Our Fears

          The Israelites were afraid of the Philistines. The disciples were frightened by the wind and the waves. Everyone’s afraid of something it seems.

          Yet, David didn’t show any fear of the giant Philistine, Goliath. And Jesus wasn’t worried about the wind or the waves. He was sleeping soundly on a pillow in the boat. So, what was it that was different?

          David wrote in the psalms ‘The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?’ Ps. 27:1  ‘I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.’ Ps. 34:4 ‘God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Ps. 46:1-2  Psalm 91 says, ‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.’

          David believed God had everything covered. There wasn’t any need for him to be afraid.

          Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:25, “fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”

          The prophet Isaiah spoke about the fears people of Israel had. He said in 35:4, “…say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do no fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ And in 41:10 and 13 he said, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you.” The Prophet said in 51:6 & 7 & 8b, “…Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have my law in your hearts: Do not fear the reproach of men or be terrified by their insults…my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.” Isaiah 54:14… “In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.”

          Jesus said in Luke’s gospel…”I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you who you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has the power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him Lk 12:4-5. 

          Paul, the apostle, even talks about fears that he had. In his 2^nd letter to the Corinthians in chapter 7 he talks about…conflicts on the outside and fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us…

          And John who wrote so much about God’s love for us said, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us 1 John 4:18ff.”

          So, my friends, even though we might let our fears and worries overwhelm us all we have to do is remember that the One who made us and this creation has it all in his control.  As David said, “The Lord is our stronghold…of whom should we be afraid.”

          Don’t let the things of this world control you. Don’t be afraid of those things over which we have no control. Listen for the voice of the One who said to the wind, “Be still” and who said to the waves, “Be calm.” Listen for that still, small voice and your fears will be driven away.

          Thanks be to God for his redeeming grace. Amen.

Stories

As Mark said Jesus used many stories to get across the message about God and His kingdom. Every story he used was composed using images and examples that Jesus knew they’d understand.


But, some of them must have been somewhat difficult to figure out because Mark also tells us that when Jesus was just with his disciples he went over all the stories again explaining everything to them. Eugene Petersen paraphrased it as “sorting out tangles, untying the knots.”

Most of us have heard the stories Jesus told a few times and like Mark said he created these stories that fit their experience and maturity. So, that got me to thinking about what kind of stories Jesus might tell us. What kind of stories would he craft that would fit our experiences and maturity? How do you think he would explain God and his kingdom to us today?

I think that he could still tell us the stories using the seeds and the planting of them and we’d understand. We know what he’s talking about there. I put seeds in the ground in the spring never knowing if they’ll germinate or not. Some of my seeds are old. So, I plant them and then leave it up to God to provide the energy and the moisture and whatever else that seed needs to grow into a plant that produces fruit that Linda and I can eat and be nourished by it.

There’s a whole lot of trust and faith that goes into planting a garden. I think that’s what Jesus was trying to explain to the folks with his story about the farmer and the planting of his field and the other story about the smallness of the pine seed and yet it’s able to grow into a very tall tree.

He was trying to help his listeners, and us, understand that God’s kingdom is a lot like that. Think about it for a minute.

God sent Jesus. He began life just like you and me, as a baby. He was nurtured and cared for by a Mom and a Dad just like you and me. He went to school and learned about things just like you and me.

Then, when he grew into a man he’s baptized by his cousin John, tempted in the wilderness by Satan, calls disciples to follow him, changes water into wine, makes people well who’d never expected to be able to walk or see or live with their families ever again, and he told stories so people would understand about God, His father, our father. He planted seeds.

And look what’s happened. The stories are still being told. Seeds of faith are still being planted. People are still being made whole and well again who never expected it to happen to them.

So, what I want to leave you all with this evening is this. What kind of stories are you telling that help people to know God and to know about His kingdom? What kind of seeds are you planting and have you noticed any of them sprouting?

What’s that favorite saying that Mark recorded that Jesus said so many times at the end of his stories? “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Or “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Good friends, I believe God has called us, his children, to tell stories just like Jesus did. And I don’t believe we are required to be ordained by the church to do it. You, and I, are called to tell stories that will enable people to come to know God and His Son and His Holy Spirit. We are called to share our stories to help people understand that there is more for us than just this life we’re experiencing here, way more.

So, it doesn’t matter that we may be 60 or 80 or 90 years old. God has given us stories to tell and people to tell them to and we should be doing that. But, in order to do it well we need to know the stories Jesus told the people of his day. The only way we’re going to really know and understand those stories is by keeping our noses in God’s word. And by asking our pastors and our friends for help with the parts we struggle to understand.

So, our work here still isn’t over. God has called us to tell stories and we all know that some are better story tellers than others but God really doesn’t care. There’s someone out there who needs to hear the story you have to tell and if you haven’t told it yet well, you’d better get to it. Because none of us knows when God might call us home.

Good friends, God loves you and so do I. Amen.

I Had Faith; So I Spoke

          The Corinthian church gave Paul some trouble. So, he wrote the first letter to them to help them sort out some difficult issues. Besides writing to them he also visited them to personally help work through their problems.

          He left and he wrote again to tell them he planned to come back but…someone there had issues with Paul and he made the decision to put off coming to them. It may have been because he wasn’t so sure that being there would have helped the situation.

          So, now we come to this letter that we call 2 Corinthians. The church at Corinth truly tried Paul’s patience but it also provided some rich material for churches since that time. His letter is an example of restraint, righteous indignation, some hurt feelings, and also excellent long distance management skills…and good use of delegating tasks.

          In this letter Paul is explaining why he did what he did by not coming to them and also reiterating the Good News that he and his friends preached every day.  That message was that Christ is Lord and we are servants for His sake.

          With all the struggles and problems that Paul and his cohorts encountered we never read anywhere that he gave up on God. In fact the very first thing we heard today was that they had…“the same faithful spirit as what is written in scripture: I had faith, and so I spoke. We also have faith, and so we also speak. ¹⁴ We do this because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus, and he will bring us into his presence along with you.” 

          In that statement we have the reason Paul did what he did and, I believe, the reason why we do what we do, “I had faith, and so I spoke.”

          What I want us to think about this morning is that faith Paul is talking about. His faith was so great that the beatings, ship wrecks, snake bites, imprisonment, court trials and other trials didn’t matter. What did matter was spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. He had faith and so he spoke.

          Where did Paul get that faith and is there a way that we can acquire it for ourselves? What do you think? How can we get the faith Paul had? Is it possible to have as much faith as Paul? Maybe you think that you could never have faith as big or as strong as Paul’s.

          I think we can. It is possible. It won’t come without some effort on our part…and some discipline…and God’s grace. In fact, as I think about it, God’s grace may be the first part of this process.

          Without God’s grace we’re not able to accomplish much. But we can and do have God’s grace because last weeks gospel lesson affirmed the fact that God loves us. He loved us so much that he sent Jesus, His Son, to live with us, to teach us, to demonstrate to us God’s love and compassion…for us.

          Now you may question whether you have received God’s grace but think about this. First, you’re here in this sanctuary, and why are you here? It’s because God called to you, to your soul and so you came. Second, if you’ve been baptized, you’ve received the sign and the seal of God’s love for you. He called you then, maybe through your parents but he wanted you. Now that didn’t mean that you were saved but it did mean that God had designs on you. You still had to decide for yourself whether to accept Him and His Good News into your heart.

          Let’s say you did accept his Message of being God’s Son and the fact that he has prepared a place for you in eternity with Him. Does that mean that it’s all sewed up and we have it made? Not necessarily. Maybe you’ve drifted away. Maybe you’ve quit going to God’s Word for daily devotions. Maybe you’ve begun to doubt. So, no, maybe we aren’t where we should be.

          So, the faith we maybe once had has waivered, become weak. How can we get it back? How can we strengthen our faith?

          Before I give you my answer think about this. You used to be full of energy and vitality. You used to wake up all refreshed and just couldn’t wait to begin the work you knew was waiting for you. But then something changed.

          We got older. We ate foods that maybe weren’t the best choices for us to eat. We neglected to exercise our bodies. And things slowly changed and one day we noticed that our physical and mental abilities weren’t what they were.

          But, we know that if we discipline ourselves to eat healthier foods, get our rest, take time to relax, and…exercise regularly we gradually begin to feel better about ourselves and our work.

          So, wouldn’t the same thing be true for our spiritual well being? Why do you think Paul and Barnabas and Timothy and Luke and all those others were able to do what they did? What did they do that’s different from what we’re doing?

          Could it be they knew that they needed to be close to God every day, all day? If that’s it what specifically did they do?

          They were in the Temple every day. They read or listened to the Word being read. They heard God’s Message for them proclaimed every day. They talked about and remembered Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection and his promise to return. And then…this Message was so important that they went out into all the world and told that Story, the story of God’s love, God’s gift, and God’s promise.

          So, I believe, that what we need to do to get our energy and stamina and drive back we need to exercise. We need to exercise our faith. We need to have our noses in God’s word every day. We need to be talking to God every day. And we need accountability partners, friends, to pray for us, to lift us up to God, to hold us accountable for the work God has called us to.  And we are to do the same for them.

          When we let the world slowly turn us away from God, and it does happen slowly, then before we know it our faith becomes dull and lack luster and weak, just like our bodies do when we don’t take care of them.

          I know that I need to be in God’s word. I know that I need to be in prayerful conversation with God. I know that I need someone to hold me accountable. I know all this but yet I’ve let some things slip and my energy, my faith isn’t what it should be, what God would have it be.

          So, good friends, we have some work to do, you and I. We need to re-commit ourselves to renewing our old disciplines of study and prayer and fellowship with our small groups. Without God and His word I believe we’re doomed…to fail.

          Paul thought this was so important that he risked everything, even his life, to spread the Good News. The importance of this work hasn’t changed. It’s still very important. Do we care enough about our family and friends salvation to take the risk to share the Good News with them? There’s the real question.

          We need faith, God’s grace, and we need compassion for our neighbors. To get all that we need to get back to the basics of study and prayer.

          Friends, that’s God’s word for us today. Maybe, when we get in shape, we can say with Paul, “I have faith, and so I speak.”

          God loves you my friends and so do I. Amen.

Trinity

          Blessings to you all in the name of God our Father, and His Son, Jesus the Christ, and our Advocate, the Holy Spirit.

          Today we're gathered here to remember and celebrate the Trinity. Someone wrote a creed a long, long time ago called the Athanasian Creed.  In it the writer made the best attempt they could at describing the Trinity. In it are 44 sentences or statements each one building on the one before seeking to explain God. The best explanation I've read lately comes from the Agnus Day cartoon.  There are two sheep talking and the first  one says, “I've got it!” The second sheep says, “Oh no – you're not telling me that you've figured out the Trinity – again.”  He answers, “ Nope! I've got that long Athanasian creed down to a tweet! See! The Dad, Son & Spirit are God; God is Dad, Son & Spirit; Dad & Son, Son & Dad, Dad & Spirit, Son & Spirit, Spirit & Son. Done.” The second sheep replies, “You scare me.”

          Don't you wish it was that easy, explaining God, the Three-in-One? I've quit trying because for me it's enough to know that God has it all taken care of and all I have to do is believe in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit knowing that all are at work in my life.

          It's all a mystery. And no matter how much our learned theologians attempt to provide us with examples and explanations they all fall short because no one has ever seen God. So, how is any human ever going to be able to adequately describe God? They can't so I'm not going to try.

          What I do believe that's more important for us to focus on is Paul's message for us in his letter to the Romans. If you go back to chapter 7 where he is talking about the law and sin and how much trouble he experiences trying to do good and failing miserably you will understand where he's coming from in today's passage from chapter 8 beginning with verse 12.

          Paul asks a question in 7:24 that says, “Is there no one who do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?” And then Paul says what I just said about the Trinity, “The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” “With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved...The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.”

          Paul says all that we have to do is, “...simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.”  You'll find these words in the verse just preceding our lesson today. He's telling us we have to quit trying to do everything using our own strength and muscle. We must trust in God's action, God's Spirit in us, living and breathing God. When we obsess about ourselves and our lives we find ourselves in a cul-de-sac with no way out except to turn around and go back, back to God.

          So, good friends, there you have the Trinity. God the Father loves us so much that he sent His Son so that we might have life and His Son sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to fill us with his breath and life.  That's the best I can do and I truly believe that's all I can expect you to do. Trust, have faith that God does have this all taken care of and all we have to do is love...love God and love our neighbors.

          And you all know what that means. We'll never be perfect at doing that but thank God we are forgiven through Jesus' interceding for us when we stumble.  Thanks be to God for his loving and forgiving grace. Amen.