Sidney UMC - 20th Sunday after Pentecost/Laity Sunday - 10/15/23 - Sermon - “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding”

                                   Sunday 10/15/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23                                       

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 4:1-9

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 22:1-4

          We have some very challenging and yet encouraging scriptures for this morning. Specifically, I am talking about our reading from Philippians 4:1-9, and our gospel of Matthew 22:1-14 reading. In fact, my sermon title for this morning was taken from Philippians 4:7, which says, in part, “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding.” The Apostle Paul, through Jesus Christ, is calling us to very deep levels of faith and holiness, and not just for us, but to praise God and to love each other even more.

          Let me read to you Philippians 4:4-7 for this morning. Philippians 4:4-7 says, once again:

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. ⁵ Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus       (Phil. 4:4-7, NRSV).

          I, and I hope all of us, truly aspire to not be anxious about anything, and to have “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding.” These teachings from the Apostle Paul through Jesus Christ, I would say, are aspirational. I want to rejoice and praise God every minute of every day, I want to be gentle and loving, I want to not be anxious about anything, and I want to constantly be praying and thanking God. I want to have every minute of every day “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding,” but sometimes I don’t.

          Anyone else here this morning, hear the words that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, or the Philippians in our reading this morning, and think to yourself, “well that is hard!” I mean how can we never be anxious, always be at peace with God, always be gentle and loving, and always be connected and praying to God every minute of every day. I want those things for us all, so that our faith will grow together and change the world. Yet, we live on this earth that is sometimes a crazy place.

          For example, I was laying in bed next to Melissa last weekend on Saturday October 7^th, which I guess with the time zone differences, would be Sunday October 8^th in Israel. As we were watching the news we heard about this massive attack on Israel. Rockets were fired into Israel, and we are now learning that hundreds and hundreds of people were massacred or taken prisoner. It seemed that Hamas terrorist group militants took particular joy in the murdering, torturing, assaulting, and taking hostages. People were beheaded, and babies were killed. Some Hamas militants filmed what they did on the phones of the people they harmed and or killed. The same Hamas militants then sent the videos of these things to the family and friends of the victim or victims.

          I don’t know about you, but yes, this definitely took my peace. I felt anxious, and had thoughts of the Book of Revelation and the Tribulation before the return of Jesus Christ our Lord. I heard on the news that this was largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust in World War II. Further, I also heard that some of hostages that were taken by Hamas were Holocaust survivors. Imagine taking an elderly person with that blue ink tattoo on there arm that was put on them in the Holocaust to mark them live stock.

          I know that no country in perfect, and all countries make mistakes, Israel included, but I was shocked by the brutality of the pictures and witnesses of what I saw. I mean did the families of these victims, when they heard and or saw this terrible news have “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding.” Did the families of these victims when they saw or heard the news of what happened to their family and friends feel:

anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God (Phil. 4:6b, NRSV).

          My guess is that most friends and family that found out what happened were not. It is not that the Apostle Paul is wrong, he is right, but sometimes it is hard to keep our peace and our calm, despite us trying hard to do so. It’s not that we don’t want to, but life can get pretty crazy down here on earth sometimes.

          As I started to write this sermon about not being anxious and having “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding” I had to leave the church to visit Marion Yerger in Norwich. Marion is a woman of great Christian faith, and is a real joy for me to visit with. I remember driving through Guildford and I was really just focused on driving, and I did feel a bit tired. All of the sudden I looked down, and I realized that I was going about 70 MPH! Well, where I was on Route-35 where I was 55 MPH!

          I remember thinking to myself, “I didn’t even realize I was speeding!” As I slowed down, I saw a police officer in their vehicle on the shoulder, so turned down the road by Historical Society in Guilford, on the way to Norwich. Just then the police lights came on. Oddly enough after everything that has been going on lately, I had little to no anxiety about this situation. I laugh now, because I don’t think I have been pulled over in 10-years or more.  I remember sitting on the side of the road in my car thinking “what do I need? Oh yeah license and I also need my registration!”

          The officer approached my little golf cart of a car, and I immediately tell the officer that I was speeding, and that I didn’t even realize it. The officer asked where I was headed, and I told the officer that I was headed to visit a parishioner in Norwich. The officer then came back a few minutes later and gave me a warning. I was very grateful for this, and hopefully I don’t get pulled over for another ten-years!

          Why did not get anxious and lose my peace during this. I didn’t because I realized that I had unintentionally made a mistake, and I admitted immediately. I think the officer really appreciated my honesty, and given a lot of other things going on this world, it just didn’t get under my skin like I could have.

          Sometimes, some people are able to maintain peace and calm because they have seen so much that it takes a lot for them to lose their peace and calm. Again, I want us all to have peace and calm every day, but once again, we live on this earth. It can be hard for us then, to always live up what the Apostle Paul, through Jesus Christ calls us to this morning.

          The Apostle Paul names a couple of converts to Christianity in the beginning of our Philippians reading, and he urges them to be of the same mind in the Lord. The Apostle Paul encourages his “loyal companion” to help Euodia and Syntyche with there faith in Christ. The Apostle Paul also mentions Clement, which some scholars believe is the same Clement who became Bishop of Rome, or what many now call the Pope.

          The Apostle Paul then tells us in Philippians 4:4:7 what we have been talking about so far this morning. Lastly the Apostle Paul ends our reading from Philippians 4:1-9 for this morning with 4:8-9, saying:

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you (Phil. 4:8-9, NRSV).

          Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, is not invading another country, torturing, massacring, assaulting, and taking people hostage. Some Palestinians might also argue that Israel has committed atrocities to. No country is perfect, but as I said, what happened in Israel, and is still going on in Israel from Hamas took my peace. So much so, that getting pulled over after more than ten-years of not getting pulled did not really get me anxious or as worried as it could of. It was still serious, but in light of other things in the world, it seemed less important.

          In our reading from Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 for this morning we hear these words in the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible. These scriptures, these words were written to be the guide, the faith, and the practice of our Jewish brothers and sisters. In Psalm 106:1-2 for this morning, it says, once again:

¹ Praise the Lord! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. ² Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord or declare all his praise?         (Ps. 106:1-2, NRSV).

          There are Christians and Jews that have no doubt read this scripture in the last week in Israel, Palestine, and even Gaza. Many Christians around the world like us are reading this scripture. I wonder though, for the folks that are in Israel, Palestine, and even Gaza, if it is harder to follow and embrace this scripture given what is going on there?

          You see, it’s not that we don’t want to have “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding,” it’s just that sometimes life makes it harder for us to have peace. If you are having a terrible day and someone tells you to just have the peace of God, you might actually get angry with them. It is not always an easy thing to do for some of us.

          Where have we all had peace and calm this past week, and where have we lost our peace and calm? Further, how can we do better? The more and more we become like Jesus Christ, the more we can pursue, calm, love, hope, mercy, and kindness. These things are also offered to us through God, even if there are times that they are hard to do.

          Our gospel of Matthew 22:1-4 lesson for this morning is often called, “The Parable of the Wedding Banquet”. Most pastors that I know do not like officiating weddings. I love weddings though! It’s exciting, there’s food and cake, and people are generally happy. This wedding that Jesus talks about in this parable or story is a little different however. Let’s look at the “The Parable of the Wedding Banquet” once more. Picking up starting in Matthew 22:1 it says, once again:

22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ² “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. ³ He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come     (Mt. 22:1-3, NRSV).

          Jesus is inviting us all to that eternal and heavenly banquet feast with him, but we will come to Christ? Jesus calls us, but will we respond to his call? At this point in the parable or the story, the king has sent his slaves out to call those who have been invited to wedding banquet, but they do not come.

          Picking up in Matthew 22:4, it says, once again:

⁴ Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, ⁶ while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them (Mt. 22:4-6, NRSV).

 

          Not only did the second group of slaves go to gather those invited by the king to the wedding banquet, but the people refused to come again. Even worse some seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. In response to this, Jesus says in his parable or story, starting in Matthew 22:7, once again, that:

⁷ The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸ Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ⁹ Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ ¹⁰ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests (Mt. 22:7-10, NRSV).

 

          Those called and invited by the king were invited not once, but twice. It was not uncommon to invite people with two invitations in the ancient world that Jesus lived in. The second invitation however, was met with contempt and violence. In ending our gospel of Matthew 22:1-4 scripture, we finish with 22:11-1 saying, once again:

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, ¹² and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ¹⁴ For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt. 22:11-14, NRSV).

 

          Even if most of the Pharisees, the scribes, and the other religious leaders rejected Jesus, after at least two invitations, all the rest of the world, including us are invited to wedding banquet feast of Jesus Christ. Even if some of the original covenant people, the Israelites or the Jews rejected Jesus, the invitation is now opened up to the entire world. This being said however, take the invitation of Jesus Christ seriously. Do not take for granted the salvation that we are offered in Christ, lest we end up in darkness weeping and gnashing our teeth. Jesus tells us that all are welcomed by him, but take him and his gospel seriously.

          If we do, then when we witness a human massacre, the torture, assaults, and people being taken hostage, then we will most certainly say that as Christians, and followers of Jesus Christ, that this sort of brutality is beneath the gospel of Lord and Savior Jesus. Yes, we are all invited by Christ to his heavenly banquet feast, but like the wedding guests didn’t take the invitation seriously, we need to stand for treating all people with love and dignity. The children of God, the children of Abraham are never called to slaughter, abuse, torture, and take hostages any of the people that God has made in his image. Again, the Palestinians had made claims against Israel for doing same.

Even so, if we are not careful this can cause us to lose “The Peace Of God, Which Surpasses All Understanding”. May we be praying for all those are suffering, on both sides, for those who are or have been abused, and may we me live up to the standards of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sidney UMC - 19th Sunday after Pentecost - 10/08/23 - Sermon - “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” (“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 6 of 6)

Sunday 10/08/23 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving

Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!”

     (“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 6 of 6) 

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 19                                          

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 3:4b-14

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:33-46

          This morning we are concluding our six-week sermon series called the “Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Sermon Series, which references the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer. In this book, written in 2014, Thom S. Rainer discusses common and often overlapping reasons for churches shrinking, and or closing. Rainer also discusses how to reverse this trend. So far in this sermon series, we have discussed many of the problems causing churches to shrink and or close, and we have also discussed some of the solutions to these problems.

          In connecting the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer with our Sunday lectionary scripture readings, so far, we have discussed, the need to have deep, abiding, and growing faith in Jesus Christ. We have discussed how the “Culture Of The Church” is vital to church growth, to discipleship, and to how people feel treated and loved. We have a healthy church culture at this church. We also discussed the need to forgive each other, to show love to each other and all people, and to be open to other people and their stories. We then talked about how when churches get stuck on small things that are not vital to their stated mission, then the mission can suffer. When the mission suffers, the church can shrink, and or even close over time.

          Last week, I talked about the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley’s quote, “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls”. This means not only leading people to Christ, but then us all growing in Christ together. We can, and hopefully all have or will come to Christ, repent of our sins, put our trust in and on the Lord Jesus Christ, and were or will be filled with the Holy Spirit. Since I came to Christ, I have done what I just said many, many, times over. The business of the church is to lead people to Christ, to receive salvation and eternity, but also to continue becoming more and more like Christ. Being a Christian isn’t just the spiritual event of coming to Christ, but it is also our daily walks with Christ.

          On this last week of this sermon series based on the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer, my sermon title for this morning is a long title. It is called, “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” If the business of the church is as the founder of Methodism John Wesley said, “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls,” then how do we this as people and as a church. One good way to sum up all of this is my sermon title “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!”

          In the gospel of Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells his disciples and us:

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:18-20, NRSV).

          You may have noticed that in Matthew 28:19, Jesus begins the verse saying:

“Go therefore” (Mt. 28:19a, NRSV).

          This means therefore, that many disciples of Jesus Christ can be made inside of these walls, but many will also be made outside of these walls. People that come to Christ outside of these walls may never come to worship or to church, so how do we get to these people? If many people are feeling lonely, in need of community, and or wanting to know more about God, how can we reach them?

          We have a variety of ministries already to help with this. Some are in house here, like Sauce and Cross, the Grief Share Group, Book Studies, etc. Some are also external, like our weekly Ecumenical Men’s Lunch, etc. This past Monday night October 2^nd, some of our church leaders, and one person from another church, met online to launch a “Sidney Visioning Team”. We prayed, we dreamed, and we discussed how we can reach Sidney, and the Sidney Area for Jesus Christ. This Visioning Team, myself included, wants to strengthen our current ministries, but also potentially launch new ministries. Not programs, but ministries, specifically designed to draw people closer to Jesus Christ. If a church has a church dinner for example, but no one talks about the church or Jesus, then how will people know about him?

          According to Thom S. Rainer in the last two chapters of his book, many churches that shrink and or close often have two things in common. Rainer covers this in Chapter 10 of his book, “The Church Had No Clear Purpose,” and Chapter 11 of his book, “The Church Obsessed Over the Facilities”. Many churches that shrink and or close, according to Rainer do not have clear purpose for existing. People go to church on Sunday, but why does the church exist? Rainer said that some people from some churches that shrunk and or closed told him that: “We were going through the motions,” “We became more attached to our ways of doing church than we did asking the Lord what He wanted us to do,” “We were playing a game called church. We had no idea what we were really supposed to be doing,” “We stopped asking what we should be doing for fear that it would require too much effort or change” (AOADC, pg. 73). It is true to say friends that the Christian Church in the United States, Canada, and much of Western Europe is in a place that it has never been in before. Our churches tend to be in a place of decline and eventually closure. Can we reverse this trend? The answer is yes!

          One of the things that is vital for churches going forward though, is that we have a mission as a church. We have a reason for existing as a church. Due to this, we print the mission and the vision of our church on the front of our church bulletins. Once again, the mission of the Sidney United Methodist Church is: “Is to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, And equip them to transform the world”. The vision of the Sidney United Methodist Church is: “1. Love God 2. Serve Others 3. Transform the World”. As I said last Sunday, we have been blessed this year with eleven new professions of faith/members in our church. If people were to ask us why the Sidney UMC exists, we can tell them that the Sidney UMC exists to “Is to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, And equip them to transform the world”. We can also tell them that vision of the Sidney United Methodist Church is: “1. Love God 2. Serve Others 3. Transform the World”.
            We started a Visioning Team this past Monday night to discuss how to better live this mission out. My sermon title then is a broad view of what I believe Christian Churches should be doing, which is “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” It is nice, as well, to have a nice church building, a nice parsonage, and nice facilities, as Thom S. Rainer said in Chapter 11 of his book, “The Church Obsessed Over the Facilities”. There is difference in having the church look good, keeping the church and the facilities up, and having the church and the facilities be above the mission of the church.

          We are truly blessed here at the Sidney UMC with the best Trustees Committee I have ever served with in my life. Yet, while we want the church, the parsonage, and all our facilities to function well, we are not putting these things ahead of the mission of our church, which “Is to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, And equip them to transform the world”. It is good to have a good building and facilities, but if we have no clear mission and if we aren’t pursuing that mission, then what are we maintaining everything for?

          As I said, I have been honored to be on the best Trustees Committee that I have ever served on in this church, but our Trustees are more focused on the Great Commission than the building and the facilities. We want things to be kept up, but we also want to bring people to Christ, and for the church to flourish.

          When our “Sidney Visioning Team” met this past Monday night, a big part of what we discussed is what my sermon title is called, once again: “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” When the church shifts to continue to be even more outwardly focused, we are able to engage and connect with people who may never walk into a church. Since many people don’t go to church anymore, how can we connect with them, love them, share Christ with them, and help them in other ways?

          In the first century of the church, the Apostle Paul went to places on missionary journeys preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to some people that had never heard it before. He befriended many, heard their stories, learned from them, shared Christ, built and launched ministries in various cities, and built up the church. The Apostle Paul went to the people. This is a hard thing for many of us, but the more we connect with others, then the more we can share our faith with them. Not only this, we offer people a sense of community, a sense of hope, and the love of Jesus Christ.

          When many of us grew up, most people went to church every Sunday, and were active in the church. Since this is no longer the case, we must shift in various ways to be more like the first century Christians. Through friendships, connections, and coming together, we are called to love people into the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This is why as a church “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!”

          In looking at our reading for this morning from Psalm 19, from the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament, we hear of the praise and glory of God. The Israelite or Jewish people in the Hebrew Bible had a tendency to obey God and then stray from God. They knew who God was, but sometimes the realities and the fallenness of this world got in the way. Nevertheless, we have Psalms like Psalm 19 for this morning that speak of God’s love, glory, and mercy. In fact, I know various pastors who recite Psalm 19:14 before preaching every sermon, which says:

¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Ps. 19:14, NRSV).

          As our Jewish brothers and sisters wrestled with God before Christ came into the world, may we still seek to praise God, seek God, love God, and follow Christ.

          In our reading for this morning from Philippians 3:4b-14, the Apostle Paul is comparing his life as a Jew, before he became a Christian. When the Apostle Paul lived under the Old Testament Law of Moses he lived like a Jew, but now the Apostle Paul is a Chirstian. As a result, the Apostle Paul now lives under the grace of Jesus Christ. Since the Apostle Paul converted to Christianity, formerly Saul of Tarsus, we hear from him morning about this change from Judaism to Christianity in our reading from Philippians 3:4b-14. In fact, starting in Philippians 3:4b for this morning, it says, once again:

⁴ even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless (Phil. 4b-6, NRSV).

 

          The Apostle Paul begins our reading from Philippians 3:4b-14 for this morning, saying that in everyway he was a good Jew. He was circumcised on the eighth day according to the Jewish Law of the Old Testament, he was a Hebrew born of Hebrews, he was a Pharisee, he followed the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, and persecuted the Christian Church.

          The Apostle Paul, who was first the Jewish Pharisee Saul of Tarsus, then encounters Christ on the road to Damascus, Syria and becomes a Christian. In explaining this change from following the Old Testament Jewish Law to the New Testament under Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul picks up, starting in Philippians 3:7 saying, once again:

⁷ Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. ⁸ More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith (Phil 3:7-9, NRSV). 

          The Apostle Paul, now a Christian, is saying that he is no longer bound by the law of Moses in the Old Testament, but instead is bound by the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. According to the Apostle Paul, Jesus/the New Testament is a new and better covenant than the Law of Moses in the Old Testament. Instead of having to follow all of the laws and all of the teachings of the Old Testament, the Apostle Paul said that he is righteous through Jesus Christ, who is the New Covenant. The Ten Commandments, and many of the teachings of the Old Testament don’t need to be discarded, but as Christians we have grace and love under the New Covenant of Jesus Christ our Lord.

          To this end, the Apostle Paul continues and ends our reading for this morning, picking up in Philippians 3:10, once again saying:

¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. ¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:10-14, NRSV).

 

          Jesus ushers in the New Covenant or our new agreement in him, and the Apostle Paul is explaining his conversion from Judaism or the Old Covenant to Christ under the New Covenant.

          In connecting our Gospel of Matthew 21:33-46 reading for this morning with Thom S. Rainer’s book and our sermon title “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” we have what is commonly called the story or the “Parable of Tenants.” In this story or parable, a landowner leased his land to tenants, and the tenants would then pay the landowner with some of the produce they grew. The land owner would then have his “rent” of sorts collected. The gospel reading begins in Matthew 21:33 with Jesus saying, once again:

³³ “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. ³⁴ When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. ³⁵ But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them in the same way (Mt. 21:33-36, NRSV).

          Jesus is telling this story or parable to compare the Old and New Covenants. You see, Jesus is saying that the Land Owner is God. The first group of people that the landowner or God sent to collect the “rent” were the first group of Old Testament Prophets. These prophets were sent by God to call the Jewish people to repentance, and many rejected them. The tenants, or the people of Israel, the Jews, did not stay on track despite the first group of prophets in the Old Testament. Some of these prophets were also treated horribly, as was the landowner’s slaves sent to collect the “rent” from the tenants.

          Since the landowner or God did not get what his people or his “tenants” promised him, the landowner or God then sent another group of slaves, which represents the second group of prophets in the Old Testament. Like wise the “tenants,” or people of Israel largely rejected this second group of slaves or prophets. The landowner or God was promised something by his “tenants” or his people in exchange for there blessings and livelihood, yet they rejected the landowner or God’s collectors or prophets.

          Since the first two group of slaves, or the first two groups of prophets did not yield what the “tenants” or people of Israel promised to God, the landowner or God then sent his son to collect. Two groups of prophets in the Old Testament are sent to the Jewish people, and are largely rejected. So, the landowner or God, sends his son, or Jesus, to collect and straighten out his people. The gospel of Matthew 21:33-46 reading then picks up saying in 21:37, once again:

³⁷ Then he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him (Mt. 21:37-39, NRSV).

          All of the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible prophets are largely rejected and mistreated. The Landowner or God then sends his only son Jesus Christ, and he is treated no different. In fact, they seize the son, or Jesus Christ, and kill him. You see they want the landowner’s or God’s inheritance.

          Jesus then says after two groups of people, and the landowner’s son were abused and rejected, what will the landowner or God do now? Picking up in Matthew 21:40, it says, once again:

⁴⁰ Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.” ⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’? ⁴³ “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits. ⁴⁴ The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.” ⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet (Mt. 21:40-46, NRSV).

          Jesus is saying, that the landowner or God, saw two groups of his slaves, or all the prophets of the Old Testament be abused and rejected, and the people will then reject the landowner’s son or Jesus Christ. Due to this, Christians follow Christ or the New Covenant, as through Christ are forgiven eternally, and once and for all, through his cross. Jesus is also telling us that if we reject the people of God, and reject him, then God may not bless us. If we are seeking God, and if we turn to God, we can be more expectant that God will turn towards us.

          Since as Christians we live under the New Testament or the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, the mission of the Church is one where “Everything Is About Reaching Out, Serving Others, and Gathering for Jesus Christ!” The more we can do this, grow this, be united in it this, the stronger our church and all churches will be! Amen.

Sidney UMC - World Communion Sunday/18th Sunday after Pentecost - 10/01/23 - Sermon - “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls” (“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 5 of 6)

Sunday 10/01/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “You Have One Business On Earth - To Save Souls” 

(“Why are some churches shrinking and closing?” Series: Part 5 of 6)    

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16                                    

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 2:1-13

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21:23-32

          So, I have a question for us to think about this morning. How many of us have run into someone before that we haven’t seen in years? Maybe it was someone at a high school reunion? Maybe it was someone you fell out of touch with, and you suddenly saw them at a wedding, a funeral, etc.? How many of us have ever had an experience like that before?

          Maybe you hadn’t seen the person in five-years, ten-years, twenty-years, or even more. When we see someone that we haven’t seen in years, a lot of times, we can have memory flashbacks. You might remember “back then,” and you might remember times gone by. We then of course see the person as they are now. If you hadn’t seen someone in twenty or more years, I can imagine that we would all change just a little bit. We might have a little more gray or white hairs, for example.

          What I have find interesting though, is that when I see someone that I haven’t seen in a long time, is to think of how they used to be. You know that wild guy or gal that you knew in high school? Suddenly you see them after 20-years and they are in a suit and leading a large company. You then think, “what a change from high school!” Or maybe you run into the biggest trouble maker you knew in school, and after all these years, you ask the person, “so what are you up to now?” The person then responds and says, “I’m actually a United Methodist Church Bishop”. Then you think, “Well this person has really changed!”

          Sometimes when see someone that we haven’t seen in years, people might ask, for example, “Hey I heard you saw John at the high school reunion?” Then you may say, “Yes I did, and he hasn’t changed a bit!” Funny how that works in life. Sometimes people we haven’t seen in a long-time change, and sometimes they seem to be exactly the same person that we knew long ago. As I am talking, continue thinking about people that you have seen, after years of not seeing them. Were they the same? Did they change? If they did change, how much did that change?

          I say and ask us to think about all of this, because becoming a Christian is to change. Someone might come up to you on the street that you saw a week ago, for example, and announce, “Guess what I believe in Jesus and I’m a Christian now!” You might leave that conversation though, thinking that they haven’t really changed that much.

          Either way, my sermon title for this morning is taken from a quote from the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley. This quote is “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls”. The idea behind this quote is that the primary mission of the Christian Church is to bring people into a repentant and saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Some churches have what is called an “Altar Call,” and some churches ask people to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Savior.

          Yet, while I believe that salvation and eternity in Jesus Christ is a free gift offered to all of humanity, it does also imply a change. For example, maybe you knew someone years ago that wanted nothing to do with God or the church. You then see them after years, and now they are walking with Jesus. In fact, they seem like a completely different person. You might notice that the mission of the Sidney United Methodist Church is on the front cover of our bulletin. It says our mission: “Is to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, And equip them to transform the world”. So come to Christ, and be changed.

          An example of this change in Christ that I have heard and use a lot, is walking in the woods with a compass to tell us what direction we are going in. It is good to know were north, south, east, and west are, if we are lost in the woods. Imagine though that if you and a friend were walking in the woods with compasses, and you turned your compass just one degree in a different direction from the person you were walking with. It would probably take a lot of miles of walking for both of you to truly to be far apart, as it is only one degree of difference. Over time though the two of you could end up completely different places in the woods. Faith in Christ can be a lot like this. We can be changed immensely in the moment of coming to Christ, but change should continue through our earthly lives. We are continued to continue to be refined and to be more like Jesus.

          When I quote John Wesley’s quote for my sermon title “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls,” I don’t believe that this just about getting people to heaven one day, but it also about how our changed lives can change Sidney and the world. Some of us have run into people after years and they were exactly the same as when we knew them years ago, and some of them seemed like a completely different person. One degree change on a compass over a period of time can put us into a completely different place.

          As many of us know, I have been preaching a six-week sermon series in part connected to the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer. In this book Thom S. Rainer discusses various reasons why some churches are shrinking and closing, and what we can do to stop this shrinking and closing.

          So far in this six-week sermon series, I have talked about the need to be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, and how deep faith in him will change us, change the church, and the change the world. Jesus is the church, and faith in him through the power of the Holy Spirit is what changes us.

          We also talked about the “Culture Of The Church,” and how that a church functions, lives, loves, and does ministry together connects directly to how the church culture is. A church that is loving, welcoming, caring, and Christ-like is a church that is much more likely to have a bright future.

          We then discussed the need to forgive, to love, and to be open to each other. When we are hurt or holding anger or a grudge this can greatly weaken the church and the “Culture Of The Church”. We need to forgive, love, and be open to each other.

          Last week we talked about how as individuals and as the church to “Don’t Get Stuck On the Small Stuff!” In life, both as persons, and as a church, we all have our own preferences and our own likes. With this said, if our own personal and own church preferences begin to hurt the mission of the church, then we have to ask ourselves about our own preferences. Many churches like to do certain things in certain ways, which is ok, as long as it not harmful to the church, to the people, or the mission of the church.

          In the quote I am using once again for my sermon this morning, the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley, I think explains what as Christians and as the church we are called to do. This is why my sermon title once again is the John Wesley quote, “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls”.

          The chapters from the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer that I will be connecting to today’s message are Chapter 8 “Pastoral Tenure Decreases,” and Chapter 9 “The Church Rarely Prayed Together”. According to Thom S. Rainer long term pastorates are good, if the pastor and the church are a good fit together, and if they are united in mission and vision (Autopsy Of A Deceased Church, pgs. 55-62). If a church has a new pastor every one or two years and this has been the case for a while, I would be interested in knowing how well that church is doing with pursuing its mission. I mean why is that church going through pastors like water?  

          According to Thom S. Rainer in his book, for most pastors, year 1 is the honeymoon phase, year 2 and 3 is the conflicts and challenges phase, year 4 and 5 is the crossroads phase, and year 6 to 10 is the fruit and harvest phase. According to Rainer if you have a good pastor, with a good church, pursuing the church’s mission the most fruit and harvest or growth generally happens in years 6 to 10 a pastoral appointment (Autopsy Of A Deceased Church, pgs. 58-59). I pray then that we are about to have a mighty harvest of growth in this church, and in general.

          In Chapter 9 of the book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” by Thom S. Rainer, Rainer said that churches that are shrinking and closing rarely pray together. For those people that came to our prayer and healing service last Sunday night, boy did we ever pray together! We should be praying for each other, for our church, and for its mission, so that we can continue to be transformed, as God uses us to further transform Sidney and the world. May we be praying, praying for each other, for our church, and for the world.

          With all of this said, if we are deeply rooted in our faith in Christ, if we have a loving a caring church culture, if we forgive, love, and extend openness, and if we don’t sweat the small stuff, then what? The answer is we focus on the mission of our church which is on the front cover of our bulletin, once again. Our mission at the Sidney UMC is “Is to bring people into relationship with Jesus Christ, And equip them to transform the world”. Our vision to accomplish this is to 1. Love God, 2. Serve Others, 3. Transform the World.

          I think of building blocks or Legos, and when we put the pieces of this together, we are then completely positioned to successfully pursue the mission of the church. This is why the founder of the Methodist Movement John Wesley said “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls”.

          In fact, did you know that in 1959, when the Methodist Movement was celebrating its 175-Anniversary in this country that there were 15-million Methodists in this country. We were the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, and today we have a little over 6-million United Methodists in this country. We also have a lot more people in our country today than we had in 1959. So, what is going on? Making sure that we are deeply rooted, loving, caring, forgiving, and not stuck on the small stuff, means we are united together through Jesus Christ.

          When people are brought into relationship with Jesus Christ, it changes them, and for most of us it continues to change us like walking in the woods with a compass moved one-degree off center. A church mobilized like this, even in a community and in an area that is in decline, can still be a mighty force to be reckoned with!

          In connecting this with out scripture reading for this morning, we hear of what God has done and can still do. What can God do in Sidney and in the Sidney Area? In our reading from Psalm 78:15-16, we hear about God bringing water from rocks. For anyone that has ever heard the term, “You can’t get water from a rock”! In our reading from Psalm 78:15-16 for this morning, we hear once again of God:

¹⁵ He split rocks open in the wilderness and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. ¹⁶ He made streams come out of the rock and caused waters to flow down like rivers (Ps. 78:15-16, NRSV).

          Is it possible through God, in Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit that the Sidney UMC can continue to be renewed, to grow, and flourish. I believe so, and our Visioning Team that is meeting for the first time on Zoom on the computer tomorrow night at 7:00 PM believe so too. If you want to be part of our Visioning Team, just let me know!

          In our reading from Philippians 2:1-13 we hear about being united or in one accord in Jesus Christ. In looking at our reading from Philippians 2:1-13 again, we hear starting in 2:1:

2 If, then, there is any comfort in Christ, any consolation from love, any partnership in the Spirit, any tender affection and sympathy, ² make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others. ⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself,
    taking the form of a slave, assuming human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human, ⁸ he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross (Phil. 2:1-8, NRSV).

          We will ever agree fully on the best sports team? On politics? On Pepsi or Coke? On other things? Probably not, but we can be fully united in the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Who according to the Apostle Paul even though was God in the flesh became like one of us, and even like a slave. God in the flesh dying for us. We live out our faith in Christ together, and this is the strength our personal faith, and the faith of the church.

          Further, the Apostle Paul completes our Philippians 2:1-13, reading for this morning saying about Jesus Christ and us this:

⁹ Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name, ¹⁰ so that at the name given to Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ¹² Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:9-13, NRSV).

 

          When I was going through the ordination process in our Upper New United Methodist Church Annual Conference, we were asked to pick a verse of scripture that we could relate to. The verse I often picked was Philippians 2:12, that says once again:

¹² Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence but much more now in my absence, work on your own salvation with fear and trembling, (Phil. 2:12, NRSV).

 

          Many churches in this day in age have real struggles and real challenges, but we still have Jesus Christ and the timeless mission of the church.

          In connecting this all to our Gospel of Matthew 21:23-32 reading for this morning, Jesus is called out on the carpet for his teachings, his actions, and his miracles. Starting in Matthew 21:23, it says once again of Jesus:

²³ When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. ²⁵ Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why, then, did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for all regard John as a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things (Mt. 21:23-27, NRSV).

 

          So, Jesus is challenged in his teaching, in his actions, and his miracles. What is visible and is clear though is that Jesus is rejected due to the desire of those in power to retain their power and authority.

          Jesus then speaks once again, and says in Matthew 21:28-32, this:

²⁸ “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ ²⁹ He answered, ‘I will not,’ but later he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ The father went to the second and said the same, and he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and even after you saw it you did not change your minds and believe him (Mt. 21:28-32, NRSV).

 

          Jesus is saying to the chief priests and the elders that people who have very low status in the society that he lived in, believed in him. People that are overlooked and treated as lesser than, without the chief priest’s and elders’ education, status, and wealth believe in him, and yet the chief priest’s and elders reject him.

          Jesus came to transform humanity, and thereby transform the world. Whether we move towards Christ one degree of center, or whether we move even quicker, the founder of Methodist Movement John Wesley said, “You Have One Business On Earth – To Save Souls”. Let’s pursue the mission of the church. Amen.