Servants of Christ

Quite a few of us ask ourselves, and maybe God, “Why am I here?” I have to admit that I have asked God that very question.


Have any of you discovered the answer to that burning question? Do you know why God put you here? Maybe you’d like to share your discovery with us. No.

Well, then I’ll just have to share with you what I think the answer is and you’ll have to decide for yourselves whether you agree or not.

I believe that God has put us here in this place at this time to love Him. To love him with our hearts, minds, and souls and…to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That’s it. We are here for God, to love him with all our being and…to love our neighbors.

Now that doesn’t sound so difficult until we come to the realization that that means everyone. Not just the people we know and love because they love us but even those we find not so lovely.

And I believe that when we are told by Jesus to love our neighbor that means that we care enough about them to actually see to their needs. We are called to be servants of Christ to them as Paul mentions in his second letter to the Corinthians.

Even that doesn’t sound like it would be too hard to do until we remember the neighbor down the street who spends his whole paycheck at the bar and then can’t come up with his monthly rent check. Or the young mother who can’t quit smoking and most of her check goes for that instead of groceries for her family. Or there’s the new family that moved to town and the husband lost his job and you notice that they have these really expensive new cell phones but they buy their groceries with food stamps. Then being a servant of Christ to them, without being judgmental, becomes awfully hard. In fact some people refuse to serve them at that point.

I don’t believe that Jesus meant for us to judge whether this person could be served and this other person couldn’t just because we know they’ve made some really bad life decisions. I believe that Jesus is asking us to serve all of them no matter what and let him be the one who does the judging.

Now, that doesn’t mean we have to approve of the decisions people make but it does mean that we are to love them and care for them just as God loves and cares for us, unconditionally. At least that’s what I believe.

Do I always do it right? Nope. In fact I find myself coming to God asking him to forgive me and give me another chance to get it right.

I don’t know if I answered the question right or not but it is what I believe. So if you are wondering why God has allowed you to live as many years as you have this may be the reason. There are folks that he wants you to lovingly serve. And of course while you are doing that he wants to receive your love too. He’s kind of jealous that way.

So, as we approach the season of Lent and Easter let’s think about why we are here and what we should be doing with the time God has given us. Let’s commit our lives to be ones of service to our fellow humans who live among us.

Instead of giving up something for Lent let’s instead serve our friends and neighbors by giving them our love with our whole being.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

Why Are You Here?

Why are you here? That question has been answered for you in the scriptures read this morning. You and I are here to be seasoning for the people we interact with every day. But, not only seasoning but light too, salt to bring out flavors and light so that God’s colors can be seen in all their beauty. We are here because we’re salty and bright.


I don’t mean we’re here this morning because we’re salty and full of light. No, I’m talking about why we’re here in this place at this time. We’re in this community as God’s children to bring out God’s flavors.

When you join a group of folks the flavor of that particular group is enhanced because you’re there. God brings us to certain groups, to particular people, so that we can help them see God’s kingdom here on earth.

Think about it. Why do we put salt and pepper, or any variety of herbs, on food before we eat it? We add these seasonings and spices to bring out the flavors that are hidden in the food. Without them they’re just not the same. In fact some food is pretty tasteless without some seasoning.

We can use the same reasoning to explain why we’re here in this place at this time. We are here to help people see, to find, to experience God’s gift of grace. Without us someone may not ever experience the joy of being in God’s presence.

Now I know that there are some here this morning who would rather not be put on a lamp stand. There are some who just aren’t comfortable being in the lime light let alone being the light. But, think about it, God has given you this one gift that is just what one person needs in order to be able see God’s kingdom. And if you don’t let your light be seen they may never see God’s kingdom.

So, good friends, we are here because we are the seasoning and the light that God needs in this place at this time. Without us someone may not ever get to experience God as only they could with our saltiness. Or they may never get to see the kingdom of God without our special light. Friends, that’s why we’re all here now. God needs our salt; he needs our light. His church needs your brand of spice and your degree of brightness.

So, today as we receive new members and install new elders ask God to use their salt and their light to bring us closer to his kingdom here on earth. As we receive the bread and the cup think about how different it would be if there were no salt in the bread or if there were no light to see the bread or the cup.

Friends, we are the salt and the light. Pray that God will use us today and this week so that someone else may become salt and light for the world.

Thanks be to God for his loving grace. Amen.

God's Wisdom

Who has God all figured out? Who understands God’s wisdom? Who has life figured out? Let's see a show of hands. Really, there are that many?


There was a time when I thought I had everything completely figured out. I knew what my purpose in life was. I knew what I was going to do with my life. I just knew that it was all part of a master plan and it was all going to be fine.

I soon discovered that I didn't know anything for certain. And I still don't. I used to believe that if I kept all the laws, the Ten Commandments, that God would bless me. Then I found out that wasn’t right either.

So, what is God's wisdom? And are we ever going to be able understand it? Has anyone ever figured it all out? I hope you're not expecting to hear all the answers from me this morning, because I for sure don't have it all figured out.

Friends, all I know for certain is what I've read in the Word, the very same Word you heard read this morning.

The prophet Micah was preaching to the people about how they had made such a mess of things by not living as God had directed them to live that they were going to be disciplined and they weren't going to like it. He asks a rhetorical question that says, “What can I bring with me when I come before the Lord, when I bow before God on high?

Should I come before him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves? 7 Will the LORD be pleased with a thousand male sheep? Will he be pleased with ten thousand rivers of oil?

Should I give my first child for the evil I have done? Should I give my very own child for my sin?" And Micah replies, “God has told you what you need to do. Do what is good. Be kind to your neighbors. Live humbly and obey God.”

How many of us can honestly say we’ve been successful in doing all these things? No one I would imagine. I know I haven't.

And that brings us to the lesson from Matthew where Jesus took his disciples up on top of the hill and taught them. The lessons he taught them probably weren't what they expected to hear. Shoot, they're not what we really expect to hear either.

Jesus climbs the mountain followed by those he had chosen to be his disciples. He sits down, gets himself all set and then he opens his mouth. The words that he speaks aren’t what any of them expected. The poor are blessed? The hungry are blessed? The lost are blessed? How can being in any of those situations be a blessing?

Think back to the last paragraph from last week’s gospel lesson. What was Jesus doing? Matthew said that Jesus healed people of all their ailments, physical, mental, and emotional. As word got around people from all over the region were bringing their friends, their neighbors, and their relatives to Jesus to be healed; some just by touching the hem of Jesus’ robe. Jesus saw so many folks who were beaten and battered by their health, by the world, even by their own religious leaders and he blessed them.

Because of everything he was seeing, every person he touched, he knew that he had to teach his disciples how to care for these folks when he wasn’t here to do it anymore.

Now tell me, who do you think of when you think of someone who is blessed? Does a homeless person living on the streets in Omaha come to your mind immediately? Do you picture someone who has just lost a loved one to cancer as being blessed? No.

We think those who are blessed as those who have won the lottery or have made wise investments with their money. Those who are blessed are those who have beautiful mansions and fancy cars and maybe retire early so they can enjoy their golden years. These are the people we think are blessed, not those others.

But Jesus says they are the ones who receive the blessings. How does that work? Where’s the wisdom in that?

Paul says that the teachings about the cross are foolishness to those who don’t know the Christ. But God chose to do it that way. What the old order had been doing wasn’t bringing anyone closer to the kingdom of God. So God chose to do it differently. He died on a cross for us so we could be saved. He blesses those who are down on their luck. He blesses those who are suffering. And he asks us to bless them by offering them a hand, caring for their needs, and loving them as God’s children no matter what. God blesses those who stand up for the poor, the homeless, and the oppressed. God blesses those who speak up for them even when it’s not the popular thing to do.

That’s God’s wisdom. It’s not what we’ve been taught in school. That’s not what the world teaches us. But that’s what God is teaching us. God blesses those who are so near the bottom they have no hope of being saved. But God in his wisdom, not ours, blesses them.

Didn’t Jesus say that those who were last would be first and those who were first would be last? That’s God’s wisdom not the world’s.

So what do you think? Where are we, the first or the last? What’s the lesson for us? Friends, I think what God is telling us is that we must learn to love those who are struggling in this life. Not pity them, not judge them, but love them, care for them, give them a hand up not just say to them, “God’s blessing to you.” That’s God’s wisdom not ours.

When we accept our responsibility then they are blessed and so are we. But it’s not about us it’s about God and his love for his children.

So, what the world sees as foolish God sees as wise. I wonder, are we beginning to understand God’s wisdom and how we fit into his plan?

Friends, God loves all his children. His grace is for everyone. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Jesus Calls, "Come with Me."

Last week the message was all about God calling to us. This morning the gospel lesson is about Jesus calling his disciples Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John.


As he was taking his walk on the beach of Lake Galilee he called to them to come with him. He said he was going to make them fishers of men. I wonder did they understand what he meant. Had they been thinking about what they had heard and seen since they spent some time with Jesus after John pointed him out to them? Were they just waiting?

Matthew says, ‘Jesus said to them,’ “Come with me.” They didn’t ask questions. They just dropped their nets and followed.

I think that took a lot of courage to just up and leave jobs that provided money for food and shelter to follow an itinerant rabbi just because he invited them. But isn’t it the same today?

Think back to when you felt Jesus calling you. Think back to when he was knocking at the door of your heart. Remember what that was like, excitement, fear, anxiety, uncertainty. Maybe you answered when he called or maybe you haven’t made a commitment yet. Maybe he’s still calling.

I want you to do what you did a couple Sunday’s ago when we remembered our baptisms. I would like you to remember that time when you knew, really knew, it was Jesus calling you to join him. When did it happen? Where were you? What were your emotions? Were your burdens lifted? Did the world seem brighter?

When Jesus calls it’s an invitation to a journey. This mysterious Voice calls us and then, when we say yes, He walks with us teaching, healing, listening, and caring for us as he encourages us to share his love with our friends and family.

I remember the day I committed my life to Jesus. I was 14 and was alone with my pastor, Rev. Henry. He had spent quite a few weeks with our confirmation class explaining to us what it was to be a member of a church and a follower of Jesus Christ. And that last day before we were confirmed he talked to each of us individually about answering Jesus’ call to discipleship. Even though I trusted him and I trusted Jesus not to lead me into danger I was still afraid of what I might be agreeing to.

There have been many times I’ve failed since that time. I’ve made so many mistakes along the way but Rev. Henry was right. Jesus has forgiven me and welcomed me back every time.

When I first agreed to follow Jesus I figured I would have to give up everything that I held dear. I think that scared me more than maybe being sent to some far away country to teach people about Jesus.

I wonder if Simon and Andrew felt that way when they dropped everything and left their nets and boats. Did they wonder what they were getting themselves into?

You know, answering the Call is a little bit like dying and being reborn. When we answer the Call we do away with our old way of thinking and doing and reacting to the world because they no longer fit. We have stepped over a threshold into a new way of living. And our old way of doing things just doesn’t work for us anymore.

It used to be if someone hurt us with their words or actions we respond by trying to hurt them. But now that doesn’t seem right. Jesus is all about love and peace and not about retaliation.

When Jesus calls he calls us to be peacemakers. He calls us to renounce violence. He asks us to deny ourselves. He asks us to keep our eyes focused on him as he walks ahead of us on this journey.

Friends, I won’t lie to you. It’s not easy trying to live as Jesus lived. It’s extremely difficult many times to love everyone and not want to pay them back for the hurt they’ve caused me. But it can be done. It just doesn’t happen overnight.

This life Jesus is calling you and me to requires commitment and discipline. It’s hard work at times but the One who walks with us shares the load and it doesn’t seem so bad. And the reward is going to be way beyond anything we can imagine, eternal life, life without sin. Max Lucado asked the question this week in one of the devotionals I read. He said, “Can you imagine a world without sin? If so, you can imagine heaven.”

Friends, when we answer Jesus’ call to discipleship it’s the beginning of heaven. Sins are forgiven and the darkness begins to recede.

Remember Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30

Jesus is still calling disciples to him. Will you answer his call today?

Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.

God Called...

How many voice mails, texts, or phone messages or Facebook messages do you get in a day? Are you excited when your phone beeps or rings or sings or you notice that you have a message from a friend on Facebook? Can you hardly wait to get the message or messages? Or are you filled with dread when you come home and the answering machine is beeping, letting you know that someone left you a message or two while you were out?


Some folks like to get messages and others don’t. That’s just the different ways we’re all made. Now, have you ever received a call or a message from the Big Guy? What did you think?

Today’s readings from the Scriptures all remind us that God calls people. Whenever I read about God calling people I almost always wonder what it was like for them. And when did they realize it was God who was calling?

Not everyone is like Moses or Elijah or Job. Not many of us get to see burning bushes or hear that still small voice. Yet I still believe that God calls us, all of us.

I’ve said it before and I’m going to say it again this morning, you are all here because God called you. In the way only God can do it he called you to be here in this place at this time. Why, only God knows but I’m sure you will find out soon enough.

The thing to think about today is what do we do when God calls? Do we try to ignore the call or do we do like Andrew and follow when he says, “Come and see.”

John, the Baptizer, got the whole thing started with his baptizing in the desert. Jesus showed up at the river asking to be baptized and then, as he’s walking by, John says to his disciples, “There goes the Lamb of God.”

And so they begin to follow along behind him. They weren’t trying to hide the fact that they were there. So, Jesus stopped and asked them, “What are you after?” They just wanted to know what kind of a person he was; what made him tick. So he invited them to “Come and see.”

I believe that Jesus is still doing that today. He invites people to “Come and see.” Come and see what my gospel is. Come and see what God is like. Come and see what God has done for you. Come and see.

Andrew and his friend accepted the invitation to come and see. They followed him to where he was staying and they hung out there the rest of the day. Apparently Andrew was impressed by what he heard and saw. So much so that he went to Peter, his brother, and told him he had found the Anointed One, the Messiah.

Peter was curious enough, and he must have trusted his brother, to go with him to see Jesus. He went and saw. Jesus knew he was the one he would use to build his kingdom upon. He was the Rock.

So, God calls people. And sometimes they hear and come and see. When they do sometimes they’re changed by what they see, maybe every time they come they’re changed.

So, have you ever followed anybody? Why? Where did they go? What did you learn? Were they bothered that you were following them? Did you stay with them?

Are you, today, following anyone? Are you following Jesus? What are you or have you been learning as you follow them? Would you call yourself a disciple?

My friends, God is calling us. He is calling us to join him in fellowship. He is calling us into discipleship, to learn his ways. He is calling us to join him in mission. God is calling us.

If God is calling do we really have a choice whether we answer or not? I don’t think we do. Oh, we might delay and drag our feet for a while but I believe that when God calls he really wants us and we will answer. Some of us may feel like the Prophets who didn’t think they were qualified to do what God was calling them to do but that doesn’t make any difference to God.

God made us and he knows what we are capable of doing for the kingdom. So, it’s futile for us to resist. When God calls we have to answer.

Friends, God is calling today. Do you hear him calling? How long are you going to keep him hanging? Answer the call. Go and see where he is staying today.

Friends, God loves you. Thanks be to God for his wonderful grace. Amen.

Water

What is water…to you? How important is it…to you? What do you do with water? Would you be able to survive without it?


Now, let me change those questions, just a little bit, by substituting one word. What is Jesus…to you? How important is He…to you? What do you do with Jesus? Are you able to survive without Him?

Nobody can answer these questions for us. We are the only ones who know how we would answer. Just one more question. Would God be pleased with our answers?

Let’s go back to the easier questions concerning water. What is it to us? Isn’t water one of the most important elements in our lives? It’s so necessary to our existence that we don’t think about it until we don’t have it or aren’t able to get it because the well has run dry or the electricity is off. Then we begin to worry. How many of us can say that we’ve gone a day without anything to drink? I don’t think I ever have. In fact I can’t imagine what it would be like to even have just one drink in a day. How many times do you drink in a day, five fingers or ten or more?

Okay, next question. How important is water to us? Can we live without water? How long can we survive without it? I think water is one of the most important elements right after air. We need both to survive. Without them we’re dead.

I think we’ll all concede that water’s pretty much a necessity. So what do we do with it? My day pretty much begins with me using water right away, washing hands & face, brushing my teeth, making coffee, hot oatmeal, flushing, washing dishes, filling the humidifier, and the list goes on and on.

It looks and sounds as if water is pretty important and we wouldn’t be able to survive without it.

What about Jesus? Can we survive without Him? I can’t. Without him I’m dead. When I don’t take time for Jesus, when I ignore him because I think I’m too busy, I’m dead.

How important is Jesus to you? Remember he gave his life for you and me. Remember he took time to teach his disciples and made some to be apostles so that you and I would get to hear the story. So we could make the decision to ask him into our lives. So we could be filled with his refreshing presence.

Friends, God loves us so much that he sent his Son to teach us, to heal our brokenness, to cleanse us from our sinfulness, to offer us redemption in his life and death. And he leaves it all up to us to decide what we will do with Jesus.

Thanks be to God for his gift of grace in his Son, Jesus. Amen.

Words

So many words, so much to think about, words like grace, blessings, life, light, truth, believe, praise, glory, forgiveness. So many different words, so many different thoughts, what does it all mean for us today?


I think it all boils down to the love God feels for us. Why else would he come to be with us and live as one of us with all our weaknesses and frailties? God certainly didn’t need to do any of that. What could we give Him that he doesn’t already have? If God wanted anything he could have it.

The only explanation for everything God did in Jesus is love. He cares for us so much; he desires an intimate relationship with us. Even when we sin by turning our backs on him he has forgiven us completely and willingly takes us back into his arms. It has to be love. What else could it be?

Go back to the Old Testament and notice how many times his people rejected his teachings to follow other gods, to worship their handmade idols and bring their offerings to other shrines. Sure, he became so angry with them but God always forgave them and welcomed the remnant back home. They may have been battered and bruised but they were accepted back into the fold and loved by him.

How is it that God who creates using only words still puts up with us? How can he possibly still love us enough to give us the grace of his forgiveness? It has to be love, a love that’s impossible for us to ever totally get our heads around.

We have received a gift that is so magnificent that many of us cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of it. In the beginning God, when he created us, made us in his image. He chose a small band of people to be his people. The family of Abraham wasn’t large but he chose them. He promised that he would make them a great nation. And so we read the stories of Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Jesus. It wasn’t until God’s people had so mistreated all his prophets that he sent his Son, Jesus.

Even then his own people rejected him as the Messiah. The Creator lived as a pauper teaching those who had little if any education. He called disciples to him who were, for the most part, common laborers. Friends, it has to be because God loves us so deeply that he goes to such extremes to give us his grace.

Good friends, if God loves us so much that he gave us his Word to be the Light in our darkness what are we to do? Is there nothing we can do to repay him for this great gift?

Wait a minute. There is one thing we can do. And it’s so simple. Maybe that’s why we’ve missed it. All we have to do to give back to God is believe. It’s really that simple. We just have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the Light that gives us life. Believe that’s it.

That’s the whole reason John wrote his gospel. He wrote it so that we would believe that Jesus was the Son of God and that by believing we might have life in his name.

That’s it folks. We just have to believe. Just believe. Such an easy thing but still we resist because we haven’t seen God. We haven’t felt God. We haven’t heard God. Really, is that it?

Friends, it’s all up to us now. God loves us. He gave us a gift in Jesus, the Word made flesh. All we need to do is trust in God’s truth and believe.

Go to the Word. Read. Sit. Read again. Pray. Wait. Read again. Listen. Pray. Believe. Read again. Trust in God’s goodness and forgiving grace.

Thanks be to God for his truth and grace. Amen.