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Sunday December 14, 2008
“REARRANGING OUR AGENDA AROUND GOD’S PRIORITIES: BY BEARING WITNESS TO THE LIGHT”
Isaiah 61: 1-3; Luke 1:46-55; John 1:6-8
PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
READ: John 1:6-8
Most of you are aware that since our anniversary, I’ve been looking at the scriptures in light of our anniversary theme, “Rearranging our agenda around God’s priorities.” Well, as I meditated on the scriptures for today, the topic I’d like for us to concentrate on is, “Rearranging Our Agenda around God’s Priorities by Bearing Witness to the Light.”
Usually around the third Sunday in the Advent season a mysterious occurrence takes place. People began to get into the Christmas spirit. While some have already gotten there, some won’t get there until Dec. 24th and some won’t ever get there. But around this time of year, with the radio playing more and more of our Christmas favorites, and the Mall, even during economically tough times, is still crowded, the Christmas spirit begins to creep into our lives and the countdown to Christmas begins. For people in the Richmond Co. School system, there are 5 more days to Christmas break and 5 more days after that to Christmas day. For my granddaughter, Christmas just took on a new meaning as she called me last night and excitedly proclaimed, “I lost my two front teeth.” Of course now the joke is, “All she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth.”
PROBLEM: And while the advent of Christmas is becoming more apparent as we get closer to Christmas day, it is imperative that we not lose focus on the reason for the season. With all the extra curricula activity going on, it is even more important that we continue to focus on our anniversary theme and “Rearrange Our Agenda Around God’s Priorities.”
As we get closer to Christmas day, we begin to think more about the gifts we are going to give and receive than about the special gift that God has given to the world. As we get closer and closer to Christmas day, people are more apt to spend money they don’t have on presents they can’t afford. And after the season is over, they are left with bills they can’t pay.
So, in order to make sure we don’t lose our focus, I recommend that between now and Dec. 25th we conduct a litmus test, daily. Scientifically, litmus tests are used to detect the presence of acid in a solution. When you apply a solution to litmus paper, if it turns blue there is alkaline in the solution. If it turns red there is acid in the solution. Well, when I was a little boy my dad would conduct litmus tests. His litmus test was to answer the question, “Is it right or is it wrong? Is it black or is it white?” I used to want to debate him and say that some things are neither right nor wrong, neither black nor white. But I contend this morning, that it is when we get into those gray areas that we begin to run into problems with keeping the main thing the main thing. It is when we get into those gray areas that we begin to forget the reason for the season. It is when we get into those gray areas that we lose focus on the gift of God and pay more attention to the gifts under a tree. It is when we get into those gray areas that we need to rearrange our agenda around God’s priorities. On this Sunday in the Advent season, I contend that our scriptures lessons are calling us to, “Rearranging our Agenda Around God’s Priorities by Bearing Witness to the Light.” As I meditated on the scriptures for today, it became apparent that there was no doubt who had priority in the lives of the author’s of the text. When I conducted my litmus test, I found that each one of the text was clear and precise on the message it wanted to convey. The authors were not concerned about what was happening in the physical world around them. They were not focusing on the economy. Their main thing was not looking for what they might receive. All they wanted to do was bear witness that God was about to do a great and marvelous thing that would be seen by all the world.
Isaiah took notice that something strange and miraculous was about to happen. He noticed that a different kind of spirit was permeating his being. He noticed a different kind of power or anointed that fell on his life and so he said, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of prisons to them that are bound…”
In Luke’s gospel, Mary, took notice that something strange and miraculous was taking place in her body and in her life and so she said, “My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded my low estate and from henceforth all generations has called me blessed.”
In John’s gospel, John took notice that something miraculous had happened and so he begins his story by telling us, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. John came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. John was not the Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.”
PROPOSITION: After reading these scriptures, I was convinced that if we want to keep our focus on the true reason for the season, we need to rearrange our agenda around God’s priorities by bearing witness to the light. If we want to know that we are in the perfect will of God during this time of preparation for the Christ-child, then we magnify the Lord. And if we want our litmus test to point out what God would have us do during this season of preparation, then we need to proclaim good news to the world. Why do you think God would have us do these things? Well, scripture alludes to the fact that people need to be released; they need to hear that God accepts them as they are; they need to be comforted; they need to be given beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning; and the garment of praise versus the spirit of heaviness. Where people are downcast they need to be given a sense of hope. Where the spirit of heaviness pervades, it needs to be replaced with the garment of praise. I contend that the only way we are going to do this is by rearranging our agenda around God’s priorities by bearing witness to the light.
POINT 1: One way we can bear witness to the light is to magnify the Lord, Mary said, “My soul doth Magnify the Lord and my sprit rejoices in God my Savior.” What does it mean to magnify? It means to enlarge the image of; to bring into clearer focus that which we are trying to see. Example: My wife’s make up mirror. Example: The rear view mirror on our cars. When we magnify the Lord, we bring into focus what the season is all about. When we magnify the Lord, we understand what a great thing God has done in our midst. When we magnify the Lord, we are humbled to know that God has shown us grace and mercy by regarded our low estate.
POINT 2: Another way to bear witness is to be intentional about proclaiming good news; about binding up the broken-hearted; proclaiming liberty to those who are captives and the opening of prisons to those who are incarcerated. The operative word is “intentional.” In a world where it is easy to be skeptical, we have to find reasons to have hope; we have to find reasons to joyful; we have to have a reason to proclaim good news to someone who has lost their home, who has lost their job; who has heard that it’s cancer. Our good news is, “But God.” Lost home, but God is able; lost job, but God can; it’s cancerous, but God…
CONCLUSION: Why do we need to bear witness? So that God might be glorified. Amen.
“REARRANGING OUR AGENDA AROUND GOD’S PRIORITIES: BY SPEAKING GOD’S WORD”
Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8; II Peter 3:8-15
PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
READ: II Peter 3:8-15
On this second Sunday in Advent, let us concentrate on the topic, “Rearranging our Agenda Around God’s Priorities by Speaking God’s Word.” While all of the scriptures chosen for today address what it means to speak God’s word, I am going to concentrate on Most of you know that since our anniversary celebration, I’ve been preaching on the theme rearranging our agenda around God’s priorities. Since then I search the scriptures to see where there is a need to rearrange an agenda around God’s priorities. As I looked at today’s scripture lessons, each one seems to be saying that we need to rearrange our agenda around God’s priorities by speaking God’s words. During this season of Advent, as people become more and more excited about the holiday season, there is a tendency to forget about the true meaning of the season. One of the reasons the Evangelism Unit decided to distribute fliers at Kroger’s, Wal-Mart, K-Mart and IGA was to give people a subtle reminder to remember the true reason for the season.
In II Peter, the Apostle was telling the people not to forget that God’s time is not our time and indeed a day with the Lord is as a 1,000 years and a 1,000 years is as a day, so it was imperative that they remember that the longsuffering of the Lord was for them, salvation. What Peter is saying to us is that we need to remember that God’s time is not our time and that we should continue to be diligent in our efforts to speak God’s words. In Marks Gospel, we are reminded that it had been over 400 years since anyone heard a clear word from the Lord. Then came John the Baptist, preaching the gospel of repentance for the remission of sins. John told the people that one was coming after him who was more powerful than he, whose sandals he was not worthy to untie. John said, “Although I baptize you with water, he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. What John is saying to us today is that in the midst of the business of the season do not forget to proclaim “God’s words.”
Likewise, the prophet Isaiah reminds us of the importance of proclaiming God’s word. In Isaiah 40, the prophet finds himself in the midst of a heavenly counsel and God speaks concerning what he wants the prophet to say. I contend that what God wants the prophet to say is that same thing that God wants us to say today.
PROBLEM: But the problem
Isaiah had speaking God’s word was that the people of God had been in exile in Babylon for 70 years. Most
of their ancestors who lived in Jerusalem had died and many of them had lost hope of ever going back to Jerusalem.
They had lost hope because they were in awe of their oppressors. It seemed that their oppressor’s
god was stronger than their god. It seemed that their oppressor’s god could provide for their needs
while their god, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob left them to fend for themselves. And while their
god left them in slavery, their oppressor’s god lived in beautiful temples, and walled cities, and had great monuments
built to him.
PROPOSITION: Well, I contend that if we are going to speak God’s word, we need to rearrange our agenda around God’s priorities. If we are going to speak God’s word, we need to know what the word of God is saying. When we break down Isaiah 40:1-11, we find that there are basically three things we are called to speak.
POINT 1: First we hear a voice crying, “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight in the desert a way for our Lord.” The wilderness Isaiah is talking about can be the wilderness of our lives. Some of us are in the wilderness of despair. Isaiah says while you are in the wilderness of despair, prepare the way of the Lord. Some people may be in the wilderness of doubt. Isaiah is saying to you, while in the wilderness of doubt, prepare a way for the Lord. Some may be in the wilderness of distress…sickness…sin… Why? Because when the Lord comes, your valley will be exalted and the mountain you are struggling to climb will be made low. Prepare a way for the Lord because when the Lord comes, and he is coming, your uneven places will be made level and your crooked places will be made straight and your rough places will be made plain. While you are in the midst of trials and tribulations, prepare a way for the Lord, for the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh will see it. People will wonder, how did he ever get over that? And your testimony will be, the Lord did it. People will wonder, how did she ever get out of that mess? And your witness will be, God made a way where there was no way. In the counsel of God, God tells Isaiah he is to cry, shout, and proclaim his word to the world. So should we.
POINT 2: The second thing Isaiah says we should cry to the world is that “all flesh is grass and just like grass it will fade away. But God’s word shall stand forever.” When God told Isaiah to cry, Isaiah said, “What shall I cry for all flesh is grass? Well, this is what we are to cry. We are to inform some and remind others that they should not put their trust in the flesh but to put their trust in God. So many people who were riding the wave of prosperity have fallen to the pit of financial ruin. Isaiah was told to cry saying, “God’s word shall stand forever.”
POINT 3: The third thing Isaiah says we should cry to the world is, “Behold our God.” The heavenly counsel tells Isaiah to go to Zion and go to Jerusalem and tell them lift up their voices with strength and do not be afraid and say to the cities, Behold our God. He will come with a strong hand and his arm rules for him. Behold he comes in victory and he is sovereign over all. Behold there is no God like our God.
The problem is that sometimes we act like we are ashamed of our God. We act like we are afraid to let people know that we serve a mighty God. Sometimes we act like we are afraid that if people knew we were Christians that they would challenge our faith and we would lose. But the heaven counsel told Isaiah to lift us his voice in strength and be not afraid to tell the world that it is our God that feeds us when we are hungry. It is our God who gives us water when we are thirsty. It is our God who leads us like a shepherd and carries us in his arms.
CONCLUSION: While this second Sunday in Advent is a time we concentrate on the peace of Christ, our scripture lessons admonish us to cry with a loud voice, to proclaim with all the gusto in us that our God reigns. We should shout, “Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates, Behold, the King of Glory waits. The King of Kings is drawing near. The Savior of the world is here. Lift high the portals of your heart. Make it a temple set apart. From earthly bliss to heavens employ. Adorned with Love and Hope and Joy. Amen.
“REARRANGING OUR AGENDA AROUND GOD’S PRIORITIES BY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SIGNS OF HOPE”
Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-31; I Corinthians 1:3-9
PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
READ: I Corinthians 1:3-9
On this first Sunday in the season of Advent, and following Thanksgiving, and celebration of Member Care Ministry Sunday, we know that Advent is a season of preparation for the celebration of Jesus Christ coming again in power and glory. It is a time when we dare to believe, as Pres. Elect Obama states in the title of his book, in the Audacity of Hope. It is a time when dare to believe the words of the song, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” It is a time when we dare believe the words of the song, “Joy to the world, the Lord has come; let earth receive her king.” It is a time when we dare to believe the words of Dionne Warwick’s song, “What the world needs now is love sweet love; it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love sweet love; no not just for some but for everyone. On this first Sunday of Advent, following Thanksgiving and celebrating Member Care Ministry Sunday, let’s concentrate on the topic, “Rearranging our Agenda Around God’s Priorities by Paying Attention to the Signs of Hope.”
PROBLEM: As I travelled the highways and byways during this Thanksgiving season, I noticed that there were signs all around me giving directions for going north, south, east or west. There once was a time when we used the Atlas or Road Map to plot our direction, but now all you have to do is go on line and type in your destination and you can choose to go the scenic route or the quickest route. Some of you have graduated to further advancements by using a GPS system. Some people give their GPS systems names and treat them like one of the family. I know some people who use GPS on the golf course. It tells you how far to hit the ball to the green, but it doesn’t tell you how to hit the ball to make sure it goes where you want it to go.
The point I’m trying to make is that we have signs galore, pointing us in the way we want to go, but oft times we still find that we got lost. We often find that we can’t read or understand the signs that are posted. We sometimes can’t see the forest for the trees; and what we thought was the road to prosperity turned out to be a road to “nowhere”.
PROPOSITION: As I read Isaiah’s prophecy, I could sense the hopelessness and despair of the people Isaiah was writing to. I could sense their reluctance to believe that a brighter day lay ahead of them. I could sense their hesitancy to move forward thinking, “once bitten, twice denied” or once you’ve placed your hand on a hot stove, you learn not to do it again.
But Isaiah, seeing the signs of hope, wishes that God would tear open the windows of heaven and come down to prove himself to his people. Isaiah pleads with God to come and make himself known to his adversaries; to do something miraculous so that the people might know that God his near. Because there are some people who don’t know God in the free pardon of their sins; there are some people who even at this late date have not heard or seen what great things God has in store for those who wait for him. And even though the people are unclean and their righteousness is like filthy rags; God is like the potter who can fashion, even messed up clay into a work that God can use. (story of the cracked pot) Likewise in Mark’s gospel, Jesus predicts that time when the Son of Man will return in his glory. Like the Fig Tree that shows the sign of spring when its leaves are tender, so does God give us signs that he is coming again.
POINT 1: Our testimony has been confirmed POINT 2: Our knowledge has been increased POINT 3: Our gifts are sufficient as we eagerly await Jesus’ coming again.
CONCLUSION: 40 years ago, Bobby Kennedy predicted that America might one day elect a President of African American decent; Martin Luther King, Jr. once predicted a day when African Americans might feel like they have reached the promised land; Mr. Donaldson hoped that one day Belle-Terrace might build a facility to house senior citizens; Mr. James Burney drew me a sketch of the facility and Edythe Byrd refurbished sketch after many uses.
During Advent season, we dare to believe that our hopes and dreams, our aspirations and desires will someday become a reality. The song writer wrote, “My Hope is built on Nothing Less than Jesus Blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but holy lean on Jesus name.” Amen.
“REARRANGING OUR AGENDA AROUND GOD’S PRIORITIES BY HAVING REASONS TO GIVE THANKS”
Ezekiel 34:11-16; Matthew 25:31-46; Ephesians 1:15-23
PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.
READ: Ephesians 1:15-23
On this last Sunday of the Christian calendar year which we celebrate as Christ the King Sunday; and on this Sunday before Thanksgiving, let us concentrate on the topic, “Rearranging Our Agenda around God’s Priorities by Having Reasons to Give Thanks.” For those of you who may not know or may have forgotten, on Christ the King Sunday, Christians recognize and worship Christ as King of heaven and earth for all time. We acknowledge that just like earthly kings have absolute rule over their kingdoms and attain power by raising and leading armies into war against their enemies, Jesus Christ waged a war over sin, death, and the power of the devil. On Christ the King Sunday, we acknowledge that Jesus won the war over death, hell, and the devil when he died on the cross, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. As believers we are called to celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
As we look at our topic for the morning, it alludes to the fact that we need to be intentional about giving thanks to God. When we say our prayers before going to bed, we intentionally make time to thank God for blessing and keeping us throughout the day’s journey. We intentionally make time to thank God for giving us the ability to work, play, and do all that we were able to do and accomplish during the day. And when we have not had a particularly good day, we make time to thank God that the day was as well as it was because it could have been worse.
When we wake up in the morning and say our prayers, we intentionally make time to thank God for a good night’s sleep; that our sleep was not the sleep of death and our rising in the morning was not against the judgment seat. When we wake up in the morning and view the light of another day, we intentionally thank God for giving us another chance to sing God’s praises for all that God has already done. (if you don’t do anything else for me, you’ve already done more than enough.)
On Christ the King Sunday, we acknowledge that Jesus Christ is not only Lord of our lives but
he is also the Messiah, the one who has come and saved us from our sins. PROBLEM: Selfishness, Conceitedness, Arrogance has cloudy our vision and misguided our direction. Because we live in an instant society, we have come to believe that we can have our cake and eat it too. We have come to believe we can get instant gratification just like we get instant cereal or instant coffee. We’ve become impatient and can’t wait for anything. What we want we want and we want it right now - I remember Lay Away.
President elect Obama’s wife Michelle, told the story of how he once owned a car that had a hole in the door and you could actually see the ground as you road along in the car. I can remember having a car just like that. Now-a-days, people don’t want to start off small. They want it all or nothing at all. My point is that this kind of attitude usually leads to a sense of entitlement. I deserve to get what I want. I shouldn’t have to wait. And entitlement generally leads away from thankfulness.
PROPOSITION: I contend that in order to be intentional about giving thanks, we have to rearrange our agenda around God’s priorities by looking for reasons to give thanks.
POINT 1: “God will seek, and deliver and feed his sheep.” On this Christ the King Sunday, Ezekiel gives us a reason to give thanks. We should give thanks because God cares enough to seek us out. We should give thanks because God loves us enough to deliver us in the midst of our trials and tribulations. We should give thanks because God cares enough to provide for our every need.
POINT 2: “God has prepared a place for you from the foundation of the world.” As we prepare to share Thanksgiving with family and friends, we should give thanks because God has prepared a place for those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ, not only as our Lord, but also as our Savior. We should give thanks because God saw fit that he should send his only begotten son to die on Calvary’s cross so that we might have a right to the tree of life. We ought to give thanks because we know that he didn’t have to do it but he did. We ought to give thanks because just as God has prepared a place for those who believe in Him. God has prepared a place for those who do not receive him. The point is that all of us will live eternally somewhere. Jesus said, “If you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, receive the stranger, and have compassion on the imprisoned, it is like you have done these things to him.” It does not mean that we can work our way to salvation, but that certain works follow a life that has been saved.
POINT 3: “God may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Jesus as Christ.” The Apostle Paul gives us another reason to give thanks. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church when he heard of their faith in God and love for the saints. Paul prayed that God would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in knowing Jesus Christ; that the eyes of their understanding might be enlightened and that they may know the hope of Jesus’ calling and the riches of the glory of Jesus’ inheritance; and the exceeding greatness of his power to those who believe.
“REARRANGING OUR AGENDA AROUND GOD’S PRIORITIES: KEEPING FIRST THINGS FIRST” Judges 4:1-7; Matthew 25:14-30; I Thessalonians 5:1-11 PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. READ: I Thessalonians 5:1-11 As I stand before
you today, a key word for me is “Transition.” After a long campaign season, the country is
in a period of transition. After a long hot summer, the leaves on the trees tell us that the season of
the year is in a period of transition. As we near the end of November, and the last Sunday of the Pentecost
Season and look toward Thanksgiving and the beginning of the Advent Season, the Christian church is in a period of transition.
And even though we have not gone through the Thanksgiving Season, a trip to the Department Stores will make you think
that Christmas is already here. As B.T.P.C. has experienced many of our saints going home to glory in the last two years, I tell people who think that the church is dying that the church is not dying but that it is in a period of transition. As we meditate on the scriptures for today in light of what it means to be in transition, it seems appropriate that we should concentrate on the topic, “Rearranging our Agenda Around God’s Priorities By Keeping First Things First.”
PROBLEM: Problems comes when we are not on God’s agenda. Problems arise when we are not on God’s time. Problems appear when we are not seeking God’s priorities. And problems come when we do not keep first things first. Example: Israelites did evil in God’s sight. Example: Servant that hid his talent was not on God’s agenda.
are going to seek God’s priorities, then we have to understand God’s principles. And if we are going to keep first things first, then God’s will and God’s way has to exceed everything else in our lives. In scripture, this is done by acknowledging God, using what you’ve got, and holding on to your faith.
POINT 2: Second, we keep first things first when we use the talents God has given us. In the story of the Talents, two servants used what they had and they were rewarded with, “Well done good and faithful servants. You have been faithful over a few things now come into the master’s joy.” The servant who did not use his talent was thrown into utter darkness. I contend that one of the strongest messages we could have heard from yesterday’s Healthy Congregations Team meeting was to use what God has given us. Seek out and accentuate our positives. Yes, we know we have a lot of problems. We know we are not a perfect Church. But we also know that there is no such thing as a perfect church, except the one Jesus will usher in at his return. So in the meantime, we have to do what we do to the best of our abilities and ask God to bless that. I’m no T.D. Jakes, but I do have a story to tell. We’re not Beulah Grove but we are Belle-Terrace. We are not a mega church but we are a part of the body of Christ POINT 3: Third, we keep first things first when we hold on to our faith in the midst of adversity. The Apostle Paul was talking to a Church in the midst of turmoil and persecution, when he told them they were not children of darkness, but children of light, and that in the midst of the darkness they have to hold on to the light. Paul’s words should be an encouragement to us that no matter the test, we will hold on to the light. No matter how dark the night, we will hold on to the light. Trials may come and trials may go but we will hold on to the light. I am encouraged when I see the work of our youth and children’s ministry. It is said that what goes in will come out. And what I am seeing come out of our youth is encouraging. CONCLUSION: So much so that the words to this contemporary song sums up the message for today. The words are simply, “Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. From the bottom of my heart, to the depths of my soul; Yes, Lord completely yes. My soul says yes. Yes, to your will and yes to your way.
BY CHOOSING TO SERVE THE LORD”
PRAYER: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. Scripture Reading: I Thessalonians 4:13-18 On this Sunday as we prepare to dedicate our Stewardship Pledge Cards to establish our mission budget for 2009 let us concentrate on the topic, "Rearranging Our Agenda Around God's Priorities By Choosing to Serve the Lord." I believe it was William Shakespeare who said, "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances." If this is true, then what I'd like to do this morning is compare the stage of life played out this week during the elections with the stage of life Joshua found himself playing out in our scripture lesson. Some commented at or said that Barak's election has ushered in the Joshua age or generation. A quick glance at the Joshua generation in scripture will reveal that it was a time of great promise with the Israelites entering the promised land, but it was also a time of many wars and rumors of wars. It was a time of great testing, but it was also a time when the people met the testing with great faith. It was a time when God showed himself strong, and the people had to choose whom they would serve. Now, imagine if you will, that before Joshua came on the stage to talk to the people they had assigned someone to warm up the crowd and this person began to chant, "Fired up" and the people responded, "Ready to go." Then Joshua comes out before the congregation of the people of Israel and says, "Thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘A long time ago your forefathers lived in a land beyond the rivers and worshiped other gods. And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed. I gave him Isaac and to Isaac, I gave Jacob and Esau. And to Esau I gave the mountain countries and to Jacob I gave Egypt. And when I saw what the Egyptians did to my people in Egypt, I sent Moses to tell Pharaoh to let my people go. And so I brought my people out of Egypt with a mighty and outstretched hand. I brought them to the wilderness for a long season. Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites. They tried to get Balaam to curse you but I kept on blessing you instead. Then you came across the Jordan river and you fought against the walled cities of Jericho, the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I delivered them into your hands. Then Joshua said in so many words, "After all that, you ought to fear the Lord and serve him with all sincerity and truth. You need to put away the gods you use to serve and serve the Lord as your God. But, if you do not desire to serve the Lord, then, choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Now, imagine if you will, the people responding, "Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Can we help feed the hungry? (Yes, we can.) Can we help clothe the naked? (Yes, we can.) Can we train up our children in the way they should go? (Yes, we can.) Can we expand our witness in this community? (Yes, we can.) Can we worship and serve the Lord in the beauty of his holiness? (Yes, we can.) PROBLEM: While all that is good, in the parable of the 10 Bridesmaids, Jesus, Joshua and Barak present us with a problem. Jesus tells the story of 10 bridesmaids whose duty it was to wait for the bridegroom to come and when they saw him coming, they were to meet him and guide him to the wedding feast with their lamps providing light for the way. Jesus says that 5 of the bridesmaids were foolish in that they took their lamps with them but did not take any extra oil for their lamps. The other 5 were wise in that they took extra oil for their lamps. The reason this proved wise was because the bridegroom was delayed and it wasn't until midnight, when all were asleep, that a cry rang out in the village, "the bridegroom is coming." By that time, the oil in the lamps was about to burn out and the foolish bridesmaids asked the wise bridemaids for some of their oil. The wise bridesmaids refused and told the foolish bridesmaids to go and purchase their own oil. While they were gone to the market to buy oil, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in to the marriage and closed the door. When the other bridesmaids returned, they knocked on the door asking to be let in, but the reply from inside was, "go away, for I do not know you." The moral of the story is this, "watch, for you do not know the day or the hour the Son of man is coming." This is the message Barak Obama was trying to share when he said it's not enough that we've gained the White House, now it is time to make good on the promises we've made to ourselves. It's not enough to say, "Yes, we can." Now it is time to labor to open the doors of opportunity. Now is the time to live out the creed, "out of many, we are one". Now is the time to respond to those who say we can't, "yes, we can." In the same manner Joshua told the people, "If you are unable to serve the Lord, then serve another god, but don't hinder me." And the people responded, "Yes, we can." We too, can and will "serve the Lord." PROPOSITION: The Apostle Paul adds to this story with a message of hope. (I believe in hope.) I believe in the hope that our forefathers had that on this ground they would build a church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. I believe in the hope that they had that in this community, this church would stand as a beacon of light to those who are weary saying, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest." I believe in the hope of our forefathers who believed that in this place people would find rest from their labors, a refuge in the time of their storms, and help along the way. And like Barak Obama, I believe in the audacity of hope. I believe we can reclaim our youth. I believe we can service our seniors in the twilight of their years. I believe we can support our young families with children and provide health care for those uninsured and underinsured. I believe we can do all these things if we choose to worship and serve the Lord. Whom will you serve? Yes, we can. Get fired up. Get ready to go. A message from Pastor Lowry
11/09/2008
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