“Glory at Work”

“Glory at Work”
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Paul has been writing about faith, and how it is made complete through the “new covenant” that comes to us by believing in Jesus Christ. And the “old covenant”, the one that came through Moses? In the previous chapter, he writes that unbelievers have “minds made dull”, and that a veil has been drawn across the covenant to dull understanding, and that this same veil has also been drawn across their unbelieving hearts. He continues with the promise that if any should turn back to the Lord, that the veil will be taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:13-16)

The granting of faith is there for all, but it can only begin to work within our lives when faith is completed through trust in Jesus.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

Our text for today begins with the thought that it isn’t about us – it is all about Jesus. Now for some, that may seem pretty basic! But the truth is, that for many, they believe that faith and trust in Christ is dependent upon their own understanding, and their own wisdom, and their own strength. The problem with this thought is defined in 1 Corinthians 1:25 – “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

Any effort to compare our abilities to those of our Almighty God has to receive the answer “No Contest!” Paul’s statement, that that the message that he shares with the people in Corinth is God’s and God’s alone, is an affirmation of the basic truth that he wrote to the Church in his first letter.
But this wasn’t always the case for Paul. In those days when he was known as Saul the Persecutor of the Church, he trusted in his own understanding of what the Law of Moses called him to be and do. But on that road to Damascus, during that trip when he was planning to seek out more of those “heretical” Christians, the veil that had been dulling and blinding his heart to the truth of Christ was taken from him, never again to return to his life.

And Paul, the apostle of Christ, now sees his call to be a servant instead of a master. And he talks about the Light of Christ that shines in the darkness of unbelieving hearts. In John 8:12, the Lord says “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Darkness is the way and wisdom of earth, while Light comes from the glory of God being revealed in the lives of humanity – this is the glory that overcomes and dispels the darkness, this is the glory that is the very presence of Christ.

And this leads us to verse 7 – “we have this treasure in jars of clay”. But the “treasure”? The “jars of clay”? And why would anyone carry treasure in such a fragile conveyance? Of course, Paul wasn’t talking about physical items – he was taking about spiritual treasure, and human frailty. But the message doesn’t end with frailty – it is about the power inherit in the treasure of God, and how it strengthens all of humanity who claim that power. Any power or wisdom or truth that any of us may have at our disposal can only come from God. And anything else that may seem to delight and encourage and teach us is only a false hope, and is based in the lies that come out of the world.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-12

Paul offers a list of persecutions that the world heaps upon us, followed by the complete opposite effects that the power and glory of God can bring, much to the consternation of earth! Later in this book (2 Corinthians 11:21-33), Paul offers a considerable list of persecutions that he has had to endure during his ministry. He would never be weakened, he would never be led to sin against his persecutors, and he would never long to be the kind of person that his former persona Saul had been. By the power of faith in Christ, and through the working of the Holy Spirit, he knew that the only life that could make any difference for him was that which living in the death of Christ could bring.

The world doesn’t understand or accept that – not with all of their collective knowledge, not with all of their good works, not with all of their phony “truths”, not with all of their know-it-all attitude toward Christ’s faithful – for the world, life can only be that which they presently are living – for them, there is no Godly purpose, no glory, no hope, no eternity. They have rejected the glory that could be theirs, simply because they refuse to allow the “veil of darkness” to be lifted from their hearts.

Paul understood that the suffering that he endured, as well as the persecution that all of Christ’s faithful are subjected to, is merely a reflection of the suffering that Jesus bore on our behalf. And we all know that for our Lord, the darkness of earth’s death could never withstand the light of God’s resurrection truth.

The Christian philosopher Kierkegaard believed that “Christian faith is not a matter of regurgitating church dogma. It is a matter of individual subjective passion, which cannot be mediated by the clergy or by human artefacts. Faith is the most important task to be achieved by a human being, because only on the basis of faith does an individual have a chance to become a true self. This self is the life-work which God judges for eternity.”

--Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Copyright © 2017 by William McDonald

Kierkegaard also wrote in his journal:
What the age needs is not a genius -- it has had geniuses enough -- but a martyr, who in order to teach men to obey, would himself be obedient unto death. What the age needs is awakening. And therefore someday, not only my writings but my whole life, all the intriguing mystery of the machine will be studied and studied. I never forget how God helps me and it is therefore my last wish that everything may be to His honor.

--Søren Kierkegaard, The Journals of Søren Kierkegaard (Oxford, 1959), 224.

The “passion” and “awakening” that he wrote about is exactly what Paul wanted us to know. Christian passion comes from our awakening in Christ. Our awakening comes from the lifting of that dark veil from our lives. The darkness is overcome by the light of Christ’s truth. And the light that enters our lives is the glory that results when we give our Almighty God all the glory that others might keep for themselves.

The life that the world knows has no passion, has no wisdom, has no light, has no strength, and the death that they will all know one day, is a final sentence that proves the fallacy of worldly ways. But when we allow the worldliness that is at work within us to die – Paul implies that we must put sin to death over and over again, day by day and moment by moment, every time it encroaches on our faith – it is then that Jesus’ life begins to work in glorious ways for and through us.

Sin is death, but the death of sin is glory and honor and praise and joy - all for our life giving, sin forgiving, loving beyond measure Lord - Jesus Christ.

“Hope in the Spirit”

Scripture: Romans 8:22-27

Today is Pentecost – the day we celebrate the revealing of the Holy Spirit, and from him, the blossoming of the Church. And yes, there is no coincidence that these two milestones occurred on the same day. The previous paragraph from scripture tells us that all of creation has been “frustrated” as it waits for the children of God – who are the Church - to be revealed. You may be wondering why “creation” would even care. It’s because everything in all the earth is subject to aging and decay, but when the full number of God’s children have come to the way of Jesus, the Age will change – decay will end, death will be no more, and sorrow and fear and pain will become burdens of the past, and will be no more.

Pentecost should be a day that is just as important to the Church as Christmas and Easter are. Christmas was the day when the torch of ministry was passed from the Father to the Son. Easter was the day when the Son’s ministry had been fulfilled, and all was in place for the unfulfilled creation to begin growing toward its own completion. And Pentecost is the day when the mantle of ministry is passed one more time – from Jesus to the Church, and when the Church itself was revealed as worthy of God’s favor, as trusted to continue to proclaim the salvation of Jesus Christ to all who were still on course toward death and destruction.

Pentecost is the day when God’s plan for liberation and freedom took a huge step forward.

Read Romans 8:22-25

Creation, Paul tells us, is “groaning, as in the pains of childbirth”. And it seems that there is not one aspect of creation that is exempt from that pain and decay – the death that comes on behalf of sin. And I doubt that anyone can miss the implication of these words regarding birth pains! I remember the night that Diane gave birth to our first child. Christopher was on his way, but he was two months early. We went to the hospital, and the nurses confirmed that she was, indeed, in labor, and the labor became pretty intense. The doctor arrived in a while, and his examination revealed that Chris was a double footling – he obviously hadn’t had time to turn yet, and both feet were down. The decision was made to perform a Cesarean Section, and the baby was delivered a short time later. But there would be a lot of pain before the joy of meeting our son could truely fill us. There was the physical pain of labor and recovery from the surgery (mostly Diane’s!), there was the emotional pain in knowing that his expected birthday was still 8 weeks away, and even though we didn’t know it yet, there would be the heart-felt pain a few years later when our child was diagnosed with learning disabilities. But in spite of it all, the joy of discovering who this young man was and would become, buried the angst of that birth night.

All of creation is experiencing some kind of pain right now. And just as Chris wasn’t changed in that moment of birth, he had been growing and changing during the previous 7 months, and would continue to grow, in many ways, during the next 43 years. But creation’s labor isn’t over – there is still more time, and more pain, yet to come.

But we also know that birth has little to do with the one who is born. After all, who receives the congratulations and kudos? Mom and Dad, of course! And in creation’s case, it isn’t creation that should be glorified at the impending new birth - it is all about the Lord and his glory! But verses 15-17 tells us that we are already children and heirs of God, through the witness of the Holy Spirit. So what is this new thought - that we are about to become “adopted children”, and the redeemed of God? If we are already God’s children, why must we be adopted, too?

In the completion of our new birth – that which comes at Christ’s return – we will be changed and will finally become whole. In human birth, the change that occurs is a form of transition, from one who is totally dependent on another for life, to one who grows to become their own unique person. But in Christian rebirth – that which comes when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our life, as well as that which will come on the Day of Christ’s return – will be more of a transfiguration through the completion of our redemption. It will be in that moment that our “adoption”, our heritage, will be finalized.

And Paul speaks of the hope that we have while we wait for that glorious moment. This is the hope that initially brought us to the way of Christ, and is the hope – the promise – that the fullness of salvation in Jesus is a certainty, even though we have yet to know its fullness. But waiting patiently for that “fullness”? I don’t know about you, but patiently waiting for Jesus is not my strong suit! I would be thrilled if I could meet him right this moment!
So maybe Paul had a different thought at play when he wrote that we “wait for [the day] patiently”. Verse 19 tells us that creation is waiting in “eager expectation” for the revealing of God’s children, and that is probably much closer to the truth of this time. We tend to think of patience as an attribute reflecting a quiet, unconcerned, peaceful, controlled demeanor. But the word also signifies endurance and serenity, stamina and perseverance. And maybe that is what Paul had in mind – that we should wait in “expectant and confident endurance”.

Even while there is pain in this life - by faith in Jesus Christ, and by giving ourselves over to his grace and mercy - the Spirit will show us, and enable us, to eagerly wait for his return, and to remain perseverant in faith.

Read Romans 8:26-27

The groaning of the Church, even while the whole of creation is also embroiled in that same groaning, weathers the struggle and is encouraged to stay the course through the groaning of the Holy Spirit. God knows our pain, and his Spirit’s purpose is to help us through this time. He understands our situation in both times of joy and in times of pain, he comforts us in our struggle, he reminds us of Jesus’ teaching when we doubt, he speaks Christ’s truth through us for the benefit of others, and he enables us to serve in Godly ways. The Spirit teaches us how to pray in power, he strengthens us in our days of weakness, he grants us the authority and ability to continue in the ministry that Jesus began, and he teaches us, and leads us, in those ways.

But when Spirit arrived in our lives on Pentecost, it wasn’t in a lack of understanding of our situation or of our needs. Christ understood, and therefore the Spirit does, too. And when we are faithful in the truth of Christ, we will understand the call that comes to us from the Spirit. Jesus tells us that the Spirit can never reveal or teach anything that he does not stand for (John 16:13-15), and this is the great hope that comes to us on Pentecost.

Pentecost is the time. He brought us gifts to use in carrying on the ministry and name of Jesus Christ, and his coming is the reason that the Lord Jesus tells us that we will do even greater things than he did. (John 14:12-14) But that promise will be forfeited if we refuse to follow Jesus’ Way and the Spirit’s leading. (Matthew 12:30-32) The Hope of Pentecost brought great gifts that we can only begin to understand and appreciate on our own (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:11-16), but each gift that is given to us will be revealed in its time; is intended to only bring glorify to the Lord; and is a blessing to us, in order to bring blessings to the unbelieving world. This isn’t ours to keep, it isn’t ours to brag about, it isn’t ours to use to our own benefit and honor. It is all about the Lord.

Are each of us ready to follow the Spirit’s leading in God’s way - to seek the Lord’s will and to reject that which comes at us from the world, to let the Spirit work within our lives, to rejoice at the Spirit’s movement to make us far more than we could ever be on our own, to truly be Christ’s emissary, his representative, to the people of earth, to be the word of hope to the lost, to live in and bear proudly the Light of Christ in this dark and foreboding world?

Pentecost calls us to say “Yes” to the Holy Spirit, just as the 3,000 did on that first Pentecost day 2,000 years ago. (Acts 2:1-41) Will you say “Yes” to the Spirit’s call today?

“Guess Who’s Coming!”

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to many of his followers. And we all may be wondering why – why didn’t he just return to the Father? After all, his ministry had been completed, he had suffered in unbelievable ways at the hands of worldly opposition, he had been accused of just about every hateful and disrespectful act on the face of the earth, and the hardhearted and hardheaded people who he had to deal with every day never understood him or appreciated what He was doing for them. Didn’t he deserve to leave all of that behind, and live in joy and honor and glory once again!

Of course He deserved that, but I think that there were three reasons for those appearances. First, He had to show the world that death had no authority over Him – that He was truly alive. Second, He needed to comfort them in their sorrow, and to fill them with the joy of knowing him in a new way. And third, He wanted to reinforce the truth of one last teaching – that of the power and blessing of the Holy Spirit, which was about to come into their lives, and that His leaving wasn’t the last word.

The Book of Acts is usually seen as a historical record of the earliest days of the Church, which it certainly is, but it is so much more. More than a scholarly study, it is a series of accounts of God at work in the lives of the faithful. It is the story of how the number of the Lord’s Chosen grew by leaps and bounds. It is the story of the power of God’s Spirit and how he changed, and sustained, and blessed the lives of the most unusual folks you will ever meet. It is the story of struggle and pain and oppression, all because the name of Jesus was being proclaimed, and how faith in Christ becomes the victor over hatred.

Acts is the continuation of Luke’s gospel, and as such, is about the lives that have been touched by that gospel story, and its living and growing within the people of earth. Jesus never left anything to chance – and He wasn’t about to leave them with any lingering doubt or question. He may be leaving, but they would never be alone.

Read Acts 1:1-5

Luke begins this chapter of the glorious story by reminding Theophilus, whoever he might be, of the glory and promise of Christ’s resurrection and new life. We read very little of Jesus’ ministry though, so we can assume from this that Theophilus and others are very familiar with Jesus and all he taught. But the detail in this passage comes in the importance of all that has happened since the resurrection.

The point is that even though Christ has left the earth, His ministry has not ended, and it never will end - it will be transferred to his followers. And even they will receive divine help – instructions from the Holy Spirit have been given, and they will continue to be supported by the word of Christ, through this given Spirit. And Luke refreshes the memory of the Church, when he reiterates the words that Jesus spoke just moments before His ascension – that they would be His witnesses, that the promised help from the Lord was on the way, but that they were to stay in the city, and wait patiently until they had “been clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) And that power would come to them through a new form of baptism – that which comes only from the Holy Spirit.

And Luke’s point is that this charge, this covenant, this command didn’t rest on the disciples alone – it was going to be passed down to all who had chosen to follow “The Way” of Jesus Christ. Theophilus would be one of them, and the Spirit of God would continue to fill the faithful throughout the years to come. There would, of course, be those who would refuse the Spirit’s “instructions”, and would shy away from the truth of Christ, but the word of God will never die and will live on through the lives of the faithful Church.

Read Acts 1:6-9

The disciples were still wondering about the promise that they had always heard about Messiah – that He would bring the glory of God back to Israel. They truly believed that Jesus was that very Messiah, but they had yet to experience any glory resting on their nation. As a matter of fact, they had never known anything but the animosity of the nations that occupied and surrounded them! “When, Lord? When?”

But the restoration of Israel wasn’t Jesus’ concern at that moment – His concern was the future of His faithful followers, and the impact that they would have on the unbelieving world! Was ministry in jeopardy? If it was totally up to the disciples, it was, but it wasn’t! It would be the power of God, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that would ensure that the word of God would never cease blessing the people of earth. Jesus was telling them “Don’t worry about Israel – I have a much greater responsibility for you. You will be the means of spreading my restorative power to all the earth!”

And the Lord Jesus returned home, at last! And the faithful were alone again, but not for long. The Holy Spirit would be coming upon them – but how long? Jesus never did tell them when, just that it would happen, and that they were to wait patiently until He did.

Waiting is never easy, is it? It’s kind of like a child waiting for the arrival of Christmas morning – the days drag even while the anticipation grows. The only hope for the child is that the signs are all around, announcing the hope of Christmas day, and their personal knowledge that each day that is crossed off the calendar means that the day of gifts is one day closer.

And as the faithful waited – not always patiently, but certainly eagerly – they, too, knew that the word of Jesus was good enough for them. The Gift of the Holy Spirit would soon be upon them, and they could hardly contain themselves. What would it be like? How would they know? What would it do for them? Would they be changed? Questions and promises, and very few answers – but it seemed that they would all be resolved in the same moment of time.

Read Acts 1:10-11

Sounds a little like Mary’s experience at the tomb on Easter, doesn’t it? 2 men in white, asking the question “What are you looking for? He isn’t here!” (Luke 24:4-8) But now the message gives them even more to think about. “It’s true that He is gone from you now, but just as he left, one day he will return to you in the same way.” And they would have begun to remember.

Hadn’t Jesus told them that he would have to leave? (John 14:28) Didn’t he promise that the Advocate, the Counselor, would come to help them? (John 16:7) To bear witness to Him? (John 15:26) To teach them and remind them of all that Jesus had taught? (John 14:26) And His words would grant them joyful hearts, even while they waited for the Day.

And now they were being reminded of one more glorious coming – that of Jesus’ return. What a day! The Spirit would soon be coming to ensure that ministry in the name of Jesus would continue to glorify God, and now they were reminded that Jesus Himself would one day return to earth to claim His Church. There had been those moments when they believed that Messiah was dead, that they would be left on their own and totally dependent on the mercy of the Jewish authorities. But now, everything had changed – not only was the day of the Spirit closing in, whatever that would mean for their lives – but now the day of Jesus’ return was also being promised by these “men in white”!

Jesus had come from God, and had returned to God. But now that the Lord had left, the Spirit would soon come, and will be given to all who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord, Redeemer, and Savior of their life. And one day, Jesus will return to earth, to be acknowledged by all that he is truly Lord and Almighty. (Philippians 2:9-11)

So where does that leave each of us? It puts us in the same place that the disciples were in. Jesus Redeemer came to die for each of us, just as he did for that thief on the cross. The Father sent the Holy Spirit for each of us in faith, just as he did for the disciples and all believers. The Holy Spirit reveals to all believers, including you and me, the truth of Jesus Christ, and will lead each one to proclaim the Lord throughout the earth. And one day, Jesus Christ will come again, to rejoice in all who believe, and that also means you and me!

Are you as excited over this as the disciples were? If not, why not? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to speak words of Hope and Expectation into your heart, and are you responding to those words? If not, why not? Are you certain of the salvation that comes to all who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior? Are you know for certain that He has freed you from the hold that sin has on your life, and that He will come again one day to free you from the burdens and limitations of earthly life? If not, why not?

We have heard His word, we have received his promise, His Spirit lives within us, and what are we asked to do in return? To simply trust in that Word, to believe in that Promise, to allow that Spirit to work in and through us, and to wait in faith for Christ’s Holy Return. That is, apparently, all there is! And its enough.

Trust, believe, wait, and receive. Can it be any easier than this – to simply wait and live as Jesus leads, until the One returns.

"Follow UP from Last week's Message"

In Last week's message, I spoke briefly about the United Methodist Commission on a Way Forward. I wrote that the final recommendation that will be presented to the delegates of the special General Conference will exclude a "Traditionalist" option - one that would uphold the current language of our Discipline, and hold the church accountable to the truths of scripture.

My comments were hasty, and I apologize for any confusion that they may have caused. While this concept was certainly what I understood to be true at the time, the final proposal that will be presented to the delegates will NOW have the "Traditionalist" option included. That's the good news.

However, the Council of Bishops will be recommending that the "One Church Plan" be adopted. This option will allow each Annual Conference,
as I understand the wording, to make their own determination of what they will allow and what will not be allowed. And I also believe that each individual congregation, as well as each pastor, will have a similar right of determination.

As a personal observation, this will have the effect of simply legitimizing our current situation, and will resolve nothing. But time will tell, and I pray that I will be proven wrong. The following link will take you to the Bishops' Press release for the complete version of their announcement.

Many blessings, and may the Lord God bless and guide our church.

Council of Bishops' Press Release.