Sunday - 07/07/13
RWJ/Pottersville UMC
Sermon: “Lambs in the
midst of wolves”
Scripture Lesson: Psalm 30
Gospel Lesson: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Well greetings and good morning again
my brothers and sisters! I humbly and lovingly greet you in the name of the
risen Christ! I must say that while my wife and I very much enjoyed our trip to
Northern Illinois to perform my older brother’s wedding, we missed all of you very
much this past Sunday. In fact, it felt a little odd last Sunday to not be here
in church with you all. I assure you however, that I was put to work doing
prayers, blessings, a wedding, a sermon, and etc.
When Melissa and I returned home this
past Monday night though, I began to think about the message I would give to
you all this morning. As the week progressed, I began thinking of the many ways
that people use to harm others. That these forms of harm happen not only within
our own country, but that they happen all around the world. When thinking of the
various places around the world, I thought of the ways in which dictators in
some countries suppress other people’s freedoms. How that there are some people
present in many of the places that we go, that do not have our best interests
in mind. I thought about how there are people in this world that have no care
for anybody or anything other than themselves. That some of these people seek
to harm us not because we are bad people, but simply because they do not
believe in the purity, the love, and values of being a follower of Jesus Christ.
It is then through our faith, our deeds, and our actions, that we may be known
to a world that knows Him not. Sometimes my brothers and sisters, pastors get
moved, sometimes our children move away, but we will be known by our faith, our
deeds, and our actions. We sometimes have to deal with cutting and hard
situations, but we realize that our hearts and how we treat people matter. That
you all matter to me, and that you all matter to God.
In contemplating all of this, I particularly
reflected upon these things on this past 4th of July. I reflected
upon the contributions of the Christian Church to the welfare and betterment of
this country and this world. The reality that brave men and women, both now and
throughout our history have laid down their lives down for the cause of
freedom, for the cause of liberty. I reflected upon the reality that there are
places in this world where it is not okay to worship Jesus. That there are still
many places in the world today where you are not only told what to believe, but
how to believe it. In such places, I find that these believers are “Lambs in
the midst of wolves.” That in such places people are persecuted, oppressed, and
even killed, simply for loving others and promoting peace and freedom through
Jesus Christ. For me though, I think that the Christian Church is one of the
only bastions of purity, of love, or truth, and of goodness, in a world that
knows Him not. This means sometimes though that the leaders of our churches are
expected to go forth on new missions, to tackle new challenges, and to serve in
new ways. While I knew this reality would come some day for me, the stinging
reality of this is very hard for me, and I am grieved.
To attempt to commemorate this past 4th
of July and better explain this though, I came across a quote from Abraham
Lincoln. Here is his quote, as Abraham Lincoln presented this in a message to the
then Methodist-Episcopal Church on May 18, 1864, one year before our Civil War
ended. Here is what President Lincoln said, “It is no fault in others that the
Methodist Church sends more soldiers to the field, more nurses to the hospital,
and more prayers to Heaven than any. God bless the Methodist Church - bless all
the churches - and blessed be to God, who, in this our great trial, giveth us
the churches.”
Given all of this, I think that the
reality for all of us is that we have days or even times in our lives that we
all feel like that we “Lambs in the midst of wolves.” There are days where we
all feel like the world is going to you know where “in a hand basket.” Within
this though, it is our faith that defines us, that sustains us, and that guides
us. That in the greatest depths of our experiences of despair, and in our worst
trials and tribulations, that this is often where we find God in all of His fullness
and faithfulness. In fact, one of my favorite military quotes is, “There is no
such thing as an Atheist in a fox hole.”
With this said, when looking at the Psalm 30 reading from this morning,
it said, “I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let
my foes rejoice over me.” It continues to say, “O Lord my God, I cried to you
for help, and you have healed me.” It then says, “O Lord, you brought up my
soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.”
The scripture than says, “Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful one, and
give thanks to his holy name.” What the scripture then says, is particularly
striking, it says, “For his anger is but a moment; his favor is for a
life-time. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
You see I think that there are days
where we all feel beaten down by this world. I remember the movie “Field of
Dreams” starring Kevin Costner. In this movie Kevin Costner is a farmer in
Iowa. The family is not rich, and much like many farm families, they are
dependent upon the harvest of their crops for their very livelihood. Yet one
day as Kevin Costner walks through his corn field, he hears a voice, perhaps a
still small voice. The voice than says, “If you build it, he will come,” and
then sees a vision of a baseball field. After some internal wrestling, Kevin
Costner who plays the character “Ray Kinsella” cuts down a good portion of his
crops and builds the baseball field. His wife as you can imagine was not happy
with her husband ray. At first nothing happens to the baseball field, as it
just sits empty. Suddenly a man walks from the cornfield, dressed in old 1919
Chicago Black Sox uniform. Ray quickly realizes that is the now deceased famous
“Shoeless Joe Jackson.” Soon after this, many other players begin arriving. At
first many cannot see the players because they don’t believe in something
greater than just the baseball field itself. By the end though, all people
believe, and many cars stream down the highway to see this “Field of Dreams.” Towards
the end of the movie, the catcher behind home plate gets up on the baseball
field and takes his mask off. Ray quickly realizes that this person is his
father, as a young man. He introduces his father to his family, and then asks
his dad if he can have one more catch with him, before disappears in the corn
field. When Ray saw his father and realized who he was, he told those around
him, that that was his father as a young and vibrant man. In fact, he said, “That
was what my father looked like, before the world beat him down.”
Now I’m saying go home and build a
baseball field if God has not called you to do so, but I am saying that God is
sovereign and reigns over all people. If we are not God’s faithful people, if
we are not God’s sheep, are we not wolves? If we do not seek to follow God, do
we oppose God and his people? Do we desire a better future for our children? Do
we desire to believe in the freedom that Christ offers us, or do we desire to
destroy God’s sheep as vicious wolves? Sometimes brothers and sisters God calls
us from serving him in one place, and then we must leave and go serve in another
place. It is vital though that people know that they are loved. That the function
of the Christian Church is to raise people up and send them out, but oh how it
stings sometimes when we are the ones being called or sent out.
When looking at the gospel reading from
this morning from the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus had just “appointed
seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place
where he himself intended.” The lord then said to these 70 people, “The harvest
is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest.” You know brothers and sisters, I think
that sometimes in our churches today we feel like the work of God is plentiful,
and yet that the workers are few. In fact, the Lord in this morning’s gospel
reading then tells these 70 people, “See, I am sending you out like lambs into
the midst of wolves.” Jesus then told the seventy to “Carry no purse, no bag,
no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace
to this house!’ Jesus went on to say, that the 70 should “remain in the same
house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to
be paid.” Jesus continues to talk about the 70 loving and being with the hospitable
and the loving, but that if they are not greeted and loves, that they will
depart and not be oppressed.
So the mission of the Christian
Church is train leaders up and send them out as “Sheep amidst the wolves.” You
have indeed greeted me, and I have eaten and drank what you provided like the
scripture says, but in being called to somewhere new I have admit I like this
house. I like what you have fed me and what you have given me to drink, and I like
being here. Our bishop however, who is a great Holy Spirit filled man, has asked
me and I have agreed to embark on a new mission beginning on September 8th.
Perhaps as any place we encounter there will be wolves, but this is the reality
of our calling to serve God. That so often we are “Lambs in the midst of
wolves.” I bring this message to you this morning my brothers and sisters will
a full, heavy, and a humble heart. Most of all however, I bring this message to
you so that you will all know just how much your pastor loves you, values you,
and how much you matter to me and the kingdom of God. Amen brothers and
sisters.
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