Sermon from 12/20/2009: Too Slow, Too Fast
From Scripture Reading: Luke 1:39-45
4th Sunday of Advent
Luke 1:39, 40
“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.”
Today’s third Scripture reading features two women, Mary and her relative Elizabeth. Both were Jewish. Both were miracle mothers with miracle babies. Both were relatives. Both were the talk of their respective towns. They had a lot in common, but they also had a lot of differences.
Mary was from the north of the Holy Land. Elizabeth was from the South. If the United States were the Holy Land, Mary would be from Michigan and Elizabeth would be from Georgia.
Mary was young. Elizabeth was very old. If Mary were Miley Cyrus then Elizabeth would be Barbara Walters.
Mary was poor. Elizabeth was middle class.
Mary was single. Elizabeth had been married for 40 or 50 years.
There was at least one more difference. For Elizabeth most of her life had been on what we would consider “too slow mode.” She and her husband Zechariah wanted children when Elizabeth was young, but a child never came. In their middle age years, they continued to hope that Elizabeth would conceive, but it didn’t happen either. Then in their silver hair years, they pretty much gave up on ever having children. It was one of those many things in life that was just not meant to be.
Maybe we can relate to Elizabeth. Things often seem to move so slowly. Especially here in West Hawaii. Products from the mainland take weeks, months to get here. Residents in Kona have been waiting decades for just one or two more north/south parallel roads. A branch campus for the University of Hawaii or the Community College was promised years ago but still no buildings. Building permits take extra long.
Living in Hawaii takes the kind of patience that God gave to Elizabeth who kept trusting in the Lord in spite of what seemed to be too slow a pace.
On the other hand, if Elizabeth’s life appeared to move too slowly, young Mary’s life was just the opposite. Elizabeth had to wait 50, 60 or more years for her to have a child. The angel Gabriel told Mary who may have been even a teenager that she would have a baby and Mary was not even married yet.
For Mary things were all happening at internet speed. She probably never imagined that she would be with child before her wedding day, but she got a child anyway. She went straight from being engaged to being a mother and bypassed a wedding. Her mind was probably spinning thinking of all the responsibilities suddenly thrust open her.
For many of us, our experience has probably been that God seems to move too slowly. But there are times when it seems that life is moving oh so quickly. We have a project deadline at work before Christmas. We have a big payment that has to be made before the end of this month. We have guests coming in this Wednesday and we have many things to clean up around the house. We have a huge event coming up in early January, and we haven’t even planned for it yet. Life is just going too fast for us.
Luke even uses the word “hasten” or “hurry” in chapter 1, verse 39 of his Gospel. He writes, “Mary went with haste into the hi to a town in Judah country. . . “ to visit Elizabeth.
Here is the setting:
Mary is about three months pregnant and she hurries to visit her relative Elizabeth who lives about 70 miles south. Why does she hurry to see Elizabeth? We don’t know. Maybe because of all the gossiping that is going on in Nazareth where Mary lived because Mary was pregnant and was not married? Maybe because Mary heard that her relative had a miracle birth, too, and the both of them could support each other in way that no one else could? Maybe Mary hurried to see Elizabeth because Elizabeth was much older and much more mature than she was and Elizabeth could be a mentor and a role model for her?
We don’t know exactly where Elizabeth lived, but some scholars like the founder of the Crossways Bible Study Curriculum says that Mary spent the rest of her pregnancy with Elizabeth in southern Israel just a few miles from Bethlehem and that Mary never went back north to Nazareth. According to this theory, Mary and Joseph then went to Bethlehem directly from Elizabeth’s house and not from way north in Nazareth. There are weaknesses to this theory though because the account of Jesus’ birth in the book of Matthew seems to indicate that Mary and Joseph made the trip from Nazareth in the north and headed southward to Bethlehem.
In any event, Mary rushed to see Elizabeth and her fast paced urgency to get to Elizabeth’s place was indicative of her life.
The main point of the sermon
The true account of Mary and Elizabeth reminds us of the two circumstances in life which we may be going through. On the one hand, God may be working too slowly in our lives. Getting a job is taking too long. Getting out of debt has been too slow a process. On the other hand, things may be happening too quickly and we are dizzy at the speed things are moving in our lives.
In either case, God is working at His pace according to His schedule. It doesn’t matter if we think God is moving too slowly or too quickly. God is going to work things out according to His timetable independent of ours.
Just as God decided that the perfect time to send His promised Son to be born of the virgin Mary would be during the reign of Caesar Augustus and that the perfect time for Jesus to die would be under the jurisdiction of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, so did God set in place the events that took place in Elizabeth’s and Mary’s life.
And so it is with our lives. Just as Jesus was born at the right time and the right place and just as He died and rose from the dead at the right time and the right place, so are you right where God has placed you and so are the events surrounded you just as God had it planned.
The test for us is to trust in God’s perfect timing and schedule. On our own we cannot trust in God’s cadence and pace. We will want to either try to run ahead of Him or we will lag far back behind Him, but by the working of the Holy Spirit, God will give us the kind of faith that Elizabeth and Mary had to place their lives into His schedule. God gave to Elizabeth and Mary the gift of believing that all sequences of events in our lives take place for God’s reason and purpose.
We remember Jesus who placed His life completely into the time table of His heavenly Father. 30 years as a self-employed contractor or carpenter. Not a problem. 3 years as a rabbi and prophet. Not an issue. Suffer and die on the cross. Extremely painful but let’s get it done.
We pray that God would give us the submission of Christ to just accept and not to moan and groan about how slow or how fast God is moving in our lives. The pace that God has set is the right and only pace for us.
Lord grant us such obedience to you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Refined Like Gold
Sermon from December 6, 2009
2nd Sunday in Advent
From scripture: Malachi 3:3
Introduction
The condition of the people of
- God Takes What Is Harmful And Makes It Helpful.
Malachi 3:3 states, “He [the Lord] will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver.”
- God’s Messenger Who Prepares The Way For The Refining of Souls Has Already Come.
theme was to shake people up from their half hearted, mechanical, and ho hum commitment to the Lord. This was the same emphasis of John the Baptist. He shook up the apathetic and the partially committed.
attention. Jesus is already here. He has already come. Rely on him to turn us into pure gold.
- What A Pure Gold Life Looks Like
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Great Tribulation; The Great Celebration
Sermon From: November 1, 2009
All Saints Day
From Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17
Today’s Scripture reading from the Book of Revelation refers to a Great Tribulation and a Great Celebration. Let’s first consider the Great Tribulation.
In the original language of the New Testament, the word tribulation meant pressure that results in crushing an object. Tribulation then was used to describe affliction, devastation, destruction, and suffering.
In Matthew 24:21, Jesus used the term great tribulation in one of his final sermons before his death. He said that before the end of the world, there will be a time of destruction and calamity that no one has ever experienced.
Even people who aren’t Christian sense that some kind of doomsday is in store for the human race.
On All Saints Day in 1945, nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Los Alamos, New Mexico shared the sentiments of Albert Einstein and other physicists working on the Manhattan Project that it would only be a matter of time before many nations would get their hands of nuclear bombs. Everyone who heard his statement knew the implications. There would be world wide devastation like never before seen.
The United States and the United Nations are very concerned that if countries like Iran and North Korea develop nuclear warheads, the world could explode like a fire works factory. It takes only one maniac leader with a nuclear arsenal to set the world on fire.
And do I need to mention the fascination that Sony Pictures has generated with their film 2012 which will be released on November 13. The movie starring John Cusak is based on the Mayan calendar which stops on the date we call December 2012.
There is also the other fear factor of global warming which almost every elementary school child can now explain about how a rise in world temperature will cause coastal flooding and monster hurricanes that we have not seen the likes of.
What Did Jesus Say?
There are at least a couple of major differences between the End of the World scenarios described and what the Bible says. The nuclear war ending involves nation against nation. The 2012 and global warming descriptions involve nature or humans’ abuse of nature.
Jesus said the Great Tribulation is not either or. The end of the world won’t be caused by just warfare or by just nature unleashing itself. The end of the world will involve both wars and nature. There will be earthquakes as well as world wide conflict among nations.
Another difference between the Great Tribulation described by people and the Great Tribulation described in the Bible is that the Great Tribulation described in the Bible has God being in control. The Great Tribulation described by people has the underlying assumption that everything is out of control. If you read the Book of Revelation, in a rather eerie way, the end of the world takes place in a very orderly manner. There the white horse that is released first, then a red horse, then a black horse, and so forth. Like a General Patton, God sends out His forces in a carefully planned out manner.
Another difference between Great Tribulation predictions and what the Bible teaches is that the Bible points out that believers in Christ will be especially persecuted and martyred. Forces opposing Christ will seek out to torment followers of Jesus. Many disciples will lose their lives for the sake of Christ.
But this then brings us to the Great Celebration that follows the Great Tribulation. This is where Revelation 7 comes in. It describes the glorious joy that will follow the Great Tribulation.
White Robes: Revelation 7:9
A first description is that those Christians who lost their lives during the Great Tribulation will be wearing white robes. In Roman times, generals who were victorious in battle would wear white robes when they celebrated their victory. Among other significances, a white robe then meant triumph.
Palm Branches: Revelation 7:9
Besides wearing white robes, the Christians who died during the Great Tribulation will be waving palm branches. About 150 years before the birth of Jesus, there was a cruel and malicious leader who lived in Syria named Antiochus Epiphanes. When Jewish patriots overthrew his troops in Jerusalem, the Jewish people waved palm branches in celebration of their victory. Of course, palm branches were waved when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, too, which also signified that Jesus is the triumphant Messiah.
Day and Night Service to God: Revelation 7:15
This verse reminds us that heaven will not be a place where we will loaf around doing nothing all day long. Oh, shucks! Some of us may be thinking. No, we will be active. We will be energetically serving the Lord day and night. We won’t dread going to work because of overly critical bosses or lazy employees. Work in heaven will be delightful and uplifting. We will serve the Lord day and night because Jesus our Lord served us day and night and because God watches over us day and night.
Sheltered by the Lord: Revelation 7:15
In the original language of the New Testament, the word shelter meant a tent. It meant covering from the extreme heat during the day and protection from the cold air and howling winds at night. In Revelation 7:15 God promises to keep His faithful from being burned by the sun or being chilled by the wind. God also puts a tent over our heads and shields to keep the wind out, too. Jesus is our protective tent. This we don’t have to wait until heaven to receive. Jesus is already serving as our shelter.
The Lamb Becomes The Shepherd: Revelation 7:17
The Bible in a number of places makes this dramatic point that the God takes the sacrificial lamb and transformed that lamb to become the Shepherd. This is exactly what Jesus did. He was the lamb that would give his life for the flock, and then God elevated Him to be our shepherd.
No More Crying Because of Sorrow: Revelation 7:17
There are a lot of things to weep over. The inevitable outcome that one day almost every technologically advanced nation will have a nuclear weapon. The fact that we as sinful humans have not been good stewards of God’s creation. The reality that many have either rejected or have not heard about Jesus our Messiah.
In spite of our many sorrows, God is already wiping the tears from our eyes. He has given us Jesus Christ who experienced the greatest tribulation of all time when He suffered and died on the cross and who experienced the great celebration of all time when He rose triumphantly from the dead. We don’t have to wait until heaven to begin enjoying the victory He has already given us.
If the Great Tribulation comes after our time here on earth or if the Great Tribulation comes while we are still here, we have the assurance that God is in our presence. He is with us through His Holy Spirit. The body and blood of Jesus are present with us at Holy Communion. The Lord is present when we are alone and when two or three gather in His name.
Even in the Great Tribulation, there is great celebration.
Amen.
All Saints Day
From Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17
Today’s Scripture reading from the Book of Revelation refers to a Great Tribulation and a Great Celebration. Let’s first consider the Great Tribulation.
In the original language of the New Testament, the word tribulation meant pressure that results in crushing an object. Tribulation then was used to describe affliction, devastation, destruction, and suffering.
In Matthew 24:21, Jesus used the term great tribulation in one of his final sermons before his death. He said that before the end of the world, there will be a time of destruction and calamity that no one has ever experienced.
Even people who aren’t Christian sense that some kind of doomsday is in store for the human race.
On All Saints Day in 1945, nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer in Los Alamos, New Mexico shared the sentiments of Albert Einstein and other physicists working on the Manhattan Project that it would only be a matter of time before many nations would get their hands of nuclear bombs. Everyone who heard his statement knew the implications. There would be world wide devastation like never before seen.
The United States and the United Nations are very concerned that if countries like Iran and North Korea develop nuclear warheads, the world could explode like a fire works factory. It takes only one maniac leader with a nuclear arsenal to set the world on fire.
And do I need to mention the fascination that Sony Pictures has generated with their film 2012 which will be released on November 13. The movie starring John Cusak is based on the Mayan calendar which stops on the date we call December 2012.
There is also the other fear factor of global warming which almost every elementary school child can now explain about how a rise in world temperature will cause coastal flooding and monster hurricanes that we have not seen the likes of.
What Did Jesus Say?
There are at least a couple of major differences between the End of the World scenarios described and what the Bible says. The nuclear war ending involves nation against nation. The 2012 and global warming descriptions involve nature or humans’ abuse of nature.
Jesus said the Great Tribulation is not either or. The end of the world won’t be caused by just warfare or by just nature unleashing itself. The end of the world will involve both wars and nature. There will be earthquakes as well as world wide conflict among nations.
Another difference between the Great Tribulation described by people and the Great Tribulation described in the Bible is that the Great Tribulation described in the Bible has God being in control. The Great Tribulation described by people has the underlying assumption that everything is out of control. If you read the Book of Revelation, in a rather eerie way, the end of the world takes place in a very orderly manner. There the white horse that is released first, then a red horse, then a black horse, and so forth. Like a General Patton, God sends out His forces in a carefully planned out manner.
Another difference between Great Tribulation predictions and what the Bible teaches is that the Bible points out that believers in Christ will be especially persecuted and martyred. Forces opposing Christ will seek out to torment followers of Jesus. Many disciples will lose their lives for the sake of Christ.
But this then brings us to the Great Celebration that follows the Great Tribulation. This is where Revelation 7 comes in. It describes the glorious joy that will follow the Great Tribulation.
White Robes: Revelation 7:9
A first description is that those Christians who lost their lives during the Great Tribulation will be wearing white robes. In Roman times, generals who were victorious in battle would wear white robes when they celebrated their victory. Among other significances, a white robe then meant triumph.
Palm Branches: Revelation 7:9
Besides wearing white robes, the Christians who died during the Great Tribulation will be waving palm branches. About 150 years before the birth of Jesus, there was a cruel and malicious leader who lived in Syria named Antiochus Epiphanes. When Jewish patriots overthrew his troops in Jerusalem, the Jewish people waved palm branches in celebration of their victory. Of course, palm branches were waved when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, too, which also signified that Jesus is the triumphant Messiah.
Day and Night Service to God: Revelation 7:15
This verse reminds us that heaven will not be a place where we will loaf around doing nothing all day long. Oh, shucks! Some of us may be thinking. No, we will be active. We will be energetically serving the Lord day and night. We won’t dread going to work because of overly critical bosses or lazy employees. Work in heaven will be delightful and uplifting. We will serve the Lord day and night because Jesus our Lord served us day and night and because God watches over us day and night.
Sheltered by the Lord: Revelation 7:15
In the original language of the New Testament, the word shelter meant a tent. It meant covering from the extreme heat during the day and protection from the cold air and howling winds at night. In Revelation 7:15 God promises to keep His faithful from being burned by the sun or being chilled by the wind. God also puts a tent over our heads and shields to keep the wind out, too. Jesus is our protective tent. This we don’t have to wait until heaven to receive. Jesus is already serving as our shelter.
The Lamb Becomes The Shepherd: Revelation 7:17
The Bible in a number of places makes this dramatic point that the God takes the sacrificial lamb and transformed that lamb to become the Shepherd. This is exactly what Jesus did. He was the lamb that would give his life for the flock, and then God elevated Him to be our shepherd.
No More Crying Because of Sorrow: Revelation 7:17
There are a lot of things to weep over. The inevitable outcome that one day almost every technologically advanced nation will have a nuclear weapon. The fact that we as sinful humans have not been good stewards of God’s creation. The reality that many have either rejected or have not heard about Jesus our Messiah.
In spite of our many sorrows, God is already wiping the tears from our eyes. He has given us Jesus Christ who experienced the greatest tribulation of all time when He suffered and died on the cross and who experienced the great celebration of all time when He rose triumphantly from the dead. We don’t have to wait until heaven to begin enjoying the victory He has already given us.
If the Great Tribulation comes after our time here on earth or if the Great Tribulation comes while we are still here, we have the assurance that God is in our presence. He is with us through His Holy Spirit. The body and blood of Jesus are present with us at Holy Communion. The Lord is present when we are alone and when two or three gather in His name.
Even in the Great Tribulation, there is great celebration.
Amen.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A Wise and Understanding People
Sermon from: August 30, 2009
13th Sunday after Pentecost
From Scripture: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-9
Opening
One of the highest compliments we can say about someone is “she or he gets it.” “To get it” means to understand, to have a grip on what’s really happening, or to know what needs to be done.
If you are a man and married, and your wife says to others, “My husband gets it,” you are in rare company.
If you are a boss, and your employees say of you, “My boss gets it,” you are a very good boss.
If you are a worker, and your supervisor says of you, “My employee gets it,” you are truly respected.
In this morning’s Scripture reading from Deuteronomy 4:6, the Lord shares His hope that the people whom He has helped will become a nation with “a wise and understanding people.” In other words, they will be citizens who get it.
God wants us to get it, too. In Deuteronomy 4, God gives us some pointers on what it takes for us to have wisdom and understanding.
Before we look at these lessons, here is little background on Deuteronomy chapter 4.
Setting
Deuteronomy is one of the most authoritative books in the Old Testament. The New Testament quotes or refers to Deuteronomy about 100 times.
The word Deuteronomy comes from two Latin words: Deu -- where we also get the word “deuce” which means two or second, and nomos which means law. Deuteronomy then means literally second law.
This book is called second law because in Deuteronomy, Moses declares the law of God a second time. The first time was on Mount Sinai. This second time is about 300 miles away from Mount Sinai at a place called Moab.
The time is about 1400 years before birth of Christ. The people have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They are just about ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses is prepping the people for life in the Promised Land. As mentioned, he highlights the laws God gave the people on Mt. Sinai
Deuteronomy can be divided into three sermons delivered by Moses.
Chapter 4 is the end of the 1st Sermon. Moses is describing the vision God has for his people. God wants his people to have wisdom and understanding.
In Order to Get It, We Need To Follow Through
Deuteronomy 4:1 states, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them . . .” In other words, God is saying, “Follow through on what I the Lord command.”
Mike Myatt who has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal says that when he was just starting out in business an old timer said to him, “Just do what you say you’re going to do, and that, in and of itself, will place you in a very select group within the business world.” Myatt thanked the old school person for his advice, but said to himself, “It can’t be that simple.”
Well years later Myatt concluded that what the common sense businessman said was indeed true. He concluded, “It doesn’t matter where you went to school, how smart you are, what your title is or any number of other considerations, if you want to succeed learn to honor your commitments and execute.”
There’s a reason though why it is so hard to find people who will follow through on things. There is an undisciplined streak in all of us. It’s so easy to talk and so hard to deliver. Jesus said that in many of his dialogues.
Our help then to follow through is to rely totally upon the Holy Spirit to give us the motivation to do what we are unable to do. We depend on God to jump start us to take action and get going on those activities which He wants done. It is only because Jesus followed through on God’s plan to save sinners that God sends us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then compels us to finish what has been started.
13th Sunday after Pentecost
From Scripture: Deuteronomy 4: 1-2, 6-9
Opening
One of the highest compliments we can say about someone is “she or he gets it.” “To get it” means to understand, to have a grip on what’s really happening, or to know what needs to be done.
If you are a man and married, and your wife says to others, “My husband gets it,” you are in rare company.
If you are a boss, and your employees say of you, “My boss gets it,” you are a very good boss.
If you are a worker, and your supervisor says of you, “My employee gets it,” you are truly respected.
In this morning’s Scripture reading from Deuteronomy 4:6, the Lord shares His hope that the people whom He has helped will become a nation with “a wise and understanding people.” In other words, they will be citizens who get it.
God wants us to get it, too. In Deuteronomy 4, God gives us some pointers on what it takes for us to have wisdom and understanding.
Before we look at these lessons, here is little background on Deuteronomy chapter 4.
Setting
Deuteronomy is one of the most authoritative books in the Old Testament. The New Testament quotes or refers to Deuteronomy about 100 times.
The word Deuteronomy comes from two Latin words: Deu -- where we also get the word “deuce” which means two or second, and nomos which means law. Deuteronomy then means literally second law.
This book is called second law because in Deuteronomy, Moses declares the law of God a second time. The first time was on Mount Sinai. This second time is about 300 miles away from Mount Sinai at a place called Moab.
The time is about 1400 years before birth of Christ. The people have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. They are just about ready to enter the Promised Land.
Moses is prepping the people for life in the Promised Land. As mentioned, he highlights the laws God gave the people on Mt. Sinai
Deuteronomy can be divided into three sermons delivered by Moses.
Chapter 4 is the end of the 1st Sermon. Moses is describing the vision God has for his people. God wants his people to have wisdom and understanding.
In Order to Get It, We Need To Follow Through
Deuteronomy 4:1 states, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them . . .” In other words, God is saying, “Follow through on what I the Lord command.”
Mike Myatt who has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal says that when he was just starting out in business an old timer said to him, “Just do what you say you’re going to do, and that, in and of itself, will place you in a very select group within the business world.” Myatt thanked the old school person for his advice, but said to himself, “It can’t be that simple.”
Well years later Myatt concluded that what the common sense businessman said was indeed true. He concluded, “It doesn’t matter where you went to school, how smart you are, what your title is or any number of other considerations, if you want to succeed learn to honor your commitments and execute.”
There’s a reason though why it is so hard to find people who will follow through on things. There is an undisciplined streak in all of us. It’s so easy to talk and so hard to deliver. Jesus said that in many of his dialogues.
Our help then to follow through is to rely totally upon the Holy Spirit to give us the motivation to do what we are unable to do. We depend on God to jump start us to take action and get going on those activities which He wants done. It is only because Jesus followed through on God’s plan to save sinners that God sends us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then compels us to finish what has been started.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Turned Upside Down
Sermon from August 23, 2009
12th Sunday after Pentecost
Based on Scripture: Isaiah 29:16
Introduction
There are some things in life where being upside down isn’t a bad thing.
About two years ago people were all excited about growing tomatoes upside down. You could buy an upside down tomato planter for $19.99. An upside down tomato plant had advantages.
When I was growing up, at just about every pot luck, someone made an upside down pineapple cake which was a big favorite. There was nothing wrong with that kind of upside down pastry.
But most of the time being turned upside down is not a good thing.
Having an upside down mortgage -- not ok.
Having the company you work for go upside down because of hard economic times --extremely stressful.
Having a relationship such as a friendship or a marriage go upside down -- devastating.
There are some upside down situations though that are beyond our control such the economy or people ruining our lives. However, there are some circumstances in which we turn things upside down for ourselves and for others.
This is the situation to which Isaiah 29:16 is referring when the Lord declares, “You turn things upside down.”
It’s one thing to have others or to have outside forces turn our live upside down. It’s an entirely different matter when we are the ones turning things upside down for the bad.
Before we look at some of the messages from Isaiah 29, here is the setting.
Background
Isaiah lived about 100 years before the birth of Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah lived at a time when 2/3 of Israel was ravaged by troops from northern Iraq. All that was left of Israel was the region in the south where Jerusalem was located.
You would think that the invasion and occupation of northern Israel would have caused the survivors in southern Israel to humble themselves, wake up and turn their lives to God, but just the opposite happened. The people in southern Israel came up with this weird formulation that since they were spared from the invasion, it must be obvious that they were highly favored and could do no wrong. God would never allow them to be conquered.
The Lord is furious with the attitude of the people in southern Israel and so he appoints a priest named Isaiah to warn the people of hard times to come unless they repent. The Lord offers them forgiveness and mercy if they will just love and honor him.
In Isaiah chapter 29, the Lord chastises the people for doing just the opposite of what He had commanded.
This then brings us to some of the lessons from Isaiah 20.
We Turn Things Upside Down When We Serve God With Our Mouths But Not With Our Hearts, Our Hands, Our Minds, Our Feet.
Isaiah 29:13
Every day we turn our lives upside down when we do just the opposite of what we say even to ourselves that we won’t do. We say to ourselves,
“I’m not going to lose my temper today.”
“I’m not going to eat that bowl of ice cream before I go to sleep tonight.”
“I’m not going to waste an hour on the internet.”
And then we go and do it.
Everyday then we need to rely on Christ. We need him to keep our lives right side up. We can’t do it on our own.
Jesus is the only one who ever lived completely right side up. Everything in his life was in proper order, sequence and direction.
Jesus, help me fight the temptations that I will battle today. Do not let me succumb. Be my strength. Be my defense. Be my offense. Be my wall.
Let what I say be consistent with what I do. Only you can help me.
We Turn Things Upside Down When We Start Telling God What To Do
Isaiah 29: 16
The Lord reminds us that we are all clay pots. How’s that for a reality check?
Sometimes the Bible describes us as amazing creations of God. In today’s terms, we are more impressive than the most complicated computer. In Psalm 139, God builds us up as being fearfully and wonderfully made. In other words, it’s scary to think just how marvelous God created us to be.
But because of our sinful human nature, we can’t handle such compliments. We get huge headed, and we get too full of ourselves. That’s when God has to humble us in verses such as Isaiah 29:16.
Bible scholars say that many people of southern Israel, called Judah, in Isaiah’s day thought they were smarter than God. They thought that they could make alliances and treaties with neighboring nations and that these unions would insure protection against the intimidating troops from northern Iraq called Assyria back then.
The people thought that they had a better plan than what God could come up with. They took matters into their own hands, and so the Lord had to let them know that He is the potter and we humans are the clay or the pots.
Today, too, when we think that we know so much with our Twittering, Blackberries, and Googling, God sobers us by declaring we are nothing but wet clay or dry pots. Any IQ we have, virtual or real, are from the Lord.
All wisdom is centered also in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. In Jesus is all of God’s knowledge and information. In Christ, we find the solutions to life’s problems.
God Will Turn Things Right Side Up.
Isaiah 29: 17-19
The tall forests of Lebanon (enemy of Israel) will become wheat firelds
Isaiah 29:17
The blind shall see
Isaiah 29:18
The meek and poor (who are in tears) shall have joy
Isaiah 29:19
When we are upside down, God will turn us right side up. When everything in our lives are out of kilter, God will put things back in place.
The intimidating country of Lebanon would be humbled.
The blind will be given sight.
The powerless and poor will celebrate.
We may make a mess and mockery of our lives, but Jesus is there to put the pieces together.
The president of one of our church’s seminaries gave a sermon earlier this year.
Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall -- Wall Street. And all the king’s horses and the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Even God though can put together Wall Street if He chooses. When people on Wall Street and we on Lua Kula Street and Puunui Street are humbled and are crawling on stomachs and realizing that the Lord Almight reigns, then the Lord will put us together again.
Then will He make things right side up again.
Because Jesus Christ lived the perfect upright life for us, God will put us upright also. Because Jesus paid the price for the damages we have done in turning things upside down for the worse, God will make the arrogant forests into humble fields, the blind will see, and the poor in spirit will rejoice.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
12th Sunday after Pentecost
Based on Scripture: Isaiah 29:16
Introduction
There are some things in life where being upside down isn’t a bad thing.
About two years ago people were all excited about growing tomatoes upside down. You could buy an upside down tomato planter for $19.99. An upside down tomato plant had advantages.
When I was growing up, at just about every pot luck, someone made an upside down pineapple cake which was a big favorite. There was nothing wrong with that kind of upside down pastry.
But most of the time being turned upside down is not a good thing.
Having an upside down mortgage -- not ok.
Having the company you work for go upside down because of hard economic times --extremely stressful.
Having a relationship such as a friendship or a marriage go upside down -- devastating.
There are some upside down situations though that are beyond our control such the economy or people ruining our lives. However, there are some circumstances in which we turn things upside down for ourselves and for others.
This is the situation to which Isaiah 29:16 is referring when the Lord declares, “You turn things upside down.”
It’s one thing to have others or to have outside forces turn our live upside down. It’s an entirely different matter when we are the ones turning things upside down for the bad.
Before we look at some of the messages from Isaiah 29, here is the setting.
Background
Isaiah lived about 100 years before the birth of Jesus.
The prophet Isaiah lived at a time when 2/3 of Israel was ravaged by troops from northern Iraq. All that was left of Israel was the region in the south where Jerusalem was located.
You would think that the invasion and occupation of northern Israel would have caused the survivors in southern Israel to humble themselves, wake up and turn their lives to God, but just the opposite happened. The people in southern Israel came up with this weird formulation that since they were spared from the invasion, it must be obvious that they were highly favored and could do no wrong. God would never allow them to be conquered.
The Lord is furious with the attitude of the people in southern Israel and so he appoints a priest named Isaiah to warn the people of hard times to come unless they repent. The Lord offers them forgiveness and mercy if they will just love and honor him.
In Isaiah chapter 29, the Lord chastises the people for doing just the opposite of what He had commanded.
This then brings us to some of the lessons from Isaiah 20.
We Turn Things Upside Down When We Serve God With Our Mouths But Not With Our Hearts, Our Hands, Our Minds, Our Feet.
Isaiah 29:13
Every day we turn our lives upside down when we do just the opposite of what we say even to ourselves that we won’t do. We say to ourselves,
“I’m not going to lose my temper today.”
“I’m not going to eat that bowl of ice cream before I go to sleep tonight.”
“I’m not going to waste an hour on the internet.”
And then we go and do it.
Everyday then we need to rely on Christ. We need him to keep our lives right side up. We can’t do it on our own.
Jesus is the only one who ever lived completely right side up. Everything in his life was in proper order, sequence and direction.
Jesus, help me fight the temptations that I will battle today. Do not let me succumb. Be my strength. Be my defense. Be my offense. Be my wall.
Let what I say be consistent with what I do. Only you can help me.
We Turn Things Upside Down When We Start Telling God What To Do
Isaiah 29: 16
The Lord reminds us that we are all clay pots. How’s that for a reality check?
Sometimes the Bible describes us as amazing creations of God. In today’s terms, we are more impressive than the most complicated computer. In Psalm 139, God builds us up as being fearfully and wonderfully made. In other words, it’s scary to think just how marvelous God created us to be.
But because of our sinful human nature, we can’t handle such compliments. We get huge headed, and we get too full of ourselves. That’s when God has to humble us in verses such as Isaiah 29:16.
Bible scholars say that many people of southern Israel, called Judah, in Isaiah’s day thought they were smarter than God. They thought that they could make alliances and treaties with neighboring nations and that these unions would insure protection against the intimidating troops from northern Iraq called Assyria back then.
The people thought that they had a better plan than what God could come up with. They took matters into their own hands, and so the Lord had to let them know that He is the potter and we humans are the clay or the pots.
Today, too, when we think that we know so much with our Twittering, Blackberries, and Googling, God sobers us by declaring we are nothing but wet clay or dry pots. Any IQ we have, virtual or real, are from the Lord.
All wisdom is centered also in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. In Jesus is all of God’s knowledge and information. In Christ, we find the solutions to life’s problems.
God Will Turn Things Right Side Up.
Isaiah 29: 17-19
The tall forests of Lebanon (enemy of Israel) will become wheat firelds
Isaiah 29:17
The blind shall see
Isaiah 29:18
The meek and poor (who are in tears) shall have joy
Isaiah 29:19
When we are upside down, God will turn us right side up. When everything in our lives are out of kilter, God will put things back in place.
The intimidating country of Lebanon would be humbled.
The blind will be given sight.
The powerless and poor will celebrate.
We may make a mess and mockery of our lives, but Jesus is there to put the pieces together.
The president of one of our church’s seminaries gave a sermon earlier this year.
Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall -- Wall Street. And all the king’s horses and the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Even God though can put together Wall Street if He chooses. When people on Wall Street and we on Lua Kula Street and Puunui Street are humbled and are crawling on stomachs and realizing that the Lord Almight reigns, then the Lord will put us together again.
Then will He make things right side up again.
Because Jesus Christ lived the perfect upright life for us, God will put us upright also. Because Jesus paid the price for the damages we have done in turning things upside down for the worse, God will make the arrogant forests into humble fields, the blind will see, and the poor in spirit will rejoice.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.
No Other Good Alternative
Sermon from: August 16, 2009
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Based on Scripture: John 6: 51-59 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206:51-59;&version=NIV;
Introduction
In Stephen Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage, the main character is an 18 year old private who deserts his Union battalion in the heat of battle. The young soldier’s name is Henry Fleming. Henry justifies his actions on the basis that the particular battle being fought was a lost cause and his efforts would not have mattered at all.
In this morning’s Scripture reading from John 6, we read of a desertion, too, but it is not of just one person like Henry Fleming, it is a desertion by many people. The many people who are leaving are disciples of Jesus who like Henry feel that they are in a lost cause.
Not all of Jesus’ disciples, however, walk up and leave Jesus. His original Twelve disciples stick by him at least for this incident. They see correctly that they are better off with Jesus than with anyone or anything else.
Here’s a little more background on John 6.
Background
Jesus had more disciples than just his 12 original disciples. Many of his disciples stayed with him for a while. But an event in Jesus’ third year as full time rabbi caused them to pick up and leave Jesus.
What is so astonishing about this mass exodus of disciples is that Jesus had just done a miracle that no one else on earth had ever done prior or duplicated since. Jesus had just fed at least 5,000 people with just five small barley loaves and two small fish.
You would think that the fresh excitement and wonder of that miracle would have kept the disciples’ commitment to Jesus going for months and years.
But that miracle had just the opposite effect. The feeding of the 5,000 people made the disciples of Jesus want even more. They were asking, “Why just one feeding? If you can feed us once why not every day as Moses fed the people of Israel everyday in the wilderness for 40 years?”
Instead of assuring is disciples, however, that he would give them just what they wanted, Jesus says in essence, “I am feeding you everyday but not with physical bread as Moses feed your ancestors. I am feeding you with spiritual bread everyday and I am that spiritual bread.”
When Jesus speaks these words to his many disciples, there patience has already been worn thin. They feel that they have been with Jesus a long time (two years or so) and He hasn’t delivered on what they thought the Messiah should be doing which is basically fixing all their problems immediately and providing them with all their wants and needs.
And so when Jesus gives them a hard to understand topic such as spiritual bread and that he is spiritual bread, the disciples say to themselves, “We don’t need any more hard teachings. We’ve had enough hard teachings. Give us physical food everyday. Give us freedom from Rome. Give us universal health care coverage by healing everyone and not just a few people here and there in pockets as you see fit. We’ve had one hard teaching too many. We’re out of here.” And they leave.
We can reflect on a number of lessons from this incident and from Jesus’ so called hard teaching.
IF WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE GIVE ME MORE SYNDROME TOWARD GOD, EVERY TEACHING FROM CHRIST WILL SEEM TOO HARD.
The many disciples of Jesus were caught in a spiraling motion of always wanting more.
Jesus feeds at least 5,000 people one day, and the disciples want him to feed everyone everyday.
Jesus heals some sick people, and the disciples wonder why he doesn’t heal everyone.
Jesus teaches them that he is the truth and the truth will set you free, and Jesus’ disciples want him to free them from Roman bondage immediately.
The disciples of Jesus were no different than the people of Israel 1,400 years earlier who were never satisfied with the manna and quail which God sent to them in the wilderness.
Too often we also get caught up in this wanting more and more vortex. Christ gets us out of a jam and immediately we want him to rescue us out of another fix.
Christ solves one of our problems, and we wonder why he doesn’t take care of all of our predicaments.
Jesus comes to our rescue, and as soon as we are bailed out, we’re on his case to deliver us from another mess.
One of the outcomes of being continually demanding of Christ is that our hearts and minds become plugged up and we cannot understand the big, bill board size messages that Jesus sends us. These cinema screen size messages become too difficult for us to understand because our minds are whirling with 9 font size details of paying the HELCO bill, or finding $40 to fill up our car with gas. When are minds are overloaded with these worries, we cannot process the teachings of Jesus that are multiple times more important than our concerns as important as they may seem.
Instead of wanting more, we ask God to give us the concentration to thank Him more for the essentials He is already giving us. Let’s start with oxygen, let’s think of 85 degree heat instead of 125 degree heat, let’s think of water, and how about everlasting life that trumps any need that we have.
The Holy Spirit can un-clutter our minds of the thousands of details in there so that we can understand the simple, and most important things that matter. Jesus is the Bread of Life, He is the staple of life, He is the essential of life, He is basic food for life. He gives us all the resources we need to be more than sufficient.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ALTERNATIVES TO CHRIST, BUT NONE CAN GIVE WHAT HE GIVES.
Peter makes that beautiful testimony in John 6: 68 and 69. Let’s read those verses together, “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’”
The once agnostic scholar C.S. Lewis who became a Christian later in his life once said something to the effect of, “The problem with all religions other than Christianity is that they are 90% right.”
What Lewis meant is that what makes it so confusing for a person who is searching for the true religion is that 90% of most religions are true and so it makes choosing the right religion difficult.
For example, Buddhism has beautiful messages about not being materialistic and greedy and the lessons seem so close to Christianity. Yes, 90% of what Buddhism says is in harmony with Christianity, but it’s the 10% that conflicts or is missing that is the problem. For example, Buddhism teaches reincarnation. The Dalai Lama of Tibet for example, is the 14th reincarnation of a Buddhist teacher who lived as a monk 400 years ago. When the current Dalai Lama dies, his disciples will then choose a child to lead them whom they believe is the 15th reincarnation of the monk.
And so for all religions except Christianity, it’s the 10% that is missing that makes it 100% different from Christianity.
The missing 10% in all non-Christian religions is Jesus Christ who is God the Son, the only Savior of human beings, and who is the only way to heaven.
That portion missing in non-Christian religions makes every religion 100% different from Christianity.
And so Peter is 100% right when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life.”
For us, too, what other viable alternative is there? We may wrongly think that God is too slow, too lenient to others, too unresponsive, but what are the alternatives?
What other religions give us the free Bread of Life not obtained by working harder or becoming better persons but based solely on the mercy of God received by trusting in Christ as our Savior?
WE MAY DESERT GOD, BUT HE WILL NOT DESERT US.
Many of Jesus’ disciples walked off and left him, but God promises that he will never leave us stranded.
I always thought Captain Morgan was a fictional pirate. I did not realize that there was a real buccaneer named Captain Henry Morgan who robbed ships especially in the Caribbean and West Indies waters.
In fact in a bizarre occurrence, the British government bestowed on him the status of knighthood because Captain Morgan destroyed Spanish ships in the Atlantic waters between North and South America.
In any event on a trip back to England, Captain Morgan deserted his own crew and took off with the booty which his men had captured.
Some leaders may desert their own followers, but God never will.
In Hebrews 13:5, the writer quotes Deuteronomy 31:6 in which the Lord promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
The same goes for Jesus, God the Son. We may forsake him but he will never forsake us.
When we struggle with illnesses that don’t get healed, bills that don’t get paid, or conflicts that don’t get resolved, Christ is there with us. Bread is the symbol that we are going to have enough to make it through the day. Jesus is the reality that we are going to make through not only today but for eternity.
Conclusion
In the novel referred to earlier, The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming realizes the mistake he made by flaking out on his comrades. He gets a number of chances and he fights courageously in a number of battles.
The book ends with Henry, the deserter, experiencing peace for his tormented soul.
Jesus gives to us peace also for our troubled souls but not because we do heroic acts as Henry Fleming did in order to redeem himself. Jesus gives us comfort because He did the heroic act of sacrificing himself on the cross. Because of Jesus, the Lord receives us with open arms even though we have too frequently abandoned him. He welcomes us as if nothing happened because Jesus made it all happen for us to receive God’s forgiveness.
The Lord will never forsake us as we cling to Christ our Savior.
Amen.
11th Sunday after Pentecost
Based on Scripture: John 6: 51-59 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%206:51-59;&version=NIV;
Introduction
In Stephen Crane’s novel The Red Badge of Courage, the main character is an 18 year old private who deserts his Union battalion in the heat of battle. The young soldier’s name is Henry Fleming. Henry justifies his actions on the basis that the particular battle being fought was a lost cause and his efforts would not have mattered at all.
In this morning’s Scripture reading from John 6, we read of a desertion, too, but it is not of just one person like Henry Fleming, it is a desertion by many people. The many people who are leaving are disciples of Jesus who like Henry feel that they are in a lost cause.
Not all of Jesus’ disciples, however, walk up and leave Jesus. His original Twelve disciples stick by him at least for this incident. They see correctly that they are better off with Jesus than with anyone or anything else.
Here’s a little more background on John 6.
Background
Jesus had more disciples than just his 12 original disciples. Many of his disciples stayed with him for a while. But an event in Jesus’ third year as full time rabbi caused them to pick up and leave Jesus.
What is so astonishing about this mass exodus of disciples is that Jesus had just done a miracle that no one else on earth had ever done prior or duplicated since. Jesus had just fed at least 5,000 people with just five small barley loaves and two small fish.
You would think that the fresh excitement and wonder of that miracle would have kept the disciples’ commitment to Jesus going for months and years.
But that miracle had just the opposite effect. The feeding of the 5,000 people made the disciples of Jesus want even more. They were asking, “Why just one feeding? If you can feed us once why not every day as Moses fed the people of Israel everyday in the wilderness for 40 years?”
Instead of assuring is disciples, however, that he would give them just what they wanted, Jesus says in essence, “I am feeding you everyday but not with physical bread as Moses feed your ancestors. I am feeding you with spiritual bread everyday and I am that spiritual bread.”
When Jesus speaks these words to his many disciples, there patience has already been worn thin. They feel that they have been with Jesus a long time (two years or so) and He hasn’t delivered on what they thought the Messiah should be doing which is basically fixing all their problems immediately and providing them with all their wants and needs.
And so when Jesus gives them a hard to understand topic such as spiritual bread and that he is spiritual bread, the disciples say to themselves, “We don’t need any more hard teachings. We’ve had enough hard teachings. Give us physical food everyday. Give us freedom from Rome. Give us universal health care coverage by healing everyone and not just a few people here and there in pockets as you see fit. We’ve had one hard teaching too many. We’re out of here.” And they leave.
We can reflect on a number of lessons from this incident and from Jesus’ so called hard teaching.
IF WE GET CAUGHT UP IN THE GIVE ME MORE SYNDROME TOWARD GOD, EVERY TEACHING FROM CHRIST WILL SEEM TOO HARD.
The many disciples of Jesus were caught in a spiraling motion of always wanting more.
Jesus feeds at least 5,000 people one day, and the disciples want him to feed everyone everyday.
Jesus heals some sick people, and the disciples wonder why he doesn’t heal everyone.
Jesus teaches them that he is the truth and the truth will set you free, and Jesus’ disciples want him to free them from Roman bondage immediately.
The disciples of Jesus were no different than the people of Israel 1,400 years earlier who were never satisfied with the manna and quail which God sent to them in the wilderness.
Too often we also get caught up in this wanting more and more vortex. Christ gets us out of a jam and immediately we want him to rescue us out of another fix.
Christ solves one of our problems, and we wonder why he doesn’t take care of all of our predicaments.
Jesus comes to our rescue, and as soon as we are bailed out, we’re on his case to deliver us from another mess.
One of the outcomes of being continually demanding of Christ is that our hearts and minds become plugged up and we cannot understand the big, bill board size messages that Jesus sends us. These cinema screen size messages become too difficult for us to understand because our minds are whirling with 9 font size details of paying the HELCO bill, or finding $40 to fill up our car with gas. When are minds are overloaded with these worries, we cannot process the teachings of Jesus that are multiple times more important than our concerns as important as they may seem.
Instead of wanting more, we ask God to give us the concentration to thank Him more for the essentials He is already giving us. Let’s start with oxygen, let’s think of 85 degree heat instead of 125 degree heat, let’s think of water, and how about everlasting life that trumps any need that we have.
The Holy Spirit can un-clutter our minds of the thousands of details in there so that we can understand the simple, and most important things that matter. Jesus is the Bread of Life, He is the staple of life, He is the essential of life, He is basic food for life. He gives us all the resources we need to be more than sufficient.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF ALTERNATIVES TO CHRIST, BUT NONE CAN GIVE WHAT HE GIVES.
Peter makes that beautiful testimony in John 6: 68 and 69. Let’s read those verses together, “Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’”
The once agnostic scholar C.S. Lewis who became a Christian later in his life once said something to the effect of, “The problem with all religions other than Christianity is that they are 90% right.”
What Lewis meant is that what makes it so confusing for a person who is searching for the true religion is that 90% of most religions are true and so it makes choosing the right religion difficult.
For example, Buddhism has beautiful messages about not being materialistic and greedy and the lessons seem so close to Christianity. Yes, 90% of what Buddhism says is in harmony with Christianity, but it’s the 10% that conflicts or is missing that is the problem. For example, Buddhism teaches reincarnation. The Dalai Lama of Tibet for example, is the 14th reincarnation of a Buddhist teacher who lived as a monk 400 years ago. When the current Dalai Lama dies, his disciples will then choose a child to lead them whom they believe is the 15th reincarnation of the monk.
And so for all religions except Christianity, it’s the 10% that is missing that makes it 100% different from Christianity.
The missing 10% in all non-Christian religions is Jesus Christ who is God the Son, the only Savior of human beings, and who is the only way to heaven.
That portion missing in non-Christian religions makes every religion 100% different from Christianity.
And so Peter is 100% right when he says, “Lord, to whom shall we go. You have the words of eternal life.”
For us, too, what other viable alternative is there? We may wrongly think that God is too slow, too lenient to others, too unresponsive, but what are the alternatives?
What other religions give us the free Bread of Life not obtained by working harder or becoming better persons but based solely on the mercy of God received by trusting in Christ as our Savior?
WE MAY DESERT GOD, BUT HE WILL NOT DESERT US.
Many of Jesus’ disciples walked off and left him, but God promises that he will never leave us stranded.
I always thought Captain Morgan was a fictional pirate. I did not realize that there was a real buccaneer named Captain Henry Morgan who robbed ships especially in the Caribbean and West Indies waters.
In fact in a bizarre occurrence, the British government bestowed on him the status of knighthood because Captain Morgan destroyed Spanish ships in the Atlantic waters between North and South America.
In any event on a trip back to England, Captain Morgan deserted his own crew and took off with the booty which his men had captured.
Some leaders may desert their own followers, but God never will.
In Hebrews 13:5, the writer quotes Deuteronomy 31:6 in which the Lord promises, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
The same goes for Jesus, God the Son. We may forsake him but he will never forsake us.
When we struggle with illnesses that don’t get healed, bills that don’t get paid, or conflicts that don’t get resolved, Christ is there with us. Bread is the symbol that we are going to have enough to make it through the day. Jesus is the reality that we are going to make through not only today but for eternity.
Conclusion
In the novel referred to earlier, The Red Badge of Courage, Henry Fleming realizes the mistake he made by flaking out on his comrades. He gets a number of chances and he fights courageously in a number of battles.
The book ends with Henry, the deserter, experiencing peace for his tormented soul.
Jesus gives to us peace also for our troubled souls but not because we do heroic acts as Henry Fleming did in order to redeem himself. Jesus gives us comfort because He did the heroic act of sacrificing himself on the cross. Because of Jesus, the Lord receives us with open arms even though we have too frequently abandoned him. He welcomes us as if nothing happened because Jesus made it all happen for us to receive God’s forgiveness.
The Lord will never forsake us as we cling to Christ our Savior.
Amen.
Monday, August 10, 2009
A Man In A Meltdown
- Sermon: Agust 9, 2009
- Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-8
- 10th Sunday after Pentecost
We’ve heard of nuclear plant meltdowns:
Homer Simpson
China syndrome
Chernobyl
3 Mile Island
Some of us may even recall a really bad meltdown near Idaho Falls back in 1961.
In a meltdown, a once tightly designed nuclear reactor just disintegrates and consumes itself.
In our Bible text from I Kings 19 there once was a man in Israel who could be compared to a mini nuclear plant. His name was Elijah. His zeal for the Lord was radioactive in intensity.
There seemed no way possible that Elijah, this specimen of strenth, this generator of energy, would ever experience a melt down. No, not Elijah, Not, this human nuclear power plant for the Lord.
However, sometimes even nuclear reactor type humans sizzle and fizzle into desapair and hopelessness.
The meltdown of Elijah in the wilderness is an encouragement for us because sometimes we might feel less than normal or inferior to others when we are on the verge of an emotional and physical implosion.
No even the great ones like Elijah collapsed and wanted nothing to do with God, with life, with himself and with others.
However, we don’t only receive encouragement in knowing that the heroes at times want to give it all up, but more importantly, we receive strength in knowing that God will be there for us when we feel like saying aloha, fare thee well, to the Lord and His mission for us here on this earth.
BACKGROUND
Here’s a little background on Elijah and I Kings 19 before we look at some of the lessons from today’s text.
Elijah lived about 1,000 years before Jesus was born.
He lived at a time when the Kingdom of Israel was split in two.
The history of Israel is sort of like the history of the U.S.
Just as the U.S. divided into North and South during the Civil War, so did Israel separate into North and South.
The big difference was that in the U.S. the North and South joined back together again. In Israel, the North and South never re-united. The North was completely wiped out, and so only the South continued on. There has never been an authentic formal treaty of unity between the North and the South in Israel even till today again because there is no North Israel to sign such a unity pact.
In any event Elijah is sent to the North to work for the Lord. The same territory which Elijah served would be Jesus’ territory a thousand years later. That’s why when Jesus came upon the scene, people were saying that he was Elijah sent back to earth from heaven.
We have very good Bible scholars in this congregation. Check me out on this.
Elijah and his disciple Elisha healed people and even raised persons from the dead.
Here’s the question. Between the time of Elijah and his disciple Elisha and the time when Jesus arrives, was there any prophet after who healed people or resurrected them from the dead?
Yes, there were many miracles that took place between Elijah/Elisha and Jesus. There was the miracle of Daniel in the Lions Den and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but these were miracles done directly by God. Was there any prophet after Elijah/Elisha up until the time of Jesus whom God gave the power to heal diseases and bring people back to life?
I can’t think of any.
And this is why Elijah is so huge in the Jewish faith. This is why many Jewish people treat Elijah as the greatest man on earth next to healed people of diseases or resurrected people who have died.
And they are waiting for a messiah who will do what Elijah did.
For Christians that Messiah came 1,000 years later at Christmas.
For the Jewish people, it has been 3,000 years since Elijah went to heaven and there has been no messiah in their eyes to carry on Elijah’s work.
1. The danger wtih fatigue, overload,and overstress is that we don’t think straight when we are tired.
All kinds of yucky thoughts go through our minds.
(1 Kings 19: 3,4)
Michael Jackson, Billy Mays , known for their energy. Even people with nuclear reactor energy break down with fatigue and overload.
2. Sometimes it doesn’t take a nuclear physicist or a brain surgeon to solve a problem.
(1 Kings 19: 5)
“Arise and eat.”
And then what happens
(1 Kings 19: 6,7)
“Arise and eat.” Gospel lesson: John 6: 35-51
Communion? Seminary profs say no. There are other verses that refer to communion. These verses simply talk about faith in Jesus to be like eating bread.
3. God can put together nuclear reactors and people back together.
(1 Kings 19:8)
Chernobyl not in operation.
3 Mile Island?
God repairs and restores Elijah.
He can do the same for us.
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