Sidney UMC - July 4th Sunday/5th Sunday after Pentecost - 07/05/20 - Sermon - “Do You Still Make Mistakes To?"

Sunday 07/05/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:              “Do You Still Make Mistakes To?”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 45:10-17

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 7:15-25a

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

          Friends, brothers, and sisters, once again it is good to be back after a restful week of vacation. During this time off, Melissa and I were both able to relax and to reflect upon the past few months of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the more recent racial and social unrest in this country.

          This Sunday is also the 5^th Sunday after Pentecost, and July 4^th Sunday. I say July 4^th Sunday or weekend, as yesterday was the day that on July 4, 1776 the founders of this country ratified the famed Declaration of Independence. At this Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this group of our nation’s founders created this historic document to tell King George III of England, that the then Thirteen Colonies are now free and independent from British rule.

          At both Continental Congresses, there were men that were from free states and there were men that were from slave states. Some of these men supported slavery, and some did not. Yet, every July 4^th, we have this holiday that we call Independence Day. We wave American flags, we have fireworks, barbeques, etc. So, what are we really celebrating on the July 4^th federal holiday? You see, the Declaration of Independence that was signed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776 said in the preamble that regarding our founder’s intentions that:

“all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”        (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence).

          Some have said to me though, “but how can this statement in the Declaration of Independence that was directed at the injustices of British rule over the Thirteen Colonies, be true if slavery existed until 1865?”

          The answer is this, the founders and the framers of this country and were flawed men. Some of them were completely opposed to the institution of slavery, but they wanted to birth a new nation. Is it true to say then that this country started without all people being free? Absolutely.

          Further, the Thirteen Colonies then fought our revolutionary war from 1776-1781. We then had a lose and ineffective government from 1781-1789, called “The Articles of Confederation”. Our present United States Constitution, or our main governing document, was created in 1787, ratified in 1788, and took effect in 1789. Our first President of the United States, and a slave owner, was President George Washington. Can you tell that I used to be a social studies teacher?

          So, it is undeniable then that what our Declaration of Independence said about all people being created free and equal, did not extend to all people on July 4, 1776.

          Further, the Bible tells us, that if we repent of ours sins, turn to Christ and follow him as Lord, then we will be cleansed of our sins, renewed, restored, and that we will live with Christ forever. Yet, after these spiritual conversion experiences, while we are truly saved and truly forgiven, we are not perfect. What Christ did on the cross can remove our sins and offer us salvation if we repent and turn to him, but that does not make us perfect.

          More specifically, in the Methodist Movement, we along with other Christian denominations believe in a doctrine called “Progressive Sanctification.” This doctrine is different than the doctrine salvation and our eternity with Jesus. Progressive Sanctification is the doctrine that if we walk daily with Christ and live the Christian life, that God will continue to purify us and sanctify us. While we are changed spiritually the day that we come to Christ, we will still become more and more like Christ, as we walk with him. Forgiveness, salvation, eternity are free gifts though Jesus Christ, but becoming like Christ that happens over the life of a Christian. This is why the founder of Methodist Movement, John Wesley said, quoting Hebrews 6:1-3, that we are “moving on to perfection.”

          So, what is my point, and where am I going with all of this? The point is this, the founders of our country were not perfect, and neither are we. Only God is perfect.

          I am preaching on this July 4^th Sunday largely from the Apostle Paul’s reading for this morning once again, from the Book of Romans. Now the Apostle Paul, as we know of him today, was first the Jewish religious leader, Saul of Tarsus. Saul of Tarsus hated the Christians, persecuted them, and was determined to destroy them. Saul was on the road to Damascus, Syria when Jesus appeared to him. Saul repented, accepted Christ, and because the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was forgiven and made new in Jesus Christ. Yet, he still wasn’t perfect. Once again in our reading for this morning from Romans 7, the Apostle Paul says of himself:

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:15-25a, NRSV).

          One of the greatest teachers, evangelists, writers, and leaders in the history of our 2,000-year Christian Church, is saying that even though he was forgiven and has salvation in Christ, he still struggles with sin.

          What’s the point? The point is this, even when the Apostle Paul came to Christ, he still was not perfect, as we are not perfect. God, however, is continuing to mold, shape, and refine us into his perfect image. I would argue then, in the same way that our founding fathers were broken, flawed, and sinful, the United States of America has been living through its own form of progressive sanctification.

          What I am arguing on this our Fourth of July Sunday then, is that America like us as Christians, is continuing to be perfected. We are “moving on to perfections”. When we met Christ were not perfect, and when our country was founded it wasn’t perfect either.

          I spoke about this same topic in our July church newsletter. I also know that our church newsletter is the most exciting thing you read every month, but if you did not read my July newsletter article, I referenced the preamble of the United State Constitution. What does the preamble of the United State Constitution say? It says this:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

          What I focused in on in my July Pastor’s Newsletter article, was the very first line that said, “In Order to form a more perfect Union.” In being a permanently licensed New York State middle and high school social studies teacher, I learned and taught that our United States Constitution is a “living document.” This means what our founders created was designed by creation to grow and to develop. As Christians, after we meet Jesus Christ and as we walk with him, we progressively grow and develop. We become more righteous, more holy, and more sanctified.

          I love our United States Constitution. I love our country, but we all know that not all people were free when it formed. I don’t love that we had slavery, that women could only vote only about 100-years ago. I don’t like segregation, racism, inequality, poverty, and disco. Like our faith in Christ grows though, so does this country in which we live. I believe that after we accept Christ that we are moving “into a more perfect union” with God, as our country is moving into “a more perfect union”. I am not perfect, our founders were not perfect, you are not perfect, but Christ is indeed perfect!

          I am thankful and grateful that I am able to stand here this morning with the freedom and the liberty to be able to preach and to talk the way that I am I talking to you all right now. Yet, I want to grow closer to Christ. I want to know him more, be more like him, and be an even better Christian, husband, and pastor. Like you, I also want to see this country continue to grow and be better. We were not founded in the country as “A perfect Union,” our founders were attempting to create “A more perfect Union.”

          Some though, seem to want to destroy our government, our free market economy, and replace it with something “perfect.” Here is the reality though my friends, we are always striving for “more perfect,” but we in and of ourselves will never make “a perfect Union.” We are broken, sinners, greedy, envious, slanderous, jealous, and while I believe that we can make our country even better, I believe that only a “perfect” union will exist when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth and sets everything right.

          I still love the Fourth of July, even though as a country we have some serious realities to contend with in the history of this country. Instead of tearing down this great republic though, I think that we should do what we always have done, continue “to make a more perfect Union.”

          I really love singing “The Battle Hymn of Republic,” that we just sang this morning. This hymn, as I have said, is a Union Army hymn. Our Union soldiers sang this hymn in their camps and in marching in the US Civil War. Hundreds of thousands on men, both black and white died to end the sin of slavery in this country in 1865. On the day that slavery ended, our country was continuing “to make a more perfect Union.”

          Five-Hundred years ago, the great reformer Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, but he didn’t try to destroy the church. Learning, growing, loving, leading, and reforming, this is what the church does, and what America has always done to. We don’t need to hate our country, but I think that we need to continue to work “to make a more perfect Union.” This is what we have always done.

          The sins of slavery, segregation, racism, and all of the bad things that are still part of our history, are there, but so are so many great things. This country in which we live, is the richest and the most powerful country in the history of the world, and can be a beacon of hope, light, love, grace, and mercy for the whole world. I love my country, and I also love the church. The church exists all over the world. As we are part of this country, we are also part of the worldwide Christian faith. As Christians historically, we don’t tear down, we reform. I truly believe that our founding fathers in all their brokenness and imperfections got this, as they said that they were setting out to form, “a more perfect Union.”

          In our gospel of Matthew reading, Jesus says once again:

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”         (Mt. 11:16-19, NRSV).

          Instead of us always thinking we have the answer to everything friends, Jesus says, come to me, and walk with me. In doing so, we grow closer to him, and we grow in “a more perfect union” with him.

          Jesus ends our gospel lesson from Matthew for this morning, saying:

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30, NRSV).

          So how do we continue to make this republic in which we live “more perfect?” How do we continue to make Sidney and the world “more perfect?” How does God make us “more perfect?” I believe the only and best answer through Jesus Christ and his gospel.

          There have been times in our nation’s and other nation’s histories where some people misinterpreted the Bible. These misinterpretations were generally not happening in the whole church, just in some areas. These misinterpretations, like slavery, the rights of women, etc., were and are continuing to be addressed. What is eternal and is unchanging however, is the Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is unchanging is God’s word, that Jesus is the risen Lord, and that whether it is 1776 or 2020, the gospel of Jesus Christ is still and always will be the hope of the world.

          My friends, my brothers, and sisters, may God continue to progressively sanctify us, and make us more and more like Jesus. May we also strive to live up to the founders of this republic in which we live, as we are called to “a more perfect Union.” Happy 4^th of July weekend, and may God bless America, all countries, and all people, for we all made in the image of God. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Father's Day/Third Sunday after Pentecost - 06/21/20 - Sermon - “A Disciple Is Not Above The Teacher"

Sunday 06/21/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:              “A Disciple Is Not Above The Teacher”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 6:1b-11

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 10:24-39

          Friends, welcome again on this the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and this our Father’s Day. To all the dads who are here and who are out there, to all men who have acted as fathers, who have loved, and who cared for others, we thank you for being parents, leaders, encouragers, people who sacrifice, and people that have helped us become the people that we are today. We do not seek to be better than you, but we seek to be more like you.

          If you did not have a good biological father here on earth, I would encourage you on this Father’s Day to think about the men that were or are still in your life that did so much for you. Those men who taught you, mentored you, cared for you, and who sacrificed so much for you. Today we thank and honor all men who have raised children, animals, or who have cared for and loved others. Thank you to the men on this day!

          For me, my biological father, my stepfather, and other men in my life have helped to shape me and make me the man I am today. The women in my life have been instrumental, as well, but today is Father’s Day not Mother’s Day.

          Among the many men that have mentored me, loved me, and guided me, I have been very fortunate to have learned more about God and our Christian faith from many of them.

          I learned things like it says once again in Psalm 86:9-10 for this morning:

“All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God” (Ps. 86:9-10, NRSV).

          From some of the many men that have done so much for me in my life, I learned about the love, the sovereignty, and the authority of God. I learned that God was God and that we are not. I also learned how treat other people, to work hard, to respect and love all people, and to love God.

          I learned what were good things, and what were not good things. This really reminds me of our scripture reading for this morning once again from Romans 6. The first verse is so interesting to me, as it says once again:

“What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:1b-4, NRSV).

          We cannot sin our way into the grace of God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do terrible and bad things, baptize them as good, and justify them as Godly. I believe that only struggles and violence should happen to protect our lives, and the lives of the innocent and the vulnerable. Just Wars occur to end tyranny and the oppression and the victimization of others. Committing violence, murder, and or criminal activity simply because we think it is ok or justified though, is sinful. We cannot sin our way into the gracious love of God. We must turn and repent from sin and darkness, and in doing so, we turn to God. God embraces us and we are filled with his love. We then share it with others.

          Our spiritual transformations are not ones that we cause, that we accomplish, but rather what God accomplishes in and through us. God works through us, and we, as new creations, change Sidney and the world. We are called to follow Christ, to be like Christ, to live like Christ, and to love like Christ. Through Christ we have joy, peace, love, and mercy.

          The Apostle Paul concludes our reading this morning from the Book of Romans with 6:5-11 that says once again:

^“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:5-11, NRSV).

          So, the Christian faith is about Jesus Christ. As humans we need redemption, we need transformation, we need to know that we are loved unconditionally, we need to know that we are forgiven, and we need to be made whole. As much as we think that we can do everything in this world on our own, we can do nothing without God. We are to lean on God, not our own understandings. If God has not spoken and revealed himself through the scriptures, then how can we even know God, his nature, or who God is? We know who God is, his expectations, and how we are supposed to live.

          So, do we trust God, or do we just trust ourselves, and claim that we are trusting God? In trusting God, God leads us, not our own desires. Our gospel lesson from the gospel of Matthew this morning is really telling of this. The gospel once again says:

“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!” (Mt. 10:24-25, NRSV).

          I will be honest with you, whenever I read this scripture, I have to think about it. I mean as Christians we are all equal before God, whether pastor, lay person, boss, employee, Cubs fans or the others, etc. Yet in this scripture, we are told we are not above the teacher, and not above the master. This seems uneven though doesn’t it? I mean I thought that we were all equal before God, right?

          Yet, what Jesus is saying here, is that his disciples and us are not above him. The Apostle Paul says he is slave for Christ, and if God is our master, then we are not above God. What Christ has endured for all of us in his crucifixion, means we do not have to endure what he has endured. So instead of being above Christ, we are just called to be like him. We cannot die for the sins of the world, and we do not have the full power and the wisdom that Christ has, but we are called to be like him. As we walk with him, we become more like him.

          Instead of selling out to secular and a materialistic world view then, the historic Christian faith believes that we can be changed by Christ. I have been changed by Jesus Christ, and so can we all. We serve Christ, we serve and love others, and the world becomes attracted to our faith and our love through Christ. We build Christian community, we love each other, we grow closer to Jesus, and the church grows and flourishes. Instead of the church changing to be like the world, the world changes to be like Christ. Or to put it another way, we are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus came to transform the world, not be transformed by the world. The gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to change Sidney and the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not designed to be changed by Sidney and the world.

Further the property we own and the possessions we own are just on loan to us while we are on this earth. They do belong to God, but we have them here on earth. In fact, two of ten commandments protect private property, which is why we are not to steal or to covet. The abolition of such things then, are contrary to the very Law of God. Having some wealth is not the sin, greed and the love of money is the sin.

          As the scripture also says, if the master of the house is called “Beezlebul,” or the Devil, how do you think we will be treated? Do we live in a world that wants to turn from sin and darkness, or do we live in a world that largely loves sin and darkness? We will not find wholeness in the world in mobs, in riots, in burning down buildings, only in Jesus Christ. The changes that are needed in this country, should come through our faith in Christ. We are not vigilantes that can do anything we want and then explain it away as faith. We are not to envy, to covet, to steal, and we are also not to hate. We all have work that we need to allow God to do on us.  

          Jesus continues on in Matthew 10:26 saying about those whose persecute us as Christians:

“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:26-31, NRSV).

            We can live for this world. We can live for pleasure, possessions, power, revolution, or we can turn to the saving embrace of Jesus Christ. If we follow Christ and work hard, and if we amass some wealth and possession, then what a blessing it is to give. What a blessing it is to be generous. What a blessing it is to feed the poor, care for the sick, and transform the world.

          Jesus concludes this gospel of Matthew reading for this morning starting in 10:32 saying:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 10:32-39, NRSV).

          So, if we are going to try to create a perfect world with no problems, we are fooling ourselves. We are sinners, and our human nature is flawed. I wish it wasn’t so, but we don’t always do the right thing. This doesn’t mean that we can’t do good, but that we can’t seem to completely avoid doing bad. We can make the world much better, be we cannot make it perfect.

          Some might say, “So you mean Pastor Paul that we can’t solve all the world’s problems?” No, we can’t. Can we eradicate hunger and poverty? I really think we are moving in that direction, thanks to market economies that have produced advances in agriculture and technologies. The world is advancing and the qualities of life of many are increasing like never before.

          There are inequalities in this country though, and in this world. There is hate, anger, and racism, but we are called to be faithful to Christ. We should love and care for all people as children of God. We should defend the weak, the helpless, and the oppressed, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is about human redemption, not human revolution.

          All throughout the history of the church we have created orphanages, hospitals, schools, feeding programs, homes, taught people to read, provided education, and shared the hope of Jesus Christ. The Christian Church has created and still has many feeding programs and continues to do so much to help the poor, to fight poverty, and create a more peaceful world. Yet we cannot simply defeat sin in the world, only Christ can do that. Do we really think that we can accomplish in this world, only what Christ can?  

          One day my friends the world will be perfect, but only when Christ returns to this earth in glory. If we deny the reality of human sin and human nature, then not only are we fooling ourselves, but we are playing with fire. I am not giving up or abdicating my role in serving, helping the poor, or making the world better. I realize though that I am not God, for “A disciple is not above the teacher.” Amen.

Sidney UMC - Second Sunday after Pentecost - 06/14/20 - Sermon - “Justified by Faith"

Sunday 06/14/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:                “Justified by Faith”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 5:1-8

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 9:35-10:23

          Today, once again, is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. Two Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost, nearly two-thousand years ago. On that day, the Christian Church was born, and nearly two-thousand years later we are worshipping God here this morning.

          It is hard for me to believe, for those of us safely here in person this morning, that we did not have any in person church options for three months. It seems to me, like it was forever ago that we had church in person. Some are not here this morning, as they are just not ready, and this is ok. How good it is though to be here on a Sunday morning, with those of us that are safely here.

          With this said, I remember when I was a little kid that if I had a toy in the toy box that was not being played with, generally my siblings would not care. Yet, if I picked up that toy, then suddenly that toy became irresistibly desirable for my brothers and sisters.

For most of my 38-years on this earth, other than the last three months, the Christian Church has always been opened. Sure, we may have been closed for a snowstorm, a flood, or another natural disaster, but never like this. It is true that the church is the followers of Christ, as well as the mission of the church that we live out, but it is nice to worship in God’s house. Other than floods, storms, and situations like this, the church has generally always been open. As a result, if we were tired on a given Sunday, then we could just play “hooky” if we wanted to.

          In the last three months though, someone took our toy from our toy chest. Maybe the toy, the church in this case, was something many of us took for granted. We might have said, “the church is always there, so what if I miss a Sunday or two, or miss other elements of the life of the church? It is not like anyone else will take that toy out of the toy box and play with it”. For the past three months, a brother or sister did not take our toy, or our church, but Covid-19 did.

          When suddenly attending church in person was no longer an option, many of us said, “Hey, who is playing with my toy!” Maybe some of us took the church for granted, not the people, not the mission of the church, but the blessing of being able to worship here.

          During these last few months, some of you have told me that you have had a strong desire to be here, to worship, to connect with God. Three months ago, suddenly that opportunity was taken from us all. Even when church floods happened here, someone could have driven far enough to find another open and functioning church if they wanted to. This time however, it was not flooding in some places that closed some churches, for churches were shut down in much of the world.

          Friends we are not through the woods with this Covid-19 Pandemic, but with us being here this morning, to me, it is a sign that maybe we will reach the edge of this forest sooner or later. We will overcome this!

          In a similar way to fighting over a toy, I want to talk this morning about “Justification,” or being justified. There are times in our lives when we would say that our actions, or our decisions were “justifiable.” What we did, what we decided was ok and was good.

          Some people go through life seeking to be affirmed or justified. I think that this Covid-19 pandemic, along with doing great damage to the US and the world’s economies, as well as showing us the struggles of racism and other struggles in this country, has also shown us some other things.

          Some people have told me and have remarked to me how much they were doing before this pandemic started. Some people told me what they were buying, spending, etc. We seem to have a culture that says we can purchase justification. If we buy that car, that bigger house, that new suit, then we will finally feel the way we deserve to feel. People will finally affirm us and show us the respect and the honor that we deserve.

          This Covid-19 Pandemic was a wrecking ball to our vast consumption. I have heard the term “Retail Therapy.” You have a bad day at work or in general, so you go and buy a new pair of shoes, or a new outfit. So many people in this culture struggle to feel good enough, affirmed, and justified.

          What would it be like though to know that you are good enough right now? What if you knew in every fiber of your being that you were indeed good enough? What if your desire to buy things, to purchase more, to go bigger, to go larger, just disappeared or began to diminish? What If you began to no longer desire those things? What if we realized on some level that the things that we were striving after might be connected to our sense of self-worth? Our culture says you need to get more, to get bigger, to get larger, because in doing so you feel affirmed or justified. You need to chase the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, because that is how you feel like you are somebody.

          I have read research before about high powered businessmen and women who retire. Some of them cut the cord and they are done. Some of them though, they get right back into the race. They need it, it makes them feel whole. They need it to affirm themselves, they need it to give them value, and to justify their existence.

          I have heard so many people say, “I will be happy when…” They will be happy when they get a better job, a new house, a new car, married, etc. I think that this Covid-19 Pandemic put a real monkey wrench in our system of buying and trying to obtain happiness.

          In our reading for this morning from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul tells us how to be truly affirmed or justified. Paul tells us how to truly feel whole and complete. Once again, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:1-2:

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God”                      (Rom. 5:1-2, NRSV).

          Now I am guessing that over these last three months that we had times that we did not have peace. Instead, we had worry and maybe anxiety. I had a couple of moments where I was wondering if were living in the Book of Revelation.

          Through all of this though, if we have repented of our sins, come to Christ, accepted him, been filled with the Holy Spirit, then in that moment of acceptance we were justified. Through the blood that Christ shed on the cross, every single one of us in that moment of Justification were made clean and blameless through Jesus Christ. In that moment, we were good enough right where we were. We did not need to do anything more. We did not need to earn it, to buy it, or to take it. It was given freely for us.

          For those of us that know Christ, we are justified, we don’t have to prove ourselves, we don’t have to be perfect, because through Christ’s blood we have been redeemed and restored. Since this is true, our value to God, comes not from things, possessions, wealth, and power. Our value comes because we are forgiven people made in the image of almighty God. Every single person that walks this earth was created in God’s image, is loved by God, and can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

          As much as we try to make the world better, and we should, only Jesus can justify us, as we will never be able to obtain full justification here on earth. I believe that we should work to make the earth better, that we should love and affirm all people, but the truest affirmation and hope comes through Jesus Christ.

Is this always easy to do? No, as the Apostle Paul continues saying this morning:

“And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:3-8, NRSV).

          In this hurting, broken, and sinful world, Jesus Christ died for us, and through him and through him alone we are justified. Jesus is enough, and we never need to try to buy or earn this affirmation or justification. If you feel like you are not good enough, if you feel unloved, unaffirmed, or unjustified, you can be justified through Jesus Christ.

          In our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning, Jesus goes all over preaching the good news of God’s kingdom, and he healed many (Mt. 9:35, NRSV). Jesus had compassion for the people and challenged his disciples and us to be about the work of the gospel (Mt. 9:36-38, NRSV).

          Jesus then empowers his twelve disciples and gives them spiritual authority (Mt. 10:1-4, NRSV). Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to preach the gospel, to love, to heal, and to forgive. They then went out with little to nothing and they were told to preach where people would listen and welcome, but to be on their way if people didn’t hear or listen. (Mt. 10:5-15, NRSV).

          Jesus then says:

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time;”                  (Mt. 10:16-20, NRSV).

          Friends so many us try to find happiness in this world. We try to buy it, to seek it, to obtain it, to chase after it, or to earn it. If the past three months have taught us anything it is that the things of this world are not always as reliable as we would like to think they are. While we might try to obtain affirmation or justification in this world, we can only fully and unconditionally obtain this from God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Unlike fighting over the toy in the toybox then, there is enough Jesus to go around for us all. In him, we are fully and completely justified through his blood, if we repent and come to him as Lord. Friends we have Jesus, we have justification, because we have faith in God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Trinity Sunday/Peace with Justice Sunday - 06/07/20 - Sermon - “The Trinity: The Great Commission"

Sunday 06/07/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:             “The Trinity: The Great Commission”

Old Testament Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:4a

                                           

New Testament Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:11-13

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 28:16-20

          Welcome again friends, on this our Trinity Sunday, and this our Peace with Justice Sunday. Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday, as we celebrated the birthday of the Christian Church and the mighty movement of the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost, the Christian Church was born, the Holy Spirit moved, and the disciples went forth preaching, loving, healing, and forgiving. Two-thousand years later, as followers of Christ, we are part of that great legacy.

          As part of that great legacy in Jesus Christ, we continue to live and preach the Good News of the gospel of Christ, we continue to love each other, we continue to call upon God to grow the church, and we continue, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring people to saving grace of God, found only in Jesus Christ.

          This morning is also one of the six special offering Sundays in the life of the United Methodist Church, called Peace with Justice Sunday. When you give to this special giving Sunday, you help to equip ministries that promote peace, justice, and equality. If you want to give to this special United Methodist Church giving Sunday, you are welcome to send your funds to the church or to our Annual Conference Center in Liverpool, NY. If you can mark or indicate that these funds are for Peace with Justice Sunday, then we will make sure that they get to the people and the ministries that will benefit from your donation.

          With this said, as I said, this Sunday is also Trinity Sunday. On this Sunday, we celebrate our great God who is one in three, three in one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The God who created this world and everything in it, also His Son Jesus Christ, who redeemed this world of our sins through His death on a cross, and His resurrection. Further, the Holy Spirit, the third person of God that fills us and guides us. One God in three distinct persons, three in one, one in three.

          We also heard this morning, once again, in our reading from Genesis 1 and 2 about the God who creates (Gen. 1:1-2:4a, NRSV). In this reading, we heard step by step the beautiful story of creation.

          As the Book of Genesis continues in Genesis 2:4b-24, we have God creating Adam and Eve (Gen. 2:4b-24, NRSV). Adam and Eve then ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They then were expelled from the Garden of Eden for sinning against God. We often call this, the “Fall of Humanity.” From this point on, we are all born with “Original Sin,” or to say it another way, is that we are born into sin.

          This does not mean that we are completely bad as people, but it does mean we all have this spiritual sickness called sin. We have free will from God, as Adam and Eve did in the Garden of Eden. We can choose to use this free will to glorify or to sin against God.

          God did create this world good and sinless however, as Genesis 1:31 says once again of creation:

“God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Gen. 1:31, NRSV).

          So, God created the world and everything in it as good, loving, and of Him. God created Adam and Eve in the same way. God also, like all of us, gave Adam and Eve free will. We can choose to love or to disobey God, and Adam and Eve in eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil disobeyed God. This first or “Original Sin” then tainted the goodness of God’s creation.

          You see God, the creator, as we read about in the Book of Genesis, demanded perfection from Adam and Eve, and created them both sinless. Yet God gave them a choice to follow him or to sin against him.

          Some have argued, why would God do this if He knew that we would not be able to live up to His standard or perfection? I believe that in part, that before time itself that God the Father, the creator of all, was intent to redeem all of humanity, through his Son Jesus Christ.

          God the Father is a spiritual being, but when he sent his son Jesus to earth, Jesus took on flesh and dwelt among us. No one in the scriptures ever looked at God face to face and lived, for his presence is to perfect, and to Holy.

          So, if humanity fell in the Garden of Eden, then what? The answer is this, from the point of the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, we have all lived out the saga of being faithful to God, and to rebelling against God. This is why there are so many prophets in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. These prophets were calling the people of Israel to repentance, holiness, and righteousness. In the process of doing this, these prophets gave glimpses of the second person of God who was to come, Jesus Christ.

          God the Father created the world, everything in it, including humanity, and created it good. Since God wants us to chose to love him, He gave us free will, and humanity sinned against him. Prophet and after prophet came in God’s name calling the people to repentance, to holy living, and to righteousness.

          This all culminates with God sending his son Jesus to earth to live, breath, love, heal, teach, forgive, and to die a cross for the sins of the world. Some might say, but “Why would God put humanity through all of this?” The answer is because God wants us to choose to love him. God does not force us, as we can live for him, or deny him. So much of human suffering today is because we sin and deny God. It is troubling to me that we are told in one of God’s commandments to not kill, but always seem to find loopholes in that commandment. I believe war is only necessary to defend and protect life, but if someone is killed because they are seen as inferior or evil, is this not a sin against God? If someone is killed merely for the color of there skin, is this not a sin against God? If some is killed merely because they are police officer, is this not a sin against God?

          Jesus comes into the world to eradicate sin and teach us a better way to live, love, and be in the world. We know that Jesus and God existed together before time itself, as John 1:1-5 says:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it”                        (Jn. 1:1-5, NRSV). 

          So, if God made us without free will, and were essentially robots that had no ability to make good or bad choices, there would be no reason for Jesus. There would be no reason for Jesus to have existed with God before time itself. Humanity would not need to be redeemed, and God would not have sent his son Jesus to redeem humanity. God and Jesus might still be in heaven, but Jesus would not have come to earth. Further, why would we call on the third person of God, the Holy Spirit, if everything was perfect?

          The reality friends is this, as much as some want to deny what is right in front of our noses, we live in a fallen and sinful world. Could God just have forgiven humanity without sending his son Jesus? Potentially, but this was God’s plan for human salvation and redemption before time itself. God wants us to seek him, he does not want to force us. How many of you would want your kids or grandkids to love you by force? How many of you would want your kids or grandkids to choose to love you? They can, and sometimes do also disobey you.

          If we are not capable then of building the perfect society, or the perfect world, if cannot escape the disease of sin, then we need a savior. God existed before time itself and three persons in one being, because God knew us and how humanity would be redeemed.

          God is three persons, like a house that has a basement, a living area, and an attic. All one entity, three distinct persons. God is three persons, one in three, three in one, as this is the God that creates, redeems, and restores. The Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not just a central doctrine of the Christian Church, it is the three persons of God that leads us to salvation, eternity, wholeness, righteousness, and holiness here on earth. When we serve, love, heal, and forgive, it should flow out of us being disciples of Jesus Christ. For Christ changes us, and the Holy Spirit of God uses to transform the world.

          This “Trinitarian” language, or the concept of God being three in one or one in three is in our scripture reading for this morning once again from, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 that says:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor. 13:11-13, NRSV).

          This farewell and benediction from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, or the Corinthians, tells the Christians in Corinth to agree, love, and greet each other with a holy kiss (2 Cor. 13:11-12, NRSV). Paul then offers the Corinthians the benediction once again of:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you” (2 Cor. 13:13, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul offers a benediction to the Corinthians that is Trinitarian. Paul is blessing them through the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the creator, and the Holy Spirit. One God, three in one, one in three.

          This leads me to our gospel lesson for this Trinity Sunday, once again from Matthew 28:16-20 that says:

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age”                                 (Mt. 28:16-20, NRSV).

          In this gospel lesson, the risen, but not yet ascended Christ gives his eleven disciples “The Great Commission”. Eleven disciples, as Judas Iscariot betrayed Christ and hung himself.

          As Jesus gave this great commission, some his disciples the scripture says, still had doubts. Yet Jesus says once again:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19-20, NRSV).

          Some would teach that we should love God and love our neighbor as Jesus taught. I would agree totally. Yet, what is the mission of the church? We can love God and love our neighbor, as we should, but the mission of the Christian Church is:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:19-20, NRSV).

          Repent of our sins, be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and then follow all of Jesus’ teaching, including love God and love you neighbor. In doing this we transform Sidney and the world.

          We have the person of God who creates, the person of God who saves and redeems, and the person of God that fills us and guides us. For on the day of Pentecost the disciples knew the Father and the Son, but when they were truly filled with the Holy Spirit in powerful way, then they really got it!

          I hope and pray that you have a blessed Trinity Sunday! Be blessed dear friends in the name of God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.