Baptism is a gift from God.
But we still say “Rev. ‘X’ baptized me.” Think about it, though – isn’t a gift from God so much better than one from a human? Shouldn’t we vastly prefer that a gift of this magnitude and of this importance be one that is permanent? Remember that human gifts never last, but God’s always does. Which brings us to another issue – the nonrepeatability of baptism. Some denominations allow multiple baptisms, but United Methodism allows only one. We believe that since baptism is a gift from God, that one will always be sufficient. To believe otherwise is to imply that God didn’t get it right the first time. However, we will, from time to time, fail in living out our baptismal vows and we may wish to reaffirm our covenant, and that is permissible. But in that type of service, water is used in other ways than in the baptismal means.
Read Acts 19:4-7
Paul reaffirms the covenant that these men received, but he doesn’t place water on them again. He lays hands on them, and they discover, in a rather distinct way, just what the Holy Spirit is all about! They had received the significance of the water originally, but not that of the Holy Spirit.
So what is the significance of baptism, and what is it not? From “By Water and the Spirit” –“Baptism involves dying to sin, it is the newness of life, a union with Christ, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and incorporation into Christ’s Church.” The water represents a cleansing, a rebirth, a renewing, but it isn’t the same as salvation. John Wesley said that “while baptism was neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation, it was the ‘ordinary means’ that God designated for applying the benefits of the work of Christ in human lives. … Without personal decision and commitment to Christ, the baptismal gift is rendered ineffective.” [from “By Water and the Spirit”] In other words, Wesley is warning us that going through the motions of baptism without taking the vows and obligations of it seriously, will result in our receiving the water, but not the Spirit. This is what had happened, I believe, to those 12 men in our text for this morning.
“By Water and the Spirit” tells us that “Baptism is a covenant, as well as a sacrament. A covenant involves promises and responsibilities of both parties; it is instituted through a special ceremony and expressed by a distinguishing sign.”
Do you remember the vows that are taken at both baptism and entry into membership in the United Methodist church? Just in case, here they are: [From “The United Methodist Book of Worship” and “The United Methodist Hymnal” (1989 ver.)]
1. “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil power of this world, and repent of your sin?”
2. “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?”
3. “Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?”
In essence, we are covenanting with God to turn away from the evils of the world and the sins that are in our lives, while admitting that we can only do so through the power that God brings to us. And in that, we also claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that we trust solely in him for our eternal life. It’s interesting to note that we are also claiming our part in the Church Universal. In baptism, we are no longer a solitary individual, with our own means and agendas. We are to become part of the greater body – the Body of Christ – and promise to serve in the name of Jesus Christ with the entire Church.
And this last point is affirmed by the congregation when they confirm that they will love and encourage and mentor the individual, and will pray that he or she will become a true and full disciple of Jesus Christ.
Baptism is not something to take lightly, but I suspect that if people do, it is because they have not had the opportunity to understand the full significance of the sacrament. The 12 men in our text for today had gone for years under the mistaken understanding that they were fully baptized, but it was only when Paul took the time to minister to them that the reality of baptism finally came to them. As a congregation, and as a pastor, we all have the obligation to ensure that others are able to come to Christ through both baptism and personal decision.
Baptism can no longer be seen as existing in a moment in time, it can no longer be understood as a solitary and standalone act, it can no longer be “done and over with”. Our baptism must become a way of life for us, a new beginning.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus offers the Great Commission to his followers. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Make disciples of all nations – invite others to come and see who this marvelous Lord is and what he is about, without any screening or mandates or admission criteria.
Baptize them – not in the name of John the Baptist, and definitely not in the name of Bill Prentice, but in the name of our Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And then teach them to live in a Godly way, in the way that Jesus taught us to live.
We don’t come to our baptism in perfection and righteousness, but rather in need of Jesus’ perfecting act on Calvary and in the righteous life that he alone can offer.
We must live our Baptism, we must and claim our baptism, and we must share our baptism with others in the name of Jesus Christ.
There is a United Methodist document in print with the name “By Water and the Spirit”. It was published in 1996 by the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship as a means to address the debate over the United Methodist understanding of baptism. Over the centuries, the issue of baptism - what is correct and valid, and what is not - has been considered, explained, debated, revised, denounced, and revised again, time after time after time. Denominational splits have occurred, at least in part, over this very issue, and still there is no universal agreement on its proper administration, and even on its significance.
People still come to the church to have their babies baptized, without having even a basic appreciation for what it’s all about, but they insist that it be “done” just the same. And the tragedy is that many pastors continue to accede to their wishes instead of taking the time to educate them in the ways of the Church.
And the struggle is nothing new - it began in the earliest days of the church and continues to today, and it will continue into the future. And so I’ve decided to use this time today to discuss some of the particulars of baptism in the context of our scripture for the day, and to try to dispel some of the myths.
Read Acts 19:1-3
The most basic tenants of faith – believing in Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit – didn’t seem to be all that important to some. The statement “Come and join the church – that’s all you need to do!” has apparently been around since Paul’s time, and is still popping up in some of our congregations. If there is no belief in the Spirit, how could a person possibly be a follower of Jesus Christ? Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), and John told us that Christ will baptize with the Spirit (Mark 1:7-8). The Holy Spirit was one of his great gifts to us – that we would never be left alone, that when he left this world, he would send the Spirit – the Counselor – to convict us of sin and to lead us in righteousness (John 16:5-11).
And yet, these early disciples didn’t know that there even was a Holy Spirit. It makes you wonder just what they did believe!
And if that wasn’t enough, they felt that they had received John’s baptism, not that of God. Today, there is still a confusion over who and what is involved. In “By Water and the Spirit”, we read of the difference between a dedication and a baptism – it says, in part, that “in a dedication we make a gift of a life to God for God to accept, while in a sacrament [i.e. baptism]God offers the gift of God’s unfailing grace for us to accept.” Baptism isn’t our gift to God, and it isn’t one person’s gift [i.e. the pastor!] to another. Baptism isn’t from me any more than it was from John. Baptism is a gift from God.
But we still say “Rev. ‘X’ baptized me.” Think about it, though – isn’t a gift from God so much better than one from a human? Shouldn’t we vastly prefer that a gift of this magnitude and of this importance be one that is permanent? Remember that human gifts never last, but God’s always does. Which brings us to another issue – the nonrepeatability of baptism. Some denominations allow multiple baptisms, but United Methodism allows only one. We believe that since baptism is a gift from God, that one will always be sufficient. To believe otherwise is to imply that God didn’t get it right the first time. However, we will, from time to time, fail in living out our baptismal vows and we may wish to reaffirm our covenant, and that is permissible. But in that type of service, water is used in other ways than in the baptismal means.
Read Acts 19:4-7
Paul reaffirms the covenant that these men received, but he doesn’t place water on them again. He lays hands on them, and they discover, in a rather distinct way, just what the Holy Spirit is all about! They had received the significance of the water originally, but not that of the Holy Spirit.
So what is the significance of baptism, and what is it not? From “By Water and the Spirit” –“Baptism involves dying to sin, it is the newness of life, a union with Christ, the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and incorporation into Christ’s Church.” The water represents a cleansing, a rebirth, a renewing, but it isn’t the same as salvation. John Wesley said that “while baptism was neither essential to nor sufficient for salvation, it was the ‘ordinary means’ that God designated for applying the benefits of the work of Christ in human lives. … Without personal decision and commitment to Christ, the baptismal gift is rendered ineffective.” [from “By Water and the Spirit”] In other words, Wesley is warning us that going through the motions of baptism without taking the vows and obligations of it seriously, will result in our receiving the water, but not the Spirit. This is what had happened, I believe, to those 12 men in our text for this morning.
“By Water and the Spirit” tells us that “Baptism is a covenant, as well as a sacrament. A covenant involves promises and responsibilities of both parties; it is instituted through a special ceremony and expressed by a distinguishing sign.”
Do you remember the vows that are taken at both baptism and entry into membership in the United Methodist church? Just in case, here they are: [From “The United Methodist Book of Worship” and “The United Methodist Hymnal” (1989 ver.)]
1. “Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil power of this world, and repent of your sin?”
2. “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?”
3. “Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races?”
In essence, we are covenanting with God to turn away from the evils of the world and the sins that are in our lives, while admitting that we can only do so through the power that God brings to us. And in that, we also claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and that we trust solely in him for our eternal life. It’s interesting to note that we are also claiming our part in the Church Universal. In baptism, we are no longer a solitary individual, with our own means and agendas. We are to become part of the greater body – the Body of Christ – and promise to serve in the name of Jesus Christ with the entire Church.
And this last point is affirmed by the congregation when they confirm that they will love and encourage and mentor the individual, and will pray that he or she will become a true and full disciple of Jesus Christ.
Baptism is not something to take lightly, but I suspect that if people do, it is because they have not had the opportunity to understand the full significance of the sacrament. The 12 men in our text for today had gone for years under the mistaken understanding that they were fully baptized, but it was only when Paul took the time to minister to them that the reality of baptism finally came to them. As a congregation, and as a pastor, we all have the obligation to ensure that others are able to come to Christ through both baptism and personal decision.
Baptism can no longer be seen as existing in a moment in time, it can no longer be understood as a solitary and standalone act, it can no longer be “done and over with”. Our baptism must become a way of life for us, a new beginning.
In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus offers the Great Commission to his followers. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Make disciples of all nations – invite others to come and see who this marvelous Lord is and what he is about, without any screening or mandates or admission criteria.
Baptize them – not in the name of John the Baptist, and definitely not in the name of Bill Prentice, but in the name of our Triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
And then teach them to live in a Godly way, in the way that Jesus taught us to live.
We don’t come to our baptism in perfection and righteousness, but rather in need of Jesus’ perfecting act on Calvary and in the righteous life that he alone can offer.
We must live our Baptism, we must and claim our baptism, and we must share our baptism with others in the name of Jesus Christ.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
“The Glory of the Lord for All!”
Scripture: Isaiah 59:21-60:6
The word glory has almost become a “throw away” word – one that is used so often and in so common a way that it nearly loses its significance and almost becomes meaningless. The word should mean magnificence, grandeur, exaltation. But for many people, it no longer speaks of any true splendor.
At a worship service during a Kairos weekend at Waymart SCI, a couple of men began to shout out “Glory! Glory!” Their eyes were closed, their hands were in the air, and you could feel the prickling of the Holy Spirit all over your body. They knew what glory is, and they gave great honor to the name.
But what is glory for, what is it all about? What does scripture say about glory
We see it at creation on the first day, God proclaimed that there would be light. There was no sun or stars or moon yet, only darkness and chaos – our physical lights wouldn’t come into being until the 4th day. That first glory that pushed the darkness away was the Spirit of God, the glory of God was in creation.
We see it in Egypt at the beginning of the Exodus. The people have begun their journey to the Promised Land, but Pharaoh has changed his mind. He pursues them, and while the people are terrified at the prospect of being caught in the desert, God tells them “But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am God.” (Exodus 14:4b) And he did.
We see the Lord’s glory revealed again when the Almighty begins to feed the people with quail and manna. In Exodus 16:7, we are told “in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling against him.”
Whenever God appears to the people, it is described as “the glory of the Lord” (Exodus 16:10). When God joins Moses on Mt. Sinai to hand down his law, the cloud that envelopes the mountain is said to be the Glory of the Lord. (Exodus 24). Later, Moses would ask to see the glory, and God places him in a cleft of the rock, and covers him so that he only sees the Glory’s back. (Exodus 33:12-33)
The Psalms speak of the glory over and over again.
The light that bathed the shepherds on Christmas is said to be God’s glory. (Luke 2:8-12)
At the transfiguration, Christ was in glory. (Luke 9:28-36)
In John 8:54, Jesus tells the people that he doesn’t glorify himself, but that it is the Father, and him alone, who brings glory to the Son.
We read that when Christ returns, he will be enveloped in a cloud of glory. (Matthew 25:31-33)
And the examples appear over and over throughout scripture. Glory is something that should astound and amaze us, not something that we take lightly.
Rev. James Harnish, in his book “Glory!” writes
Tom Farmer is the pastor at St. Paul's Church in Largo, FL. Tom is a Southern boy, whose favorite expression is, “Glory!” He says it all the time. Sitting on the windowsill in his office is a cast copy of the word – Glory! It looked as if it had been cut out of Styrofoam, but if you are ever invited to pick it up, it will take both hands to lift it because it is molded in solid lead.
It’s uncertain if the guy who made that for Tom knew his Hebrew, but he got it right. The glory of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, is not some light, simplistic, easy triumph over life's problems. It is not some kind of syrupy spiritual goo we pour over ourselves to hide what is really going on inside us. Glory is not some golden glow in the western sky which wraps itself around us on a sunset evening. Glory is heavy. It is full of God's love in human experience. It is as heavy as the cross.
--Rev. James A. Harnish, Glory! (Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Fla., 26 February 1995), 2-3.
Glory – existing at the moment of creation; Glory - at the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea; Glory - in the Lord’s appearing in human form; Glory - in Christ’s salvation journey that took him through the cross. The declaration that “Glory is heavy!” is, at best, an understatement!
Read Isaiah 59:21 – 60:3
So what does this passage tell us about the purpose of God’s Glory? We read that darkness, by default, covers the earth and all the people. And it is only by grace that God brings his light into our lives.
“The Lord rises upon you!” What a wonderful expression. Think about the sunrise. Have you ever watched the sun come up? At first, there is just a hint of light that if you aren’t really observant, can be missed. Then some color comes into the sky, and gradually, brilliance begins to bath the landscape. The entire process takes about 20 to 30 minutes, but it is incredible! And if you are truly blessed, the sky will put on a display that will blow you away.
On morning when we had a Kairos weekend at Waymart, we arrived at the prison, which is on a hill overlooking the town, just as the sun broke through the morning fog. The sky lit up in the most amazing reds that we had ever seen. 20 grown men just stood there in the parking lot, gawking, jaws resting on our chests, unable to speak, except to proclaim that the glory of God had become perfectly evident to us in that very moment. We took it as a sign that the Lord would be with us through that entire weekend, and he was.
That’s what it means when we read “the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Israel saw it in the desert; Peter, James, and John saw it on Mount Horeb; the disciples saw it at Christ’s ascension; the Church has been encouraged by it and lead by it for 2 thousand years. When the glory of the Lord appears and rises upon us, it cannot be missed.
Read Isaiah 60:4-6
And all we have to do is wake up, open up our blurry eyes, and look up to what is right there before us. “Lift up your eyes and look about you;” (v.4)!
Many, though, prefer the darkness because they see it as a means to hide from the truth of God's reality. But think about what they are missing! Radiance, a heart that throbs and swells with joy, riches beyond all measure! But we aren’t to take these riches in an earthly way - the blessings of Almighty God have little to do with earthly wealth. And quite honestly, earthly glory pales in comparison to that which comes from heaven!
And what is our part in all of this? Glory isn’t ours to have and hold, and yet it is given for us to experience. Glory isn’t Christ’s, and yet, through him, glory is given to the Father, and it will then come back from the Father. In John 15:7-8, we read “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
The context of the “asking”, of course, is not for personal glory or gifts. The requests that are answered are always for the purposes of ministry and mission. It must be for the opportunity to service, and not to be served. God’s response to our requests comes from “remaining in Christ and his words remaining in us.” – not for our glory, but for the Father’s.
Are we bearing much fruit? Are we bearing any fruit? Are we bringing glory to God through our discipleship in Jesus Christ?
Johann Sebastian Bach was not the first composer/artist/author to write on a finished work, above or below his own name, the initials AMDG. The initials were Latin shorthand for the phrase Ad Majorem Dei Gloria which, when translated, means “For the Greater Glory of God Alone”.
Are these letters being written above the signature of your life? Forget the turbocharged Majorem. Are you inscribing the simple letters ADG (For the Glory of God) above everything you do, above everything you buy, above everything you say, above everywhere you go?
- Homiletics Online –
Today we celebrate Epiphany – the day when Glory was revealed to the foreign wise men. They saw the glory of God in the heavens, and followed it all the way to Bethlehem. It was a long and difficult journey for them, but it was never about them – it was only about discovering the greatest gift that had ever been given to earth – a gift that was no longer exclusive to Israel, but one that has come for the entire world. And that is our call, too – to discover the glory of God that is ours in Christ Jesus and then to share that gift with others, that they, too, might come into the “brightness of the dawn” (v.3).
All for the Glory of God, so that all in this world might see and be blessed by his glory. Not our glory, his. Not the world’s glory, his. Not that we might see, but that others might.
Everything that we do, everything we have, everything we enjoy, everything we say, everywhere we go, everyone we serve, every time we show the love of Christ, every moment we witness to the glory that rises upon us and appears over us, every step in our life with Christ – Glory!
Sign your life with the letters ADG – for the Glory of God, that his glory might rise upon you.
The word glory has almost become a “throw away” word – one that is used so often and in so common a way that it nearly loses its significance and almost becomes meaningless. The word should mean magnificence, grandeur, exaltation. But for many people, it no longer speaks of any true splendor.
At a worship service during a Kairos weekend at Waymart SCI, a couple of men began to shout out “Glory! Glory!” Their eyes were closed, their hands were in the air, and you could feel the prickling of the Holy Spirit all over your body. They knew what glory is, and they gave great honor to the name.
But what is glory for, what is it all about? What does scripture say about glory
We see it at creation on the first day, God proclaimed that there would be light. There was no sun or stars or moon yet, only darkness and chaos – our physical lights wouldn’t come into being until the 4th day. That first glory that pushed the darkness away was the Spirit of God, the glory of God was in creation.
We see it in Egypt at the beginning of the Exodus. The people have begun their journey to the Promised Land, but Pharaoh has changed his mind. He pursues them, and while the people are terrified at the prospect of being caught in the desert, God tells them “But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am God.” (Exodus 14:4b) And he did.
We see the Lord’s glory revealed again when the Almighty begins to feed the people with quail and manna. In Exodus 16:7, we are told “in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling against him.”
Whenever God appears to the people, it is described as “the glory of the Lord” (Exodus 16:10). When God joins Moses on Mt. Sinai to hand down his law, the cloud that envelopes the mountain is said to be the Glory of the Lord. (Exodus 24). Later, Moses would ask to see the glory, and God places him in a cleft of the rock, and covers him so that he only sees the Glory’s back. (Exodus 33:12-33)
The Psalms speak of the glory over and over again.
The light that bathed the shepherds on Christmas is said to be God’s glory. (Luke 2:8-12)
At the transfiguration, Christ was in glory. (Luke 9:28-36)
In John 8:54, Jesus tells the people that he doesn’t glorify himself, but that it is the Father, and him alone, who brings glory to the Son.
We read that when Christ returns, he will be enveloped in a cloud of glory. (Matthew 25:31-33)
And the examples appear over and over throughout scripture. Glory is something that should astound and amaze us, not something that we take lightly.
Rev. James Harnish, in his book “Glory!” writes
Tom Farmer is the pastor at St. Paul's Church in Largo, FL. Tom is a Southern boy, whose favorite expression is, “Glory!” He says it all the time. Sitting on the windowsill in his office is a cast copy of the word – Glory! It looked as if it had been cut out of Styrofoam, but if you are ever invited to pick it up, it will take both hands to lift it because it is molded in solid lead.
It’s uncertain if the guy who made that for Tom knew his Hebrew, but he got it right. The glory of God, revealed in Jesus Christ, is not some light, simplistic, easy triumph over life's problems. It is not some kind of syrupy spiritual goo we pour over ourselves to hide what is really going on inside us. Glory is not some golden glow in the western sky which wraps itself around us on a sunset evening. Glory is heavy. It is full of God's love in human experience. It is as heavy as the cross.
--Rev. James A. Harnish, Glory! (Hyde Park United Methodist Church, Tampa, Fla., 26 February 1995), 2-3.
Glory – existing at the moment of creation; Glory - at the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea; Glory - in the Lord’s appearing in human form; Glory - in Christ’s salvation journey that took him through the cross. The declaration that “Glory is heavy!” is, at best, an understatement!
Read Isaiah 59:21 – 60:3
So what does this passage tell us about the purpose of God’s Glory? We read that darkness, by default, covers the earth and all the people. And it is only by grace that God brings his light into our lives.
“The Lord rises upon you!” What a wonderful expression. Think about the sunrise. Have you ever watched the sun come up? At first, there is just a hint of light that if you aren’t really observant, can be missed. Then some color comes into the sky, and gradually, brilliance begins to bath the landscape. The entire process takes about 20 to 30 minutes, but it is incredible! And if you are truly blessed, the sky will put on a display that will blow you away.
On morning when we had a Kairos weekend at Waymart, we arrived at the prison, which is on a hill overlooking the town, just as the sun broke through the morning fog. The sky lit up in the most amazing reds that we had ever seen. 20 grown men just stood there in the parking lot, gawking, jaws resting on our chests, unable to speak, except to proclaim that the glory of God had become perfectly evident to us in that very moment. We took it as a sign that the Lord would be with us through that entire weekend, and he was.
That’s what it means when we read “the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Israel saw it in the desert; Peter, James, and John saw it on Mount Horeb; the disciples saw it at Christ’s ascension; the Church has been encouraged by it and lead by it for 2 thousand years. When the glory of the Lord appears and rises upon us, it cannot be missed.
Read Isaiah 60:4-6
And all we have to do is wake up, open up our blurry eyes, and look up to what is right there before us. “Lift up your eyes and look about you;” (v.4)!
Many, though, prefer the darkness because they see it as a means to hide from the truth of God's reality. But think about what they are missing! Radiance, a heart that throbs and swells with joy, riches beyond all measure! But we aren’t to take these riches in an earthly way - the blessings of Almighty God have little to do with earthly wealth. And quite honestly, earthly glory pales in comparison to that which comes from heaven!
And what is our part in all of this? Glory isn’t ours to have and hold, and yet it is given for us to experience. Glory isn’t Christ’s, and yet, through him, glory is given to the Father, and it will then come back from the Father. In John 15:7-8, we read “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
The context of the “asking”, of course, is not for personal glory or gifts. The requests that are answered are always for the purposes of ministry and mission. It must be for the opportunity to service, and not to be served. God’s response to our requests comes from “remaining in Christ and his words remaining in us.” – not for our glory, but for the Father’s.
Are we bearing much fruit? Are we bearing any fruit? Are we bringing glory to God through our discipleship in Jesus Christ?
Johann Sebastian Bach was not the first composer/artist/author to write on a finished work, above or below his own name, the initials AMDG. The initials were Latin shorthand for the phrase Ad Majorem Dei Gloria which, when translated, means “For the Greater Glory of God Alone”.
Are these letters being written above the signature of your life? Forget the turbocharged Majorem. Are you inscribing the simple letters ADG (For the Glory of God) above everything you do, above everything you buy, above everything you say, above everywhere you go?
- Homiletics Online –
Today we celebrate Epiphany – the day when Glory was revealed to the foreign wise men. They saw the glory of God in the heavens, and followed it all the way to Bethlehem. It was a long and difficult journey for them, but it was never about them – it was only about discovering the greatest gift that had ever been given to earth – a gift that was no longer exclusive to Israel, but one that has come for the entire world. And that is our call, too – to discover the glory of God that is ours in Christ Jesus and then to share that gift with others, that they, too, might come into the “brightness of the dawn” (v.3).
All for the Glory of God, so that all in this world might see and be blessed by his glory. Not our glory, his. Not the world’s glory, his. Not that we might see, but that others might.
Everything that we do, everything we have, everything we enjoy, everything we say, everywhere we go, everyone we serve, every time we show the love of Christ, every moment we witness to the glory that rises upon us and appears over us, every step in our life with Christ – Glory!
Sign your life with the letters ADG – for the Glory of God, that his glory might rise upon you.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
“The Spirit of Newness”
Scripture: Galatians 4:4-12a
For centuries, the church has struggled with our understanding of just what our relationship with God in Christ is all about. Are we servants? Slaves? Freed Men and Women? Adopted Children? The redeemed? Disciples? Who are we really? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?
Dallas Willard, author of the book “The Spirit of the Disciplines” writes:
“The word disciple is used 269 times in the New Testament. The word Christian is found only three times. [I couldn’t find that many, through!] The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples and for disciples of Jesus Christ.”
“For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit and teachings as a condition of membership ...discipleship clearly [has become] optional.”
Given this premise, the conclusion is predictable, though no less startling: Most problems in churches [of today] can be explained by the fact that members have not yet decided to follow Christ. No one yet knows what changes would be wrought if the way of Christ were truly tried in human affairs.
- Dallas Willard - The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988).
Or to quote Karl Marx, “There’s nothing wrong with Christianity – it’s just that no one has ever tried it!”
Read Galatians 4:4-7
“Born under law, to redeem those under law”. And not just to redeem a servant, not to free a slave, but to restore a legitimate and precious child of God. Paul uses the word “heir”. An heir is one who benefits from the possessions of the one who comes before, and the person’s will spells out the limitations placed on the inheritance. But since God is eternal, our inheritance must come to us in a different way, and not through a document that limits – it comes to us in the will of divine grace and mercy. An heir of God inherits the most precious of possessions – life and glory and eternal relationship with the King of Heaven.
But if Jesus was born under law, why did he spend so much time in conflict with the keepers of the law, the learned scribes and Pharisees? The only explanation must be that those “keepers” were mistaken in what the law was all about. In Matthew’s Gospel, we get a glimpse of the truth in this matter. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees over his teaching on divorce (Matthew 19:3-12). They quote the “law” to the Lord, but he tells them, in essence, that this was Moses’ idea, and not God’s. It seems that we have to be careful in discerning which commandments are of Moses and the Law Keepers, and which ones are from the Almighty. Jesus was under the law of God, not of Moses, and he tried over and over again to get the learned men of Israel to see the difference. And they seldom did.
In verse 6, we read that God has sent the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of all believers, of all followers, of all disciples.
Of course, it isn’t the presence of the Spirit that redeems us – that is the work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is God’s gift for those who claim the redemptive act of Christ. In our reading from Dallas Willard’s writing, it would seem that church attendance, or even membership for that matter, does not ensure that we will receive the Spirit. So what is required to be so blessed? We must become true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – following his path, walking his way, claiming his teaching, living in his life. Nothing more and nothing less can be sufficient. It is only by surrendering our dependence on the benefits of this life that we can even begin to realize the glories of a life in Christ.
But it will cost us – nothing of value is ever cheap! It will cost us friendships and family relationships. It will cost the endurance of ridicule, disbelief, and humiliation at the hands of the world around us. It will require faith in the unseen promises of God and trust in the word that has been laid out for us. It will cost us popularity in our social surroundings, it will not receive the accolades of humanity, and it will not be seen as credible in this life.
It cost Jesus all of these things and more, and our life in him will be the same. To believe any different is to cheapen the grace that God has offered us in the Lord.
We would do well to adopt the motto of David: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” (2 Sam.24:24).
- Homiletics Online
Following Jesus Christ is always a costly proposition!
Read Galatians 4:8-12a
Paul had a major concern for the church in Galatia – some, if not a majority of the people were beginning to revert back to their old ways and to their old gods. He reminds them that in Christ, they have been freed from their slavery to these sinful ways, but that now they are starting to surrender themselves to sin all over again. We aren’t told what they are actually doing, but Paul mentions their observation of “special days” and so on – a reference, probably to adherence to pagan holidays, or possibly even Jewish observances. His fear is that once they return to the old celebrations, one thing will lead to the next, and the newness that came in Christ may very well fall away.
The church of 2012 must also be constantly on the alert for this pitfall. How much of the old life do we try to hang on to? Do we still surround ourselves with the trappings of Halloween, with the commercialism of Christmas, with the secularization of other Christian holidays? Do we still prefer the company of our old friends over fellowship with those in the Church? Are we still trying to serve “two masters”? When we tell others about the church, do we offer them the image and way of Christ, or do we describe the fellowship in terms that are warm and soft and uncomplicated – even undemanding?
From Homiletics:
There are some churches that attempt to shine a faint and fractured penlight of brightness out into the darkness by proclaiming “We Want to Be Your Friend” or “We Make Friends” or “This Is a Warm, Friendly Fellowship”. These congregations are often surprised when this faded message fails to attract others in out of the dark.
But it's that very message that is the problem. Friendship is not what people are looking for in a church; they're not looking for friendliness; they're not looking for friends. This culture would have the church adopt as its mission “We Make You Happy”. But the mission of the church is not to make people happy, or to help people feel good about themselves. It is to glorify God and be an earnest of eternity.
- Homeletics OnLine
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be warm and welcoming and friendly. We certainly should be, but that can’t be our mission. The church isn’t a “feel-good club”! It is the Body of Christ, carrying the message of redemption and glory that comes from Jesus Christ and is extended to all who seek a new relationship with God.
Are we doing that? Please don’t think that I’m suggesting that we aren’t, but the question still remains – are we truly being Christ to the world?
Today is a new year. Many are making New Year’s resolutions, which, quite honestly, will be completely forgotten and discarded within a day or two. But we have been given a covenant in Christ that is unbreakable and eternal. The problem, though, is that we can still relinquish our responsibilities as disciples. In this new year, consider what and where your focus has been, whether it has been on life in the here and now, or in life in eternity. Consider whether you have been celebrating in Jesus Christ, or in the “special days and months and seasons and years” that Paul was so concerned about.
In this new year of 2012, claim the Spirit of Newness that only comes from the heart of Christ, and live as his disciple, and not just as one who is along for the ride.
For centuries, the church has struggled with our understanding of just what our relationship with God in Christ is all about. Are we servants? Slaves? Freed Men and Women? Adopted Children? The redeemed? Disciples? Who are we really? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus Christ?
Dallas Willard, author of the book “The Spirit of the Disciplines” writes:
“The word disciple is used 269 times in the New Testament. The word Christian is found only three times. [I couldn’t find that many, through!] The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples and for disciples of Jesus Christ.”
“For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit and teachings as a condition of membership ...discipleship clearly [has become] optional.”
Given this premise, the conclusion is predictable, though no less startling: Most problems in churches [of today] can be explained by the fact that members have not yet decided to follow Christ. No one yet knows what changes would be wrought if the way of Christ were truly tried in human affairs.
- Dallas Willard - The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988).
Or to quote Karl Marx, “There’s nothing wrong with Christianity – it’s just that no one has ever tried it!”
Read Galatians 4:4-7
“Born under law, to redeem those under law”. And not just to redeem a servant, not to free a slave, but to restore a legitimate and precious child of God. Paul uses the word “heir”. An heir is one who benefits from the possessions of the one who comes before, and the person’s will spells out the limitations placed on the inheritance. But since God is eternal, our inheritance must come to us in a different way, and not through a document that limits – it comes to us in the will of divine grace and mercy. An heir of God inherits the most precious of possessions – life and glory and eternal relationship with the King of Heaven.
But if Jesus was born under law, why did he spend so much time in conflict with the keepers of the law, the learned scribes and Pharisees? The only explanation must be that those “keepers” were mistaken in what the law was all about. In Matthew’s Gospel, we get a glimpse of the truth in this matter. Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees over his teaching on divorce (Matthew 19:3-12). They quote the “law” to the Lord, but he tells them, in essence, that this was Moses’ idea, and not God’s. It seems that we have to be careful in discerning which commandments are of Moses and the Law Keepers, and which ones are from the Almighty. Jesus was under the law of God, not of Moses, and he tried over and over again to get the learned men of Israel to see the difference. And they seldom did.
In verse 6, we read that God has sent the Spirit of Christ into the hearts of all believers, of all followers, of all disciples.
Of course, it isn’t the presence of the Spirit that redeems us – that is the work of Jesus Christ. The Spirit is God’s gift for those who claim the redemptive act of Christ. In our reading from Dallas Willard’s writing, it would seem that church attendance, or even membership for that matter, does not ensure that we will receive the Spirit. So what is required to be so blessed? We must become true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ – following his path, walking his way, claiming his teaching, living in his life. Nothing more and nothing less can be sufficient. It is only by surrendering our dependence on the benefits of this life that we can even begin to realize the glories of a life in Christ.
But it will cost us – nothing of value is ever cheap! It will cost us friendships and family relationships. It will cost the endurance of ridicule, disbelief, and humiliation at the hands of the world around us. It will require faith in the unseen promises of God and trust in the word that has been laid out for us. It will cost us popularity in our social surroundings, it will not receive the accolades of humanity, and it will not be seen as credible in this life.
It cost Jesus all of these things and more, and our life in him will be the same. To believe any different is to cheapen the grace that God has offered us in the Lord.
We would do well to adopt the motto of David: “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” (2 Sam.24:24).
- Homiletics Online
Following Jesus Christ is always a costly proposition!
Read Galatians 4:8-12a
Paul had a major concern for the church in Galatia – some, if not a majority of the people were beginning to revert back to their old ways and to their old gods. He reminds them that in Christ, they have been freed from their slavery to these sinful ways, but that now they are starting to surrender themselves to sin all over again. We aren’t told what they are actually doing, but Paul mentions their observation of “special days” and so on – a reference, probably to adherence to pagan holidays, or possibly even Jewish observances. His fear is that once they return to the old celebrations, one thing will lead to the next, and the newness that came in Christ may very well fall away.
The church of 2012 must also be constantly on the alert for this pitfall. How much of the old life do we try to hang on to? Do we still surround ourselves with the trappings of Halloween, with the commercialism of Christmas, with the secularization of other Christian holidays? Do we still prefer the company of our old friends over fellowship with those in the Church? Are we still trying to serve “two masters”? When we tell others about the church, do we offer them the image and way of Christ, or do we describe the fellowship in terms that are warm and soft and uncomplicated – even undemanding?
From Homiletics:
There are some churches that attempt to shine a faint and fractured penlight of brightness out into the darkness by proclaiming “We Want to Be Your Friend” or “We Make Friends” or “This Is a Warm, Friendly Fellowship”. These congregations are often surprised when this faded message fails to attract others in out of the dark.
But it's that very message that is the problem. Friendship is not what people are looking for in a church; they're not looking for friendliness; they're not looking for friends. This culture would have the church adopt as its mission “We Make You Happy”. But the mission of the church is not to make people happy, or to help people feel good about themselves. It is to glorify God and be an earnest of eternity.
- Homeletics OnLine
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be warm and welcoming and friendly. We certainly should be, but that can’t be our mission. The church isn’t a “feel-good club”! It is the Body of Christ, carrying the message of redemption and glory that comes from Jesus Christ and is extended to all who seek a new relationship with God.
Are we doing that? Please don’t think that I’m suggesting that we aren’t, but the question still remains – are we truly being Christ to the world?
Today is a new year. Many are making New Year’s resolutions, which, quite honestly, will be completely forgotten and discarded within a day or two. But we have been given a covenant in Christ that is unbreakable and eternal. The problem, though, is that we can still relinquish our responsibilities as disciples. In this new year, consider what and where your focus has been, whether it has been on life in the here and now, or in life in eternity. Consider whether you have been celebrating in Jesus Christ, or in the “special days and months and seasons and years” that Paul was so concerned about.
In this new year of 2012, claim the Spirit of Newness that only comes from the heart of Christ, and live as his disciple, and not just as one who is along for the ride.
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