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Saturday 25 January 2014

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 United in Faith, United in Christ


The more things change, the more they stay the same. Sound familiar?

In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul addresses a problem that still exists today. That problem is the lack of unity in the Christian church. The Corinthian Christians were divided into factions based on who had baptized them instead of being united in the faith and the Gospel. They identified with different leaders because in that culture, a person’s name was more than a label. A person’s character and power were tied up in his name.

Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit. His letter reawakened and strengthened the Corinthians’ faith in Christ. Paul confronted the Corinthians in love as a Christian brother. He spoke in one letter to all the factions and they were able to listen to what he said. He followed the first step that Jesus laid out for resolving conflict in Matthew 18:15-20. Paul addressed the individual factions one on one as a group. If necessary, he would have had to follow the second step of involving two or three outsiders and (if necessary) the third step of dealing with the entire church in Corinth as a group.

Sometimes Christians are divided over issues that are small or insignificant. In order to maintain unity, we must not “sweat the small stuff”. For example, many of you can probably remember a time not so long ago when our local churches did not work together. It was also a time when some churchgoers did not want to associate with people who attended other churches. My father told me of one example a few years before he died. One day when we were living in Milton, he went into the local post office to pick up the mail. One lady came in and started talking to him. At one point she asked him which church he went to. When she found out that it was not one of the two churches in the community, she said, “Well! That’s what I was afraid of!” She turned around and walked right out of the post office!  

The church in Corinth is a metaphor for many churches today. Many of them have the potential for division. This potential is real and needs to be dealt with. The desire for unity is not new. In John 17:11 and 22, Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers before his crucifixion. The lack of unity in any church can be traced to weak commitment to a doctrine or a commitment to disunity of doctrine. Unity needs to be based on loyalty to Christ instead of loyalty to a particular preacher or a particular doctrine. Loyalty to leaders leads to disputes. Pastors are called to preach the Gospel and bring people to unity in Christ, not to build a faction or a cult around themselves. That’s why Paul did not baptize many people. He was true to a purpose to preach the Gospel’s message-the freedom that faith in Christ offers. The light of God must be shared, not stored. The world is called to Christ and not to any of his servants.

The Christian church needs to be united in preaching the Good News-plain and simple. Its very message is the dynamic of God. For example, Billy Graham kept his sermons simple and to the point. He always pointed people to the cross as the way of salvation.

There are some signs that Christians are becoming united. They are able to agree on what is important and lay aside the non-negotiable parts of the faith. They are becoming united when it comes to issues such as salvation by faith alone and the deity of Christ. They have learned to love those who disagree with them. Love will overcome all divisions, especially when it is combined with prayer. Division makes the church’s mission harder to do.  

One sign of our unity is baptism. Baptism is an outward sign of the inward acceptance of Christ. When we accept him, we desire to be like him. We renew our minds so that we can apply what we have learned so we can be more like him. In other words, we need to think alike. Rival groups must learn to come to an agreement. All of this can only happen when we truly submit to Christ. When we take our eyes off of Jesus, the Body of Christ is broken. We need to focus on the lost and the hurting. We must work together or die.

Speaking of working together, it is nice to see all of the local churches working together to bring people together. For example, there was the long-defunct Queens County Association of Churches, which started the local food bank. Even now, local churches come together to organize events such as the Privateer Days Church Service, the Seafest Church Service, the Good Friday Walk of the Cross and the annual Shepherd’s Walk. All of the churches work together in spite of the different denominations with their different interpretations of Christianity and their different rituals. God wants us to be united, including in our way of thinking. This was the challenge Paul issued to the church in Corinth as well.

It’s no coincidence that I’m delivering this homily at the end of the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In his 2014 message about the Week of Prayer, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, remarked that “the peace and unity we share in Christ is God’s gift to us and to the world…. Paul’s rhetorical question (in 1 Corinthians 1:13) calls us to confess the scandal of disunity and it’s marring effect on the witness of the church…”

We have seen congregations deal with serious issues on which there were differing opinions and come through as stronger, more loving fellowship. We have also seen congregations where the fellowship has been torn apart over matters so insignificant that even years later members could not remember which side they were on in the argument. In the first case, the people were able to preserve a unity of spirit in the midst of their differences. This spirit is the spirit that Christ has given the church. In return, the church must take seriously any serious threat to its unity.  

Unity is always held in the midst of diversity. It brings together many ideas, viewpoints and personalities around a common, unifying theme or concern such as relieving poverty. There is room for differences of opinion when we are seeking unity provided that the differences are given over to the achievement of the common goal.

Paul urged the Christians in Corinth to stop their petty feuding and embrace the unity in Christ that brought them together. They benefitted from different teachers and came from different backgrounds and generations and social classes. They had unique histories and lives, but they had one thing in common. They were led to the same place of the wood of the cross and the water of baptism.

We are like the Christians in Corinth.  We benefit from different ministers. We come from different backgrounds, generations and social classes. We have different histories and lives, but we have one thing in common. We are also led to the same place of the wood of the cross and the water of baptism.

There are three ways in which we can express our unity:

1.      Be in agreement about doctrine and proclaim the same Jesus Christ.

2.      There can be no divisions among members.

3.      Be united in mind, understanding, judgment, purpose and will.

In other words, we have to set aside our sinful nature if we want to be united in Christ. We have to go back to the beginning of our Christian mission and purpose before we can move forward. We have to be united in our hearts, kind to one another, gracious to one another and forgiving of one another. We have to work through conflicts and avoid slander and gossip. By being united in Christ, Christianity is much stronger. In the words of the song that was made famous by the group “Brotherhood of Man” in the 1970s:

For united we stand

Divided we fall

And if our backs should ever be against the wall

We’ll be together

 Together you and I

 
Bibliography

1.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.

2.      Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series: 1,2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)

3.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

4.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)

5.      Greg Laurie, “God’s Dynamite”. Retrieved from www.harvest.org

6.      Dr. Jack Graham, “How You Can Help Shake the World for Christ”. Retrieved from www.powerpoint.org

7.      Pastor Rick Warren, “Stop Trying to Win Arguments”. Retrieved from www.purposedriven.com

8.      Dr. Charles Stanley, “Why is Christian Unity So Important?” Retrieved from www.Jesus.org

9.      David McGee, “Changes”. Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com

10.  Exegesis for 1 Corinthians 1:10-17. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

11.  Hubert Buck, “The Importance of Unity”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

12.  King Duncan, “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

13.  Leonard Sweet, “Carbon Pure and Perfect”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

14.  The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, “Don de Dieu”. Retrieved from www.national.anglican.ca

15.  Craig Condon, “Conflict Resolution God’s Way”

16.  Dr. James Emery White, “Missing Our Moment”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

 

 

 

Matthew 4:12-23, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Working Together to Fish for People


Good morning boys and girls!

How many of your have ever gone fishing? What do you have to take with you when you go fishing? Suppose you forgot to take one of these things with you? Would you be able to catch any fish? Everything you need to go fishing works together to help you catch fish.

Jesus wants to take us fishing, but we’re going to catch something other than fish. When we go fishing with Jesus, we fish for people. Jesus wants us to tell others about what he has done for us and what he wants to do for them.

When we go fishing with Jesus, the job is much easier when we work with other people and when we have all of the equipment we need. Sometimes that’s not easy to do, because sometimes we can’t get along with other people. For example, have any of you ever had arguments with your brothers and sisters? Well, sometimes Christians fight with each other. The apostle Paul tells us that we have to work together and be united in their faith in Christ. When we work together to fish for people, we can do great things.

Let us pray. Dear God, thank you for helping us to fish for people. Help us to work together to tell people about you and lead other people to faith in you. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

 

Saturday 18 January 2014

Matthew 19:16-30, Luke 18:18-23 Giving Something Up for Lent

Let's take a walk down memory lane for a moment. Some of you, especially the older members of this congregation, may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a weekly TV comedy show back in the 70s, and one of his favorite characters was a preacher named Brother Leroy.

In one skit, Brother Leroy was leading services one Sunday morning. It wasn't going very well. People weren't very responsive. It came time to receive the offering and so Brother Leroy passed the collection plates. They came back empty. So he passed them again. Same thing. Empty. Brother Leroy then went before the people and said, "Now, I know that you all want this church to progress. This church must progress." No response from the congregation. Brother Leroy shouted a bit louder: "Now, before this church can progress it has to crawl, this church has got to crawl." And the congregation started getting excited and they yelled back, "Make it crawl, Reverend. Make it crawl!" Brother Leroy continued, "After this church has crawled, it's got to pick itself up and start to walk, this church has got to walk!" And the people yelled back at him, "Make it walk, Reverend. Make it walk!" "And after this church has walked, this church has got to get up and run, this church has got to run." And the people were worked up into a terrible frenzy, and they hollered back: "Make it run, Reverend. Make it run!" And then Brother Leroy said, "Now, brothers and sisters, in order for this church to run, it’s gonna need money, it’s gonna take money for this church to run!" And the people yelled back, "Let it crawl, Reverend. Let it crawl!"

The congregation in this story has something in common with the rich young ruler in tonight’s  Gospel reading. Both of them were asked to give up something that meant a lot to them in order to gain something more important, and both of them were reluctant to give up that one thing that was important to them. A similar situation exists with many people today. Those who have abundance in this world sometimes find that their abundance is a roadblock on the road to salvation. They are not always prepared to suffer for Christ when and if it is necessary. The rich young man was not prepared to do that. He was like many of us in that he wanted the benefits, but he didn't want to pay the costs. In other words, he wanted something for nothing.

Sometimes giving something up is our choice, and sometimes God forces us to give something up. The rich young man wasn't prepared to give up what he had for the sake of Christ. How many of us are in the same situation today? How many of us are willing to give up what we have in order to follow Christ? For example, when we give our offerings, are we giving because we want to, or because we feel that we HAVE to? Do we give willingly, or do we give grudgingly? Do we tithe regularly? Failure to tithe is the same as robbing God. Spiritual life is not a matter of bookkeeping.

Most of the time, fasting for Lent involves food, and I will address that point in a future sermon. In modern times, other forms of fasting have emerged. For example, many younger followers are giving up things such as Facebook or text messaging. By doing so, they are showing that we do not have to be slaves to things. It allows us to get back in control of our lives.

Someone once said that “Subtraction plus addition equals multiplication”. During this season of Lent, Christ calls us to give up more than just things. We are also called to give up habits or traditions that keep us from following him. He calls us to give up traditions, habits or ways of thinking that keep us from fulfilling His will or following Him in faith, or that interfere with our relationship with him. For example, is it REALLY necessary to have Eucharist on special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving? Does that “tradition” bring us closer to God, or is it just a “thing’ that we don’t want to give up? When we give up something, we must add something to our spiritual routine, whether it is more involvement with the church, more time spent in studying the Bible, or more time in private prayer.

By giving up things in this life, and following Christ in faith, we will gain MUCH more in heaven. Sure, by following Christ we will have to pay a price. We may lose our friends, our families or our jobs. In some parts of the world, Christians can lose their lives for their faith. These are just “things” that we give up when we suffer short-term pain by following Christ, but this short-term pain leads to long-term gain-namely, eternal life in heaven. We might lose our earthly family and friends, but we will gain a NEW family of fellow believers. This ultimate reward is much, much greater than the pain we have to suffer in this life.

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes God forces us to give something up. Sometimes he has to remove anything that distracts us or deters us from serving him. This process is necessary but painful. It forces us to be humble. It forces us to develop the qualities of discipline and denial. The world tells us that we should indulge ourselves, whereas giving something up develops self-mastery. It forces us to choose what our top priority in life will be, and more importantly, especially during Lent, it allows us to chare in Christ’s sufferings.

In church, we hear every week that we must give our lives over to God. Holding on to our lives eventually leads to losing our lives. God offers us unconditional love, REGARDLESS of what we have. What we want to shed means nothing to God. Christ doesn’t care about our earthly possessions UNLESS we use them in faith to do His will by spreading the Good News and bring other people to Him. He doesn’t care if we drive luxury cars, or live in mansions, or send our children to the most prestigious schools in the world. He doesn’t care if we’re some of the richest people in the world like Bill Gates, Ted Turner or Warren Buffett. We can try to hide behind our earthly possessions, but it won’t work. God has X-ray vision. He sees all and knows all. Self-reliance does not lead to self-salvation. We need God just as much as He needs us.

There is an old adage that “money isn’t everything”, and that’s true. The LOVE of getting things often drives people closer to despair. The affluence of most people in the Western world gives them the ability to ask questions other than those relating to basic subsistence, namely:

1.      Am I happy?

2.      Am I filled and fulfilled? If not, what will it take to make me so tomorrow?

Doing right doesn’t give hope. The ONLY way to liberation from despair is through God. Only faith in God can give us the answers to these questions.

Sometimes we accumulate stuff in life because we don’t know what we want. There are several examples of people who have become very successful in life and have all the possessions to show for it, but who also have a deep sense of loneliness and emptiness on the inside. They wanted the happiness that they thought they could get from material things. Instead, they ended up with emptiness-an emptiness that some have tried to fill with drugs, alcohol or sex, but that others have filled by coming to Christ in faith. The rich young man lacked saving faith. He was like an ungainly camel-he was too “big-feeling” and too self-sufficient to enter the eternal kingdom. Jesus said that unless we come to Him like a child-naïve with next to nothing, but full of wonder-we can’t get into heaven. Coveting material possessions is to invest them with great importance to allow them to fill God’s place in our lives.

The rich young man was following the letter of Jewish law of that time, but Jesus wanted him to follow the spirit of God’s law-namely, following and trusting Christ. Jesus calls us to follow the same law. Following this law is the single key for entering the Kingdom of God. By following God’s law, Christians get so much in this life that they can’t out-give what Jesus gives us. We can’t EARN eternal life UNLESS we try to earn it by giving up that which is important to us in this world. Giving from the heart is a significant and vital way in which we commit our lives to Christ. It leads us to a life in which with heart and mind we know Christ and His will. Even if we were perfect people, we still could not earn eternal life. The only way to eternal life is through faith. Jesus loves us in spite of our faith-or more appropriately, our lack of faith.

Even though we follow Jesus with others in local congregations, He calls each of us to different tasks. Some are called to ordained ministry, others to lay ministry, and still others are called to music ministry or youth ministry, but we can all regard what we do each and every day as being called to divine ministry-even if we are doing something as ordinary as maintaining a home and family. Whatever we do in His name requires us to give up everything that might hinder us.

The things of this earth are not meant to be held on to, but to be given away. We might like to think of ourselves as virtuous, law-abiding Christians, keepers of the law and observers of the rites of the liturgy, but how attached are we to our present way of life? It is not just the amount of worldly goods we possess that becomes the problem, but the difficulty we have of rising above and looking beyond what we DO have enough to be free from them.

A note of caution: There is no sense in giving up things unless it is rooted and grounded in the heart. Giving up something demands that there be a radical, inner change if it is to be fruitful. Lent is the perfect time for this kind of giving up. Eternal life is NOT a reward for good deeds. It IS a reward for a relationship with God. Life is for loving, not hoarding. The real meaning of life is to be found in giving things away-hence the saying, “It is better to give than to receive”. Faith is the direction of life. Jesus calls us to do three things:

1.      Give up everything that will hinder us from serving Him.

2.       “Come”

3.       “Follow Me”

There is a line in one of the hymns in our Common Praise Hymn Book that goes like this: “Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?” Will we heed that call? If so, will we pay the price willingly in order to receive the gift God offers? God will give us the strength and desire to let go of the things that hinder us from serving Him. If we follow Him, He will bless us spiritually. In order to be first with God, we have to be last in the eyes of the world. The task of giving things up is not easy, but the gift of God’s grace makes it possible. Jesus said that the good shepherd lays down his life-namely, all that he is, his personal self, his wants and desires-for his sheep. When Jesus asks us to do what is seemingly impossible, He is willing to take the impossible part on himself, and He is asking of us only what is possible.

Works Cited

1.      Batterson, Mark, “What are you fasting for Lent?” Published Feb. 22, 2009. Retrieved Jan. 27, 2010 from Evotional.com (http://evotional.com/2009/02/what-are-you-fasting-for-lent.html)

2.      Wolf, Jeffrey, “Fasting for Lent goes high tech”. Published March 5, 2009. Retrieved on Jan. 27, 2010 from 9NEWS.com (www.9news.com/includes/tools/print.aspx?storyid=111136)

3.      Stanley, Dr. Charles, “A Lesson in Pruning”. Received by email on Jan. 30, 2010 from Crosswalkmail.com (www.crosswalkmail.com)

4.      Lenninger, David E. , “An Excuse to be Better” Retrieved on Jan. 28, 2010 from Esermons.com (www.esermons.com)

5.      “Fasting: Foolish or Faithful?” Retrieved on Jan. 28, 2010 from Esermons.com (www.esermons.com)

6.      Wilwerding, Jim, “Lent: Fasting for the Feast” Retrieved on Jan. 28, 2010 from American Catholic.org (www.americancatholic,org/Newsletters/YUlay0201.asp)

7.      Waldman, Steve, “Is Giving Up Chocolate for Lent More Biblical Than Quitting Facebook?” Published by the Wall Street Journal on March 3, 2009. Retrieved Jan. 28, 2010 from Wall Street Journal.com (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123610358779120593.html)

8.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Bible Explorer software package. Available for purchase at WordSearch.com

 

Saturday 11 January 2014

Matthew 3:13-17 Baptism-God’s Call to Us


Little Johnny and his brother decided to go ice fishing one Sunday after church. Little Johnny started drilling a hole in the ice when a voice from above said, “Young man, there’s no fish down there.” Little Johnny asked his brother, “Who is that?” His little brother said, “I don’t know.”

Little Johnny started drilling again and the voice said again, “For the second time, there’s no fish down there.” Little Johnny asked his brother, “Could that be God?” His little brother replied, “I don’t know.”

Little Johnny started drilling again and the voice said once more, “Young man, for the last time, I’m telling you there’s no fish down there.” Little Johnny looked up and said, “Is that you, God?”

The voice said, “No, I’m the manager and the rink’s closed”

Today we read about Jesus’ baptism, which was the start of his ministry on earth. Since baptism represents the washing away of sins, and Jesus was sinless, why did he need to be baptized? It was because his baptism fulfilled God’s saving activity as foretold in the Old Testament and culminating in his death on the cross. In other words, Jesus came to bring salvation to everyone. Jesus was willing to set a good example by doing God’s will, and it was God’s will that everyone who believed in him be baptized.

John the Baptist’s baptism emphasized repentance, or turning away from our sins. Baptism represents the turning away from the old to the new, from our old ways of life to the kingdom of God. The baptism of Jesus (along with the descent of the Spirit, the proclamation of God and the witness of John) was a sign to both the people of his day and to us of something extraordinary. It was a sign that God wanted to become one with us and yet be different from us at the same time. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension gave baptism an entirely new meaning. Jesus’ baptism was a complete indication of his identification with the kingdom he was announcing.

Jesus’ baptism shows the glory of God’s plan and how all the details are important to God. Jesus heard the Holy Spirit call him to speak the truth and live with grace. Christ came to identify with sinners and give them his righteousness. His baptism was a part of that righteousness, and it was also a key part of Matthew’s plan to show his Jewish audience that Jesus is “God with us”. Jesus entered the same waters that his Jewish brothers and sisters entered, and by doing so they trusted that the God of Israel was still with them and could deliver them from the forces of evil. Jesus had to join with them to show them how far God would go to be a part of their lives so they could be a part of God’s life.
Jesus shows us the same thing. He shows us how far God would go to be a part of our lives so that we can be a part of God’s life. When he insisted that John should baptize him, Jesus wanted to melt into the crowd of the marginalized and rejects of society. By being with them, Jesus would raise them up, meet them in their despair, give them hope, be with them in their pain, comfort and cure them, accept them in their shame and bring forgiveness to them. Since Jesus also wants us to have right relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters, he went out and preached, healed and reached out to those who asked for forgiveness, who needed healing and who wanted to hear God’s Word.

Jesus was baptized so he could be one with us. Are we bold enough to be one with him? Can we, like Jesus, go into the dark lives of people to open their eyes and free them from sin? This can be hard to do if we are not washed of our cowardice, but when we are washed in the faith, Jesus will give us the strength we need.
Jesus’ baptism was for everyone, including the Gentiles. The reading from Acts 10:34-43 marks the acceptance of the Gentiles into the Christian community. The Gentiles did not have to show any prior observances. God is for everyone. He has no barriers to his love, and we must not put up any barriers to anyone who wants to come to God in faith.

John the Baptist did not want to baptize Jesus because John was faced with the real authority of the Son of God. John did not know what to do. John had to be faithful to his calling-preaching and baptizing in repentance-so that Jesus could be faithful in his calling. We also have to be faithful to the calling to which we have been called-preaching, singing in the choir, printing bulletins, cleaning the church or some other task. God’s way is through humble service to others, and Jesus is a good example. We have a choice-follow the wide gate to an earthly life that will lead to death and destruction, or follow the narrow gate to eternal life. By submitting to baptism, Jesus showed that God cares about us. Jesus came to a place where he did not belong so we could go to a place where we could not go otherwise.

Jesus’ submission to baptism was no simple act of personal piety. Jesus saw John’s baptism and fiery preaching as a declaration that there would be a new world order where God will set right what the evil world did wrong. By submitting to John’s baptism, Jesus declared that he was ready for this new world order-a new world order he starts with his ministry.

We as Christians are called to live out our baptism. We can’t afford to make ourselves comfortable or do only what will be appreciated or be satisfied with the way things are. We have to struggle with what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s important and what’s not important. Baptism changes us. It is a celebration of grace and an enactment of the Word of God.  

As I mentioned earlier, Jesus’ baptism was the start of his earthly ministry. He had to have a clear sense of God’s support and identity before he could begin his mission. Our mission is the same as his mission, and before we can start our mission, we need to have the support and identity that only our faith in Jesus can provide. That identity is as a child of God.

Baptism calls us to service. God had a purpose for Jesus, and he has a purpose for each and every one of us. This purpose is to identify God with us in Jesus by serving justice in the world until God establishes justice on the earth.  This purpose will be made clear to us at a time and place of God’s choosing. We can’t change God’s timetable. He does things in His own time and in His own way. He gives us a vision. He reveals to us why we do what we do. He gives us a purpose even in our pain. If we are faithful, great things will happen. They might happen immediately, or they might not happen for two or three generations. They might happen in our lifetime, or they might happen after we die, but if we are faithful to God’s calling, great things will happen.

Doing what God requires is difficult. For some, it means becoming more humble, because they have gotten too proud. For others, it means becoming more forceful, because they are too meek.  For others, it means going out and helping the needy. We must also remember that what we think is the right thing to do may not be what God considers to be right. For example, Joseph thought he was doing the right thing when he planned to divorce Mary after she became pregnant, but it wasn’t what God wanted.

We must listen for our calling. We must not be afraid if God calls us to do something great. We must not be ashamed if God calls us to do something small. We must be faithful and prepare ourselves to see the heavens open and hear God’s voice saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

 Bibliography
 

1.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible Software package.

2.      Augsburger, M.S. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

3.      MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASV (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.;2006)

4.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, The Baptism of Our Lord (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

5.      Exegesis for Matthew 3:13-17. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

6.      Richard Mansel, “Living the Truth”. Retrieved from www.forthright.net

7.     Roland McGregor, “Epiphany 1-January 9, 2011”. Retrieved from mcgregorpage@intenex.net

8.      Brett Younger, “The First Step”. Retrieved from goodsermons@goodpreacher.com

9.      The Rev. Dr. Bill Leonard, “The River”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

10.  David Lose, “The Power of a Good Name”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org

11.  Brad Ronnell Braxton, “Ready for Revolution”. Retrieved from www.religiononline.org

12.  Dave Risendal, “Salvation is proclaimed”. Retrieved from http://onelittleword.org

13.  Peter Clarke, O.P., “Baptizing Jesus”. Retrieved from www.torch.op.org

14.  The Rev. Ben E. Helmer, “Baptism of our Lord, 1 Epiphany (A)”. Retrieved from http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com

 

 

 

 

Matthew 3:13-17 God is Proud of You


Good morning boys and girls!

Have you ever done anything so great or so nice that your parents said, “I’m proud of you?”

Parents are always proud of their children, and they show it by taking lots of pictures. They take pictures at school, at church, at Christmas time, at birthdays, at sporting events, at school competitions and so on. Our heavenly Father is also proud of us, just like he was proud of Jesus at his baptism. Matthew tells us all about it in the Gospel reading for today. Listen while I read it to you .

God was proud of Jesus because Jesus grew in maturity, became wiser and always did what his Father asked him to do. Of course, when you obey your parents, they’re really proud of you! When we trust Jesus as our Saviour, we become children of God, and when we obey God, he is very proud of us. Like a good parent, God helps us to do what he wants us to do. Can you tell me some things that God wants us to do. 

Would you like to be the type of child that makes God proud? Let’s pray for God’s help. Dear Father, thank you for being proud of us. We want to be the kind of children you want us to be. Help us each day to do the things that are pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN

Bibliography
 

      1.      “I’m Proud of You”. Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

2.      Larsen, Carolyn: The Standard Bible Storybook (Cincinnati, OH: Standard Publishing; 2009, p.249

 
 

Saturday 4 January 2014

Matthew 2:1-12 Christ Came for All of Us

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. We remember the visit of the three wise men, but we also remember that Jesus came into the world for everyone-Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, upper class people and lower class people, humble shepherds and wise men and so on.
                      
It is also a happy time or a sad time depending on how you look at it. It marks the end of the 12 Days of Christmas and the end of the holiday season. For most of us, the decorations have been put away for another year, the parties and celebrations are over, visitors have returned home, and we are settling back into our daily routines after the Christmas season. We, like the Magi, need to break away from our daily routines and busyness to take time to look for the Christ Child. It might mean stopping in the midst of our daily lives to pray that God will help us center our thoughts on Jesus more than our daily lives. It might mean that we have to put down our to-do list to pick up our Bibles to read and absorb God’s Word.
 
The wise men endured a long, difficult journey. They endured dangers, hardships and scorn to find Christ, and so should we. When they found him, they worshipped him, and so should we. They set an example for us as Christians to follow. The Magi were on a quest, looking for more in their lives. They were not satisfied with the way things were. Otherwise, they would have stayed put. Change started for them when God made the first move and showed them a light in their darkness. They didn’t have to follow that light, but they picked up and began a journey that took them to Christ. They left their daily routines to find Jesus.  

The star the Magi followed was not a natural phenomenon. It is a reminder that we need divine intervention to find out where Christ is in our lives. The busyness of our everyday lives can distract us from seeing the Messiah. When the light of Christ dwells in us, it guides us and blocks out the light from outside, worldly distractions. The light of Christ gives us the strength we need to make the name of Jesus known throughout the world.

The wise men studied the stars and believed in astrology. They believed that a person’s destiny was influenced by the star they were born under. They believed that if something strange happened in the sky, it was because God was breaking into the natural order to announce some special event. That is why they noticed and followed the star of Bethlehem. They had a limited sign and came to the Messiah, but those who knew the truth about God, his words and actions failed to take the Messiah’s birth seriously when they found out about it. In fact, they, like Herod, saw it as a threat to their positions and their way of life. Herod even saw it as a threat to his rule.

The Magi could not return to their old way of living after they met the Messiah, and we can’t return to our old way of living after we meet the Magi. Jesus’ presence changes everything. There is more to life than our routines and careers. Life has more meaning now because the light of God’s presence is among us.

Those who refused to take the Messiah’s birth seriously were wrong. Jesus was a threat to their positions and their way of life because he challenged their way of doing things. He challenged them to change their ways, accept God in faith and follow his ways and teachings. He was ignored and despised not only because he challenged the established way of doing things, but also because he was not the type of Messiah people were looking for. They were looking for a Messiah who would come from the established ruling class and drive out the Romans. Instead, they got a humble servant who came from earthly parents who belonged to the lower classes of society. This fit in with one part of God’s plan for salvation-concern for the poor and disadvantaged members of society.

Epiphany is more than the inclusion of the Gentiles as part of God’s Kingdom. It is about breaking down the barriers that divide people. It challenges us to reconsider how we look at people whom we see as being outside the boundaries of God’s love. We must remember that God’s love knows no boundaries. We must take off our spiritual blinders and welcome those whom we don’t want to love.

The wise men represent us in God’s plan. They represent everyone who sets out in search of a king and finds the son of God. They gave Jesus the most precious material gifts they had, but each and every one of us can give him something even better-ourselves. Those who, like Herod and the chief priests and scribes, try to derail God’s plan for salvation will fail. They are no match for God or God’s people. God loves everyone, and Jesus came to save everyone.

The Magi were foreigners in the eyes of the ruling class, but Jesus was of keen interest to them. They went out of their way to find him and set treasures before him. The gifts the Magi brought were symbolic. Gold was a gift fir for a king, and Matthew’s Gospel introduced his Jewish audience to a king who would rule with love instead of hate, peace instead of violence. Frankincense is a gift for a priest. Jesus ministers to God on behalf of men. Myrrh is a gift for someone who is about to die. Jesus came to die for us on the cross. As we end another Christmas season, one of the best things we can do is to think about what gifts we can bring to him.

 Bibliography

1.      Billy Graham, “Who Were the Wise Men?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com

2.      Augsberger, M.S. and Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 24: Matthew (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

3.      Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

4.      Jim Liebelt, “The First Christmas Gifts”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

5.      Mel Lawrenz, “”Magi”. Retrieved from thebrookletter@me.com

6.      Exegesis for Matthew 2:1-12. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org

7.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, Epiphany of the Lord (A)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

8.      Karen Ehman, “Search Carefully”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com

9.      Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2, Feast of the Epiphany (A)” Retrieved from Volume2@preacherexchange.org

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