On the road with Luke

Sermon – Are You Ready?

Luke 12:32-45

August 8, 2010

Jim Whittaker

In Charles Fraziers novel 13 Moons, the story is told by Will Cooper, orphaned at a young age and raised in the wilds of West Virginia by a Cherokee chief named Bear. Will narrates: (from Leadership Journal [Summer 2010], 43.

“Baptists convened an offer to render the Bible – or at least a few of its most striking episodes into the syllabary and supply copies of it to the people. Bear wanted me to read him some of the book before he decided to accept the offer or not….He liked the story of Job…Also the story of the expulsion from Eden got his full attention…. In the end he judged the Bible to be a sound book.”

I want to pause before I conclude this story to tell you that the Tswassens Indians had a prophecy over 500 years old that said, “people pale as birch would one day come from across the grater water in large canoes. They would bring with them a Black Book. The Black Book was truth, end to end, a gift of inestimable good. The people lived for many years awaiting the prophecy’s fulfillment” (Leadership, 43).

Now to conclude Bear’s reaction to hearing from this book. “He wondered why the white people were not better than they are, having had it for so long. He promised that as soon as the white people achieved Christianity, he would recommend it to his own folks.”

The Tswassen Indians were expecting the Word of God, but they did not see it evidenced in its people and were hesitant to accept it.

Christianity is more than a one night stand at the altar rail.

Christianity is more than a name.

Christianity is not how you dress or what denomination you belong too.

Christians are people who follow Christ and believe in the resurrection.

Christians are people who believe that Jesus’ death and victory over sin and death also happen to those who follow Christ.

Christians believe that the new creation has already started. God has changed us and filled us with love. When you are saved, you are no longer the same person you used to be. You are Christ’s. You have sold out to being a follower of the one who saves us.

You want to know something surprising. The world believes that too. If the Bible is true, then people who follow the Bible are a changed people. If the people who follow the Bible have not changed, then it opens up the questioning of the truth of the Bible. Is the Bible the problem or is the people the problem?

The truth is often God’s people fail to live up to the standards we think God’s people should be about and as a church, while we will say we are still sinners, thank God for grace and we are saved by grace and grace alone did God change us or not? Is it a conversion or not?

I believe the confusion lies in thinking we can accept Jesus as our Savior while not accepting him as our Lord. When we accept Jesus as our Lord, Jesus is our master. Our life is our greatest witness, what does it say? I share with you this quote from Mahatma Gandhi:

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
-- Mahatma Gandhi

What a testimony that how we live matters. In Leadership Journal this month, the theme is justice. There was a cartoon in it where an injustice was being done in view of a Christian. One angel on his shoulder said we have to do something about this. Another angel said yes, but we have to give them the gospel first. Then the other angels said if we help them, we will get the opportunity to give them the gospel, and the next thing you know the two angels are arguing and doing nothing. Satan pops up and says, “keep it up boys.” (Leadership Journal [Summer 2010], 55).

Satan wants God’s people to do nothing. There is a great debate going on in our country as to how much a Christian should help someone. Let’s get this straight both sides can be wrong. If we give the world Jesus and never help anyone, we are prejudiced, and filled with greed and hatred. If we continually help someone and never give them the gospel, then they are left confused as to why we would help them. We help people because Christ has first helped us. Satan doesn’t want you involved in helping the homeless, the poor, the sick, because Satan knows if you help people, they will ask, why are you doing this – and we will say for the love of Christ. He loved me enough to save me, he will save you too. Let’s get this straight. Satan doesn’t want you to work for justice. He doesn’t want you showing compassion, mercy, and love. Satan is satisfied when we continually spend money on ourselves and ignore the needs of the world.

I believe that society is demanding Christians be Christ like. Let’s see how that lines up with the Scriptures. Our scriptures today say get ready! We don’t know when Christ is coming, but work like it is today.

In the late 1950’s when the US government was training soldiers in the artillery, they were falling asleep in the training they were so bored. In the late 1960’s, soldiers trained in artillery were acutely awake because they knew next week they would be in the Vietnam War. Do we believe that today, we might meet Christ? Are we falling asleep while we are waiting.

The scriptures tell us to keep on our work clothes and keep the lights on. Don’t fall asleep even if it is between 2am and 6am in the morning – stay awake, be on duty, do our service, show that God’s love is real. We have been given grace show grace to others. If you thought Christ was coming back tomorrow, would you hold back on today? Would you give more? Serve more? Seek out the lost? Seek out the hurting and tell them about Christ?

1. Let go of your fear

This passage says sell your possessions and give to the poor, and that scares us to death. The scriptures give different examples from selling all of our possessions to half of our possessions to people being unwilling to sell any of their possessions. What is Jesus telling us?

V. 32 says God will provide for our needs and give all that we need. God is desiring to completely rule in our lives. What does that mean?

What the scriptures tell us that fear is often what rules our lives. We are constantly asking what if questions or seeing things in a worst case scenario.

a. One of our fears is if we help someone, they do not deserve it, and we do not want any of our good money going after someone who doesn’t deserve it. Doesn’t sound much like a grace filled life to me.

b. Another one of our fears is if we are generous and help others, there will not be enough left for me. I guess that is why Jesus spent so much time talking about greed.

c. Another fear is Jesus will not know how to properly take care of me.

All of these demonstrate a lack of trust. The scripture warns us that what we treasure is where our heart is. Does our heart treasure Jesus?

2. Be Busy for Jesus

Our text says gird your loins and keep the candles lit. It reminds me of Hotel 6, “we’ll keep the lights on for you.” Girding your loins was when the long robes that were worn in Jesus’ time were tied up around your waist so that you could do work. The picture is then we are working and waiting on Jesus.

If Jesus were to come this very day, what would you want Jesus to find you doing?

When we look to the scriptures for guidance, we find “if you love me keep my commandments.” If we go to the prophets, Amos says, “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing stream” (5:24). I don’t think this means we have to be leading someone to Christ when Christ comes back, but we should be involved in Christ’s work.

Mark Dever said in the summer 2010 edition of Leadership Journal, our relationship with God is personal but not private (33). Our relationship with God has to reflect back on how we relate to others. In this same issue, Ginghamsburg UMC was highlighted as a church who was combining justice and evangelism to make a difference in the world. They have helped about 80,000 people in Darfur, Sudan. There has been some rough spots. One person got shot and another kidnapped. Pastor Mike Slaughter tells the story where after they had been doing ministry there for 3 years, he was talking with some Muslim children at school and they asked him, “why are you doing this?” He said, “as a follower of Jesus, this is what we believe God loves you and your situation is our situation.” It’s against the law there to preach the gospel, but its not against the law to live it.

3. Live Like Jesus Saved You

When we understand our own sinfulness, and how God made a way for us to be made right before God, we are thankfully saved by grace, and if you are truly saved by grace, you are being changed into God’s likeness. It won’t matter when Jesus comes back, because we are going to be working for the kingdom.

When you have been filled with God’s love, it is just who we are to share God’s love. To a certain extent, we can’t help it. We want to love because we have been loved. Our salvation is personal but it is more than personal. It affects our family. It affects our community. It even affects our world.

While we all agree that racism is wrong, what are we doing to help foster reconciliation?

While we all agree that hate, prejudice, and war are wrong, what are we doing to show the world how to love?

The parable given in our scripture today says we will become lazy waiting for Christ. We will even do things that we know are not Christ like even in the church, but when Christ comes, there will be a judgment, and we will answer for our laziness.

a. We are to live the incarnation – this means we are the witness of God to the world.

b. We are to proclaim the Good News in love.

c. We demonstrate the Good News by our caring. We are a people of compassion.

d. We are people of restoration. Sometimes, a band-aid remedy is not enough. We maybe called to develop new missions, new work because of the needs.

e. We are even people of confrontation. We as God’s people must speak up about evil and its systems.

(Leadership Journal [Summer 2010] – Noel Castellanous, 41).

John of Kronstadt was a 19^th century Russian Orthodox priest in a time when alcohol abuse was rampant. Few priests would venture out to help the drunks in the gutter. John of Kronstadt picked up people out of the gutter and said, “this is beneath your dignity. You were meant to house the fullness of God.” We should be willing to say to people, “your brokenness doesn’t define you. You are one in whom Christ dwells. You were meant to house the fullness of God.” (“Dignity for the Downtrodden,” Leadership Journal [Summer 2010], 59).

Surely that would be what Jesus meant when he said keep your work clothes on and keep the lights burning. Amen.

Sermon for Homecoming – Meroney UMC

August 1, 2010

Jim Whittaker

The Sin of Hoarding – Can you Live and Forget Eternal Values?

Luke 12:13-21

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

Homecoming – homecoming is a time we take to remember in our community this church, the work of Christ, and our loved ones who have served here and gone on to be with the Lord. It really is a time for us to remember that eternal values will always trump whatever is going on in our life right now. Homecoming is a time we reflect on our own life as we have lived it for Christ in comparison to what God says our life should like.

Our scripture today brings us to something that is not all that unfamiliar – a family feud. Now we knew how to feud in West Virginia for we brought you the Hatfield and McCoys. One family was on one side of the Big Sandy River in West Virginia and the other family was on the other side of the river in Kentucky. It was like each family just wanted to show the other family just how mean they could be. One killing led to another killing and one more killing led to another. We tended to settle feuds with guns.

One day when I was driving home from the coal mines, I came to a curve in the road where I was looking straight at a house. All of a sudden, a man came running out of the house with a child under each arm. He threw them into the car, and sped off in reverse and driving with the door open and looking under the door as he drove. I decided to slow down as I was now almost in the curve. It was about this time that another man ran out of the house and stood in the middle of the road with a gun shooting the gun as quickly as he could at the man speeding off in reverse with two children in the car. I stopped the car and hoped that I didn’t get shot. After he ran out of bullets he ran into the house and I drove down the road. Just another day at the coal mines.

We might think no wonder Jesus didn’t want to get into a family feud, but one commentator said something that really got my attention, “whose to say who is greedier.” In the Jewish tradition, the family line was carried on through the oldest male. If there were 2 males in the family, the inheritance would be divided into 3 parts. The oldest male got twice as much as the next male. It was the oldest male in the family that we keeping it all, or it was the youngest male in the family that was saying he shouldn’t get twice as much. There is greed on both sides. Who is to say who is greedier.

We talked two weeks ago how that generosity and compassion should describe how we live as Christians. In fact, this story is given as an exact opposite of that type of person. This story gives us a person who can only relate to themselves. In fact his favorite words seem to be “I will.” To a certain extent, perhaps we should congratulate this farmer. He has planned, worked hard, made good decisions, and he has received his reward – a harvest beyond anything he could have imagined. This story does not criticize his hard work. This story does not criticize his well thought out decisions. This story does not criticize his planning in his farming.

This story is a critique on his values. He seems to be so tied down to this world that he has no time for God in his family. He has not time for God at his work. He has not time for God in his recreation. Today we will explore where eternal values differ to a self centered value system. We look at the dangers of coveting, the stress of owning things, and God’s call to a simpler life.

I. Coveting is not a godly value.

The scriptures call this man a fool. We are reminded where in the Psalms it says a fool is one who says there is no God. The scripture reminds us that we might say we believe in God yet live in such a way that our life is saying there is not God. We call that “Practical Atheism.” Our lives model an unbelief in God if they do not reflect eternal values.

He never asks himself what would God want him to do with his wealth. It seems his dream is to save up a big retirement, and take it easy on the beach. That’s the part that is un-nerving. It’s easy for me to see myself there or any of us.

An old man asked a young man about what were his plans for life. The young man said he was going to college to get a degree in business. What then? Said the old man. The young man said he would learn his trade and start a business. What then? Said the old man. The young man said he would become wealthy. What then? Said the old man. The young man said he would enjoy his wealth in his retirement and old age. What then? Said the old man. The young man somewhat puzzled responded, he would die. What then? Said the old man. Yes, what then. The fact is we all have a tendency to live our lives without a thought of what God maybe calling us to do. (Modified from William Barclay Daily Bible Study on Luke).

My dream has always been to retire early and enjoy life whatever that might be. When I worked at Farm Bureau, I could have retired anytime after 55 and certainly by 62. It never dawned on me that God might have other plans. What I found was I was saying, “when I,” “When I,” and not “if God wills.”

The definition of coveting according to this passage is to let your life be controlled by possessions. Perhaps, it may be impossible to get completely away from possessions since most of us want a warm or cool dry bed to sleep at night. The key is am I controlling my possessions or are they controlling me.

John Wesley is famous for saying “earn all you can,” “save all you can,” and “give all you can.” The key to release is in the giving.

John Wesley while attending Oxford as a student had a yearly stipend of 30 pounds. Of that he gave 2 pounds to the Lord’s work, and lived on 28 pounds. He didn’t live on much. When his fortunes changed, and he became a famous preacher, he sold books, and the money was then 60 pounds, 90 pounds, and 120 pounds a year. John Wesley continued to live on 28 pounds and gave the rest away. I think it is quite easy to see why he had the impact he had.

He controlled his possessions. They did not control him.

A man a few years back watched as the wild fires in Santa Barbra burned his house down. Rather than moaning about all that had been lost, he said on national TV, “I have been set free.”

2. The Stress and Anxiety of Owning Stuff

A preoccupation with possessions leads to anxiety. Back in the late 90’s, Dianna and I had finally gotten where we could save a little even with the kids going to college. We were putting our money into the Janus Mutual Fund. I remember one year it earned 56%. Too bad, we were just getting money into the fund. I remember in July 1998 thinking this plan is doing too good to not get some money in it so Dianna and I both put a $2,000 IRA into the fund. August things looked a little dicey. In September, there was this thing called the triple witching hour when a lot of things lined up just in a certain way and the fund start losing money like crazy. A year later our $2,000 IRA was worth $900. I had felt the sting of losing money in a big way. In total, we lost about $16,000. One of my aunts lost $100,000.

Not only is there the stress of losing what you have gained through the stock market. If you get possessions that are attractive, there are people who will want to steal it. People will charge you a higher price because you can pay it. The government wants their hands on your wealth through taxes. I started realizing that if you are truly successful, where is the safe place for your money. Are banks safe? Are retirement plans safe? Where is a safe place?

I have always heard that land and houses. You always need those and no matter how bad things get. You need both. Dianna and I bought our house in 1986. It was in 1987 that I realized the door casings were beginning to rot – a one year old house. Back in the 80’s they built houses with siding that was faulty. There was a big class action suit against them. It was in 1990 that I started replacing siding. It was in 1988 that we filed a claim for faulty construction on the front porch. It seems they did not use treated lumber or an aluminum wrap around the band where the porch met the house. The porch threw water down the front of the house and it rotted. It was in 2002, that we had to have our garage addition jacked up with ram-jack since the foundation had sunk one whole inch at the corner of the house with the sweet gum tree. If you own it, it is decaying, rotting, and bugs will eat it.

The foolish farmer asked the question with his new found wealth, “what shall I do?” Jesus said life is not to be identified with possessions. That’s hard to take for us here in America, where possessions are the name of the game.

Preacher Fred Craddock, said “no one knows when enough is enough.” We all have the tendency to keep too much stuff. Possessions can actually reveal a lack of trust in God.

Sermon Illustration (Kevin Lynch – ASP – In Summersville, WV).

From that very first week the homeowner’s brother, Bobby, has been on site helping repair his sister’s home. Bobby worked quietly in the background, always providing encouragement and a helping hand wherever he could. As the weeks went on, we began to hear that Bobby’s own house needed repair. We tried to get him to apply, but he declined, telling us that his sister’s need was greater. We finally managed to get an application from Bobby a week ago, and were heartbroken at what we found.

Bobby lives in a trailer without foundation, solid subfloor, intact floor frame, adequate siding or a waterproof roof. What’s more, Bobby has no running water, no sewage system, and is the sole caretaker of his paralyzed older brother, who also lives in the house. Every morning, Bobby hikes down to the bottom of the hill he lives on, fills a bucket with water from a spigot, hikes back up to the house and bathes his older brother with water from the bucket. He feeds his brother, then carries him in his arms to his four-wheeler (he doesn’t own a car), drives him out to his sister’s home, then spends the day helping repair a home in better condition than his own.

I really feel that Bobby is one of the most Christ–like people that I have ever met. If we can get him running water and a sewage system, we would make a monumental improvement to his living condition and make it much easier to for him to care for his brother.

It’s hard to not be touched by this story that was written this week. Living with so little but somehow seeming to live on a lot.

If you haven’t thought it by now, you need to realize that Jesus was criticizing this farmer for their preoccupation with possessions and for their lack of interest in God’s kingdom agenda – that is to love God with everything you have and to love your neighbor as yourself.

3. God’s Eternal Value Plan includes living a life of Generosity.

Jesus tells a story where a man lived his whole life thinking of me, I, and myself. Helping others was not an agenda item. Caring for others was not on his radar screen. He was obsessed with himself, but sooner or later God intervenes.

No matter how successful we are. No matter how much money we have to buy the best health care in America. We are all one day going to meet our maker. We are one day going to have to respond to the life we have lived.

Don’t miss this point. You can’t say you got Jesus in your life and then live as if you have never heard of Jesus. It was Jesus who said either wealth or God will be your God. You can’t have both. Don’t be mistaken. The devil will lead us to believe that every penney we make needs to go in the bank or to buy more possessions.

We need to ask the question: how much is enough? We need to break free from the pull of possessions so that we can help our neighbor and tell them the gospel good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. When you are living for eternity, when you are living for the great homecoming with Jesus and our loved ones, this is how you live. With generosity of heart for others and our love of God.

Don’t get caught in the trap and think we are saving ourselves through all we have. Grace is what saves. Grace that comes from Jesus Christ. A transformed heart demonstrates that we have been saved by grace. Let go of stuff so that you can hold onto God.

Amen.

Sermon #4 – Pray the Prayer

Meroney UMC

Pentecost 8, Sunday evening service, July 25, 2010

Jim Whittaker

Video Clip: God Almighty Prayer

As Christians, we understand there is importance in prayer. Jesus prayed all of the time. He prayed before he chose his disciples. He prayed before he gave himself up to the authorities. Jesus went out in the still and darkness of the morning to pray away from his disciples. We know we are to pray.

This video clip from Bruce Almighty demonstrates an important point. We want God to do what we want God to do. God in this movie is saying that’s not the way it works. You say you want to love. God gives you the opportunity to love. You say you want patience. God gives you the opportunity to be patient.

God is not a vending machine there to give us whatever we want. If God is our parent or Heavenly Father, should we expect God to give us whatever we want? Of course not! This brings us to a much deeper question. What is the purpose of prayer? Is it to list all of our wants before God or is it something more? I think we realize that it is something more.

Prayer is to put ourselves into God’s presence. It is the expectation that if we put ourselves in God’s presence that we ourselves maybe changed. It is the realization that God might reveal to us that we are the answer to our own prayer. If my prayer is God may we start to love each other and quit fighting, killing, and going to war, God may just put circumstances in my life where I am to love my next door neighbor or a few doors down that is a different color than I am or maybe has a bad family background, or maybe they sell drugs. Putting ourselves into God’s presence is a dangerous thing if we do not want to be more God like.

Make no qualms about it, God wants to change you and me to become more like God. Is this what the disciples saw? Did they see Jesus’ prayers and his godliness linked? Did they see a power they were missing? They said, John has taught his disciples to pray a certain way, which would reflect John’s understanding of coming to God, Jesus what would you teach us? So, we have the Lord’s prayer. Luke’s version is the shorter version but still jam packed with important point. Each phrase is a bombshell waiting to explode.

Phrase 1: Father Hallowed be your name.

To pray is to put ourselves in God’s presence. You have probably heard the word Father might be similar to our daddy or papa. It is a term of endearment and respect. It is a term that says God has authority over us. While I think it is evident by using such a term of endearment, that God wants a relationship with us. This is not buddy, buddy. God is still God. The word hallowed is to be holy or to be sanctified or to be set apart. If we are to pray as the Lord’s prayer is teaching us, we need to take time to get into God’s presence.

I think of the song you are holy. You are holy. To put ourselves into God’s presence is a realization that God will make all things right. It is a realization that if we take the time as we studied this week in VBS with Elijah to hear the stillness of God, the Holy Spirit will convict us of sin in our lives. If we are to put ourselves into God’s presence, then sin has got to go. How close can we move toward God if we are still holding on to racism, sexism, prejudices, hatred, and a do nothing attitude in caring for our neighbors? How can we say we are close to God if we don’t like the same things he liked? Jesus told us to make disciples. That means we are to witness of God’s greatness in our life. If we are reluctant to ever say anything about God, we are holding back.

It is a powerful thing to say the first phrase of the Lord’s prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, but Luke puts us in a place of worship. We should be lifting our hands and praising God. Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me. Thank you Lord Jesus for taking sin out of my life and replacing it with love, mercy, and compassion. God you are in control and all things will be made right through you.

In the book of Revelation, the saints are saying “worthy is the lamb to be worshipped. Salvation belongs to God who is seated at the throne. All honor, glory, blessing, and might be with you.”

Second Phrase: Your Kingdom Come

If you felt a little difficulty with the first phrase, then hold on. Jesus ain’t done with us yet. Not only are we to pray for God’s presence, to be still so God can speak to us, and to give praises unto God, we pray this powerful prayer: God reign fully in my life right now. Kingdom means God’s reign. How can we pray for God’s reign in the world, which this prayer does, if we have not responded to God’s desire to reign fully in our life.

If it is not apparent to you yet, then let me tell you. God desires for us to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. This whole section is about the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are to demonstrated the fruits of the spirit so let’s list some of the fruits of the flesh, because they have got to go!

Sexual immorality – it’s got to go.

Living in away that’s not devoted to God – it’s got to go.

Loose living, spend thrifts, money hogs, everything is about us or ourself – it’s got to go.

Worshipping something or someone other than God – whether it’s family, nation, job, house, spouse, children, sports, or our ownself made god – it’s got to go.

Trying to be god ourselves or god to someone else – it’s got to go.

Arguments and a refusal to make peace – it’s got to go.

Jealousy of someone else’s success – it’s got to go.

Anger – sorry it’s on the list – it’s got to go.

Refusing to be unified in our love of God whether that is by denomination or by church cliques, sorry – it’s got to go.

Out of control living or to be controlled by something such as alcohol or drugs or someone lese it’s got to go.

Partying and being self absorbed all of the time – it’s got to go.

That is what it means to say and to pray, “God may your kingdom come.”

Phrase #3 – Give us each day our daily bread

This phrase after we have put ourselves into God’s presence and asked God to fully reign in our lives, is a request to give us just what we need for this day. It is inclusive. It is not just food. It is everything. God give the morality that I need for this day. God give me the strength that I need for this day. God give me the assurance of salvation that I need for this day. The words day and daily also can mean life. God give me just what I need for my life until I meet you at the great white throne judgment. It is to rely on God completely for just what I need.

God gives us the rain that we need. God also at times withholds rain, but even when times are difficult, God does not abandon us. This is also a time to give thanks for what God is and will give us. God thank you in advance for what you are doing, giving, and providing in my life for I know you will give just what I need.

It is a recognition that all of our wants will not be satisfied. It is a recognition that Jesus is the bread of life, and Jesus is the source of our salvation. It is a prayer for God to keep us in your saving grace.

Phrase #4 – Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

- Seek God’s presence

- Let God fully reign in your heart

- Rely completely on God for all of your needs today and the day’s ahead.

Now you are ready to put the rubber to the road with forgiveness. The world needs forgiveness. Yet, it can be so hard to give.

Forgiveness and inner peace

Anne FitzPatrick writes of coming home one night after a pleasant outing with her husband and friends to find that their house had been broken into and robbed. The house had been ransacked and many of the things taken had not only monetary value, but sentimental value as well. Anne was at first shocked, then angry and finally frightened. Her inner spring of security had been poisoned. For weeks, the break-in was never far from any of Anne's conversations. She became suspicious of anyone she didn't recognize and had trouble sleeping. She had become shackled to bad memories.

One evening, several weeks after the robbery, the theft was again the topic of family conversation. Anne's teenage son, Bill, said, “We should stop dwelling on what happened to us. We lost only things, but [the thieves] lost a lot more. They're out of grace of God by breaking his law.” Bill went on to suggest that they should pray for the intruders. Slowly, Anne began to understand the godly wisdom her 17-year-old son had spoken. She later said that as she was able to forgive the thieves, her own sense of inner peace returned.

It is hard to live and feel God’s complete forgiveness if we are not following suit. We are reminded where there was one person who was forgiven billions of dollars. A sum so great that we should realize there is no possible way that it could be paid. This is what God does. Forgives our sins, which is a debt so great, we could never repay God or make it right but doing good works. Yet this man, representing a Christian that has been forgiven cannot forgive a man that owes him a small sum, let’s just say $50. He has been forgiven billions, but he can’t forgive someone who owes him $50. Well the story says he was hauled back to jail meaning If you can’t forgive, a small debt that someone owes us, God may just call us up at the Great White Throne judgment and say “you say you are a saved person” and you can’t forgive. This person is taken to jail which means they have not been set free from their sins. Their unforgiving heart is sending them to hell.

While it may be hard to forgive, it is apparent the scriptures think it is imperative for us to practice forgiveness. We are to pray daily. God forgive me just like I am forgiving others. Confession time: I ‘m letting things go. This prayer convicts me. If God is in control, God can take care of the situation or the person that I am having difficulty with. I am moving on.

I am choosing to live in freedom of God’s forgiveness knowing that I am living in my assurance of my salvation.

To pray is to ask God please change me into the person you want me to be.

Phrase #5 – And do not bring us to the time of trial.

The word trial here could also be translated as testing or temptation. God sometimes allows testing to come to our way to strengthen us and our faith. While there is a prayer here for God to move us through any testing or temptation that comes our way, we also hear don’t bring me to a temptation like Jesus went through or possibly I can never make it through that testing unless you get me through it.

It is a realization that there are powers of evil and darkness in the world. It is a request to be protected from the hands of Satan or as some ancient translations say, “save us from the evil one.”

All we ever need is in this prayer. It is quite unlike our own prayers. It is a request to be in God’s presence to rest and trust in God fully and completely. It is a prayer to be transformed and changed to be more God like to let go of our human weaknesses and temptations. It is a request to be saved from Satan.

You want to love God and neighbor? This is your prayer.

Amen.

Sermon – God Desires to Give you a Gift.

Luke 11:1-13; Communion Sunday

July 25, 2010

Jim Whittaker

Scripture:

11He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ²He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. ³Give us each day our daily bread. ⁴And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.” ⁵And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. ⁹“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹²Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Introduction:

When we get to the very end of this passage, it says that a good gift that God wants to give us is the Holy Spirit. Francis Chan, in his book The Forgotten God: The Holy Spirit, says if he were Satan, he would do everything he could to get us away from the Holy Spirit. It would seem that Jesus is interested in the opposite. Jesus is doing everything he can to get us to abide, to grow, to open ourselves up to the work of the Holy Spirit. This is a gift. It is the gift of God’s presence.

Dianna and I were looking through boxes of stuff at the parsonage. We have been there for 7 years, and we still haven’t opened up all of the boxes we packed. I found some neat stuff. I found my cholesterol readings from 24 years ago. I found my buffalo nickel collection that I thought I had lost. Dianna handed me a Bible and said here this is your grandmother’s Bible. I have 7 aunts and 1 uncle so I was quite surprised that I had grandmother’s Bible. It had some fancy embroidered case. I didn’t recognize it, and I decided to open it up. I turned to the page where it tells who gave you the gift of God’s word. There it was. I had given my grandmother this Bible in 1973. I can barely remember, but I think her Bible was worn out. It said given to her by her grandson, Dean (that’s my middle name), whom I love very much. I didn’t even remember. My brother, my sister, and I were the only grandson’s that lived nearby. Everyone else had moved away. They say a gift is special if it is given by someone you that is special to you. A gift takes on added significance if it is life changing. A gift takes on a complete different meaning when we know it has been costly. I don’t know that my gift to my grandma met those 3 requirements, but God’s gift to us did. God created us, loved us, and made a way of redemption for us. God is special or should be special in our lives. God’s gift is certainly life changing as we are transformed into the creatures God desires us to be. It certainly was costly as God gave his only Son on the cross, but God is not done with giving gifts. God continues to shower us extravagantly with gifts. God gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us. This is God’s presence. We are given the gift of prayer. This is a way to be in God’s presence.

Have we opened the gifts that God has given us?

What a shame it would be if God has given us a gift, and it remains unopened. This is a passage to warn us to not put God’s gift on the fireplace mantel. As our church in America slowly dies, we that remain should humble ourselves in prayer, confess our sins, and God will hear those prayers. We are clearly told today to pray. We find in our text that the disciples watching Jesus pray was not enough. They felt like then needed some assistance – a way to memorize what should be in prayer so Jesus gave them what we call the Lord’s Prayer.

Point #1 – God desires to answer our prayers. This is a gift God gives us. God desires our presence.

1. God wants us to pray. Jesus answered the disciples request in teaching them a prayer that would help them to pray. We will look at the Lord’s Prayer closer in this evening’s sermon. Prayer is a gift that we have been given. Have we opened the gift?

Parable #1 - We are told two parables after this prayer. One is about a neighbor who comes over at midnight because he has guests that have arrived at midnight. Their hungry, and he has nothing to eat. So he goes over to his neighbor’s house at midnight and asks for food. The stores are closed. He keeps beating on the door. What a story. Who is going to want to get up? The obvious answer is nobody. It’s too late. You should have prepared better. Couldn’t you have gone to the store in the evening when the store was still open, but the neighbor keeps knocking.

The word given in the NRSV is persistent. There’s more to it than that. This guy is shameless. He keeps knocking on the door. Dogs are barking. Lights in other houses are coming on. He is waking the whole neighborhood up. Finally, the neighbor has no choice, but to give him some food.

There’s a lesson for us here. Be bold in your prayers. Be shameless in your prayers. Be persistent in your prayers. If your neighbor finally answers your persistence, don’t you think God will? Be bold in your prayers. Drop all social conventions. Pray! Just pray!

Parable #2 – Suppose your child asks for a fish or some food. What will you as a parent do? Now we should automatically think, “our father who art in heaven.” You are going to give the child food. You are not going to trick the child, poison the child, or hurt the child. Why? They are your child! We are God’s children. If we have enough sense to give good gifts to our children, would we not expect the God of the universe to do the same.

2. God is waiting. God is expecting us to ask for the Holy Spirit. Sure we say, that God gives us the Holy Spirit when we are saved, but I ask when is the last time you prayed God as Elisha prayed – God give me twice the spirit of Elijah. When have we said Lord fill me, use me, mold me into the creation you want me to be?

Ephesians 5 says, pray in the Spirit, be filled with the Spirit, do not grieve the Spirit. We maintain our relationship with God by God’s Holy Spirit.

Point #2 – God’s Gift is relational. We should be able to experience God.

When was the last time, you felt God’s presence in a mighty way? Hopefully it hasn’t been years. We feel God’s presence when we do God’s work. I don’t feel God’s presence we have lost all hope. I feel God’s presence when a man calls me from Kentucky and says he got saved because of what was on our website. I feel God’s presence when I see African Americans, whites, and Hispanics worshipping together at VBS. If you want to feel God’s presence, then get where God is working.

If God didn’t want a relationship and to share his presence, he would not have instructed us to pray “Our Father.” This simple prayer tells us that God is a relational God. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, then we too must also be relational beings.

1. The model of Jesus – Jesus prayed to the Father. Jesus instructed others to pray. That’s the same thing we should do.

2. Jesus forgives us so we should forgive others. This is how we live in relationship. Our relationship with God should mirror our relationship with others.

3. We are to live into God’s kingdom. This affects how we live with God and how we live with others.

What good gifts should we give to others?

1. Give the gift of God’s love and the gospel message of grace.

a. We do this in our words. What we say.

b. We do this in our thoughts. Our thoughts lead us toward actions. Can you imagine sharing God’s love with your neighbor even if they are different than you?

c. We do this in our actions. Our actions are the words that are shouted out to the world. If we never do anything to help others, we are in effect saying, my god doesn’t like you. We help others so that we can say, my God loves you.

2. We give the gift of a relationship just as God has given us the gift of relationship.

Love of neighbor. Love of God. This is how we live as Christians in God’s presence.

Are you filled with God’s presence? God is not looking for half full and half committed Christians.

Have you asked for God’s presence? Are we neglecting our own spirituality and the blessing we can be to others?

Are you saved and know you are saved? God’s Spirit will tell you are saved. Romans 8:16. There should be no doubt in your mind.

Have you shared God’s saving grace with others? God gives us boldness. This occurs through God’s Spirit.

Amen.

What You Desire is What you Worship

Luke 10:38-42

Pentecost 8, July 18, 2010

Jim Whittaker

How do we worship God? Is there evidence of our worship in our time, resources, and priorities?

We set one day aside a year to worship the coming of God into our world. That day is Christmas. We put on Christmas plays and sing Christmas hymns. When the big day finally arrives we gorge ourselves on wonderful food and give gifts to those in our family or more accurately we give gifts to ourselves.

How does this compare to the poverty of Joseph and Mary and the kings from the orient who actually gave gifts to Jesus of the finest things that could be bought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh?

What you desire is what you worship. I think it is fair to ask the question what do we worship on Christmas?

We may end up worshipping things. We may end up worshipping our traditions. We may end up worshipping our family. As Christians, we may need to rethink how we do things. How could Christmas become about gorging ourselves on extravagant food while others go hungry and on giving ourselves gifts when there is so much need in the world.

I was eating with a man this week when he began to tell me about the stresses of his job. How things seemed to be out of balance. Things were ruling his life. He would like to go on a mission trip, but he couldn’t because of his job and things. It was when I saw tears well up in his eyes that I saw the real magnitude of what he was feeling.

<<<<Rest of Sermon Lost>>>>

Sermon outline: What We Desire is What We Worship

Introduction:

- Habits of Christmas

- Definition of _Worship__: extreme devotion or intense love.

- Martha and Mary

I. Spirituality tops _Physical__________.

- Distraction – our day to day _busy-ness_______.

- We have to __delibrately_______ put ourselves into God’s __presence_________.

a. Consider gifts to __give to Jesus___________.

b. Prioritize your time for _prayer__, _study____, and __fellowship_____.

c. Make our physical gifts __spiritual_________.

II. Simplicity tops _elaborate________.

Worshipping and serving God should not be work or duty driven.

- Simplicity means we do __more____ with __less_____.

o Put value in purchases

o Redirect your spending

o Make gifts and build relationships.

- Simplicity means simply ___less_______.

III. Outreach tops __maintenance______.

Key Saying: What we Desire is What we Worship.

Sermon

Luke 10:25-37

July 11, 2010

Jim Whittaker

²⁵Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” ²⁹But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³²So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Introduction:

Facts:

Travelling from Jericho to Jerusalem put you in some lonely stretches of road. Bandits and robbery were common place so it would be no more uncommon to find a traveler on the road than for us to come upon a wreck. It doesn’t happen all of the time, but it does happen. So everyone who heard this story could be put themselves into this situation.

A priest came down the road. He was a religious professional kind of like an ordained Methodist clergy of today. One thing is for sure. He avoided any contact with this person in need.

A Levite came down the road next. A Levite would be a devoted lay person who had additional responsibilities in regard to the work of God. He just mimicked the priest.

A Samaritan, who was a hated half-breed traitor came and stopped. He took care of the man. He transported the man to the nearest shelter. He paid his bill, and said if he runs up a tab. He will pay it.

The most likely person to help did nothing. The most unlikely person did everything.

I have some questions:

First, why did the religious people do nothing?

Second, when would we see someone lying in the road?

Third, Jesus obviously wants us to mimic the Samaritan. What good characteristics did he show?

We look at these questions today.

Answer to the first question: Why did the religious people do nothing?

The answer is simple. They did not love the Lord their God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength. In today’s language, we might call them not fully devoted as a follower of Christ. In the book of Revelation at the Church of Laodicea, people who are not fully devoted to Christ are called lukewarm. We have even developed a term to describe people who are not fully devoted to Christ. We call them lukewarm Christians. Jesus said, I wish you were or hot or cold, but luke warm, I will spit you out of my mouth. Jesus then says, you say to yourself you are rich and have no needs (Rev. 3:17).

I need to let us in on some cruel facts. If you attend this church, you are a rich person in the world. You may say how can you say that pastor? Here are the facts.

½ of the world lives on $2.50 per day or $75 per month (source: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats). 2.6 billion lack proper sanitation. 1.1 billion lack drinkable water. Those facts make us seem rich here in America. In fact the gap between the rich and the poor is growing. The world’s wealthiest countries (ha, that’s us) who are 17% of the world’s population yet we spend 76% of the world’s wealth. The gap between a poor country and a rich country in 1820 was 3 to 1. In 1992, it was 72 to 1.

What I want everyone to understand is that no matter how poor you are, you are rich to rest of the world. Whether you like it or not. Facts are facts. You live in America. You are rich.

Could we also not have a need for nothing? Consider this: Have you noticed this theme around Christmas or around a birthday – no one seems to need anything. If you ask me what would I like for a Christmas gift or for my birthday – socks. You can always use socks. I already have about 100 ties. I think I only have about 30 pairs of socks. I ask my Dad what does he need? Nothing. I ask mom, what can I get dad. Get him one of the polo type of shirts with a pocket. He probably only has a dozen or two.

The church of Laodicea describes us. Rich and do not have a need. In fact, why aren’t there more Americans in church? The answer is simple. I am making it pretty good on my own. I have what I need. We need to hear Revelation ch. 3 for us today and the warning there is in the scripture.

How shortsighted for us to look at today and ignore eternity. How completely arrogant of us to say we have need of nothing. The Hubble Telescope sight says there maybe 500 billion galaxies in the universe. Wikepedia listed it as only 170 billion. Science is absolutely amazing. The more we learn. The more we learn that we don’t know. In our amazing insignificance to the universe, how can we say we have no need of nothing? The universe is shouting at us, you think this is an accident? 500 billion galaxies. Our eternity weighs in the balance, and we have everything we need?

We were created to worship and fellowship with the almighty God. Listen to this - How absolutely arrogant to say we have no need of anything. We need to be made right with the creator of the universe. We need redemption. Francis Chan described this scene correctly. He said, we call these lukewarm Christians when in fact they are not Christians at all. You are either devoted to Christ or you aren’t. Jesus spits out of his mouth those trying to ride the fence. John Wesley called these type of Christians “almost Christians.” They go to church and appear to be good yet it is all a game. It’s all to fit into the community. There is no saving and transforming grace. John Wesley also said, they are not Christians.

This is the position that Jesus puts the priest and the Levite. They are not touched in the heart nor do they fell compassion to a person lying in the road in need. How could they be a God follower? Obligation and duty has given them an ice cold heart.

Question #2 – When is it we would see a person lying in the road in need?

Sometimes I am amazed with the stories in the Bible – like this one. The religious scholar thought he understood God’s law and application of God’s love, but he never imagined that neighbor could be so big. We tend to think small. I have done this.

My typical thinking of this story is I come upon someone in the road brokedown or in a car wreck and try to help them. I have helped changed tires and have gone to get gas. Since Dianna and I have lived in the Bonlee area, I have calculated about once a year, I come upon someone who needs help. I have given people money, went home to get gas, let someone use my cell phone, ask if they need help, and they say they didn’t. Is this what Jesus was talking about is once a year be good to someone?

I think I have fallen into the religious scholar’s problem. He thought his neighbor was his next door neighbor. Jesus made it a whole lot bigger and it completely surprised him. Jesus helped clarify his problem by asking him who was this man’s neighbor. He answered, the one who helped him. What I have done is to think this only applies if you are driving down the road. If you didn’t drive down the road, well this probably wouldn’t apply. That’s messed up thinking just like the religious leader had messed up thinking. What we want to do is to limit who we help. If we can place limits on it then it reduces our responsibility. Usually if we are thinking this way, we are also saying it reduces our cost in time and resources. How pitiful it is for us to get to where we are saying to do God’s mission is costing me this much.

No wonder in the book of Revelation ch. 3, Jesus said these words to the church of Laodicea, you are pitiful, blind, poor, and naked, but Jesus didn’t stop there. He says you should have listened to my counsel to clothe yourself in white robes. What is that talking about? Jesus is telling the people in the church of Laodicea, you should have been getting saved. You had all of your needs take care of yet neglected the most basic need – the need of salvation.

We don’t want to fall into the religious scholars thinking for we see what company that puts in when we read the Bible. So who is the person lying in the road?

I believe the person lying in the road is anyone who is in need that is in the world we live in – our starting place is Chatham County. What needs do we see here in our county? Well, there seems to be addictions to drugs and alcohol that lead to poor decision. There is physical and mental abuse done to our children and our women of this county. There are people that are going hungry and people who are having a hard time paying the bills. There are people who are hungry for the good news of the gospel if we can look outside of our church. There are needs here in this county and I believe if we ignore these needs, we are not better than the priest or the Levite in the story who hurried along their way so they did not have to be troubled by those who were hurting. If we are doing nothing, then we are bypassing the hurting man in the road.

God is not looking for any half devoted followers sitting on the fence and putting in their time to Jesus comes back. Who is the person lying in the road? Anyone in need that is in our beaten path our community. Jesus was clear, the good Samaritan, is who we are to mimic.

#3 – What are the good characteristics of the Samaritan that we are to mimic?

I would say compassion and generosity. I had an older gentlemen tell me that when he went to the doctor, the doctor told him he suffered from a good lifestyle meaning he was able to eat more than he absolutely needed resulting in high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and other health issues. The doctor was saying you have been too generous to yourself. We are being warned in America, that there is an outbreak of obesity in our children. Our generosity is focused the wrong way. It’s focus is own ourselves.

An American Baptist preacher Tony Campola preached at Annual Conference about 7 or 8 years ago. He said something that I have never been able to get out of my mind – we should live at least one or two levels below what we can afford. Specifically, he targeted the house we live in and the car we drive. Why? Is this some Christian thing that we have to live poor. No! You cannot be generous to others if you have all your resources of time and money tied up in yourself. (Repeat again).

Our problem is trying to interpret difficult scriptures. Jesus told the rich young ruler to sell all he had and give to the poor. That seems well not based in reality. We all need a place to live. How can you give everything away. So we dismiss the story. Of course, Jesus doesn’t tell everyone to give everything away. How about Zacchaeus? Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions away and Jesus seemed to be happy with. Which is it? All or ½. We want a legalistic answer and then we will fulfill it as our Christian duty. God says, I want generous hearts because of love. There isn’t any magical answer, but this – you have to live of off less than you can get by with if you are going to be generous.

Francis Chan in Crazy Love gave the suggestion that what if we tried to reduce our standard of living to the median American family income of $46,000 so that we can be generous. Perhaps that would not be a challenge to some of us, but Tony Campola’s advice would be – live on less than you can afford. Francis Chan also says he deliberately sold his house that he had so that he could live in a smaller house. Why? Simply put, he believed God called him to be generous, and you can’t help someone if you have all your money tied up. You can’t help someone if you have all your time tied up. If we are too be generous, we must have different priorities than what we see in the world. The only way we can afford to help the good Samaritan in the road is if we allow ourselves to have room for generosity.

The real question is are we going to live with compassion and generosity as the Bible instructs us too or are we going to live as if nothing changed when Christ came into our life. Some of the harshest words given in the Bible are in relation to those who claim they believe. In Matthew 25, Jesus asks have we feed the poor, healed the sick, visited in prison, and let the oppressed go free. We cannot say it doesn’t apply. If we claim Christ as our Savior, our life has to change.

We cannot replace compassion for others with consumption of goods for ourselves and remain in a right relationship with God. In fact, I think it is time for us to consider how we celebrate Christmas the great incarnation moment when God came to live among us. In the bible, the Wiseman brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Yet our Christmas, to celebrate the same birth that the wise men celebrated, we give expensive gifts to our own family. When did we stop giving the gifts to Jesus? Have we allowed the commercials on TV, and the reports to spend, spend, spend in the spirit of self consumption replace what the Bible describes as a self sacrifice for the betterment of others?

How are we giving gifts to Jesus? Yes, gifts to the church, to the food pantry, and to mission projects are all gifts to Jesus. Thank you for your support. The question remains: are we living where Jesus wants us to live? Are we able to give to the man lying in the road? Do we have the time to meet his needs? This story lets us know unless we have developed the habits of generosity and compassion, we are not where God would have us to be?

Perhaps, even a deeper question might be to us as to the religious scholar – have we truly committed ourselves to God or are we just putting on a show?

If you are not sure whether or not, you are truly saved, I am asking you to come forward today. Don’t delay. You need to settle this thing.

If you realized yes I have said Jesus is my savior, but I have realized he isn’t my Lord. I have wanted God’s salvation without wanting to make a commitment unto God. I need to change. You need to come up to the altar rail today, and settle this thing.

Maybe you can say, yes to Jesus as Savior and I am trying my best to live as Jesus is my Lord, but I need God to help me with some priorities. I need to develop the habits of compassion and generosity. Don’t leave today without making a commitment.

Jesus is calling today. Are we ready to answer his call?