Being with Jesus – An Example

August 22, 2010   Luke 19:1-10

Being With Jesus.  So far we’ve considered how the first disciples were changed because they had been with Jesus and that being in a faith relationship with Jesus is what makes all the difference in one’s life. After all, the Pharisees had been with Jesus, but it did not have the same effect on them as it did on those who believed in Him. So today I want you to consider another Biblical example of someone whose life was completely and radically changed as a result of being with Jesus. And His name is Zacchaeus.

In the modern translations he is called a “chief tax collector.” He was an important man. Probably not popular, but important. To get an idea of how they viewed tax collectors in those days, imagine the worst politician you can think of, add to that someone who is known to take bribes and extort money from people, and who does all of this with the blessing of the ruling authorities. That was Zacchaeus. He fit right in with all the other social misfits with whom Jesus was always spending His time: prostitutes, outcasts, lepers and the like. It was for sinners that Jesus came. He laid aside all His might and power and glory and majesty to become one us of.

 [He] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:7 (NIV)

He came to be with sinners. He came to be with you.

Zacchaeus was wealthy, but that didn’t mean he was happy or content. The same is true today. People may live in big houses with good incomes, have nice cars and all the latest electronic gadgets, all the trappings of the “good life,” but that doesn’t mean they are content. These are people for whom Christ died as well, yet without a relationship with Jesus, they will never find what they need most. Having things doesn’t fill the void in your life.  Being with Jesus does.

For all his prominence and power, Zacchaeus was unable to see Jesus when he came to town. There was a parade of sorts, but Zacchaeus could not see Jesus. He had a physical limitation – he was short. He couldn’t see over the crowd. But he was not going to miss out, so he did what he had to do. He climbed a tree to get a view of the one who was passing by. Why did he go to so much trouble? He had probably heard some of the stories about this young, charismatic rabbi. But maybe there was more. Maybe Zacchaeus felt the void in his life. Maybe he knew that he was far from where God wanted him to be. Maybe he wondered if Jesus had something special to offer him. We don’t know exactly what was going through his mind as this important man climbed a tree to get a glimpse of this passing celebrity.

Nor can we know what he felt when he was up in that tree and he heard, “Zacchaeus. Come down. I want to spend some time with you at your house.” Could it be true? Jesus said, “I want to be with you.” Jesus called out to Zacchaeus by name. Jesus wanted to be with him, to go to his house, to establish a relationship with him. He wanted to make it personal.

I’ve wondered what all was said during their time together. We don’t have a record of it, so we can’t know. But being with Jesus changed Zacchaeus forever. He resolved to change his life for the better. Salvation was not dependent on his actions, and we can say confidently that Zacchaeus continued to sin in his life. But because of the relationship he had with Jesus, he would be different. He pledges to make amends with those he has wronged and do better in the future.

Jesus wants to be with you just as He wanted to be with Zacchaeus. He knows who you are. He knows your failings and shortcomings. You may not be up in a tree, but He calls out to you, “I want to be with you. I want to be in your house. I want to spend some time with you. I want to be with you when you eat. I want to be with you when you get up in the morning, as you go through the day, when you lie down at night. I want you to know how much I love you, that I died in your place to pay for your sin. “ Jesus wants to make it personal.

If you take this step, being consciously aware of His presence and being in a faith relationship with your Savior, can you imagine the change it will make in your life? Maybe you’ve been in this relationship for a long time already and just need to recommit yourself to it and reenergize your life as His disciple. Take the step. Zacchaeus did, and he resolved to repay all those he had defrauded and then some. Understanding who Jesus is, all that He did to earn our salvation, and having a relationship with Him makes a response necessary. How will you express your gratitude?

• A word of encouragement and kindness to someone hurt by life?
• An act of generosity to someone not expecting it and in the eyes of the world not deserving of it?
• Signing up to be a part of one of our Mission Trips to share God’s love in tangible ways?
• Having an attitude of forgiveness that follows the example of the one who ate with sinners and tax collectors?
• Will you offer yourself as a living sacrifice? Will you offer your talents and abilities and skills to be used in serving God and others?

How will you express your gratitude in your life?

Jesus acknowledged Zacchaeus to be a son of Abraham, which was not simply a reference to his bloodline. Rather, he was declaring that Zacchaeus was an heir of the salvation promised to Abraham. And Jesus says the same thing to you. Because of your faith in Jesus, you are a son of Abraham and entitled to the same salvation.

Jesus wants to be with you. He does not want to just to stop by your house for a visit or a meal. He wants to be with you forever. Always. That is what He was saying to His disciples in the Upper Room.

 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. ² In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

John 14:1–3 (NIV)

Being with Jesus now and being with Him forever. That’s where we need to be.

Being With Jesus – Relationships

Last week I started a series of messages called “Being With Jesus.” I asked you to think about how consciously being with Jesus makes a difference in your lives. We know in our heads that Jesus is always with us. But having a conscious awareness of His presence in our hearts is what makes a difference in our daily walk. We talked about the impact Jesus had on the lives of His first disciples, recalling when Peter and John healed a crippled man and the boldness of their witness (Acts 3-4). The Jewish leaders took note that these men had been with Jesus. As we continue to think about this today, I want you to consider the effect that all of our relationships have on our lives.

I know I’ve told this story before, but I remember leading chapel services at Concordia College in Austin during my sophomore year. It just so happened that the Board of Regents of the college was meeting on campus that day, so they attended chapel. That added to my anxiety when I walked in and saw all those leaders of our church in Texas sitting there with the professors and students. Carl Heckmann was our District President at that time. As he was walking out of the chapel after the service I heard him ask one of the professors, “Say, isn’t that Fred’s boy?” That is how I was known through college and seminary to many of my professors: “Fred’s boy.” Even when I got to my first parish in Oklahoma, many of the pastors there knew Dad, so I was still “Fred’s boy.” And of course, coming back to Texas, I lived with that legacy. It gave me a relationship with people who otherwise did not know me. They made a connection with me and I with them because of someone we both knew.

When my daughters went to Concordia, they experienced the same thing. They often groaned, “everywhere I go people ask me ‘are you Mike and Cheryl’s daughter?’” Our oldest daughter, Rachel, told me about a weekend while still in college that she went to worship in a Lutheran church in Houston. After the service, the pastor was greeting people at the door. When he asked her name, she said she purposely didn’t use her last name. The pastor kept telling her how familiar she looked. She finally admitted, “Well, my dad’s a pastor in Denison.” And he said, “Mike Mattil?” She was then mortified to hear the pastor call his wife over by saying, “Hey, this is Mike and Cheryl’s daughter.” I had gone to seminary with the guy.

A few years ago I was asked to preach at Homecoming when Rachel and Bethany were both students at Concordia. The bulletin announced that the preacher was “The father of Rachel and Bethany Mattil.” When I first started getting involved with the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League here in Texas, I was known as Cheryl’s husband.  

Relationships identify us. They help define who we are: spouse, parent, child, neighbor, friend, acquaintance, teacher, student. Most of the relationships we have in our lives are positive. They enrich our lives. When people have a connection with you, they will be more likely to help you, even going out of their way to do so. Our youngest daughter is finding out how true that is these days. Ten days ago her parents were willing to drive to Austin, spend seven hours moving her into her apartment and classroom and drive back home that night. Her mother went back down there Friday to spend some more time getting everything ready. Ed Dieterichs was going down there this weekend to visit his grandchildren, and he was willing to deliver a washer and dryer down there and install them in her apartment. You do these things because of relationships.

People around the world know this to be true. All of you could no doubt easily come up with multiple examples of how relationships with other people have enriched and improved your lives. And those of us here today share a deeper bond, greater than being acquainted and related. You are reminded of that bond, that relationship, when we begin our worship in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, echoing the words spoken when the waters of Baptism splashed over us. We share the bond of having been claimed by God as His dearly loved children. We share the bond of God’s grace that reached out to us in our sinful condition. We share the bond of having been led by the Holy Spirit to faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior. We are in a relationship not just with each other, but also with Jesus Christ. 

You can never overstate the impact this has on your life. As important and powerful and meaningful as your relationships with other people are, your relationship with Jesus is the most important thing in your life. Without Him, you would be lost and condemned for eternity. That’s what each of us deserve because of the lives we live, because of the sinful people we are. Any kind of examination of your life reveals that to be true, whether you think about the things you have not done that you should have done or the things you have done that you should not have done.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We do it every day, time and time again.

• The harsh word.
• The lies and deception.
• The laziness
• The malicious thoughts
• The gossip

This and so much more is sin, and God tells us very plainly what these sins deserve:

Romans 6:23 (NIV) …the wages of sin is death…

However…the story is different if you have a relationship with Jesus.

Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is yours because God established a relationship with you. When mankind fell into sin and went away from God, He went out of His way to do what needed doing. He was willing to lay aside the power and majesty and splendor of heaven in order to encounter us on our level, in flesh and blood, to be God with us and God for us.  Paul spoke of what the God/Man Jesus Christ did for us this way:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The relationship you have with Jesus means that He took your place in punishment, all the way to death, and puts on you His perfection. God sees you as being not guilty of sin for Jesus’ sake. It is because of the faith relationship you have with Jesus as your Savior.

1 John 5:12 (NIV) He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

If you have the Son, you are in a faith relationship with him. And that guarantees you life. You have the Son in your life. You are with Him and He is with you. We’ll talk about this again next week.

Being With Jesus – Part 1

August 8, 2010

Acts 4:1–13 (NIV) The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. 5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

On one of my recent wanderings through the myriad of blogs available on the internet, I came across on by a fellow named Mike Messerli. His profile describes him as “an old pastor trying to finish well.” I know nothing else about him, but this is what he wrote.

One of my good friends and ministry partner is Brandon. He and his beautiful wife are missionaries in Guatemala. In a comment he made yesterday on another post he said this, “Two friends of ours here, Dave and Helen Ekstrom, are 84 and 83 and when they drop in for a visit Jenny and I stop whatever we are doing and just chat with them. Someone needs to write their stories down. Anyway, when they leave, we are just amazed. We feel like we have been spending time with Jesus. As we thought about that, we realized that those two people are more like Christ than anyone we have ever met. Being with them feels very much like being with Jesus.”

Have you ever been with someone like that? When they leave, you feel like you’ve spent time with Jesus? It is a tribute not only to those people, but to our Lord and Savior as well. I’ve have had and still have people in my life who make me feel that way. Hopefully you do, too.

The reading today from the book of Acts speaks of two of those who actually did get to spend time with Jesus: Peter and John.  In the previous chapter, these two disciples of Jesus were going to the Temple and encountered a man who was crippled from birth. Peter said to him, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” God healed this man using Peter and John as His instruments. This caused a lot of people to take notice of Peter and John, and they used it as an opportunity to share the message of Jesus with all who would listen. They spoke of how Jesus had been put to death to pay for sins and how He rose from the dead in victory. They called the people to repent and believe in Jesus. This did not sit well with the Temple priests, who had these two arrested and thrown in jail. The next day the Jewish leaders brought them out and questioned them about what had happened. They asked “By what power or what name did you do this.”  That was all the opening Peter needed. The Holy Spirit filled him and he said,

“Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed … Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Peter and John seized the chance to share the hope that was in them. They wanted everyone to know and hear and Jesus. And the next verse is the one I want to stick with you today:  When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. They had been with Jesus. That makes the difference. They had no formal education. They were plain folk, probably pretty rough and raw at that. They had been fishermen. It wasn’t a hobby – it was how they made their living – Intense physical labor. But then Jesus came into their lives. They heard John the Baptizer speak about Him. They listened to Jesus teach the crowds. And then they heard Jesus say, “Follow me. I will make you fishers of men.” Scripture tells us they left everything to do just that. follow Jesus. From the time He said “Follow Me” that is what they did. They got to be with Jesus.

That’s what we need in our lives. We need to be with Jesus. Of course, we don’t get to be with Him like those first disciples got to be with Him. They had Him there in flesh and blood, walked with Him, talked with Him, ate with Him, slept with Him. We don’t get that. Or do we?

If you want to get to know Jesus and you want to be like Jesus, you need to be with Jesus. You need to spend time with Him. It is possible still today. We can walk and talk and eat and sleep with Jesus.

• You spend time with Jesus when you speak to Him in prayer. That is your chance to talk with Him about anything and everything.
• You get to be with Jesus when you let Him speak to you in His Word. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you, let it fill you up, let it be in you.
• You get to be with Jesus in a special way when you approach this altar to receive His Body and Blood through this meal of bread and wine that has His Word and promise attached to it. This is an intimate way that you get to be with your Lord and have the assurance of His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, His acceptance.
• When you lay your head down at night and say your prayers, you have the promise of His presence with you: I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Psalm 3:5 (NIV) You can pray “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep” and know that He will be with you.

You get to live with Jesus. You get to be with Jesus. Do people notice that about you? Can they tell? Do others take note that you have been with Jesus? Maybe not everyone will notice. But I can pretty much guarantee you that if you don’t spend time being with Jesus every day people will not mistake you for someone who does.

I have a brother-in-law named Eddie. Some of you have met him. He’s a great guy, and people like to be around him. What you may not know is that Eddie is a recovering alcoholic. When I first got to know him, he shared with me that in his youth he lived a pretty rough life. To be honest, it was a very rough life. He was always in trouble, always getting into fights, and often found himself on the wrong side of the law. He spent some time in jail. He was telling me all this, and then he flashed a big smile and said, “That was before me and Jesus became friends.” He has looked for love and peace and happiness in the things this world had to offer, but did not find them until he came to faith in Christ. Today, you would be hard pressed to find a more decent, kind and caring individual than Eddie. And he is the first to tell you that being with Jesus has made the difference in his life.

It was true for the disciples. It is true for you. Being with Jesus makes the difference. We’ll talk about this more next week.

Some Thoughts on Prayer

August 1, 2010

A priest, a minister and a guru sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby.  “Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray,” the priest said. “No,” said the minister. “I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven.” “You’re both wrong,” the guru said. “The most effective prayer position is lying down on the floor.” The repairman could contain himself no longer. “Hey, fellas,” he interrupted. “The best prayin’ I ever did was when I was hangin’ upside down from a telephone pole.”

I want to share some thoughts on prayer with you today. And as I do, I want you to think about this statement. Prayer is not getting ready to live the Christian life. Prayer is living the Christian Life. Talking to God should be natural for believers. It is not about the words you use. It is sharing your heart. It should be easy. We make it more complicated than it has to be. Kids know how to keep it simple. One class of young children was given the assignment to write letters to God. Look at how easily they are able to talk to Him about any and everything.

Dear God …

• Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones why don’t you just keep the ones you got now?
• I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that ok?
• In bible times did they really talk that fancy?
• We read Thomas Edison made light but in Sunday School they said you did it. So I bet he stoled your idea.
• I bet it is very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.
• Please send Dennis Clark to a different camp this year.
• I think about you sometimes even when I’m not praying.

When do we lose that ability to talk to God so freely? Prayer is not getting ready to live the Christian life. Prayer is living the Christian Life

An email I received told the story of a pastor who had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and was afraid to come down. He tried to coax it, offer it food and milk, even shook the tree a little, but nothing worked. The cat wouldn’t come down. This pastor was not going to be outsmarted by a cat. The tree was too tall for him to reach up into it, but it was not sturdy enough for him to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and pulled it until the tree bent down, he could probably reach up and get the cat. So he attached the rope to the tree and his car and carefully pulled the tree down, all the while checking his progress. He needed to go just a little bit further, he figured, in order to be able to reach the cat. Suddenly and without warning the rope broke. The tree snapped back up and launched that cat through the air and out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they had seen a kitten. No luck. So He prayed, “Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping” and went on about his business. A few days later, he saw one of his members in the grocery store. He noticed she had cat food in her basket, but he knew she was a cat hater, so he asked her about it. She said, “You won’t believe this. My daughter has been begging me for a cat, but I told her ‘no!’ She kept asking and begging and pleading, so finally I said, ‘Well, if God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.’  I watched my little girl go in the back yard, get on her knees and ask God for a cat. And I wouldn’t believe this if I had not seen it with my own eyes. A kitten came flying out of the sky with its paws outstretched and landed in the yard right in front of her.”

Prayer is not getting ready to live the Christian life. Prayer is living the Christian Life

Sometimes our prayer is “God, I don’t understand why you did this – help me figure out what is going on and what I’m supposed to do.” Other times we pray, “I’m angry right now. This isn’t what I wanted, this isn’t what I expected.” You can go to God with any and everything. If you want examples, look at the Psalms and how David prayed to God in good times and bad, happy and sad. The important thing is to keep in contact with the one who is in control.

On a side note, did you ever notice that we spend more time praying to keep people out of heaven than we do praying to keep people out of hell?  Think about all the prayers we offer for healing, asking that people would stay with us here on earth a while longer. I’m not saying this is bad or wrong. We can ask God for anything. But in a way, we are praying that God would keep them out of heaven. It seems like we pray for that a lot more than we ask God to use us to share His love and mercy and forgiveness with those who are on their way to hell. I just think we should spend more time including that in our prayers, too.

Prayer is not getting ready to live the Christian life. Prayer is living the Christian Life.

Prayer is not for God’s benefit, but for ours. It keeps us in constant contact with the one who loved us enough to come down to earth, be one of us, live among us, keep the law in our place, offer His life to pay for our sins, earning our forgiveness, life and salvation. Jesus did that for you, and He wants you to keep in touch with Him. He speaks to you in His Word. You speak to Him in prayer. That doesn’t mean all our problems and difficulties, our lack of understanding and our anger just go away. It means we have this confidence as we deal with our problems and difficulties and anger and lack of understanding.

The next three Sundays our theme is “Being With Jesus.” He is with us always. When you pray, you are reminded of that.

Prayer is not getting ready to live the Christian life. Prayer is living the Christian Life.

Sermon Series for August

Want some encouragement? Some suggestions for getting your life in order? How do others do it? Maybe this sermon series will be just the thing you need. During the month of August, the theme for Pastor Mattil’s messages in worship is “Being With Jesus.”

Carrots, Eggs and Coffee Beans

July 25, 2010

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how awful things were for her. It was all too hard for her. Nothing was working out the way she had planned, the way she had dreamed, the way she wanted them to be. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

 Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each burner on high. Soon the pots came to boil.

In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.

She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she poured some of the coffee into a cup. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘ Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. Then the daughter asked, ‘Okay, mom? What’s your point?’

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

So she asked her daughter. ‘Which are you? When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Ask yourself: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a flexible heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?  Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Do you get discouraged? Or do you find courage? I think it depends on whether or not you remember who you are.

You and I are among those who know that we don’t face adversity/hot water by ourselves. We have Christ with us. We have been led by the Spirit to know and believe and trust that Jesus is our Savior. We know our problems, our failures, our shortcomings, our sins. But we also know that God took care of all that in the person of Jesus Christ. He was willing to and in fact did take our place in punishment. He carried the burden of all sin on Himself and paid for it all with that holy, innocent bitter suffering and death at Calvary. He faced more than hot water – he died for you. But it does not end there. We are gathered together here because we know that He triumphed over the grave and death. He has earned the victory and gives it to those who believe that He is who He says He is. We believe it! In fact, we want others to believe it and have what we have, so we Proclaim His Name!  We know that He is with us no matter what we face.

I know you are no different than anyone else in that you have heartache, adversity, physical woes, pain and grief. However, you are different in that you have been washed in the blood of the lamb. You were cleansed by the water and the Word. You have placed your faith in Christ.  That allows you to make coffee. I don’t mean the kind served a church socials, but the kind that changes adversity because of who you are in Christ.

A man named William Bathurst wrote  a hymn originally entitled “The Power of Faith” that was an exposition of Luke 17:5  The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” It does not appear in LSB nor was it in LW, but it was #396 in TLH under the title “Oh, For a Faith That Will Not Shrink.”

Oh, for a faith that will not shrink Tho’ pressed by many a foe;

That will not tremble on the brink Of poverty or woe;

 

That will not murmur nor complain Beneath the chast’ning rod,

But in the hour of grief or pain Can lean upon its God;

 

A faith that shines more bright and clear When tempests rage without;

That, when in danger, knows no fear, In darkness feels no doubt;

 

That bears unmoved the world’s dread frown Nor heeds its scornful smile;

That sin’s wild ocean cannot drown Nor Satan’s arts beguile;

 

A faith that keeps the narrow way Till life’s last spark is fled

And with a pure and heavenly ray Lights up the dying bed.

 

Lord, give us such a faith as this; And then, whate’er may come

We’ll taste e’en now the hallowed bliss of an eternal home.

 

We will face adversity, but we get to face is with Jesus. Faith that is in CHRIST JESUS is what makes all the difference. It lets us be the ones who can make coffee.

To Whom Do You Pledge?

July 4, 2010

Is this a Christian Nation? That question is being posed repeatedly these days. People continue to lament the removal of prayer from public schools, the prohibitions against nativity scenes on public property and an increasing animosity towards Christians from many government officials. Is this a Christian Nation? [Video clips of “Call to Renewal Keynote” - June 28, 2006] After professing that he is a Christian, the then Senator Obama makes the point that America is not a Christian nation, but a pluralistic one, which is an accurate assessment of what our nation has become. He then proceeds to belittle and ridicule Christians but none of the other religious groups that he mentioned. This was in a speech in June 2006, and two years later the majority of the voters in this nation elected him to be our president.

I came across a video online this week that was produced by Oprah Winfrey. It features of host of celebrities who pledge allegiance to Barack Obama, to be his servants and instruments of change. (http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=86695) Many of the things they pledge or promise to do here are worthy and worthwhile. I wonder why they waited so long to promise to do these things. And I wonder why they pledge allegiance to an individual rather than to our nation. Barack Obama is our President, the leader of our nation, but he is not our Spiritual leader. Neither is Oprah. And we should be careful about pledging allegiance to an individual.

To whom do you pledge? In our service today, we said the “I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Something that keeps surfacing is whether or not the words “under God” should be part of that pledge. I have heard it pointed out many times that those words were not originally in the pledge, and that is true. The pledge was written almost 120 years ago and has been revised a few times. The words “under God” were officially added only 56 years ago. Reporters imply that really isn’t all that long. And yet these same folks in the media scream about how the right for a mother to kill her unborn child is “long-standing,” and that abomination has only been legal for 37 years.

Whether or not the words “under God” get removed from our pledge is not the most important thing in the world. I’d like to see them stay there, because they are an accurate reflection of what made this country great to begin with. But saying those words is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that those words be a reality in your life. Your life should be lived “under God.”

Earlier in our service today, we reflected on the blessings God has given us in this country. That is why I read part of the Declaration of Independence and we all pledged allegiance to the US flag. To do so is not a conflict for Christians, because this country of ours allows us the freedom to worship God. And this nation was founded on Christian principles. While it is true that we seem to be getting further and further away from those principles as a nation, that is how it started and we still enjoy the freedom to worship, to speak out and say what we believe. For that we should give thanks to God. Let’s look at one of those principles as it was stated by the founding fathers.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident 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.”

 

—  Is it self-evident that we are all created equal when you listen to the words we sometimes use to describe others, words that are derogatory in nature and hurtful?

—  Is the right to life and liberty self-evident to those who blow up buildings and kill our citizens and topple our government?

—  Is the right to life self-evident when the pro-choice movement denies that right to the unborn?

—  Is the pursuit of happiness self-evident? I think we have come to expect instant happiness, happiness on demand, change the channel, change the marriage if you’re not satisfied. Fewer and fewer are content with the pursuit of happiness through sacrifice and hard work. They want it handed to them.

—  Is it self-evident that these unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” come to us from a Creator?

These things were all self-evident to the founding fathers. They were educated men who had thought and studied deeply about human nature and how we can best govern ourselves. 234 years later we could benefit from renewed study and appreciation of the assumptions underlying our independence. This nation was founded by people who believed in the true God, the God of the Bible, and that influenced their planning and decisions. The further away we get from Him and His guidance, the worse it gets for us.

We need to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy. We should also be willing to do whatever it takes to ensure those freedoms for ourselves and others. Many have and are still laying down their lives to make our freedom a reality. As we express our thanks to God, it is good to remind each other of our heritage. Many want to remove any reference to God or Christianity from our national government. To do so is to rip away its foundation. Consider the following quotes.

Almost all the civil liberty now enjoyed in the world owes its origins to the principles of the Christian religion. 

- Noah Webster, History of the United States.

“Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.”

- United States Supreme Court, 1892

The ACLU and many leaders in government today don’t want you to hear or know that, but that is our history!

Lutheran Christians have a heritage of being good citizens. Luther and the other Reformers encouraged Lutherans to be involved in earthly government. That happened in the early history of this country. You may not know that

• There were Lutherans in America seven years before the Pilgrims arrived
• The first “Stars and Stripes” was made by Sara Austin and the Ladies Aid of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Philadephia.
• Washington’s army at the Battle of Trenton was composed mostly of Lutherans
• A Lutheran boy called the sexton of a Lutheran church to ring the Liberty Bell.
• The Liberty bell was hauled from Philadelphia to Allentown, PA, by a Lutheran in 1777 and hidden under the floor of Zion Lutheran Church.
• The first president of the Continental Congress was a Lutheran – John Hanson. He served until Washington was inaugurated.

Lutherans have always taken seriously the responsibility we have as followers of Jesus to be good citizens of our countries. As great as all this is, Christianity and Lutheranism are not about establishing world governments. Christianity, and therefore Lutheranism, is all about Jesus. It is about forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life. Knowing Him and having forgiveness makes us new and different people who are concerned not just with ourselves, but with our fellow man.

Something to remember is that the United States is not God’s chosen nation. We sometimes act like we think that is true. God’s people are true believers in Christ, and they are found everywhere in the world, not just in the US. We are grateful for the blessings we enjoy here, but God’s people are found beyond our borders. When we pledged allegiance to the Christian Flag and the Savior and the Lamb, we were joining those around the world who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior and put their confidence in him alone.

As Lutheran Christians, we know that it is not the responsibility of government or elected leaders to make this a Christian nation. It is our responsibility as citizens to be followers of Jesus Christ.

As citizens of this country, we know that many hard fought battles won the victory for us to be free. As followers of Christ, we know of another hard fought battle won for us. That battle was waged by Jesus in our place. He resisted the temptations of the Devil, He endured the abuse of the Jews and the Romans, He suffered the torture of the Crucifixion, He died the death your sins deserve. Our first and foremost allegiance should be to the one who took our sin on Himself, paid the price for it with His death, and rose again to give us forgiveness and life everlasting.

Being a follower of Jesus does not mean a life of ease. God calls you to service, to self-denial, to giving up things for his sake. Jesus said that one who is His disciple will take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). We do that in our service to our neighbor, in sharing the Good News of Jesus, and in offering a helping hand.

• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, like the unborn. That is why I continue to encourage you to be a part of the Texoma Pro-life association and to speak out against abortion.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to share our belongings with those less fortunate, whether in this country or through our support of ministries like “Food for the Poor” with our offerings.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to pray for our elected leaders and encourage them to support programs and policies that are in keeping with our Christian faith and values.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to support our military as they serve to preserve and protect our freedoms. That is why you were given that postcard this morning. If you will write a note of encouragement to a service man or woman and hand it to an usher, we will send those off to “Operation Gratitude” for delivery to our Armed Forces.
• It is our responsibility as Christian citizens to serve others, which is why I am planning at least two organized servants events in the next year for you to have the opportunity to offer your time and efforts to serve your neighbor in his or her need.

The list goes on and on.

In just a few minutes, we will sing America the Beautiful, with the repeating refrain: “God shed His grace on Thee.”  While that may sound like a statement of fact and a past reality, in the song it is actually a plea, a prayer: May God shed His grace on America. That needs to be our ongoing prayer.

As followers of Jesus, we need to keep working to ensure that His values are supreme in our lives and the way we treat one another. You have first and foremost pledged your allegiance to the Lamb of God who died to free you from sin and death. So what will you do for Him as a citizen of this country?

United With Christ To Serve

June 13, 2010

Philippians 2:3-8 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Joe was a drunk. There was no other way to put it. He had wasted much of his life until he finally stumbled into a Bowery mission, heard of the message of Christ as His Savior, and was changed. Prior to his conversion, he had the reputation of being a dirty wino for whom there was no hope, someone who had only a miserable existence in the ghetto. But all that was changed now. He really did have a new life in Christ. Joe had become the most caring person that anyone associated with the mission had ever known. He spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission, doing whatever needed to be done. There was never a task that he considered beneath him. Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left behind by a violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing toilets after careless men left the men’s room filthy, Joe did what he was asked with a smile on his face and what seemed to be gratitude for the chance to help out. He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered into the mission from the streets, and to undress and tuck into bed those who were too sick to take care of themselves. Joe was happy to do whatever was asked of him.

One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening message to the usual crowd of wrecked humanity sitting there quietly with drooping heads, there was one man who looked up, came down the aisle to the altar, knelt to pray and cried out for God to help him change. The repentant drunk kept shouting, “O God, make me like Joe! Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!” The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man, “Son, I think it would be better if you prayed, ‘Make me like Jesus.’” The man looked up at the director with a puzzled look on his face and asked, “Is he like Joe?”

Wouldn’t it be great if more of us were so much like Jesus that people confused us for Him? We are been called to be closely identified with our Savior, united with him. We should be identified with Him because we know that we have been saved by Him. We have a new life because we possess the righteousness of God through faith in Christ Jesus. You and I are a dearly loved part of God’s creation, precious to Him, people for who He was willing to send His Son so that He could die to pay for sins and redeem us for His own possession. By His doing, we have been joined to Him, united with Him. We are to be more and more like him. That’s what Joe was doing.

This passage also calls us to humility. We can boast in Christ, but not ourselves. We should follow His example of being humble and obedient to the Father. Being united with Christ should put an end to selfishness and conceit through repentance and forgiveness. The Scripture is full of the message of repentance. Both the Old Testament and Gospel lessons for today are calls to repent. This message is repeated so often because it is something we all need to do. Being united with Christ means we will admit our sins, turn from them, and confess them to God so that we can be assured of His forgiveness for Jesus’ sake.

Another reason for humility is the recognition of who God is and who we are. Our faith in Christ as Savior tells us that He is the Son of the living God, who left the majesty of Heaven to pay for our mistakes. He lovingly laid down His perfect life to pay for our sins. He freely gives us pardon and redemption, a gift we could never earn and don’t deserve. God did it all. We simply receive the gift.

Being united with Christ turns things upside down. The ways of the world are no longer the ways we should follow. Our attitude should be the same as the one we are united with. He took the nature of a servant. He offered Himself in service to those around Him, and to all people. He spoke of this repeatedly with His disciples:

I am among you as one who serves. Luke 22:27

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34

the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

The way we show God’s love is by serving others. Joe understood that, and was successful in sharing God’s love because he dedicated himself to service. All the while, he was witnessing for Christ. He was sharing Jesus with others through his loving service. The actions themselves needed to be followed with words of explanation about who Jesus is and what He has done. But he had people who were willing to listen to him as a result of the life he was leading.

Many of the followers of Jesus never get to that point. They hear the Good News. They rejoice in the message of forgiveness earned by Jesus and given to us. So they fold their hands and come to worship. That’s good, and God wants your worship. But He also wants you to unfold your hands to welcome and reach out to others for Christ. Lives of service for Jesus take place when you unfold your hands. That is what the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League is all about., and why I am so happy to be working with this organization. All Christians are called to this kind of service, and LWML is an example happens when you unfold your hands and set out to serve Jesus.

United with Christ to Serve. It all centers in Jesus. If we are united with Him, our attitude will be like His. We will serve others and proclaim Jesus.

God, help us to be servants.

Not-So-Secret-Service

Acts 9:1-20 1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.  3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.  6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.  8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.  9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.  10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.  11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.  12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.  14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord– Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here– has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.  20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. (NIV)

There was a television show in the late 80s and early 90s called “McGyver.” Some of you remember it. I didn’t watch it when it was on, but I have seen a few episodes in reruns. It has been parodied in on Saturday Night Live and in a movie called “MacGruber.” In the television show, McGyver was some kind of spy or secret government agent. The main ingredient of that show, and the reason I bring it up this morning, is that the hero would always seem to get himself out impossibly perilous situations by using ordinary objects. He would take everyday, commonplace items and use them as either weapons or means of escape. One time he used some canvas, glue and a heater to make a hot air balloon. Or he would use a shoelace and a piece of chewing gum to diffuse a bomb. I guess that kind of ingenuity would be beneficial for someone in “secret service.”

God has called you into his service. But instead of being in secret, God calls you to serve Him openly, for all to see. Think of yourself as being in His majesty’s not-so-secret-service. What is amazing about this is that God uses everyday, commonplace, ordinary people to carry out His tasks. Each of you has a purpose. God knows His plan for you. You are all to be in His service. But so often you are afraid to put yourself out there, you fear risk-taking and you hesitate to serve. That’s nothing new. Let’s think about the two men in our text.

Maybe you identify with Saul. He was zealous and passionate in his not-so-secret-service for the Lord. But Saul started out on the wrong side. He was present at the stoning of Stephen. He worked to destroy the church. He instigated widespread persecution. He was going to  Damascus to look for Christians so he could put them to death. But something happened on the way. He was confronted by God and led to the truth that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the Savior of all people. Saul was converted, he was changed by his encounter with God on the road to Damascus. With the same zeal he had used in persecuting the Church, he now worked fervently to serve his Lord Jesus Christ.

You know as well as I do that passion and zeal can often be misdirected. Some people who feel passionate about illegal aliens get carried away and condemn all Hispanics, which is not fair. That same mentality led to the internment camps for Japanese Americans during WWII. I’ve often wondered why they did have the same kind of camps for German Americans! Misdirected zeal is still a problem today. Some people who are part of the Pro-Life movement let their zeal take them too far when they advocate violence and killing. Misguided zeal can lead people to give a non-Christian witness by their actions.

Perhaps you have heard of Dr. Jean Garton, a prominent Lutheran Church Woman. She is the wife of a Lutheran Pastor, who found herself with an unwanted pregnancy at age 40. This was prior to Roe vs. Wade, so she did not have the legal option of an abortion. This angered her, so much so that she joined a pro-choice activist group. She was convinced that women should have the choice, the option of abortion. One day, as she was preparing a presentation for medical students, she viewed a slide of a dissected abortion victim, aged 2 & 1/2 months gestation. All of a sudden she heard her three-year-old son, the one whose pregnancy led her to become an abortion advocate. He had slipped into the room without her knowing it and saw the slide. He asked, “Who broke the baby?” That was her turning point. She was converted. She realized the terrible wrong that abortion is, so much so that she became a leader in the pro-life movement. She was co-founder of Lutherans for Life and a crusader in the cause. The same zeal she once put into abortion advocacy is now working to preserve God’s gift of life. Zeal, pointed in the right direction, is a tremendous asset. And there are lots of others out there, maybe not as visible, but nonetheless zealous workers for God in His Kingdom. We need to be zealous servants as well, making sure our zeal is properly directed.

But maybe Ananias is more your type. In contrast to Saul, he had many misgivings. He wasn’t too sure about God’s call to go down to Straight Street and see this fellow Saul. He asked, “God, are you sure this is the right guy? I’ve heard stories about him, and he is working against us! Don’t you mean someone else?” God assures Ananias that He is not mistaken. He has chosen Saul to be in His not-so-secret-service, the same kind of service He was calling Ananias to fulfill. So Ananias goes to Saul, but it seems as if he is still reluctant. He didn’t really want to go. He found Saul, and simply said, “Jesus told me to come here and do this.” The miracle of Saul’s sight being restored took place in spite of Ananias and his lack of enthusiasm. Later, when Paul recalls this event, he depicts Ananias as being a more forceful person, no doubt the servant he eventually turned out to be.

I think these two men, Saul and Ananias, give us a picture of what we tend to do. Many times we charge in like Saul, confident that we know God’s will even when we do not. I confess that I have often been guilty of that myself. And then there are those who hesitate like Ananias, seeing the danger, questioning God’s plan, or suggesting someone else might be better equipped for the task, and they don’t want to do anything. Many of you are acting more like Ananias these days here at Grace, reluctant to get involved. You’ve heard me say for weeks now that we need VBS and Summer Sunday School workers. Some of you have stepped forward to help, and I thank you for that. But most of you are holding back. Maybe you are thinking, “I could never do that!” And you are right. You, by yourself, are capable of no good thing. Neither were Saul and Ananias. But they received a power from outside of themselves. Out of His Grace, God chose to use these men. It was His power at work through them, just as His power works through us when we offer ourselves in His service.

It was grace for God to use hesitant Ananias. When Jesus first called, he seemed willing enough. He answered, “Yes, Lord.” He had faith. He knew his Savior. “You want me to go talk to someone? Sure. Who? Saul? I didn’t know you meant him.” But he goes, in spite of his reluctance, and look at the good God does.

Of course it was also God’s grace that empowered and enabled Saul. He was opposed to Jesus. In order to use him, our Lord had to appear in a blazing light, introduce Himself, and blind Saul for three days. He then provided for Saul’s care in Damascus. That God went to all this trouble to convert Saul into a useful servant is evidence of His great grace. All his past was forgiven. And look at the tremendous service he rendered for Christ!

In 1914, Thomas Edison’s manufacturing facility burned down. He lost over a million dollars of equipment, and the record of much of his work. The next day, walking through the remains, he said to his assistant, “There is value in disaster. All our mistakes are burned up. Now we can start anew.”  In His grace, God gave the murderer Saul a chance to start anew as Paul. He gives each of you the same chance. That is why He sent Jesus – to die for your sins, pay for your mistakes, wipe the slate clean, and grant you forgiveness. What you may lose in serving Christ does not compare with what you gain. The sad thing is this – if you never offer yourself in service to God, you never experience the joy God has in store for you. It is part of being a good steward, using what God has given you to serve others. And there is joy in serving.

Just as God chose Saul and Ananias, he has chosen you. Plain, ordinary folk like you and me are the instruments of God, those chosen to be in His not-so-secret-service. Paul later wrote about all men: “We have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Cor 4:7). It is when we are aware of our own fragile ability, our own “clayness,” that we show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. It is the Lord Jesus Christ, risen victorious from the dead, who has chosen you and enables you to be His servant. His sacrifice on the cross and victory over death make you acceptable for service. All who trust in Him receive the free forgiveness He earned for everyone.

This service is not something to be done in secret. Jesus did not say go into the world with your head down and your mouth shut. He said to get out there and make disciples. He said to tell others about Him. Jesus said we would witness of Him before kings and rulers! But He calls each of us to different tasks. Saul was told to carry the name of Jesus to the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. Ananias was given a specific situation in which to serve: Bringing Saul to physical and spiritual sight. Whether you are more like Saul or Ananias, or somewhere in between, each of you have opportunities set before you by God, opportunities to serve. God has called you to be a part of His not-so-secret-service.

Lord, give us hearts to serve you.

We Are The Church

Someone sent me something earlier this year entitled, “The Wisdom of the Dakota Indians.” The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. That sounds self-evident. It is good advice. It makes sense. If you find yourself riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. So why don’t we follow it? How many of the following strategies have we tried in dealing with a dead horse?

• Purchase a stronger whip
• Change riders
• Appoint a committee to study the horse
• Arrange to visit other places to see how they ride dead horses
• Lower the standards so that dead horses are acceptable
• Reclassify the dead horse as “living impaired.”
• Harness several dead horses together to increase speed
• Provide additional funding to increase the dead horse’s performance
• Do a study to see if lighter rider’s would improve the dead horse’s ability to function
• Declare that the dead horse carries low overhead and therefore should remain in use.
• Hope that the dead horse will come back to life

We all have to deal with a dead horse from time to time. You may be wondering what “dead horse” the preacher is referring to today. Is it the building plans that we toiled and labored on for almost three years? Is it our current facility that will need a lot of work? Are they both dead horses? We need to take a careful look at that. After last Sunday’s decision to NOT proceed with new construction at this time, we are in regrouping mode right now at Grace. And that can and should be a good thing for us. It gives us the chance to stop and think about what the church really is.

As I told the children a moment ago, and as our last two songs reminded us, WE ARE THE CHURCH. People make up the church. This old building and any future facilities we may construct are not the church. They are simply tools for us to use as we go about our business of making disciples. If a building keeps us from doing that, it has no place in our lives.

So I think it is good that we are outside today. The church has left the building. The church is not that structure of bricks and mortar and cracks and leaks and broken doors and terrible plumbing. The church is people. You and I are the church.

The word church is the most common translation of the Greek word “Ekklesia” and it literally means the “called out ones.” It is not used of a building, but of the people that have been called out of this world to be disciples, believers, followers of Jesus. We have been brought together by the assurance that God loves us. He demonstrated that love with a cross and an empty tomb. We know that Jesus is our Savior from sin and death. We rejoice in sin forgiven and life eternal. We live in confident victory. And that is true even if we are not able to build the building we thought we needed right now.

We need to remember who we are and what we should be doing. The church needs to be busy outside of the building. Don’t get wrapped up in the facility. That is not the church. You are. And today, THE CHURCH HAS LEFT THE BUILDING. What should the church be doing outside the building?

One thing we should be concerned about is customer service. Have you ever had that person “waiting” on you who just doesn’t seem to care. We had that happen at a Dairy Queen recently. We were the ones doing the waiting. The fellow inside the store could not have cared less that we were sitting at the drive through window long before the person went to the walk up window or the people inside the store arrived. We were simply being ignored. He didn’t seem to care about us at all. We had the impression that we didn’t matter at all to him.

Have you ever had a server like that? Have you ever BEEN a server like that? Something we tend to forget is that in the church, we are not the customers. We are to be the servants. Jesus tells us that repeatedly. He gives us the example to follow, like He did during the Last Supper when He washed the feet of His disciples and said…

John 13:15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

That same evening, when the disciples were jockeying for position, arguing who was most important among them, Jesus said:

Luke 22:27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

This same thing had been addressed earlier when the mother of James and John asked if one of her sons could sit on Jesus’ right and one on His left in His kingdom. Jesus puts everthing back into proper perspective saying:

Matthew 20:26–28 … whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The one who came to offer Himself as payment for the sins of the world also came to show us how to be servants to the world. The problem we have is that having a servant sounds so much more appealing than being a servant. We want to be the ones who are served, not the ones who serve others. But that is not the life to which you have been called. When Jesus gets a hold of you, you belong to Him. You want to follow Him because you know what He has done for you. And that means you take on the role of a servant.

One way you can serve is to serve each other here at Grace. We have an immediate need for Sunday School and Mid Week help of all kinds. This is necessary, and very few are stepping up to help. Only you know why you are not volunteering. I don’t know why so few are stepping up to help.  Is it the mindset that you want to be served rather than be a servant?

As I said that is one way you can serve, but we don’t want to have just an inward focus. Now that the church has left the building, let’s look around out here. Look across the street – that’s Sherman. Now look to the north – that’s Denison. We can’t see Howe or Pottsboro or Tom Bean or Bells or Oklahoma from here, but those are all part of our sphere of influence. The members of this congregation, the church assembled here today, come from those places. That is where you are to serve.

One of the most common objections people raise is “I don’t have any special gifts” or “I can’t do anything.” God would beg to differ with you. Listen to what he said through Peter:

1 Peter 4:10–11 ¹⁰ Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

It is all about having an attitude that recognizes who you are as a redeemed child of God and wanting to respond. Jesus died for me. I live because of Him. So now what should I do?

I am in the process of trying to make service through this congregation more intentional. Last week I attended a meeting about partnering with a school in Sherman for the next school year. It might be providing classroom readers or mentors of doing teacher appreciation or providing classroom supplies. And I’ve inquired about doing the same thing with a school in Denison. I want to provide you, the church, opportunities to serve not just each other, but the people around us in our communities.

I have also set a goal for our congregation to be involved in at least two servant events in the coming year – one for the youth and one for any adults who want to participate. It is time to stop talking about being servants and time to start doing it.

I believe this is a big part of being good stewards, using what God has entrusted to our care.

1 Peter 4:10  Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

God’s not asking you to do anything for which He has not already equipped you. Use the gifts, the talents, the abilities you have to serve others. In serving others you find joy.

I attended two high school graduations this week. One of the commencement speakers told the graduates that all they had to do was make themselves happy. Don’t listen to what anyone else tells you – do what you want to do. It was all very self-serving. That is the message of the world. Make yourself happy, serve yourself. But you and I are called to be something different in Christ Jesus. We know there is joy and peace and happiness in serving others. 

In the church, at times there will be disappointments and setbacks. Perhaps our building program is like that dead horse I mentioned earlier. Let’s not concentrate all our focus and energy and attention on that. Instead, let’s remember who were are, the redeemed and forgiven children of God who make up the church, the church Jesus promised to build, the one of whom He said  “The gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matt. 16:18) Jesus was talking about His Church. Not buildings. Not facilities. He was talking about the Holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, all true believers in Christ. In spite of disappointments, the Church goes on. The ministry goes on. Let’s remember who we are, and let’s think about how we need to serve others.

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