Sunday 01/31/21 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “The Authority and Power of Jesus!”
Old Testament Scripture: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Gospel Lesson: Mark 1:21-28
Welcome again, on this our Fourth Sunday
after the Epiphany. Four Sundays after the three wise men or magi came to visit
Jesus, bearing gifts of Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.
With this said, this morning I want to talk to
you about “Authority and Power”. There have been at different times in all of our
lives when we have had or have experienced “Authority and Power”. To be the President
of the United States, for example, is a position of great “Authority and Power”.
As parents, you can ground your kids or send them to their room, if they misbehave.
We all have had and or have experienced “Authority and Power”.
As we think about “Authority and Power,”
I am sure that we can think of people in our lives or that we have studied that
have used their “Authority and Power” well. We can also think of people that
greatly abused their “Authority and Power”. I personally, have always admired
those leaders that were self-sacrificing, and who did everything and anything
for there people. These were and are the leaders that led by example, who were
not afraid to get into the trenches with their people, and to get their hands
dirty. I admire and respect those great military and political leaders that
were front and center with the very people they had so much “Authority and
Power” over.
Then there are other leaders, like
Adolf Hitler, who with his eminence “Authority and Power” murdered millions and
caused so much destruction and harm. Leaders like Kim Jong-Un, the dictator of
North Korea, who rules his people cruelly and with an iron fist. Some leaders
abuse there “Authority and Power”.
Some leaders, as I said though, have
used their power and authority to improve the lives of their people, and to
make the world better. These leaders are loved, revered, and people look up to
them. Then there are the leaders as I said, that are feared and hated. These
leaders have and do abuse their “Authority and Power” in so many ways. Would
you friends, rather be loved or feared?
One of the military oriented and war
movies that I really like is a movie starring Mel Gibson, called “We Were
Soldiers”. This movie came out in 2002. In this movie, Lieutenant Colonel Hal
Moore, who ended up a retired a three start Lieutenant General by the way, led the
first major battle of the Vietnam War (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Moore).
In this movie, Mel Gibson plays Lt. Colonel Hal More. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore was
part of the 1st
Battalion, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in
the United States Army. In the movie and the book “We Were Soldiers,” Lt
Colonel Hal Moore led his soldiers in the week-long Battle of la Drang. His soldiers were grossly outnumbered,
and he and his soldiers would become surrounded, pinned down, and low on
supplies.
In this movie, prior to going into
battle, Lt. Colonel Hal Moore gave a speech to his soldiers, and in this speech,
he talked about how among his soldiers of the 7th Calvary that they
had people of different religions and cultures. They people of different races,
and yet he said, that they were all Americans. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore then said,
that when they go into battle, “that he would be the first to step foot on the
field, and the last to step off, and dead or alive we will all come home
together”. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore, in the movie, did exactly as he said he would
do, and he was with his men in the heat of the battle, the whole time. He was the
first one on the ground, and the last one to leave. He was in charge, he had
great “Authority and Power,” but his “Authority and Power” was used to lead, to
serve, and to guide his men. These are the types of leaders that I respect, as
they used and use their vast “Authority and Power” well.
Through this time of pandemic, I want to lead well.
I want to use the “Authority and Power” that I have been given by God as a
pastor, to serve, to connect, to feed, to encourage, to preach the life-giving gospel
of Jesus Christ, and to protect the people that I love and serve. The people
that I serve, the people of this community are my top priority, and since I have
been given “Authority and Power” from God, I want to use it well.
As far as the movie “We Were Soldier,” Lt. Colonel
Hal Moore, again, played by Mel Gibson, reached the point of the movie where
the battle was over. A reporter who went in with Lt. Colonel Hal Moore and his
soldiers, ended up fighting, because Lt. Colonel Hal Moore and his soldier were
surround and decimated so bad. When the battle had ended, this reporter,
temporarily turned soldier, told Lt. Colonel Hal Moore, that he did not know
how he was going to go home to the United States and tell the American people this
story. The reporter, who saw so much horror, as the whole Vietnam War was on TV,
felt broken and demoralized. When the reporter told Lt. Colonel Hal Moore that
he did not know how he was going to write and tell this story, Lt. Colonel Hal
Moore teared up and told the reporter, you have to tell this story. He said,
you have to tell them how my troopers bravely fought and died. In the movie
version of “We Were Soldiers,” you could see how emotional and upset Lt.
Colonel Hal Moore was over his casualties of 499 soldiers, roughly half his
forces. His 1,000 soldiers ended up fighting 2,500 well trained and determined
North Vietnamese soldier. You could see the love and the care he had for his
men. This is a leader, a leader who used his “Authority and Power” to serve,
care, and lead.
Beyond these types of leaders and role
models though, who should we look to as the ultimate leader who exercised their
“Authority and Power” the best? The answer is Jesus Christ. This morning in our
gospel of Mark reading, the gospel says of Jesus once again:
“21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk. 1:21-22, NRSV).
This morning in the synagogue in Capernaum, which I saw
what was left of it seven years ago when I was there, is where Jesus teaches
with “Authority and Power” this
morning. Jesus wows everyone, and they know that he is not any ordinary
person.
Before unpacking our gospel of Mark reading more though, I
want to touch on our scripture readings for this morning from the Book of Deuteronomy
and 1 Corinthians. In our reading from the Book of Deuteronomy once again, the
scripture talks about God raising up a voice, a prophet. The scripture says
once again:
“15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet” (Deut. 18:15, NRSV).
God will raise up leaders with “Authority and Power” that are good,
righteous, and honest leaders. We need more leaders like this. In fact, the
scripture continues in 18:18 saying once again:
“18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable” (Deut. 18:18-19, NRSV).
Jesus was and is no mere prophet, but was God in the flesh,
the savior of the world, but prophets and good leaders from God exercise “Authority and Power” in good, righteous, and
just ways.
In looking at our 1 Corinthians reading briefly once again for
this morning, the Apostle Paul tells us in 8:1-13 once again:
“8 Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2 Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3 but anyone who loves God is known by him” (1 Cor. 8:1-3, NRSV).
Leaders that lead well
with “Authority and
Power”,
are loving, they build people up, and they make people better. In fact, the
Apostle Paul continues on saying in 8:6:
“6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Cor. 8:6, NRSV).
The Apostle Paul is also talking about
eating food sacrificed to idols in this scripture, but also good leadership and
power, are through God and God alone.
So, let us look once again at our gospel of Mark lesson for
this morning, about the “Authority and
Power” of Jesus. The gospel says once again:
21 They went to Capernaum;
and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his
teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Mk. 1:21-22, NRSV).
Now of course there is more to this
morning’s gospel reading, but Mark 1:21-22 is where I drew my sermon title and
the idea of “Authority and Power” for this morning. While this is the focus of
what I am preaching on, Jesus also performs an exorcism or drives an unclean
spirit out of a man in the same synagogue that he was teaching in. Our gospel
of Mark reading picks up once again in 1:23 saying:
“23 Just then there
was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have
you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who
you are, the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent,
and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and
crying with a loud voice, came out of him” (Mk. 1:23-26, NRSV).
After this, it says of the people in
the Jewish Synagogue in Capernaum once again, starting in Mark 1:27 that:
“27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee” (Mk. 1:27-28, NRSV).
Jesus is our Lord, Savior, God in the flesh, the second
person of the Holy Trinity, but also the leader that used his “Authority and
Power” in every way that was holy, just, righteous, loving, and caring. When we
repent of our sins, accept, and follow Christ, and are filled with the Holy
Spirit, we become a new creation. We then walk with Christ and continue to
become more like him throughout our lives.
When it comes to my leadership then, and the “Authority and
Power” that God has given me, I want to lead like Jesus. I want to love, care,
convict, and serve like Jesus. I want to use the “Authority and Power” that God
has given me to continue to lead like Jesus, so that many come to know him, so that
many are changed, and so that many change Sidney and the world.
Friends, brothers and sisters, its no secret that we are
continuing to live through this horrible COVID-19 Pandemic, but during this
time, I pray that God softens our hearts. I pray that God humbles us, that God
convicts us, so that we may grow in love, generosity, caring, service, and
hope. If we allow God to mold us and shape up, especially through this time of pandemic,
then we can use the “Authority and Power” that God has given us, even better! I
do not know about you, but I want to use the “Authority and Power” that God has
given me, to lead like Jesus. Amen.
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