Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Third Sunday in Lent - 02/28/16 Sermon - “He speaks with power and truth” (“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 3 of 6)

Sunday 02/28/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “He speaks with power and truth”

(“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 3 of 6)          

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 63:1-8

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:1-9

          My brothers and sisters, my friends, welcome once again on this day, which is the Third Sunday in this Season of Holy Lent. The third Sunday in this season of reflection, of repentance, and of growing closer to Jesus Christ. This season that we prepare our hearts and our minds for Jesus’ coming death and resurrection. During these forty-days of Lent then, we have the opportunity to grow in love, kindness, charity, and sympathy. We have the chance to become more like the risen one, like Jesus.

          In moving through this Season of Lent, I began a six-week preaching series two-weeks called “Why Jesus is the savior”. Specifically, this sermon series speaks to the claim of the historic Christian Church, to the claim of most Christians throughout history, that Jesus Christ was and is the savior. That he died for our sins, rose again on the third day, and that he lives and reigns in glory forever. As I have said the past couple of weeks, the historic claims that many Christians make about Jesus Christ couldn’t be higher.

          These faith claims, these theological beliefs about Jesus Christ are ones that have been affirmed over and over throughout the centuries. When looking at the gospels, do we have any indications that Jesus could have truly been the Messiah? When I ask this, I mean did Jesus do or say anything in the gospels that can lead us to believe that he could be the savior, that Christians for centuries have claimed him to be?

          Well the content and the scholarship on this topic couldn’t be greater, and the amount of examples in the gospels themselves are numerous. In doing a six part series on “Why Jesus is the savior,” in this season of Holy Lent, I am looking at just six examples in the gospels that could indicate to us that Jesus Christ is indeed the savior of the world.

          I realize that some people believe in and read the gospels differently, and in this preaching series I am presently some of the claims, some the narratives, and some of the events that Jesus Christ was involved in. If these claims, these narratives, and these events occurred, as they are written, it would seem that Jesus must be the Messiah, the savior. For how could he have said and done all that is written about him?

          In the first week of this preaching series, I spoke about how Jesus Christ “out smarted and resisted the devil”. This occurred when Jesus was tempted for 40-days in the wilderness. If this story has any truth to it, which I personally believe it does, it would seem only the savior, only God in the flesh could resist and outsmart the devil in the wilderness for 40-days like this.

          Last week, I preached about how Jesus said himself that he “throws out demons and heals people”. If Jesus were only a man, only a prophet, then how could he have the power to cure any and all ailments? To me, Jesus must be the Messiah, the savior, because had the power to heal and exorcise all people. I believe that only God could do that.

          This week, I will talk about how Jesus “speaks with power and truth”. Next week I will talk about in the gospels how Jesus “loves and care for all people.” The week after that on Sunday March 13^th, we hear about how Jesus was and is “the anointed one”. On Palm Sunday, will hear how Jesus Christ is the savior, because “People see him, and know the Messiah has come”.

          As we move through this Holy season, we are called to grow closer to God, closer to Jesus Christ. As we do this, some of us wrestle with Jesus, as try to understand him better. Perhaps we ask ourselves, why do many claim that Jesus was the messiah one might ask? Some might ask, why do some claim that Jesus was God in the flesh on earth?”

          Today our example in the gospel of Luke, of why we could make the argument that he is the messiah, the savior, is that Jesus Christ on earth “spoke with power and authority”. Jesus stood toe to toe with kings, governors, religious leaders, and always proclaimed the “Good News” that was and is his gospel. That God’s kingdom is near, that God’s kingdom is coming. That in him and through, we can do all things.

          For some of us in this season of Holy Lent, we may look at the parts of ourselves, the parts our souls that are sinful, that separate us from God. The Psalmist write in Psalm 63 from this morning, “God! My God! It’s you—I search for you! My whole being thirsts for you! My body desires you in a dry and tired land, no water anywhere” (Ps. 63:1, CEB). The Psalmist then ends this reading for this morning with, “My whole being clings to you; your strong hand upholds me” (Ps. 63:8, CEB). Jesus Christ is sometimes called the “Man of sorrows,” as at the end of this season of Lent, he will betrayed, beaten, and die to show us what love is.

          In our brokenness in this season of Lent, how do we allow the power of Jesus Christ to enter into our brokenness, and into our souls? For if Jesus is the Messiah, the savior, as the church has largely proclaimed for centuries, how do we let him change us in this season? How do we become more like Jesus Christ?

          The Apostle Paul in his first epistle or letter to the Corinthians from this morning, talked about the people of God connected to Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says, “They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ” (1 Cor. 3b, CEB). When Jesus asked the Apostle Peter in the gospel of Matthew 16:16 who Peter said he was, “Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16, NRSV).

          The same Apostle Peter that abandoned Jesus on the day of crucifixion, who denied knowing him three times, and who did many other things, claimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the savior. Did he “get it” all at once, in the way of faith? No, he didn’t. Holy Lent isn’t about figuring it all out, but it is about going to the source of love, light, and life. Growing closer to God, to his son Jesus Christ, through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit. That is what Lent is about.

          So I am now going to move into the segment of my sermon that I like to refer to as “Pastor Paul’s Minor Confessions”. As you heard, I got some very good and affirming news from our UNYUMC Board of Ordained Ministry on Friday night. They continued to affirm my calling to serve Jesus Christ, and approved me to continue to move towards ordination.

          So it is easy for me this morning to sound like a hero, or sound like that I am bullet proof. When I woke up on Wednesday morning, I found myself gripped with fear and worry about having to go through multiple interviews. I felt a lack self-confidence and fear. Then in the early afternoon my friend and my brother Rev. Roger Smith, went to be with the Lord. It seemed like that God used me in my brokenness, and in my many imperfections to pray with his family. I then went to spend some time with my ministry mentor Rev. Harold Wheat in Dryden. Rev. Wheat encouraged me, reminded of who I serve, and to whom I belong. He anointed me with oil for leadership. While I still felt nervous and worried, it was somewhat better after that.

          So I showed up on Thursday night, and interviewed all day on Friday. I was still tired, nervous, and still had some doubts. I was vulnerable, but when went to bed on Thursday night and woke up on Friday morning, I called upon Jesus, my messiah, my savior to walk with me. I did everything that I could to place my full trust in him, and he delivered me. He led me.

          Why do I say Jesus Christ is the savior the world, the messiah, because he leads me, your pastor, when I feel I have nothing to give. When I feel afraid and worried, he leads me, despite myself.

          In the gospel reading this morning Jesus tells us in Luke 13:4, “No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die” (Lk. 13:4, CEB). Jesus then says, “I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and live, you will die just as they did” (Lk. 13:5, CEB).

          Life then, will still have its pains, it will still have sometimes that things are hard. We will still days, weeks, month, and maybe even years that we don’t understand, that we hurt. That maybe we feel like we are in darkness. Yet God is with us. In our brokenness, in our frailty, when we give what we have to God, to Jesus Christ, he can lead us with what little we have.

          It would seem to me on Wednesday I had an experience like the Apostle Peter had when he began walking on the water, and then looked down at the water, got nervous, and sank. Just like Peter though, Jesus recued me and lifted me up. This is what Lent is about. Allowing the savior of the world to lift us up, to draw closer to him, and to be changed by his love.

          Some might say though, “but why does it seem to take so long sometimes?” Well Jesus this morning tell us the parable of the “fig tree” (Lk. 13:6, CEB). Now as a side note, I read that many fig trees take about three years from the time that they begin growing to produce fruit. The fig tree in this parable was three years old and had not produced any fruit (Lk. 13:7, CEB). As the man was about to tear the fig tree out of the ground the gospel says, “The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down” (Luke 13:8, CEB).

          Sometimes my sisters and brothers, we suffer, sometimes bad things happen, but Jesus Christ came to change our hearts. Even though we might feel stuck, even though we feel like that maybe we have not born fruit. Jesus like a gardener pleads our case. He fights for us, and works to grow us, so that like a fig tree, we bear fruit. When we put our full trust in the Lord, it doesn’t mean things will become easy, or that we will have no struggles, but it mean that we are trusting the living God, who lives in reigns forever.

Christian musician Lauren Daigle speaks these words in in her song “How Can it Be”: “I am guilty, ashamed of what I've done, what I've become. These hands are dirty I dare not lift them up to the Holy One. You plead my cause, you right my wrongs, you break my chains, you overcome, you gave your life, to give me mine, you say that I am free, how can it be? Yea, how can it be? Yeah.”

In the season of Holy Lent, do we truly believe that in our sufferings, and in our sorrows that God is with us? My brothers and sisters, in this season of Holy Lent, let us pray, read scripture, love each other, be generous, give away what we don’t need, and become more like Jesus. For in him and through him all things are possible. For he “spoke with power and truth”. He spoke of our need to change our hearts, to believe in him to follow him, and to trust him. Even though life can be hard, let us strive to become more like Jesus, the one who “spoke with power and truth”. All praise be to the living God, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Second Sunday in Lent - 02/21/16 Sermon - “He throws out demons and heals people” (“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 2 of 6)

Sunday 02/21/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “He throws out demons and heals people”

(“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 2 of 6)          

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 27

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Gospel Lesson: Luke 13:31-35

          Welcome again my friends, my brothers and sisters. Welcome on this, the Second Sunday in this season of Holy Lent. The second Sunday of this season of holy preparation. This season where we prepare our hearts and our minds for the coming death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For as Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for forty-days, we have this forty-day period of Lent. We have the opportunity over the next forty-days then, to shed anything from ourselves that separates us from God. We have the opportunity to grow in generosity, in compassion, and in love, as we continue moving toward being made in the image of Jesus Christ. Holy Lent then, is an opportunity to become more like Jesus Christ.

          In this season of Holy Lent, in this forty-day period of spiritual preparation for the coming death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I began a six-week preaching series last week called, “Why Jesus is the savior.” What I mean with this series title, is why do we as Christians make the claim the Jesus Christ is the savior? What has led us to this conclusion? Well on Good Friday during Holy Week every year for example, we gather for worship and remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The day before that we celebrate the Last Supper, the washing of the feet, and the commandment or “Maundy” to love one another. Some churches also have Holy Week services every single day of Holy Week. Historically speaking, the reason that we have Holy Week services, is because we are making special claims about who we say Jesus Christ is.

          In this way, the historic Christian Church believed, as I believe still, that Jesus Christ came to earth as God in the flesh, to proclaim the gospel or “good news,” to heal and forgive, and then to die for the sins of humanity. The reason then that we call the Friday of Holy Week Good Friday for example, is because it is good for us that Jesus died for our sins. For in doing so, the savior of the world, Jesus Christ, has offered us an opportunity to be reconciled to God. The historic claim that Christian Church has made then, is that Jesus was and is the savior of the world, and that he died for us. In espousing this truth, in each week of this six part preaching series on “Why Jesus is the savior,” I will continue introducing another reason or example that we can come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ was and is the savior of the world.

          Last week, I introduced the idea that “Jesus is the savior,” because “he outsmarts and resists the devil.” For forty-days Jesus goes to toe to toe with the ultimate force of evil. He is offered a variety of grand things, and he resists them all, and overcomes evil and darkness. Only God can do that. For Jesus must be the savior then, if he could do that.

          In today’s gospel of Luke reading, I have “fish hooked” out of the scripture that Jesus “throws out demons and heals people.” The idea that Jesus is the ultimate doctor, the ultimate physician. For there was no ailment, no condition, no hurt, and no pain, according to the gospels, that Jesus could not cure and or alleviate. Jesus even rose the dead, as he rose Lazarus from the dead.

          If we are assuming that anything in the gospels is true, as I do, then how could anyone but the savior of the world do the things that Jesus Christ did? This is to say, the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, make some very high claims about who Jesus Christ was and is. The gospels claim that Jesus could resist the ultimate form of evil, and among many other things, today the gospels makes the claim that Jesus had command over all human sicknesses and ailments. It is as if on this day, that Jesus is the ultimate Urgent Care facility. Jesus could heal anything and anyone. In this season of Holy Lent then, as we are reflecting upon our faith, as we are reflecting upon Jesus Christ, do we believe that anything that he did the things that the gospels claimed he did? If our answer is yes, then how could he have done all of the things if were only a man? He must have been God in the flesh, the savior.

You know I have meet some impressive and talented doctors during my time at the Upstate University Hospital. Yet, I don’t think that any of them can do all of things that Jesus did and does. So if the gospels are true on any level, which I think they are, who do we say on this day that Jesus Christ is? I say, that he is the savior of the world, because only the savior could do what he did. No man, no person, only God in the flesh could do what he did. The Apostle Paul wrote in his Epistle or letter to the Colossians in 1:19, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:19, NRSV). The Apostle Paul then, was saying that Jesus on earth had the fullness of God dwelling in him. This means that according to the Apostle Paul, Jesus was God on earth. This is also why the church traditionally believes in the Holy Trinity, claiming that God the Father and the creator, that Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all God, but that they been revealed to us in different forms. This is to say three in one, or one in three. One God, that is in three persons.

Now some of us might struggle with believing that Jesus was God in the flesh, and therefore some of us might also struggle with believing in the Holy Trinity. The reality though, is that if we are making any claims that any of the gospel accounts about Jesus Christ are true, then what does that mean for us? By this I mean, if we to make the claim that Jesus Christ was God on earth, what do we do about it in this season of Holy Lent? In this season of Holy Lent, what if we took this faith that we have, these biblical claims that we make, and what if we continued to transform the world with their power. What if we give more away, what if we become more generous, more loving, and more caring?

What we believe about Jesus, should be more than just ours beliefs, but also our actions. Our faith in our savior, Jesus Christ, should bubble up within us, so that we desire to make the world a place of love, justice, and equity. For in Psalm 27:1 it says, “The LORD is my light and my salvation,” but do we believe that (Ps. 27:1, CEB)? Do we believe that there is really power in the name of God? Or do we just have our beliefs about God, about Jesus Christ, and about the Holy Spirit, and do little with them? I realize as your pastor that I have a very high and historic view of Jesus Christ, but in addition to what I believe, Jesus also commands me to live my faith. I must love my neighbor, even though presently I don’t have a literal next door neighbor. I must feed the poor, and clothe the naked. For if I claim in this season of Holy Lent that Jesus is the savior that he was God in the flesh on earth, I better live up to those claims that I am making. If I do not, I am just someone who preaches a sermon on Sunday, then goes home. What we need in this era of uncertainty though, is a powerful and a lived faith, where not only know what we believe, but a faith that is lived. This is the fullness of the gospel, of the “good news” of Jesus Christ.

This morning in our scripture reading from Philippians, the Apostle Paul is telling the church in Philippi that he has grown closer to Christ. Since this is true, he tells the church, “Brothers and sisters, become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models” (Phil. 3:17, CEB). The Apostle Paul goes on tell the church in Philippi, “Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there—the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform out humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself” (Phil. 3:20-21, CEB).

The Apostle Paul then ends this reading by saying, “Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord” (Phil. 4:1). Now again, making the claims that historic Christianity makes, about Jesus being the savior, God in the flesh are big claims. Yet what do we do with that faith in the season of Holy Lent? If we truly believe that Jesus Christ is the savior of the world, as I do, has it changed us? Are we seeking to be more like Christ in this season of Holy Lent, and are we seeking to live the gospel of love, kindness, compassion, empathy, and joy?

Historically then, in this season of Holy Lent, we awaiting the death and the resurrection of the savior of the world. Since today, we have been given our second example of how Jesus is indeed the savior, since “He throws out demons and heals people,” let’s look at the gospel of Luke reading from this morning more closely.

This reading begins by saying, “At the time, some Pharisees approached Jesus and said, “Go! Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you” (Lk. 13:31, CEB). In response, Jesus says, “Go tell that fox, ‘Look, I’m throwing out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and the third day I will complete my work” (Lk. 13:32, CEB). Jesus, according this verse of scripture has command over sickness, aliments, and evil. This is something to me, that only the savior would be capable of, only God. Jesus also uses the imagery here of three days, as he so often does in the gospel, as he says, “and the third day I will complete my work” (Lk. 13:32b, CEB). What I believe that Jesus Christ is saying here, is “I have come to love, heal, and forgive, and on the third day, I will rise from the dead.” This is, I believe, why Jesus said that “and the third day I will complete my work” (Lk. 13:32b, CEB).

Jesus then says, “However, it’s necessary for me to travel today, tomorrow, and then next day because it’s impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem” (Lk. 13:33, CEB). Jesus was crucified under the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. Was Jesus predicting here, that he indeed would be killed in Jerusalem? Was he saying that hadn’t yet gone to Jerusalem, as he knew it would mean his death? I believe he was doing both of these things.

Jesus then says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you! How often I have wanted to gather your people just as a hen gathers her church under her wings. Look, your house is abandoned. I tell you, you won’t see me until the time comes when you say, Blessings on the one who comes in the Lord’s name” (Lk. 13:34-35, CEB).

Powerful words, from the one whom so many Christians proclaim to be the savior of the world. For he resists evil, he overcomes the devil, he throws out demon and heals people. It is clear to me then, that this Jesus, had power and authority on earth like no other.

          In this season of Holy Lent then, what do we do with this reality of who Jesus Christ is? For if he is truly the savior, how does it change us in this season of Holy Lent? Further, if we proclaim that Jesus is the savior of the world, how does our faith get lived out, each and every day, so that we may love and transform the world around us?

My brothers and sisters, I believe that Jesus Christ was and is the Messiah. I believe that when we proclaim his gospel of hope, love, joy, and justice, and when we live that gospel out, that the world changes for the better.

I would like to leave with you a quote that I authored a couple of days ago. This quote says: "In an era of violence, of corruption, of injustice, and of grave inequality, how should the Christian Church respond? The answer is, the Christian Church much proclaim the gospel. When things are dark, the Christian Church must proclaim the gospel. When things are great, the Christian Church must proclaim the gospel. When things are average, the Christian Church must proclaim the gospel. No matter what the circumstances are, the Christian Church must proclaim the gospel. For we are called to shine light into the darkness."

          Brothers and sisters, in this season of Holy Lent, let us proclaim bold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which call us to turn away from anger, to turn away from violence, for Jesus is the light of the world. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Boy Scout Sunday/Valentine's Day/First Sunday in Lent - 02/14/16 Sermon - “He out smarts and resists the devil” (“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 1 of 6)

Sunday 02/14/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “He out smarts and resists the devil”

(“Why Jesus is the Savior” series: Part 1 of 6)          

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Romans 10:8b-13

Gospel Lesson: Luke 4:1-13

          Friends, brothers and sisters, Boy Scouts, Cub Scout, and Scout leaders, welcome again in the name of Jesus Christ. Welcome again on this Sunday that is many things. This Sunday that is Valentine’s Day. This Sunday that is the first Sunday in the Season of Holy Lent. This Sunday that is also Boy Scout Sunday. In us celebrating the one we love on this Valentine’s Day, if we have a one we love, in us beginning this first Sunday in the Lenten Season, we also celebrate those past and present who have been involved with, or are currently involved with scouting.

          I find it fitting then, that on this Sunday that I begin a six part preaching series in this season of Lent called, “Why Jesus is the Savior.” Since the gospel of Luke reading for this morning is the scripture that tells the story of Jesus being tempted by the devil in the wilderness for 40-days, it really applies I think too much of what that this Sunday is. Now this gospel reading however, I don’t think, is fitting for it being Valentine’s Day today. I mean I highly doubt that you will tell your sweetheart today, “honey, this year I got you the best the Valentine’s Day gift ever!” Then your honey replies, “Well honey, what did you get for me?” Then you reply, “Well you are hardly going to believe it, but I got you a forty-day fast in the wilderness, while being tempted by the devil!” This is probably not the Sandals resort vacation that your sweetheart had hoped for.

          Since it is the first Sunday in Lent though, we are now in this 40-day season that we prepare our hearts and our minds for the coming death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It makes sense then, in this our first Sunday in Lent that we will hear about Jesus’ 40-days of temptation in the wilderness.

          Now why else is this scripture from the gospel of Luke fitting on this Boy Scout Sunday? Well, because if I am in the wilderness, and if I am stranded, and if I am being tempted by the devil, there are two people I would call upon. These people are first God, and second a Boy Scout! I mean think about it, if you’re out in the wilderness and things aren’t going well, who would you call upon? I think other than the obvious answer of God, maybe you would to do well to call upon a Boy Scout. Who knows how to survive better in the wilderness than a Boy Scout!

          Today, as Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40-days, I wonder if a Boy Scout could have also given the devil a run for his money, like Jesus did. Now don’t get me wrong, the only one that can overcome evil like the devil, is God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Yet, I bet a Boy Scout would give the devil a run for his money. I mean if you are surviving in the wilderness for 40-days, and the devil says, “I bet you don’t know how to survive out here,” a Boy Scout would say to the devil “Well I know how to make fire, find food, and survive!” I wonder what the devil would have replied to a Boy Scout who said this? While only Jesus had the power to stop the devil, I can imagine that our scouts could do fairly well. I mean after all, the Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared!”

The Boy Scout Law also calls Boy Scouts to be, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. Now once again, only Jesus Christ, only God, only the Holy Spirit, has the power to overcome the devil, overcome ultimate evil, but I think our Boy Scouts could at least give the devil a little run. For I believe that the values, the morals, and the ethics that are instilled into our Boy Scouts are indicative of holiness, generosity, and Godly living.

Growing stronger, developing into something greater, and reaching ones full potential, is really what our story in the gospel of Luke is about this morning. It is what scouting is about. You see Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan River, by his cousin John the Baptist. After getting baptized, Jesus immediately goes into the wilderness to take on the forces of evil for 40-days. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the savior of the world, the hope of the nations, will stand toe to toe with an evil that we hopefully will never come into contact with. Yet Jesus wins. Jesus overcomes the devil. How do we know that this Jesus of Nazareth, the one who was just baptized in the Jordan River is truly the savior the world? Well among the countless other reasons, one is that “He out smarts and resists the devil.” For 40-days Jesus is besieged by an evil that we probably cannot comprehend, and he overcomes it. This fact tells me that he must be the savior that he must be the Messiah, because “He out smarts and resists the devil.”

Now brothers and sisters, I have been in situations where I felt the power of evil strongly. We might think that we can take on this sort of evil power alone, but believe me when I say, if you have never been in the presence of something truly evil, it is terrify. While our Boy Scouts are tough and brave, I can’t imagine 40-days in the wilderness going toe to toe with the greatest evil possible.

This I do know though, that God is greater that any evil, any dark power, or any oppressive force. We hear this morning in Psalm 91, which I like on this Boy Scout Sunday, because it mentions camping that, “Living in the Most High’s shelter, camping in the Almighty’s shade, I say to the LORD, “You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God—the one I trust!” (Ps. 91:1-2, CEB).

How do we know on this first Sunday in the Season of Holy Lent that Jesus was truly God in the flesh, and is truly the savior of the world, “He out smarts and resists the devil.” Sisters and brothers, we do have evil in this world, as we have had from day one. With the power of God though, while working together, we can overcome evil and darkness.

Our scripture from the Apostle Paul’s epistle or letter to the Romans from this morning ends with, “All who call upon the Lord’s name will be saved” (Rom. 10:13, CEB).

Today then is truly a day of contrasts. We have Valentine’s Day, Boy Scout Sunday, and the First Sunday of Lent. Yet we have this gospel reading about Jesus resisting the devil. This reading about Jesus standing firm against evil, which is what many of us aspire to do each and every day. To pursue God’s love and mercy, and to build a world of justice, prosperity, and love, that is free from oppression.  

In looking at the gospel of Luke reading from this morning more closely, it begins by telling us that Jesus had just returned from getting baptized by his cousin John the Baptist, at the Jordan River (Lk. 4:1, CEB). The scripture says that Jesus was “full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He at nothing during those days and afterwards Jesus was starving” (Lk. 4:1-2, CEB). So once again, this is a pretty intense episode that Jesus Christ goes though.

The gospel then says, “The devil said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, command this stone to become a loaf of bread” (Lk. 4:4, CEB). Now did the devil point to a stone, did he pick up a stone, I don’t know. Either way though, imagine that hunger, imagine not eating for days. Now I don’t know about you, while I believe that I have strong faith, I don’t think that I could stand up to the devil. Probably my first reaction to the devil in being that hungry would be, “what kind of bread do you want me to turn that stone into?” Yet Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, the savior of the world says, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread,” but will live through God.

As the gospel continues, it says, “Next the devil led him to a high place and showed him in a single instant all the kingdoms of the world. The devil said, “I will give you this whole domain and the glory of all these kingdoms. It’s been entrusted to me and I can give it to anyone I want. Therefore, if you will worship me, it will all be yours” (Lk. 4:5-7, CEB). Then Jesus says, “It’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him” (Lk. 4:8, CEB). Again we know Jesus is truly the savior as he, in the way only he can, “out smarts and resists the devil”.

Lastly, of these three great temptations of turning a stone to bread, of being offered money, power, and fame, the gospel then says, “The devil brought him into Jerusalem and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down from here; “for it’s written: He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus answered, “It’s been said, Don’t test the Lord your God.” (Lk. 4:9-12, CEB). The gospel reading for today then ends with, “After finishing every temptation, the devil departed from him until the next opportunity” (Luke 4:13, CEB). We know that Jesus Christ is the savior because “He out smarts and resists the devil”.

Being able to stand for justice, being able to stand against oppression, being able to stand up against the ultimate form of evil, this is what Jesus did on this day. Brothers and sisters, in this Season of Holy Lent, if we had a litmus test to measure if Jesus was truly the savior, truly the Messiah, I believe today, he passed that test, because “he out smarts and resists the devil”. Today he complete his basic training, his proving ground, his 40-days in the wilderness. While we continue growing in our faith, and growing in Godliness, only God can overcome the power of the devil.

Further, in the gospel reading today, the devil even acknowledged Jesus as God’s Son, for even the forces of evil know God. When God is strongly present, the forces of evil scattered, or in desperation attempt to tempt and attack the forces of God. Only when we call upon the awesome power of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, can we then “out smart and resist the devil”.

Remember as the great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther said, “The Devil is God’s ape!” By this, Luther meant that the devil is under God, created by God, and will ultimately be destroyed by God. Of course Martin Luther also said “Beer is made by men, wine by God.” 

Since I have referenced a couple of Martin Luther quotes, let me leave you with one last Martin Luther quote. This quote is “This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” Our goal, the goal of scouting, is to grow every day, and to become better. To become more loving, more Godly, and more like Jesus Christ.

My brothers and sisters, evil is real, but so is God’s love. Sin is real, but so is salvation through Jesus Christ, the one who “out smarts and resist the devil.” Let us continue serving God this day, and every day, while we continue making the world into all that God called us to make it into! Happy Valentine’s Day, happy Boy Scout Sunday, and happy Lent. Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Ash Wednesday - 02/10/16 Sermon - “Humble before the Lord"

Wednesday 02/10/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Ash Wednesday

Sermon Title: “Humble before the Lord”

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 51:1-17

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

          My friends, my brothers and sisters, I want to welcome you again on this the first day of this season of Holy Lent. This forty-day spiritual journey that is recognized by many Christian churches worldwide. This spiritual journey that begins today, and goes through Holy Saturday, which is the day before Easter Sunday. In reality though, this period of time is forty-six days, but in many Protestant churches, like the United Methodist Church, the six Sundays of the Season of Holy Lent don’t count as part of our Lenten observance. This is because many Christian churches celebrate Sunday as the day that Jesus was resurrected from the dead on Easter, and as a result, many Christian churches gather for worship on Sundays. Since every Sunday then, is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and since Easter is on Sunday, Sunday’s in our tradition don’t count as part of the Lenten observance. In essence then, if you were to give up coffee for the season of Lent, Sundays would not count for your forty-days, unless you wanted them to. I have heard some pastors call Sundays “cheat days” and etc., during Lent.

          With this said, in this season of Holy Lent, it is has long been a tradition in many Christian churches, like the United Methodist Church, to enter into a time of spiritual reflection, spiritual purification, and the casting off of the material world. In some cases, people during this Lenten season would or still do wear sack cloth and ashes, to display their humility “before the Lord”. It is the fundamental idea then, that during the season of Holy Lent, we are all trying even harder than normal to be "Humble before the Lord”.

          Some people in Western culture find it intriguing that on this day, that many Christian churches impose or place ashes on the foreheads of believers, as a sign our mortality, our humanness, and as a sign of our repentance. For these ashes that we have here tonight are for all of you to receive. In case you are wondering, these ashes will not give you super powers. I am pretty certain that they will not help you dodge bullets, or have super human strength. Yet they are to be a symbol to the world, that when people in the world see them upon your forehead, they should know that you have now entered into a period of reflection, prayer, holiness, fasting, and of intentionally drawing closer to the living God. These ashes should be celebrated and seen as good thing.

          This is why the Christian church created the season of Holy Lent. Further, as Jesus was in the wilderness for forty-days enduring temptation, so should we have a spiritual period of preparation to.

For many people, they also “give up” something for Lent, whether it be coffee, sweets, the internet, hot pockets, and or etc. Some Christians in some places still crawl to Good Friday mass on their knees. By the time that they have reached the church, their knees are often bruised and bloodied. Some people still whip or flagellate themselves, and some people still treat themselves with great harshness and or self-deprecation during this holy season.

          For me, when I was a young child, Ash Wednesday and Lent used to be a scary and a dreaded time for me. It was a time that I felt awful and terrible, and in addition to this, I had to give up something that I enjoyed for forty-days, as well. As I have grown in my faith though, I now believe that Ash Wednesday and the Lenten Season in general is call to become more holy, and a call for us to become made more into the image of Jesus Christ. If giving up coffee, or sweets, or the internet, or hot pockets, until Easter Sunday makes you more holy, then great. If whipping or flagellating your back, if crawling to Good Friday mass on your knees makes you more holy, then that is your choice. For me though, the question that I have been asking myself as this season of Holy Lent has been approaching, is how can I become more “Humble before the Lord”? How can I live like and be more like Jesus Christ?

          Instead of giving up a tangible thing for this season of Lent then, I have decided in this season of Holy Lent to give up something that I have struggled with my whole life. This sin, is the sin of pride. Pride being that defense in ourselves that is activated, when we feel mistreated, neglected, unloved, or put down. Jesus calls us to turn the other cheek though, yet many of us so often fall into the sin of pride, or envy, or jealousy, or revenge. Jesus Christ though, says turn the other cheek. Jesus Christ says, love and forgive.

          For me then, in this particular season of Holy Lent, I just don’t think that giving up coffee, or the internet, or TV, will do for me. Instead, I would rather try to give up those things that separate me from the living God, that separate me from Jesus Christ. If we are called in this season of Holy Lent to draw closer to God and to become more like Jesus Christ, then what can we give up, or further, what worldly possessions can we give away, so that we might become more like Jesus Christ? Further, what if we give up some of the sins that plague us, or some of our possessions that we don’t need, and what it we give them up for longer than forty-days? What if we them up for good? What if we really try to be “Humble before the Lord”? If the season of Holy Lent is truly about becoming more like God, more like Jesus Christ, then how can we do this better? What can we give up or give away, that brings us closer to the living God in the season of Holy Lent?

          Well sisters and brothers, I believe that our gospel of Matthew narrative for tonight is perfect for this service. This is probably why the church chose this gospel scripture. The gospel reading for tonight, begins with Matthew 6:1, where Jesus says, “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 6:1, CEB). The goal of Ash Wednesday, and of the goal Holy Lent then isn’t to become churchier, but it is to become more holy. The goal of tonight and of this season, is to change our hearts, not just our behaviors. Instead, as our hearts are changed, so may our behaviors be changed to.

          The gospel of Matthew then says, “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the street so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you” (Mt. 6:2-3, CEB). We have a lot of poverty in this country, the richest country in the history of the world. How can we help the poor in this season of Holy Lent?

          Jesus then goes on to say in this gospel narrative, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in the secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you” (Mt. 6:5-6, CEB). These are powerful words from Jesus, who is encouraging us to be “Humble before the Lord”.

          Jesus continues on to say, “And when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They distort their faces so people will know they are fasting. I assure you that they have their reward. When you fast, brush your hair and wash your face. Then you won’t look like you are fasting to people, but only to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you” (Mt. 6:16-18). We are called to be “humble before the Lord”.

          The last thing that Jesus teaches us tonight in Matthew 6:19-21 really speaks to me, about our world today. Jesus says, “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. Instead collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:19-21, CEB).

I wonder brothers and sisters if many of the people in our culture no longer have a heart for God, for Jesus Christ, like they used to? We seem to live in such an era of greed and selfishness. We have a culture where some people have untold amount of resources, and at the same time some children go to bed hungry. I wonder what would happen in this Season of Holy Lent if people who had so much, gave some of it to those who had nothing? I remember recently watching a video of a pharmaceutical executive who was being interviewed by a congressional committee on why he raised the price of one pill of one of his prescription drugs from about $3-dollars a pill to $500-dollars a pill. This man literally laughed and disregarded the comments and the questions that these congresspersons posed to him. These congresspersons told this man that people could die in not being able to afford the medication that they needed to live. Now with my sin of pride, I wanted to punch this man in the face! Then I remembered, “but Paul, Jesus says turn the other cheek”.

For Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Mt. 6:21, CEB). One of the reasons that my wife and I try to give as much away to God as we can, is because God is our treasure, Jesus Christ is our treasure. On this Ash Wednesday and in this season of Holy Lent, where is our treasure, where is our heart? Are we truly “Humble before the Lord”?

          Imagine then if we don’t look at this Ash Wednesday or this season of Holy Lent as gloomy or scary. Imagine instead, if we look at tonight and this season in general, as way to grow closer to God. As a way to become more like Jesus Christ. What if Ash Wednesday, and what if Holy Lent is our way and our path to continue to make the world better. To continue to make the world more like Jesus Christ.

          My sisters and brothers, happy Ash Wednesday, happy Lent, and as the historic Christian church said, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. May we all grow closer to God, to Jesus Christ, in this season of Holy Lent. Praise be to God three-in-one, one-in-three. Amen.

         

          

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Transfiguration Sunday - 02/07/16 Sermon - “A mountain top experience!"

Sunday 02/07/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s

Sermon Title: “A mountain top experience!”

                            

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 99

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

Gospel Lesson: Luke 9:28-43a

          Friends, brothers and sisters, welcome once again on this Transfiguration Sunday. This Sunday in the church calendar, where we celebrate the only miracle that happened to Jesus. You see every other miracle that Jesus performed in the gospels, whether they were healings, exorcisms, raising the dead, and or etc., were miracles that were performed by Jesus, not to Jesus. Yet this morning, Jesus is physically transfigured, and thus the miracle that we will discuss this morning happened to Jesus, not by Jesus. On this day in our church calendar then, Jesus gives three of his disciples a glimpse of heaven, and a fuller glimpse of who he is. On this day, and always, Christ calls us to be spiritually transfigured, to be changed in a mighty way from the inside to the outside, by the power of the living God.

          Well in being kind of an academic I like to define some of the terms that we discuss in church. I like to define some of these terms because they are so big and so confusing. I mean how often do we use the word “transfigured”? I know that I only tend to use this word on Transfiguration Sunday. Transfiguration is a big word, but what does it mean?

          In looking at the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, there are two definitions given for the word Transfiguration. These definitions are:

1a. A change in form or appearance: metamorphosis 1b. An exalting, glorifying, or spiritual change.

2 A Christian feast that commemorates the transfiguration of Christ on a mountaintop in the presence of three disciples and that is observed on August 6 in the Roman Catholic and some Eastern churches and on the Sunday before Lent in most Protestant churches.

          So these are some definitions of the word transfiguration. Some would argue the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ was the greatest of all of the miracles that occurred up until his resurrection. So great was this miracle, that after the miracle of the transfiguration, after Jesus had some healings, and did some more teaching, Luke 9:51 says, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51, NRSV). You see after this monumental miracle, Jesus then begins to look towards “Good Friday”. “Good Friday” for us is a day of redemption, but for Christ it will be a day of suffering and sorrow.

          The many Christian churches that picked the Transfiguration story gospel reading for this Sunday, the Sunday before the first Sunday Season of Lent are doing this intentionally. The many Christian churches that are preaching on the Transfiguration this morning, like this one, are declaring who Jesus Christ is. So starting this this Wednesday on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of the Season of Lent, Jesus will “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:51b, NRSV).

          So if this Transfiguration miracle then was so grand, just what exactly happened on that mountain top, on that day of the Transfiguration? Well for starters, the story of the Transfiguration is in three of the four Gospels, being Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This morning, we are given this transfiguration story, this miracle, from the gospel of Luke account. The transfiguration story is also mentioned by the Apostle Peter in his second epistle or letter. In Second Peter 1:16-18 it says,

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:16-18, NRSV).

          Now it is interesting to know, that when Jesus went up the mountain, where the transfiguration miracle happened, Jesus only took Peter, John, and James with him (Lk. 9:28a, NRSV). In the Book of James, nothing is directly mentioned about the transfiguration miracle. It is eluded to in the gospel of John 1:14, that says:

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14, NRSV). Some bible scholars would argue that John was talking about the transfiguration miracle in 1:14, and others would say that he is talking about something else.

          This we can know for certain though, this miracle is very well established. So as I said then, what happened on the day of transfiguration, according to our scriptural accounts?

          Well in focusing on the gospel of Luke narrative, it says speaking of Jesus, “he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray” (Lk. 9:28b, CEB). When I first read that, I wondered if Jesus just led Peter, John, and James up this mountain with no instructions, or did Jesus tell them ahead of time that they were going up the mountain to pray?

          There are various times that Jesus went off into the wilderness or up a mountain by himself in the gospels, as Moses received the 10-commandments of God on top of Mount Sinai. For if God is in the heavens, then to go up a mountain is to draw closer to God. To try to build the Tower of Babel, is to try to build a tower to God.

          On this day, Jesus invites Peter, John, and James to go up a mountain and pray with him. I would guess that Peter, John, and James most likely didn’t think much of going up this mountain, and perhaps the rest of the disciples were wondering why they weren’t chosen to go up the mountain. Why did Jesus only chose 3 of the 12 disciples?

          So then Jesus begins to pray on the top of this mountain. The gospel of Luke then says, “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightening” (Lk. 9:29, CEB). This means that Jesus’s physical appearance, his clothes, and etc. changed in front of Peter, John, and James. Jesus was completely different looking and glorious, or as the big churchy word says, Jesus was transfigured.

          Now I am guessing that if Peter, John, and James had diaries that they wrote in every day, that this would miracle likely make today’s journal entry!

          So not only is Jesus Christ completely changed and magnified, two other figures appeared with Christ. The gospel of Luke says, “Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem” (Lk. 9:30-31, CEB).

          It is as if Peter, John, and James are being shown a glimpse of heaven, of glory. That the great prophets Moses and Elijah, while they were called by God, they are lifting up Jesus in this scene as the Messiah. Jesus is in the center, as he is being being lifted up by Moses and Elijah.

          The gospel of Luke then says, “Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him” (Lk. 9:32, CEB). How could someone almost fall asleep through this? I mean this an incredible heavenly sight, not the 2:00 am infomercial for Oxy Clean! It is interesting to know also that Peter fell asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane while Jesus was praying.

          So how does the Apostle Peter respond to this miracle? Well, Peter says, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” –but he didn’t know what he was saying” (Lk. 9:33b, CEB). The gospel then says, “Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him” (Lk. 9:34-35, CEB).

          Then suddenly the gospel says next, Moses and Elijah disappeared, and Jesus looked like his normal self again (Lk. 9:36, CEB). The gospel then says, “They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen” (Lk. 9:36b, CEB).

          The gospels continues on to say that the three disciples and Jesus came down from the mountain the next day (Lk. 9:37, CEB). I wonder what the fireside conversation on that mountain was that night!

          When Jesus, and Peter, John, and James came down the mountain a crowd was awaiting Jesus, and man in the crowd begged Jesus to heal his son (Lk. 9:37-38, CEB). Now this man who was shouting said that his only child, his son, was possessed (Lk. 9:38b-39, CEB). The man then tells Jesus that his son shakes or has convulsions, he foams at the mouth, and is greatly disturbed. This man then says to Jesus, “I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn’t” (Lk. 9:40, CEB).

          Jesus then says, “You faithless and crooked generation, how long will I be with you and put with you” (Lk. 9:41, CEB). Jesus the asked for the man’s son to be brought to him, and Jesus healed the boy, and the unclean spirit was removed (Lk. 9:41b-43a, CEB).

          Why would the church include a story of Jesus performing a healing/exorcism along with this transfiguration Sunday story? The reason is, is on that mountain, Jesus was transfigured so that he might show Peter, John, James, and us, that he is the key to God. That through him we can see glory. That he will be glorified in heaven by the great prophets such as Elijah and Moses. Further that by ourselves we cannot heal or cast out demons, and that only the living God can we do that. When the disciples couldn’t heal the demon possessed boy in the scripture, Jesus could, as he was God in the flesh. If you wanted the healing of God that happened in this story, you needed to go through his son. Likewise, on the mountain if you wanted to see heaven, you needed to go through the son, through Jesus Christ.

          The transfiguration story shows us the power of the Messiah. That even the great prophets Elijah and Moses are under him. That with the fullness of God in him, he is able to change his appearance, and show his disciples what heavenly glory will look like. That he is able to cast out demons and heal, because he is the fullness of God in the flesh.

          Author Dorothy Lee says of the Transfiguration miracle that the transfiguration miracle was the: “the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place for the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth.”

          As we continue to grow as individuals, and as a church, as we continue to live our mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ, for the transformation of the world,” we must be spiritual transfigured. When I say that we must be spiritual transfigured, I don’t mean physically the way Jesus was transfigured on this day, but spiritually. We need to allow God to work in us and through us. We should strive to allow God to be God, and for us to follow him.

          So today my brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, reveals to us a glimpse of his heavenly glory, and he calls to us be changed from the inside to the outside, through his power and his grace. When we allow God to work in us and through us, not only will we be spiritually transfigured, but we will see a spiritual transfigured church and community, as well. Praise be to Jesus Christ. Amen.