Living Wisely

Sermon:  August 16, 2015


Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

--Ephesians 5:15-20

The other day my husband got to witness quite a sight. He was driving down a dirt road and came upon 8-10 ducklings without their mother. Not wanting to hurt them, he slowed down and watched as they ran for safety. There was an embankment, and eventually most of them were just trying their hardest to get out of the road. But the one in the front kept running
           
Todd continued to go slowly and watched that little duck as he ran. He was just flapping his wings and running his little heart out. And pretty soon, his feet were no longer touching the ground. As Todd watched, the little duck was making his first flight. Now, he was only a few inches off the ground. If he had reached down with his foot, he could’ve touched the ground. But he was flying! 

Todd continued to stay behind the little duck as he flew down the road, and when he came to his turn he was surprised to see that the little duckling also made the turn. So, Todd continued to follow the little guy as he flew close to the ground. At this point, he was far away from the other ducklings and Todd started realizing that the duck probably did not know how to land. He certainly didn’t think it would be a very pretty sight. And they came upon a little valley.

 Todd could see the road ahead dipping down and he watched to see what the little bird would do. Well, the bird kept on his same route! Within a few seconds, he went from flying just inches off the ground to being about 20 feet up in the air. Finally, the bird banked to the right and Todd lost sight of him. But he could see a small body of water off in that direction with ducks in it. He hoped the little guy landed safely…and he probably did.

But for a while there, he was living in quite a tension, wasn’t he? Fear of the big vehicle that had come upon him that turned to terror as he realized that he was no longer touching the ground, and then exhilaration at being airborne!

Well, life is like that. As we experience life, we are often living within a tension. Think of the fear and pain and joy of the birth of baby. Remember the anxiety of your first days at school or a new job and the joy and fulfillment that came with new friends and experiences. We can’t avoid the tensions in life. There will be ups and downs…and sometimes they will happen at the same time.

Paul’s words to the young church in today’s scripture reading create a tension. The first segment is cautionary while the second segment is full of gratitude.

Paul admonishes us to live wisely. He says to “make the most of every opportunity” and cautions us that “the days are evil”. Have you heard the Proverb (16:27) that says “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop…?” When an opportunity to do God’s will, to offer assistance, to be kind comes before us, we need to jump in with both feet.

My mom came to visit me this week. While eating lunch one day at a restaurant in town, one of the families of this congregation was seated nearby and I was able to introduce them to my mother. As mom and I visited, I was telling her about all of the activities and responsibilities that the mother of this family takes on. I was remarking that she was so busy yet always had time for the church and always wore a smile. My mother’s response was, “If you want something done, ask someone who’s busy.”

I’ve thought about that often over the last several days. Busy people are people who make the most of every opportunity. Busy people live in tension…the stress and physical (as well as emotional) demands that are required with a new challenge but also the joy, fulfillment, satisfaction that come with completing it.

Paul cautions us to not be foolish but understand what God’s will is. This takes discernment…and it takes time. Discernment is critical because there is a whole spiritual work out there that we cannot see. And not every spirit is of God. Know that God will never lead you to do something that goes against the scriptures. It is important that you read and know God’s word so that you are not led astray.

Discernment is a process. Sometimes it comes easily, but at other times it takes years for one to discern God’s will. This is often the case with those called to ministry. I began discerning my call in 2010…although I know that God was calling me long before that. It took time for me to see how God would talk to me and lead me in the direction He wanted me to go.

Trusting in your ability to discern God’s will is scary. We don’t want to mess it up…and we certainly don’t want to take it lightly. Pray that God will lead you in the direction you need to go and that you will be able to discern how and when to accomplish that tasks that God has set before you.

Be warned. Just because God asks you to do it does not mean it will be easy. There will be challenges. There will be frustrations. There may even be danger. But if it’s God’s will, it will be important and it will be part of God’s grand plan—which we may or may not understand.

We are also cautioned by Paul to not led anything affect our ability to discern. The example he points out is drunkenness. When we are impaired, we are foolish. When we are impaired, we are not able to discern anything. In Jesus culture, wine was served at most meals. It was storable and did not need preservation. There is a difference between having a glass of wine with a meal and getting drunk. 

Drunkenness leads to debauchery. The word debauchery is the translation of the Greek word “asotia” (as-o-tee’-ah). It means “what can’t be saved.” It is defined in Strong’s Concordance as “wastefulness due to excessive behavior and the dire consequences it brings.” Drunkenness is excessive. Drunkenness brings dire consequences.

And today, there are lots of choices out there for someone who wants to be impaired other than drinking to excess. Know that this is NEVER God’s will for your life. Anything that impairs your ability to think clearly should be avoided. Do not be foolish.

This is where Paul switches from caution to gratitude and creates this tension that we live in. He says to be filled with the spirit! We should speak to one another with Psalms, Hymns, and songs from the Spirit.

I’m a firm believer that the psalms were inspired by God…after all, they are included in the scriptures. I believe that our hymns are inspired by God. Charles Wesley, John Wesley’s brother, wrote many of the songs that are included in the United Methodist Hymnal. They are full of theology. And I believe that there are modern and current songwriters who are inspired by God to write songs and lyrics that align with scripture and stir our spirits.

The things that we fill our heads with are the things that stick with us…that we ponder. Sometimes I’ll go a day (or days) with a song in my head. Years ago, that song would’ve been trash without a good message. Honestly, some of the songs I used to listen to were disgusting, demeaning, and encouraged bad behavior. (Think ‘80s hair bands.)

The words that you fill your head with are the words you ponder. This week I had a beautiful song stuck in my head. It was a current praise song…beautiful and pleasing to God. I would find myself thinking about the lyrics…even singing it out loud on occasion. I kept thinking, “I need to look up this song and listen to it.” It had been a long time since I had heard it. But I was grateful for it. I’m certain that this song affected my mood and my interactions with others. I know that it affected my thoughts.

What music are you filling your head with? Are the lyrics positive? And I will take this a step further…what are you reading? What are you watching on TV? What are you giving your brain to ponder? It’s important. Way more important than I used to believe.

It makes me think of another verse that Paul wrote. This comes from his letter to the people of Philippi in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Read those things, listen to those things, watch those things…think about those things. 

Finally, Paul tells us to always give thanks to our Father for everything. Live with a grateful heart. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances, you have things to be grateful for…every single day.

Right now the women’s Bible Study on Sunday nights is focused on the book “One Thousand Gifts”. It’s the story of one woman’s journey to live a life of thankfulness. It reminds us of each of the little things that we take for granted each and every day that instead we should cherish with a grateful heart…the air we breathe, the friends we see, the homes we get to clean, the community we share. Throughout your day start noticing these things. You don’t have to write them down, but give God thanks for them.

Make it a habit to live in communion with Him so that you can offer your thanks and praise throughout the day, every day. Prayer isn’t reserved for bedtime or mealtime. It can be a constant conversation.

We live in a tension…a time of great evil but also great goodness. We try to reconcile the two as Christians, but we can’t. With such a loving God, how can there be such terrible things in the world as war, hunger, and disease. It’s a tension that we must live in.

“If ANYTHING is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”

Amen.

Grace-Filled Words

Sermon:  August 9, 2015

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

--Ephesians 4:25-5:2

Paul continues to talk to the young church in the passage of scripture that we just heard. In today’s message, I will specifically focus on how Paul instructs us to use our words.

He tells us to put off all falsehood and speak the truth to one another. Don’t sugarcoat the message. Don’t bend the truth to make it more appealing. We must be willing and able to speak honestly to one another about the facts. Because if the facts indicate there is a problem, we must work together to deal with it.

Now, I don’t believe that worship is the time or place to deal with specific problems within our church. We have other venues to discuss together when there are issues. We have 6 teams that meet regularly within our church. This is where the issues should be discussed and plans should be made to address them. In these team meeting we must always agree to speak to the truth in love.

We have the Seed team that meets this Wednesday at 8:00. This team focuses on financial issues. We have the Grow team that meets this Wednesday. This team focuses on Christian Education and growing all members into mature disciples. And we have the Bloom team. This team focuses on reaching out into the community.

Besides those three main teams, we also have the Trustees who make decisions on how to best take care of our facilities. We have the Staff/Pastor Parish Relations Team that facilitates discussions between the church body and the pastor or other staff members. And we have the Administrative Council which is made up of the chairs from each the other teams to bring all of the information into one meeting so that everyone is informed and aware of all of the goings on in the church.

In the Methodist Church, all church decisions should come out of these meetings. No individuals, including the pastor, should be making critical decisions alone. As a team, we discuss and debate and decide our future together…as we speak the truth in love.

It’s a system. And it’s a good system…as long as members serve on the teams, attending their team meetings, and the chairs attend the administrative council meeting. Very soon we will begin asking people to serve on these teams for the next several years. Be prayerfully considering which team is a good fit for you. You don’t have to wait for a call, let me or someone else know how you would like to serve.

Next, Paul tells us that we should not speak or act in anger. He actually summarizes Psalm 4:4 which states, “Tremble and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” You might be so angry that you are shaking…but do not speak or act on this anger. Instead, before you go to sleep but as you are lying down in a resting position at night…search your heart. Pray on it. Be silent and listen to God. Do not go to sleep still angry.

Paul tells us that there should not be unwholesome talk. That includes a whole slew of “unwholesomeness”!

Bitterness. Have you spent time with someone who is bitter about something from their past? It’s something they can’t let go of…that keeps them from trusting, that keeps them from moving forward. Sometimes this bitterness leads to passive aggressive behavior…where we wear the pretense of community but say or do things with a smile that we know hurt someone else. Bitterness has no place in the church. If something is making you bitter, pray about it, talk to me about it, talk to someone about it…but do not let that bitterness continue to fester within you.

Rage. We talked about the fact that we should not speak or act in anger…but rage is an evil cousin to anger. Paul tells us that it’s okay to be angry. After all, Jesus got angry. Remember him overturning tables when he saw the moneychangers in the temple? But rage is a different animal. It is defined as “violent, uncontrollable anger.” If we have let our anger turn into rage, we no longer have control of it…even if we don’t act on it. Rage can be an internal thing, an anger that takes over our mind and keep us from thinking logically.

Arguing. We, as the body of Christ, will not always agree. But we can disagree without being disrespectful to one another. In fact, we must. As Christians we need to be able to listen respectfully to all sides of a disagreement. Wesley gave us a tool to help us with this task, it’s called the Wesleyan quadrilateral.

On all issues, our overarching guidelines are the scriptures. But when the scriptures are unclear on an issue we are to equally consider reason, tradition, and experience. Because we reason differently and we’ve all had different experiences…we will not always agree. But we should make every effort to try and understand why people take different stances on issues, and we need to respect those differences even when our stance is different.

Slander. This is a symptom of lingering anger and bitterness. But it can also be a symptom of jealousy and pride. And sometimes I think it is just a cry for help of someone who seeks attention. It is the spreading of lies about another. But I’m going to include gossip in this category also…after all, when we hear and repeat gossip, we typically do not know if there is any truth to it or not. Slander and gossip have absolutely no place in the church…whether the topic is something or someone internal to the church or external to the church. It should not be tolerated.

And then Paul moves away from those words that we shouldn’t say and moves on to words we should use…grace-filled words.

Words of kindness. Kindness requires that focus on the positive aspects of a situation. We can be angry but still be kind. We can disagree, but still be kind. We can speak the truth, but still be kind. Kindness is a fruit of the spirit. If we are growing in God’s grace, we will notice that kindness comes more and more naturally to us.

Words of compassion. Compassion is concern for the suffering or misfortune of others. So words of compassion are words that articulate this concern. And we can be compassionate even when we can’t be empathetic. Sometimes we just don’t understand what someone is going through, we can’t relate. In those times that we don’t have empathy, we need to be sympathetic.

Often compassion leads us to action. We see someone suffering…even if we don’t understand that suffering, and we are led to do something to ease the suffering. Sometimes speaking those words of compassion are all we can offer…and enough. And sometimes there is much more we can do.

Words of forgiveness. When we refuse to forgive, we are held captive by anger and bitterness. Forgiveness is the key to free a person of bitterness. These words need to be spoken and internalized. 

Is there someone that you need to forgive? Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily mean reconciliation. Sometimes we struggle with forgiveness because the hurt was so grievous…such as in abuse. You can forgive without inviting someone back into your life. In fact, sometimes the safest thing for you and your family is not reconciliation. But you need to forgive. You need to be set free of your prison of anger and bitterness.

And within the church, forgiveness is critical to the cohesiveness of the body. We will hurt each other occasionally. We will step on each other’s toes sometimes. We must be willing to ask for forgiveness, we must be willing to offer forgiveness, and we must be willing to accept forgiveness.

And finally, Paul tells us that we need to walk in the way of love. We need to walk in the way of God. After all, the bible tells us that God is love. How can we call ourselves Christians if we are not walking in the way of love? This is our default. When in doubt, ask yourself, “What is the loving thing to say? What is the loving thing to do?”

I want to share a video with you by a contemporary singer about this very topic. 

Words have power. They have the power to build up and they have the power to tear down. What will you speak? Won’t you speak life?

Amen.

Building Up the Church

Sermon:  August 2, 2015

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.” 

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)  So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

--Ephesians 4:1-15

Paul tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” What does he mean by this? Well, think about our callings. Some of you are teachers…you live a life valuing education, having a heart for young people, constantly learning and growing. Some of you are in the medical field…you live a life valuing health and human life and being able to empathize with those who are suffering. Some of you are in law enforcement…you live a life obeying the law and valuing justice. We live our callings in life.  And just as we live into our callings in this way, we should also live into our callings as Christians.

First Paul tells us that we should be humble. This isn’t the only or the first time that we are cautioned to live life with humility in scripture. It mentioned many, many times. One of the Psalms tell us that “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” I once heard a pastor put it this way…either live humbly or God will teach you humility. It’s not a pleasant lesson to learn the hard way.

So what does it mean to be humble? It is an absence of pride…another often mentioned trait in the Bible. It’s a trait that God abhors. Yet, it is culturally acceptable, even encouraged, to live a life full of pride today. We must be careful. We must remember that our accomplishments, our finances, our gifts, our children are all gifts from God. Live humbly.

Paul tells us to be gentle. Gentleness. It’s one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s a special gift that we receive as Christians. It’s one of the ways we know that we are growing in grace. What does it mean to be gentle? Be careful with your words, actions, and temperament.

Be patient. This is another of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As we continue to grow as Christians we grow in this fruit. Again, it’s a gift. When you see your patience growing, know that you are growing in God’s grace. Paul says that this patience helps us to “bear with one another in love.” Bear with one another. Empathize with each other. Suffer together. But also…tolerate each other. Sometimes it takes a situation that we must suffer together for us to empathize with one another.

Paul says that we should be bound together through the bond of peace. We need to strive to live peaceably with one another. And why is it important that we live out our Christian calling in this way…because God has also called us to unity. He reminds us that there is one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.

But God doesn’t expect us to do this on our own. He gave us the apostles…those early followers of Christ to show us the way. He gave us the prophets who have declared boldly the words that God has given them since back in Old Testament times. He gives us evangelists…those who bring people to Christ through the good news of salvation. We have received the gift of the pastors…a shepherd, one who cares for his (or her) flock. And finally, He gives us the teachers…those who teach us the scriptures, the doctrine, the theology and correct our misconceptions. These are gifts from God to lead us to maturity.

And God does expect us to mature as Christians. This isn’t the only time that Paul compares young, immature Christians to infants. But in these few verses he describes perfectly how those who are young in their faith, those who have not yet immersed themselves in God’s Word, those who have not yet fully understood and accepted the Truth…are tossed back and forth by “waves”. Tossed back and forth by our own ideas and the ideas of others. Blown around by every wind of teaching…the teachings of Buddha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, for goodness sake…Oprah!

And immature Christians are also blown around by the cunning and craftiness of scheming people…those who purposefully make up lies and seek to get others to follow them. Did you know that L. Ron Hubbard is famously quoted for stating that the easiest way to make a million dollars would be to start his own religion. Which he did. And Scientology was born.

Young Christians, those who are seeking answers and yet not mature in their faith, are vulnerable to teachings that promise answers. We must build them up. We must be one. So how can we a unified body of Christ, a unified church, that builds itself up in love?

We must be a learning, growing church. And when I say growing, I mean growing in faith, growing in grace, and growing in service. The other kind of growth, the growth of numbers, will come on its own as those on the outside see the changes in us…individually and corporately. We need to search ourselves and discover how God has made each of us individually to be part of this one body…the body of the church.

What Spiritual gifts have you been given?
What has God given you a Heart for?
What are your Abilities?
What in your Personality type?
What life Experiences have you had that could gift you to help others?
What is your SHAPE? 

God expects you, as a member of his body, to use your SHAPE to serve Him. He equips us! And sometimes He doesn’t equip us until we’ve taken those first steps into our calling. Did you know that Moses was not a good speaker? Some theologians believe he may have stuttered. Yet, when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, he equipped him with the voice, words, and power to do so. Did you know that Paul was a Christian persecutor? He killed Christians…for a living! And yet Jesus met him on the road to Damascus and God equipped him to lead many, many others to Jesus. In fact, Paul wrote a large portion of our New Testament…including Ephesians.

And God has equipped you also to serve in some way. “But I don’t have time,” you might think. “My life is too busy to serve God right now.” Let me guarantee you something. There may be many things that you do not have time for right now in your life, but glorifying God is not one of them. You were MADE to glorify God.

So, how can you be part of this one body of Christ? Let me give you some ideas on how you can use your SHAPE.’

You can come to worship. Christian fellowship is an important component of following Christ. We have multiple opportunities for you to worship each week—Saturday night we worship together in a casual atmosphere using contemporary music. Sunday morning at 8:00, we offer another opportunity to worship with contemporary music. Folks, it’s important that you understand that any music that glorifies God is appropriate in church. The old hymns were once contemporary songs, too, you know. They are not scripture, they are not sacred texts, but they are beautiful and often full of theology. Both kinds of music have their own beauty. Embrace them both to the glory of God.

You can come to a small group. Small groups are different than worship…and just as important. In small groups we get to know each other and share our lives in a more significant way. Small groups can have different purposes…maybe they meet to study together, maybe they meet to taken on mission projects together, maybe they create things together (such as a quilting group) for the annual Mission Festival, maybe they meet to just be accountable to one another in their Christian walk. Small groups can meet on Sunday mornings for “Sunday School” but they don’t have to meet at that time. For example, we have a women’s group that is starting this evening at 7:00. Please come! 

Maybe you feel called to lead a small group. We need leaders or teams of leaders to begin to build these within our church. Study groups can often use video series to provoke thinking while a leader is just needed to get the discussion going. This is how our “Not a Fan” study will be conducted in August and September. The Great Plains conference has lots of materials that we can borrow…for free!

I know of a small group in another community that gets together to find ways to meet the needs of their community. They have fundraisers for school supplies, special equipment needed in the church, the local food pantry, or other needs that of which they become aware. That’s all they do. Meet, talk about local needs, discuss ways to help meet those needs, develop a plan, and implement it. Margaret Mead is famously quoted as stating, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

What about teaching Sunday School to young people? We need subs. In fact, Michele Boy really needs to have a second adult in the room with her in order to meet the Safe Sanctuaries requirements. Would you be that person to come and assist her? Would you be willing fill in when needed? We have the curriculum? We have the resources? We only need you.

We need Greeters…people to welcome our members and visitors into the church before worship. All it takes it the willingness to smile, shake a hand, and hand them a bulletin. We also now have Visitor Brochures to help new people understand and follow the service.

We need Liturgists. These people need to be willing to stand up give our current announcements then read the scripture for the morning. All ages are welcome. I’ll send you the verses early enough that you can read them and practice.

Do you like to bake? Each month we need a loaf of bread to use in Holy Communion. Baked goods are also wonderful to take to shut-ins and first time visitors.

Young people, are you willing to serve as an Acolyte? Are you over 13 and interested in helping in the nursery? Are you a good reader, you could be a liturgist. 

Maybe you play a musical instrument! We would love to have special music numbers so that you can use your gift to praise God.  Maybe you’re retired but interested in serving as a secretary one morning a week. Maybe you enjoy technology and would like to video our messages and upload them to YouTube for us. Maybe you would be willing and able to learn to run the computer and the sound. Maybe it is the time in your life where your contribution is prayer…committed, thoughtful, frequent prayer for your church and all of those who make it up.

There are so many opportunities to be actively involved in this body of Christ that we call First United Church of Syracuse.

I realize that there are those out there who don’t want the church to interfere with their lives. That’s not how it works. And just as Paul says, I am speaking this truth to you in love. Listen to Paul’s words once more:

“…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Prayerfully consider how you can be a supporting ligament in this body…there are many different ligaments to choose from. Together we will create and sustain a mature body that grows and builds itself up in love. Amen.

The Power Within

Sermon:  July 26, 2015

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:14-21

Today’s scripture reading is a prayer. This was Paul’s prison cell at the time that the letter to the people of Ephesus was written.

First, Paul tells us that he kneels before the Father. Imagine him kneeling in there. Kneeling is a posture of submission. We have special cushions for kneeling in submission to God in prayer, yet Paul kneeled there on that stone floor.

Paul’s word choices here are intentional…he refers to God as Father and to all of the families under heaven and earth. It is important that you see our church as family. We are a family. And just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (and in many other surrounding areas), we should also pray for our church…our extended family.

And in every family, there must be a certain amount of patience and understanding. We are all different and yet we must love one another, be kind to one another, confront each other when it’s necessary, and forgive each other. No family is perfect, but we are all important.

And, as I mentioned early, God is described as our Father. When we describe the Trinity we say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. God the Father is spirit, the Holy Spirit is spirit, and Jesus (the Son) was fully human and fully God—he is a physical being. But we need to understand that Jesus is the only member of the Trinity who had a human body. God is spirit. He is not an old white man with a long white beard…or, as many younger people may think, he is not an old black man in a white suit with the voice of Morgan Freeman. He is spirit.

So…why do we call him Father? Well, there are many who have begun to refer to God as Mother…or they alternate between both. However, I struggle with this. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus had a mother—Mary. Jesus refers to him as Father. Many references in the New Testament refer to God as the Father. So, I believe that God intends for us to see him as a Father. Dad. Daddy. 

Now, for people who did not have a good father figure in their lives, sometimes this reference is difficult. But keep in mind that God is the perfect father. He has none of the faults that our human fathers have. And just as a perfect father would love his children unconditionally, God also loves us in this way.

The prayer that Paul prays focuses on strengthening the young church with the power of the Holy Spirit. He prays that God will strengthen them “with power through his Spirit in their inner being”. He prays that “Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith”. And he prays that they “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Next Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit: He says that the Holy Spirit is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that lives within us today!

We talked last week about the splitting of the veil in the temple that symbolized God’s presence leaving the confinement of the Holy of Holies. God is with us…his church. But the Holy Spirit did not make himself known to the people until after Jesus ascension.

We celebrate this momentous occasion! It is called Pentecost.

(Famous painting by Jean Restout II in the Louvre.  15 ft by 26 ft.  The “Pentecost” was originally a much larger artwork. It was wider and had an arched top displaying a dove symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this dove once radiated golden shafts of light that streamed down upon the apostles.)

Jesus told his followers when he was preparing to ascend into heaven that another was coming…a helper, the Holy Spirit. Here is what the book of Acts tells us about that day.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes, the gift of tongues is real. I don’t have it so don’t ask me to do it! Nor do I have the ability to translate tongues—but there are also those with that gift.

The point is…the Holy Spirit came to us and gives us special power. In Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, he tells them about these special gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning that the Holy Spirit is able to do immeasurable more than all we can ask or imagine.

Yet…are we allowing the Holy Spirit to give us this power in our lives? How can we access this amazing power of the Holy Spirit…this power that is living within us.

I believe that there are four things that we can do. And I got these four things from the work of John Piper. He’s a theologian and pastor that I respect. I learn from him and many other theologians on a regular basis.

First, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.

Do you realize that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he responded to each temptation with scripture? There is POWER is scripture, folks. Yet, how can we defend ourselves with scripture if we don’t know any?

The bible is, by far, the bestselling book of all time. If you think about Bibles in your home, how many can you count in your head? I don’t even know how many we have—multiple translations from multiple events and occasions. We probably have more than 20.

Yet, when was the last time you read this best seller? When was the last time that you sat down in a quiet place and immersed yourself in God’s Word? And, even if you wanted to, it is often difficult to know where to even start!

It is not a normal book. It’s a library! A book full of books. Some of them are historical records, some are poems, some are songs, and some of them are prophecy.

I recommend starting with James. There are lots of recommended lists for “how to” read the Bible. Pick one and jump in. God will guide you.

The Bible is the primary way that God talks to us. He provided us with His Word. Read the Bible with the expectation that God will talk to you personally through the words that you read.

Secondly, we need to trust God.

Believe that the Bible is the truth and that God still speaks to us today through its enduring words. Know that you can trust that the Bible was written through the authority of God and inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. The writers of the scriptures were instruments that God used to pen His words. They were tools.

The Bible was written by men but inspired by God. Read it. Meditate on it. Believe it. And trust in its truth.

Faith is critical to our lives as Christians. Just ask the many who were healed and told by Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has made you well.” 

The third thing we need to do is pray.

Prayer is another primary way that God talks to us. Yes, I know that we think of this as our primary way to talk to God, but we also need to take time in our prayers to just be still and listen.

And sometimes we are also called to fast. Fasting was used throughout Biblical times to speak to and hear from God. It is still a powerful tool today. In fact, John Wesley fasted every Wednesday and Friday…and he required his Pastors to do the same. It is important to know your physical limitations, talk with your doctor, and drink plenty of water when you fast.

But regardless of HOW you pray, know that God hears and answers prayer. That’s whether you pray constantly throughout the day in your mind, whether you pray aloud with your family, or whether you kneel and pray quietly. The Holy Spirit living within you makes sure that God knows your prayers before you even ask. In fact, the book of Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for us even when we ourselves don’t know what to pray for.

Pray. Be intentional about it. Talk to God, your Father who loves you, and know he will answer. He won’t always answer in the way we think is best. But what do we know? Trust in his answers.

And finally, we need to be responsive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

If we want to take advantage of the power that we are offered through the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. And it’s not always easy.

Have you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to visit someone, urging you to make a call, urging you to get involved in…something? All too often we ignore that prompting of the Holy Spirit because we don’t understand, or we’re scared, or we’re too proud.

When we resist the Holy Spirit, we are giving up this amazing power that God promises us. 

Sometimes I think it is unintentional. I think we can get so caught up in this world that we don’t even understand when God is trying to get our attention. But I will promise you that if you read God’s Word, if you pray earnestly and often, and if you believe…God and the Holy Spirit will find how to talk to you in a way that you understand.

When I work with youth, I encourage them to look for God Sightings. They begin noticing how God works in the world around them and before long they see how He is working in their own life. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s use some of this mighty power that is right here within us to do amazing things for God in our community and in the world.

One in Christ

Sermon:  July 19, 2015

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:11-22

Notice the first word of our passage today. What was it? Therefore.

“Therefore” indicates that what Paul is saying next all hinges on the truth the he expressed previously. With this in mind, before we can look at today’s passage, it is important that we understand verses 1-10.

Paul has said in this circulated letter to the people of the young church in the first century that they had been dead. When they followed the ways of the world, they were dead. Dead in their sin. Dead as followers of Satan, who was at work in the world back then and is still at work in the world today. And he admits that he was once dead in sin…just as you and I were once dead in sin.

Those who are dead, Paul says, “gratify the cravings of their bodies”. They, at once time even we, chased after our own desires and our own thoughts. And in this state, we deserved death. But even in this condition, maybe the condition that some of us are still in today, God loved us.

And through His son he showed His mercy by offering us grace…forgiveness. When God rose Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up.

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything that we have done. It is a GIFT from God. We are NOT saved by our good deeds. The good deeds that we do accomplish are through God’s work in us! These are things that God prepared us for before we were even born. We were created to do them so WE can’t brag about them.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Alive now rather than dead in our sin. And that’s where we pick up today. We are alive!

Therefore… Remember. Remember who you were!

As we talked about last week, Paul is talking here in his letter to an audience that is made up almost entirely of gentiles, non-Jews. He wants them to remember that not long ago they were without God. They were not included in God’s covenant with Israel—His chosen people. They were without hope. 

But Christ’s sacrifice changed it all. Through the spilling of his blood, the law with all of its commands and regulations was set aside. His purpose was to make all people, one people—Jews and gentiles. His preaching was based on the concept of peace…no matter the audience. He opened the doorway so that through him, we (the gentiles) could have access to the Father.

In fact, do you realize that in the temple there was a special place for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit? It was called the Holy of Holies. Separating the Most Holy Place from the nave (The Holy Place) was a curtain. And when Jesus died, this veil split from the top to the bottom…removing the separation between God and his people.

Through this the gentiles were no long strangers, foreigners. Instead, we became citizens of God’s household. We became one with the Israelites. No longer was the temple needed! We are the church! 

Jesus is the cornerstone of our foundation with the rest of this foundation being made up of the apostles and all of the prophets. We are the bricks! You and I and every other Christian out there make up the bricks in this church that is built on such a holy and reliable base. We are the temple of the Lord. We are the dwelling in which God lives through the Holy Spirit. All of us. All of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ.

You see, folks, there is just one way to salvation, and that is through the grace of God given to those who believe—the Jews who believe and the gentiles who believe. Everyone who believes. We are one!

But we often sure don’t act like it. It didn’t take long for the young church to begin having disagreements about scripture, theology, beliefs, etc. Every generation has faced cultural issues that divide us…with this generation being no different as we face the issue of homosexuality and struggle with God’s definition of sexual sin…porneou, as it is called in the New Testament. Just what does “Porneou” include?

Yet this is only the current issue. In the past we have differed to the point of “splitting” on many issues…from the selling of indulgences by some who were misguided in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago to the practices of infant baptism, communion, the roles of the saints that died before us, the importance of speaking in tongues, the role of women in the church, etc. Take a look at the splits!

Even within Methodism itself, see how we’ve split.

Yet when we read the Bible and we read Paul’s words, we realize that he is talking to the early, young church.  The church led by Peter that spread. And his words are true for all of us. The Bible is true for all of us. We just keep finding issues on which to disagree.

But, maybe instead, we need to focus on the issues in which we agree. Are there any? There certainly are. Turn in your pew bibles to page 881. You can see many creeds in this section of the UMH…but today we will focus on the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed was believed to be written in the first or second century and holds the essential truths that we, and all Christians, believe to this day. Let’s read it together from your hymnal page 881.

This is an ecumenical version and includes our belief in the catholic church with the word “catholic” (with a small c) meaning “universal”. So when we read that we believe in the holy catholic church we are saying that we believe in the holy universal church…the entire body of Christ.

There will always be those that take a stand on specific issues…that take stands that lead to splits in the body of Christ. But folks, we ARE one body. Even when we disagree, we can continue to love one another and work together to build the kingdom of God. And that means across denominations as well as right here within our own doors.

We want to build a kingdom, even a local congregation, where we look out among the people and we think…what in the world do these people have in common? Jesus. Jesus is our Cornerstone. Everything we say and everything we do is based on our foundation which has the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. He’s the reason we here today and the reason that we will continue to share His gospel with the world.

Are you willing? How can we within the Syracuse First United Methodist Church be one in Christ? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

How can we, as part of the body of Christ in the city of Syracuse, be one in Christ with our neighbors who also strive to follow him albeit through different denominations? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds. Let’s live these things as one in Christ. Amen.

Our Spiritual Blessings

Sermon July 12, 2015

Ephesians is a special book in our Bible.

There is some argument regarding who wrote it…although the general consensus is that it truly was written by Paul in about 60 AD. And there is some argument regarding who it was written to. In fact, our earliest and best manuscripts do not say that it was written to the church in Ephesus…but to all Saints. It is believed that maybe there was a blank there for the deliverer of the letter (possibly Tychicus) to write in the name of the current city.

You see, this was probably a circulated letter that was written, as stated in the opening, to the saints…to God’s holy people. All of them. That includes me and that includes you. So as we work our way through the highlights of the well-written masterpiece of Paul’s, keep in mind that God our father intended for you to hear these words.  As we believe that all scripture is inspired by God, we also know that God is omniscient. He put you in this time and in this place so that you would be touched by the words he gave to Paul so long ago. So receive them as God’s Word given to you.

Ephesians is a broad statement of Paul’s theology. In this letter he is not addressing a problem, as he usually is, in the developing church. Instead, he is systematically laying out God’s work in this world and the appropriate response to it as His church.

Following a brief greeting, Paul praises God for his blessings on us as Christians. In the original Greek, this is all one long sentence. But in our translations it has been broken down into smaller chunks. And that is how you and I will look at it this morning…in small chunks so that we can hear, absorb, and marvel at the blessings that God has given us as his followers.


“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” 

--Ephesians 1:3-4

Paul starts by telling us about the blessing given us by the Father, God.

We have been blessed in the “heavenly realms”, in the spiritual world--a place that is beyond our senses but that is no less real than the building in which we meet today, the pew in which you sit, and the people that you currently see and touch.

This is a blessing that is difficult for us comprehend…but know that in this spiritual realm you have EVERY spiritual blessing. Understand that God chose us, me and you, before the world was even created. We were extended a grace, in our Methodist faith this is called prevenient grace, that precedes any decision to follow Christ. It existed prior to and regardless of anything that we have done.

Know that through all of this, we are holy and blameless in the sight of God.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” 

--Ephesians 1:5-6

We were “predestined” to be His children. Now we need to be careful when talking about predestination. Paul never states anywhere that anyone was predestined to hell so our understanding of predestination is universal. We believe that all people are given the prevenient grace that can lead to everlasting life.

But notice that our predestination is through adoption. We were NOT God’s chosen people…the Isrealites were. We, as gentiles, were “grafted in” by adoption, we were not born into the family. Paul’s letter was obviously written to an audience that would’ve been largely made up of non-Jews…like you and I. This “grafting in” came through Jesus Christ. But it was God’s will and it was to his pleasure. And through this predestination through adoption we receive God’s glorious grace…which is given freely to us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

And now Paul transitions to sharing with us the blessing that we receive through the Son…Jesus Christ.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” 

--Ephesians 1:7-8

We have redemption.

Redemption is something that might have been paid for a slave or a piece of property. A ransom. We have been bought for a price…and that price was Jesus’ blood. The redemption was paid for our sins, our sins which put us into slavery in the first place. (We talked about this just last Sunday.)

Folks, this forgiveness, redemption, ransom is only possibly through the riches of God’s grace. He lavishes this grace on us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” 

--Ephesians 1:8-10

God is omniscient. He knows everything. From the very beginning before time even began, he had a plan for this world. And as we continue to work our way through time, His will is revealed to us. 

Much of it is a mystery…but part of the mystery was revealed when Christ fulfilled his purposes on earth. You see, God’s plan is perfect. The events are perfect, our understanding of it is perfect, and his timing is perfect.

God promises that when the “times reach their fulfillment”, everything will be in unity under Christ. Everything under heaven and on earth. Everything physical and everything spiritual. Unity of everything. The lion and the lamb. Muslims and Christians. Blacks and whites. EVERYTHING, including spiritual forces, will be unified.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:11-12

Again Paul talks about the fact that we are chosen. Another terms used to describe this is “election”. We are the elect. And he mentions here that he is talking to the young church who were the first to put their hope in Christ…just as we, as Christians today, put our hope in Christ.

It is reiterated that God works out everything so that it fits into the purposes that He intends. God works out EVERYTHING for his purposes…for His will.

So we are chosen you and I so that we would praise his glory. We were meant to glorify our creator, our Father…who is all knowing and in control.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:13-14

Now Paul shares with us the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

So prevenient grace brought us to the point where we heard the message of the gospel…we heard the message of the truth. And when we believed this truth, we were marked with a seal.

Seal’s back then were often made with melted wax. Not only did the seal indicate ownership, but it also indicated protection.

We, my friends, are marked with this seal. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Holy Spirit who is a “deposit” on our future inheritance…just a little taste of the spiritual world right here in this physical world as a promise that we are destined for spiritual immortality.

The Holy Spirit living within you and within me is our guarantee from God himself that we are His. It can’t be taken away. It is guaranteed until the time of our redemption.

Will you accept this blessing today?

Following these verses…this one long, long sentence, Paul offered a prayer of Thanksgiving.  Allow me to offer such a prayer on behalf of this congregation and this body of Christ. Will you bow your head with me?

Lord God, I thank you for the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse and their faith in Jesus Christ. I ask you, Glorious Father, to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know You better.

I pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance, and Your incomparably great power for all of us who believe…the same power as the mighty strength you exerted when You raised Christ from the dead and seated him at your right hand in heaven, far above the powers of this earth, where you placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Amen.

(Prayer based on Ephesian 1:15-23)

Freedom

Sermon:  July 5, 2015

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

--Deuteronomy 10:12-13

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

 “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.

--John 8:31-39

Freedom.

I rejoice in the freedom that I have as an American! This freedom has given me an independent spirit, an education, and the ability to choose such things as my mate. And I have chosen well!

My husband is Todd Tyler. Todd works for a gas pipeline company and his office is based out of Montezuma with his area extending from Ulysses to Greensburg. He is so excited that I am your new pastor and is my biggest supporter as well as the perfect partner. He enjoys cooking and hunting as well as most sports—especially the ones that his kids are participating in.

Through the years Todd and I have raised four children – Heath, Tana, Andrew, and Annie.

Heath is the oldest and currently lives in Lawrence.

He works in the field of logistics, which he learned while serving 4 years in the US Navy. This fall he plans to resume studies toward a Bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Kansas.

Tana is our second child and is with us this morning.

She is getting ready to begin her Junior year at Southwestern College in Winfield where she is active in the Discipleship Program.

This summer, Tana is working as a Youth Intern for the First United Methodist Church of Winfield. She is majoring in Psychology and would like to pursue a career in counseling. We are excited that she is considering seminary following the completion of her Bachelors’ Degree.

Next we have the twins. 

Andy is the oldest by a couple of minutes. 

This fall he will be a junior and has been attending Ulysses High School. He is smart and witty. His main sport is swimming, which he has been competing in since he was 10. 

It is just fun to watch him glide through the water. This past fall he also took on Cross Country and is looking forward to continuing running again this year. This summer he is busy lifeguarding in Ulysses.

Finally, we have Annie.

She will also be a junior this fall and has been attending Satanta High School. Annie is also a swimmer but has jumped right into high school sports trying everything—volleyball, basketball, and softball. It has been fun to watch her experience new things.

She is brave, smart, and sassy…with a beautiful smile and big heart. We look forward to her new adventures. This summer she is lifeguarding in Satanta.

You will learn lots more about my family over the years. What a privilege it is to be the wife and mother of this crew. This momma enjoys watching high school sports, singing, and reading. I am a seminary student attending Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Although most of my courses are online, I will go to campus once or twice a semester for on-campus classes. Right now I’m almost halfway done!

Over the last twenty years I have worked in the field of education…as a teacher, grant writer, and then as an educational consultant in the area of technology.

A few years ago I was in Philadelphia for an educational conference and I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War. Here, an eternal flame burns in honor of those who gave their lives.

The quote on it really struck me…

Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.

It’s a quote that haunts me…because I so take this freedom for granted. I am free! Free to say what I want, go where I want, and believe what I want. I can get an education, start a new business, and own my own property. I can earn, spend, save, and give as much as I choose to. I can vote. I can protest. I can pray. All of these freedoms come in the American package…because someone was willing to die in darkness…many someones.

But folks, these kinds of freedom are not enough. In our country we still have loneliness, disease, depression, aggression, resentment, idleness, homelessness, hatred, and a fair helping of debauchery. 

You see, American freedom doesn’t guarantee health, wealth, and wisdom. If just gives people the ability to make choices. And many will choose poorly. In fact, all of us at one time or another, will choose poorly. So American freedom, although unique and wonderful, is not complete freedom. Our choices result in sin…and we, no matter who we are, become slaves to this sin.

And there are many sins to which we can become slaves…lying, cheating, stealing. Or possibly an addiction whether it be to a substance (such as alcohol or drugs) or a behavior (such as pornography or gambling). All of us, at one time or another, become slaves to a sin…to a poor choice.

And that’s where Jesus comes in. Although being an American citizen allows us the freedom to make such choices, Jesus offers us a type of freedom that no country can offer. He offers us freedom from the slavery to which our sin (our own choices) has bound us. True freedom! Christian freedom!

We can let go of the guilt and the shame that hold us prisoner when we sin. We can let go of the anger and sadness that want to overpower us when our choices lead us down the wrong road. We don’t have to STAY on that road! Jesus, folks, has paid the price to make sure that we don’t! Forgiveness and FREEDOM are yours if you choose it.

“But, Gina?” you may ask. “If I am free to do anything…? If I am forgiven of all sins, does this mean that anything is permissible? I can indulge myself in sin, yet walk in freedom because Jesus has paid the price?”

Let me read you what Paul says about this very thing in his letter to the people of Galatia.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

"If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

You see, although everything is permissible not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

And although our sinful nature tries to drive us to make those permissible, indulgent choices, the Holy Spirit (if we are Christians) fights to guide us into choices that are, instead, beneficial to ourselves and to others. And if we are growing in God’s grace, we will notice that these choices become easier and easier…and the indulgent, destructive choices become less and less appealing.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. New ones will come along. Satan will find new ways to tempt you into destructive choices. He has ways to make destruction look awfully appealing by wrapping it in seductive packaging. So you’d better know what it is that will seduce you. Is it money? Sex? Over indulgence of food or spending or drinking? Maybe it’s laziness? Or selfish ambition? Pride?

Oh, there’s something. And if that something doesn’t tempt you into a bad choice, the tempter will find another something to try to draw you into slavery to a sin.

Be strong, brothers and sisters. We have already won this battle. Jesus Christ fought it for us two thousand years ago…and when he said, “It is finished”…it was finished.

 Let’s watch a short video that illustrates that freedom that we’re discussing this morning.

Go forth today in the freedom of Christ…loving your neighbor as yourself.

Quiet! Be still!

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 

--Mark 4:35-41

I want to take you back to that day…on that boat…with Jesus.

Can you conjure up the image of a lake in your mind? Hear the sounds of the water lapping the shoreline. Smell the fishy, earthy scents in the air.
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What a long day it has been.

We started the day on the other side of this lake. Jesus has been telling all kinds of parables to explain the Kingdom of God. He’s talked about seeds and lamps. He’s talked about sand, and rock, and even mustard! Some people seemed to understand exactly what he was talking about while for others, his words went right over their heads. Even we, the disciples, would need time alone with Jesus so he could explain everything to us. Every now and then we would pull him aside and bombard him with questions. He was so patient with us as he explained.

And we were tired at the end of the day. When Jesus finally said, “Let’s go over to the other side”, we were glad to leave the crowds for some relaxation. But that’s NOT what we got…at least that’s not what MOST OF US got.

Everyone loaded up. There were others boats that followed along with us, too. We knew Jesus was tired. He settled in the back of the boat on a cushion and was soon asleep. Some of the other guys rested, too, but I was one of the rowers as we made our way to the other side.

All of a sudden, the wind picked up! We were being thrown around on the water and the waves got large enough that they broke over the boat. We were nearly swamped! Now, everyone was wide awake…well, almost everyone.

There was Jesus, still sleeping like a baby. We couldn’t believe it! Didn’t the sound of the storm scare him like it scared us? Couldn’t he hear the thunder and the crashing of the waves? Didn’t he feel the cold water splashing on him?

Irritated, we finally jostled him awake. “Don’t you even care if we drown?!” we asked him. And then “that” looked passed over his face. The look that we saw every time we disappointed him…which was more often than I would like to admit.

He stood up. And he spoke to directly to the wind and waves. He shouted, simply, “Quiet! Be still! We just stared. What in the world was he doing? But the storm listened! The wind died down, the waves settled, and it was completely calm. Completely calm.

And next, he turned to us. We were surrounding him, quiet and terrified. He looked around at each of us and asked, “Why are you afraid?” And then, “Do you still have no faith?”

That question hit us hard. We have given up our careers and our lives as we knew them to follow Jesus. And yet, when times got tough, he was exactly right—we didn’t have the faith to know that he would get us through the storm.

And after he settled back down for some more rest, we realized that Jesus was much more than just a great teacher of the scriptures. “Who is he?” we asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
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And what about you? Are there times in your life when the wind is blowing and the waves are knocking you around…and yet, Jesus seems to just be sleeping.

Why is God ignoring me? Where is He? Can’t he see that I’m hurting? (Shout) “Don’t you even care if I drown?!”

You know, I think there are really three ways this can go.

I believe that through many of life’s storms Jesus is resting in the background. We must learn to deal with the storms that life throws at us. We must develop coping skills and a world view that uses those storms to make us stronger.

Let me ask you a question. In this story, had Jesus abandoned the disciples? Had he grabbed a life preserver and left them to fend for themselves? Had he? No. It was a storm. A normal storm…yes, storms are normal. So they got tossed around a little. So they got a little wet. Some of them were raised as fisherman. They had the skills to weather this storm. And Jesus was going to let them do just that.

Why? How can we know all of the reasons that Jesus, that God, allows storms to brew up in our lives? Yet, we know that He does…when all He would have to do is shout, “Quiet! Be still!” I can’t tell you that I always understand, but I can tell you that these storms where we feel alone and abandoned are not in vain.

In Paul’s letter to the people of Rome, we learn in Chapter 8 and verse 28 that all things work together for good for all of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. All things work together for good. Even the storms where we can see absolutely NO GOOD, God will use them for good in the long run. He promises!

So that’s the first way that Jesus may react to the storms in our life.

Through other life storms, I believe that Jesus is beside us fighting the wind and waves. He doesn’t shout, “Quiet! Be still!” But we feel his presence at these times. We take strength from him to battle these storms. Have you been through a storm such as this when you knew God was with you helping you through it? A classmate of mine has a young son who has battle cancer his whole life. She feels God’s presence and does not feel abandoned. She knows that Jesus’ arms are wrapped around her on most days holding her up. I can tell this from her blog that she uses to journalize their days and praise God for their blessings. Amazing.

And sometimes, I think that we’re asleep. That’s right. Sometimes I think Jesus fights battles for us that we are oblivious to. Spiritual battles… some with Satan himself…for our very souls. We don’t know what battles Jesus helps us avoid through his presence in our lives. Do you ever wonder?

Well, do you realize how many people were spared on 9/11? Have you read the stories of uncanny coincidence that saved lives? Maybe a vacation had to be cancelled so a man didn’t get to get on the plane. Maybe a woman took a cigarette break and the plane ran into her office while her elevator was making it’s way to the ground. Maybe a computer glitch made a stewardess have to fly to another city instead of riding with her normal flight crew to Los Angeles. These are not random “what if’s”, these things actually happened according to CNN in a 10-year Anniversary article that was run.

Although some people may say it was “luck” or just “coincidence”. I say no. Although timing may affect good or bad things that happen in our lives, I also believe that sometimes we are just spared…for whatever reason.

But believing this also means that sometimes I believe we are NOT spared…for whatever reason. God is sovereign. We won’t always understand, because you see…we are NOT God. We are not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. We are not love…full of grace and mercy, justice and holiness. We simply can’t always understand. But no matter what, Jesus is always there during our storms, whether he is resting in the back, active beside us, or dominating in front of us, he is always there…if we ask him to be.

Have you asked him to be there? Do you doubt his presence in your life? Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?

Friends, trust in him. Trusting in Him doesn’t mean that things will always work out the best for YOU. It means that things will work out for good in the long run.

Remember…even the winds and the waves obey him. He is Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of the Living God. Amen.