Sunday 03/10/24 - Sidney UMC
Sermon Title: “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” (“Resurrection Hope” Series: Part 4 of 7)
Old Testament Scripture: Numbers 21:4-9
New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10
Gospel Lesson: John 3:14-21
When we think about the character and
the nature of God, what do we think of? Some might say grace, mercy, hope, peace,
etc. In the letter or Epistle, as some call it, of 1 John, we here that the God
of universe can be described as “Love, Life, and Light”. Certainly, there are
countless words that we can attribute to God, to Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit.
Yet in some frame works God can centered on being as “Love, Life, and Light” (https://www.backtothebible.org/post/life-light-love).
To know God is to know love. To know God is to have new life. To know God is
have light and not darkness.
Three
weeks ago, I started a new sermon series called the “Resurrection Hope” series.
As we move towards Easter Sunday in this seven-week sermon series, we are called
to prepare in this the season of Lent for the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead, on Easter Sunday. “Resurrection Hope,” and the resurrection of Christ
itself is the very hope of the Christian faith. This, again, is why many
Christians have their main worship service on Sunday mornings, as it is the day
that Jesus was first resurrected. This then also makes every Sunday, once
again, a “mini-Easter”. Given this great hope that we have in Jesus’
resurrection, which gives our faith its power and strength, where else can we
seek hope in this season of Lent, soon to be Easter Sunday, and beyond?
On this UMCOR or United Methodist
Committee On Relief Sunday, we can have hope as United Methodists in our great
relief agency, called UMCOR. When disasters and tragedies hit, the people of
UMCOR bring the “Love, Life, and Light” to many people in need and who are desperate.
So far in this the “Resurrection Hope”
sermon series, we have talked about the “Hope Through Baptism” that we feel and
receive. We have talked about having “Hope In Suffering and Surrender!” as we
all struggle, and as we all need to continue to surrender our lives daily to Jesus
Christ. Last week we talked about “Hope Through Biblical Justice,” as last week
Jesus flipped the tables of money changers and cleansed the temple. We have a God
that love us, but has expectations of us, and wants us to exercise Biblical
Justice.
This morning, once again though, we are talking about
“Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” As I said, there are many words that
describe the character and the nature of God, but this morning I was hoping we
could talk about “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” To know Christ is to
know Love. To know Christ is to have new light. To know Christ is to have life,
and have it abundantly. Through this season of Lent, soon to be Easter, and
beyond, other than the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday, where
else can we draw hope from? Can we draw hope from the “Love” of Christ? Yes.
Can we draw hope from the new life that we have in Christ? Yes. Can we walk in
the light of Christ, and have hope to no longer be in darkness? Yes.
Each week in this “Resurrection Hope” sermon series
I have been taking our Sunday lectionary scriptures, and creating a theme for
our sermon series. Since we are talking about “Hope Through Love, Life, and
Light!” this morning, we can really connect our scripture readings to this. In
our Old Testament or Hebrew Bible reading from Numbers 21:4-9 for this morning,
we have the story of Moses and the bronze serpent. What happened was the
Israelite people blasphemed the bread that God fed them, and also rejected
Moses, there leader. In response, God sent poisonous snakes, and all who were
bitten by them perished from venom.
At this point the Israelites realized they made a
mistake, and they then asked Moses to intercede to God on there behalf. In fact, Numbers 21:7-9 says:
7 The
people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against
you; pray to the Lord to
take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. 8 And the Lord said to
Moses, ‘Make a poisonous
serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at
it and live.’ 9 So
Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent
bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
When
the Israelite people turned back to there leader Moses for help, Moses prayed for
his people. In response, God told Moses to make a poisonous serpent, and set in
a pole. If someone was bitten by a poisonous snake, then they simply needed to
look that bronze serpent on the pole. If they did this, they would live. God’s people
rebelled against Him, yet when they turned back to Him in the Book of Numbers,
they were saved that same way that they perished.
In a similar way, our gospel of John reading for this
morning says starting in John 3:14, once again:
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life (Jn. 3:14, NRSV).
When the Israelite people turned to God,
God’s grace saved them the same way they perished. A bronze serpent was lifted,
and by looking upon it, they were saved. Our own sin and brokenness separates
us from God, yet that sin was born on Christ’s cross for us. The bronze serpent
via God offered grace and forgiveness, as does the cross of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Even if we turn from God, even if we attack God’s people, if we but look to
Christ and his cross and we are saved.
When I think about this, it makes me think about the nature
and the character of God. This morning, I am packaging God’s nature and
character though the idea of having “Hope
Through Love, Life, and Light!” In the gospel of John, we have Jesus’ famous “I
Am” statements, mirroring God telling Moses His name in the burning bush story.
When Moses asked God for his name, God said in the burning bush, “I Am who I am”.
In the gospel of John, Jesus proclaimed this in different “I Am” statements. What
are these seven I am statements? Let me read them for us. Jesus said:
1.
“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51)
As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
2.
“I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a
world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
3.
“I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus
protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
4.
“I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is
not the final word for those in Christ.
5.
“I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14)
Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
6.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is
the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
7. “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attached ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father (https://www.thomasnelsonbibles.com/blog/jesus-seven-i-am-statements/).
So, we hear different words that are
attributed to Jesus. Yet some scholars have said God’s nature and character can
be explained though “Love, Life, and Light”. The deepest and purest form of love,
comes from God. If we want new life, we find that in Christ. If want to walk in
light, and not in darkness, we hear in John 8:12, that Jesus is the light of the
world.
Further, continuing with our gospel
reading for this morning Jesus gives us one of the most well known versus of
scripture. Picking up in John 3:16, Jesus tells us this morning, once again:
16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God’ (Jn. 3:16-21, NRSV).
Jesus tells us this morning that the world
through him is saved, if we believe in him. Jesus tells us that through him
light has comes into the world, and that the light overcomes the darkness. Jesus tells us that evil is the darkness, but
that the light is holy and Godly. When many people have had near death experiences,
they often they tell a story of how they walked into light in these experiences.
They often say that in these experiences that they felt overwhelming love,
life, and that they were consumed by the light of God.
In seeking “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” in this season
of Lent and soon to be Easter Sunday, we are offered perfect love in God
through Jesus Christ. It can be hard sometimes in our lives to see or feel this
perfect love, yet the season of Lent exists to strengthen our connection to the
perfect love of God. Through giving up, giving away, praying, fasting, reading
scripture, serving, and loving, we can grow more perfectly in the love of God.
Jesus tells us this morning in John 3:16 that we have life and life eternal in Him.
So many of us know this, yet it seems that sometimes some of us forget this, or
that this reality fades. We also have the light of Christ.
When I was a little boy, I was afraid
of the dark. Was anyone else here afraid of the dark at some point in your
life? I have never really met anyone afraid of the light. Yet Jesus tells us in
John 8:12 that he is the light of world.
In our reading for this morning, from Ephesians 2:1-10, we
hear once again, that we once dead in our sins. Yet Jesus has given us new
life. We are offered, “Hope Through Love,
Life, and Light!” and we are offered it in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Apostle
Paul says picking up Ephesians 2:4, once again:
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life (Eph. 2:4-10, NRSV).
Friends, through this season of Lent, soon
to be Easter Sunday, and beyond, we can have “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” Recently, I did
a devotion for one of our Oneonta District Committee on Ministry or “DCOM” meetings.
Elaine then said, “Pastor Paul you should really read this in worship at some
point!” Well Elaine, this morning I am going to do just that. The story that I
want to share for you is from Max Lucado, and it is called “The Cave People”.
This story really illuminates what Jesus is saying about him being the light of
the world. This is what the story says:
“Long ago, or maybe not so long ago, there was a tribe in a
dark, cold cavern. The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the
chill. Loud and long they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew to
do. The sounds in the cave were mournful, but the people didn't know it, for
they had never known joy. The spirit in the cave was death, but the people
didn't know it, for they had never known life. But then, one day, they heard a
different voice. "I have heard your cries," it announced. "I
have felt your chill and seen your darkness. I have come to help." The
cave people grew quiet. They had never heard this voice. Hope sounded strange
to their ears. "How can we know you have come to help?" "Trust
me," he answered. "I have what you need."
The cave people peered through the darkness at the figure of
the stranger. He was stacking something, then stooping and stacking more. "What
are you doing?" one cried, nervous. The stranger didn't answer. "What
are you making?" one shouted even louder. Still no response. "Tell
us!" demanded a third. The visitor stood and spoke in the direction of the
voices. "I have what you need." With that he turned to the pile at
his feet and lit it. Wood ignited, flames erupted, and light filled the cavern.
The cave people turned away in fear. "Put it out!" they cried.
"It hurts to see it." "Light always hurts before it helps,"
he answered. "Step closer. The pain will soon pass." "Not
I," declared a voice. "Nor I," agreed a second. "Only a
fool would risk exposing his eyes to such light." The stranger stood next
to the fire. "Would you prefer the darkness? Would you prefer the cold?
Don't consult your fears. Take a step of faith." For a long time no one
spoke. The people hovered in groups covering their eyes. The fire builder stood
next to the fire. "It's warm here," he invited.
"He's right," one from behind him announced.
"It's warmer." The stranger turned and saw a figure slowly stepping
toward the fire. "I can open my eyes now," she proclaimed. "I
can see." "Come closer," invited the fire builder.
She did. She stepped into the ring of light. "It's so
warm!" She extended her hands and sighed as her chill began to pass. "Come,
everyone! Feel the warmth," she invited. "Silence, woman!" cried
one of the cave dwellers. "Dare you lead us into your folly? Leave us and
take your light with you."
She turned to the stranger. "Why won't they come?"
"They choose the chill, for though it's cold, it's what they know. They'd
rather be cold than change."
"And live in the dark?" "And live in the
dark." The now-warm woman stood silent. Looking first at the dark, then at
the man. "Will you leave the fire?" he asked. She paused, then
answered, "I cannot. I cannot bear the cold." Then she spoke again.
"But nor can I bear the thought of my people in darkness."
"You don't have to," he responded, reaching into the fire and removing a stick. "Carry this to your people. Tell them the light is here, and the light is warm. Tell them the light is for all who desire it." And so she took the small flame and stepped into the shadows” (https://thoughtlife-god.webnode.page/l/the-cave-people/).
Is it possible in this season of Lent, soon to be Easter Sunday, and beyond, that we can have “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” Sometimes this is hard for many of us. What I talking about through Christ though, isn’t simply intellectually believing a set of truths and or ideas. I am talking about a psychological, a spiritual, and an existential inside of us. The idea that through Jesus Christ we are changed, and they we are being changed. In this season of Lent, soon to be Easter, and always, may we seek “Hope Through Love, Life, and Light!” Amen.
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