“Let the same mind be in you!”

Meditation for Mission Fest on Philippians 2:1-13

Sept. 28, 2014
Here's the video link
https://vimeo.com/107471135

***

    If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death--even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

     The apostle Paul had his favorites, when it came to the many people he nurtured in the faith. And the church at Philippi was definitely a favorite. Paul writes in Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God every time I remember you.” And in 4:1, “My brothers and sisters whom I love and long for; my joy and crown in the Lord.”  Paul prided himself that he never asked for money for his own support, but rather worked as a tentmaker or leather worker wherever he carried the message of the Risen Christ. But he did accept gifts from the Philippians, lovingly given out of sincere concern for Paul’s wellbeing. The church was enduring persecution, just as Paul had endured persecution on his first journey there in 52 A.D.  This would be the first time people in Europe would hear the gospel.

      Acts tells of the conversion of the woman from Lydia in Philippi, a well-to-do dealer of purple cloth. She hears Paul’s preaching and believes, and she and all of her household are baptized. But the persecution begins when Paul and Silas cast a demon out of a Greek slave girl, a fortune teller, which angers her owners, who had been making a great deal of money off her demonic abilities. Paul and Silas are publicly beaten and illegally jailed. But the Lord has a plan even to use Paul and Silas for His purposes during their imprisonment, sending an earthquake and releasing them from their chains as they pray and sing hymns in the night. Then God uses them to bring their Roman jailer and his entire household to the faith.

     Paul writes his letter to the Philippians in 63 or 64 A.D. while he is on house arrest in Rome. This is a letter of thanks to the church that has once again given him a gift. And it is an appeal for the church to treat kindly Epaphroditus, whom the congregation sent with their gift to be Paul's personal servant. Epaphroditus became ill and Paul sent him back home to be cared for. The apostle writes to encourage the church in their trials and help them to stay united in their faith and purpose. He writes so they will keep on keeping on, allowing God to use them for His work, just as God has used Paul and the other apostles to lead people back to Him, embracing salvation through Christ the Lord.

     In Phil. 1:27-30, Paul says, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”

     In today’s passage, Paul reminds the Philippians—and the generations of people who will read this letter—it is by God’s grace and for God’s glory that we have been saved! And the right response to being chosen to be Christ’s followers, as Paul says in 2:3, is humility, love for one another and obedience to God. “In humility,” Paul says, “consider others better than yourselves.” For in Christ, God did not choose to exalt himself, but revealed His self-giving love by humbly “emptying himself” of His power and glory, taking on the fragile human form—to be like us, to show us the way back to Him! Jesus became God’s slave. The Greek word is doulos.  Sometimes it is translated servant, but it doesn’t mean a person who receives pay for their job and has the freedom to choose their own life; doulos means one who surrenders one’s whole self and gives one’s whole life to serve another.

      Doulos is the same word Paul uses in the first line of his letter, identifying he and Timothy as doulos or slaves of Christ Jesus. So that every person may be saved! So that every creature in heaven and on earth would bow before God’s throne. And every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

     So what does Paul mean when he says, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” ? Paul is saying, “Be humble. Be loving, giving and forgiving. Be united in your calling to be a slave to Christ, giving your whole self, your whole life to Him.” And most of all, “Be obedient to God, caring for others more than we care for ourselves, just as Christ became obedient to the point of death on a cross.”

     We read Philippians today on Mission Fest as part of our introduction for Lisa Mitchell of Small Change 4 Big Change, a ministry to the people of Guatemala, and Bill Shirbroun, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Dodge, Iowa, who serves on the board of directors for the ministry. Our conversation with them now is just a small taste of the ministry and the people behind it. More is on its way! Please stay for Lisa’s presentation in the fellowship hall after our meal when she will be showing pictures and describing hers and Jessalyn Waddell’s work in Guatemala these past 2 years.

     We read Paul’s advice to the Philippians as an introduction to our ministry guests—not because they are perfect human beings, perfect examples of Christ’s self-giving love. We read God’s Word so that you will be stirred to see the perfect Christ working in and through ordinary people, with ordinary lives. And Christ will continue to work through all of us as long as we, too, seek to be of one mind, to have the same mind that is in Christ Jesus. Let us have the same humble, loving, obedient attitude that leads us to do God’s work—sharing the gospel through our kindness and by helping people in need.

      We have faith that God has plans to mold and use us ordinary people living in a small town in rural Minnesota. He will use us to carry His love and His light to the world, to bring people from all nations closer to Himself. But let us remember that this work is not our own! As Paul says, “for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Let us pray. Holy One, thank you for your promise to use us for your loving purposes and for your good pleasure. We trust in you to mold and shape us as you will. Forgive us for wanting sometimes to keep our resources for ourselves, for some future need we worry we might have, and not always wanting to share what you have given to us—and all that we are—with people in need right now. Build up our faith. Change us into your humble, loving and obedient slaves—in the image of and with the mind of your Son, who humbly gave all of himself so that others might be saved. Move our hearts to compassion for our needy neighbors living amongst us and for those living in poverty across the nation and around the globe. Guide and empower us by your Spirit so that we may lead others into your light, so that new souls may be saved. And we pray a blessing upon the ministry of Lisa and Jessalyn in Guatemala—may they never grow weary of doing your work. May they walk always in your will and your loving ways.  May they—and our congregation—still be working for your kingdom and your glory until the day our Savior comes again to gather His Church. In His name we pray. Amen. 

“Please take my life”

Meditation on Jonah 3:10-4:11

Sept. 21, 2014
Here's the video link to this sermon:
https://vimeo.com/106811187

***

    When God saw what they did, how the people of the city of Ninevah turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. But this was very displeasing to Jonah, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord! Isn’t this what I said would happen while I was still in my own country? That is why I fled to Tarshish at the beginning; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing. And now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.’ And the Lord said, ‘Is it right for you to be angry?’ 

      Then Jonah went out of the city and sat down east of the city, and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, waiting to see what would become of the city.The Lord God appointed a bush, and made it come up over Jonah, to give shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort; so Jonah was very happy about the bush. But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the bush, so that it withered. When the sun rose, God prepared a sultry east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint and asked that he might die. He said, ‘It is better for me to die than to live.’ But God said to Jonah, ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?’ And he said, ‘Yes, angry enough to die.’ Then the Lord said, ‘You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?’

***

     When I first saw the lectionary scriptures for this Sunday, I was excited to see a reading from Jonah! Jonah doesn’t come up too often in our 3-year lectionary cycle. And who doesn’t like the story of Jonah and the whale?! And then I read the scripture—and thought, “Oh…”

      

    This isn’t the story of Jonah and the whale. This is the final chapter of the book of Jonah—the part that follows the reluctant prophet’s redemption from the belly of a great fish—set free to do God’s will and proclaim God’s Word to wicked Ninevah. The ancient city in Mesopotamia on the eastern bank of the Tigris River was an important junction for commercial routes and the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the largest city in the world during the 8^th century B.C. The ruins of the once great city may be seen across the river from the modern-day city of Mosul, Iraq. But Ninevah, the center of Assyrian power, had many enemies, including Israel. The prophet Nahum speaks of the city’s brutality; II Kings blames the city for the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel.

      After God calls Jonah to go to Ninevah, he tries to run away from God’s presence; he boards a ship headed in the opposite direction. But God sends a terrible storm and the frightened sailors, at Jonah’s urging, throws Jonah overboard to be swallowed up by a great fish. After 3 days and nights in the belly of the fish, Jonah senses his life “ebbing away.” He prays, calling out to God “in his distress,” praising the Lord and promising to be obedient—if the Lord delivers him.

    

       Then God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, speaks to the great fish, and the fish spits up Jonah onto dry land. Jonah has his second chance to be the man God wants him to be! Grateful for his rescue, he obeys the Lord. He goes to Ninevah and proclaims the message God gives to him, warning the city that in 40 days, the city will be overthrown.

    

       But miraculously, the king and the people of Ninevah repent from their sins. In chapter 3, we read that they “believed the Lord.”  The king proclaims a time of fasting and prayer for the city. He removes his royal robes, puts on sackcloth— a mourning garment—and sits in ashes to show his change of heart. He orders all human beings and animals in the city to be covered with sackcloth and cry out “mightily” to the Lord. “All shall turn from their evil ways,” he says, “and from the violence that is in their hands.” Then the king, who has learned of the kindness of the God of Israel, says prophetically, “And who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”

     

     That’s exactly what happens.

     

     Today’s reading begins with God seeing the king and all the people of Ninevah turning from evil. God “changes his mind.” He does not bring the calamity down upon the city that he had led Jonah to warn them about.

     

     Jonah responds in anger—and we find out the real reason Jonah fled from God’s call in the first place. It wasn’t just because he was afraid or didn’t want to go to the wicked Ninevah, the enemy of Israel. He didn’t want to go because of what he knew about God’s character! “For I knew that you are a gracious God,” Jonah says. “And merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and ready to relent from punishing!”

     

      Jonah, who has just been given a second chance at life—rescued from the belly of a great fish—now can’t bear to see God’s mercy shown to his enemies. He begs the Lord, “please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

***

      

       Well, it wasn’t the Jonah story I expected. But it is the very human message that we all need to hear! So often, we pray “thy will be done.” But when God reveals His will to us, we don’t always like it! God’s will may involve suffering, loss, and sacrifice. God’s will always involves transformation of hearts and lives—and we, like Jonah, don’t want to have a change of heart, especially if it involves forgiving someone who has sinned against us.  But it is always God’s will to forgive—and to love one another. Christ tells us that if anyone wants to be his disciple, they have to take up their cross and follow him. The life of a disciple means dying to self—giving up the life we want—or think we deserve—and embracing the life the Lord has planned for us—so we may be used for God’s glory.

       

         Friends, we have all been angry with God! That doesn’t mean we aren’t people of faith! It means we are human and need God’s grace. All of us have thought at one time or another that God’s will and the lives that we live are not what we want. But no matter how hard we try to get away from Him, there is nowhere we can go to be out of God’s presence. We can take comfort in that—and in the character of the God that Jonah knew. We aren’t so different from Jonah—who loved the Lord and wanted God to be gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, for his own sake—but to be a God of wrath and vengeance for his enemies!

     

       The Lord responds to us like he responds to Jonah, when the prophet cries out defiantly, “Please take my life.”

     

      God is gentle, patient and kind.

    

     “Is it right for you to be angry?” God asks.

    

      Jonah doesn’t bother to answer the Lord’s question. He already knows the answer—just like when we are angry at God, and we know that it’s wrong, but we can’t seem to help being angry, anyway.

     

      The book of Jonah ends abruptly. He leaves the city and goes east, building a little booth—a temporary shelter—like the Israelites did when they were wandering in the wilderness. Then Jonah watches the city and waits to see what happens! This makes me wonder, since God had already promised not to destroy the city, if Jonah is waiting—and hoping—to catch the city sinning after they have turned from their evil ways!

     

       But the Lord, ever patient with Jonah, blesses him with a bush—a big bean plant—that grows quickly and gives him shade. Jonah is very happy with his bush—and is angry, again, when the Lord sends a worm the next day to attack the bush, and it dies.

     

      Once more, the Lord gently confronts Jonah with his sin, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?”

      

      Jonah responds this time, “Yes! Angry enough to die.”

      

      But the story of Jonah doesn’t end with his defiant words and death. God has the last word—and His Word is life. The final verse is God’s question that reveals His care for the many people who do not yet know or love Him. “Should I not be concerned about Ninevah, that great city,” he asks, “in which there are more than 120,000 people who do not know their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

***

       Jonah is a good model for the people of faith—of what we should and shouldn’t do! We should, like Jonah, listen for God’s voice and pray to the Lord when we are angry and when are afraid. There is never a time when we shouldn’t pray! Be honest with God, like Jonah, who doesn’t try to hide his thoughts or feelings! But remember to cast all your cares upon him!

      

       And when God reveals His will to us—as He does for Jonah, let us not run away or otherwise disobey. It’s a matter of trust. Do we trust Him to show us the way and to give us all the help and courage that we need?

      

      Then let us, like Jonah, proclaim God’s Word to the nations, going to even the dark places we might not wish to go—just as the prophet was called to reach out to the wicked city of Ninevah.

      

     But may we never, like Jonah, lose our hope and joy in this journey of faith. Let us say to the Lord, “Please take my life!” not in anger or defiance, but to express our devotion and commitment to Him.

     

     Let us, with God’s help, surrender ourselves and all of our days to the One who did not spare His Only Son for a world perishing in its sins. A world that did not know Him. Our God is the One, the only One, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Let us pray.

Holy One, thank you for your mercy and grace—for sending your Son, Jesus Christ, to show us the way back to You when we were perishing in our sins. Thank you for being so patient with us, for forgiving us when we have been angry or judgmental and didn’t want to obey. When we have been filled with pride and refused to forgive others and follow in Christ’s self-giving ways.  Thank you for keeping us firmly in your eternal grasp, safely in the palm of your hand, not letting us slip away, no matter how hard we try to run from your presence. Give us courage and strength to do your will for all of our days. Lead us to be bold and proclaim your Word to the nations, surrendering ourselves and giving our lives for your sake, going even to the darkest places to share about the God, the only One, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen!

“We do not live to ourselves”

Here's the video link to the sermon:
https://vimeo.com/106133938
Meditation on Romans 14:1-12

Sept. 14, 2014

***

     Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarrelling over opinions. Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat; for God has welcomed them. Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand.  Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord. Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give thanks to God. We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.’  So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

***                                                                                                   

     Last Sunday, on Rally Day, I felt the joy of a family reunion in our congregation. People who had been away over the summer had come back with their children for the first day of Sunday school. As we celebrated Communion and were strengthened by the Spirit, we rejoiced that we are still the Body of Christ—when we are apart and when we are together! There is nowhere a believer can go where we will be separated from the Body—or from the Lord.

       Our faith is what makes us the Body of Christ—our faith and the power of the Spirit! In spite of the diversity of beliefs and practices of Christians around the world, because of our faith, we have unity in the Body of Christ—the Church with a capital C. And in spite of occasional disagreements in our denomination, community, or congregation—we are still united in Him.

      If you recall our congregation’s history, our actual beginnings were stirred by conflict! What was one congregation became two because of a disagreement over language about 100 years ago. As I understand it, some wanted to worship in German. Others wanted to worship in Dutch. And then there was some kind of argument having to do with someone’s horses being in someone else’s stall in the barn at the church. You will have to talk to our church historians about that story!

     But my point is, despite occasional conflicts in the congregation, community or denomination, we will continue to have unity in the Body—as long as we have faith and rely upon the power of the Spirit. And remember that all of us need God’s mercy and grace.

     One day, we will all stand before the judgment seat. Every knee shall bow; every tongue shall praise the Lord. Each of us will be accountable to Him. Let us never forget to whom we belong—and that we do not live for ourselves, but for the one who lived and died and lives again—so that he might be Lord of both the living and the dead! 

***

      These are Paul’s words to the Roman church in conflict. Today’s passage begins with the apostle urging the church to “welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions.” What is going on in this congregation? Believers are arguing over what foods are permissible to eat as Christians. Some eat only vegetables; others eat everything they want and “lord” it over those who abstain. And Paul scolds everyone! Their arguing shows pride and a failure to love. Paul asks in 14:10, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”

      The proper diet for believers has been argued in early Christian communities since the first Gentiles were baptized. This is not just a little quarrel, like those of us in the 21^st Century might think. Food for us does not have the same strong connection to the practice of our faith. But the Early Christians were in a different situation.

      Bear in mind that the first Christians were Jewish believers who needed to work out which beliefs and practices from Judaism they should keep and which ones they should let go for this New Covenant in Jesus Christ. This working out of beliefs and practice of the faith took many years and much struggle. Some would-be Jewish believers may have resisted joining the Church, even if they accepted Christ as the Messiah, because it meant sharing table fellowship with Gentiles who ate meat sacrificed to idols, pork, shellfish and combinations of foods—such as dairy products with meat—that were forbidden by OT laws.

       Paul is concerned that this conflict in the Roman church has turned ugly. Lines are being drawn in the sand; believers are taking sides, arguing who’s right, who’s wrong; who’s saved, who’s not. Paul says, “Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat. For God has welcomed them (all).” What Paul is so passionate about is a radical kind of grace—shown to human beings through God’s sacrifice of His Son. This grace must lead us to radical acts of grace—to love and forgive, despite our differences!

      Paul could have taken sides in this argument—as he does with the argument over circumcision in his letter to the Galatians. And he does take a side, in a way, when he calls the group who eats only vegetables “weak in faith.” Paul makes no secret of his belief that trying to follow the OT laws means one lacks faith in Jesus Christ, whose work on the cross was sufficient for the forgiveness of all sin!

     But Paul, trying to mediate between the groups, does not wish to hurt the vegetarians or boost the egos of those who eat whatever they want! He encourages all to trust in their convictions and live by faith. He writes in 14:14, “I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it IS unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.” Most importantly, Paul teaches us to live not only for ourselves, as he says in 14:7, but to remember to whom we belong—the Lord—and give God honor and thanks, whether we eat or abstain from eating. Belonging to the Lord, we are called to love our brothers and sisters in the faith. And if a brother or sister is “being injured” by what we do, then we are “no longer walking in love.”

     “Do not let what you eat,” Paul says in 14:15, “cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died…. For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

     Friends, from time to time, we may have disagreements in our congregation or denomination. Let us hold onto our faith in our unity in the Body of Christ, rather than give in to temptation, like the Roman congregation, who drew lines in the sand and argued who was right and who was wrong.  What’s more important than being correct in doctrine is being perfect in love! Let us be sensitive to the needs of others. If what we do or say causes a brother or sister to stumble, then we are no longer walking in love.

      One day, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Every knee shall bow; every tongue shall praise the Lord. Each of us will be accountable to Him. So let us never forget to whom we belong—and that we do not live for ourselves, but for the one who lived and died and lives again—so that he might be Lord of both the living and the dead! 

   

Let us pray.  Almighty God, Loving Father, we praise your Holy Name! We thank you for our New Covenant in Jesus Christ, a covenant of salvation by grace! We ask for forgiveness for our sins, for when we have lacked faith in the unity of the Body of Christ and the power of the Spirit and when we have not pursued peace and mutual upbuilding. Merciful Lord, keep us from passing judgment on others—for finding fault with people who may live or believe differently than we do. Give us a vision for your righteous kingdom. Keep us focused on serving you—the one to whom we belong. Thank you that we will never be separated from you—not in life or death. Lead us to be sensitive to the needs of others, careful of what we do and say so as not to cause a believer to stumble. Empower us to walk in Christ’s loving ways. In Him we pray. Amen.