Sunday 06/19/22 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “The Importance of Men!”
Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 42
New Testament Scripture: Galatians 3:23-29
Gospel Lesson: Luke 8:26-39
On this Father’s Day, I hope we can all
take a moment to think about the men in our lives that have loved us, cared for
us, taught us, and have guided us. Some of us, like myself, have or had a great
dad, and I also have a great step-dad. Some of us though might not have, or had
the best dad. Some maybe never met their biological dad. Whatever your
situation was growing up, or whatever it is today, think about those men that
are or were in your life that have done so much for us.
Some of us can remember dad or another
man coaching our sports teams, playing catch with us, teaching us how to make
things, helping us in Boy Scouts, etc. I can imagine that dad, grandpa, or a
man in your life taught you how do various things. Did your dad, grandpa, or a
man in your life teach you how to do something? My dad taught me how to fish,
how to line a fishing pool. My day taught me how to hunt, and do various other
things. How many of us were taught or shown things by the men in our lives?
My dad and step-dad taught me how to
treat people, to respect women, to respect and honor my elders, to have faith, and
to treat others as I wanted to be treated. You see, Father’s Day is not just a
day to honor dads and other men simply for just existing, but for all they did
for us, and still do for us. In not having my own biological children, and
therefore not being an expert on being a parent, I still find it sad to see
commercials on television encouraging men to spend time with and care for there
children. Given this reality, we should really honor those men that do so much
for us all.
For all of these reasons, we have the
national holiday of Father’s Day, but we celebrate it this morning, because we value
good men of character, integrity, and faith. Building good Christian men is a great
thing that we all get to play a part in, as the church, and as the community.
Honoring, remembering, and loving those men that have worked so hard, have done
so much, and who have helped to make us who we are today.
Every year I like to get little gifts
for women on Mother’s Day and for men on Father’s Day. This year I got some pens
that look like tools and cars. This is not true of all men, but many of the men
that I know like tools and cars. I would invite all of the men here to take a
pen with them as they leave the church today. Or if you already grabbed one,
great, as they are on our check-in tables in the baskets.
Maybe for some of us, we also learned
about God, Jesus, the Bible, church, etc. from dad, grandpa, or other men in
our lives. My step-father Mike is a retired US Air Force Master Sergeant, and
he retired from the Chaplaincy Corp. He was and is a devout Christian and a man
of God. He ministered to soldiers, he gave out camouflage bibles, and was a
Godly presence to many soldiers. In retirement, he even drives a van for the VA
a few days a week, to bring veterans to doctor’s appointments.
These influences in my life, along
with others, and many women influences, is why I am standing here this morning.
I have much to be thankful for, for the various men in my life, as we all do. In
fact, the types of things that I learned from the many Godly men in my life, can
be summarized with scriptures like Psalm 42:5b-6a:
Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Ps. 42:5b-6a, NRSV).
I
was taught to have faith, for with God all things are possible. Not only this,
God is with us, even when things are hard. For in Christ, we are all brothers and
sisters. We are reminded this morning in Galatians 3:28-29 that:
28 There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise (Gal. 3:28-29, NRSV).
These
values, faith, following Christ as Lord and savior, are good things that many
men have taught me, and maybe you, as well.
I
remember, seven years ago, when my Grandpa Winkelman passed away. I was asked,
like I was for my grandmother’s funeral to officiate his funeral service. Doing
both of these services was a great honor. In doing my Grandpa Winkelman’s
funeral service I boiled down the main four things that he taught me. What did
my grandpa, a farmer, a hard worker, a man who went through the eighth grade
teach me? Well, I still contend that he was far smarter than I was. This is
what he taught me:
1. Work hard. He always used
to tell me, “Paul, you need to make a living, and there is nothing wrong with
giving a man an honest day’s work”.
2. Tell the truth, be honest,
and have integrity. My grandpa was a man who shook hands, looked people in the
eyes, and kept his word.
3. Never think you are any
better than anyone else.
4. Have faith in God.
So, my Grandpa Winkelman
taught me, along with things that I will never be allowed to say in church, to
work hard, to be honest, to never think you are better than anyone, and to love
God. He told me that if you do these things, you will probably do well in life,
have the respect of others, and make the world better. What have the men in
your life taught you? How are you better because of them?
Sometimes in this world
we might encounter people that others have cast out or have said are less than
us. My Grandpa Winkelman taught me to never think I was better than anyone. I
remember after graduating from Potsdam College, the first in the Winkelman
family to graduate from college, I was little big headed about my new found
education. My grandpa told me that I was “growing to big for britches, and that
I needed to remember where I came from”. I am glad that he told me that.
In learning these lessons
from my grandfather, my dad, my step-dad, and many other male mentors, pastors,
and role models in my life, when I starting growing in faith, I made a strong
connection. What was this connection?
Jesus, even though he
was God in the flesh on earth, loved and cared for all people. There were no
people that were beneath Jesus, or unworthy of Jesus. Jesus went to all manor people,
and went to some people that society said were unworthy and or undesirable.
I do not know about you
friends, but no matter how many titles I get, how many letters after my name I
have, or what possessions I do or do not have, once I start thinking I am
better or superior to anyone else, then I have lost Jesus. Once I start
thinking others are unworthy or unlovable, then I have not learned what my
grandpa or my savior Jesus Christ has taught me.
It is interesting to me then,
that we have our gospel lesson from the Gospel of Luke for this morning. In
this lesson, Jesus heals what many have come to call the “Gerasene Demoniac”.
Once again, the “Gerasene Demoniac” walks around naked, is out of his mind, and
lives among the tombs. It would be easy for Jesus, or for us to say that we
were better or superior to this man. I truly believe that for the grace of God
go all of us. I do not know about you, but one of things that drives me nuts is
elitism. The idea that a person decides that they are better than other people.
What makes them better in their minds? It could be education, wealth, status, possessions,
etc. After I graduated from Potsdam College and I thought I was a big shot, my
grandpa gave me a good dressing down. Then he told me, “Paul, you get an
education to better other people, not to be better than other people”.
So, this naked, demon
possessed, homeless, and wild guy was worthy of the time of the savior of the
world and the Lord of the Universe. In looking at our gospel lesson for this morning
once again, it says starting in Luke 8:26
26 Then they arrived at the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on shore, a man from the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had not worn any clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, shouting, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me,” 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss (Lk. 8:26-31, NRSV).
Jesus
heals a man from torment and misery, as this man was worth Jesus’ time. In
fact, all people are worthy of Jesus’ time. This man was demon possessed and
the demons feared Jesus. The demons did not want to be sent back to hell. They
begged Jesus to not send them back there. Jesus agreed to not send the demons back
to hell, and in in picking from Luke 8:32, it says once again:
32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of
swine was feeding, and the demons
begged Jesus
to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons
came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd stampeded down the
steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the
swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in
the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened,
and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone
sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they became
frightened. 36 Those
who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been
healed. 37 Then
the whole throng of people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes
asked Jesus
to leave them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the
boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out
begged that he might be with him, but Jesus
sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God
has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much
Jesus had done for him (Lk. 8:32-39, NRSV).
Kind
of an interesting story. A demon possessed man is healed, and he then goes
forth telling everyone throughout his city about what Jesus had done for him.
Hopefully by now he found some clothes too! The pigs are also interesting, as
well. I mean demons possessed pigs, and then the demon possessed pigs stampeded
down the hill, run in the lake, and drown. Well, that’s different. Not to
mention all that wasted ham and bacon! Jews and Muslims consider pigs to be
unclean animals, but Jesus also encountered non-Jews who raised pigs.
The
big take aways here are, one, Jesus comes to all people with out distinction.
Two, Jesus has authority over all things, even demons. Three, we are all broken
people in need of God’s grace. Four, we need to treat all people the way Jesus
treated people. I learned many of these things and other from my grandpa, my dad,
my step-dad, and many other men in my life, but I am still learning from Jesus.
On this Father’s Day let us take time to honor, love, and remember those men in
our lives who have sacrificed so much for us. Happy Father’s Day and God bless.
Amen.
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