March 29 sermon "The road to the cross- a new way"

RUMC- “The road to the cross- a new way”

March 29. 2009

 

One author I read this week strongly suggested that if we did not want to lose members in the congregation, then don't preach this passage, “it will precipitate a crisis among honest people, it will trouble their hearts, this truth will keep them tossing and turning at night wondering if they are part of the kingdom, wondering if they are living by its principles, wondering if they can live up to discipleship.” He recommended other passages that highlight the benefits we have in Jesus. He recommended keeping the peace among those who call themselves followers of Jesus. He implored “Don't preach this passage - people will leave.”

The problem is we don’t get to pick and choose which parts of Jesus’ teachings we follow, or preach.  If I am to be an honest preacher I have to honestly grapple with what this means for my people.  If I am to be an honest preacher I have to spend the nights tossing and turning trying to figure out how to present this hard truth to the people.  And if we are to be honest in our discipleship we have to grapple with this difficult but central saying of the one we are to follow.

How can we ignore a teaching that is so central to who Jesus was that it is recorded in all four gospels (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:34-5 and Luke 9:23-24) in very similar hard sayings.   So let’s face it head on.

 

The heart of what Jesus says is 25The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 

There is a problem with language here.  We are taught that love is good and hate is bad. And that is true- if you are talking about God or people.  To hate God or people would be a bad thing.

In this passage it is love that is bad.

Let’s try out a few things. Our society tells us that the good life is having money.  Does the person who loves money get to keep it to eternal life?  No.

Our society tells us that the good life is being popular and having a lot of friends on facebook.  Does the person who loves popularity get to take their friends to eternal life?  No.

Our society tells us that the good life is getting ahead- even if you have to step on some toes to get there.  Doe the person who loves getting ahead get to take their power and prestige to eternal life?  No.

Our society tells us that he who dies with the most toys wins.  Does the one who loves their toys the most get to take the ATV’s and computers, and boats and other fancy toys to eternal life?  No.

If we love life as it is commonly defined we there are so many distractions we may end up missing everything that’s really important --in life and eternity.

So if we love life in this way we will lose-- if we hate the things of this life- if we hate the priorities of this world, we keep true life to eternity.

 

No one has left yet- I guess I’ll keep going. . .

 

Jesus actually makes the statement we have been talking about in order to explain one that is more difficult.  I think it is the other way around for us.  I think this might be easier.

 

Jesus is actually explaining what he meant when he said “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single grain.  But if it dies it bears much fruit.”

Let’s translate that to corn because it is so familiar to us.  What good is a kernel of corn standing in the field?  You leave the stalk, the ear, and this particular kernel all alone out in the field. Come on guys.

·         If you leave it standing in the field are you going to make any money from it? 

·         If you leave it standing in the field, can pioneer sell it as seed for next year? 

·         If you leave it standing in the field can cattle eat it and convert it to meat? 

·         If you leave it standing in the field how long before it turns into corn flakes and ends up on my breakfast table.

·         If that kernel loves its kernel-ness and refuses to become seed, or food, or flour or meal or sweetener what is going to happen?  It will rot.

Unless  a kernel of corn falls to the ground and germinates; or is ground up and eaten by livestock; or is cooked into sweetener or ethanol; or is turned into cornflakes. . .  unless that kernel gives up its kernel-ness it will remains a single kernel and will rot. 

If it gives up its kernel-ness , if it stops holding on to its kernel-ness, if it stops loving itself so much and allows itself  to be planted, or ground, or cooked, or made into cereal it will become something even better.

 

Jesus is saying . . . If we love what we are so much that we refuse to change we will simply rot and miss out on eternal life.  If on the other hand if we love God so much that in comparison every other love looks like hate.. . . if we love God more than this world, more than this life, more than this body, more than ourselves so much that we are glad to give up ourselves, die to our old selves, we will germinate in God’s love and grow into eternal life.

 

The road to the cross is not the road of this world.  It is not the road of safety and security.  It is not the road of comfort and ease.  It is a new road. It may be an unfamiliar road, but it is a wonderful road- it is a road that leads to life-- a road that leads to eternity.

 

Let’s travel that road together.

AMEN

 

 

 

 

The road to the cross: LOVE. sermon 3/22/09

The road to the cross: love

RUMC 3/22/09

 

I Love chocolate chip cookies.  I love walking in nature.  I love the feel of a good antique bench plane.  I love Stephen King books.

But I don’t love them enough to send my only son to die for them.

What do you love?  Do you love anything enough to give up your son or daughter?  Probably not.

 

But Listen to this, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only son.” 

Jesus loved us so much he gave his only life.

Jesus loved you so much that he was willing to suffer and be beaten and tortured and crucified for you.

 

On our Lenten journey to the cross we have seen temptation, the cost of discipleship, zealous judgment; and today we encounter love. And this is a perfect day to talk about love.  We have a baptism today.  Besides the crucifixion there is no better illustration of God’s love for us than the baptism of a baby.

 

Let me ask you Darren and Lindsey; how long have you known Abigail?  <<<<     >>>>>

Let me ask you a different question- very similar but different.  How long have you loved Her?  <<<<     >>>>>

Isn’t that interesting?  They have only known her for 7 weeks.  They only met her 7 weeks ago yet they have loved her for ______ months.  What did she do to deserve your love before you ever met her?

Let me ask the congregation- can you love Abigail?  Even though you don’t know her- even though this is the first time you have met her?  Can you love her?  Of course you can what’s not to love.  She’s so sweet!

This very famous passage says that God is the same way with us.  There are no qualifications for God’s love.  There are no tests.  There are no special criteria.  It doesn’t say “For God so loved those who believe.”  Or “For God so loved those who are faithful.”  Or “God so loved righteous people.”  It says God loved the world.  Young and old, rich and poor, black white and pokadotted. There is no one in the world. . . NO ONE That is outside of that love;  no matter where they live or what language they speak. . .  or what they believe. 

Do you believe that?  Let me keep going then. This one is little harder for some people to swallow. There is no one in the world outside of God’s love. No matter what they have done.  If they have murdered or raped, if they are politicians or terrorists.  God even loves Bernie Maadoff, and Osama Bin Laden so much that He gave His only begotten son for them.  Do you believe that?

Let me go one step further then.  There is no one in the world outside of God’s love. No matter what they believe.  This one is almost impossible to grasp.  God loves the Jews just as much as God loves you.  God loves the Muslims just as much as God loves you.  God loves the atheists who complain about any little sign of Christianity as much as God loves you.  Without exception, God loves each and every person in the world. Period!  Exclamation mark! 

Let me say right here and now- I am not saying that every person is saved or is going to heaven.  I am saying that every person is loved and Jesus came and died for each and every person.

 

But it get’s better.  God loves us and them so much that He stepped out on a limb, knowing that people would cut it off.  God loved them and us so much that he GAVE-- knowing that we would throw it right back in his face.  That word gave- I hoped the Greek word would be filled with wonderful poetic meaning.  You know what I found out- it is the past tense of “to give.” That’s all.  But I noticed something kind of interesting- it happens to be translated “gave” exactly 365 times in the King James Bible.  Once for every day of the year.  Is that magic?  NO, but it did remind me how much God gave.  He gave and gave and gave and gave and gave and gave. . . .  And gave and gave and gave and gave.  Do I have to keep going 365 times? 

Why did God give?  Because we were faithful?  No.  Because we were good?  NO  Because we believed?  NO.  Because we deserved it?  Heaven’s no.  Did God give because we first loved him?  NO!  God gave because  “He first loved us” -- “While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”  God gave because he loved.  That’s what it says when you look carefully.  God loved the world so much that he gave.  He loved therefore he gave.  He gave out of Love.

 

What did he give?  His only begotten son.  This reminds me of the wonderfully honest comment from a confirmation student earlier this year. We were talking about Jesus dying for us and they said,  “Guys, I just want you to know.  I would not do that for you.”  They just wanted to let their classmates know that even though they loved them, they didn’t love them THAT much!

How about you?  Is there anyone or anything you love so much that you would give up a son or daughter, a grandson or granddaughter?  Not me.  I wouldn’t trade mine for anything!

 But God did!  God loves you that much that he is willing to give his only son.

When I checked out the Greek here it was a little more interesting than the word “gave.”  The Greek for “only” is the word MONOGENES.  You recognize the root MONO- one.  The second part is spelled “G-E-N-E-S.”  What is that word in English?  Genes, right?  As in Genetic?

The Greek word is about DNA.  It means that God gave Jesus his own personal DNA and then gave him to us.  Jesus is one with the father.  One being; one essence; one genetic code.  Jesus is God himself and God gave himself to us.  What a gift!  What an opportunity!  What love the father has for us!!  He gave his only begotten son.

Finally, that whoever believes in him would have everlasting life.  Now we have to be careful here.  We can’t make the mistake of interpreting believe in the same way you might believe I have a dollar in my pocket.  Or in the same way you might believe or disbelieve a politician.

A preacher named David Ewart put it this way:  In Verses 16 to18, "belief" needs to be read as "trust and bond with:"

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who trusts and bonds with him may not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁷ Indeed, God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might saved through him. ¹⁸ Those who trust and bond with him are not condemned; but those who do not trust and bond with him are condemned already, because they have not trusted and bonded with the only Son of God.

To be more clear. (Ewart goes on) The logic of John is NOT: If you believe, then God will love you and save you. God's salvation is not a reward for belief. Nor does God withhold God's love, forgiveness and salvation until we believe.  ((First God loves.))

On the other hand, since love is not coercive, we do have to accept the invitation in order to actually be part of the party.

 

And what a party it will be!  Everlasting life.  In the everlasting presence of the one who IS the everlasting from end to end. The Alpha and the Omega.  Forever and ever.  In the presence of the one who loves us so much that he gave and gave and gave and gave of himself-- his own divine self for you.

Do you accept the invitation?  You can’t join the everlasting party if you don’t accept the invitation.  You can’t be part of the eternal celebration if you don’t accept the invitation.  You won’t be part of the eternal joy, the eternal hope, the eternal salvation unless you accept the self-giving gift of the one who loves you before all time- now and forever.

How do we accept the invitation?  By saying yes in baptism.  The sacrament of baptism is our big yes- to God’s great love.  Whether it is for the first time, or the 365^th time.  I pray that your response will be Yes- 

YES TO GOD’S LOVE,

YES TO GOD’S GIFT,

YES TO GOD’S INVITATION.

 

AMEN

 

The New Back Fence??

I joined Facebook this weekend.  (I can prove it- click here!)  I have had fun connecting with almost 40 people ranging from church members, to youth, to the District superintendent, to youth and adults from Bettendorf.  It has been a real joy. (And I can understand how it could become addicting to some.  I don't think I'll have that problem, though.) 

 

For non-facebookers: Facebook is a "Social networking site."  That is- one signs up for a free page, puts a little information on it to get it started and looks for a friend.  It is not very hard to find someone that you know in "RL"  (real life)  and once you find someone you can see their friends (some of whom you will probably know)  ask them to be online friends, and word will begin to get around.  What do you do? Almost anything and almost nothing.  Anything from "poking" a friend (just what it sounds like)  to taking on line poles, to telling friends what you are doing right now.

 

I have been thinking about Facebook and other Social networking sites one is tempted to believe what the promoters say.  These are the new  cyber "back fences."  After all I have "talked" more to some of these people in the last 3 days than I have in the last year and a half.   

 

On the other hand  I have to wonder how authentic it is.  I have seen a few lectionary discussion groups.  I have received a request from a friend to visit about his faith (face to face).  I have seen a lot of silliness.  But I haven't seen much honest sharing.  I have rarely seen authentic angst or joy.  Maybe that it why it is FACE book and not HEART or SOUL book?  Of course I have only been on for a few days.  This is just my first impression.  But I think most of what happens is more on the level of "acquaintances" rather than "friends."  In that sense there it is not much different than many letters, phone calls or birthday cards.  For that matter is it really that different than many of our so called friendships?  And is it any different than the coffee hour on Sunday morning?

 

Thinking pastorally, though.  What kinds of possibilities does it have?

--Would people post prayer concerns on the site?

--Would someone feel I was more "accessible" because they see me online?

--Would anyone prefer to go to the facebook page, rather than the church web site to get ministry information?

-- Would anyone enter into a discussion about scripture or the sermon or anything substantive on the site? (One of the advantages over a web site is the dialogue that is possible.)

-- Would the youth use a facebook page for youth group information and discussion?

-- Would that be encouraging something that parents are trying to discourage? (I created a Reinbeck Youth page.  So far 2 adults and a college student have signed up for that page.)

-- Face book is about 6 years old.  Is it already outdated technology and we should be "twittering" or something?

-- If it gets one person's attention isn't it worth doing?

--What can be done that would attract people. (Like I posted a poll tonight asking about whether they gave up anything for Lent.)

 

For now I think I will continue to enjoy connecting with friends.  And I will continue to consider the possible ministry implications and opportunities for Face book.  

-- I am watching the web site to see if any more people join the youth page.

-- I am watching to see if anyone besides me takes the survey.

-- I think I will post the weekly e-news on the face book notes page.

-- I will continue to post youth events on the youth page.

--Whether we will create a church page remains to be seen.

-- If one or two people find that to be a better way to communicate we will probably do it- at least for a while.

--And of course, this will be automatically posted on facebook

 

I need your feedback.  What do you think?  I assume if you are reading this blog you are one of our members or friends who are friendly to technology.  Do you honestly see a place for Facebook in ministry?  What would you like to see?

 

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