“Being Salt and Light in Christ”

 Scripture:   John 20:1-9, Matthew 5:13-16

 Today is the day every year when we intentionally celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  But even while we rejoice, there are so very many more who deny that it ever happened.  They don’t see the proof – the worldly version of proof – that they need to convince them that someone can actually come back to life from the dead.  It doesn’t make any sense to them, and for far too many, faith will never be their reality.

 Diane and I were listening to a John McArthur Easter message the other day, and in it, he said this – “It isn’t that we need to prove the resurrection, but rather that we must understand what the resurrection proves to us.”  Christ’s resurrection is a fact, it is a given, and we need to come to the realization that Christ’s time here on earth would be meaningless if He had remained in the grave, wasting away into oblivion.

 But God can do all things, and will, when it serves His purpose.  So what, you may ask, was God’s purpose in the resurrection of Jesus?  Was it to free Him from the appearance of earthly death?  Was it the only way to give Him a chance to return to heaven?  Was it to create a mystery and test for the people of earth, to see if they could believe without seeing?  Or was there some other reason that God had in mind?

 Read John 20:1-9

 It had been a strange week.  It had started out with cheers and accolades as Jesus and His followers had entered Jerusalem.  It seemed that His ministry had finally begun to make progress with the masses (John 12:12-19).  But then, as the week progressed, His teachings began to take on a whole new intensity.  He drove the merchants out of the temple, which did nothing to win them over to His way (Matthew 21: 12-17).  His teaching in the temple was questioned over and over again, and try as they might, the teachers of the Law could never catch Him in one single mistake. (Matthew 21:23-27, Luke 20:20-26)  His parables became even more blunt and to the point – so much so that the Pharisees couldn’t avoid the fact that He was speaking against them and their brand of faith. (Matthew 21:33-46)  He even began to warn the people about accepting the example and teaching of those self-proclaimed learned men of Israel! (Luke 20:45-47)

 And then, just a few short days ago it all started to fall apart.  The Master was arrested, falsely accused and judged guilty of blasphemy, he was beaten to within an inch of His life, and then they took that “last inch” from Him by crucifixion.  The hope of freedom and salvation had been ripped from their lives.  And on that first Easter morning, it just got worse, if that was even possible!  The body of their dear LORD and Teacher was missing from the tomb where He had been laid just two days before.

 Is it any wonder that confusion, hopelessness and heartbreak reigned supreme in the lives of Christ’s faithful?  But perhaps the question before us should be “why would these struggles even enter their minds and hearts”?  After all, hadn’t Jesus told them several times that He would have to suffer and leave them, with the full intention of coming back to bring encouragement and help for them? (John 12:20-36) 

 But on this morning, fear and uncertainty were the watchwords of the day, and were very likely the reason for the urgency that Mary felt as she ran to spread the news to those hiding in that room, and the same reason that Peter and John ran to see the mystery of the tomb for themselves!  But slowly, the truth of that day began to creep into the lives of the faithful.  Mary saw that the stone had been rolled away and the tomb was now empty; Peter and John came to the realization that only the body was gone, for the linen cloths were still there, folded up neatly where Jesus had laid; and we are told that John soon “believed” - but we have to ask “believed what?”  We read that none of them understood the complete truth in this moment of overwhelming grief.

 The next 40 days would begin to fill in the gaps of faith as Jesus would be seen alive to over 500 believers (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).  But the full impact of Jesus’ words wouldn’t finally fill their lives and hearts until the Spirit’s presence at Pentecost made it all clear (John 16:1-11).  But until that day, they would just have to wait and trust that everything that their LORD had told them would come true.

 And during that time, the urgency of the Resurrection Day would turn into patient waiting; the confusion that had gripped them so tightly would slowly yield to memories of all that Jesus had taught them; and gradually, hope and great expectation would replace the fear of uncertainty that had burst upon their lives during that rollercoaster ride we know as Holy Week.

 And what was the proof that they had been waiting for?

 Read Matthew 5:13-16

 This teaching is found in the opening words of Jesus Sermon on the Mount, and the New Interpreters’ Bible opens an understanding for us in these words - “The life of discipleship is conceived throughout as life within the community of faith, a community charged with a mission to the world.”  This reminds us that when the faithful of Christ answer God’s call to service, they will become like salt, and we must remember what salt is really all about!  Again from the New Interpreters’ Bible - “… salt had many connotations in Matthew’s tradition and context – including sacrifice (Leviticus 2:13), loyalty and covenant fidelity (Numbers18:19); eating together was called “sharing salt” and expressed a binding relationship; purification (2 Kings 2:19-22); seasoning (Job 6:6-7); and preservatives.)

 When we invite the Living Christ to come into our lives, we become “salt of the earth” in His image and serve in every one of the ways that we have been reminded of – sacrificially, loyalty, in fellowship with others, bound in relationship with Jesus and all who believe in Him, through purification and forgiveness in our lives, in leading others to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8), and in the charge to preserve the true and right faith. 

 And we receive the Light of Christ to show others the way to Jesus through the dark and sinful ways of this world.  Being Salt and Light for Christ isn’t some burdensome obligation, it isn’t simply a task that we are to commit to – it is a gift from God, that we might be servants and loved ones of the Living LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 But what if we deny the call of Christ to follow and trust in all that He has done for us ?  Our “light” will extinguish itself, and we will lose our saltiness, and will be good for nothing more than coating the muddy byways of earth.

 It was in those days of discovery and learning and seeing that the disciples, and others, began to understand that Jesus is exactly who He had always said He was, and that while the body may be missing from the tomb, He never left their lives, and faith would see them through the ministries that the LORD had been preparing them for during the previous three years He had spent with them.

 Easter’s resurrection is that important to our lives – it proves God’s love for us, it proves God’s call on our lives, it proves that the One we serve is alive and strong and true to His word.  It proves that there is purpose in faith, a fullness of hope in our service, and it proves that Jesus has and always will keep us in His heart and mind – and His proof will be with us from the moment we surrender our life to him in faith and will be throughout eternity. (John14:15-21) 

 

“Wash One Another”

 Scripture:   John13:12-17

 In this evening’s service, we celebrate several of the aspects in the Life that Jesus lived. 

 First, His servant’s heart – when He took up the basin and towel before the Passover dinner, and knelt before each of His disciples to wash their feet, His followers were shocked!  After all, this was the responsibility of a servant, as a sign of welcome to the home.  But still, all apparently accepted this gesture except Peter.  He objected at seeing his LORD in this lowly posture, until Jesus told him “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John13:8-9), He was telling us that unless we follow Jesus in servanthood, and are prepared to do for others as He has done for us, we can’t be welcomed in Him.

 Second, Jesus initiated the gift of Communion, and called all believers to do this “in remembrance of Me.”  And what are we to  remember?  All that Jesus has taught and done for us, that we will discover His gift of eternal life through the life He lived and surrendered at the Cross, and that we can know forgiveness and worthiness and cleansing through the atoning gift of the Blood He would shed at Calvary.  And what are we to do in return for all He has given?  Simply believe and accept His truth and way.

 And Third, the word Maundy is taken from the Latin word for “command” – for on that night, Jesus gave us this - “A new command I give you; Love one another.  As I have love you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)  Only a life that lives in the love and servanthood of Jesus will ever be seen as His disciple.

 Read John 13:12-17

 Jesus has, in all things, set the example for believers.  And if we are to call ourselves by the name Christian, we must be prepared to follow in the way that He has set down.  No one is greater than anyone else, no one is more important than the next person, and no one is more valuable than anyone else on the face of the Earth.  Jesus never claimed these attributes for Himself, and always acknowledged His Father as the only one who was greater, more important, and of superior value than anyone else.

 Jesus the servant has set the standard – a servant receives no glory or adoration for what they do, and therefore, our servanthood should never be offered to show others just how faithful we may be.  Remember Paul’s words in Romans 5:8 – “⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Jesus never sinned, and we have to remember that we do!  We are not only less than our LORD, but will always be equal to each other.  Our responsibility is to help each other, to teach others by example, and to learn, each and every day, how to be a better and more humble servant to all.

 The final verse of this passage is our challenge to be the Church to this lost and seeking world – now that we know what Jesus has told us, now that we know that we are to follow in the same way that Jesus lived, we had better be doing it if we expect to receive the blessing of our Almighty God.

 One last quotation from John Wesley’s “The Character of a Methodist” – “Let us strive together for the faith of the gospel; walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called; with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, and endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace: remembring, there is one body and one spirit, even as we are called with one hope of our calling: One Lord, one faith, one baptism; One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all!”

      Amen

“Living the Godly Mark”

 Scripture:   John 17:20-23, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27, James 1:22-26. Romans 12:2

In the introduction to John Wesley’s “TheCharacter of a Methodist”, we read “The distinguishing marks of a methodist are not his opinions of any sort. His assenting to this or that scheme of religion, his embracing any particular set of notions, his espousing the judgment of one man or of another, are all quite wide of the point. …. We believe indeed, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God; …”

 And you may also remember these words – “But as to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think.”

 Wesley believed in freedom of thought and speech, as along as it didn’t go against the fullness of the word of God.  And as this is Palm Sunday, we need to ask the question – what would Jesus think about this form of freedom? 

I believe that He would agree!  The LORD wanted us to grow in understanding and love of God, and anything else was up to the individual!  When He rode into Jerusalem on that day so long ago, and heard all of the accolades and the shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David”, I expect that His only thought was “If they want my salvation, and if they truly believe that I am the Son of David, with all that that implies, why don’t they believe that I am and I can?” (Matthew21:1-11)

 Jesus never focused on the glory that the people of earth offered to Him (John 5:41), He only wanted them to discover the glory that the Father would show to them when they believed in His One and Only Son and accepted Him as their Savior!  During these past 3 months, John Wesley’s thoughts have been leading us toward that same conclusion – that when we give Jesus our allegiance, obedience and love, the full blessing of heaven will begin to rest fully upon the life we live. 

 True and enduring faith is not only the mark of a Christian, but it should also be that of a Methodist.

 Read John 17:20-23

 Jesus offers this prayer following His final Passover meal, and just moments before He leaves for Gethsemane.  These 4 chapters in John’s gospel (John14-17) are His last moments of teaching and encouragement for those who had been closest to Him during His ministry.  His prayer is primarily focused on others, and even when He includes Himself in it, it is that the time He spent here would result in bringing glory to His Father.  And the prayers He offers for His disciples, as well as that for all who would, one day, come to His way, are essentially for unity and truth in faith. 

 The last verse in this chapter is, I believe, Christ’s greatest desire for us – that those who come to Him in faith will know the Father and will love and live within the Savior.    But this isn’t where faith ends!  It must grow and continue to spread this knowledge and love of God through the lives that we live (2 Corinthians9:13-14)!  And when we live the life that God has laid out for us, we will carry the mark of a Christian, as well as that of a Methodist.

 Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27

 Preceding this passage, Paul writes about the gifts of the Spirit, and then includes these words to warn the reader that no one gift is greater than any other, but that each one is given, or withheld, for the benefit of all believers!  The Body of Christ, which is the Church as a whole, depends on the participation of all the faithful.  If one is missing, then the Body won’t be as effective as it might otherwise be.  We work together dependently – on God, on others, and on our own faithful participation. 

 Consider the functioning of the human body, and how many different parts work together to accomplish the most simple and routine of tasks.  Here is some homework for each of us later today – imagine that the phone rings, and a friend on the other end of the call asks you to pass along a prayer request.  Count the number of parts of your body that have to work together to accomplish this.  Here are just a few – ear, mouth, tongue, hand, fingers, arm, eyes, lungs, brain, legs, and the list goes on.  Make your own list, and add to it as other parts of your body assist in responding to the request.

 The Church is no different – we have to work together - with the same purpose, and the same goal, with the same attitude, but with completely different abilities and gifts!  And if we don’t, our mission and ministry is going to fall flat, and God will never receive the glory that He so richly deserves.

 Read James 1:22-26

 Working together in the Church, holding the same goals and standards, is hard enough, but when we lose track of what our life together is all about, nothing good can ever come from it.  And what is it that holds us together, what is it that establishes our unity?  The word of God and trust in all that Jesus has taught us. 

 James also tells us that unity will never come if we only read the Bible, or even memorize it, but never live it.  This is what is meant by the phrase “faith in action” – In James 2:14-26 we read that works without faith are meaningless, and that faith without works is, for all practical purposes, dead.  If the Church is to truly be the Body of Christ, we need a faith that is more than a smattering of information, more than a head-knowledge of the word, but rather that which accepts the teachings of Jesus Christ, loves the way of God, and obeys the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We need to be Micah 6:8 kinds of Christians -  “⁸ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

 The prophet Micah tells us that a good attitude is insufficient, just as good works are worthless without the other – we need both – to act justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly, and the list could go on.  “Do not merely listen to the word  and so deceive yourself.  Do what it says.”

 Read Romans 12:2

 Paul’s letter to the Romans is about the hope that comes when your heart and life is changed to come into alignment with the life of Jesus.  The truth is, though, that the “transformation” that Paul is calling for is a life-long process.  The baptism that John the Baptist offered was only a start of commitment, as is the baptism that each one of us receives.  Baptism is the act that James was talking about – without a living faith, baptism isn’t worth even as much as the few drops of water that fall on our body.

 And that comparison is just as applicable to membership in a particular denomination.  In the United Methodist Church, the question for membership that is asked is this - “As a member of this congregation, will you faithfully participate in its ministries by your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness?”  And your answer was “I will.”

 Baptism and church membership isn’t a suggestion for living a new way, it isn’t a nice time like a birthday party, it isn’t something that you do because family expects it – it is a covenant, an unbreakable promise, that you are receiving and accepting from the Holy Spirit.

 Wesley wrote in the conclusion to his tract – “By these marks, by these fruits of a living faith do we labour to distinguish ourselves from the unbelieving world, from all those whose minds or lives are not according to the gospel of Christ. But from real Christians of whatsoever denomination they be, we earnestly desire not to be distinguished at all: Not from any, who sincerely follow after what they know they have not yet attained.”

 Unity and obedience to all that Christ taught and did is what each and every follower of His way commits to.  It is not differentiated by denomination, it is not subject to individual interpretation or desire, it is not diminished by liturgy, worship styles, or church rules.  The sole issue that binds us together is faith in Jesus Christ, without questioning purpose or intent, without doubting the truth of His words, and in participation in His ministry and mission.

 As Jesus rode through the crowd that day, He knew what He was headed for.  There was no disillusion that the words He was hearing were true praise, there was no false hope that His appointment with the Roman cross would, somehow, be unnecessary and cancelled, there was no expectation that at least the 12 would be faithful and would stay by Him through the coming ordeal.  His only desire was that a few men and women would eventually find the courage and faith to share His story with others, and that the hope and promise that He brought to this place would spread and that many would, one day, come to His way of unity and life.

 May the true and complete word of God continue to spread throughout the world, may each one of us be part of that great mission, and may the mark of a Methodist be exactly the same as the mark that Jesus would have us wear. 

 Amen!

“Run With the LORD – And WIN!”

 Scripture:   Hebrews 12:1-3, Hebrews 12:4-8, 2 Timothy 2:11-13  

In today’s Character of a Methodist, the 12^th in our series, we consider not only our walk with the LORD, but the race that we are called to run with Him.  The spiritual race, though, is different from the worldly ones that we are more familiar with.  The world’s races only allow one winner, while the LORD’s races proclaim winners of all who finish the race faithfully.  Winners of the world’s races receive human prizes and human accolades, while the victors, the faithful who strive to win with Jesus, receive eternal glory and honor from God.  The rules for worldly competitions are established by committees and are sometimes complicated in nature, while the commandments for the race we run with God are pretty straightforward – “follow the ways that I walked, and you will succeed.”

 John Wesley tells us that it isn’t about the walk that others are involved in, but only in the one that we have been called to share with Christ.  In his tract “The Character of a Methodist”, Wesley wrote “Nor do the customs of the world at all hinder his running the race that is set before him.  He knows that vice does not lose its nature, though it becomes ever so fashionable; and remembers, that every man is to give an account of himself to God.  He cannot therefore, even follow a multitude to do evil.”  In other words, it isn’t about how others run their life’s race, but how well each one of us runs our own.

 The only thing that these two “races” have in common, is that they require preparation, practice, and dedication to run as well as we possibly can.  So lets take a look at how scripture can guide us and help us in the Godly race that we strive to run to honor our LORD.

 Read Hebrews 12:1-3

 The writer of Hebrews gives us a great list of issues that we have to carefully focus on if we are to finish our race as victors.  First, get rid of everything that may get in our way, those obstacles to faith such as ignoring the commands that Jesus has given, or trying to mimic other “runners” instead of staying on the course that God has established for us.

 Second, we are to run with perseverance, never trying to avoid the difficult portions of the path, but always keeping our eyes fixed on the goal of Jesus.  In Romans 5:1-5, Paul writes that “suffering produces perseverance”, and that when we continue against those great and overwhelming odds that discourage us, we grow in Christian character (or for John Wesley our Methodist character!), and as our faithfulness grows stronger, our hope in Christ is renewed and refocused on His truth.

 And third, by staying close enough to Jesus to follow His lead in this life, we never lose sight of the example that He set down for us.  And what does He want us to gain from the life He lived?  That we are to never give up in faith, that the way of Jesus will always lead us to the goal, and if we follow the way that He walked, we will never go astray.

 Racers in the world are always trying to find an edge over the other runners so that they can come in ahead of all the rest!  But a life in Christ will gain a reward in keeping with the life we have lived, in our helping others to run well, but never in comparison to how others ran theirs.  (Matthew20:1-18)

 Read Hebrews 12:4-8

 Regardless of the depth of “your struggle against sin”, which, of course, is the very thing that obstructs our vision of Jesus, we must always be alert to the world’s goal of making us stumble and fall in the “race” we run with our LORD.  The writer seems to equate our struggles with God’s discipline, with the implication being that the LORD has caused our struggles.  I believe, though, that struggle comes solely through the world and that relief from those ways is available from God alone through faithful living and persistent prayer.

 Of course, these times also give us the opportunity to consider what God would have us learn about His grace!  And the change that comes from the LORD, - the very change that impacts our lives - is the result of our growth through divine discipline.  And we have to always remember that struggle can come from 2 separate conditions in our life – first, when we sin against God, and He steps away from our life to allow our free will to work in those other ways, the world’s way begins to take over, and nothing good can ever come from that.  But there are also those difficult times when Satan challenges us to believe that God is not all that we would hope and believe that He is, and that another diverse way may be our better option! 

 Either way, if God doesn’t do anything about a condition that is plaguing us, maybe we should consider the part that we are playing in the situation!  Be focused, and persistent, and reflect on what the LORD would have us know, for if we are truly walking in His light, and if we learn the divine lesson that is being presented, that only means that we are in His way, and that we are still a child of the one, true and living God.

 We need to keep on running the race of faith, regardless of what comes against us.  Seek the will and direction of our Almighty God, and may His will and way prevail!

 Read 2 Timothy 2:11-13

 This letter that Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy may very well have been the last letter he would ever write before he was executed.  And this passage that we lift up today could be the very lesson that Paul learned from the life he lived in Christ Jesus. 

 Paul had to die to himself on that road to Damascus before Jesus could begin living in him.  Paul had always had a great trust in his own wisdom and understandings, and that all had to change – it had to die within him - before the truth of Christ could become his living guide.  He writes that endurance in keeping God’s truth is a vital necessity as we walk that road of faith with our LORD.  But if we ever think that the “former self” was far better than the “new person” that faith in Jesus can bring, we will have stepped away from Jesus, and God will step away from us.

 But even in our lack of faith, even in our denial of God’s great work in Christ, divine hope will continue to call us back to the race and way that Jesus has already run for us.  Paul wrote this letter as an encouragement to the next generation of church leaders, as well as for all who would, one day, follow in the path and way of Jesus. 

 There will be days when that way will be gentle and refreshing and blessed, and others when it feels like you are running a race of frustration, a race to save your life.  Either way, remember that the life, the glory, the love, and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ is the only hope that you will ever be able to count on.

Wesley wrote “No corrupt communication ever comes out of his mouth, as is all that which is not good, to the use of edifying, not fit to minister grace to the hearers.  But whatsoever things ae pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are justly of good report, he thinks and speaks, and acts, adorning the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ in all things.”

 May your “race” in Christ bring many opportunities, joys, and blessings through the life you live with Him.