When preaching on any given Sunday the number of topics available is essentially unlimited. This is probably what I like and dislike about preaching. It is difficult in many ways to decide what to preach. I like to use the liturgical calendar first because that is what it is there for. As a connectional church even beyond our denomination. This calendar alternates and takes us through most of the major theological points of the bible.
Each week we are confronted with different stories from the old testament and the new testament. What often is the difference in each sermon is the difference between a sales pitch and theology. Both can be simplified or complicated. Some sermons hit the selling points of our religion. Eternal life everyone is supposed to want to live forever. Not all sales pitches are bad. Some things we should buy.
For me it was a bit different as I was raised with the church. I learned our's are in many ways mysterious ways. As a child I was often confused and accepted that as part of my religion. Growing into adulthood and adult faith I found answers to my own questions.
As I have often said I never really wondered why there was evil in the world rather how there was any good. That was what has always been amazing to me. With people seemingly doing what they want it is a wonder that things don't go much worse.
We find ourselves on a bit of an edge here. Just yesterday I was at the grocery store and it was extremely crowded. Half a thought in my mind was should I be hoarding; almost a joke to myself. I didn't feel uncomfortable just perhaps this throng of people knew something I did not. The idea that everything can get worse is something I have been accustomed to. People don't really think things can get worse until they do.
People do think things can get better I often wonder why when no one wants to put simple public policy in place. We know that dollars invested in education multiply themselves yet we defund education. My K-5 school lost a teacher at each grade. Not because we don't have enough children.
This week in the liturgical calendar we are confronted with a number of challenging parts of the bible. First the The Offering of Isaac:
Genesis 22:1-14 Amplified Bible (AMP)
22 Now after these things, God tested [the faith and commitment of] Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” 2 God said, “Take now your son, your only son [of [
a]promise], whom you love, Isaac, and go to the region of [
b]Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” [then we continue in verse ten] 10 Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to [
g]kill his son. 11 But the [
h]Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12 The Lord said, “Do not reach out [with the knife in] your hand against the boy, and do nothing to [harm] him; for now I know that you fear God [with reverence and profound respect], since you have not withheld from Me your son, your only son [of promise].” 13 Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering (ascending sacrifice) instead of his son. 14 So Abraham named that place [
i]The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it [
j]will be seen and provided.”
This is hard, my first thought as a child you might imagine. As a father I can not imagine. We know God often does take the sacrifice of our child of promise. This passage quickly brings us to the relationship of God with Jesus and how he sacrificed his son for us for reason we cannot fathom let alone understand.
So I leave Abraham and Issac alone today and looked further past the sales pitch to the theology.
Next we are presented a psalm 13
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2
How long must I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart day after day?
How long will my enemy exalt himself and triumph over me?
3
Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Give light (life) to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4
And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5
But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your loving kindness and faithfulness;
My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation.
6
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
This psalm for help in trouble again says difficulties and other struggles are again what is to be expected. Even as we are in great trouble this is not what I feel like preaching today. I don't know everything about preaching but I have learned you don't preach what you don't feel like preaching. I don't feel like preaching God is our help in troubled times because this is the heart of the sales pitch and not what I feel like preaching today.
Looking further in the information from the church today we have Jeremiah 28:5-9
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who stood in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord confirm and fulfill your words which you have prophesied to bring back the articles of the Lord’s house and all the captives, from Babylon to this place. 7 Nevertheless, listen now to this word which I am about to speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people! 8 The prophets who were before me and before you from ancient times prophesied against many lands and against great kingdoms, of war and of disaster and of virulent disease. 9 But as for the prophet who [on the contrary] prophesies of peace, when that prophet’s word comes to pass, [only] then will it be known that the Lord has truly sent him.”
Here we find some meaty theology. We miss the message of hard times often! We strive to hear Gods voice and we rightly look to the prophets. This Hananiah, however something we see more than the prophets a false prophet. Jeremiah then writes to those in captivity:
“Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, to all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit. Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and don’t be diminished. Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you shall have peace. For thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Don’t let your prophets who are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, says Yahweh” (29:4-9).
As a people in captive: captive to a pandemic, captive to ignorance. captive to fear and hate. This subject is not as comforting today to me as I need. Perhaps you feel the same or different. Not sure that I am really preaching to you.
There is a call here to make things better wherever we are.
Next and another psalm 89 or rather part of it:
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
89:1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
89:2 I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
89:3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:
89:4 'I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah
89:15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance;
89:16 they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.
89:17 For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.
89:18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Here I find a smile as I read. Eternal life sounding better. Jeremiah tells us to build homes in our exile and seek peace with the cities we find ourselves. But we remember that the faithfulness of God is to every generation. We have here more theology and the greatest sales pitch.
As a child of God you might find yourself living in the land of milk and honey or exiled and the faithfulness of God remains for all the generations. This is almost what I want to preach today, but in this particular time of struggle I was looking for something small to talk about. Something small to help me and something small perhaps to help you.
Next comes Romans 6: 12- 23
To paraphrase this section I will say that God is offering us an insight here that we will be slaves in either case. Slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness. This is a practical matter one form of slavery leading to death and the other leading to eternal life. Hear we find the famous wages of sin.
Not today; this sales point has met more people and saved more people than perhaps anything else. I'm not completely convinced I want to live forever. Again it was never the sales pitch that brought me here. It was the call. Raised in the church living forever was never the first or one of the top priorities. As there are so many things to preach about there are so many things to live for.
One thing seems clear, if you don't have a something your willing to die for it is hard to live.
The last reference today in the calendar is where we finish today and find our small thing.
Matthew 10:40-42
10:40 "Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
10:41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous;
10:42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple -- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward."
Not such a small thing perhaps as I could preach on this the rest of my life. I wonder if there is anything small. The small thing that comes to me today is the title to my sermon:
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. This I don't see as sale pitch or theology or a call. I see practical advise that can help us find our way through this chaotic world.
In every situation you encounter in life you are welcomed or not. Each person we approach we can feel how we are welcomed. Now in those instances when we are not welcomed their could be many things at play, but when we are welcomed there is really only one thing at play.
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me. Here we have Jesus telling us several things. Who it is that is always with. If they don't welcome us Jesus still with us, cause if they had welcomed you they would welcome Jesus. He doesn't show up only when things are good.
When we gather in his name we know he is here because he comes with us here.
So I want you to take this small thing and see what it can become out in the world.
Remember what the mustard seed sized faith becomes and know that whenever someone welcomes you, you need to note this and be aware and use in your calculations.
Ok I have been welcomed this is a good start, this should make you feel good.
Ok I have not been welcomed, this is a good sign as well because I know something is not right.
This is a small thing that will never lead you wrong.
People are many things and can be deceptive as well. Here is where faith can buttress the small. Is it always a good thing to be welcomed. You know even if someone hopes to deceive it is themselves that they are deceiving.
So not a complete answer but quite something to hold onto. Next time you meet someone you have never known or meet someone you have known your entire life. Take just a moment to remember this small thing.
Really it is about discipline and bringing Jesus to our mind more. Like everything else we do practice make perfect. How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Well there are greater places to get. When we evaluate a welcome which shouldn't take all day and can be a simple part of your life; can bring Jesus to your waking intentions.
Also when we welcome someone we know who else we are welcoming.
Welcomed or welcoming and yes the guard goes down a bit and yes we are more vulnerable.
Your going to be a slave to something how about vulnerability and righteousness!
Let us pray: (
https://olqm.net/ministries/hospitality-ministry/hospitality-ministry-prayer/ )
Lord Jesus, you welcomed all who came into your presence. May I reflect that same spirit through this ministry of hospitality. May your light shine in my heart this day. Remove from me anything that would stand in the way of radiating your presence.
As people enter this Church to worship and praise You, may they hear your voice in my words and see your love in my actions. May my “welcome” reflect our joy at their presence amid my “good-by” encourage them to return soon.
I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and ask your blessing upon all my efforts. I ask this through our God who is the giver of all gifts.
Amen.
Nottingham 6/28/2020
