2011 05 22 The End, But Which One?

2011 05 22 The End, But Which One?

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16,1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

Well…this past week certainly has been an interesting one. Interesting…and busy.  For me…I had a compass group meeting and youth group on Tuesday.  I was gone Wednesday for personal reasons, Thursday, I planned worship for today, tried to plan a few things for this summer, spent time with the air conditioning and fire extinguisher people, met with a couple about a wedding, and had Bible Study that night.  Friday, more summer planning, sermon preparation, all topped off with a meeting to learn about the air conditioning system.  Saturday…rummage sale.  I think my wife needed a picture to remember what I looked like.  Sorry Hon, that it was such a busy week.

And of course, all throughout this, there was that tiny little thing about the world coming to an end.  By the way…is anyone missing?  You see… the big deal was that a pastor/church leader by the name of Harold Camping had predicted that Jesus would return to collect his faithful followers yesterday at…what was it?  Six o’clock?  Camping has been a numerologist studying the significance of numbers in the Bible.  According to his studies, the Rapture would occur at 6:00PM, Saturday, May 21, exactly 7,000 years after the Lord had shut the door on the Ark as recorded in Genesis 7:16.

It is quite remarkable that the Gospel passage for today comes from John 14.  In the passage before it, Jesus had told his closest disciples that he must leave them.  He told them that he would be betrayed to the authorities, suffer, and die.  Of course, their hearts were broken.  The disciples were losing their teacher…their leader and friend.

So Jesus gives them these words of comfort. John 14:1 "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.

Harold Camping is right.  In his search through the Bible, he knows what we already know.  Jesus died, was resurrected, ascended into heaven, and would one day come again.  Yes, Jesus will return to the earth in glory to collect his followers.  Mr. Camping was wrong about the when. 

Matthew 24:36 and Mar 13:32 tell us that 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Literally, God alone knows when it will happen. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason to be concerned about when Jesus will return.  However, Matthew 24:44 reminds us to be ready when he does.  “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

I’m going to pull a Forrest Gump on you and tell you, “That’s all I got to say about that.”  Harold Camping was wrong about the time, and there’s sense trying to figure it out anyway.

I mentioned earlier that Wednesday, I was gone for personal reasons.  Over the weekend, I received news that the mother of a good friend of mine had passed away.  Her name was Theresa Finnucan, but I just knew as Mrs. Finnucan.  Her son, John and I had been in pretty much all the same high school classes, ran around in the same group of friends, and probably got in the same trouble together. We even took driver’s training at the same time. I could probably tell you some stories, but it’s probably best I stop right there. 

In all honesty, I didn’t know Mr. and Mrs. Finnucan all that well.  I had been in their house on many occasions, but it’s not like you hang out and talk much with your friends’ parents.  “How is the stock market doing?  “Did you have a good tennis match today?” “What do you think about the peasant uprisings in South Africa?”  These are not the type of conversations teenagers actively engage themselves in. 

Really, that’s too bad.  It was not until her funeral Wednesday that I learned of her faith.  Her Catholic faith was real in the witness she set for her children. She attended Mass every Sunday and was a person of great kindness, compassion, and generosity.  Her son, Jimmy, spoke at length of how she was the example for all these things in his life. 

The Priest spoke with great certainty as to how we will be able to meet her in heaven. You see, John 14 is a passage that is frequently used in funerals.  I know because I have used it many times myself.  I feel that in our society we have a truly awful view of death.  Death scares people.  We want to know how, when, and where it will happen. It is the great unknown, and we don’t like not knowing.  We want to know what is on the other side of that door.  Is it the end?  What happens when you die? 

I don’t know exactly what happens.  But I can tell you that I am not afraid.  I am not afraid of death.  Why?  Because I follow Jesus.  In John 14:2, he has told us that he is preparing a place for his followers. Death is not the end. In 14:3, he said that he would come back for us and take us to where he is.  I know that for some this still might seem too simple, too crazy, too…I don’t know what.  It was too much for even some of Jesus’ followers then.

4 You know the way to the place where I am going." 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" 6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

It is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that created and gave life to our universe in the first place.  To go to the Father, is to go to the source of life, not the source of death. Jesus is the way to the Father.  Jesus is the giver of the Holy Spirit.  I guess that maybe death is the end, but it is not the end that we’re thinking of.  We see death as the point where everything stops.  But Jesus tells us that it is where everything truly begins.

But in this passage, we can tell that the disciples are still having a tough time wrapping their minds, and their hearts around this whole concept.  Now Philip chimes in in verse 8 "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."  Jesus is almost incensed at this point.  9 "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?

Again, we have a messed up view of death.  Death is when your heart and your body stop working.  They stick you in a box, and they stick you in the ground.  Death is anytime…anytime when our hearts are not living for the Lord.  You can walk the earth and have all of your bodily strengths and abilities.  You can have your thoughts and mental faculties, but if we are not following Jesus Christ, we are just as dead as a stone.

Jesus did not just die so that we could remain in death.  Jesus died and rose again.  As we die in him in baptism, we rise again in faith. He has offered us new life while we are still walking, talking physical entities. In other words, in Christ we can be alive today…REALLY alive today.  Jesus wants to make a different in our lives today, so we can make a difference in the lives of others. 

When in verse 11, while he was still dealing with Philip, he said,

11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Think about all the things that Jesus did.  Think about it for a moment.  Jesus said that WE can do those things.  Even greater things too.  GREATER THINGS!  If Jesus is calling us to follow him, we need to be praying people.  We need to ask him  for the power, gifts, and abilities that will bring glory to him and to the Father. Lord, I need better ability to preach and give you glory..  We’ll get it it.  Lord, I need courage to share my faith with others who don’t believe.  We’ll get it.  Lord, I need the focus to dedicate my time, my money, my possessions, and my life to you.  If we ask him…we will receive it.  If something…anything will bring glory to God, and we ask him for it.  Jesus will give it to us.

This is the kind of death we all need to have, not just a death that will give a place in heaven, but death to ourselves…death to our desires…death to sin.  We can give these things to Jesus. He‘ll take them.  They have been bought by his blood and crushed beneath the weight of his cross. 

1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Once we give him our sin, death has no hold.  Jesus gives us a life, a place, a power, and a purpose.  "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 

Harold Camping got his predictions wrong.  But I think of Mrs. Finnucan, and I think she got it right.  Death is not the end…just the beginning.  She lived that life through her faith here on earth, and she now has an even sweeter taste of that life in heaven. 

Rest in peace, Mrs. Finnucan.

2011 05 15 In Need of a Shepherd

2011 05 15 In Need of a Shepherd

Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10

Yesterday, we went to the Indians game.  You know…the one that was viciously and completely rained out.  We took Jen’s parents to the game for a day of good, old-fashoned American fun.  Well…welcome to northern Ohio.  We had withstood the rain for about 45 minutes…maybe an hour when we decided to leave the ballpark and swim for the car.

We got back on to I-90 and were headed west when I noticed that the wipers were starting to act weird.  I had just remembered the last time that had happened when…THUMP.  The passenger side wiper came off.  A couple of months earlier, we had had a similar experience.  The wipers became sluggish, THUMP, and the wiper blade came off. 

The first time it happened, we were fortunate.  Although the blade came off, it stayed against the windshield.  We were in Bellevue.  So I stopped and grabbed the wiper before we could lose it.  Well, God had smiled on us again because the wiper stayed against the windshield, and I turned the wipers off to keep it from flying away.  Pretty fortunate, huh?

Well…you have to remember that I am on I-90 in a rainstorm, driving a minivan full of people…with no wipers!  Should I slam on the brakes? Uh..no.  Should I puul off to the side and fix the wiper?  Yes…but I wasn’t about to pull off just anywhere.  I had cars in front of me and cars behind me.  I was looking for an overpass to cover the van while I fixed the wiper.  But it is tough to find a place to pull over when you’re driving 60 mph to keep from being run over by the surrounding traffic. 

Well…just get off on an exit, and pull under a gas station awning.  Looking at the exits, there weren’t really any gas stations at the exits we passed.  We’ve driven probably 5 miles or so by now, and let’s just say that the passengers were becoming a wee-bit nervous.  We’re driving.  It’s raining, and there are no wipers!  I don’t know exactly what everyone was thinking, but it was probably something along the lines of…we’re all gonna die if we don’t get off this road soon.

The thing is…I was driving.  Now, without the wipers, it wasn’t always easy seeing all of my surroundings, but it was daylight, and I could easily see the car in front of me.  Its lights were on, it was going a safe a steady speed, and I knew that as long as I kept following that car, we could safely continue on. 

Now, I admit that following a strange car on I-90 without wipers during a rain storm may not always be the best idea.  But most of the time, if we keep stay focused on the one who is leading us, we will be kept free from danger.

Throughout the book of John, Jesus had what you might call a love/hate relationship with the Jewish leaders and the Pharisees, who were the teachers of the Jewish Law.  Because Jesus loved them, he had no problem telling them when they had gone astray from their own teachings.  Because they didn’t like to be told they’re wrong, they hated Jesus.

In John chapter 8, Jesus called the Jewish leaders, children of the devil.  In chapter 9, he called them blind in how they led to people. By chapter 10, Jesus had few friends amongst the leaders of the Jewish people as he began the two teachings you heard this morning.

1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

The people of Israel are the sheep.  They are penned in…kept secure by the Laws which God has given to them.  However, there are thieves among them.  The Pharisees and teachers of the law do not teach or lead for the sake of the people or even God, but for their own sake.  These men seek only to fill their own bellies with the riches, honor, and adulation of the people. They are the thieves trying to steal the sheep from their true owner, the shepherd. It is only the shepherd who is able to lead the sheep.  It is the shepherd who can take them beyond the fences of the pen and lead them to safety and security.  In fact, the sheep know the shepherd.  They will run away from the false leaders, the thieves. But despite his words, Jesus wasn’t clear enough.  He wasn’t getting through to the people.  So he tried again.

7 Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

(Uh oh.  Now, he’s done it.)  Jesus is the gate for the sheep.  He is the true shepherd.  Through him, those who follow will be saved.  They will be saved from the false teachings.  They will be saved from the robbers and the thieves who only wish to do them harm, and they will be given life. Not just any life, but a full life.  They will be able to come and go as they please, but as long as they keep their eyes on the shepherd and follow where he leads, they will find pasture.  Those who follow Jesus will find what they need to fill them and sustain them. They will find what they need to live.

The people were in need of a shepherd.  Someone to lead, guide, sustain, and save.  I know that is what we need today, isn’t it?  We like that idea, right?  I need a shepherd.  Don’t  you?  Jesus was and is a shepherd like no other.  Jesus didn’t just talk a good talk.  His walk was what brought people to him.  He didn’t just talk about healing.  He healed.  He didn’t just talk about caring for the poor, feeding the hungry, or seeking the lost.  He was there among them.  You see, that is what really irked the religious leaders of that day.  All that could do was talk, but Jesus’ actions often spoke louder than his words.  Not only did he talk about compassion, but he visibly loved the people around him.  Not only did he talk about mercy, but he suffered and gave his life to save the ones who follow him.  He is the good shepherd…our shepherd… and he did lay down his life for his sheep.

But isn’t that kind of strange?  Usually when we think of a shepherd, we think of one who will lead, fight, and conquer all foes.  But Jesus was different.  As the good shepherd, his fight wasn’t with earthly foes as much as it was with eternal ones.  The Pharisees were troublesome, but they were nothing compared with death.  The Jewish leaders and teachers of the Law may have tried to trap him, but they were a mere nuisance compared to what Satan had in mind.

You see, Jesus was a truly unusual servant.  He was willing to give everything, even his own life.  He knew that on this earth, we would always have troubles.  Jesus knew that there would always be suffering and persecution for those who follow him.  Peter knew this too.  1 Peter 2:19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.  21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

When Jesus was turned over to the officials, at his judgment, he did not fight.  He did not retaliate or make threats against those who sought his death.  Jesus was obedient.  He trusted in God, and bore our sins on the cross.24b “so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”  Jesus knew that there would always be thieves trying to steal from his pasture.  He knew that there would always be false teachers and false leaders masquerading as righteous waiting to capitalize on our weakness…waiting to pounce on a wandering sheep.

1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  When we trust our lives in the hands of the good shepherd…when we keep our eyes firmly on the path he has set for us…everything else just doesn’t really matter.  If we suffer…if we receive persecution…even if we lose our lives for what we believe…we are only doing what Jesus has done before us.  And we have only to look back upon the empty tomb to see how that turned out.

We are people in need of a shepherd.  We are in need of the one who heals our wounded hearts and bodies.  We are in need of the one who gives life to its fullest.  We are in need of the good shepherd…Jesus Christ.  And when we find him, we need to keep our eyes upon him every day of our lives.  If we see him before us, we know that he will lead us all the way home.

Coming home yesterday from Cleveland again was an interesting experience, and I’m not going to tell you every little detail.  But I will tell you this…pulling off on the side of the road to fix a wiper blade was probably more dangerous than blindly following the car in front of us.  But thanks be to God…I made it here, didn’t I?  Who’s leading you?

2011 05 08 First Things First

2011 05 08 First Things First

Acts 2:14a, 36-41, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19, 1 Peter 1:17-23

I remember weeks ago, looking forward to this Sunday because I knew that one of the scriptures listed in the lectionary was Luke 24:13-35…The Walk to Emmaus.  It has only been a few weeks since I went on an Emmaus Walk.  That weekend was such a time of spiritual renewal and revival in my life personally.  When I saw I would have the chance to preach on Luke 24, I was psyched.  I was excited.  I would have a chance to tell you how God had blessed me that weekend. 

But take a look at the scriptures I have read from this morning.  Did I read from Luke 24:13-35?  Nope.  Sometimes, one of the dangers of being a preacher is getting ahead of myself.  OH! OH! OH!  I know exactly what God wants me to preach that day.  Yes!  The problem is that God has called me to preach on something else.  I needed to reel in my zeal to tell you about that first walk to Emmaus.  I really needed to look at the other scriptures and put the first things…first.

The passage in 1 Peter this morning is...for the lack of a better term…gorgeous.  Peter is writing to the church at large.  He is writing a letter that is to be circulated to the Christians of the world, giving them guidance on how to live a life of faith.  It is a tough thing, being a Christian.  The Romans see Christianity as a form of Judaism.  So they treat...and mistreat…Christians as they do the Jews.  However, the Jews see the message of Jesus as foolishness at best, and blasphemy at worst.  So the Jews don’t want any part of them either.  Persecution is a part of the life of a Christian in those times.

Many Christians might balk in the face of such trouble.  The temptations to leave the faith would be great. But Peter’s words are beautiful and flow like honey as an encouragement to Christians scattered throughout the lands.  In verses 13-16, he encourages believers to hold fast to their faith, seeking holiness in all their words and deeds.  Peter reminds them to "Be holy, because (the Lord is) holy."   

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.  At first, I thought maybe Peter was talking to people who were displaced from their homes, living in strange lands. However, as I read this passage, I think that Peter was trying to remind us of something very important.  The earth is not our home. 

If a person had fallen onto hard times, they could voluntarily sell themselves into servitude.  It would insure that they needs would be met or that their families might be cared for.  And if a relative had the financial means, they could buy him out of servitude.  They could redeem him.  But listen to Peter and what he says about Christ.

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Christ, the immortal son of God, became the perfect sacrifice, and paid the price for all of humanity…US…to be redeemed, bought, purchased, delivered, saved, from our sin.  That is huge.  It is of absolute and enorrmous value to understand just what God has done for us through Jesus.  Not only because it sets us free form a past of bondage, but sets us free to a life of love.

22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Love one another deeply.  Love others beyond your capacity.  Love others beyond your own abilities.  Love God and others with a love that brings new life…that brings new birth.  Live in holiness and reverent fear, love with the love that God has shown to us.  If we do this, we will show ourselves worthy of eternity. We go beyond being simple residents of earth and become citizens of heaven.  When we are born again, reborn in faith and obedient in hope, the earth is no longer our home, but a place in which God’s love is on display to those around us.

This week, get out your Bibles and do some reading.  Peter has something to say for the Church, and it is just as important now as it was then.  But it not the entire story.  There is more on my heart today, and let me explain a little why that is. Throughout the course of my week, I tend to read the internet blogs and postings of other pastors, church leaders, and theologians.

I read a good one this past week.  Dr. Timothy Tennent is the president of Asbury Theological Seminary, where Jennifer and I attended.  He was not the president when we were there, and I admit that when I first “saw” him.  I was not all that impressed.  Let me tell you…after reading some of his internet posts, I have changed my tune. 

Dr. Tennent had written in response to an article that blamed problems in large denominations, on independent non-denominational churches.  Dr. Tennent disagreed with this view.  He argued that denominations such as the United Methodist Church have lost ground because they have gotten away from the basics.  Dr. Tennant reminds us that, “The church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic.”  The Church is to be (one) united, (holy) separate from the world, yet (catholic) reaching the world through the gospel of Jesus Christ as known from the (apostolic) spirit-filled and Biblical witness we have received.

In an effort to be relevant and cool, the Church has emphasized form over substance.  The recent motto or catch phrase of the United Methodist Church is?  (Do you know?)  “Open hearts, open minds, open doors.”  In an effort to supposedly reach people for Jesus Christ…we forgot to mention…Jesus Christ.

The Methodist Church wants to be relevant and cool.  It wants its congregations and pastors to reach out to this new generation of young people.  I don’t argue with that.  I can’t.  The Church needs to minister to every generation…..all people….plain and simple.  But have we traded the message of Jesus for popularity?  Jesus did not come to be popular.  He came to change how the world would know God.  He came to change the world…period.  But popularity was never part of his message. Yes, he preached a message of grace and forgiveness.  He proclaimed the love and peace of God.  But there was something else.  Something that had to come first, and John the Baptist preached it even before Jesus did. A tough message of repentance.

Everyone wants to be godly.  Because of the fall, I believe that we are all born with two birth defects.  1.)  Sin.  2.) A hole in our hearts that only God can fill.  I thin that were all born knowing that something is wrong.   Maybe we can overcome both of these on our own.  Maybe if I do enough good works or maybe if I avoid doing all the bad stuff, I’ll be OK..  But whatever we do or say on our own, there is no OK. 

And so…with broken hearts we walk this earth.  In Acts 2, Peter points out that the people have done a terrible wrong. 36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."

In having their sins revealed to them, the people are crushed.  Their hearts are broken.  What is the answer?  What is it that will bring them from the bonds of sin, and the brink of death?  What message can possibly save these sinful people? “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

I cannot speak for Dr. Tennent, but I think that this might be a good part of what he was writing.  We don’t ask much of people anymore.  We don’t tell them to repent of their sins.  After all, these are good people.  That would be insulting.  I believe that today’s Church wants the people to be good, but God calls us to be holy.  The Church wants the people to be loving, but God calls us experience new life through the forgiveness of sins. 

Did Peter’s message to the crowd in Acts 2 work?  Did they repent?  Were the baptized?  Did people actually allow this harsh message to change their lives?  YES. 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Church, its people, its leaders, its life, and its message need to be all about Jesus.  Christ proclaimed.  Christ crucified.  Chris risen and coming again.  And this message causes pain.  It inflicts damage on the wayward heart, but that message always points back to the healer, Jesus. That pain produces repentance.  That repentance yields forgiveness, and that forgiveness leads to new life…a life of holiness today, tomorrow, and forever. 

Is this what you want?  Is that the life you want.. for yourself?  For your children?  39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-- for all whom the Lord our God will call."  If a life of holiness is what God is you to, then answer his call.  If the Holy Spirit is calling you to repent and be baptized, then listen.  God is not calling you to pain and embarrassment.  He is calling you to new life, but you have to get the old life out of the way and put first things first.  Are any of you ready to do that?  Let us pray.