Sidney UMC - Reformation Sunday/Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/27/19 - Sermon - “I Have Fought the Good Fight"

Sunday 10/27/19 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “I Have Fought the Good Fight”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 65

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

                                                   

Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:9-14

          Today is Reformation Sunday, and it is also the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost. It is twenty Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost, giving birth to us the church, and it is also Reformation Sunday.

          The Christian Church has many many expressions. We have multiple denominations, multiple understandings of the faith, and etc. While the actual Reformation day is this Thursday October 31^st, or Halloween, or All Hollow’s Eve, this holiday, Reformation day, is not a holiday that we should celebrate as one of anger or contempt (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Day).

          For some traditions of Christianity, this Thursday is the feast day of All Hallows Eve, or All Saints Eve, which leads into all Saints Day. All Saints Day, is a day in the life of the church that we remember and we honor those saints that have went before us, which is this Friday November 1^st. We will celebrate All Saints Day this next Sunday November 3^rd, (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween).

          Reformation Sunday, or Reformation Day stems back to the year 1517, when a German Roman Catholic Priest and university professor named Martin Luther, nailed his famed “95-Theses” on the door of the “All Saints Church” in Wittenberg, Germany. He was angered at corruption in the church.

          Two years ago in fact, was the 500^th anniversary of the reformation. What sparked this reformation was the sale of indulgences, or the selling of the forgiveness of sins to people for money. This enraged Martin Luther, and today the Roman Catholic Church has formally acknowledged this error and corruption that was within the church.

          Martin Luther however, was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church, and by this point he had thousands of followers called “Lutherans”. King Henry VIII soon after pulled England out of the Roman Catholic Church and created the Church of England, or the Anglican Church, or the Episcopal Church. The founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley, was an Anglican or an Episcopal priest. This is why the front of our church says “Methodist-Episcopal.” We come out of the Church of England originally. We then had many other break away movements as well. A large hallmark of the reformation is the belief that faith in Christ is all that we need. That we are justified and made right through the blood of Jesus Christ alone.

          There are times that corruption and sin seeps into the church though. This sin has far reaching consequences, and this has led to the fracturing and the division within the universal Christian Church of 2.2-2.5 billion people the world over. Part of the disagreement from the Reformation period through today, is that of the Bible and the Bible alone being our only authority as a church. Or should we put equal weight on the tradition of the church. Meaning, for example, if the season of Advent and Lent aren’t in the Bible, which they aren’t, should we still celebrate them? There are no Advent Wreaths in the Bible, so should we have one? This is part of the Tradition of the church.

          The reformation brought the church back to the Bible, to the Holy Scriptures, and depending on the church that you belong to, we have some of the tradition of the church, all of the tradition of the church, or none of it. As Methodists, we believe that Bible is our ultimate source of truth and authority for doctrine and practice within the church and our lives. We embrace some of the tradition of the church, but decline the parts of the tradition that we find to contradict our ultimate authority of the Holy Scriptures.

Perhaps one day though the fragments of the broken universal church can begin to be put back together, so that we might be unified again. Maybe not within our lifetimes, but one day maybe.

          What most Christian Churches share at the core of our Christianity however, is the faith of the church. Most Christian Churches believe in God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Most churches believe that Jesus is our savior, who died for our sins, who rose again, who ascended to heaven, and who is coming back in glory. From there we have different practices, different understandings, but it all starts with faith in God. For through Jesus Christ, we are delivered and reborn, and given eternal life. One church baptizes babies, one does not, but Christ is Lord of all. If we believe in him we are saved, and through baptism we become part of the universal and Apostolic Christian Church.

          In our reading from Psalm 65 for this morning once again, we are given a psalm of praise to God. In this psalm we are reminded of who God is, and of His love, hope, and His provision in our lives. For God is good (Psalm 65, NRSV – Africa Bible Commentary, 681-82).

          So thus far, I have mentioned that it is Reformation Sunday, I have mentioned that at different times in the history of the Christian faith that there has been corruption in the church. This sin and corruption has had far reaching effects. Today we have multiple Christian denominations and many different perspectives of the Christian faith. The majority of Christians through rally around the essential and core believes of the faith, around God, and the person of God in Jesus Christ.

          When the church is as free of corruption as it can be though, then the church is able to do amazing things. People can come to faith, be transformed, and so transform Sidney and the world. The church when it grows in faith and love, can be a massive change agent in our lives and in the world.

          Part of the mission of the church, is to inspire people like you, through the power of the Holy Spirit to be leaders within the church. To discern God’s calling in your life, and to live out that calling for God’s glory. Leading a ministry, loving others, this is the power of Christ through the church.

          With all of this said, for some of us, we might be at an earlier point in this journey called life, some of us might be in the middle, and some of us might be getting closer to the end. We don’t know fully, but we will only be here on this earth so long. Generally speaking, as we age we tend to think that we have less time left on this earth. Time goes by fast doesn’t it?

          This morning in the Apostle Paul’s second epistle or letter to Timothy he is old and soon to die. As many do when they are getting closer to their end, the Apostle Paul is considering his life. He is thinking about his faith, how his life has gone, and what is to come. Many of us do this. Some of us think about our pasts, and think about what our life is and what it has meant. This is what the Apostle Paul is doing in this scripture for this morning.

          Earlier in the Apostle Paul’s life when he was the Jewish leader “Saul of Tarsus,” he hated Christ and church, and he persecuted it. Then he became a champion for Christ, and a great saint of the church. On this Reformation Sunday, we acknowledge that greed, envy, power, and all sorts of corruption and sin have at different times entered into the Christian Church. Yet, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and his shed blood is still our hope, and the hope of the world. I don’t believe that we have a corrupt church here at the Sidney United Methodist Church, and I believe that we are doing our best to authentically live out our faith in Jesus Christ.

          As a pastor I have had the honor and the privilege of sitting and praying with people in their last hours. Generally speaking, these folks are never worried about how many hours they put into work or how much money they made. They most often when I have sat with them, seemed to be worried about their family, who they are as a person, what they have done, and what they believe. Some folks that I have sat with who were dying were worried that they were going to hell for things that they had done. While we all deserve condemnation though, I reminded them that through Jesus Christ, we are all made clean and new.

          So let me ask us all a question here this morning, if all of us here were very sick, and if we had only an hour to live, what we hope that our life on this earth would have accomplished? Once again, if all of us here were very sick, and if we had only an hour to live, what we hope that our life on this earth would have accomplished? What would be the biggest thing that we would want to die knowing and believing?

          In looking at our reading from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, it says once again:

“As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing”             (2 Tim. 4:6-8, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul tells his young apprentice Timothy, my time on this earth is soon to be over. In reflecting upon my life the Apostle Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. The Apostle Paul says through all the ups, all the downs, through all the slings and all the arrows. Through all the triumphs, all the nay-sayers, all the love, and all the persecution, I have kept the faith. I don’t know about you, but if I had an hour to live I would want to be able say that “I have kept the faith”.

          The Apostle Paul is not discouraged, but encouraged, as he says that through Jesus Christ he will receive a crown of righteousness and life eternal. The Apostle Paul concluded this reading once again by saying:

“At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2 Tim. 4:16-18, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul is saying that at times, he felt like we all do, deserted and all alone. He doesn’t condemn those who have deserted him though, as he says that the Lord stood by him and was faithful. God called Paul to preach the life giving gospel of Jesus Christ to the gentiles, or the non-Jews, and he did so faithfully. Quoting the Book of Daniel, when Daniel was put in a lion’s den and lived, the Apostle Paul says “So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth”. The Apostle Paul said, I made it, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. The Apostle Paul puts his trust in God and praises him.

          Some of us can say that in our lives that we been through some peaks and valleys. Some of us have had to overcome physical, emotional, or mental conditions. Some of us have lost children, loved ones, been through tragedies. Some of us have survived natural disasters, been in wars, have had medical problems, and etc. Yet through all of the slings and the arrows of this life, can we say with confidence that “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”? I don’t know about you, but if I only have minutes to live, I first want to tell Melissa and my family of my great love for them, but also, I also want to be able to say that “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”.

          The Apostle Paul is considering his life, and he is considering all he has said, and all that he has taught. He feels content that he made it, and that he kept the faith.

          According to church tradition, we think that the Apostle Paul was beheaded, around the same time that the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down (https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/how-did-the-apostle-paul-die.html). The Apostle Paul, who is in jail, and is sentenced to die, has peace and joy knowing that to the very end, he has kept the faith, and has stayed faithful. Some of clergy colleagues and other friends upon departing will say among other things, “keep the faith”.

          Sometimes in our lives the things that happen to us or the things that we go through, seem to be things that grow or harm our faith. Do we have faith through it all?

          In our gospel lesson from the gospel of Luke for this morning, Jesus reminds us once again, what truth faith looks like in this the parable or story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. Jesus says once again:

“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Lk. 18:9-14, NRSV).

          Jesus is telling us, let our faith be true and authentic, and not fake and earthly. When we get to the end of our lives here on earth, will we say, “we were a good person,” or will we say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. Our time here is limited, let us live for Christ, and for each other. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/20/19 - Sermon - “A New Covenant"

Sunday 10/20/19 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “A New Covenant”

Old Testament Scripture: Jeremiah 31:27-34

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

                                                   

Gospel Lesson: Luke 18:1-8

          Welcome again, friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this our Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Nineteen Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, and the Christian Church was born.

          An important part of both the Christian faith and the Jewish faith, is that of “Covenant”. When we take communion or the Lord’s Supper in church, often when we drink off or dip the bread in the cup, we first hear the words in the communion liturgy that say:

“this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me” (UMC Hymnal, pg. 14).

          So we hear in the communion or the Eucharistic liturgy that Jesus’ blood is a new “Covenant” with us.

          Well just what exactly is a “Covenant” then, and why are they significant for us? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a covenant is:

1. “A usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement: COMPACT”.

2a. “A written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially”.

2b. “The common-law action to recover damages for breach of such a contract” (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covenant).

          So, according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a “Covenant” is a binding agreement, or a compact. It can be written under seal between two or more parties.

          A few weeks ago for example, our church Pastor Parish Relations Committee or PPRC met to prepare for our Sunday December 1^st Charge Conference or annual meeting. As part of the preparation for our Charge Conference, I presented to the PPRC, my sense of calling to serve this church, and I recommended that I stay serving as the pastor of the Sidney United Methodist Church well into the future. The PPRC also recommended that I stay.

          An annual form that we also had to fill out together, as the Pastor and the PPRC committee, was our annual “Covenantal” agreement. There’s that word “Covenant”. This agreement is of course between myself, as the pastor of this church, and the PPRC which represents the people of this church. You see, together every year we make a “Covenant,” or an agreement, or a compact. This “Covenant” is what our goals, our mission, and our plans for the coming year will be. Where is God calling us, and where is God calling our church? Through prayer and discernment, we created a “Covenant” to follow God’s leading together. As part of this “Covenant,” we get to hold each other accountable, there are expectations of me, of the PPRC, and of the church. We are making an agreement to go forward together.

          Throughout the bible, God made “Covenants,” or agreements, or pacts. God made a “Covenant” with Noah that He would never again flood the earth. God made a “Covenant” with Moses, and gave him the Ten-Commandments and the Law. God made a “Covenant” with King David, and told King David that his lineage would rule forever, as Jesus Christ is a descendent of King David.

          In our communion or Eucharistic liturgy, we hear the words that Jesus told his disciples about a “New Covenant” being established with him. Jesus says that unlike the “Covenants” of old, like with Abraham, Noah, Moses, King David, and etc. that the new covenant that he establishes with us, is forever and eternal.

          At the Last Supper, when we were given Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Jesus formally made a “New Covenant” with his disciples and all of humanity that are willing to accept Christ. Through his broken body and his shed blood, we can enter into eternal salvation, and be connected to him forever.

          My sermon title for this morning, as is turns out, comes to us not from the New Testament, but rather from the Old Testament. For the Prophet Jeremiah predicted the coming of Jesus Christ centuries before Christ. Let’s look again at the scripture from the Prophet Jeremiah for this morning. It says once again in 31:27-30:

“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge” (Jer. 31:27-30, NRSV)

        Jeremiah is saying, that God is going to do sometime new and huge one day. There will be judgment, but something new is coming. The Prophet Jeremiah then says once again:

^“The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:31-34, NRSV).

          The Prophet Jeremiah is saying, that a bigger and a greater “Covenant” with God is coming. This “Covenant” is going to be greater than the “Covenant” that God made with Moses and the Jewish people, as well as all other previous “Covenants”. This “Covenant” will be all encompassing, unique, and eternal. This “Covenant” will be written on our hearts and through this “Covenant” our sins, our wrong doings, and our brokenness will be forgiven.

          This “New Covenant” is of course the “Covenant” that we have been offered through Jesus Christ. We are offered through Jesus, forgiveness, love, hope, and new life. When we submit ourselves to Christ, ask for his forgiveness, we become a new creation in him. Our problems don’t instantly just go away, but our sin does. This “New Covenant” cleanses us spiritually, and gives us new life, love, hope, and salvation, to be able to better face the very hard and the real realities that are in our lives.

          In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul further reminds us of this “New Covenant,” or agreement in Christ. He says in our reading from 2 Timothy for this morning once again:

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work”

(2 Tim. 3:14-17, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy and us to hold fast to our faith and the truth in Jesus Christ, but also he telling us that the scriptures, the Bible, is God’s word. We might struggle at times with God’s word, but don’t ignore it, for it speaks to us the truth of God in Jesus Christ.

          The Apostle Paul then concludes this reading from 2 Timothy once again by saying:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully” (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

          The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy and us, that our faith is firmly built forever upon Jesus Christ, who has made a “New Covenant” with us. The Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy, don’t change the faith, and don’t water it down, for the world is aching and hurting.

This aching and this hurting world needs to know they are loved and forgiven. This world needs people who care, who feed the hungry, care for the innocent, go on missions, gives, and serves the unfortunate. Christ came to die for us, set us free, and to teach us a new and a radical way of living and loving. The Apostle Paul is saying that through the power of the Holy Spirit that this is the life blood of the church. Love boldly, and proclaim the great love of Jesus Christ, for it and it alone is the hope of the world.

          In our gospel lesson for this morning, Jesus once again tells the parable or the story of the widow and the unjust judge. Let’s hear again what this scripture has to say this morning:

“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk. 18:1-18, NRSV).

          As Christians, followers of Christ, we are new creations. We are people that seek to love, care, help, and pursue justice. We are called to love and follow Christ, and in doing so, we are called love and deal fairly with people. When there are those who cry to Jesus for help, we can help them. When there are those being treated unfairly, we can speak and help them. Our “New Covenant” with Jesus Christ is more than just a saving transaction through the blood of Christ, it is also a way of living. We are therefore, called to continually live and become like Jesus Christ. In doing this we are called to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, to love, to care, to give, to be unsettled by a broken world, as to move us to action. This action will help us to transform Sidney and the world.

For if we have a made “New Covenant” with Jesus Christ, then Christ expects all of us to live for him. When we take Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, we are reaffirming this “New Covenant” with Christ. We are forgiven, restored, loved, cared for, and renewed. We must then share that love and hope with others. We must do our part with God’s help to make Sidney and the world better, for this is part of our calling of the “New Covenant” in Jesus Christ.

          In closing this morning, I want to tell you a story about a very important “Covenant” in my life. This “Covenant” is my marriage “Covenant” with Melissa. A little over 15-years ago now, Melissa and I got married.

          About a week before we got married, while I was excited, I did get a little nervous about the wedding. To get some advice, I called my Grandpa Harold. In calling my Grandpa Winkelman, he congratulated me on getting married. I then asked him if he was nervous before he got married. He quickly replied, “Heck no!” I said really grandpa? He then said, “I wasn’t worried a bit at all”. I then said, “Well grandpa what was your wedding day like?” He then said, “Well I will tell you this Paul, it was the best day of grandma’s life!” To which, my Grandma shouted, “Harold! Don’t tell Paul things like that!”

          So Melissa and I’s wedding day arrived. It was September 4^th, 2004. It was a beautiful day, and I was a little nervous. I mean after all, I was entering into a “Covenant” that would last the rest of my life. This meant that this “Covenant” would last my whole life, or until Melissa got mad and killed me!

          When then began the wedding ceremony. About half way through the service, and very early I might add, I said “I do!” In response I heard, “We’re not up to that part yet kid!” I then later in the wedding service said “I do” again. This is known as the “Double I Do”. Did I agree to marry Melissa? Yes, twice in fact.

          Well why did I do this? Two reasons. Reason number one, I was nervous. Reason number two, I wanted to get this “Marriage Covenant” together before Melissa came to her senses and ran for the hills!

          This “Covenant” that Melissa and I have, hasn’t always been easy, but it is a “Covenant” that has and will endure. It will endure until I die, or until Melissa gets made and kills me!

          The “New Covenant” that we are offered by Jesus Christ, is eternal and never ending. It was predicted, it came, and it will always be.

          Friends, the day I met Jesus Christ, my life changed forever. I realized that I was forgiven, loved, renewed, and restored. Everything that I am, everything I do, everything I am able to be, is from Jesus Christ, and Melissa, and my family.

          When we turn away from anger, shame, hopelessness, selfishness, and pride, Jesus is there to make a “New Covenant” with us.

Put your trust in Christ, surrender to him, and be renewed in his love. For this is the power and the hope of the “New Covenant”. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/13/19 - Sermon - “A Descendant of David"

Sunday 10/13/19 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “A Descendant of David”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 66:1-12

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:8-15

                                                   

Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:11-19

          Brothers and sisters, friends, welcome again on this the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Eighteen Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem nearly two-thousand years ago. On that day the Christian Church was born, many were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the mission of the Christian Church began. We who are gathered here this morning, are part of that continued mission and legacy.

          Speaking of legacy, once and a while I meet someone who is related to someone who is famous. Is anyone here related to someone who is famous? I have meet people related to famous athletes, rulers, kings, queens, generals, and etc. When I did my Ancestry DNA test a few years back I was hoping to be related to a king or queen, to some famous knight or general, or some great thinker.

          Well, those result all came back negative. As of yet, I have not found any evidence that I am related to someone who is famous. Is it a big deal to be related to someone who is famous? Sometimes the answer to this is yes. Sometimes the family name that you have, or who you are related to can be very significant in the world in which we live. Imagine if you found out that you were related to President Abraham Lincoln. Say your name is “John Lincoln,” are you are proven to be a descendent of President Abraham Lincoln. I wonder if, if people knew that you were related to President Lincoln, if people would assume great things about you. Maybe you are a genius, or maybe your last name just happens to be Lincoln.

          If you are related to General and President Dwight Eisenhower, my guess is, this will reflect positively on you if you become a commissioned officer in the US Army. Maybe you will move up in rank and responsibility quickly, after all, you are an Eisenhower.

          We have had countless Kennedy’s in politics, two President Bush’s, and it would seem that certain family names and people are worth being connected to.

          In his famous play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare famously asked the question, “What’s in a name?” (https://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/whats-in-a-name/).

          In the play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet cannot get married and be together, because their families are enemies. Basically, the name that they bear and the people that they are related to, will not allow them to be together.

          Who we are descended from and our names can be very significant indeed. I wonder what it was like to be the child of General George Patton, for example. General George Patton’s son, also George, went on to be a US Army General. I wonder what it was like for him, to be related to such a hero? Easy? Hard?

          As Christians, when we look at our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, it is important that we not only understand who he is, but also where he came from. Who is Jesus descended from? Is he related to anyone famous and significant in history? Or did God just send his Son to earth, have him named Jesus, meaning that Jesus had no prior connection to am earthly family tree? Or was and is Jesus related to famous people. The answer is yes. Jesus is related to some big names.

          One of the scriptures that many churches read on Christmas Eve every year, is the Prophet Isaiah 9:6-7. This scripture says:

“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isa. 9:6-7, NRSV).

          Now this prediction of the birth of the Messiah, of Christ, if you notice, is directly connected to King David of Israel. The scripture says the throne of David and his kingdom. This means that this Messiah, this Jesus, in order to pass muster as our savior, must be related to the great King David.

          In the Gospel of Luke 2:11 is says:

“to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Lk. 2:11, NRSV).

          These are just two scriptures that take special efforts to connect the fact that Jesus Christ is a descendant of the great King David. So could he have been the savior of the world, and not have been a descendant of King David? The answer is no. For when God elevated David to be the King of Israel, he promised David that his family line would rule forever. Forever is a long time. Jesus Christ is our King and Lord, and his rule never ends.

          Lineage, family name, things such as this, are very significant for some, and not for others. How significant? Well if you wouldn’t mind grabbing one of our nice new red bibles for a minute. I would ask you to open to the first Gospel in the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew. Of the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Matthew starts his gospel in a very unique way. Why is it unique? Instead of getting right into the birth of Christ, or how Christ existed eternally before time itself, Matthew instead offers us a genealogy of Jesus. Why would he do this?

          The answer is, is to show us that Jesus was and is the savior that was predicted from the very beginning. Not only is Jesus a descendant or a son of King David, his lineage stretches back to Abraham, Isaac, and many others. Not only is Jesus the King of heaven and earth, Jesus is related to great Kings and leaders on Earth. After establishing that Jesus is indeed related to great leaders and royalty, Matthew then tells us of the birth of Christ in the rest of chapter 1 (Mt. 1:1-25, NRSV).

          This leads me up to our reading from the Apostle Paul’s Second Epistle or letter to Timothy for this morning. In this Epistle or letter, the Apostle Paul is encouraging Timothy in sharing the Christian faith with others. As in many other scriptures in the bible though, the Apostle Paul mentions King David. Let’s look at our reading from this morning again from 2 Timothy. Once again it starts by saying:

“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. The saying is sure:”

“If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself”                               (2 Tim. 2:8-15, NRSV).

So Paul is telling Timothy to remember Jesus, who he was and is, what he has done for us, and to teach and live this message. In the process of this, once again, Paul is very sure to mention, which is my sermon title for this morning, that Jesus is "A descendant of David”. Paul amidst reaffirming to Timothy all that Jesus was and is, is also saying, and don’t forget Timothy that he is related to great leaders. Jesus is related to the king that unified the whole Kingdom of Israel, the great King David.

So devoted to Christ is the Apostle Paul, that he says his devotion has lead him to be chained and imprisoned for preaching the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is telling Timothy, above all else, preach Christ, live like Christ, and serve Christ, no matter what.

Not only is Jesus our Lord and Savior, who lived, healed, loved, forgave, who gave us a blueprint for a new way of living, and died for us, he is a descendant of great men and women. He is related to royalty, and as the living God, is the culmination of all kings and all queens. Since Jesus’ father Joseph is a very distant relation to King David however, he was not given title, land, or great wealth. As a result, Jesus, like his father Joseph was a humble carpenter, or as some experts think, perhaps a stone mason.

In looking at our gospel lesson for this morning briefly again, let’s see the sort of savior Jesus is. Let’s see what this “descendant of David,” the living God, the savior of our souls has to say. Once again, the reading from the Luke 17 says:

^“Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.”

“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” (Lk. 17:11-19, NRSV).

Jesus says be Godly, live rightly and explain his truth to the world. Then, Jesus and his disciples encounter Lepers. Leprosy is very serious condition that can cause lesions and wounds on the skin and even death. At the time that Jesus lived, Leprosy was often seen as a curse from God. Lepers were not permitted to be around Jews in good standing, and certainly weren’t allowed to worship in God’s Holy Temple or a synagogue. As a Jew in a good standing then, going near a leper or touching a leper was a no no.

Jesus hears the cries of these Lepers though, and then he heals them. He tells the lepers to show themselves to the priests or Jewish Rabbis. As the lepers went to show themselves to the Jewish religious leaders, the scripture says that they were made clean. One of the lepers turned back, with great love and appreciation for what Jesus had done for him. This cleansed leper praised God and fell and worshiped or “prostrated” himself as the scripture says, before Jesus’ feet. Jesus seemed concerned that only one of the cleansed lepers returned to him. Yet he told this leper, who was a non-Jewish Samaritan, to get up and depart, as his faith has made him well.

Not only is Jesus our savior, the one who was fully God and fully human on earth. Not only did Jesus love, heal, and forgive, but he ministered to everyone, whether they were off limits or not. Jesus served and sought to heal and save. He also, while being all of these things, and the savior of the world, and the Lord of the universe, was also “A descendant of David”.  Jesus was and is the savior, as he is part of the line of heroes. The line that exists eternally with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. The line that went from Adam and Eve, to Abraham, Noah, Moses, and etc. Jesus is culmination of many great leaders and heroes. We are a continuation of this line of heroes.

While we might not be able to say that we are “a descendant of David,” our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. As such, we are all princes and princesses, and our Lord and King, Jesus, has promised to us that we will inherit his kingdom. We are royalty, we are now spiritual descendants of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, who is “A descendant of David”.

In 1 Peter 1:3-5, Peter writes:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:3-5, NRSV).

Through Christ, our King, we are royalty, and we will inherit the greatest kingdom of all time. Some people are related to great men and women on earth, but we are saved and made royal by the greatest of them all, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sidney UMC - World Communion Sunday/Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - 10/06/19 - Sermon - “Hold to the standard of sound teaching"

Sunday 10/06/19 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Hold to the standard of sound teaching”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 137

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-14

                                                   

Gospel Lesson: Luke 17:5-10

          Welcome again everyone, on this our World Communion Sunday and on this the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. On this our World Communion Sunday, we join with brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world in celebrating Holy Communion, the Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper together.

          Even though we are in many different countries, even though we worship in many different languages, and even though we are from many Christian denominations, today on this World Communion Sunday, we celebrate communion together as Christians.

          So what is World Communion Sunday, and why do we celebrate it every year? Here is explanation of what World Communion Sunday is:

“World Communion Sunday is a celebration observed by several Christian denominations, taking place on the first Sunday of every October, that promotes Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. It focuses on an observance of the eucharist. The tradition was begun in 1933 by Hugh Thomson Kerr who ministered in the Shadyside Presbyterian Church”.

“It was then adopted throughout the US Presbyterian Church in 1936 and subsequently spread to other denominations. In 1940, the Federal Council of Churches (now the National Council of Churches), led by Jesse Moren Bader, endorsed World Communion Sunday and began to promote it to Christian churches worldwide” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Communion_Sunday).

          As part of this Sunday of Christian unity, that we share the Sacrament of Holy Communion together, we also have a special giving opportunity throughout the whole United Methodist Church denomination. We call this special giving Sunday, “UMC World Communion Sunday.” According to www.UMCgiving.org this special United Methodist Church giving Sunday began like this:

“According to the 1972 Book of Discipline paragraph 163.b there shall be a World Communion (formerly Fellowship of Suffering and Service) offering to support the division of chaplains and ministries, Crusade Scholarships and the scholarship fund for minority groups”. 

“Around the globe, countless gifted and qualified people face financial obstacles that hinder them from preparing for the vocation God has given them, especially youth and young adults. For ethnic students who will be the first generation in their families to attend college, or for those people of color who haven’t historically had access to resources that make higher education possible, the road toward education has often been unwieldy”.

“What would it look like if the church today imitated Jesus’ affirmation of the full dignity and God-given potential of all women and men—especially those who’ve historically been assigned to the world’s margins? On World Communion Sunday your giving helps to provide scholarships for national and international graduate students whom God has gifted to learn and to serve” (http://www.umcgiving.org/ministry-articles/world-communion-sunday)

            So, if you wish to give to this special giving Sunday, please indicated “UMC World Communion Sunday” on your checks, or mark your funds the same, and then place them in a church giving envelope.

          With all of this said, I want to talk this morning, on this World Communion Sunday about what we teach. When I say teach, I mean specifically, what do we teach others about the Christian faith? What do we teach others about the Christian faith in the church, and in the world? We certainly can tell people that God loves them, as God does. We can teach them that Jesus taught us to love God and love our neighbor, as we should. Is there more to what we should teach though? Is there significance to who Jesus Christ was and is? Does it matter what we believe in general? I would argue that yes it does.

          The Christian Church, and the spiritual power that is has been entrusted with, has long been built upon a strong belief in the Triune God. The God who creates, the God who saves, named Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that moves in and through us. Or we could simply say that God loves us, and we are to love our neighbor. These are both true statements, but is this really the whole of the Christian faith?

          I talk to people periodically who tell me that they left the church. Meaning, they no longer attend worship services and that they have no connection to their church. Maybe they grew up there, maybe there kids were baptized and raised there. Maybe they were married there, had great friends there, and have been part of that church for generation. Then they just left, and they broke a chain of church connection in their families that had existed for years. Perhaps they didn’t leave Christianity, as far as their faith in God, but they no longer are part of the church.

          There are certainly many reasons for this, but among the ones I hear the most often is, “I just wasn’t getting anything out of the services anymore”? When I have pushed people who tell me these things to say more, I often hear things like, “Well, the pastor never preaches from the Bible”. Or I have heard, “Sometimes I sat through sermons where I heard really nothing about Jesus”. I have also heard, “The pastor was teaching us new teachings that I had never heard before, and they didn’t seem right”. I have heard, “There was no more fire,” or I have heard, “The gospel wasn’t being preached anymore.”

          Over time, some of the people that I have talked with around leaving church, have told me that they felt so spiritual starved, that they gave up on the church. They don’t necessarily give up on God, but they do give up on the church. Among the many reasons, as I said, that I have heard that people give up on the church, is that I have been told that the church no longer teaching what they once did. I heard a frustrated man tell me once, “Pastor, I left my church after a long time, because I wanted spiritual meat, and all I got was lettuce!”

          Spiritually starved people sometimes leave the church. In the Apostle Paul’s Second Epistle or letter to Timothy for this morning he tell us to “Hold to the standard of sound teaching”.

          Now what I am talking about this morning is not specifically what political party you are or are not in, but I am talking about what we are teaching as a church. Are we teaching that Jesus Christ, God’s only son came to earth to die for our sins, and the sins of the world? Are we teaching that Jesus lived a sinless life, gave us a blue print for how to live and love, that he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and one day will return to the earth in glory? Are we following the teachings of the Bible and the Ten Commandments, or is it just God is love and love your neighbor. The God the universe has so much more that He asked us to do. What we teach and what we proclaim matters. It matters, because Jesus Christ is our savior, and through him we are reconciled to a loving God. We are changed, transformed, and renewed through the blood of Jesus Christ.

          Throughout the 2,000 year history of the Christian Church, our love for Christ, following him and his teachings as Lord, and living that out in the world has been the bedrock of our historic faith. Due to this, changing sound teaching into more modern teachings, I believe, is something that is proving to be a great catastrophe in our society. Those churches, not always, but generally speaking, shrink and close. People leave frustrated that the Word of God isn’t being preached and taught, and they are spiritually starved. The strength of the church is love, forgiveness, mercy, and grace, found only in Jesus Christ. Deviating or departing from preaching Christ, living like Christ, and seeking the holiness of Christ is something that I think can kill a church. I know this, because I have seen it.

          Let’s look again at our reading from 2 Timothy 1:1-14 for this morning. Once again the Apostle Paul writes:

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:1-7, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul tells his young friend Timothy that he believes in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul says that he worships God with a clear conscience, as his ancestors did. The Apostle Paul has been changed by the love, the hope, and grace of God in Jesus Christ. So much so, that Paul tells Timothy to rekindle and renew his faith, so that he might love others boldly, follow Christ powerfully, and proclaim his love fully. The Apostle Paul is saying that he has felt God’s warm and loving presence dwelling in him, and that Jesus is his Lord. Paul believes this with every fiber of his being, and he believes that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of the world. Paul has seen how it has changed him, and how it has changed many. Paul tells Timothy to rekindle and renew his faith, so that this gift of Christ might be shared with the whole world.

The Apostle then once again says:

^“Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us”            (2 Tim. 1:8-14, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul tells Timothy to not be ashamed of Jesus Christ and his gospel. For the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God unto salvation. Asking Christ to be your Lord, repenting and surrendering to him, changes us. It unlock us. It frees us. In empowers us to love God, love our neighbor, and change the world. Christ has called you, if you have the courage to answer the call. Conversion in Christ, and knowing Christ is the hallmark of our 2,000 year Christian faith.

          Paul also tells us that God’s grace through Jesus Christ saves us, and not works. Through faith in Christ, we are made worthy, cleansed of our sin and unrighteousness, and are justified before our Heavenly Father. Our guilt, our shame, and our despair is taken into the hands of Jesus Christ.

We are broken and sinful, but through Christ we can be made whole. Through Christ we have life, light, and love. So powerful and transformative is this gospel, that Paul was willing to give up his life for Christ, knowing that he would be with him for life eternal.

          The Apostle Paul then says, as is the title of this sermon:

“Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13, NRSV).

          Lastly, the Apostle Paul says once again to close this scripture for this morning:

“Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us” (2 Tim. 1:14, NRSV).

          So what is the sound teaching that the Apostle Paul tells Timothy and us to uphold? The Apostle Paul tells us that God sent his only son Jesus Christ to earth. He sent him to love, teach, heal, and forgive. This sinless Jesus died on a cross for our sins, and by his blood and his stripes we are set free. All we need to do is repent of our sins and turn to him. Jesus was buried, resurrected, ascended to heaven, and as the Book of Revelation says will return to earth one day in glory.

          The hope of a hurting and broken Sidney, and the hope of a hurting a broken world is Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is saying teach that, proclaim that, live that, for it is the only hope we have in a broken and a dark world. Don’t change the truth, proclaim the truth, and “Hold to the standard of sound teaching”.

          So what is “Sound teaching”? Jesus Christ crucified for us. Loving Christ, serving Christ, serving each other, and living in the ways that God commands us to live.

          In looking briefly at our gospel of Luke message for this morning, Jesus compares faith to a mustard seed. Once again, Jesus says:

                ^“The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” (Lk. 17:5-10, NRSV).

          So, do we have faith in Christ? Do we believe in his gospel? Do we have the courage to share it with others? In this scripture, Jesus is telling his disciples to not try to gain more faith as a commodity, as a possession, or something that just makes us strong. Instead, in our simplicity of faith, in our child-like trust of God, we can take faith the size of a mustard seed, and it can move mountains.

          Essentially then, we should not seek to become greater, but rather to become less, to become small, to become Godly. Through being humble, through having child-like faith, and through trusting God will have faith that can move mountains. When asked about our faith, we will say that we don’t have that much faith, and this my friends, is why God will use us. When we “Hold to the standard of sound teaching,” when we seek Christ, his grace, and his love, and we put aside our own ambitions and our own understandings, Christ will use us.

          Whatever we are experiencing and facing this day, Christ is with us. May we feel his presence, and may we share freely and boldly with others. For in doing so, we “Hold to the standard of sound teaching.” Amen.