Thirsty?

Exodus 17:1-7; John 4:5-42
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
First Presbyterian Church, Belle Vernon/Rostraver Township
March 16, 2020

Click here to watch the worship service

Click for copy of this week’s bulletin

Did you know that the body needs about 3 quarts of water a day to operate efficiently? It helps break up and soften food. The blood, which is 90 percent H2O carries nutrients to the cells. As a cooling agent, water regulates our temperature through perspiration. And without its lubricating properties, our joints and muscles would grind and creak like unused parts of some old rusty machinery.  Source Unknown.

Water is important.  Someone told me, “I drink lots of liquids—coffee, soda, juice, etc.—I don’t need water.  Did you also know that drinking exclusively those things can dehydrate your body?  Coffee and tea and colas and citrus juices have diuretic properties.  While that can be good when we’ve had too much salt or are a bit puffy, losing too much loss water causes our tissues to break down and our organs to suffer.  Dehydration symptoms include mental and emotional fatigue, headaches and a clouded mind, muscle cramps and fatigue, dry mouth and bad breath, and dare I say, constipation, among others. 

Without water, we become thirsty, and when we fill that thirst with things that don’t benefit us, we develop an even greater thirst and find ourselves deeper and deeper in poor health.

A woman came to a well one day.  She needed water.  She was thirsty for water, but on that momentous day, she realized that she had an even greater thirst.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we look into Jesus’ conversation with the woman at the well, we come to you and we pray, Lord, that you would speak to our hearts, speak to our minds and to our spirits, and help us to be further transformed into the image of your dear Son. Amen.

I think the lectionary’s question for us today is:  Are you thirsty?  And further, For what are you thirsting?  Science tells us that the same signals in the brain are ticked when we are hungry or thirsty, and sometimes we get confused between the two.  But more so, we become confused as to the focus of this need within us, and we seek to fill it with whatever seems will slake our hunger or thirst. 

We don’t know the name of the woman who met Jesus at the well.  However, we do know a bit about her.  Let’s look at her situation and her interaction with Jesus as we seek to unpack the principles God is giving us today.

Going to the Well

Jesus and his disciples had been at a place named Aenon, a place of abundant waters, but Jesus was tired and wanted to go to Galilee.  The fastest route was through Samaria.  John tells us he went to a town in Samaria, Sychar.  This was a strange occurrence for several reasons.

Jacob had purchased this plot of land many years before.  Jacob dug the well and named it El Elohe Israel, which means El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel  (Genesis 33:18, 19).   Jacob then gave the property to Joseph (Genesis 48:22), and there Joseph’s body was buried after the exodus from Egypt (Joshua 24:22).  The well still exists today.

Samaritans and Jews were sworn enemies.  Around 720 B.C. The Assyrians invaded and shifted people out of and into the Samaritan area, as was the custom among conquering peoples.  The Samaritans’ blood line was intermingled with Gentiles (2 Kings 17:24).  They lost their racial purity, an unforgiveable crime to the Jews.

Thirsting, but for what? 

We find ourselves thirsting for many things, and the woman at the well was no different.  Yes, she came to get water, but the circumstances of her visit to the well tell a lot about her.

She came at midday.  The Jewish day ran from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., so midday would have been noon.  Women normally came to the well to gather water early or late in the day, but never at noon.  It was the heat of the day, and who wants to stand around gossiping in the heat of the day!  In fact, the well was a place of community and communication. 

But this woman comes at noon, and no one is around.  There may be several reasons.  Perhaps she had a bad reputation and the other women didn’t want her around, or maybe she felt guilty and ashamed, so she avoided the others. 

In the Bible, thirsting doesn’t always refer to physical thirst. 
·The Jews often spoke of the soul thirsting for God (Psalm 42:2; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 143:6)
·of God’s provision to quench the thirst of their souls (Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1; Revelation 21:6; 22:17);
·yet we often thirst for and seek after things that can never quench our thirst or quell our hunger (Job 5:5, The hungry consume his harvest, taking it even from among thorns, and the thirsty pant after his wealth; Matthew 6:31-32).

We seek after things that we think will fulfill us or slake our thirst, but find ourselves thirsty.  Professor Daniel Yankelovich of New York University did a study on “self-fulfilled” people, asking “What is self-fulfillment?” he asks. And “When you find yourself, what will you do with yourself?”  He admits that his study determined that the search for self-fulfillment has been futile.

This passage identifies Jesus as a boundary breaker, a prejudice crusher, a healer of discord.  His reputation mattered not in the light of a soul that was hurting and thirsty.

Living Water for the Deepest Thirst

We’ve concluded that our subject had something to hide, some shame or embarrassment or something that kept her from the main flow of society.  She came to the well for water, but she was most definitely searching for more than that.  In a conversation that was impossible, that a Jewish rabbi would talk to any woman, but a Samaritan woman at that, was unheard of.  She marveled at his request.

Like Nicodemus, Jesus makes a statement, which she totally misinterprets.  “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
Listen, sister, this water only fills, temporal thirst temporarily, but the water I have will make you whole.  But still she doesn’t understand.
“How will you draw water when you don’t have a bucket?  How can you give me water?”  Just like Nicodemus, “How can I be born again?”
She then jokingly tells Jesus, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”  She completely misses the point.  It isn’t about continuing her life as it is, but in her life being completely changed.When God calls us to task, when God offers us beauty for ashes, healing for division, restoration from our losses, we often avoid the subject, seeking to avoid the call, to end around the conviction poking at our hearts, so Jesus changes the subject.

“Go, call your husband and come back.”  “I don’t have a husband.”    She didn’t have a husband, but she was living with a man.  In fact, she had five husbands before him.  Jesus knew all about her pain, her shame, her selfishness, her self-indulgence, and on and on. She was filling her spiritual thirst with many things, but with no progress or release. 

Augustine wrote in The Confessions of Saint Augustine:   Sin comes when we take a perfectly natural desire or longing or ambition and try desperately to fulfill it without God. Not only is it sin, it is a perverse distortion of the image of the Creator in us. All these good things, and all our security, are rightly found only and completely in him.

In an instant she is called to task before a holy God, before the Messiah, and all that she had hidden, feared, and sought to avoid was out in the open before Him.  She suddenly caught sight of herself
William Barclay says in his commentary on John:  No man ever really sees himself until he sees himself in the presence of Christ; and then he is appalled at the sight.

Jesus comes knocking on the door of our house, and we let him in , but only in the foyer.  We don’t want him in the side rooms where the mess is.  But he keeps knocking, and knocking, on each door to open up the wounds, and the failures, and the pain so that it can be healed.

In that moment she found healing and restoration.  Perfect?  Probably not.  She had a lot of knots to untie, but she was on her way.  And she became the first evangelist.
28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

This woman, who hid because of her shame, who was an outcast, who was so thirsty that she did whatever she could to quench her thirst . . . but to no avail, found release in Christ and became the first evangelist to the “gentiles,” spreading the word about Jesus.

Like the woman at the well, we all have areas of our lives that we would like to keep hidden.  Failures, willing sin, shame that belongs to us and to those around us.  Like the woman at the well we have spent our lives seeking acceptance, love, fulfillment, self-realization, success, only to realize that in us there is nothing good and in this world nothing that fulfills.  So we put on a brave face and hide the shame, the pain, the hurt a little deeper.  Until Jesus walks in.

As believers in Christ we are supposed to be healed and delivered and happy and blessed and downright filled with joy.  But like the woman at the well, we are on a journey.  Each day God calls us deeper into the depths of God’s healing mercy and grace.  Our church’s invitation, “join us on the journey,” is pretty vague, but in this context, I invite you, every one of you, to join me on this Lenten journey.  Join me as we open our hearts to God and to one another, as we stop chasing the things that don’t fulfill, and open our hearts more fully to the God of all grace and mercy, who seeks to fill us.  And then, as our thirst is quenched, let us together spread the word to this community about the Living Water.  Amen.

What Do You Say?

Sermon at First United Presbyterian Church, September 8, 2019
By Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Isaiah 51:1-11; Matthew 16:13-20

An atheist was spending a quiet day fishing when suddenly his boat was attacked by the Loch Ness monster. In one easy flip, the beast tossed him and his boat high into the air. Then it opened its mouth to swallow both.  As the man sailed head over heels, he cried out, ‘Oh, my God! Help me!’

At once, the ferocious attack scene froze in place, and as the atheist hung in mid-air, a booming voice came down from the clouds, ‘I thought you didn’t believe in Me!’

Come on God, give me a break!!’ the man pleaded. ‘Two minutes ago I didn’t believe in the Loch Ness monster either!’

The disciples had been following Jesus for several years now.  They had seen him do miracles like healing the sick, raising the dead, setting free those who were possessed by evil spirits, and feeding the 5000 with a small boy’s lunch.  They had listened to His teachings and left everything behind to follow Him.

Jesus asked them, these men who had left everything behind:  “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”  And today, I ask you, “Who do YOU say the Son of Man Is?”

1.            What do “they” say?      v 13

I don’t know about you, but I always thought my mother knew a lot of people.  In fact, every time we got into a discussion, she would tell me what all her acquaintances believed.  “You know, Mary Kay, they say. . . “  It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I started to ask her, “Just who are ‘they’?”  She never was able to give me an answer!

a.            Jesus asked the disciples what people thought of him.  He wasn’t looking for a compliment.  He wasn’t fishing for praise.  He sincerely wanted to know.  The disciples came up with four answers

i.              John the Baptist—John was identified as the spiritual successor of the prophet Elijah.  As such he was a prophet of God.  John had a great following of people who heard his call to repentance and sincerely desired to serve God.  John had already been murdered by King Herod and the behest of his stepdaughter and his wife.  Some people believed that John had been brought back to life in the form of Jesus, that Jesus was a prophet of God, but not the Messiah.  Even Herod had this opinion  “16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”  (Mark 6:14) 

ii.             Elijah—The great prophet who never died but was taken to heaven by a flaming chariot (2 Kings 2:9-12).  Malachi (3:1) prophesied of a messenger preparing God’s way, and in Malachi 4:5:  5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.  Not yet ready to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, they conferred on him the name of the great prophet, not divinity.

iii.            Jeremiah—We spoke of Jeremiah’s call last week.  He preached judgment and hard words about the people’s trust in the Temple rather than God.  Similarities:

1.            Both wept over Jerusalem

2.            Both became “enemies of the state” because of their  preaching

3.            Both rejected Temple worship as corrupt and beyond repair

4.            Both were misunderstood and persecuted and rejected by religious leaders

5.            Yet neither abandoned the Jewish people and both offered God’s comfort and hope.

iv.           One of the prophets—Just as many religions think of Jesus today, including Judaism and Islam.  He was a good man, a prophet who spoke with wisdom, but nothing other than that.

2.            Then Jesus asked, “Who do YOU say I am?” 

a.            It had been three years since Peter first began to follow Jesus. 

i.              In John 1:41-42, Peter answered the call after his brother Andrew told him, “We have found the Messiah.”  But shortly after went back to fishing.

ii.             A year later Peter called Jesus “Lord” (Luke 5:8).  Lord—kyrios (Greek)  usually translated lord or master.  In classical Athens it referred to the head of the household.  Adonai (Hebrew) .  Early in his ministry, Jesus may have been called “Lord” as a statement of respect as a teacher, not necessarily as the LORD of the Old Testament.  Think of Lords and Ladies in England.

iii.            Half a year after that he called Jesus “the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).   Holy:  one set apart to God.  In the Old Testament, the phrase “the Holy (anointed) One of Israel” is applied to King David.”  It is possible that this appellation by Peter at that time, and by the demons in Luke 4:41, testified that Jesus was anointed by God, as was David, but that they weren’t quite sold that he was the Messiah. 

iv.           Now, after two-and-a-half years of traveling with Jesus he testifies, “You are the Messiah, (Hebrew Mashiach, Greek Christos) the Son of the living God.” “the anointed one” or “the chosen one.”  In the Old Testament, one was anointed to service signifying God’s power poured out on the person to do God’s will.

b.            Understand that this confession by Peter, speaking for all the disciples, was a tremendous commitment to make.  For hundreds of years the people of God had been waiting for the Promised One, the One who would redeem them from the hands of their enemies, who would overthrow evil and restore Israel to its glory. 

The disciples at this point believed, as we read last week, that Jesus had the words of life (John 6:68) but if they identified with Him, they, too would be reviled and persecuted.

c.             Isaiah had a lot to say about who the Messiah would be

i.              He grew up; in other words, the Messiah would be human like us.

ii.             He had no beauty or majesty—there would be nothing in his appearance to tell us who he was.

iii.            He was despised.  We held him in low esteem.  Consider how we treat our Savior, how we treat his house, his call on our lives.

iv.           He took up our pain and bore our suffering—a prefiguring of Jesus’ crucifixion

v.            Yet we considered him punished by God—The Jews shouted at Jesus on the cross:  Mark 15:32 Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

vi.           He took the punishment for our sins: v. 5  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

vii.          And yet this was God’s will:  v. 10  Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days,  and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 11 After he has suffered, he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied; by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

CONCLUSION

Today we are privileged to be part of a wonderful experience.  Four young men who were baptized into this congregation as infants, whose parents and grandparents have kept their covenant to raise them in the faith, they will today make commitments much like Peter’s.  In a few minutes they will stand before you and make that baptismal covenant for themselves, stating that they reject sin and Satan, that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, that because of God’s gift of a Redeemer they will be faithful disciples and participants in the church’s teaching and work.

It was 1741, and an old man was wandering the streets of London. At this point, he was angry at life. His mind kept going back to the time when he was famous and had the applause of royalty and the elite of London. But now his mind was full of despair and hopelessness about the future, for the applause was gone. Others were now in the spotlight and envy began to possess him. Added to that, a cerebral hemorrhage paralyzed his right side. He could no longer write, and doctors gave little hope for recovery. The old composer traveled to France and began to soak in the baths which were said to have healing effects. The hot mineral baths seemed to help, and his health began to improve. Eventually, he was able to write once more, and his success returned.

But then he faced another reversal. Queen Caroline, who had been his staunch supporter, died. England found itself on hard economic times, and heating large auditoriums for concerts was not permitted. His performances were canceled, and he began to wonder where God was.

Then one night, as George Frederick Handel returned from his walk, Charles Jennens was waiting at his home. Jennens explained that he had just finished writing a text for a musical that covered both the Old and New Testaments and believed that Handel was the man to set it to music. Handel was indifferent as he began to read the words which Jennens had put together. But then his eyes fell on such words as ‘He was despised, rejected of men. . . he looked for someone to have pity on him, but there was no man; neither found he any to comfort him.’ His eyes raced ahead to the words: ‘He trusted in God. . . God did not leave his soul in hell. . . He will give you rest.’ And finally, his eyes stopped on the words: ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth.’ He became aware of the presence of God. He was aware in a new and profound way, and as he picked up his pen the Spirit of God was moving, and music seemed to flow through him. He finished the first part in only seven days. The second section was completed in six days.

Many will remember that when the classical work was first performed in London, and the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ was sung by the choir, King George II was so moved that he stood to his feet. To this day, people still rise to their feet as the great chorus is sung in praise to God.

In reflecting on Handel’s Messiah, Joseph E. McCabe wrote: “Never again are we to look at the stars, as we did when we were children, and wonder how far it is to God. A being outside our world would be a spectator, looking on but taking no part in this life, where we try to be brave despite all the bafflement. A God who created, and withdrew, could be mighty, but he could not be love. Who could love a God remote, when suffering is our lot? Our God is closer than our problems, for they are out there to be faced; He is here, beside us, Emmanuel.”

So I ask you today, “What do you say?”  Who do you say Jesus is? 

What are you looking for in a Savior today? 

Someone who is a good teacher, someone with good ideas and suggestions for a moral life? 

Is your savior a prophet of God who teaches what God wants from us, but without authority over your life? 

Is the savior you are looking for one who will do what you want, a savior who is good looking and acceptable in your circle of friends, someone who you would invite to the club, who wouldn’t embarrass you by making moral demands on them?

Is the savior you are looking for someone who will give you what you want,

wink at your choices, because, you know, God understands, who will approve of  your lifestyle, and excuse you because it doesn’t really matter?

Or is the Savior you serve, the One you commit to follow, the Anointed One of God who came to take up our pain, be the offering for our sin, to show us the way to live and love and know God, who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, and was led like a lamb to the slaughter, did not open his mouth to defend himself because He came to suffer and die and was buried, the One who rose again and reigns at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, who is still relevant and who calls us to be set apart to God, as well, so that God might be glorified in us?. 

If that’s the Savior you want, the One you serve and will serve, I invite you to, with the confirmands in a few minutes, reaffirm your baptismal vows, to say “I Do” to turning away from the ways of sin and renouncing evil and its power in the world, to testify “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior,” and to say “I will, with God’s help” be a faithful disciple and devote yourself to the church’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 

We are on a journey.  It took Peter three years to admit what he always knew deep in his heart, that Jesus is Lord, the Christ, the Messiah.  The baptismal covenant is the beginning of a journey of faith and change and transformation.  Never lose hope because the God who has called you is faithful.  Amen.

Do You Love Me?

A sermon on John 21:1-18 at First United Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Houston, PA
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt Interim Pastor
Click here for Video or Audio only

In the production of Fiddler on the Roof, Tevya asks his wife of 25 years, Golde, “Do you love me?”
Her answer, “Do I what?” 
“Do you love me?”
“Do I love you?”
And then she complains, “Our daughters are getting married, there’s trouble in the town.  There’s so much going on!”
“I know! “ he says, “But do you love me?”  He was seeking to know.
“For 25 years I lived with him, I fought with him, I starved with him. 
For 25 years my bed is his, if that’s not love, what is?”
“So you do love me?”
“Yes,” she says, “I suppose I do!”
And he answers, “I suppose I love you, too.”

I suppose if the breakfast by the Galilee was made into a musical it would go something like this:

Jesus:  Simon Peter, do you love me?

Simon Peter (looking astonished):
“Do I Love You?
For three full years I’ve followed you,
walked with you, listened to you.
Why ask if I love you now?”

Jesus:  “Simon Peter, do you love me?”

Simon Peter (looking frustrated):
“Do I Love You?”  You sent me out. I preached your word. 
You  changed my name. I left my home. 
Why talk about love right now? ”

Jesus:  “Simon Peter, do you love me?”

Simon Peter (looking hurt):
“I tried to keep you from the cross. 
I cut the servant’s ear but then you told me I was wrong. 
Lord, you know I love you.”

Love!  Many of us consider it is a given.  We assume the people we love know that we do.  After all, we show them love every day, in what we do, what we say, how we treat them, what we put up with!  Even in how we behave.  I’m sure that’s how Golde felt.  Why ask me about love after all I’ve done for you?  And I’m sure that’s what Simon Peter was thinking as well.

Let’s look at Simon Peter and at Saul for a few minutes as we contemplate Jesus’ question:  “Do you love me?”

Misdirected Love  (Acts 9:1-2)

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”

Saul thought he was loving and serving God by persecuting the followers of Christ.  He was protecting his heritage, his tradition, all that he believed in.  That is why he stood and held the coats when Stephen was stoned earlier in Acts.

Sometimes a person doesn’t recognize that we “love” them because we are acting in the way WE want to be loved, not the way THEY perceive love.

In the book, “The Five Love Languages,” Dr. Chapman identified these five ways that individuals experience love:

(1) Words of Affirmation—“How are you today?”  “You look wonderful.”  “I’m so glad you’re here”   
(2) Acts of Service—When someone does something for you.
(3) Receiving Gifts—We like to receive gifts. 
(4) Quality Time, and  
(5)  Physical Touch

Take a few seconds to consider how you experience love?  Do kind words and encouragement float your boat?  Or does getting a gift, maybe flowers, do it for you?  Does someone helping you or spending time with you may you feel loved or maybe just holding your hand or placing a hand on your shoulder when you are struggling. 

Sometimes it frustrates or disappoints us to be loved in a way that doesn’t “mean” love to us.  You don’t always feel loved, do you, when someone does something else and expects you to “just accept it” because that’s what you’re getting?

Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Do you love me?”
Looking at Simon Peter’s history, we see a man who wanted to serve and love God, who wanted to please Jesus, but was often “loving” Jesus in a way that didn’t say “I love you” because he was acting out of his own wisdom and purposes.

*Jesus calls Simon Peter—Jesus taught from Peter’s boat and created the first miraculous catch of fish.  And at that time Peter rejected God’s grace.  Luke 5:1-11.  Peter’s response “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man.”  He believed that his sinfulness was greater than God’s grace to forgive him.”

*Simon Peter rebukes Jesus for saying he had to die.  Simon loved Jesus and wanted to protect him, but Jesus rebukes Simon Peter in Matthew 16:22-23
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

*John 13:8:  Simon Peter refused to let Jesus wash his feet.  He felt it was disrespectful and dishonoring to Jesus. 
Jesus said, “If I don’t wash you, you have nothing to do with me.” 
Peter then said, “Wash all of me.”

The Way God Loves Us

You see, Jesus knew all about the love languages before Dr. Chapman wrote about them.  God knows how we perceive love and receive love.

1. God loves in ways that confront us with that love.

Both of these men, Saul and Simon Peter, were serving God in the best way they knew how.  One didn’t know that Jesus was Lord, and the other did but didn’t think he himself was worthy of Christ because of his failures. 

So what did Jesus do?

Jesus broke down Saul’s pride and arrogance on the Road to Damascus so he could become Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.

Acts 9:3-6
³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Jesus didn’t send an evangelist to Saul; Saul had already heard Stephen and no doubt countless others. God confronted him right where he was.

John 21:4-6
4 Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

5 He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

6 He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Jesus repeated the miracle of the overflowing nets, I believe, to catch Peter’s attention, and it worked.

7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

Jesus wanted Peter to know that loving God wasn’t about Peter, not about religion, not about man’s perfection or goodness, but about Jesus, and, therefore, God’s love for others.

3.  How We Love God

If we were to bring that Galilee musical into our time, I think it might go something like this:

Jesus:    “Do you love me?”

Us:         “Do I love you?  Of course, I love you! 
I come to church and read your Word. 
I do the things my parents taught. 
I keep the ten commandments, well, most of the time.”

Jesus:  “But do you love me?”

Us:  “Yes I love you! 
I speak your name, and not in vain. 
I give my tithes and more each week. 
Each sacrifice should tell you so!”

And Jesus asks again:  “Do you love me?”

You see, God wants more than following the rules or going through the motions.  God wants all of us, or as John the Baptist said:  John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.”  That’s what loving God is all about.  That we seek to know what God wants from us.

We love God by focusing less on ourselves and our understanding, and more on God, on God’s plan and will.

Peter answered, you know I love you.  But Jesus wasn’t talking about just any kind of love.  Jesus wanted Peter to recognize that there was so much more to following him than returning to fishing whenever things went wrong.  There was more to faith than retreating when he doesn’t understand or doesn’t like what God brings to your path.  Jesus told him that there would be problems, but to trust God anyway. 

Saul set off to destroy people in God’s name, but never even considered, and I’m sure didn’t pray about it, what God wanted.  He allowed his hate, anger, and pride to lead him into a place where what he thought was love was actually rejection of God and God’s Messiah

2. We show love for God by doing what God desires

For Saul it was to take some time away and contemplate his experience, to listen for God’s still, small voice, and to receive Ananias’ ministry, to learn what the real truth was.

For Peter God’s will was to take care of the flock of God, feed the lambs (little ones), take care of the sheep, and feed them, too. 

Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep.

Jesus loved us first, and we love him because of that.  (1 John 4:9-10, 19)
We don’t receive God’s love because we loved God, but just the opposite: 

1 John 4:9-10
⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.

Do You Love Me?

Jesus is asking us today, he is asking us every day, every moment of every day, “Do You Love Me?”  Because we go about our actions in our own ways, our own thoughts, because we hold on to old ideas, traditions that perhaps God didn’t bring about, maybe even pride and arrogance about our religion like Saul, Jesus is asking if we love him. Jesus asks this because we often love Him with our words, but often not with our actions and our hearts.  Jesus is asking, “Do you love me?”

Jesus continues to call, to ask the hard questions, to confront us in the areas where we have made ourselves, our ideas, our plans, our thoughts more and made God’s will less.  Jesus continues to stop us, to try to make us listen, to hear what God is saying to us and to the world around us.  And God uses every opportunity to transform and shape us.

So, when you hear that phrase, “Do you love me?” I hope you will answer “Yes, Lord,” but even more, that you will hear what loving God is really about:  following God’s plan, God’s will, rather than our own thoughts, desires, and traditions. As we pray, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” Amen.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, you know we love you, and you know that in our hearts we hope you understand and see all we do.  But sometimes we put the cart before the horse:  The cart of works, the cart of service, when the way of your love language is to give ourselves totally to you—nothing less.
So, Lord, speak to us at this table.  Speak to us as we reach out to you, and hear us when we say, “Lord, we love you.  Help us to love you more.”

Who’s It For? (May 19, 2019)

A sermon based on Acts 11:1-18
First United Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Houston, PA
www.houstonpresbyterian.org
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Click here for Video or Audio only

Purpose, you see it everywhere you go.  “Purpose Driven Life.”  “What’s your Purpose?”  “Why am I here?  What is God’s plan?” 

We seek purpose.  We seek to know what God’s plan might be . . . for us, for our families, for our possessions?  But we don’t always listen, do we?  We say we want to know God’s purpose and plan, but too often we stop listening when God’s call conflicts with our plans and ideas.

Just before the death of actor W.C. Fields, a friend visited Fields’ hospital room and was surprised to find him thumbing through a Bible. Asked what he was doing with a Bible, Fields replied, “I’m looking for loopholes.”  Unknown

Today the question is:  Who’s it for? 
For whom is our salvation?  Just us? 
For whom is our healing?  Just us? 
For whom are the blessings we have received, the facility we treasure, the gifts God has given?  Are they for us alone, or those who are our family or who are like us, or are they for someone or something else altogether?

Simon Peter, a leading voice in the Early Church, called by Jesus himself, was still learning what it meant to be a Christ-one, a Christian.  This passage is a condensation of chapter 10 and consists of Peter’s response to the “circumcised believers” in Jerusalem.

To this day many Jewish people keep a kosher kitchen.  It means “suitable and/or pure, thus ensuring fitness for consumption. In the Law, God provided, through Moses, guidelines for what they could and could not eat. For example, the no-nos included:

• shellfish (shrimp, lobster, etc.), snails, reptiles,
• catfish, sharks, and other fish that do not have scales;
• rabbits (hares), pork, and Jello because it has animal protein it, mostly from pigs;
• Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, raspberries and blackberries, because of their structure (bushy and small indentations) they cannot be cleaned properly; 
• improperly killed animals (not following biblical guidelines),
• eggs with blood in them,
• improperly prepared foods (not with kosher guidelines).

Also, as seen in this passage, it wasn’t “kosher” to eat with Gentiles, at a Gentile’s table, or to eat Gentile-prepared foods because most likely the food had touched something unclean, as well as the non-Jew being “unclean” as well.

Several years ago, before moving back here, my family visited Pittsburgh and rented a townhome in Squirrel Hill.  Because the owner was Jewish and kept a kosher kitchen, there were two rules:

No cooking meat of any kind in the kitchen
No using silverware (plasticware provided)
This was because of the regulation to not “boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19, & 34:26 and Deuteronomy 14:21).  While some scholars insist this is an incorrect interpretation, in kosher cooking this command, then, forbids cutting a cake (which has milk in it) and meat with the same knife.

Many of the Jewish believers still followed the ritual rules of Judaism:  circumcision, food laws, and clean/unclean guidelines.  To them, Gentiles, even though they might believe in Jesus, were unclean unless the males had been circumcised.  Later in Acts we see false teachers were troubling the churches by demanding all believers follow the customs of Moses (Acts 15).  Gentile believers were still routinely shut out by Jewish believers because they didn’t conform.

Even Peter had the same attitude  (v. 4-8) 4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’” 

Peter’s vision was a strange one.  It isn’t hard to understand Peter’s response.  There before him were unclean animals (like some in the border on the screen).  Peter had always sought to follow God and Christ and to be holy and faithful.  But here God tells him to break the rules!

Peter’s response:  “Surely not, Lord!  Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”  Maybe he thought it was a test to see if he was still faithful?  Maybe God was just testing to see if Peter’s power had gone to his head?  In any case, Peter refused to break the rules.

The Contradiction of “Not so, Lord”
A young believer facing the choice of obeying the call of God to the mission field or to continue in a rewarding and comfortable business position once consulted a veteran missionary. He explained how clearly God had called and yet how hard it was to make the choice to go. The missionary opened his Bible to Acts 10:9-20 and pointed out Peter’s words, “Not so, Lord.”
“You cannot say that,” the veteran missionary explained. It is either ‘not so’ or it is ‘Lord.’ The two words put together are a contradiction in terms. You cannot have it both ways.” (Source Unknown).  © 2019 Family Times

Three times Peter had this vision and this command from God, just before three men came to bring him to Cornelius’ home and share the good news.  At this point Peter could have held fast to his training, to his history, to his tradition and refused to go with them, but God has told him through the Spirit to go with the men and not refuse.

Answering God’s Call and Opening the Doors

On the way, I’m sure the three men filled in the group about their master’s faith and desire to serve Jesus, but he just didn’t know how.  I’m sure Peter went back and forth in his mind as to whether he really heard the voice of God and was doing the right thing.  But he still traveled on.

Preaching the gospel was not a hard thing for Peter, having been filled with the Spirit at Pentecost, but this was a different situation!  Nevertheless, peter entered the house and heard of Cornelius’ vision: “He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’” (verse 13-14)

One thing about following God’s will is that God will always confirm His will.  God will always testify through the spirit and through others that we are hearing God’s voice.  These dual visions confirmed to Peter the he was in the right place at the right time so he taught them about Jesus.

Even so, God did something miraculous by filling all the Gentiles, none of whom were circumcised, with the Holy Spirit just as at Pentecost.  “Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (vv 16-17).  And the church leaders rejoiced that God had also given new life to Gentiles.

 Why did you eat with THEM? 

The question of this message is “Who’s it For?” Salvation and new life, the power of the Holy Spirit, the blessings God has given to us, our church, our pews, our facilities, our money, our lives?  Who are they for?  Are they just for us?

The Jewish Christians were having a hard time separating themselves from their history of segregation.  Some teachers believed that new “Gentile” believers had to become Jewish in their lifestyle and practices or they couldn’t have the Jewish Savior.  They were interpreting the promises of the Old Testament, that God would send them to the nations, to mean the nations would become like them.  But this wasn’t God’s plan. 

Peter didn’t want to offend God, or others, by eating unclean meat or eating with unclean people.  What parallels do we see today?  What do we do with what God has given us?  I suppose if we are only cultural Christians, people who attend church because that is what we have always done, people who like to keep things as they always were and therefore try to preserve what we have so we can continue to enjoy it with those who are like us, then our answer is not “It’s for God.”  Instead, in reality, the answer is, “It’s for us.” 

Parallels then and Now:
Then: Gentiles (non-Jews) considered unclean
Now: “Sinners,” drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics, etc.

Then: Eating with Gentiles in their homes
Now: Bars. concerts (with music that isn’t the best), “sinful” places,
eating with “obvious” sinners. (After all, doesn’t one bad apple
spoil the whole bunch?)

Then: God calls Cornelius to faith and sends Peter to help; “Do not call
unclean what I have called clean.”
Now: God calls the lonely, the lost, the sinful, the hopeless, the
purposefully rebellious, the outcasts, the “different” and calls us to
take God’s word and Spirit to them.

Who is it for?  What do we have and who is it for?

While it is true that we are stewards of what God has given us, and while it is true that we are called to take care of what God has given, the answer to the question is the end result that God has intended.

Two apples up in a tree were looking down on the world. The first apple said, “Look at all those people fighting, robbing, rioting — no one seems willing to get along with his fellow man. Someday we apples will be the only ones left. Then we’ll rule the world.”
Replied the second apple, “Which of us — the reds or the greens?”
Gene Brown in Danbury, Con., News-Times.

God did not call us to sectarianism, to cliques where we cannot get along, to divisions by color, race, lifestyle, class, but rather to a family that constantly grows by bringing in the unclean, the unlovely, the undeserving (like us).  God commands us to go to them, our Jerusalem (Houston), our Judea (Pennsylvania), our Samaria (the U.S.), and to the ends of the earth—yeah, that — with the message of salvation, with the love of Christ that brings people in.

God calls us to let go of our traditions and do what it takes to serve God
Micah 6:8:  “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.”

Before his crucifixion, Jesus told his followers: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” 

What does it mean to gain the world yet forfeit my soul?  We might answer, well, to work and work and put money aside but not follow God.  True.  We might also say, to never help other, to squirrel away what is mine rather than helping others.  True. 

But let’s bring it down to the basics:  This is a spiritual place, with spiritual goals and spiritual calling.  We can build up this building, fix it up, preserve it, display it with pride, but if that is all we do, we are not being spiritual, we are being selfish and worldly. We are not following the truth and command of God.

So I bring us back to the question:  Who is it for?  All that we have, this marvelous facility, our gifts and treasures, Who is it for?  Are they for us, for our comfort, for our pleasure alone?  Are they for our traditions and our desires alone?  Or did God call us, like Esther, to this time, to this place, for such a time as this? 

Is God giving us, giving you a vision, like Peter, that challenges your grip on your reality, your present?  Is God calling us to go out into this community and world, not just with donations here and there, but with our lives, with our hearts, with our faith that God will go with us, and to bring them in, to dirty our pews, to trample our flowers, to talk in ways we would never do, so that they might hear the good news of the gospel and follow Jesus Christ along with us.

General Robert E. Lee was a devout follower of Jesus Christ. It is said that soon after the end of the American Civil War, he visited a church in Washington, D.C. During the communion service he knelt beside a black man. An onlooker said to him later, “How could you do that?” Lee replied, “My friend, all ground is level beneath the cross.”  Source Unknown.

Prayer
Lord, we do call you “lord,” but too often, along with that term, we tell you, “No, Lord.”  We turn away.  In your name we refuse to follow you into the places of trouble and unbelief, because that is not where we want to go.  We approach our lives on this earth in earthly terms, terms of profit, and savings, and treasure, calling it stewardship, when it is really a lack of faith in your provision.  We hoard your gifts as if there is little to go around and sharing them with those who aren’t like us would deplete us.  We forget that we, too, were the unclean, the “gentiles” who were separated from you because of our sinfulness, even that little lie we told, that little argument and bitterness against someone else.  We forget that the ground is level beneath the cross, and that your blood was shed for all of us.  Have mercy on us, Lord.  Help us to call you Lord and to mean it, to submit to your calling and your will, to your Spirit’s leading.  Help us to let go of all we hold tightly to so that your power and love might flow through us to a world that desperately needs to know of your hope, your love, your power, but most of all, your forgiveness.  Amen.

What You Can Control

A sermon based on Acts 5:27-32 and John 20:19-31
First United Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Houston, PA
www.houstonpresbyterian.org
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Video Audio

Image: Three Men Talking (1890s) Archibald M. Willard)

There were three guys talking in the pub. Two of them are talking about the amount of control they have over their wives, while the third remains quiet. After a while one of the first two turns to the third and says, “Well, what about you, what sort of control do you have over your wife?” The third fellow says “I’ll tell you. Just the other night my wife came to me on her hands and knees.” The first two guys were amazed. “What happened then?” they asked. “She said, ’get out from under the bed and fight like a man’.” (Source Unknown). 

Life is full of things we can and cannot control.  Some of those things don’t seem to matter to us.  We can handle the uncertainty of certain situations, but others, well, not so much.  We want to know what’s going on.  We want to control the outcome and make sure things are what we think they should be.  Life brings things we should and can control, but also brings situations that we cannot and should not try to control.

Jesus had risen from the dead, or at least that is what Mary said.  John had started to believe, but still didn’t understand.  All through their time with Jesus, the disciples sought to follow Him, but they also tried to control Him

Mark 9:38-49
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.

John 18:10-11
8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” 
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. . . . 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

Mark 10
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

And the one we all know about:
Matthew 16:21-23
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

We can’t control God’s presence

19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. The disciples locked themselves in because

They were afraid of the Jewish leaders and the Romans.  Some commentators feel this was an unfounded fear, that there was no reason for them to hide.  Yet, because they were disciples of Jesus, they hid away.

I give you another possibility:  Perhaps they were hiding from Jesus himself, but why? 

(1) Embarrassment because of their actions (or inaction)
Except for John, according to the gospels, none of them were at the cross.  They had all fled when Jesus was arrested.  Wouldn’t you think that would foster some kind of guilt?  How would they face him, knowing that they abandoned him? 

(2) Fear of the unknown
Unless you are a ghost hunter (or buster) I don’t think any of us seek out to see ghosts (if you believe in them).  Although they had seen Lazarus raised from the dead by Jesus, the thought that Jesus was again a living being may have been just a bit too strange for them.

And besides that, they had lost their barometer, their guide, their leader, their master and Lord.  Now it was up to them.  How would they go forward?  What to do, what to do?

Fear of the unknown can bring confusion, reticence, rigidity, and anger, among other things.  We hold on to what we know and avoid everything else, especially that leap of faith ahead of us.

We sometimes find ourselves in a similar situation

 Because of embarrassment, we shut off parts of our life. We hide, not only from others, but also from God, as if God doesn’t know where we are, what we have done, or left undone.   We think we can shut the door to the closet that houses our weaknesses, failures, and the like, so our Holy Guest can’t see them.

We sit still, and sometimes fight against movement (change) because we’re afraid. “What if it doesn’t work?”  What if . . . . ?   I need someome to tell me what to do.  I’m not ready to be a leader.

19b-20  Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

• Locked doors, locked hearts, locked minds, locked closets cannot control God or God’s presence.
  They were afraid of the Jews, and they were confused, lost, and embarrassed by what they had done and not done.  They were ashamed of their lack of faith, just as we try to hide our failures, thoughts, pain, and thoughts.  Whatever road we are on, where we find ourselves, God sees and is there with us, not to judge or condemn, but to redeem.

• Grief is a strange experience with many phases but God is present in all of them, offering us peace.
  Whichever phase of grief we are in:  anger, bargaining, depression, denial, or acceptance, or maybe even another, God understands where we are.  God understands our grief and our loss and seeks to give us peace.
• When we recognize God in our midst and allow God to exist, according to this passage, we receive three things.  By allowing God to exist, I’m not saying we have the power over God.  We saw earlier that this is not so.  I’m speaking of giving God the permission to work in our lives, opening the doors of our hearts to God’s plan.

(1)  the power of God’s Spirit within us.  
(v. 22  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”)

Jesus knew they could never accomplish the task set before them.  Jesus knew that their fears and failures would hold them back. 

In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul said, “for our gospel [we] did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

(2) Jesus gives us forgiveness and the ability to forgive others

23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

It seems strange that we have the power to forgive sins.  The NIV study bible says this: 
“It seems right to say that God does not forgive people’s sins because the apostles (or we) do so, nor does he withhold forgiveness because the apostles (or we) do. However, through the Holy Spirit (v. 22) the apostles and all believers do participate in Christ’s saving mission, which has as one of its crucial effects God’s forgiveness of the sins of all who repent and believe in Jesus as God’s Son and the Savior of the world”

How is this a gift?  When we participate in God’s forgiveness, when we recognize the work God has done in us, we are changed.  And when we forgive others, they are changed.  We release them from the prison of their sins against us and God and free them to enjoy God’s blessing in their lives. 

Listen to Ephesians 4:29-32
 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

(3) blessing for not seeing and yet believing (v. 29)

Mary saw the risen Christ and believed.
The disciples saw the risen Christ and believed.
Thomas saw the risen Christ and believed.
But we, who have not seen Jesus in the flesh, but who still believe, Jesus says we are blessed.

Makarios (Greek):  Blessed or happy
“In ancient Greek times, makarios referred to the gods. The blessed ones were the gods. They had achieved a state of happiness and contentment in life that was beyond all cares, labors, and even death. The blessed ones were beings who lived in some other world away from the cares and problems and worries of ordinary people. To be blessed, you had to be a god.” Brian Stoffregen, Faith Lutheran Church, 1000 D St., Marysville, CA 95901, e-mail: brian.stoffregen@gmail.com

But in the gospel it came to mean something different:

3107 /makários (“blessed”) describes a believer in enviable (“fortunate”) position from receiving God’s provisions (favor) – which (literally) extend (“make long, large”) His grace (benefits). This happens with receiving (obeying) the Lord’s inbirthings of faith.  (Strong’s Greek Concordance)

Conclusion

Turn to Acts 5
These disciples who were hiding from everything were changed that night when Jesus appeared.  They still had fears, they still had questions.  They still weren’t sure of what they would do, but they stepped out in faith to continue the work Jesus had begun.  And their fears were fulfilled: 

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

Yes they had conflict, and challenge, and even persecution, but they had something much more than that.  they had a calling and a mandate from the Lord, and even in persecution, they rejoiced they were happy, they were blessed.

⁴¹ The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. ⁴² Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Where are you today? 
Are you locked up in your grief or in your sorrow,
Are you locked up because of embarrassment or failures? 
Are you hiding from God and everyone else because of fear of what might happen or what you don’t know? 
It isn’t a good place to be; I know from experience. 

But no matter had strong the lock,
no matter how thick the door we hide behind,
we cannot control God’s presence. 
God is continually seeking us, finding us, calling us, offering us peace.

What we can control, however, is how we respond to God’s presence with us.  Will you allow God into your life again today, maybe a little further than before?  Will you receive the Holy Spirit as God breathes on you?  Will you allow the Spirit to move through you today, to change, cleanse, deliver, forgive, and strengthen you?   Will you look to Jesus for answers to the questions that paralyze you?  I hope your answer is a definite yes.  You can control that.

There is something else we can control:  What we do with God’s presence and blessing in our lives.  Remember what Jesus said, “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Some of what paralyzes us is that we cherish God’s blessings in our lives, but we don’t allow them to change us; we don’t allow God’s blessing or happiness, which we have received through faith, to positively affect others.  Early in his ministry Jesus told his followers: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  We can control how we love others, how we treat others, how we build the body of Christ through the Spirit living in us.

Take the leap of faith today, even when you can’t see the road ahead or know what God has planned.

Choose to recognize God’s presence in your life and allow the Holy Spirit’s power to change and bless you. 

Let God’s Spirit give you the power to reflect the blessing you have received to others. 

This is what we CAN control

It’s Yours to Tell

An Easter message based on John 20:1-18, April 21, 2019
First United Presbyterian Church, 102 N Main Street, Houston PA
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Audio (Podcast)
Video

A Sunday school teacher was asking her six-year-olds about the meaning of Easter. “Children,” she said, “Do you know why we celebrate Easter?”
A little girl raised her hand.
“Yes Jenny,” said the teacher.
|Jenny said, “ Is Easter when we put on costumes and go trick-or-treating?”
“No, Jenny. That’s Halloween. Does any one else know?”
A little boy yelled, “It’s when we set off fireworks!”
“No Jimmy, that’s Independence Day. Anybody else?”
A shy It’s little girl in the back said, “Easter is when Jesus died.”
The teacher replied, “That’s right, Shauna. And what happened to Jesus that makes Easter special?”
“Well, he died and got buried. And every Easter he comes out. And if he sees his shadow there’s 6 more weeks of winter.”

When Jesus confronted a weeping Mary at the tomb, he told her to go and tell.  Just as Jesus told Mary to go and tell of His resurrection, we, too, are called to go and tell.  We should, no, we MUST report to the world, to all we meet, that Christ died and is risen, that the power of death is broken, and that by His death and resurrection our debt of sin has been paid.  I suppose I could just stop right there and call it all good!  But just to give you your time’s worth, having come all this way, let’s take a few minutes to look at the seed of the story, a surprising revelation, and an undeniable assignment.

1. The Seed of the Story

The days had been bleak leading up to that moment.  They had shared a meal with Jesus, not really understanding all that he had told them would occur.  For some time Jesus had been warned them to prepare them for his death.  Yet they still did not understand.  But all things moved into place that Thursday evening, when Jesus was arrested and tortured, then convicted and sentenced to death.  He died a hideous death on the cross—one that normally took days to accomplish—yet this wasn’t a normal death.  Jesus wasn’t killed.  We were the ones to blame, but Jesus gave himself in our place. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says:  You are not your own.  You have been bought with a price.—That price was Jesus’ death for us.

He laid down his life to pay the debt that we owed to God, the debt that was incurred by our sin, by our rebellion, by our unkindness, by our hatred, by our theft, whether of money or of someone else’s peace. 

Later that evening, they buried Jesus.  It was necessary to do so before the Sabbath started, so they hurriedly laid him in the tomb.  And they grieved.  For two days they grieved.  And they hid, wondering if they would be taken next.  Wondering how this all could have happened.  They were in shock and lament, yet they went through the motions of the Sabbath preparations and observance. 

A Surprising Revelation

Sunday morning, on the third day, the Sabbath had ended.  Mary Magdalene and some of the other women decided it was time to do what must be done.  Mary packed up her oils, and while it was still dark she left for the tomb where they had laid Jesus’ dead body.  She didn’t know how she would move the stone, but she went anyway, to thank him for all he had done for her, to honor him by anointing his dead body.  She didn’t expect to find anything but his remains. 

All About Mary

I suppose we need to take a moment to talk about Mary.  There were several Marys in that contingent.  But this one has special significance in biblical history. Luke, chapter 7, describes Mary as a sinful woman. She had anointed Jesus feet and washed them with her tears.  She has been designated as a repentant prostitute, but the Scriptures don’t really say this.  There are some strains of church history that describe Mary as a preacher and teacher, an apostle, who like the others spread the word of the gospel to the world.  They only thing we really know about her from the gospels is that she was from Magdala a small village on the Sea of Galilee, and that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her.  Whether they were actual demons, vices, or seven ailments that the people would have attributed to demons, in any case, Jesus had done a tremendous miracle for her. Mary knew her own sinfulness. Mary knew just how much she had received, because she knew her own sinfulness.  And in gratefulness she followed Jesus 

But, she was now without the one who had set her free, and she wanted to do something for him, some final act of mercy to thank him once again for his mercy and grace. 

All About New Life

I don’t suppose that we, sitting here in our Easter best, are thinking about our own weaknesses.  But I have to ask:  Have you known the grace of forgiveness in your own life?  Have you stood before someone whom you have offended or hurt and asked for forgiveness and then received it?  It is amazing to have a debt that I cannot pay, and someone pays the price.

I don’t suppose any of us could understand what Mary felt if we had not come to a place of realizing that we, too, are sinners. Maybe you have never had seven demons cast out, or seven sicknesses, but in truth every one of us has sinned. Many years later the apostle Paul wrote: 

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3:23.   

You and I, each of us, are sinners. Just like Mary, and everyone who followed Jesus.  We sinned against God. And yet, like Mary, we were offered grace at the base of the cross where he died.

Mary knew the exhilaration of being forgiven, of being lifted up, of being affirmed by God.  Have you known that feeling?  Have you experienced the devastation of knowing you have sinned, failed, and separated from God.  Do you know that even so, by His death and resurrection, you have been forgiven, the slate wiped clean, every stain washed away? This is the story of the Cross 

On her way to the tomb, no doubt Mary wondered how she would get in.  It would be impossible for her or even for a few women with her to move that stone. Most likely the soldiers wouldn’t open the tomb for her and might even abuse her.  She still didn’t understand any of this, yet she went forward in grief and in resolute commitment to her Lord, or to his memory, trusting that somehow she would be able to show her love to her Lord, to the one who showed her what unconditional love truly meant.   Jesus saved her life, changed her, and now he was gone. This would be her last act of worship, anointing his body for burial.

As the sun hinted at rising, Mary arrived at the tomb, but something was wrong.  The stone had already been moved!  What could have happened?  She hurried to the mouth of that cavern and, looking inside, her greatest fear was realized.  Not only had Jesus been taken from her in life, but his body was also taken.  Did someone steal his body?   Was it the religious leaders?  The Romans?  Where was he?  She didn’t know what to do, and so she ran to get the others. 

Peter and John came, and looking into the tomb, maybe they began to understand, in some small way, what Jesus had said, yet they still did not understand completely. Mary stayed there at the tomb, crying, weeping bitterly.  Mary was still thinking about death.  She was stuck on Jesus’ death, not on His promises

Even when we know what God has done for us and in us, we sometimes get stuck at the cross, not moving forward or seeking what God would have us do.  We might rejoice in what He has done for US, but we forget what God has promised, that He has promised to not only save our souls, but also to lead us into the future.  God has promised to give us strength to be witnesses and to share His love with others.  God has promised to be with us always.

Finally Jesus appears.  He calls her “Woman,” asking her why she was crying.  Through her tears and grief Mary didn’t recognize who was speaking to her.  She had no conception that Jesus might actually be standing in front of her.  I don’t’ know about you, but there have been times in my life when I was crying so hard I might not have heard a train whistle coming my way.  There are moments when we are so consumed by our grief, our failure, our loss, that we don’t recognize God’s presence, God’s voice calling us to healing and deliverance.

It was in that moment that Mary’s second miracle occurred.  Jesus simply said her name, “Mary.”  Just hearing her name spoken by the one who had called out to her and brought her healing.  The voice that had taught her about God and about her place in God’s kingdom.  In that moment Mary finally understood that Jesus was alive!  She recognized Jesus and worshiped him.   

Jesus is calling your name today.  No matter what the darkness you have been through.  No matter what you have done.  Jesus is alive and is calling your name. No matter where you have been.  Jesus is alive.  He is risen.  He has conquered death and the grave.  And he is calling out your name.  God is calling your name, reminding you that Jesus conquered death and the grave for you.  God is calling to you so that you, like Mary, can recognize that you are not alone, that you need not despair, that all is not lost.  God is calling your name, reminding you that Jesus conquered death and the grave for you, for me, so that we might find renewal each moment of our lives. 

3.  An Undeniable Assignment

What do we do with this news?  What do we do with this amazing experience. This gift of beauty and wonder?  When we recognize that God has not only forgiven us because of what Jesus sacrificed, but that Jesus is alive and living in us:  What do we do? 

Jesus gave Mary an assignment, making Mary the first evangelist post resurrection.  “Go instead to my brothers and tell them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”  Immediately Mary ran to the disciples.  “I have seen the Lord” she proclaimed, telling them all he had said to her.  She could do no less.  She received a mandate, and having received that mandate directly from Jesus , she did as He asked.

My friends, we all know the joy of finding something we thought was lost to us, something we thought we would never see again.  Mary knew that joy when she recognized that Jesus was alive.  We sing and say:  Christ is Risen!  But do we believe it?  Do we believe that he is risen, that he is with us?  That we have been forgiven and restored?   If you have found that faith, that release, that wonderful knowledge, then you, like Mary, are called to report the good news, to go and tell.   

When I came to realize what God’s forgiveness actually was, it was like I was a bubble, filled so full that I thought I would pop if I didn’t tell someone else what had happened in my life.  In a little bit, after we sing another song and say a few prayers, we will stand, greet one another, and go our separate ways, most to family functions, some to their own homes, maybe some to work.  But if you leave this place unchanged, if you leave this place not sensing that freedom and peace that comes from knowing Christ, I have fallen short.  My prayer is that each of you will remember that moment when Jesus called your name, when you first understood that you were forgiven, that you were loved by God, and if you never had that moment, that this would be the day when you do.   

And having that awesome knowledge, the assurance that because Jesus lives, become part of Jesus press corps, and we hear Jesus’ mandate to us:  Go and tell . . .

 Some of us stay at the cross, 
some of us wait at the tomb, 
Quickened and raised with Christ 
yet lingering still in the gloom. 
Some of us ‘bide at the Passover feast 
with Pentecost all unknown, 
The triumphs of grace in the heavenly place 
that our Lord has made His own. 
If the Christ who died had stopped at the cross, 
His work had been incomplete. 
If the Christ who was buried had stayed in the tomb, 
He had only known defeat, 
But the way of the cross never stops at the cross 
and the way of the tomb leads on 
To victorious grace in the heavenly place 
where the risen Lord has gone.

Annie Johnson Flint.

The Good News:  Christ died and is risen.  It’s an amazing story, and it’s Yours to tell!

Cat Got Your Tongue?

A sermon preached at Houston First Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Houston, PA, April 14, 2019, Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Audio
Video on Youtube

Most everybody loves a parade. It would be very hard for me not to move with the syncopation of the marching band’s drums. The people of Israel were no different.  The first Palm Sunday was an event, filled with shouts of praise and actions that went along. It was a parade like no other!

This morning we’ll look at the setting and the people’s praise, then talk a little about how their actions can inform our own.

1.  The Setting

The requirement of pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem is mentioned in the passages of Scripture that deal with three annual festivals. Exodus 23:17 states: “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Sovereign, the LORD.” Exodus 34:23 repeats this command almost verbatim, and the book of Deuteronomy characteristically adds further details:

Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place that he will choose. They shall not appear before the LORD empty‐handed. (Deut. 16:16)

While this initially applied to the tribes inhabiting the Promised Land, by Jesus’ day it was a regular pilgrimage for individuals throughout the region, and sometimes Jews who had migrated through the known world. As a child Jesus’ parents brought him to Jerusalem for the Passover.

Luke 2:41‐40

• Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.
• When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.

It was a habit he learned very early in life and continued into adulthood. However, looking back, we know that Jesus had a very different reason for arriving this time.

It is estimated that there were over two million people in Jerusalem the day Jesus arrived. People had returned from all over the Mediterranean for the Passover feast. One preacher said, “This was the World Series, the Super Bowl, and the Masters, rolled into one.” (“King for a Day” William Self) We might add the Stanley Cup to that list! Imagine two million people crowded into Houston, PA, or coming through here! That would be some kind of church growth!

2.         The Coming King
Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is reported in all four gospels.  It is one of ten occurrences that appear in all four gospels.  Obviously, it was meaningful to them. People had gathered there not only for Passover, but also to see Jesus.

9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.

Verse 15 continues,countering the King of Israel against the nations:
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;  they are regarded as dust on the scales;

he weighs the [nations] as though they were fine dust.

Jesus taught about and ushered in the kingdom of God, but the people thought he would bring back the earthly Davidic kingdom. They came to see the Messiah put things right, as prophesied throughout their Scriptures.  When they heard that He was coming, they excitedly gathered on the roads.

Many believed that under Jesus they would rule over all the nations, including Rome.

But Jesus was a different kind of king.

c. Jesus entered Jerusalem on an unridden donkey thereby proclaiming himself as the humble king spoken of in Zechariah 9:9

⁹ Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

Why an unridden colt?  An unridden animal would be preferred for sacrifice.  Jesus, the perfect Lamb, the spotless sacrifice rode in on a “spotless” animal, one that had not been desecrated by another. This is also representative of Jesus’ power and strength.  A king or wealthy man would ride on a young, unridden donkey as a symbol of status.

The symbolism of the donkey may also refer to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is an animal of war. Therefore, a king came riding upon a horse when he was bent on war and rode upon a donkey when he wanted to point out that he was coming in peace.

• The People’s Praise

The whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices.

This wasn’t a polite hand-clapping after a cultured piano recital.  These people were excited, overwhelmed, insistent!  Even though many of them were confused as to Jesus’ true purpose, they wanted the world to know that the King had arrived!  Think of the last period of the last game of the Stanley Cup, and we score, winning the game.  Would you clap politely?  Would you say, “isn’t that special?”  No, you’d shout and jump and make a lot of noise.  The disciples were serious about welcoming Jesus and praising Him.

C.S. Lewis once said:  I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. If it were possible for a created soul fully to ‘appreciate,’ that is, to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme blessedness. To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression.

Our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds.

They removed their cloaks and threw them down so Jesus would not ride on the dirt road.  (Matthew 21:8, Mark 11:8)  It was an ancient precursor of the modern-day red carpet.

This was a show of deference and honor.    2 Kings 9:13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”

This was an act of submission to their NEW King, the One who would set them free.  Only they didn’t understand just exactly they would be set free from.

c.  They cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Palm branches were often used in the celebration of victory, and in King David’s time, they were used to honor royalty.  This fact of the history of palm branches makes a perfect connection to the true identity of Jesus as the King of kings.

John also relates palm branches with the King and with praise in Revelation 7:9-10: “After this I looked and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’”  

Laying down palm branches and waving them is definitely linked with praise.

4.         Cat Got Your Tongue?

These three actions, laying down their garments and the branches, and waving the branches and praising God, are examples for us.  What is our response to this event?  How does it affect who we are and how we relate to God in the church and in the world?

a.         Decent and in order  (1 Corinthians 14:40  “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.   

While that is a very good admonition, we sometimes take this instruction and use it to stifle overt praise and recognition of God’s blessings in the church and community.

v.  39  “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

They’re making a show of things!  Tell them to calm down.  Don’t make noise in church!  Especially don’t say “Amen!” to the pastor’s points!

Jesus replied, to the Pharisees in verse 40: 

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

All of creation praises God every day, in its beauty, in its strength, in its resilience, but we have been give the gift of language to express our praise.  But we don’t want to be labeled as fanatics, holy rollers, Bible thumpers, and the like, so we hold back, enjoying God’s blessings but not sharing them with anyone else.

William Self tells this story:  Several years ago my wife and I were in Hong Kong. It was a long flight from our home in Atlanta, and we were tired and very disheveled when we arrived. After some rest Carolyn went to the hairdresser in our hotel. She noticed that the operator helping her had a beautiful cross hanging around her neck. Carolyn admired it and asked, “Are you a Christian?” while pointing to the cross. “No,” she replied, “it’s only for fun.”

If we are wearing crosses, saying the words, going through the motions “only for fun,” only for tradition, only for habit, we are among the most sorry.

While we can praise God quietly, if we really believe Jesus is who He says He is, how can we contain the joy and thankfulness?  How can we NOT praise God and witness to His goodness?  Think back to the Revelation passage.  They were “crying out” in a loud voice.

In his commentary on Luke, Bruce Larson tells the story of a conference at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Since they were Presbyterians, they weren’t free to say “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord.” All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over at least a third of the balloons were unreleased. Let your balloon go. (Luke, p. 43)

Hebrews 13:15 says, “Let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

We sometimes don’t praise God because we think WE are responsible for everything we have, for every blessing in our lives.  But when we come to the end of ourselves, we turn back to God.  But even then, when things are hard and we are not sure what will happen tomorrow, much less the next moment, we need to praise God for who He is and what He has done.  There is power in praise. 

The Israelites who praised Jesus on the road to Jerusalem knew there would be a struggle if and when Jesus took over.  They knew there would be a battle, but they praised Jesus anyway in hope of what would come.

Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline – “Celebration is at the heart of the way of Christ. He entered the world on a high note of jubilation: ‘I bring you good news of a great joy,’ cried the angel, ‘which shall come to all the people.’ He left the world bequeathing his joy to the disciples: ‘These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.’

The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn’t know what to do. Napoleon’s massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church.
The pastor rose and said, “Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord’s resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands. We know only our weakness, and not the power of God to defend us.”
The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.  Source Unknown.

They praised God even when there was no hope, when it seemed they would be lost, and God was there in their praise.  So . . .

RING THE BELLS!
Even when you think you’re defeated.

WAVE THE BRANCHES!

Show the joy God has placed in your heart

PRAISE GOD CONTINUALLY and in ALL things!

Because Jesus is truly Lord of All!

Go and Make Disciples

Sermon from Sunday, April 7, 2019. Part 5 in the series: Since we have confidence, we will . . .
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor, First United Presbyterian Church, Houston, Pennsylvania.
To watch or listen click here: Video Audio

GROWING FORGETFUL (source unknown)

An elderly couple was beginning to forget little things around the house. They were afraid that this could be dangerous, as one of them may forget to turn off the stove and thus cause a fire. So, they decided to go see their physician to get some help. Their physician told them that many people their age find it useful to write themselves little notes as reminders.

The couple thought this sounded wonderful and left the doctor’s office very pleased with the advice. When they got home, the wife said, “Dear, will you please go to the kitchen and get me a dish of ice cream? And why don’t you write that down, so you won’t forget?”

“Nonsense,” said the husband, “I can remember a dish of ice cream.”

“Well,” said the wife, “I’d also like some strawberries on it. You better write that down, because I know you’ll forget.”

“Don’t be silly,” replied the husband. “A dish of ice cream and some strawberries. I can remember that.”

“OK, dear, but I’d like you to put some whipped cream on top. Now you’d really better write it down,” said the wife.

“Come now, my memory’s not all that bad,” said the husband. “No problem—a dish of ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream.”

With that, the husband shut the kitchen door behind him. He emerged from the kitchen about fifteen minutes later with a plate of bacon and eggs. The wife took one look at the plate, glanced up at her husband and said, “I knew you wouldn’t get it right—where’s the toast?”

We often forget things, and age has nothing to do with it. 

For the past four weeks we talked about remembering what Jesus did for us and then what we are called to do in response to Jesus’ tremendous gift to us:  eternal life purchased by his death and resurrection. 

We will enter in to God’s presence through prayer and meditation, through worship and fellowship with God’s people.

We will seek truth and peace, seeking God’s perspective rather than our own feelings and perspectives, seeking to understand rather than be understood.

We will choose grace, accepting God’s grace in Christ’s sacrifice for our failings and sins, forgiving ourselves even though undeserving, and then choosing to offer that grace to others.

We will choose to be faithful stewards of God’s gifts and blessings, using all that God has given us—redemption, forgiveness, possessions, abilities, and time to accomplish the tasks for which we were placed here—to glorify God.

Our final message in this series calls us to go and make disciples. 

Called to Go

The Risen Christ tells the women to give directions to disciples: 
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:9-10 

Jesus’ first command after rising from the grave was to give direction to his followers.  It was a dual command:  Don’t be afraid, and Go and tell. 

Most of us remember “show and tell” in elementary school.  We’d bring something very special to us or our family and hope the other kids would think it was special, too.  We didn’t want to be rejected.  Jesus told the women to “Go and tell.”  But we often hold back, we don’t want to seem “super” spiritual.  We don’t want to be labeled “fanatics,” so we hold back.  We forget that there is a reason behind Jesus’ claim on our lives, not just to save us but to save the world.

Responding to Jesus’ appearances in the days following the resurrection, the disciples went to Galilee.  But why Galilee? Why not just appear to them in Jerusalem?  Why not appear before the people who killed him to prove he had risen?  Why give a woman the directions? 

Sometimes we need to step off the edge, take the first step, even when we aren’t sure we understand what God is calling us to do.

They worshiped Jesus, but some doubted
Jesus appeared to them on that mountain in Galilee.  He had appeared to then previously, but this was the big one!  Even though they followed the instructions from the ladies and went to Galilee, even though Jesus appeared to them and they worshiped him, “some still doubted” what they were seeing and what was happening.

Why do we doubt? 
God knew why we doubt and told the Israelites this through the prophet Isaiah:  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

We doubt because we don’t understand.  We doubt because we cannot even conceive of what God has planned.  The apostle Paul knew this.  He quoted Isaiah when he wrote:  9 However, as it is written:  “What no eye has seen,     what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”—  the things God has prepared for those who love him—” 2 Corinthians 2:9
Even when don’t understand, even when we cannot conceive how God will use us or work through us, He tells us to go.

Make Disciples—this is an imperative.  Just do it!  Not an option or a choice.  It is an integral part of the Christian life, of identifying with Christ. 

The imperative is used to give commands and orders. The form of the verb used for the imperative is without a subject. Although the main feature of sentences in the imperative is that they have no grammatical subject, they do have an understood implied subject. Although the Bible translates this as “make disciples,” in Greek it is actually and imperative. It’s implied subject is “YOU”   It is a verb, go and “disciple” others.

Of course, there is prior assumption, that we are disciples ourselves and that we remember our purpose.  We know that it isn’t what we do that makes us Christians, but what Christ did.  And we know, or should know, that it wasn’t just about me that Jesus suffered and died, even though it was for me and for you, but that he came for us all.  We come to church, read the Bible and pray to become disciples. 
God expects us to learn and grow.  To develop and blossom.  But again, it is a process, not a one and done thing.  Someone discipled each of us, now we are responsible to do the same.

DON’T FORGET YOUR PURPOSE
A preacher was in Atlanta, several years ago, and noticed in the restaurants section of the Yellow Pages, an entry for a place called Church of God Grill. The peculiar name aroused his curiosity and he dialed the number. A man answered with a cheery, “Hello! Church of God Grill!”
The preacher asked how that restaurant had been given such an unusual name, and the man said: “Well, we had a little mission down here, and we started selling chicken dinners after church on Sunday to help pay the bills. Well, people liked the chicken, and we did such a good business, that eventually we cut back on the church service. After a while we just closed down the church altogether and kept on serving chicken dinners. We kept the name we started with, and that’s Church of God Grill.”
Source: Making it Happen, Charles Paul Conn

Are you remembering your purpose?

How to make disciples? How do we disciple others?
Jesus used three participles:  Going, Baptizing, Teaching. 

Go
Verb tense better read: “as you are going.” It assumes more than a one-time commitment to God and God’s plans.   Jesus assumes we are to be “in action,” “involved”  in building the kingdom.
Not just about going on a mission trip but to go as you are living your life, in your day to day commitment and life.
(Kenny Burchard, Greek-Geeking the Great Commission in Matthew,” Think Theology.org, November 7, 2013, http://thinktheology.org/2013/11/07/greek-geeking-the-great-commission-in-matthew/).)

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40 

So the questions are: Am I growing?  Am I learning? Am I seeking to be like Jesus?  Am I involved in the will of God, not just on Sunday morning, but throughout the mornings, afternoons, evenings, and nights of my life? Additional study  Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 5:7-8, 1 Peter 2:21-22

Baptizing them

“But pastor, I can’t baptize.  That’s what you do!”
In the Early Church, baptism was the culmination of training and learning about Christianity. The real thought here is that disciples are to help people make a firm commitment to follow Jesus.  We are to lead others to into making a public affirmation of their faith by publicly proclaiming and living out our own.

Baptism is a sign and symbol of God’s calling; it is the confession that we HAVE believed in Jesus Christ.  Our job is to help people understand Jesus so that they can find faith in Jesus.

Is my life leading others to Jesus?  Are my words leading people to grace or to judgment?  Am I leading people into the Spirit of Christ by sharing God’s mercy and grace with them, not just in words, but in actions?

Teaching them
Again, this is a participle, a continuous action: and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect 1 Peter 3:16– 15

Know Christ.  Share Christ.

Jesus said to teach everything He commanded, not just some of it, not only what feels good, to teach all of it, more than what we want to do. 
Everything. 

Conclusion
This command—Disciple—and the way—going, baptizing, teaching, is universal, for all of us.

Are you ready to answer the call, or to continue answering the call?

Are you ready to go, to continually go—to the lost, to the abandoned, to those who don’t ask for forgiveness, to the world?  Are you ready to continue leading others to faith so they might be added to the Church, to the body of Christ?  Are you ready to teach them by learning more each day so that you might share your hope with them?

It isn’t an option;  It’s a command.  And remember most of all, Jesus said, And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Be Faithful Stewards

Since We Have Confidence in Christ’s Sacrifice, So We Will . . . Be Faithful Stewards

Sermon, March 31, 2019, Deuteronomy 8:7 -18; Matthew 6:19-34
Interim Pastor Mary Kay Glunt, First United Presbyterian Church, 102 N. Main Street, Houston, Pennsylvania
Video (with slides)
Audio only:

Treasure! We all have dreamed of it at least once in our lives.  Whether it was finding a buried treasure long lost from a pirate adventure.  Maybe you dreamed of finding an old suitcase in the attic from people long ago that contains valuable records or even money, or maybe even winning the lottery.  We think about how our lives would be changed and how we would live differently.

I came across a modern parable:
Once, a man said, “If I had some extra money, I’d give it to God, but I have just enough to support myself and my family.” And the same man said, “If I had some extra time, I’d give it to God, but every minute is taken up with my job, my family, my clubs, and what have you–every single minute.” And the same man said, “If I had a talent I’d give it to God, but I have no lovely voice; I have no special skill; I’ve never been able to lead a group; I can’t think cleverly or quickly, the way I would like to.”
And God was touched and gave that man money, time, and a glorious talent. And then God waited, and waited, and waited…..And then after a while, God took all those things right back from the man, the money, the time and the glorious talent.
After a while, the man sighed and said, “If I only had some of that money back, I’d give it to God. If I only had some of that time, I’d give it to God. If I could only rediscover that glorious talent, I’d give it to God.”
And God said, “Oh, please!.”
And the man told some of his friends, “You know, I’m not so sure that I believe in God anymore.”
God is No Fool, 1969, Abindgon Press.

What is the treasure you are hoping for?  What are the treasures you have?  And what are you doing with them?

We have confidence that we are accepted by God because of our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross that paid the debt for our sins. 

Because we have been welcomed in to the family of God by our faith in Jesus, we are invited enter in to God’s presence in prayer and worship and in every part of our lives.  We are encouraged to seek truth and peace by seeking God’s truths and understand rather that our own limited perceptions.  We are challenged to choose to receive God’s grace and to live out that grace by offering it to others.  And we are expected to be faithful stewards over the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

There is something about treasure—finances, energy, relationships, possessions, the things we value—that is seductive.  We find ourselves using selective memory concerning them.  Either we forget how we received it, or we take it for granted.

Because sin and forgiveness are ethereal concepts, for many of us they live in the realm of our thoughts and memories, we tend to separate that part of our lives from the rest.  We are thankful to God for forgiving us and for assuring us that one day we will meet Him in heaven, and we know that God will listen and answer our prayers.   But we live in a physical realm, with real problems and assignments.  We work hard and earn what we have received.  And we can do what we want with it.

1.Forgetting the Lord’s Goodness
I know that when I delivered my children, I had a lot of pain.  But somehow, I don’t really feel that pain anymore.  Jesus said in John 16:21 “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”  The joy of having my child with me brought great joy, and of course other pains as she grew, but we won’t talk about that right now! 

Somehow, when we get past the experience, we tend to romanticize our experiences, to forget what brought us here.  On the Fourth of July and Memorial Day we celebrate and picnic and attend parades, but do we really think about what really brought us here?  Do we think of the sacrifices and struggles that gave us the opportunity to party and picnic?  Not just in words and decorations, but sincerely?  And do those thoughts lead us to do anything differently?  Maybe to vote, or to  participate in government, or . . . ?

a. How we got here (Deut 8:7)
7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
The Israelites had been wandering for 40 years.  Because of the lack of faith of the majority of spies, they weren’t able to enter the land the first time.  But now they had arrived.  God was fulfilling the promise.  They would have everything they dreamed of, and more.  No longer slaves or wanderers, they would settle down and enjoy God’s blessings.

b. Resting in our blessings (vv.  10-14)
The problem with resting in God’s blessings is that same tendency to forget the pain of the moment because of the joy of its fruit.  Moses warned the Israelites against resting in God’s blessings and forgetting where the blessings came from:
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day.
12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then  your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

2. Gaining a Heaven Perspective

a. Remember how you got here (vv. 15-17)
 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”

How have you gained all that you have?  How have you achieved your successes, built your home, raised your children?  Did you do it all on your own?  Was it your wisdom alone that brought it about?  Was this church built by your ancestors alone, or did God have a hand in it? 

b. Finding the true source of our blessings (v. 18)
The way we approach stewardship—of our money, our families, our time, our bodies—depends greatly on our perspective.  if I earned it for myself, if I am primarily responsible for everything I have, then I can use it as I wish.  But Moses says differently.
 
(vv 17-18, The Message)  If you start thinking to yourselves, “I did all this. And all by myself. I’m rich. It’s all mine!”—well, think again. Remember that God, your God, gave you the strength to produce all this wealth so as to confirm the covenant that he promised to your ancestors—as it is today. 

3.Becoming Faithful Stewards
What is “stewardship”?  What does it mean to be a “steward”?
the position and duties of a steward, a person who acts as the surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc.

The steward has power over everything at his hand and in his possession, but they are not his.  The steward can control what happens but does so only at the behest and for the benefit of the owner of the items.  We are stewards of God’s blessings, and what we do with them,  as stewards, should involve God’s plan, as they belong not to us, but to God

a. Putting treasure into perspective (Matthew 6:19-24)
Jesus cautions His listeners to keep “things” in perspective, telling them that “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” 
Where is your treasure?  What do you value most?  A preacher once said you could tell where a person’s treasure was by going through their check register, to see where the money was spent.  I don’t know about that, but I do know that the way we live our lives, the way we approach our “things”, our families, our church, etc., reflects what is in our hearts.

While Jesus is talking about worry here, the  same principle is true.  Little by little, as we emphasize, dote on our own lives, our own strength, our own possessions, they become larger than life.  We can’t see the forest for the trees.  Our minds and hearts become overwhelmed with the blessings, and we forget the Blesser.

b. Remembering our Source (vv. 25-34a)
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  . . . 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Throughout the Scriptures God tells us that He is our Source, that God will lead us, guide us, strengthen us, bless us.  And we receive those blessings, only to forget from whence they came.  Being a faithful steward means that we seek God’s plan for our time, for our money, for our jobs, for our families, for our possessions.  Being a faithful steward means holding loosely to these things so that God can guide us and use us and all these things.  Being a faithful steward means that we remain grateful and cognizant of just how we were able to achieve and to gain what we have.

Several years ago, a man became head coach of a NFL football team.  When he did, he divorced his wife of 26.  He said that when he coached on the college level he needed a wife for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was an unnecessary accouterment and a distraction to winning. He said winning football was his number one priority, his two sons second, and a wife unnecessary. How tragic!
In contrast to this, Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas cowboys said, “The thrill of knowing Jesus is the greatest thing that ever happened to me … I think God has put me in a very special place, and He expects me to use it to His glory in everything I do … whether coaching football or talking to the press, I’m always a Christian … Christ is first, family second and football third.”
Source Unknown.

Let’s take a moment today to consider our lives, our “things,” our families, our reputations, our past and our futures.  Perhaps you find yourself in that place where the Israelites did, enjoying all you have and celebrating your part in achieving it, forgetting that God’s gifts and strength brought you there.  Perhaps you are too busy for faith and for God, trying to get everything done but forgetting the One who gave you this time on earth.  Maybe you’re here today and you realize that you’ve been spending so much time worrying about where you’ll live and what you’ll eat or wear, that you haven’t been thankful for where you do live, what you do eat, what you do wear. 

We cannot serve two masters.  Jesus must be Lord of all in our hearts or in our hearts He not Lord at all.  No amount of worry can change the future, and no amount of work can change what God has purposed for us. 

Remember what the Psalmist said, “Psalm 127:1  Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

God of mercy and grace, you have extended your hand to us, your hand of salvation, of provision, of blessing, of life.  You have given us so much, and we take the credit for all of it, and sometimes the blame.  We believe that life rises and falls with us and our strength, but the truth is that You are the source of all things.  Forgive us for concentrating on ourselves so much that we forget who You are in our lives.  Forgive us for hoarding the treasures you have given us rather than treasuring You in our hearts.  Lead us, O God.  Guide us, O God.  Help us live in peace and comfort, not because we have attained it, but because You are faithful.  Help us to be faithful stewards.  Amen.

Since We Have, So We Will: Enter In

Sermon, Sunday, March 10, 2019
First United Presbyterian Church, Houston PA
Rev. Mary Kay Glunt, Interim Pastor
Video Link Audio Link
Part 1 of Sermon Series Since We Have (confidence), So We Will

Illustration: CHURCH ON THE ISLAND
A man was marooned on a desolate island. After he had been there for five years he was found and rescued. As he climbed into the rescue boat the curious rescuers noticed three grass huts. “We thought you were alone, why are there three huts?” they asked. The man replied, “The first hut is my home; the second is my church.” “What about the third hut?” “Oh, that’s the church I used to belong to!” Source: Unknown

Traditionally, the season of Lent is a time of prayer and fasting, self-introspection and discipleship. Individuals wanting to join the church went through a time of training concerning faith, doctrine, and the church itself, before being welcomed into church membership on Easter. Today we are beginning a Lenten series on the church: What is THE Church? How do I become a member of THE Church? What about THIS church? Does being a member mean more than my name on a list?

“A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is ready to shake hands.
The Pastor grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside and said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”
My friend replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.”
The Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?”
He whispered back, “I’m in the secret service. ”

Some join because they are seeking an answer to their needs and broken hearts, because something is missing in their lives, because they recognize they can’t make it on their own, because they are lonely and need someone outside of themselves, and maybe because they are thankful for the work God has done in their lives and want to make a difference in the lives of others.

But for others, membership in the church has become much like joining Costco or Sam’s Club: they get what they need and go home or go somewhere else when they aren’t satisfied. Some “join” a church because they like the music or the preacher. Some join a church because they “feel” good when they leave, their guilt put off temporarily, so they can feel comfortable until the next them they walk though the doors. Some join a church much as they would a country club, relishing the contacts and networking they can do there.

If you came to me after church (and you can, by the way, if you aren’t a member here), and told me you wanted to join the church, I would ask you a few questions. These next five weeks we will review what it means to be a member of a church, as we journey toward the Cross and the empty tomb.

Prayer

The author of Hebrews recaps Jesus’ work for each of us:

1. Jesus made the way for us to enter 19 we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

“a. Confidence,” the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust. full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing: Com (Latin) with, together; fidere (Latin) to trust, have faith

The author of Hebrews is saying we can have confidence in God, confidence that we can enter even the Most Holy Place. On earth that was in reference to the Temple or the Tabernacle.

Most Holy Place—The very private part of the Tabernacle/Temple, the place where the ark of the covenant was kept and which only the high priest could enter, and only on certain days prescribed by God. The presence of God resided there. The Israelites had assurance God was there, even if they couldn’t go inside. The high priest went into the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement as their advocate to sprinkle the blood of the spotless lamb and gain atonement for the sins of the people.

Under the old covenant, our sin and weakness separated us from God’s presence, but now we have confidence that the separation was ended.

Mark 15:37-38 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

When Jesus died on the cross, His spirit was torn from its earthly home by death for our sake, the veil that kept us out of God’s presence because of the sin that separated us from God’s presence, like that in the Temple, was torn, as well. Entering through Jesus’ sacrifice, his broken and torn body, we are welcomed in through our faith in Christ.

b. Confidence in the church? (little “c”)

In 2002, the Gallup Index of Leading Religious Indicators reached its lowest level, demonstrating the public’s most negative overall rating for organized religion since the index began in 1940. The poll found that confidence in organized religion had declined. In 2002, only 45 percent of Americans said they had “a great deal” of confidence in organized religion, compared to 60 percent in 2001. The index reached its peak score in 1956. Since then, American’s perception of “organized religion” has been in steady decline.

There are many reasons for this decline; however, a major one is that people complain that they have been hurt by the church. In a way, that can be true, as the local church, and the church universal, is made up of people, and people often hurt people. A wise person once said, “The church would be an amazing place to gather if it didn’t have fallen people in it.”

Another reason is that they believe the church isn’t relevant to their lives. It doesn’t “do it” for them, so they don’t believe in it. We find ourselves hurt and disillusioned because we place our trust in people rather than in Jesus Christ. But if we don’t trust in the church (read “people), or in organized religion, in what do we trust? Only confidence in Christ and the sacrifice that opened the door to God’s presence.

But what does that confidence require? Is there a place for “church”? And if we do believe in Christ and want to follow Him, what does that mean for the “practice” of our faith?

c. We know the High Priest.
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, v. 22

Confidence because I know the driver
There’s an old story of the boy who stood on a sidewalk, waiting on a bus. A man walking by spotted the boy and gave him some gentle instruction. “Son,” he said, “if you’re waiting on the bus, you need to move to the street corner. That’s where the bus stops for passengers.” “It’s OK,” said the boy. “I’ll just wait right here, and the bus will stop for me.” The man repeated his argument, but the boy never moved. Just then, the bus appeared. Amazingly, the bus pulled over to where the boy stood, and the child hopped on. The man on the sidewalk stood speechless. The boy turned around in the doorway and said, “Mister, I knew the bus would stop here, because the bus driver is my dad!” When you have a family relationship with the bus driver, you don’t need a bus stop. And when you are a part of the family of God, you don’t have to ask permission to enter God’s presence.(Adapted from a sermon by Fred Markes, Fix Your Eyes upon Jesus, He is King of Kings, 8/30/2011)

Not only did Jesus open the way into the Most Holy Place, into God’s presence, He also became THE High Priest who offers His sacrifice for us.

Hebrews 4:14-16
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 8:34 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

1 John 2:1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

2. Since we have confidence, what do we do with it?

a. Draw closer to God
22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

b. Hold fast to our hope
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

c. Be active and participatory members of a local church
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

What does it mean to be a member of a local church? What did the author of Hebrews mean by meeting together, spurring one another on, and encouraging one another?

The current Book of Order of the PCUSA states:

G-1.0304 The Ministry of Members
Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment to participate in Christ’s mission.

A faithful member bears witness to God’s love and grace and promises to be involved responsibly in the ministry of Christ’s Church. Such involvement includes: (my notes in parentheses)
• proclaiming the good news in word and deed, (assumes we know the Word of God)
• taking part in the common life and worship of a congregation, (attendance, participation, not just CEOs)
• lifting one another up in prayer, mutual concern, and active support, (more than just a Sunday morning excursion before lunch)
• studying Scripture and the issues of Christian faith and life, (learning more about the Word and its application to life through preaching, reading, study, etc.)
• supporting the ministry of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents, (enough said)
• demonstrating a new quality of life within and through the church, (finding peace with one another, forgiving one another, building strong relationships even when we do not agree)
• responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others, (mission work, giving of ourselves not just to “grow” our church, but to spread God’s love in our communities and beyond.
• living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life,
• working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment, • caring for God’s creation,
• participating in the governing responsibilities of the church, and (not waiting until I retire to be a part of leadership, but making room in my life, whatever the circumstances, to be a mature leader in the church.)
• reviewing and evaluating regularly the integrity of one’s membership and considering ways in which one’s participation in the worship and service of the church may be increased and made more meaningful.

The Book of Order gives the Session the responsibility of maintaining the rolls of the church, which includes “receiving and dismissing members; reviewing the roll of active members at least annually and counseling with those who have neglected the responsibilities of membership.”

“G-3.0204a–G-3.0301 Membership Roll
There shall be rolls of baptized, active, and affiliate members in accordance with G- 1.0401, G-1.0402 and G-1.0403. The session shall delete names from the roll of the congregation upon the member’s death, admission to membership in another congregation or presbytery, or renunciation of jurisdiction. The session may delete names from the roll of the congregation when a member so requests, or has moved or otherwise ceased to participate actively in the work and worship of the congregation for a period of two years. The session shall seek to restore members to active participation and shall provide written notice before deleting names due to member inactivity. “

Formerly PCUSA had one more membership level: Inactive. When a person was no longer attending or participating for a period at least a year, they were made Inactive Members. They were still members, but had no privilege to leadership or to vote in the congregation. At that time, after another year of lack of participation and support, the session would remove them from the rolls completely. We currently have approximately 242 members on the active roll, with 140+ on the inactive roll. Look around. Do we have that many here?

Under the new guidelines, those on the inactive roll are already removed from official membership of the church. This DOES NOT mean they are being removed from the Church universal or from being able to worship and participate here—that is quite a different thing. The problem we are struggling with here is how we go about following the guidelines.

You see, many of those who are on the rolls are technically inactive members, though listed as active. Each year the church is required to pay “per capita” for each active member, which provides for the higher councils that support us. This year it was $45 per person, in the amount of over $10,000 for 2019. Those of you who are actively supporting the church are paying that amount for those who do not attend.

So, the questions we are having to ask are these:

1. What benefit is a person who is not active receiving by being on the rolls? We might argue, especially if it is a relative, that keeping them on the rolls might bring them back to church. We want them to be a part of things. We want them to have the possibility of receiving pastoral care and use of the church.

2. Are we doing anyone a service by keeping them on the rolls?
Jesus continually challenged individuals to make their own choices and be responsible for them. The choice to be a member of a church is the individual’s not ours, not parents or grandparents, brothers or sisters. According to the Hebrews passage, an individual makes his or her own decision to be or not be a member of THE church or a church.

3. Are we keeping people on the rolls to make ourselves feel better? Remember what it said: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, . . . but encouraging one another. Instead of keeping people on the rolls so that we don’t offend them or “push” them away from the church, perhaps it would be best to challenge them to be an active member, to explain to them what an active member is, invite them to return, and let them make a decision!

My children both left the Presbyterian church. I wish they would have stayed, but it was their choice. While both believe in Jesus Christ and are a part of THE Church (Body of Christ), one is a member of a local church, the other is not. Again, I decided to respect their choice for their faith and their lives.

This isn’t about how much or how often a person gives. This isn’t about how much they attend. But it is about discipleship, about challenging one another and our friends and family to literally be active members according to the guidelines of our constitution and, more importantly, the Word of God. It is about sharing the gospel and being accountable for and to one another, as the Bible instructs us. It is about challenging ourselves to be confident in our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us and God’s openness to enter in.

While some don’t believe in organized religion, to do the work of God in the world requires some organization. We never withhold membership in the Body of Christ, and we never withhold membership from anyone willing to be an active member, AS THEY ARE ABLE. In the end, our participation in the Body is between us and God. My hope is that all the people on our lists would be restored to active, vital, participatory membership.

Please keep the Nurturing Committee in prayer as it works to update the information in our rolls so we can keep better contact with all of our members and friends. If you want to help in this process, sign up to work on the committee.

Please keep the session in prayer as we work on these guidelines and reach out to those who haven’t been active in some time, that we might encourage them to return to church, whether here or somewhere else, that we might strengthen the part of the Body of Christ called First UPC of Houston.

And please, please, please, speak to us about your concerns and ideas regarding these issues. In fact, if you want to stay and talk about this sermon and this process, please feel free to meet with me after the congregational meeting. Let’s pray.