Sidney UMC - 6th Sunday after Pentecost - 07/12/20 - Sermon - “Sowing Seeds of Faith"

Sunday 07/12/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:                    “Sowing Seeds of Faith”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 119:105-112

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 8:1-11

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

          Welcome again on this the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. Six Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved nearly two-thousand years ago on the day of Pentecost, and the Christian Church was born.

          With this said, for those of you that don’t already know, I am originally from Northern Illinois. I moved to New York when I was ten with my mother, but I come from rural Northern Illinois.

          I remember as a little kid, as my dad lives very close to the border of the state of Wisconsin, seeing massive farms. My stepbrother Mark in fact, works on a farm in Northern Illinois. As a little boy, when we would drive or walk, I would often see what seemed like endless corn, soybeans, and all kinds of agriculture. Sure, we were only about an hour and fifteen minutes away from the city of Chicago, but I lived in the country as a little kid. I used to catch lightning bugs in jars, hunt gophers with my brother, and run through fields.

          While my dad was the last generation of Winkelman’s to live on a farm, agriculture was all around me as a young boy. For those of you that have strong ties to agriculture, our gospel reading from the gospel of Matthew for this morning, might speak to you.

          This morning we have the parable, or the story of “The Sower” (Mt. 13:1-9, 18-23, NRSV). By “Sower,” I don’t mean cross-stitch, or that kind of sowing. I mean “Sowing Seeds.” Farming and agriculture in general, in 2020 has become unbelievably advanced. There are now tractors and farm machines that run via satellite and GPS. These machines virtually run themselves and perform many functions themselves. This is a far cry from my late Grandpa Winkelman who used to plow fields with horses as a little boy. My Grandpa Winkelman told me that when he was teenager during the Great Depression that his dad finally bought a tractor. This tractor was old, and I believe that it was a crank starting tractor, but it was their first tractor.

          In the era in which the Bible was written, many people were involved in agriculture or farming. As of May, 2019 though, according to a source that I read preparing for this sermon, 1.3% of the United States are farmers or ranchers. I believe in the year 1800 in this country, about 80% of people were farmers or in agriculture. The result of this massive demographic shift is that many young people have become estranged from farming, agriculture, how their food is produced, and where it comes from. In fact, I had a student that I was tutoring in Ithaca about 12-years ago that thought all the produce at Wegmans was literally grown behind the grocery store. It is a great tragedy that so many young people have become so estranged from farming, food production, and agriculture.

          Since the Bible was written in era with a lot more agriculture than we have in the United States today in 2020, sometimes we need to explain certain parts of the Bible more clearly. Years ago, in this country however, most people for example, would understand what “separating the wheat from the chaff” meant. The farming or agricultural examples that were used in the Bible, used by Jesus, were used to be able to connect to the people of that time.

          I believe that the Bible is still fully true, but since we are living in a different era, sometimes we need to explain the farming or the agricultural references more carefully in the Bible.

For example, I couldn’t believe the first time that Melissa told me about “The Birthing Barn” at “The Great New York State Fair.” Melissa said that cows were going to be brought into the NYS Fair Grounds, and people could watch in person or on the internet a calf being born. I then thought, “Well who hasn’t seen a calf being born!” The answer is many people!

          The Bible is still true and authoritative, but it was written in a different time, and as a result, we must explain it better so that the people that are estranged from farming and agriculture can understand these parts of the Bible.

Another example is our paraments on our pulpit, lectern, and altar. You have probably noticed at different times of the year, these paraments are different colors. Well what is one of the reasons for this? In Medieval times, most people were farmers, they couldn’t read and right, and they didn’t have clocks or calendars on their walls. These people lived by the seasons, and they knew the time during the day, roughly, by where the sun was in the sky. When these folks came to church, the colors of the paraments indicated to them what type of day it was, and what season it was. This is to say, how holy of a day was it in the life of the church, could be indicated in part, by the paraments.

          The Bible, which was written over hundreds of years, was written in a largely farming and agricultural world. This, I think, is a good thing, we just need to explain things a little more.

          My sermon for this morning is called, “Sowing Seeds of Faith,” as we have the parable or the story of “The Sower.” Getting back to talking about being a little kid from Northern Illinois, and my late Grandpa Winkelman though, once, and awhile I would take a drive with my grandpa. He often wore those blue or green work pants, and a button up shirt with snap buttons. His shirt pocket would have a farm company notepad, and he would have pencils and pens in his pocket. In his garage window at home, he had a Harry Truman sign that said, “The Buck Stops Here.” For years, I remember that my grandpa drove this little Ford Ranger truck. He used to say, “By God that is a heck of a truck!”

          I remember on some of these drive with my grandpa, driving past the corn fields. He would comment sometimes on how perfect the rows of corn were. I mean you could almost measure the rows of corn stalks, and distance between the corn stalks. So often it looked perfectly symmetrical. My grandpa told me though, that when he was a kid, the corn rows look pretty good, but nothing like they do today. Also, he told me that crop yields have skyrocketed over the years, as well.

          Since so many crops are planted and harvested largely mechanically these days, for me, I think of “The Parable of the Sower” that Jesus gives us for this morning, in the way of sowing grass seeds. How many people here have ever “sown” grass seed? There are also products on the market to sow grass seeds, that I have seen, that are little push carts. As you push the little cart, the seed is dispersed. In fact, Ron Nemire has one of these to spread salt in the winter at the church.

          So, let’s look again at our gospel reading from Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 for this morning. It says:

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!” (Mt. 13:1-9, NRSV).

          So, Jesus is beside the Sea of Galilee and great crowds are gathered around him. So big in fact, Jesus gets into a boat, just off the shore of the Sea of Galilee, I guess for “Social Distancing.” Once Jesus got a little space between the gathered crowds and himself, he began teaching parables or stories. Jesus tells us this morning, once again, the parable or the story of “The Sower.” “The Sower” in Jesus parable is throwing grain seeds. Some of these sown seeds, however, are eaten by birds, some fall among rocks where they cannot take root, some are scorched by the sun, some were choked among thorns, but some grew. Of the grain seeds that grew, Jesus said, that some of these seeds brought forth grain 100-fold, 60-fold, or 30-fold. Jesus then says again:

“Let anyone with ears listen!” (Mt. 13:1-9, NRSV).

          I wonder when we have planted grass seed, or when farmers plant grain, what percentage of the seeds sprout and grow, and what percentage just don’t make it?

          Recently, when our church had a drainage pipe job done in our church parking lot, a row of our front lawn was torn up to complete this project. The person working on this job, sowed grass seeds, and covered the seeds with straw. Often this is done to lock in moisture, keeps the seeds from getting scorched by the sun, from blowing away, and maybe it helps some with the birds to, I don’t know. Further, I can’t imagine that the person that did our parking lot job expected that every grass seed that he sowed would grow. I know people that have sowed grass seed, and it didn’t go very well! They then re-sowed! I know people who planted a garden and they got great growth. The problem is though that all of the growth was the weeds! If what you planted is growing, and if you don’t remove the weeds and protect what you planted, then what you planted might be in danger.

          Jesus gives the crowds listening and watching him this parable this morning, as they were largely farmers or agriculturalists. He was comparing faith to farming. I am sure they understood him very well, as some young people today might not understand this parable very well at all.

          Imagine if I told a 12-year-old today though that they were going to buy 20 random video games. I then tell them that of these 20 random video games that two of them won’t work, 5 of them won’t be fun to play, and so on and so forth. Yet, I tell the 12-year-old that of these 20 video games however, only 4 of them will be amazing. Kids today in America, would get this example immediately!

          After telling “The Parable of the Sower,” Jesus then explains this parable once again saying:

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Mt. 13:18-23, NRSV).

          Jesus explains “The Parable of the Sower,” and explains how some people will truly follow him, and how some will not. If someone does not accept or understand the gospel, it is like the seeds that have been sown on the path. If we hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and follow him briefly, but then fall away, it is like the seeds sown on the rocky ground.

Yet Jesus said, some of the seeds that we all sow will indeed fall on good and fertile soil. Those seeds will grow strong, and those seeds will yield as much as 100-times what they were when you sowed them!

          What is the point of this parable, this story? The point my friends is this, when we share our faith, when we love others, when we serve others, some people will be changed forever by this. Some of these “seeds” of faith and love that God has used us to sow throughout our lives, however, will die and will not grow. Yet, Jesus says to us this morning, some of the seeds that you have and continue to sow however, will produce yields that you can’t even imagine!

          Friends, you have heard me say that as your pastor, my goal is “to be nameless to history, and faithful for eternity.” Once again “to be nameless to history, and faithful for eternity.” Some of the seeds that we sow, we will never see the growth, or maybe we won’t even know about the growth. Yet all of you have and continue to sow seeds.

          For those who have found, accepted, and follow Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul tells us once again this morning in Romans 8:1-2:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Rom. 8:1-2, NRSV).

          There are people that God has used you to change, and you might not even know it on this side of heaven. One of my favorite songs is by Ray Boltz, and it is called “Thank You For Giving To Lord.” Through all this Covid-19 Pandemic, through the upheavals, the violence, and the uncertainty, may we be encouraged that whether we realize it or even believe it, that God is using us. To close this sermon, I want to show you a video of “Thank You For Giving to the Lord,” by Ray Boltz. Praise be to God. Amen.

Sidney UMC - July 4th Sunday/5th Sunday after Pentecost - 07/05/20 - Sermon - “Do You Still Make Mistakes To?"

Sunday 07/05/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:              “Do You Still Make Mistakes To?”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 45:10-17

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 7:15-25a

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

          Friends, brothers, and sisters, once again it is good to be back after a restful week of vacation. During this time off, Melissa and I were both able to relax and to reflect upon the past few months of the Covid-19 Pandemic, and the more recent racial and social unrest in this country.

          This Sunday is also the 5^th Sunday after Pentecost, and July 4^th Sunday. I say July 4^th Sunday or weekend, as yesterday was the day that on July 4, 1776 the founders of this country ratified the famed Declaration of Independence. At this Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this group of our nation’s founders created this historic document to tell King George III of England, that the then Thirteen Colonies are now free and independent from British rule.

          At both Continental Congresses, there were men that were from free states and there were men that were from slave states. Some of these men supported slavery, and some did not. Yet, every July 4^th, we have this holiday that we call Independence Day. We wave American flags, we have fireworks, barbeques, etc. So, what are we really celebrating on the July 4^th federal holiday? You see, the Declaration of Independence that was signed in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1776 said in the preamble that regarding our founder’s intentions that:

“all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”        (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence).

          Some have said to me though, “but how can this statement in the Declaration of Independence that was directed at the injustices of British rule over the Thirteen Colonies, be true if slavery existed until 1865?”

          The answer is this, the founders and the framers of this country and were flawed men. Some of them were completely opposed to the institution of slavery, but they wanted to birth a new nation. Is it true to say then that this country started without all people being free? Absolutely.

          Further, the Thirteen Colonies then fought our revolutionary war from 1776-1781. We then had a lose and ineffective government from 1781-1789, called “The Articles of Confederation”. Our present United States Constitution, or our main governing document, was created in 1787, ratified in 1788, and took effect in 1789. Our first President of the United States, and a slave owner, was President George Washington. Can you tell that I used to be a social studies teacher?

          So, it is undeniable then that what our Declaration of Independence said about all people being created free and equal, did not extend to all people on July 4, 1776.

          Further, the Bible tells us, that if we repent of ours sins, turn to Christ and follow him as Lord, then we will be cleansed of our sins, renewed, restored, and that we will live with Christ forever. Yet, after these spiritual conversion experiences, while we are truly saved and truly forgiven, we are not perfect. What Christ did on the cross can remove our sins and offer us salvation if we repent and turn to him, but that does not make us perfect.

          More specifically, in the Methodist Movement, we along with other Christian denominations believe in a doctrine called “Progressive Sanctification.” This doctrine is different than the doctrine salvation and our eternity with Jesus. Progressive Sanctification is the doctrine that if we walk daily with Christ and live the Christian life, that God will continue to purify us and sanctify us. While we are changed spiritually the day that we come to Christ, we will still become more and more like Christ, as we walk with him. Forgiveness, salvation, eternity are free gifts though Jesus Christ, but becoming like Christ that happens over the life of a Christian. This is why the founder of Methodist Movement, John Wesley said, quoting Hebrews 6:1-3, that we are “moving on to perfection.”

          So, what is my point, and where am I going with all of this? The point is this, the founders of our country were not perfect, and neither are we. Only God is perfect.

          I am preaching on this July 4^th Sunday largely from the Apostle Paul’s reading for this morning once again, from the Book of Romans. Now the Apostle Paul, as we know of him today, was first the Jewish religious leader, Saul of Tarsus. Saul of Tarsus hated the Christians, persecuted them, and was determined to destroy them. Saul was on the road to Damascus, Syria when Jesus appeared to him. Saul repented, accepted Christ, and because the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul was forgiven and made new in Jesus Christ. Yet, he still wasn’t perfect. Once again in our reading for this morning from Romans 7, the Apostle Paul says of himself:

“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin” (Rom. 7:15-25a, NRSV).

          One of the greatest teachers, evangelists, writers, and leaders in the history of our 2,000-year Christian Church, is saying that even though he was forgiven and has salvation in Christ, he still struggles with sin.

          What’s the point? The point is this, even when the Apostle Paul came to Christ, he still was not perfect, as we are not perfect. God, however, is continuing to mold, shape, and refine us into his perfect image. I would argue then, in the same way that our founding fathers were broken, flawed, and sinful, the United States of America has been living through its own form of progressive sanctification.

          What I am arguing on this our Fourth of July Sunday then, is that America like us as Christians, is continuing to be perfected. We are “moving on to perfections”. When we met Christ were not perfect, and when our country was founded it wasn’t perfect either.

          I spoke about this same topic in our July church newsletter. I also know that our church newsletter is the most exciting thing you read every month, but if you did not read my July newsletter article, I referenced the preamble of the United State Constitution. What does the preamble of the United State Constitution say? It says this:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution).

          What I focused in on in my July Pastor’s Newsletter article, was the very first line that said, “In Order to form a more perfect Union.” In being a permanently licensed New York State middle and high school social studies teacher, I learned and taught that our United States Constitution is a “living document.” This means what our founders created was designed by creation to grow and to develop. As Christians, after we meet Jesus Christ and as we walk with him, we progressively grow and develop. We become more righteous, more holy, and more sanctified.

          I love our United States Constitution. I love our country, but we all know that not all people were free when it formed. I don’t love that we had slavery, that women could only vote only about 100-years ago. I don’t like segregation, racism, inequality, poverty, and disco. Like our faith in Christ grows though, so does this country in which we live. I believe that after we accept Christ that we are moving “into a more perfect union” with God, as our country is moving into “a more perfect union”. I am not perfect, our founders were not perfect, you are not perfect, but Christ is indeed perfect!

          I am thankful and grateful that I am able to stand here this morning with the freedom and the liberty to be able to preach and to talk the way that I am I talking to you all right now. Yet, I want to grow closer to Christ. I want to know him more, be more like him, and be an even better Christian, husband, and pastor. Like you, I also want to see this country continue to grow and be better. We were not founded in the country as “A perfect Union,” our founders were attempting to create “A more perfect Union.”

          Some though, seem to want to destroy our government, our free market economy, and replace it with something “perfect.” Here is the reality though my friends, we are always striving for “more perfect,” but we in and of ourselves will never make “a perfect Union.” We are broken, sinners, greedy, envious, slanderous, jealous, and while I believe that we can make our country even better, I believe that only a “perfect” union will exist when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth and sets everything right.

          I still love the Fourth of July, even though as a country we have some serious realities to contend with in the history of this country. Instead of tearing down this great republic though, I think that we should do what we always have done, continue “to make a more perfect Union.”

          I really love singing “The Battle Hymn of Republic,” that we just sang this morning. This hymn, as I have said, is a Union Army hymn. Our Union soldiers sang this hymn in their camps and in marching in the US Civil War. Hundreds of thousands on men, both black and white died to end the sin of slavery in this country in 1865. On the day that slavery ended, our country was continuing “to make a more perfect Union.”

          Five-Hundred years ago, the great reformer Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation, but he didn’t try to destroy the church. Learning, growing, loving, leading, and reforming, this is what the church does, and what America has always done to. We don’t need to hate our country, but I think that we need to continue to work “to make a more perfect Union.” This is what we have always done.

          The sins of slavery, segregation, racism, and all of the bad things that are still part of our history, are there, but so are so many great things. This country in which we live, is the richest and the most powerful country in the history of the world, and can be a beacon of hope, light, love, grace, and mercy for the whole world. I love my country, and I also love the church. The church exists all over the world. As we are part of this country, we are also part of the worldwide Christian faith. As Christians historically, we don’t tear down, we reform. I truly believe that our founding fathers in all their brokenness and imperfections got this, as they said that they were setting out to form, “a more perfect Union.”

          In our gospel of Matthew reading, Jesus says once again:

“But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”         (Mt. 11:16-19, NRSV).

          Instead of us always thinking we have the answer to everything friends, Jesus says, come to me, and walk with me. In doing so, we grow closer to him, and we grow in “a more perfect union” with him.

          Jesus ends our gospel lesson from Matthew for this morning, saying:

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt. 11:28-30, NRSV).

          So how do we continue to make this republic in which we live “more perfect?” How do we continue to make Sidney and the world “more perfect?” How does God make us “more perfect?” I believe the only and best answer through Jesus Christ and his gospel.

          There have been times in our nation’s and other nation’s histories where some people misinterpreted the Bible. These misinterpretations were generally not happening in the whole church, just in some areas. These misinterpretations, like slavery, the rights of women, etc., were and are continuing to be addressed. What is eternal and is unchanging however, is the Triune God of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What is unchanging is God’s word, that Jesus is the risen Lord, and that whether it is 1776 or 2020, the gospel of Jesus Christ is still and always will be the hope of the world.

          My friends, my brothers, and sisters, may God continue to progressively sanctify us, and make us more and more like Jesus. May we also strive to live up to the founders of this republic in which we live, as we are called to “a more perfect Union.” Happy 4^th of July weekend, and may God bless America, all countries, and all people, for we all made in the image of God. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Father's Day/Third Sunday after Pentecost - 06/21/20 - Sermon - “A Disciple Is Not Above The Teacher"

Sunday 06/21/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:              “A Disciple Is Not Above The Teacher”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 6:1b-11

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 10:24-39

          Friends, welcome again on this the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and this our Father’s Day. To all the dads who are here and who are out there, to all men who have acted as fathers, who have loved, and who cared for others, we thank you for being parents, leaders, encouragers, people who sacrifice, and people that have helped us become the people that we are today. We do not seek to be better than you, but we seek to be more like you.

          If you did not have a good biological father here on earth, I would encourage you on this Father’s Day to think about the men that were or are still in your life that did so much for you. Those men who taught you, mentored you, cared for you, and who sacrificed so much for you. Today we thank and honor all men who have raised children, animals, or who have cared for and loved others. Thank you to the men on this day!

          For me, my biological father, my stepfather, and other men in my life have helped to shape me and make me the man I am today. The women in my life have been instrumental, as well, but today is Father’s Day not Mother’s Day.

          Among the many men that have mentored me, loved me, and guided me, I have been very fortunate to have learned more about God and our Christian faith from many of them.

          I learned things like it says once again in Psalm 86:9-10 for this morning:

“All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God” (Ps. 86:9-10, NRSV).

          From some of the many men that have done so much for me in my life, I learned about the love, the sovereignty, and the authority of God. I learned that God was God and that we are not. I also learned how treat other people, to work hard, to respect and love all people, and to love God.

          I learned what were good things, and what were not good things. This really reminds me of our scripture reading for this morning once again from Romans 6. The first verse is so interesting to me, as it says once again:

“What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:1b-4, NRSV).

          We cannot sin our way into the grace of God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do terrible and bad things, baptize them as good, and justify them as Godly. I believe that only struggles and violence should happen to protect our lives, and the lives of the innocent and the vulnerable. Just Wars occur to end tyranny and the oppression and the victimization of others. Committing violence, murder, and or criminal activity simply because we think it is ok or justified though, is sinful. We cannot sin our way into the gracious love of God. We must turn and repent from sin and darkness, and in doing so, we turn to God. God embraces us and we are filled with his love. We then share it with others.

          Our spiritual transformations are not ones that we cause, that we accomplish, but rather what God accomplishes in and through us. God works through us, and we, as new creations, change Sidney and the world. We are called to follow Christ, to be like Christ, to live like Christ, and to love like Christ. Through Christ we have joy, peace, love, and mercy.

          The Apostle Paul concludes our reading this morning from the Book of Romans with 6:5-11 that says once again:

^“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:5-11, NRSV).

          So, the Christian faith is about Jesus Christ. As humans we need redemption, we need transformation, we need to know that we are loved unconditionally, we need to know that we are forgiven, and we need to be made whole. As much as we think that we can do everything in this world on our own, we can do nothing without God. We are to lean on God, not our own understandings. If God has not spoken and revealed himself through the scriptures, then how can we even know God, his nature, or who God is? We know who God is, his expectations, and how we are supposed to live.

          So, do we trust God, or do we just trust ourselves, and claim that we are trusting God? In trusting God, God leads us, not our own desires. Our gospel lesson from the gospel of Matthew this morning is really telling of this. The gospel once again says:

“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!” (Mt. 10:24-25, NRSV).

          I will be honest with you, whenever I read this scripture, I have to think about it. I mean as Christians we are all equal before God, whether pastor, lay person, boss, employee, Cubs fans or the others, etc. Yet in this scripture, we are told we are not above the teacher, and not above the master. This seems uneven though doesn’t it? I mean I thought that we were all equal before God, right?

          Yet, what Jesus is saying here, is that his disciples and us are not above him. The Apostle Paul says he is slave for Christ, and if God is our master, then we are not above God. What Christ has endured for all of us in his crucifixion, means we do not have to endure what he has endured. So instead of being above Christ, we are just called to be like him. We cannot die for the sins of the world, and we do not have the full power and the wisdom that Christ has, but we are called to be like him. As we walk with him, we become more like him.

          Instead of selling out to secular and a materialistic world view then, the historic Christian faith believes that we can be changed by Christ. I have been changed by Jesus Christ, and so can we all. We serve Christ, we serve and love others, and the world becomes attracted to our faith and our love through Christ. We build Christian community, we love each other, we grow closer to Jesus, and the church grows and flourishes. Instead of the church changing to be like the world, the world changes to be like Christ. Or to put it another way, we are in the world, but not of the world. Jesus came to transform the world, not be transformed by the world. The gospel of Jesus Christ is designed to change Sidney and the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not designed to be changed by Sidney and the world.

Further the property we own and the possessions we own are just on loan to us while we are on this earth. They do belong to God, but we have them here on earth. In fact, two of ten commandments protect private property, which is why we are not to steal or to covet. The abolition of such things then, are contrary to the very Law of God. Having some wealth is not the sin, greed and the love of money is the sin.

          As the scripture also says, if the master of the house is called “Beezlebul,” or the Devil, how do you think we will be treated? Do we live in a world that wants to turn from sin and darkness, or do we live in a world that largely loves sin and darkness? We will not find wholeness in the world in mobs, in riots, in burning down buildings, only in Jesus Christ. The changes that are needed in this country, should come through our faith in Christ. We are not vigilantes that can do anything we want and then explain it away as faith. We are not to envy, to covet, to steal, and we are also not to hate. We all have work that we need to allow God to do on us.  

          Jesus continues on in Matthew 10:26 saying about those whose persecute us as Christians:

“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Mt. 10:26-31, NRSV).

            We can live for this world. We can live for pleasure, possessions, power, revolution, or we can turn to the saving embrace of Jesus Christ. If we follow Christ and work hard, and if we amass some wealth and possession, then what a blessing it is to give. What a blessing it is to be generous. What a blessing it is to feed the poor, care for the sick, and transform the world.

          Jesus concludes this gospel of Matthew reading for this morning starting in 10:32 saying:

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it” (Mt. 10:32-39, NRSV).

          So, if we are going to try to create a perfect world with no problems, we are fooling ourselves. We are sinners, and our human nature is flawed. I wish it wasn’t so, but we don’t always do the right thing. This doesn’t mean that we can’t do good, but that we can’t seem to completely avoid doing bad. We can make the world much better, be we cannot make it perfect.

          Some might say, “So you mean Pastor Paul that we can’t solve all the world’s problems?” No, we can’t. Can we eradicate hunger and poverty? I really think we are moving in that direction, thanks to market economies that have produced advances in agriculture and technologies. The world is advancing and the qualities of life of many are increasing like never before.

          There are inequalities in this country though, and in this world. There is hate, anger, and racism, but we are called to be faithful to Christ. We should love and care for all people as children of God. We should defend the weak, the helpless, and the oppressed, but the gospel of Jesus Christ is about human redemption, not human revolution.

          All throughout the history of the church we have created orphanages, hospitals, schools, feeding programs, homes, taught people to read, provided education, and shared the hope of Jesus Christ. The Christian Church has created and still has many feeding programs and continues to do so much to help the poor, to fight poverty, and create a more peaceful world. Yet we cannot simply defeat sin in the world, only Christ can do that. Do we really think that we can accomplish in this world, only what Christ can?  

          One day my friends the world will be perfect, but only when Christ returns to this earth in glory. If we deny the reality of human sin and human nature, then not only are we fooling ourselves, but we are playing with fire. I am not giving up or abdicating my role in serving, helping the poor, or making the world better. I realize though that I am not God, for “A disciple is not above the teacher.” Amen.

Sidney UMC - Second Sunday after Pentecost - 06/14/20 - Sermon - “Justified by Faith"

Sunday 06/14/20 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:                “Justified by Faith”

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

                                           

New Testament Scripture: Romans 5:1-8

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 9:35-10:23

          Today, once again, is the Second Sunday after Pentecost. Two Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved on the day of Pentecost, nearly two-thousand years ago. On that day, the Christian Church was born, and nearly two-thousand years later we are worshipping God here this morning.

          It is hard for me to believe, for those of us safely here in person this morning, that we did not have any in person church options for three months. It seems to me, like it was forever ago that we had church in person. Some are not here this morning, as they are just not ready, and this is ok. How good it is though to be here on a Sunday morning, with those of us that are safely here.

          With this said, I remember when I was a little kid that if I had a toy in the toy box that was not being played with, generally my siblings would not care. Yet, if I picked up that toy, then suddenly that toy became irresistibly desirable for my brothers and sisters.

For most of my 38-years on this earth, other than the last three months, the Christian Church has always been opened. Sure, we may have been closed for a snowstorm, a flood, or another natural disaster, but never like this. It is true that the church is the followers of Christ, as well as the mission of the church that we live out, but it is nice to worship in God’s house. Other than floods, storms, and situations like this, the church has generally always been open. As a result, if we were tired on a given Sunday, then we could just play “hooky” if we wanted to.

          In the last three months though, someone took our toy from our toy chest. Maybe the toy, the church in this case, was something many of us took for granted. We might have said, “the church is always there, so what if I miss a Sunday or two, or miss other elements of the life of the church? It is not like anyone else will take that toy out of the toy box and play with it”. For the past three months, a brother or sister did not take our toy, or our church, but Covid-19 did.

          When suddenly attending church in person was no longer an option, many of us said, “Hey, who is playing with my toy!” Maybe some of us took the church for granted, not the people, not the mission of the church, but the blessing of being able to worship here.

          During these last few months, some of you have told me that you have had a strong desire to be here, to worship, to connect with God. Three months ago, suddenly that opportunity was taken from us all. Even when church floods happened here, someone could have driven far enough to find another open and functioning church if they wanted to. This time however, it was not flooding in some places that closed some churches, for churches were shut down in much of the world.

          Friends we are not through the woods with this Covid-19 Pandemic, but with us being here this morning, to me, it is a sign that maybe we will reach the edge of this forest sooner or later. We will overcome this!

          In a similar way to fighting over a toy, I want to talk this morning about “Justification,” or being justified. There are times in our lives when we would say that our actions, or our decisions were “justifiable.” What we did, what we decided was ok and was good.

          Some people go through life seeking to be affirmed or justified. I think that this Covid-19 pandemic, along with doing great damage to the US and the world’s economies, as well as showing us the struggles of racism and other struggles in this country, has also shown us some other things.

          Some people have told me and have remarked to me how much they were doing before this pandemic started. Some people told me what they were buying, spending, etc. We seem to have a culture that says we can purchase justification. If we buy that car, that bigger house, that new suit, then we will finally feel the way we deserve to feel. People will finally affirm us and show us the respect and the honor that we deserve.

          This Covid-19 Pandemic was a wrecking ball to our vast consumption. I have heard the term “Retail Therapy.” You have a bad day at work or in general, so you go and buy a new pair of shoes, or a new outfit. So many people in this culture struggle to feel good enough, affirmed, and justified.

          What would it be like though to know that you are good enough right now? What if you knew in every fiber of your being that you were indeed good enough? What if your desire to buy things, to purchase more, to go bigger, to go larger, just disappeared or began to diminish? What If you began to no longer desire those things? What if we realized on some level that the things that we were striving after might be connected to our sense of self-worth? Our culture says you need to get more, to get bigger, to get larger, because in doing so you feel affirmed or justified. You need to chase the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, because that is how you feel like you are somebody.

          I have read research before about high powered businessmen and women who retire. Some of them cut the cord and they are done. Some of them though, they get right back into the race. They need it, it makes them feel whole. They need it to affirm themselves, they need it to give them value, and to justify their existence.

          I have heard so many people say, “I will be happy when…” They will be happy when they get a better job, a new house, a new car, married, etc. I think that this Covid-19 Pandemic put a real monkey wrench in our system of buying and trying to obtain happiness.

          In our reading for this morning from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans, Paul tells us how to be truly affirmed or justified. Paul tells us how to truly feel whole and complete. Once again, the Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:1-2:

“Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God”                      (Rom. 5:1-2, NRSV).

          Now I am guessing that over these last three months that we had times that we did not have peace. Instead, we had worry and maybe anxiety. I had a couple of moments where I was wondering if were living in the Book of Revelation.

          Through all of this though, if we have repented of our sins, come to Christ, accepted him, been filled with the Holy Spirit, then in that moment of acceptance we were justified. Through the blood that Christ shed on the cross, every single one of us in that moment of Justification were made clean and blameless through Jesus Christ. In that moment, we were good enough right where we were. We did not need to do anything more. We did not need to earn it, to buy it, or to take it. It was given freely for us.

          For those of us that know Christ, we are justified, we don’t have to prove ourselves, we don’t have to be perfect, because through Christ’s blood we have been redeemed and restored. Since this is true, our value to God, comes not from things, possessions, wealth, and power. Our value comes because we are forgiven people made in the image of almighty God. Every single person that walks this earth was created in God’s image, is loved by God, and can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

          As much as we try to make the world better, and we should, only Jesus can justify us, as we will never be able to obtain full justification here on earth. I believe that we should work to make the earth better, that we should love and affirm all people, but the truest affirmation and hope comes through Jesus Christ.

Is this always easy to do? No, as the Apostle Paul continues saying this morning:

“And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:3-8, NRSV).

          In this hurting, broken, and sinful world, Jesus Christ died for us, and through him and through him alone we are justified. Jesus is enough, and we never need to try to buy or earn this affirmation or justification. If you feel like you are not good enough, if you feel unloved, unaffirmed, or unjustified, you can be justified through Jesus Christ.

          In our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning, Jesus goes all over preaching the good news of God’s kingdom, and he healed many (Mt. 9:35, NRSV). Jesus had compassion for the people and challenged his disciples and us to be about the work of the gospel (Mt. 9:36-38, NRSV).

          Jesus then empowers his twelve disciples and gives them spiritual authority (Mt. 10:1-4, NRSV). Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to preach the gospel, to love, to heal, and to forgive. They then went out with little to nothing and they were told to preach where people would listen and welcome, but to be on their way if people didn’t hear or listen. (Mt. 10:5-15, NRSV).

          Jesus then says:

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time;”                  (Mt. 10:16-20, NRSV).

          Friends so many us try to find happiness in this world. We try to buy it, to seek it, to obtain it, to chase after it, or to earn it. If the past three months have taught us anything it is that the things of this world are not always as reliable as we would like to think they are. While we might try to obtain affirmation or justification in this world, we can only fully and unconditionally obtain this from God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Unlike fighting over the toy in the toybox then, there is enough Jesus to go around for us all. In him, we are fully and completely justified through his blood, if we repent and come to him as Lord. Friends we have Jesus, we have justification, because we have faith in God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.