Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/30/15 Sermon - “You ignore God's commandment while holding on to rules created by humans”

Sunday 08/30/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “You ignore God’s commandment while holding

on to rules created by humans”

                                 

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9

                                            

New Testament Scripture: James 1:17-27

Gospel Lesson: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

          My friends, my sisters and brothers, I want to welcome you once again on this the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, almost two-thousand years ago, the Holy Spirit moved like a mighty fire, like a mighty wind, and the disciples and the earlier followers of Jesus Christ, formally became the Christian Church. For on the day of Pentecost, the church was born, as the disciples and the early Christians went out for the first time, preaching the gospel, serving poor, and changing the world. As Christians today, we are part of this legacy, as we continue to preach, to serve, to love, and to change the world for Jesus Christ.

          This morning however, I want to talk about rules. You know those expectations, those behaviors, and those things that we are all supposed to adhere to? For example, when we go to public pool, the rules might say, “No running,” or no “Horse Play.” The rules in a classroom in a school might be, “raise your hand if you wish to speak,” or “treat each other with love and respect.” The rules in a job might be to “meet your deadlines,” or to “do what is asked of you.” It would seem that all around us then, are rules, expectation, do’s, and don’ts.

          How many of us though, ever get tired of the rules? How many of us sometimes think, can the rules ever be broken? Further, are there some rules that just make so sense? Lastly, what if the current rules that we have just aren’t working?

I remember when used to be a social worker and an alternative instructor in Ithaca. Some days, I would teach in the public library in Ithaca. After parking my car and walking to the cross walk, I would then hit the button to cross the street. Someday when I wanted to cross the street there were many people and cars present, but once and awhile, there were few people and no cars.

          Now let’s be clear on this brothers and sisters, in the State of New York, jaywalking, or crossing the street without the go ahead from the little crosswalk box is illegal. Yet after waiting some days for a few minutes in Ithaca, and on the days when there were few cars and people, I finally just thought, well this doesn’t make any sense! So I crossed the street, and when I did, there were no cars, and few if any people. I probably should have waited to cross the street, but there was nothing to wait for! Has anyone here ever jaywalked across the street?

          So I am not against the rules, the law, or anything like that, but what if the rules in a given situation don’t make any sense? What if you are in a car with someone and they suddenly lose consciousness? The hospital let’s say in 10-miles away. The speed limit though, is let’s say 55-miles per hour. So do you go the next 10-miles at 55-miles per hour, or do you go faster?

          When can the rules be flexible? When can the rules be thrown out all together?

          Suppose that there was a complete shortage next month of loaves of bread and grape juice? Would we cancel communion for next Sunday, or do we substitute something else as the communion elements?

          In fairness, as I said, I do believe in following laws, rules, and etc., unlike my Grandpa Winkelman, who said that, “the only crime is getting caught.”

          I give all of these examples this morning to build up to Gospel of Mark reading, that talks about eating with unclean hands, or unpurified hands.

          I remember when I was a child, having family meals on Sundays sometimes. Or perhaps a family meal on a Friday, or a Saturday. We didn’t have to wear suits and dresses to these meals, but there was rules. We had to eat whatever we put on out plates, and I mean whatever. We were expected to wash our hands, and in general to be clean at the table. We were expected to be polite and to ask for something if we needed it. We usually would let everyone know if we were getting up to leave or to use the bathroom.

          This morning, our Gospel of Mark reading picks up in chapter 7, saying, “The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus” (Mark 7:1, CEB). Now at this point, Jesus and his disciples are sitting and eating a meal. The gospel then goes on to say of the Pharisees and the legal experts, “They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing” (Mark 7:2, CEB). The next verse then says, “The Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat without first without washing their hands carefully” (Mark 7:3, CEB). So this ritual washing was required for Jewish people. Yet the point of the ritual washing of the hands was not to be better than others, not to be a tool of power, but was supposed to be done to bring glory to God.

          Well I don’t about you, but when I wash my hands before dinner, I do so to not make me ritualistically clean, but to make my hands literally clean. So the indictment against Jesus and his disciples, is that they were eating food, and hadn’t undergone the ritual washing required of them in the Jewish law.

          It would seem to me that the Pharisees and the legal experts were nit-picking then, as you would think that Jesus and disciples would be called to the carpet for something much bigger than not ritualistically washing their hands. Yet this is important in the Jewish Law, as ritual cleaning and washing mattered. As we can think of Pontius Pilate washing his hands of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death, in Matthew 27:24. I mean was Pontius Pilate innocent of not stopping Christ’s death, simply because he ritualistically washed his hands? No, I do think so.

          Well let me give you a little bit more on why this hand washing or cleansing ritual was so important. In says in Mark 7:4, “Upon returning from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats)” (Mark 7:4, CEB). Mark 7:5 then says, “So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands?” (Mark 7:5, CEB).

          So the very first thing that the Pharisees and the legal experts noticed, was that Jesus’s disciples didn’t follow the Jewish ritual cleaning laws. They might not have even known the disciples, or known why the disciples didn’t ritually wash their hands, but rules were rules. Rule can also never be broken right? Further this rule of ritual hand washing was not used to exploit or call others out on the carpet, it was used to glorify almighty God.

          Well Jesus then replies by discussing the prophet Isaiah. Jesus says, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words.” (Mark 7:6-7, CEB).

          Jesus was then building up to his main point, that we can do the right things externally or with our bodies, that our lips can say the right things, but what about what is in our hearts and our souls? What is more important, the internal parts of person’s heart and soul, or there external body and hands? What is better, clean hands, or clean souls? Further, do we call people out on their hands, when we have sin and filth in our hearts and in our souls?

          Jesus then says, what the title of my sermon is today, from Mark 7:8, “You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you” (Mark 7:8, CEB). So Jesus was saying, you are correct, my disciples do not have clean hands, but are you raising this point to glorify God, or to glorify yourself?

          To emphasize his point, Jesus then said in Mark 7:14, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God’s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person” (Mark 7:14b-15, CEB).

          The crux of Jesus’ point, then comes in Mark 7:21, which says, “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight” (Mark 7:21-23, CEB). So do we look at the hands of a person, or do we look at the heart and the soul of a person?        

I want to share a very short story with you, about judging others. This story is called Father Joseph, and it is by author unknown. Here is how it goes: “A member of a monastic order once committed a fault. A council was called to determine the punishment, but when the monks assembled it was noticed that Father Joseph was not among them. The superior sent someone to say to him, “Come, for everyone is waiting for you.”

“So Father Joseph got up and went. He took a leaking jug, filled it with water, and carried it with him. When the others saw this they asked, “What is this, father?”

“The old man said to them, “My sins run out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the error of another?”

          Well it comes down to this friends, brothers and sisters, when have we been the Pharisees and the legal experts? When have we been overly critical of someone’s hands, or some of their lesser behaviors, while completely and totally overlooking there heart and there soul. You see when we create rules and laws as people, as individuals, and as a church, we have to be careful to decipher whether or not we are judging someone merely based on if their hands were clean or not. For when we do this, we lose God. When we do this, the church suffers. When we do this, we fail to be all that Jesus Christ called us to be.

          Maybe we can all learn something from the Father Joseph character, from the story that I just told. Maybe we can learn that the Christian faith, and the Christian life is first and foremost rooted in God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, and God’s love. That the Christian faith is about God entering into our world, and our mess, in the form of Jesus Christ, so that we might better learn to love, heal, and forgive. As a people, and as a church then, are we doing all that we are doing with grace, forgiveness, healing, and love? Or, are we doing what we are doing with judgement, power, control, and anger?

          Friend, sisters and brothers, to me, the Gospel of Jesus Christ couldn’t be any easier. A Gospel that Christ died for, so that we may be forgiven. So that we have salvation, and life abundantly. Love God, and love each other, Jesus said. It is hard to do that though, when we just can’t get past a person’s dirty hands. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/23/15 Sermon - “This is the bread that came down from heaven” (“The Bread of the World” series: Part 3 of 3)

Sunday 08/23/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “This is the bread that came down from heaven”

(“The Bread of the World” series: Part 3 of 3)                      

                                 

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 84

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-20

Gospel Lesson: John 6:56-69

          My friends, my sisters and brothers, I want to welcome you once again on this the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Thirteen Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved like a mighty wind so long ago, giving birth to the Christian Church. Here we are centuries later, still living into the calling that Jesus Christ gave us in his gospel so long ago.

          The last two Sundays, I have preached on church lectionary readings from the Gospel of John. In these readings, Jesus referred to himself in different ways as being “bread.” As a result, I am concluding this three week preaching series this morning, called “The Bread of the World” series.  

          In the first Sunday of this “The Bread of the World series,” Jesus said in the Gospel of John reading, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35ab, CEB). Now Jesus in this verse, was discussing in part how God feed the ancient Israelites in the story from the Book of Exodus. In this story, after the Israelites were sent into the wilderness, which according to the story, was for 40-years, they hungered and they thirsted. God provided them therefore, with “mana” or bread from heaven, as well as water, and even quail to eat. God did this to keep the Israelite people fed and alive.

          Jesus then, in the first week of this preaching series, was making the claim that he was spiritual food. That who he was, and his message, was food four our hearts and our souls. So the way that God fed Moses and the Israelites physically in the wilderness, Jesus Christ says instead, “I will feed your souls.”

Now this is certainly a huge claim to make, and one that was not met with the greatest of warmth by some of the religious and the political leaders of Jesus’ time (John 6:41-42, CEB).

          It is also interesting to note, that in our church lectionary reading on week one of this “The Bread of the World” series, that the lectionary reading from the Gospel of John ended with 6:51, which says, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51, CEB). This is interesting, because in our church lectionary reading from last Sunday, verse 51, was repeated from the previous week’s reading from the Gospel of John, as is to emphasize it. As to personify what Jesus Christ was saying with his statements on being “spiritual bread.”

          The verse that I chose to hone in on from last week’s gospel of John reading, was when Jesus said in John 6:54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). This verse largely draws us to the significance of Jesus Christ, why his death matters, and why Christ’s gift to us, is so important. That the sacrament or sacred gift of Holy Communion, or the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper, is one of the powerful ways that we can be connected to God. To come closer to Jesus Christ, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and to know that Christ is present in us and amongst us. So when Jesus Christ said in John 6:54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” part of this I think, is a call for us to take Holy Communion very seriously (John 6:54, CEB). To take the communion bread and juice reverently, and with great joy, as we call upon the God of the Universe to fill us, to bring us closer to Jesus Christ.

          As it turns out, this week’s lectionary reading from the Gospel of John has the same sort of overlap of verses, as was found in week one and week two of this sermon series. The overlap from last week’s reading from the Gospel of John to this week, was John 6:56-59, which says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me lives because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and then they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:56-59, CEB).

          So once again, the first three versus of the church’s lectionary reading from the Gospel of John for this Sunday, is a repeat from last Sunday. I wonder once again why the church would do this? Perhaps, to really drive home or to emphasize what Jesus Christ was saying maybe? To drive home and to emphasize who Jesus was and is?

          With this said, the verse that I chose to focus on for this Sunday’s series finale, is taken from John 6:58, which says, “This is the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:58a, CEB). Jesus then completes this verse by saying, “It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and then they died” (John 6:58b, CEB). Perhaps this Jesus then, isn’t the bread that we eat physically, but the bread that fills us spiritually?

          I mean last week and this week, when Jesus said in the Gospel of John, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” I don’t think that Jesus was necessarily focused so much on the physical here (John 6:54, CEB). Instead, I think that Jesus was saying, that “in me you can find a newness of life.” That “in me, I can make all things new,” and he went to great extremes with what he was saying to prove to his disciples and his other followers who he was.

          John 6:59 then says, “Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum” (John 6:59, CEB). I went through the ruins of this synagogue in Israel last year, and I can imagine what it was like to hear Jesus making these claims about how he was “The Bread of the World.”

          In fact, even some of Jesus’ own disciples found his statements to be too much, as some of them said, “This message is harsh. Who can hear it?” (John 6:60b, CEB). I think that this is part of the reason that the debate over who Jesus Christ was and is, continues to this very day. I mean think about the magnitude of what Jesus Christ said in the Jewish Synagogue in Capernaum, in last week’s Gospel of John reading. Jesus said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). I mean wow! That is a pretty massive and a powerful statement to make.

Jesus Christ was saying that his very body and blood are the keys to unlocking to truths of God, and to eternal life itself. Are we shocked then that some of his disciples had doubts at this point? How many of us have struggled at times with what we read in the Bible? How many of us have struggled at times with what we believe, or why we believe it? Well if we have struggled, or have ever had any doubts, it would seem that so did some of the disciples and the listeners of Jesus Christ this morning.

          Yet Jesus responds to his doubting disciples and listeners, by saying, “Does this offend you? What if you were to see the Son of Man going up where he was before?” (John 6:61a-62, CEB). Jesus was saying to the disciples then, are you bothered by what I am saying? Then he says what if you were to watch me ascend to heaven, as we have written in the Book of Acts, the Gospel of Luke, and the Gospel of Mark.

          So Jesus is saying to his disciples then, like the song lyric says, “Don’t believe me, just watch!” Jesus then tells the disciples and others, “The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Yet some of you don’t believe.” (John 6:63-64a, CEB).

          Have you ever told a truthful story to group, and some people believed you, but others just thought that you were lying or crazy? So, did some believe you, but others were convinced that you weren’t telling the truth? In this way, the Gospel of John then says, “Jesus knew from the beginning who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray him” (John 6:64b, CEB). In this way Christ tells us, that we must chose Him, as he cannot force us to follow Him. To “taste and see” that He is good, for ourselves. For even Judas Iscariot who betrayed him, partook in that first Holy Communion of bread and cup at the Last Supper, but that Holy Communion didn’t fill him. It didn’t fill him, because he didn’t first repented and ask Christ to fill him. You see, Jesus is speaking spiritually. That we can come to church, that we can take Holy Communion, but have we allowed Christ to change our hearts and our minds? Or do we stay the same week after week?

          This is evident when Jesus then says, “For this reason I said to you that none can come to me unless the Father enables them to do so” (John 6:65, CEB). The Gospel of John then says, “At this, many of his disciples turned away and no longer accompanied him” (John 6:66, CEB). So Jesus “Upped the Ante” then, and said this is who I am, and some of his disciples said, “this is too much for us, we are leaving.”

How many of us have walked away from Jesus Christ when it got to hard? When we realized that to be His disciples that we would have to be wholly committed and surrendered to Him, as the Lord of our lives, and our savior?

          So then next in the Gospel of John, Jesus asked the twelve disciples that he had handpicked, and I believe He is asking us all this morning, “Do you also want to leave?” (John 6:67, CEB).

Well brothers and sisters, for me, I side with my brother Saint Peter, who then said in 6:68-69, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are God’s holy one.” (John 6:68-69, CEB). In this way, “No one compares with Jesus” (Africa Bible Commentary). In this way, “Jesus has the words of eternal life” (Africa Bible Commentary). In this way Jesus is “God’s holy one.” (John 6:69b, CEB).

          So this morning, Jesus Christ says, “This is the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:58a, CEB). When he hear these words spoken from Jesus Christ, do we believe and allow Jesus Christ to spiritually feed us? Or do we depart and say, “This message is harsh. Who can hear it?” (John 6:60b, CEB).

          Further, if we say yes to Jesus to Christ, if we say yes to “the bread that came down from heaven,” then what do we do with that (John 6:58a, CEB)? How are we changing the world for Jesus Christ? How are we telling people about Jesus Christ, who he is, what he has done, and what he is going to do? How can we feed the poor, stop war, stop suffering, and stop hardship through the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Through the one who said, “This is the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:58a, CEB).

Friends, sisters and brothers, I want to share with you a story that I think explains who Jesus was and is, and what He was trying to tell us in this “The Bread of the World” series. Well this story is called, “At the End of Time,” by author unknown. Here is how it goes: “At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly – not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.”

“‘Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?’ snapped a young Albanian. He removes his shirt to reveal a bullet scarred back. ‘In Kosovo we endured terror… shootings… torture!’”

“In another group an aged aboriginal woman pulls a crumpled, tear stained photograph from her pocket. ‘What about this?’ she demanded, ‘This is my precious child. I have not seen her since the day she was stolen away for no crime but being black!’”

“In another crowd, was an abused schoolgirl with sullen eyes. ‘Why should I suffer’ she murmured, ‘It wasn’t my fault.’”

“Far out across the plain there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he permitted in this world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all was sweetness and light, where there was no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that people had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.”

“So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. In the center of the plain they consulted with each other. At last they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever.”

“Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they had endured. Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth – as a man!”

“‘Let him be born into a hated race. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury and convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured.”

“‘At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.’”

“As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled. And when the last had finished pronouncing sentence, there was a long silence. No-one uttered another word. No-one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.”

Friends, brothers and sisters, do we believe that Jesus is “The Bread of the World?” Do we believe that Jesus Christ is “the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:58a, CEB)? Further, if we do believe this, then how can we change the world around us for Jesus Christ? How can we spread the Gospel of life, and how can we transform a hurting and a broken world, into all that Jesus Christ has called us to change it into? A world of people, that Jesus Christ came to live and die for. Amen.  

         

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/16/15 Sermon - “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (“The Bread of the World” series: Part 2 of 3)

Sunday 08/16/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood

has eternal life”

(“The Bread of the World” series: Part 2 of 3)                      

                                 

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 111

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-20

Gospel Lesson: John 6:51-58

          Brothers and sisters, friends, welcome once again on this the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Pentecost that day so long ago, when the disciples and the early Christians were moved by the Holy Spirit. In being moved by the Holy Spirit, the disciples and the early Christians went forth preaching the gospel, and changing the world, as we continue to do today. Pentecost then, was the day that the Christian Church was officially born, and this morning, we continue the mission of preaching and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

          For those of you that were with us last week, you might remember that we began a sermon series from our church lectionary readings from the Gospel of John. Last week’s lectionary reading from the Gospel of John, this week’s reading, and next week’s reading, all contain statements from Jesus Christ about him being “bread.” These statements are different and varied, although Jesus does repeat some of them.

          In having these three weeks of statements from Jesus Christ, on him being “bread,” I decided to do a three week preaching series entitled “The Bread of the World” series (John 6:51a, CEB).

          In doing this series, the hope is to specifically look at the statements made in the narrative, from the Gospel of John, to then better figure out what Jesus Christ meant with his “bread” statements (John 6:51a, CEB).

          Now in prefacing this series a little bit, I realize that some Christians read the gospels with different lenses. The lens that I am using, is one where I find authoritative truths in the statements of Jesus Christ. As to say, I am viewing the gospels as being written as truthful historical accounts or biographies of what Jesus Christ said and did.

          In viewing the Gospel of John in this case, with this sort of lens, the question then becomes for me, what did Jesus Christ mean with his “bread” statements (John 6:51a, CEB). I mean, was Jesus Christ speaking metaphorically with his claims? Or was Jesus Christ speaking with the fullness of truth, divinity, and humanity? Or was Jesus Christ saying something different still?

          Last week in the Gospel of John 6:35, Jesus Christ said the words, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). Now in many cultures, one of the main staple foods is bread. Perhaps if we were in some Asian cultures though, we could say that instead of bread, that this staple food would be rice. Maybe a Chinese Christian for example, might think of this scripture as, “I am the rice of world.” Essentially then, Jesus Christ was comparing himself to the daily food that everyone in his culture consumed to have life. In doing this, he was making the statement that all people need him to live. Not to live physically, but to live spiritually. For Jesus Christ, the fullness of God and humanity was and is offering himself as the spiritual food to feed our very hearts and souls.

          Jesus Christ was making the claim therefore, that he was the bridge, and that he was the reconciliation that was needed to fully come to God. For Christ said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6, NRSV).  

          Now what I am not advocating for though, is using the truths of Jesus Christ to oppress or to disenfranchise any group of people. Rather I am asking did Jesus speak authoritatively with these comments? Some folks in this Post-Modern Era that we live in, might question the validity of certain scriptures, yet the vast majority of early Christians saw Jesus as having the fullness of God’s grace and truth, as I do.

          Certainly then, in the Gospel of John, it can be argued that this reality is adequately conveyed, as it is very clear to me who this gospel writer thought that Jesus Christ was and is.

          As a spring board into the Gospel of John reading for this morning, we have in the reading from Psalm 111:2, this verse, “The works of the LORD are magnificent; they are treasured by all who desire them” (Psalm 111:2, CEB). Certainly, this morning in the Gospel of John then, and throughout all of the Gospels, Jesus says and does things that are nothing short of “magnificent” (Psalm 111:2a, CEB). Are they to be taken literally though, or metaphorically?

          In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the Ephesians from this morning, the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:20, “always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20, CEB).

          Well who is this Jesus Christ? What do we mean by calling him Lord? This morning, Jesus Christ says in John 6:54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). Brothers and sisters, friends, this is a powerful statement made by Jesus Christ. Let me say this statement again. Jesus Christ says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB).

          Now the Gospel of John reading for this morning begins with Jesus saying, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51, CEB). To me, Jesus is saying here, that he came down from heaven, to die for our sins, and for our iniquities. That if we stay connected to him, and if have faith in him, then we “will live forever” (John 6:51b, CEB).  

          Certainly then, this is a pretty powerful statement, as Jesus says believe in me, believe in my Gospel, live it, share, change the world, and in doing so, you “will live forever” (John 6:51b, CEB). 

          As I also mentioned last week, that if the statements that Jesus Christ made were of no significance to the Jewish authorities, then they would not have responded to his statements with such hostility and anger. For as it says in John 6:52, “Then the Jews debated among themselves, asking, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52, CEB).

          Jesus then said to them, “I assure you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53, CEB). Jesus then says, which is partially the title of my sermon today, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:54, CEB).

          Jesus continues by saying, “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them” (John 6:55-56, CEB).

          To drive his point home even more, Jesus then says, “As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me lives because of me” (John 6:58, CEB).

          This gospel reading then concludes with Jesus Christ saying, “This is the bread that came down from heaven. It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58, CEB).

          So for me then, it is pretty clear who Jesus is claiming to be, and whom the Apostle John is claiming Jesus to be.

          In looking at this gospel reading more closely, we have statements from Jesus Christ about the need to eat his flesh and drink his blood, as he says in John 6:55, “My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink” (John 6:55, CEB).

          Well, the general way that we have historically responded to this request from Jesus Christ, has been through Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist. That the bread and cup that we share at Communion or the Lord’s Supper, is how we partake in the great mystery of drawing closer to Jesus Christ.

          Since Jesus Christ made these statements this morning though, are we to believe that when we partake in the bread and the cup at the church alter every month that we are literally and truly consuming the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ? By the way, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, feeling that Holy Communion is so spiritually important, has advocated for churches to celebrate Holy Communion every Sunday since 2004. That is a discussion for another time though.

          So Jesus Christ does in fact say this morning in John 6:54, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). Now assuming that we believe that Jesus Christ is making the claims of being the savior, the Messiah, the living God, are we then to conclude that we have to eat the literal flesh and drink the literal blood of Jesus Christ?

          An argument against the belief that our bread and juice turn into the literal body and blood of Christ is this, it would mean that on thousands of church alters all over the world, every Sunday morning, that Christ’s body and blood literally show up. That is powerful statement, to say that the literal body and blood of Christ is all over, in various church, and in various places all at once.

          Further in the Book of Acts 1:9-11 we have the story of the Ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. This what Acts 1:9-11 says, “When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:9-11, NRSV).

          Many Christians have historically believed that Christ will return to earth one day, in his second coming, to usher in the fullness of the Kingdom of God. In fact, our Muslim brothers and sisters, who do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, also believe that Jesus Christ will return one day to usher in the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

          So can Christ’s literal body and blood appear simultaneously, and all over the place? If Christ will not return in the flesh until his second coming, how then can his literal flesh and blood appear on thousands of church alters every Sunday morning? Further, if Holy Communion is really this significant then, should we have it every week, instead of every month?

          The United Methodist view of what Jesus is saying this morning when he says “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,” we would interpret symbolically (John 6:54, CEB). By this, many United Methodists believe that bread and the juice are just common elements, which God does something extraordinary with. That God turns mere bread and juice into a holy and spiritual meal at the consecration during Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. A meal where Jesus is truly spiritually present, just not physically present. So to many United Methodists, Holy Communion is the body and blood of Christ, but symbolically and spiritually only. That when we receive Holy Communion that God the creator, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are present amongst us, and in the holy meal that we share together.

          Ultimately though, I consecrate the bread and the juice for Holy Communion every month, like any pastor or priest would. In doing so, I call upon the same God, the same Holy Spirit. In this way, God will do what God will do on this alter when we receive Holy Communion. Yet every Christian Church seems to have its own theological position on the statement that Jesus Christ makes in John 6:54, when he says, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). Further, as I said earlier there are different lens of view and understanding these scriptures.

I want to share a story with you about Holy Communion, simply called “A Communion Story,” by author unknown. Here is how it goes: “One of the things I get to do at church is prepare the communion for our Sunday morning services. This has never been a chore for me. It has always felt like a privilege. I have so many memories that surround communion. Usually the church is quiet while I get things ready and it becomes a time a peaceful meditation for me. The scriptures say that we are to remember Jesus as we gather around the communion table. I do think about Jesus, but I also feel surrounded by all the people who have shown me Jesus over the years.”

“In our tradition we pass trays filled with small cups of grape juice along the pews. Each person takes one of the small cups and drinks the juice as we reflect on its meaning.”

“I grew up in a family where church was very much part of our everyday life. One of my earliest memories is standing on a chair in the church kitchen helping my mom put the little glass cups into the trays. As I got a bit older I was allowed to fill a bulb syringe with juice and squirt it into the little cups. My mom made this chore seem like a great privilege that only big girls were allowed to do. I'm a big girl now, Mom. I am allowed to fill the little cups all by myself.”

“Just as funny things happen around the dinner table at home, lots of funny things have happened over the years around the communion table. I think God must have a wonderful sense of humor, and God must laugh with us at our funny mishaps.”

“One week we prepared the trays on Saturday afternoon and put them into the refrigerator until time for services the next morning. Somehow the refrigerator got set to very, very cold. The juice in the little cups froze solid. We did not notice this until the trays were being passed along the pews and people tried to drink. It was the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. It is impossible to drink an ice cube. People tried licking the frozen juice. People tried turning the cups in their hands to thaw them. Some people banged the little cups on the pews or their legs. Everyone got the giggles.”

“Scripture refers to the fruit of vine as part of the communion. This inspired one minister to substitute grapes for the juice. Instead of trays of juice, plates of grapes were passed along the pews. This felt a bit odd, but it became very funny when we realized that these were not seedless grapes. Just what is the polite thing to do with grape seeds in church?”

“One Sunday one of the teen-aged boys helping to serve communion was coming back down the steps from the pulpit area when he tripped. The tray flew out of his hands, spilling juice all over him, the floor and everyone sitting on the front row. There was a great deal of jumping up and scurrying around in an effort to clean up the mess. Poor Chris just sat there and said, “Uh-oh.” For years afterward the people getting ready to serve would pray not to pull a Chris.”

“One of my dear friends would frequently look at me with a sparkle in her eye as we took the cup. We would clink our little cups together and whisper,” Cheers.” For us it was a happy little celebration of being together in God's family. I miss you Julie.”

“Next time you gather around the communion table, remember that you are part of the family of God. Remember Jesus, and remember all the people who have helped you to celebrate the joy of being a Christian.”
          So sisters and brothers, friends, I would encourage us all then, the next time that we read today’s gospel reading in our own Bibles, and the next time that we partake in Holy Communion, to consider what these scriptures mean, and to consider what Jesus meant, when he said, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life” (John 6:54, CEB). Amen.

         

          

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - 08/09/15 Sermon - “I am the bread of life” (“The Bread of the World” series: Part 1 of 3)

Sunday 08/09/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “I am the bread of life”

(“The Bread of the World” series: Part 1 of 3)                      

                                 

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 130

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Gospel Lesson: John 6:35, 41-51

          Friends, brothers and sisters, welcome once again on this the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost. Pentecost, that day so long ago that the Christian Church was born. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way, and the disciples and the early Christians went forth preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They went forth changing the world.

          They went forth making the world into what Jesus taught them that it should be. They went forth making followers of Christ, and telling people of the hope that they had found in Jesus Christ.

          Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, the hope of the nations, the Good Shepherd, and this morning specifically, “the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). You see in the Old Testament, when the Jews left Egypt, and when they soon after wandered in the wilderness for 40-years, they had no food at first. As a result, God provided for them bread or “mana” from heaven. They were also provided with the water and the drink that they needed to survive.

          In referencing this story in a way then, Jesus this morning, was speaking to an audience that was largely, if not all Jewish. Many of them knew there history of wandering through the desert with Moses for 40-years. These people knew that God had provided for them, bread or “mana” from heaven. These people knew that God provided them the water and the drink that they needed to survive.

          Yet this morning, Jesus Christ, tells his mostly all Jewish audience, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 35, CEB).

          So among the many titles that we have in the Bible of Jesus Christ, which include everything from Messiah, to teacher, to savior, and etc., today Jesus Christ says, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). In this way, Jesus Christ is making a direct connection to God’s power to feed and provide drink for the Israelites in the wilderness for 40-years. Specifically, he is making the claim that he is now the “the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). Further, Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 35b, CEB).

          Now it was God Himself in the Old Testament that fed and gave drink to the Israelites in the wilderness for 40-years, and now Jesus Christ is saying, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). Jesus is saying, that He is God’s power, that He provides spiritual food and drink to all persons. That He is what feeds our souls, and to make this claim, placed Jesus Christ in a special category. For a mere human could not be “the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). A mere human cannot feed our souls. So then, who was Jesus Christ claiming himself to be? Was he saying that he was a prophet? Was he saying that he had Godliness in him? Or was he making the claim that he was the fullness of God and the fullness of humanity on earth?

          This notion of Jesus being spiritual bread and drink, are claims that Jesus Christ will make in the Gospel of John, not only this morning, but also in the next two week. For these reasons, this Sunday and the next two Sundays following, I am preaching this three week series, called “The Bread of the World” series.

You will notice that our congregational response this morning is “Bread of the World,” out of our United Methodist Church hymnal. We generally only sing this hymn is preparation for Holy Communion, but this will be our congregational response, this Sunday, and the next two Sundays. I have chosen this congregational response, because as I said, this Sunday, and the next two Sundays, Jesus makes claims about being the “bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). He phrases these statements differently each Sunday, but Jesus is clearly, to me anyway, making a claim about who he is.

          To me, Jesus Christ is saying, that he is God in the flesh, who has come to earth. To me, Jesus Christ is saying, that in him and through him, we can have peace, salvation, and wholeness. For many of us feel spiritual hunger and thirst at times, and sometimes we want to know that God will feed us.

          An example of this, is the reading from Psalm 130 from this morning that says, “I cry out to you from the depths, LORD—my LORD listen to my voice! Let your ears pay close attention to my request for mercy!” (Ps. 130:1-2, CEB). Sometime we feel spiritually hungry and thirsty. Yet Jesus told the woman at the well that he could give her living water, and that he could take away her thirst forever. She then desperately wanted this water that he offered.

          In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the Ephesians from this morning, the Apostle Paul encourages us to be honest, truthful, patient, forgiving, and loving towards each other (Eph. 4:25-32, CEB). The Apostle Paul then goes on tell the Ephesians and us to, “imitate God like dearly loved children. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us” (Eph. 5:1-2a, CEB). The Apostle Paul then concludes this scripture speaking of Jesus Christ, and said of Him, “He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God” (Eph. 5:2b, CEB).

          So the Apostle Paul encourages us to be loving to each other in all things, to love God, and to “imitate God” (Eph. 5:1a, CEB). The Apostle Paul also tells us to be like Jesus Christ, who said this morning, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB).

So, in figuring out what Jesus Christ meant by this statement, we can also measure what he meant by His audience’s responses to his statements. That is to say, what did the people listening to Jesus Christ think that he meant with his statement?

          Well, in looking at John 6:41, it says in response to Jesus’ statement, “The Jewish opposition grumbled about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41, CEB). Now if Jesus didn’t believe that he was the Son of God, if the people who he was addressing did think that he was claiming to be the Son of God, then why did they get so angry? I mean after all if Jesus Christ made the claim that he was “the bread of life,” and if that statement meant nothing, then why did people get so upset (John 6:35a, CEB)? A very reasonable conclusion then, is that Jesus Christ, and his audience were both thinking the same thing. Jesus was thinking that he was God in flesh, and the response to this was so severe, because his audience thought that Jesus was in fact making that claim. Why else would there be so much anger over such a simple statement like, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB).

          In looking at the rest of Gospel reading from John for this morning, since the audience that Jesus was speaking to didn’t like the fact that he was making the claim to be “the bread of life,” they attacked him and his family (John 6:35a, CEB). If they could discredit him and his family they thought, then they could ruin him. In John 6:41 it says, “They asked, “Isn’t this Jesus, Joseph’s son, whose mother and father we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:42). You see, Jesus’ parents were regular working class folks, and not rich or powerful people, so how could the savior, the messiah, come from a poor family they thought? I would say that this was a “cheap shot” myself.

           Yet in John 6:43 Jesus responds by saying, “Don’t grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless they are drawn to me by the Father who sent me, and I will raise them up on the last day” (John 6:43-44, CEB). Jesus is then making the claim that in the end of days, He will be the one who is present to usher in the fullness of the Kingdom of God.

          Jesus then goes on to say, “It is written in the Prophets, And they will all be taught by God. Everyone who has listened to the Father and learned from him comes to me” (John 6:45, CEB). So instead of an Old Testament prophet who listens to God and then tells others, Jesus is saying that all people need to come to him. Meaning that he is the path to the fullness of God, and that he has come in grace and truth.

          Jesus then drives this point home further, by saying, “No one has seen the Father except the one is from God. He has seen the Father. I assure you, whoever believes has eternal life” (John 6:46-47, CEB). Jesus is saying then, that only he is from God directly. Only he has been present with God, as he is God in the flesh. Jesus Christ is saying that he sits at the right hand of the Father, as he himself, being God in the flesh, is co-occupant of God’s throne.

          To reinforce this, Jesus Christ then says again in John 6:48, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:48, CEB). To the make the comparison of how God feed the Israelites in the wilderness for 40-years, and how He is the spiritual food and drink for humanity. Jesus then says, “Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that whoever eats from it will never die” (John 6:49-50, CEB). Jesus is then saying, through me, you can have forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation.

          This scripture from the Gospel of John ends this morning with Jesus saying, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51, CEB). Jesus is saying that He is “the bread of life,” that He is the savior of the world, and that He has come die for all of humanity, so that we may be saved through him (John 6:35a, CEB).

          Brothers and sisters, friends, when Jesus says to us, “I am the bread of life,” how should we all interpret that statement (John 6:35a, CEB)? Is Jesus just saying that he is someone nice, or is He making the claim that is the messiah, and the savior of the world? Is He saying that He is God come down from heaven? That He will die for our sins, and that in Him and through Him, all things are possible? To me, Jesus Christ, the messiah, was fully God and fully human on the earth. The fullness of God, and the fullness of a human.

I would like to share at story with you this morning about seeking and finding the truth. In this way, as Christians, we need to read the Bible, study, prayer, and come to understand God’s truths. Well this story is called, “The Spinach Myth,” and the information for this story was obtained from Karl Kruszelnicki’s Great Moments in Science website (abc.net.au/science), May 24, 2001. Here is how it goes: “The cartoon character Popeye is famous for eating spinach. Whenever he breaks open a can of spinach and eats it he gains enormous strength. Popeye was employed by the US Government during World War 2 to promote the idea of eating spinach. Meat was a rarity during war, but spinach appeared to be a great substitute. In the 1890’s German scientists had shown that spinach contains the same amount of iron as meat. And iron of course is one of the essential vitamins in building strength.”

“But the facts are wrong. The German researchers did prove that spinach contains iron, but when they wrote down their results they put the decimal point in the wrong place. They overestimated the amount of iron in spinach by a factor of 10! Unfortunately, the correction didn’t get across the ocean until after WW2.”

“This episode shows how easily false ideas can quickly become accepted truth. It’s not uncommon in the area of Christian belief for Christians to quickly give unquestionable status to beliefs that may in fact have questionable origins. We should never be afraid to go back and ask why it is that we hold a particular belief or a particular interpretation of the bible. Our investigation may prove we got it right, or it may show we didn’t. Either way our understanding and application of God’s word will only be improved.”

So this morning brothers and sisters, friends, Jesus Christ says “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a, CEB). Were we wrong in how he have historically interpreted this statement, or is Jesus truly the messiah, the Son of God? I say that Jesus Christ was and is the messiah, the Son of God. What do you say? Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/02/15 Sermon - “Live as people worthy of the call you received from God"

Sunday 08/02/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Live as people worthy of the call you received

from God”                      

                                 

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 51:1-12

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Gospel Lesson: John 6:24-35

          Brothers and sisters, friends, welcome once again on this our Tenth Sunday after Pentecost. This day, that is ten Sundays after the day that the Holy Spirit moved through the disciples and the early Christians, like a mighty fire, like a holy wind. On this day, the Christian Church was officially born, and on this day the disciples and early Christians went out preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ far and wide. They went out feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, changing the world forever.

          Nearly two-thousand years later, we are there heirs, we are there decedents. We are here today to continue the work that was started in Jesus Christ so long ago. This work I speak of, is the work of preaching gospel of Jesus Christ, and transforming the world around us. Creating a world where all people have food, clothing, and place to sleep. A world filled with God’s love, and the compassion of Jesus Christ.

          Yet with this said, a question that a lot of local churches like ours often wrestle with, is this, how exactly do we change the world around us? I mean the mission statement of the United Methodist Church, is “To make disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world.” Well I don’t know about you, but that’s a pretty tall order. “Transformation of the world?” Well how can we accomplish that?

          I think that sometimes we look at the world that we live in, we watch the news, and we see pain and suffering. We sometimes want to change it ourselves, and we sometimes feel powerless to do so. Imagine though, if all of us were united in this mission of the “Transformation of the world.” I mean, I can do a lot as one person, as your pastor, but what can hundreds of people do? What can thousands, millions, and even billions of people do? You see the world now has over seven-billion people, but over two billion of these people are Christians. This means that about one out of every three people on earth today, are Christians.

          Imagine then, if all us who follow Christ united together? Imagine further, if all of the people who follow Christ, then united will all people for the “Transformation of the world?”

          Now something that I have learned as a young fourth year pastor, is that I cannot do everything. I can do a whole lot, but together, with all of us, we can do a ton! We can raise money to end Malaria in Africa, we can fund a university in Africa that is training students who will work for the “Transformation” of Africa. Together we can feed the community. Together we can do so much.

          I have found that in our culture though, we tend to put high value and worth on certain positions in our society. People might say, “Pastor Paul, you’re pastor this church, so you are “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” While I do in fact where many hats, I tend to serve certain functions in and for the church, but you all, the body of the church, are the beating heart of what makes this church run.

          This morning the Apostle Paul writes a letter to the church in Ephesus, or the Ephesians, to encourage them “to live as people worthy of the call” they “received from God” (Eph. 4:1b, CEB).

          The reading from Psalm 51 from this morning says in 51:1, “Have mercy on me, God, according to your faithful love! Wipe away my wrongdoings…” (Ps. 51:1a, CEB). Now if I am living out my calling as a pastor, to reference what I just read from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, then God might call upon me to “wipe away” the tears of someone else (Ps. 51:1a, Eph. 4:1b, CEB). Yet God might ask you to do the same exact thing, as well.

          As a pastor, I have been entrusted by God and by you, with a holy set of responsibilities, to this church, to you, to your families. I have been charged with preaching the word of God, ordering the life of the church, administering the sacraments, and serving everyone. It is my duty to love you and your family, and to work to bring you into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. Yet, while I am placed as the leader of this church, I am not the church. The helm of this church is Jesus Christ, and we are called “to live as people worthy of the call you received from God” (Eph. 4:1b, CEB).

          So for me, I try to do my best live, act, and conduct myself, so that I might be worthy of the calling that I “received from God” (Eph. 4:1b, CEB). Yet we are all called by God. We all matter to God. We are all of great importance and significance to God. God has given us all different gifts and graces, and when we combine them all together, we have God’s kingdom in all of its glory.

You see, I believe that almighty God has a calling on all of our lives. Perhaps for you, it is or was to be a teacher, or a plumber, or a doctor, or a stay at home mother, or etc. The church, and the world needs all of these callings. When we strive to fulfill our callings, and when we do it to accomplish God’s perfect will, we build the Kingdom of God here on earth, as we await God’s kingdom to come.

          For these reasons, a church can have the best pastor that has ever been created, but the church is still a collective unit. This collective unit, is the literal and true embodiment of God’s gifts and graces. It is sort of like a movie were different super heroes have different super powers. There are many super powers that I don’t have, but you might have them. Collectively then, we can come together will all of the gifts and the graces that God has spread throughout the earth, like the scattering of seeds on a fresh plowed field. Imagine a church that is complete with all gifts and graces. Imagine what we could do for God and the world with such talents, abilities, and strengths.

          Imagine it we took the gifts and graces that God gave us so seriously, that we used them whenever and wherever we could. Imagine what that would look like. In this way, God has given me some gifts and graces, among which, singing is not one. I hope though, that I am living worthy of my calling to be a pastor. I hope that you and your family feel loved, cared for, and spiritually fed by me. Yet, I am just one person in the body of Christ.

          In reference to our callings from God, the Apostle Paul says this morning, for us to “Conduct” ourselves “with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together” (Eph. 4:2-3, CEB). You see, I am just one person, with all of us together though, we have many gifts and graces, and together we can do so much.

          Part of my calling as a pastor, is to help unlock those gifts and graces in you, and in many. I am not the church then, but instead, I am but a mirror. A mirror that has been sent here to reflect God’s love, so that it might fill us all. So that we might unlock further our gifts and graces, and our purpose for being on this earth.

          Together then, we are strong. The Apostle Paul said that the church should be, “one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope” (Eph. 4:4, CEB). The Apostle Paul then says, “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all” (Eph. 4:5, CEB). We have been put on this earth then, to serve God, and to being relationship with Jesus Christ and each other. As this church that Jesus Christ himself created, we are tasked with “making disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world.” This means then, that we are all called to accomplish this, yet differently. None being more important than the next, but all needed to make this thing called the church work.

          In this way, the church is sort of like a jig-saw puzzle, and we are all pieces of God’s kingdom. If one of us is gone, we cannot have a complete puzzle. The pastor brothers and sisters, is only one piece of the puzzle. I am not the puzzle. I am not Jesus Christ. I am just a man that God has called to serve, preach, love, order, administer, and to be a mirror that reflects God’s love. We together then, are this church, with Christ at the helm.

          In this way, the Apostle Paul goes on to say in his letter to the Ephesians that, “God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ” (Eph. 4:7, CEB). The Apostle Paul then says of our God given gifts, “He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of Faith and knowledge of God’s Son” (Eph. 4:11-13a, CEB). This means brothers and sister, we are here first and foremost, for Jesus Christ. To worship God, to love and build up one another, and together change the world. You are all a very central part of this process. I cannot do this by myself.

          The Apostle Paul then goes on in the letter that he wrote to the Ephesians, and he challenges us. He says, “God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13b, CEB). Together then, we can tell all people about Jesus Christ, about the hope we have in Him, that we have in God. As the Apostle Paul encourages us to “grow in every way into Christ, who is the head” of the church, let us all, seek out our callings more, and seek out our gifts and graces more (Eph. 4:15b-16a, CEB).

          The Apostle Paul then goes on to say of the body of Christ, of us, that “The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one of us does their part” (Eph. 4:16, CEB).

          The Apostle Paul ends this scripture, by saying “each one of us does their part” (Eph. 4:16b, CEB). So what is our part? Where do I fit in? Where do you fit in, in God’s church? Further, the Apostle Paul said that the church has a place for everyone, not just some. You have a place here.

          In the gospel lesson from the gospel of John from this morning, Jesus had fed the five-thousand, and then the crowd came looking for Jesus (John 6:24, CEB). Jesus then questioned if they sought him out of faith, or just to get more food (John 6:25-27, CEB). Jesus then tells the crowd, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35, CEB). So in Jesus Christ then, we can be transformed, we can be given spiritual food and drink, to fill our souls. We can be saved from ourselves, have new life, live eternally in heaven with God.

          Now I don’t about you, but this is why the Greek word “euangelion” translates to “good news” or “good message.” You see brothers and sisters, the gospel is “good news,” and we are all part of the dispersion and the fulfillment of that “good news.” So as the Apostle Paul said, “each one of us does their part” (Eph. 4:16b, CEB). So, where are your gifts and graces? Where is the living God calling you? How can you share the “good news?”

I have a story that I want to share with you called “Go to Jesus,” taken from “biographical information from University of Southern Mississippi website. Sermon reported in Tony Campolo, Let Me Tell You A Story.” Here is how it goes: “Will Campbell was a Baptist minister and civil rights activist and award winning author, based in Mississippi in the 1960’s and 70’s. Campbell’s prophetic ministry earned him death threats and opposition as well as helping others gain insight into what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus.”

“As a Baptist Will was familiar with the practice of the altar call, where people are invited to indicate a response to Christ by walking to the front of the church and being prayed for. Yet in a sermon Campbell once turned the idea of the altar call on it’s head. “I hope that someday there will be an evangelistic service in which, when the preacher gives the invitation and people start coming down the aisle, he yells back at them, ‘Don’t come down the aisle! Go to Jesus! Don’t come to me! Go to Jesus!'” said Campbell.”

“Upon that declaration, the people who were coming down the aisle turn around and exit the auditorium and get in their cars and drive away. He then yells at the rest of the congregation, ‘Why are you hanging around here? Why don’t you go to Jesus too? Why don’t you all go to Jesus?’ The people rise in masses and quickly leave the church, and soon the parking lot is empty.”

“What I imagine is that about a half hour later the telephone at the police station starts ringing off the hook, and the voice at the other end says, ‘We’re down here at the old-folks’ home and there’s some crazy people at the door yelling that they want to come in and visit Jesus, and I keep telling them Jesus isn’t in here! All we have in here is a bunch of old ladies who are half dead. But they keep saying, “But we want to visit Jesus! We want to visit Jesus!”‘

“The next call is from the warden down at the prison. He’s saying, ‘Send some cops down here! There’s a bunch of nuts at the gate and they’re yelling and screaming, “Let us in there! We want to visit Jesus! We want to visit Jesus!” I keep telling them that all we have in this place are murderers, rapists, and thieves. But they keep yelling, “Let us in! We want to visit Jesus!”

“No sooner does the cop at the desk hang up the phone than it rings again. This time it’s the superintendent of the state hospital calling for help. He’s complaining that there are a bunch of weird people outside begging to be let in. They, too, want to see Jesus! The superintendent says, ‘I keep telling them Jesus isn’t here. All we have here are a bunch of nuts, but they keep yelling at us, “We want to see Jesus.”

          Sisters and brothers, whether this world realizes yet or not, they “want to see Jesus.” When we all become mirrors for God’s love and God’s grace, people can see Jesus. We do this together as the body of Christ. We begin individually as the Apostle Paul said this morning, by living “as people worthy of the call you received from God” (Eph. 4:1b, CEB). When we then come together, we can change the world. A world that whether they want to admit or not “want to see Jesus.” Amen.