Free Life

Galatians 5:1 Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

Anything at all? Some people would say yes. At one time I would have been one of those. I didn’t think anyone could tell me what to do, ever. Then I went to school, and then to work, and then to the U.S. Army, and then I found Linda and she agreed to spend the rest of her life with me, and then we had children, and then and then and then.

Even with all those and then’s I still think I’m free. It’s all in our perceptions of freedom. What Paul is talking about in his letter to the Galatians is being free from the Law with all its jots and tittles. Former leaders of the church in Galatia came in after Paul left and said that in order to be Christian, a follower of the Way, they had to abide by the old Jewish rules. You know washing, circumcision, eating kosher foods, etc. Paul told them they were free from all those former restrictions but to be careful. They weren’t free to do whatever they wanted or they might destroy their freedom. So, were they really free?

Paul came back to what Jesus answered when he was asked what the most important commandments were. He said, “…Love others as you love yourself.” Sounds easy, doesn’t it.

The problem is we know it’s not so easy to love others. We can love some people some of the time and maybe, some of the time we might find it in our hearts to love all people. But we find it extremely difficult to love everyone all the time.

I don’t think there are many people who are truly free like Paul talks about. How many people do you know who are “living freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit? I know a few who succeed sometimes. But they are human and just like me they fall back into their old habits.

I think our problem is that we want to be in control. We think that’s what it means to be free. We want to make the decisions who we’re going to help, who we’re going to befriend, who we’re going to give food and money to. We want to free to choose and I think that’s our problem. We aren’t really trying it God’s way.

Just think what this community would be like if we did what Paul suggested. What would it be like if we acknowledged the gifts God brought into our lives, things like “affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity? What would it be like to develop a willingness to stick with things, to have a sense of compassion in our hearts, and such a conviction that there was a basic holiness throughout all things and people? Paul thinks that if we really try it God’s way that we would find ourselves in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Wow! What kind of life would that be? What kind of freedom would we experience?

I think that if we would put our focus on the things to do rather than the things not to do we would soon find that the things of the world no longer hold an important place in our hearts. That’s what I think. I think it’s worth trying.

Friends, this is really important stuff. Really important stuff! It’s so important that I believe we shouldn’t wait to repent, to change how we’re living. Really, why are we waiting? What’s the harm in trying to love others as much as we love ourselves? It’s certainly not going to hurt anything to give it a try. If people turn their backs on us then remember what Jesus told the twelve when he sent them out, “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them. Mk 6:11”

We can only do what God allows us to do. God doesn’t force his will upon us and we can’t force our will upon those we minister to either.

Have you ever wondered whether you’re making any difference in the world when you tell others how God has made your life so much more free? Have you ever been frustrated by how no one seems to be changing? Have you ever wondered why God still asks us to tell our stories? Is anyone listening?

I only ask these questions because they pop up in my mind every so often. But then I remember that it’s not important what I think it’s all about what God is calling me to do. I’m not in control, God is. When I realize that then I’m free. My burdens and worries are gone. All I have to remember is to love others as much as I love myself.

We each have been given gifts of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. None of us have received all of them but we have been given the ones that complement the work God has given us to do.

You say you don’t know what gift you’ve received. Go home and ask your spouse or your friends what your gifts are, they know. Listen to them and work to cultivate those particular gifts in loving others in the only way you possibly can as a child of God.

Remember what Paul said, “25 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.” That means we shouldn’t just nod our heads in agreement when we hear the Word of God but we should take it to heart and change our lives to love others as we love ourselves.

Let’s try it this week. Let’s see if we can change ourselves and our world. Let’s see if we can’t live our lives more freely, animated and motivated by God’s love for us.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

Where Is God Asking You to Go?

God called to Elijah and instructed him to go to Ahab and then he would send rain. I don’t think we heard everything that God told Elijah to do. When he met Ahab he told him to call all the people of Israel and meet him on Mount Carmel. Oh yeah, also invite all 450 of the prophets of Baal and Asherah to come too.

This is after Jezebel had all the prophets killed except the ones Obadiah hid in the caves. Elijah was the lone prophet left to confront the atrocities of Ahab and Jezebel.

Elijah goes into competition against 450 prophets and allows them to go first. All they had to do was get their god to light the fire on the altar where they had laid the slaughtered bull. They danced and called and cut themselves, all to no avail. Nothing happened.

Elijah rebuilt the altar of the Lord with twelve stones symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel. The wood was arranged on the altar and then the slaughtered bull. Then Elijah had the people fill four jars with water and pour them on the meat, the wood, and the altar. They did this three times until the whole thing was drenched and the trench around the altar was filled with water.

Elijah stepped forward and prayed to God to let it be known that he was God in Israel and that he, Elijah, was his servant and had done all the things God had commanded him to do. He prayed that God would answer him so that the people would know that God was Lord and then they would turn their hearts back to God.

The fire of the Lord fell and burned up everything, the meat, the wood, the stones, the soil, and also evaporated all the water in the trench.

The people fell to the ground and worshipped God. They knew who their God was. Then Elijah commanded the people to seize the prophets of Baal and Asherah and bring them down to the Kishon Valley and slaughter them there. This they did and Jezebel was not happy. She issued her ultimatum to Elijah and so he fled into the wilderness where he was cared for by an angel of the Lord.

Elijah had really had enough and just wanted to die and get it all over with. Maybe some of us have felt that way at one time or another. We can maybe understand what Elijah desired. But God wasn’t done with him yet. And so he was fed with the food God’s angels provided for him.

He was energized by this food and so he was able to travel for 40 days and nights to Mount Horeb where he found a cave and went inside to spend the night. I think he thought he might be able to get some much needed rest. God had other plans for Elijah.

Rest wasn’t part of the plans God had for Elijah. God woke him and asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” Elijah gave him the whole spiel. He told him how hard he had been working for the Lord. But now he was the only one left and Jezebel was trying to do him in too.

Maybe Elijah thought then he might be able to go back and lie down and get some rest, but no, God had something else for him. He wanted him to go out on the mountain and wait for the Lord to pass by.

A hurricane wind came up and moved boulders, an earthquake came and shook the mountain, and then fire came down but God wasn’t in any of these. And Elijah hadn’t come out of the cave either.

But then there was that gentle whisper and Elijah heard it. He pulled his cloak over his face and came out of the cave. Again God asked him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Again Elijah listed all that he had been doing for the Lord. After all this where does God ask him to go? He tells him to go back the way he came and go to the desert of Damascus.

What questions has God been asking you? Has he asked you the question he asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Did you answer like Elijah telling Him how zealous you had been in doing the work of the Lord? Were you hiding in a cave hoping to escape from the world but God found you there? Did he ask you to come out on the mountain to be in His presence because that’s where he was?

Were you afraid to step out of the cave for fear of where God might be asking you to go or were you afraid of all the noise outside and you were just waiting for it to calm down? And when it got still did you hear him whisper your name and so then you came out. Is that what you did?

Where has God asked you to go? Where is he asking us to go? Where is God asking his Church to go? These are questions people struggle with every day. I wonder every day where God is sending me. I wonder if I am doing what he wants me to do.

I ask myself the question why has God sent me here to do this? Why am I here in this place at this particular time? Where is he going to ask me to go next? Sometimes the uncertainty of it all worries me.

The man of Gerasene who had the host of demons removed from him wanted to go with Jesus. But that wasn’t what God had planned for him. Jesus told him to stay at home. Jesus told him to stay and evangelize his friends. He was to tell them what God had done for him. God asked him to stay home. That’s not what he wanted but it’s where God wanted him.

God doesn’t put us where we want but where he needs us. We don’t get to choose. And sometimes, in fact most times, that can be pretty frightening.

So good friends, where is God asking you to go today? Are you expecting fanfare and trumpets? Are you expecting fire and wind? Fire and wind scares us and it’s usually not until it’s quiet that we come out of our caves to listen to God.

We are so very fortunate that our God is patient and waits for us to come to Him. If we would only take time to go to our quiet places on the mountain then we would hear God’s voice speaking to us. And then, friends, we would know where God is asking to go and what he desires for us to be doing. And sometimes we have to go back the way we came. And sometimes we are asked to stay home and tell our story of what God has done in our lives to our friends. Even when we would rather go to a more exotic and exciting place.

So my friends, my message for you today is to pay attention to what God is doing around you. Listen for his voice to speak to you not as you expect but as you least expect. And friends be prepared to go back the way you came, maybe doing the same things you’ve always done but this time doing them for the Lord.

Isn’t God’s grace amazing? Thanks be to God for his forgiving grace. Amen.

They Deserved What They Got

Whenever I read the story of Ahab and Naboth I can’t believe that anybody would put up with these kinds of actions. I mean how many of you would go up to your neighbor and tell them to sell you their garden just because it would be more convenient for you to gather fresh vegetables for your kitchen? Or how many of you would find people to lie about someone else to discredit them in the community so you could get their property without having to pay for it? That’s what Ahab and Jezebel did and they were brazen enough to think that they could get away with it.

Even when Elijah confronted Ahab and let him know that God wouldn’t stand for such actions it didn’t phase Ahab one bit. Apparently he didn’t believe that God could or would do what he said he’d do. Boy, was he wrong.

This time it seems as if those who deserved it got what they had coming to them. And we’re okay with that.

But what about us? Are we okay with God punishing us when we go against God’s will? How would we react if some prophet came to us and gave us the ultimatum that Elijah gave Ahab? Would we believe that God would follow through with his promise?

Something to ponder I think. We read the story of Jezebel and Ahab and we don’t believe that we could or would do anything near as bad as what they did. But are we any better than they were?

In Luke’s gospel another woman, one of not so stellar a reputation, comes in to the dining room where Jesus is seated waiting to have dinner with one of the more prominent Pharisees in town. I don’t know if she was already in the house or if she came in from the street when she found out Jesus was there. I guess it doesn’t really make any difference.

The fact is she came in where she was probably not very welcome. Can’t you just see the looks and the whispers as she came in and stood behind Jesus weeping? And then she stoops and wipes his feet that have been wet with her tears with her hair. Now the whispering is really going in earnest. Those who aren’t gossiping are thinking the same things others are saying. Why is he letting her do this? Why isn’t he stopping her? Doesn’t he know who she is? What kind of prophet is he?

Okay, so now we are filled with self-righteousness because we know that Jesus knows what everyone is saying and thinking and pretty soon he’s going to let them have it with both barrels. And we think, “Now they’re getting what they deserve.” Are we so pure? Are we really without sin?

Let’s take a look at ourselves. Let’s talk about the oil spill in the Gulf. Who’s responsible for the accident? Who’s responsible for the cleanup? Whose problem is it, British Petroleum’s, our Democratic government?

Sounds like the right answer doesn’t it? The news media would have us believe that all the blame is on BP’s shoulders. And others are blaming the Democratic government for not responding quickly enough. Or maybe it’s the Admiral who’s providing oversight of the whole mess down in the Gulf. Maybe it’s all a big conspiracy and it’s all these entities I named. The blame is all theirs. Right?

Let me ask you something. How many of us have a car or a pickup or a lawnmower or a motorcycle or a gas-powered string trimmer or something else that needs a petroleum product to operate? I’d wager that most of us have at least one of these and some of us have more than one. How many of us have air conditioners in our homes? Do any of us not have electricity in our homes or where we work?

We all have these luxuries. Of course we don’t think they’re luxuries we call them necessities. All of them use some form of power in order to make them useable for us. Most of them require some form of petroleum product or natural gas. How would our lives be different if we didn’t have gasoline or diesel or natural gas? We wouldn’t be able to hear ourselves think for all the whining if we didn’t have these things.

So, who’s responsible? It’s my belief that we are all responsible for the oil spill, the cleanup, the damage to the environment, and the lost jobs. We, and this includes me, believe that it’s our right to have all these conveniences. We couldn’t survive without them.

Friends, we are not without sin. We aren’t without blame. We are responsible and we probably shouldn’t be talking too loudly about how BP is totally to blame for this tragedy. None of us is reducing the amount that we drive or mow our lawns. Our demand for petroleum products is just as high as it’s ever been even with higher prices.

We are no different than Ahab or the Pharisee. We want all the oil we can get so we can have gas and diesel for our vehicles. We want it all and we don’t really care what’s happened in the Gulf. That’s BP’s problem not ours. They were the ones pushing their people to work harder and faster, not us. They’re the ones with deep pockets. It’s not our fault they used faulty materials. It’s not our problem.

Friends, we aren’t without blame. We are sinners. We worship other idols. We don’t accept responsibility for any of these problems. But we are responsible.

So what are we going to do? Hop in our cars and go down and join the cleanup effort? There are some who have done that and it’s some help. But is that really what’s needed?

What if, and this is a big what-if, we supported those who were working to clean up this mess? What if we let the news media know that we don’t agree with where they are placing all this blame? What if we let our governing leaders know, whether they’re Democrat or Republican, that we really want them to work together to solve this problem instead of pointing the finger at the other guy. They all are part of the problem too. What if we all worked together to make a positive difference? What if the head of BP knew that everybody didn’t place all the blame on him? Would that make a difference?

Maybe it is just one corporation’s or one political party’s fault, then shouldn’t we forgive them and work together to solve the problem and quit being so ready to have them sentenced to death or life imprison?

I think we’ve all contributed to the mess the world’s in. And we are all responsible for getting it straightened out, if it can be straightened out. But first we have to realize who’s in control. It’s not us. It’s God.

If we go to him first, begging forgiveness for the mess we’ve made of things, that’s would be a good start. Friends, it’s time we opened our eyes to the fact that we haven’t done such a good job taking care of our environment and maybe we should ask God’s help. After all he created it all. Wouldn’t he know how to make it right again?

Power corrupted Ahab. The Law or thinking that he was and could keep every one of God’s laws corrupted the Pharisee. They neither one believed they needed forgiveness or absolution. They never did any wrong.

Neither was justified in their thinking. Paul said, “…we are justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law…” We aren’t any different. We aren’t justified by what we think is right or wrong. We are only made right by the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross.

It’s time we came to that realization and maybe get down on our knees and beg for God’s forgiving grace. The wonder of it all is God will forgive us. He has forgiven us. His grace is amazing.

Even with this big mess we’ve made of our world if we go to him he will forgive us.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.

What Now?

Two boys are resuscitated. One grown man is transformed. Did any of them earn the gift they received? It was a gift, wasn’t it?

Who was the beneficiary of this free gift? Was it the boys and the man or the mothers of the two boys and the people who were no longer persecuted? Who benefited from this gift of God’s grace? Why were they chosen to receive this grace?

For that matter why does God grant any of us his grace? We surely don’t deserve it. But God gives us grace anyway. What do we do now?

Two widows got their sons back. Without their sons they would have had no one to provide for them. They could have ended up homeless or slaves to some wealthy Roman or Jew. And then they may have thought it would have been better to die.

Saul was on the road to Damascus to catch some more people of the Way doing what he felt was blasphemy against God’s chosen church, and his chosen people. On the way he encountered Jesus. What took place on the road and later is a real mystery but Saul was definitely changed. No longer did he seek to persecute people of the Way but he became one of their strongest advocates as he preached the gospel all over the East and Middle East; wherever God directed and nudged him to go. Not only was his name changed but he was recreated into the man God always planned for him to be, doing what God had prepared him for.

So, what now? What do we do now? God grants his grace whenever, wherever, to whoever he deems to give it. I believe everyone, all of us, still tries to earn this gift. I believe that each of us, when we receive God’s grace, try to imagine how we can repay God for the gift. We can’t believe that God would give us his grace because we know, deep in our souls, that we aren’t worthy to receive it. So, what do we do now?

The widows probably asked themselves that question. Paul may have been asking himself that question until Ananias explained to him what God had told him. Paul was the chosen one to go out and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Because Paul accepted that responsibility we are blessed with God’s grace right here in Walnut, Iowa. If he had refused the assignment God gave him I wonder what the world would be like today.

What do we do now with God’s gift of grace to us? What do we do when God gives us his free gift of grace? What did these folks do when they received God’s grace? The gospel lesson says that the boy sat up and talked. I wonder what he said. The people who witnessed his resuscitation were quietly worshipful and then noisily grateful. They were excited to discover that God was there, right there in their presence.

The widow from Zarephath was also grateful and afterwards was sure that God listened when Elijah spoke to him. She wasn’t a Jew and still she believed and was grateful for God’s gift.

Saul knew that he had encountered God and he didn’t even question what he should do. He just got up and used what he knew to be true from the Hebrew scriptures and went out and began preaching the Good News. I don’t believe he was trying to repay God for his transformation. I believe he was driven by the Spirit of God much like Jesus was driven into the wilderness to be tested. Saul/Paul couldn’t do anything else. He was driven to do what he did.

So, good friends, what do we do now? God has blessed us with his grace. What do we do with it?

You may be asking yourselves, “Grace? I’m not sure about that.” Friends, I’m sure we have been given God’s free gift of grace otherwise I don’t believe we would be here on such a fine day. I believe that everyone who spent even one day here this week with the Vacation Bible School children was given grace beyond anything they ever imagined. What do they do now? I think there is only one answer. They just need to pay it all forward. Pass it on to those others who are desperate need of grace.

I believe that the answer to, “What do we do now?” We use the gifts God’s Spirit has given us to help others in ways that only God can know how. That’s what we do now. We give to others in the only way we can as only each of us can.

It begins by accepting God’s grace for us and then sharing it with those we meet while we are blessed to be here as long as we are here.

We complain about the state of affairs we find our country and our world in and wonder why someone doesn’t do something. Why doesn’t God do something? Friends, he has. He has given all of us a commission. Go out, make disciples, baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Care for the widows, the poor, the weak and the lame, and the imprisoned. Friends, as Jesus told the disciples, “The harvest is great but the laborers are few.” Nothing’s changed. The harvest is still great and the laborers are still few, but today you now have the answer to what we all should do now. Go out and serve. Go out and minister to those who need what we have to give. Just go.

Thanks be to God for his amazing grace. Amen.