Sidney UMC - Fourth Sunday of Easter - 04/25/21 - Sermon - “Standing Firm In The Faith"

Sunday 04/25/21 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:                 “Standing Firm In The Faith”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 23                             

New Testament Scripture: Acts 4:5-12

Gospel Lesson: John 10:11-18

          Sometimes in this life that we live, some of us struggle to stand up for what we believe in. Sometimes in this life that we live, we sometimes also struggle to stand up for what is right, what is fair, and what is true. One of my favorite quotes is from Sir Edmund Burke. Sir Edmund Burke said:

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/edmund_burke_377528). 

          Once again, Sir Edmund Burke said:

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” (https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/edmund_burke_377528).

          There are times in our lives when bad things happen. There have probably been times in our lives, as well, when we have acted, and times where we have sat by and done nothing. One of the benefits of living in a representative democracy with freedom of speech, is we are supposed to be able to have a voice. We are supposed to be able to think, to reason, and to share our ideas with each other.

          I remember when I was in high school down in Orange County, New York in 1990s. During our lunch time in our high school of about 2,000 students, the double or two roomed cafeteria that we had, had a lot of students eating lunch. I think that each lunch period had about 400 students. Sure, we had some teachers on duty, and we even had some security guards on staff, and on duty. Yet, they did not catch everything. They did not catch all the bullying, and all the other things that would happen. Some students would get away with things, as they knew just how to do it.

          I remember there was one student, who had some sort of disability, or a set of disabilities. Often about 5-10 minutes before the lunch period ended, this student would just stand pensively by the glass doors that exit the cafeteria. He acted a little odd and did not make good eye contact.

          After seeing this for a few days, this student, who I never got the name of, became a sort of case study for me. I noticed that when the student came into the cafeteria, he would nervously get in the lunch line. Often, he would look at the  floor and not make much eye contact. He would nervously grab his plastic tray and silverware, get his food, and quickly exit the line. As I watched this for a few days, I noticed a couple of boys flick is ear with their fingers or mock him.

          As he would exit the lunch with his food tray, it was plainly obvious that many of the lunchroom tables had invisible “you are unwelcomed here” signs on them. He would usually find a table where there few if any people in the corner of the cafeteria. He ate quietly, and then he quickly brought his dirty lunch tray up, only to be mocked and mistreated like when he first came in and picked up his lunch tray. Then he would stand by those glass exit doors.

Sometimes, I also noticed that the mocking continued, even as he waited by those glass exit doors. In fact, I watched this for a few days, as one student through a couple of pieces of food at this student when the adults were not looking. After a few days of this, I could not take it anymore.

          I am not going to tell you that in high school I was one of the cool kids, because I was really not. I was rather high ranking though among the nerds and I was the vice-president of the chess club. I was no street fighter or brawler, but I was sick of seeing this happen to this kid. So, I finished lunch early the next day and I then went and stood next to this student. I only said hi to him, as to not embarrass him. No food was thrown that day. I did this a couple more days, and my friends were curious as to why I was doing this. They asked why I was doing this, and I told them. One the stars of the football team, and some I knew, also overheard this.

          Some of my friends began to make fun of me as I was standing next to this student, but some of them started to understand. After this went for about another week, one day this student stood by the door before I got there. The security guard was then radiod to another part of the school building. One of the teachers on duty went to the other side of the cafeteria for a few minutes. When this happened two kids got up and went to this kid by the door. They were mocking him names, and the kid starting crying. So, they mocked him more, and called him a baby.

          I looked at my friends and they looked at me. I was about to get up to stand next to him, when suddenly that big time extremely popular football player stood up. He angrily went over as the two kids harassing this student were getting progressively getting worse and worse. Then he grabbed the two bullies by the neck and put them against the wall. They looked terrified. The football player said, if you ever pick on this kid or give him a hard time again. Well, I cannot tell you in church what he said. I will tell you this though, I never saw this student get picked on in the cafeteria ever again.

          I did something, but I could have done more. As I have gotten older, I now more and more stand up for truth, grace, and for treating people like I want to be treated. I grew up going to church and hearing how Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. I did not connect the dots in my head or in my heart fully in high school though, but I still knew what was happening to this student being bullied in the cafeteria was wrong. I now know, that I stand with and for Jesus Christ. I stand with Jesus because he stands with us. I stand with Jesus, because he loves us all, and because died for us. I stand with Jesus, because if he were here now, he would stand with us. Jesus took a stand for us, but will we ever take a stand for him? For we have the great United Methodist Church Hymnal hymn, “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus” (UMC Hymnal, 514).

          With this said, imagine we were in a room with some of the most powerful religious and societal leaders in our country. In this room, these people are demanding that we renounce Jesus, and that we say that he is not the savior. We are told that we are to never to speak the name of Jesus again, and that we can never tell people again how he changed our lives and died for us. What would you say in this moment? What if your loyalty to Jesus could lead to your earthly death? What would you do?

          My sermon title for this morning is called, “Standing Firm In The Faith”. In hearing Psalm 23 for this morning once again, we are reminded that even through the biggest and hardest struggles in our lives, that God is with us. We can have joy and peace, as we have Jesus and his love. Further, if we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, why can’t we walk with each other?

          When comes to standing up for faith, truth, and what is right, Jesus says in our gospel of John reading for this morning, once again:

“¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹² The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴ I am the good shepherd”                          (Jn. 10:11-14, NRSV).

          So, standing up for the kid in the cafeteria is modeling the way that Jesus taught us to love each other. Jesus died for us, and we are supposed to live sacrificially for each other. Jesus died for our sins, so that we can fully know him, fully follow him, and then live like him every day. If today was the scene in the cafeteria, I would have done more. I would have Stood “Firm In The Faith”.

          My sermon title for this morning though largely centers around our reading for this morning from Book of Acts 4:5-12, or the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. The Book of Acts is basically the story of the very beginnings of the Christian Church.

          In the beginning of the Book of Acts chapter 4 leading to our scripture reading for this morning, Peter and John have been arrested. Why have the been arrested? They have been arrested for preaching the gospel, for telling people about Jesus, and for preaching the resurrection of Jesus. The next day, the Apostle Peter and the Apostle John go before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Well, what was the Sanhedrin? The Sanhedrin:

“comprised seventy-one elders, and among those present were Anna, the ex-high priest, who had been deposed by the Romans but was still supported by the Jewish people, and Caiaphas, his son-in-law, whom the Romans had now installed as high priest” (Africa Bible Commentary, page 1332).

          Remember that Peter and John were ex-fisherman, not people of great wealth, education, or social standing. You could see how in this situation, how in this room, how in this “cafeteria” Peter could lose his nerve, but he does not. Let us look once again at what our Book Acts 4:5-12 reading says for this morning. It says of Peter and John coming before the Sanhedrin:

“⁵ The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” (Acts 4:5-7, NRSV). 

Now John is in this scene with Peter, but Peter does all the talking. They are asking Peter and John, whose name are you preaching, healing, and transforming in? The scripture than says once again:

“⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. ¹¹ This Jesus is

‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
    it has become the cornerstone.’” (Act 4:8-11, NRSV).

          Peter stands up for the faith, for Jesus. Peter defends who Jesus was, what he did, and his resurrection. Further, Peter knows that consequences for him and John could be there very lives. Peter in fact, according to church tradition, was crucified up-side down in Rome. After saying all of this, Peter continues to “Stand Firm In The Faith,” and says to this group of seventy-one powerful and influential men about Jesus that:

“¹² There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, NRSV).

          Peter and John are arrested. Remember this is the same Peter that denied Jesus three times on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion. This Peter, however, is convinced, and he will “Stand Firm In the Faith,” regardless of what happens to him. When people attack him, and attack the faith of church, he will stand strong and defend and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter will stand up for the kid in the cafeteria, because it is right, truthful, and just.

          Do we have faith in Christ like that? Are willing to put all the cards on the table, so that people will know Jesus, be transformed by him, and thereby transform others and the world? I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope of this world, and I believe that Jesus is our savior. I cannot deny this, because Jesus gave everything for me, and has transformed my life.

          This morning, as the Book of Acts 4 continues, Peter again defends the faith, and John and Peter are released, well at least for now. May we all in our Christian faith, and in the cafeterias of this world “Stand Firm In The Faith”. For we are called to be bearers of life, light, love, truth, and hope. May we all “Stand Firm In The Faith”. Amen.