Trusting An Unknown Future To A Known God, Feb. 16, 2014

Trusting An Unknown Future to a Known God

Joshua 1:1-9, Matthew 6:25-34

February 16, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Two weeks ago we heard that Our Past is Forgiven. Last week we heard that Our Present is Holy,  This morning we discover that Our Future is Safe in the Hands of God.

Ah, the future. What an intriguing word it is. It is what yet will happen, for good or ill. And we spend enormous amounts of time planning for it and discussing it. And sometimes we try to find out ahead of time just like Kermit the Frog did.

The Frog and the Crystal Ball  Kermit goes to a fortune teller and says, “I want to know what’s going to happen to me in the future.” The fortune teller asks him to sit down, looks into her crystal ball, turns to Kermit and says, “I can see your future quite clearly. You are meeting a beautiful young woman. She is showing an ardent desire to know all about you. She is coming closer and closer to you. She can’t keep her hands off of you.” By this time Kermit is all excited and says, “Where am I meeting her? At a singles bar? At the Mall? At Church?” “No,” said the fortune teller, “In a biology lab.”  I dare say that Kermit thought to himself, “I wish I’d never asked.”

Ways to Tell the Future  I think most of us at times are like Kermit. We’d really like to know what’s going to happen in our future. Will we be successful in work? Will our marriage be successful? Will our children grow up to be happy? Will I enjoy good health through the years? How can we find out? Society offers many options.

We could read our astrological horoscope, consult a Ouija Board or Tarot Cards, have a psychic read tea leaves, look into a crystal ball, go to a palmister and have our palms read, or go to a phrenologist and have the bumps on our head read. Perhaps the most unusual person we might consult would be the mystic Jemima Packington of Somerset, England. Who is she? Why she’s the world’s only aspermancer.  How does she foretell the future?

By throwing asparagus spears into the air and “reading” the pattern they make when they fall on a white sheet. Of course, she uses only fresh Worcestershire asparagus grown in the Vale of Evesham.

            However, in spite of crystal balls, tea leaves and head bumps, our future remains unknown, unpredictable and shrouded from our sight.

Anxious Hearts  So how do we face the unknown future? We meet it with varying degrees of anxiousness and worry, myself included.

I remember one event in which I excelled in the fine art of being anxious. It happened in June of 1968 when I was a commissioner to the meeting of the General Assembly in Minneapolis. I was asked to preach the sermon at the concluding worship and communion service of the assembly. Here I was, 37 years old, going to preach to nearly 10,000 commissioners and guests. I started to worry. Half of those commissioners were ordained clergy and seminary professors. They would critique every single word I said. Although I got through the sermon for the General Assembly just fine, I lost sleep the night before worrying about it. This experience enables me to understand the anxiety and pressure that Olympic athletes feel just before they perform.

            I imagine that most of us have anxious moments every week. Maybe we worry about our children, are anxious about taking a test at school, worry if we’ll be late for an appointment, or are filled with anxiety as we go to the dentist. These kinds of worries are part and parcel of life and are over quickly.

Worry Warts These are not the kinds of worrying I mean. Rather I’m referring to bonafide, certified, card-carrying, long-term worry warts. What’s a worry wart? One person put it this way: a Worry Wart is a person who, “if you save them from drowning and put them on a bank to dry in the sun with hot chocolate and muffins they wonder whether they are catching cold.” [John Jay Chapman]

One person put it, “Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.” Another said, “Worry is as useless as a handle on a snowball.” [Mitzi Chandler] Yet we continue to worry about the future.

Worrying in Jesus‘ Day  It is apparent that there were Worry Warts in Jesus’ day. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” [Matthew 6] That’s quite a statement. Worry doesn’t add a moment to your lifespan. Indeed, excessive worry might take off a few years.

What Jesus is Not Saying In these words of advice to his disciples and to us, we should be aware that Jesus is not saying “Don’t worry since everything in your life will be free of stress and fear.” Jesus knows that we or our loved ones may indeed be injured or get sick or have problems. He knows that our lives may be torn apart by such things as divorce or death. Jesus has already told us that we will have trials and tribulations in our lives. [John 16:33] And Jesus is not saying that we shouldn’t plan for the future.

What Jesus Is Saying 

*** He is saying we should place our lives and our future in the hands of God who stands firm forever.

*** He is saying that even though we are frail and helpless, when we trust God, we have his power to give us strength for the moment.

*** He is saying that if we seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, we will not be immune to hunger and pain and death, but we will be given confidence and hope in the midst of them.

Trusting Unknown Future to Known God   One woman put it this way, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom. If we’re going to trust our unknown future to a known God, we must personally know the God in whom we are placing our trust. If God is unknown to us, we’re not going to trust our unknown future to him. How can we know God?

Paul - Prayer and Petition  The Apostle Paul answers this by saying, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 4:6-7]

      So one action to help us stop excessive worrying is to establish a strong trust relationship with God through daily prayer. If we do this consistently, God will become a known God and his peace and shalom will guard our hearts and minds from anxiety and worrying.

One person summed up worry in this way:

“There are only two things to worry about,

either you will remain healthy or you will get sick.

If you remain healthy, then there is nothing to worry about.

But if you get sick there are only two things to worry about,

either you will get well or you will die.

If you get well, then there is nothing to worry about.

But if you die there are only two things to worry about,

either there is an afterlife or there isn’t an afterlife.

If there is an afterlife, then there is nothing to worry about.

But if there isn’t an afterlife you wont know, so don’t worry and be happy!”

Paul’s Answer to Worry  Paul put a Christian stamp on this statement when he wrote “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.” [Romans 14:7ff NRSV]

Because Christ lives, so we shall live. And whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. A few years ago, my brother-in-law in Illinois was going to the hospital for brain surgery. He was given a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the operation. He said to me, “I’m not worried. If I die, I’ll be with Jesus. If I live, I’ll be with Jesus.”

Moses and Joshua In our Old Testament reading this morning, Moses had died. God chose Joshua to take over as leader of the Israelites. Joshua realized that an entire nation’s fate was upon his shoulders. They were entering a land that had a strong and mighty military presence. If he messed up, thousands could lose their lives. So Joshua was worried. He was anxious. He was afraid of what might happen in the future.

            And God knew it. So God said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’”

            And so Joshua’s fears were allayed and he successfully led the Israelites into the Promised Land. His anxiousness about the future faded away. In like manner, no matter what happens in our lives tomorrow or the next day or next month, God promises that he will be with us. He will never betray, leave or forsake us.

            In his Great Commission to his disciples, Jesus said “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:20 NRSV] That means that we will never, ever be alone no matter what happens. Therefore, we can, with great confidence, trust our unknown future to a God who made himself known to us through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Joshua 1:1-9 NRSV

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Matthew 6:25-34 NRSV

 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Living Within Boundaries, February 23, 2014

Living Within Boundaries

Fruit of the Spirit - Self Control

Genesis 4:1-8, Titus 2:1-15

February 26, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Three Strikes and Watch Out   The time was the late 1800s. John and Marcia were married, the reception was over, and they finally left on their honeymoon in a horse-drawn buggy. As they traveled, a piece of paper fluttered across the road and the horse bolted. When John regained control of the horse he said, "That's one!" A few miles later, a rabbit jumped from the side of the road and ran in front of the horse. Again the horse bolted. When John regained control of the horse this time he said, "That's two!" Later on a clap of thunder caused the horse to rear up and John said, "That's three!" He then pulled out his gun and killed the horse. Marcia, quite startled and bewildered, said, "Why John, that's terrible; you shouldn't do that!" John slowly turned to look at his new bride and said, "That's one!"

Explore with Me  This morning I ask you to join me in looking together at what God says about self-control and about the importance of living our lives within God’s physical, moral and emotional boundaries. Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit and is often the topic of sermons. I read of one preacher who told his wife he was going to preach a sermon on self-control. She thought a moment and replied, “What don’t you preach on something that you know something about?” Like some of you, I sometimes have difficulty at times in exercising self-control. Therefore I cannot say, “Be like me.” But together we can listen to what God has to say about controlling one’s words and actions.

Self-Control and Discipline Self-control. It’s a rather stern word that we tend to avoid especially if we are trying to stay on a diet. It involves discipline, perseverance, and often a denial of pleasures. Who wants to do that? This past week, we heard of Olympic athletes who had lived a lifetime of self-discipline and self control.

Their years and years of practice and exercise and diets sounded terribly unattractive, at least to me. But their goal of being an Olympic athlete spurred them on. They were able to live within stated boundaries of behavior to achieve a specific goal.

Out of Control  But not everyone is like our Olympic athletes. Much of the evening news tells us of those who are out of control - people who are abusing their bodies with drugs or physically abusing their loved ones - people are caught in corruption, lies and infidelities - people who exact revenge through violence. All are people who could not discipline their desires or resist their temptations. They lacked self-control.

Ain’t it Awful  As we hear of such people, we shake our heads and say, “Ain’t it awful what’s going on in the world today?” And yet, if we’re brutally honest with ourselves, we’d have to admit that sometimes we lost our temper, sought revenge, uttered words that hurt others, gave in to malicious gossiping, held grudges, or were filled with jealousy. We know these are wrong but we say “I just couldn’t help myself.” In other words, we couldn’t keep our lives within God’s boundaries.

Self-Control The word for self control in Greek is “sophroneo.” It means to be in the right state of mind, to be clear minded and to have sober judgement. It means keeping hurtful emotional outbursts in check. James speaks of the importance of taming the tongue because when out of control, the tongue corrupts the whole person and sets the whole course of a person’s life on fire. [James 3:6]

The Ten Commandments The Bible is filled with thoughts about boundaries. Perhaps the most important is the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Contrary to what we might wish, they are not the Ten Suggestions. Instead, they are specific commandments that set forth moral, physical and spiritual boundaries within which God expects us to live. And believe me, we need a God who sets boundaries for our behavior. Without such boundaries, life becomes chaos.

           

In Proverbs we read, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” [Proverbs 27:28] And James wrote,“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” [James 1:19-20]

Cain and Abel Perhaps the first instance in the Bible that revealed lack of self control is found in our scripture from Genesis. Cain and Abel are brothers. Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a tiller of the ground. Both present offerings to God. Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and gave them to God. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground. Then we read that God approved of Abel’s offering but had no regard for Cain’s offering. Cain became very angry that his brother’s offering was accepted and his wasn’t. God then made a most interesting comment to Cain. He said “sin is lurking at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.” That is, “I know you’re angry, but you must master your emotions and show self-control.” Cain wasn’t able to do this. He was angry at God and jealous of his brother. So he killed his brother.

Paul’s Letter to Titus  In Paul’s letter to Titus which we heard this morning, he gives the following advice: that older men are to be temperate, worthy of respect and self-controlled. That younger women are to love their husbands and children and be self-controlled. That the young men be self-controlled. He then says that the grace of God teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.

Boundaries  What Paul is talking about is life boundaries. Behavioral boundaries, moral boundaries, spiritual boundaries. Paul himself struggled with boundaries for he admitted, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” [Romans 7:15] Basically, sin is a violation of God’s boundaries. And all Christians must strive to establish and respect boundaries beyond which they do not step.

These include boundaries of our speech that it always might be appropriate and under control. It includes boundaries of our actions that we might never abuse others or ourselves physically or emotionally or violate sacred covenants of marriage.

Controlled Outrage Are there ever times when we should get angry? Absolutely! We should flare up in righteous indignation whenever and wherever injustices occur. We should express controlled outrage whenever and wherever humans are subjected to inhumane atrocities, when children are abused, when justice and righteousness are violated. Jesus displayed controlled outrage on many occasions. He raged against the scribes and pharisees calling them hypocrites and that they were like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside and inside full of the bones of the dead. [Matthew 23:27] And he drove out the moneychangers in the Temple telling them they were making the house of the Lord a den of robbers. [Matthew 21:12-13] It has been said that, “A person who is angry on the right grounds, against the right persons, in the right manner, at the right moment, and for the right length of time deserves great praise.” 

How to Exercise Self Control  As we know, there have been and will be times when our patience is tested or we are disappointed or hurt, and our emotions flare up. How can we exercise self-control when such things happen?

 Count to Ten Some people say, “Just count to ten” before doing or saying anything. There’s merit to this since to pause and allow your emotions to subside often keeps you from hurting someone. However, one person said “I find counting to ten just gives me more time to consider what I would like to hit them with.”

Stay Calm The story is told of a woman in a supermarket who saw a man with his three-year old son. The three year old was asking over and over that he wanted some candy he saw. His father said, “Now, Billy, this won’t take long.” But then the little boy  screamed even louder. And the father said to him, “Now Billy, calm down, we’ll be done in just a few minutes.” By the time they were checking out, the little boy was screaming hysterically.

And the father again kept his cool and said, “Take it easy, Billy, we’re just about done. We’ll be in the car in just a minute and then everything will be OK.” The woman who observed all this was impressed beyond words. She approached the man and said,”I am so amazed at how you kept your temper while your son, Billy, was yelling so much.” The man said, “My son’s name isn’t Billy. I’m Billy.”

Solution? What is the solution when we’ve crossed over sacred boundaries for any reason? Allow God to control our lives. By so doing we end up allowing the Spirit to control our self-gratification, self-importance, and emotional and physical outbursts.

One pastor put it this way: “Self-control requires only one thing - not dismal self-denial; not “sweetness and light,” not stoic determination. For if we try to become perfect, do God’s will, fulfill the commandments, live as if we had the Spirit’s fruit but do it on our own, we will fail and mutilate ourselves or someone else in the process. The only thing that Christian self control requires is this: give up control, give it up to the Spirit of God, and the desire of the Spirit will prevent you from doing the evil that you would, the evil that you are afraid of, the things that make you hate yourself. Give it up to God, and a more passionate desire than you’ve ever known will take you to the heavens...here, and in the life to come.” [Christine Chakoian, August 12, 1984]

If there are parts of your life that are out of control and straying over proper boundaries, surrender your anger, improper desires, chemical addictions, craving for revenge, and seething resentments to God - that is, every aspect of your life. If you do, what you value in life will change. What is important to you will change. How you respond to stress and disappointments will change. Your willingness to forgive will change. And how you look at yourself will change. Your life will be lived joyfully within boundaries.The result is magnificent. This is why Paul wrote, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” [2 Corinthians 5:17] Amen.

Genesis 4:1-8 NRSV

Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’ Next she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a tiller of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’ Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let us go out to the field.’ And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Titus 2:1-15 NRSV

But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. Tell the older men to be temperate, serious, prudent, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance. Likewise, tell the older women to be reverent in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of the household, kind, being submissive to their husbands, so that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to answer back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.

Be Holy - "Who, me?" February 9, 2014

Be Holy -“Who, me?”

Exodus 19:1-6, I Peter 1:3-9, 13-16

February 9, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Donna’s Valentine Card  I found out this morning that Dona Troutwein’s birthday is tomorrow. “Mark, did you remember to buy a birthday card for Donna?” Good. But what you didn’t know was that Donna has picked out a beautiful Valentine card to give to you this Friday. There’s a large heart on the cover with flowers around the edges. Isn’t that nice?  However, what Donna wrote inside is even nicer. [Mark, this is a spoiler alert. If you don’t want to know ahead of time, put your hands over your ears.] Ok. Are you ready? Donna wrote, “My beloved Saint Mark. You are most holy. I love you.” Isn’t that sweet? Telling your husband that he is both a saint and holy? That surely beats “Roses are red, violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you.”

            Now Mark I know you heard what I just said so when you open Donna’s card, act surprised and pretend you haven’t heard about it in advance. But inwardly you might be thinking “Me a saint? Me holy? No way!” And I think most of us would feel the same way since we are all too aware of our shortcomings and sins.

            Yet the fact is that each of us here this morning is a bonafide, certified saint. And each of us Is holy, at least at times. Why do I say this? Because the Biblical definition of a saint is simply a forgiven sinner. Since all of us are forgiven sinners, all of us are saints. However, as I mentioned last week, forgiveness is not a license to sin again, but instead is a call to a holy life.

            Holy is an amazing word. We hear it used in many ways. For instance, people say, “Holy Smoke”, “Holy Mackerel”, “Holy Cow”, “Holy Moly” and “Holy Toledo.” At least those are phrases which people used to say years ago when profanity wasn’t such a popular expression of choice.

           

As Christians we refer to the Holy Bible. In our prayers we use the term Holy God. In the Bible, the word holy is used in numerous ways, such as holy ground (Exod 3:5), a holy assembly (Exodus 12:16), a holy sabbath (Exodus 20:8), holy garments, holy anointing oil (Exodus 30), and the most sacred room in the Temple is called the Holy of Holies. (Exodus 26:33). How can so many things be holy?

Definition of Holy  The answer to that is by noting that the word for holy in Hebrew is “kadosh” and in Greek is “hagios.” Both words are used to describe any person or thing which God has set apart for his divine purpose.

            Thus, this sanctuary is holy because it is set aside for a sacred use. If we no longer worshiped here but instead turned it into a grocery store or converted it into apartments, it would no longer be holy. I remember a little, rural one-room church that was built in the late 1800s right next to my father-in-law’s farm in Illinois. For years people gathered very Sunday to worship. It was a holy place and a holy building sitting on holy ground. But then the congregation dwindled and it closed. Then the church building was used to store feed for the cattle. It no longer was a holy church but a storage bin. Finally the building was taken down. I have one of the stained glass windows from that church in my house. I still look upon it as being holy.

            Last Sunday we celebrated Holy Communion. The bread and juice we used  were purchased at a store. They only became holy elements when they were set apart from their everyday use to the sacred use in the Lord’s Supper.

            We, as a congregation, become holy because we meet to praise and worship God. Sunday as the Sabbath day is holy because it is different from other days since it is a day of worship and a day of rest. Our Bible is holy because it is God’s written Word set apart for his exclusive use.

           

            So Mark and the rest of us are saints because we have been forgiven, and we are holy when God uses us for his purposes. For instance, whenever people see in us the fruits of God’s Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, we are holy. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Being Holy in a Secular World  In the Church of today, the sharp contrast between Christians and the world has become blurred. We say “A Christian doesn’t need to be so very different from the heathen or atheist down the street.” Often we try to keep our walk with Christ a secret from people around us. And too often we succeed. Many times our actions and speech are secularly directed rather than being divinely inspired.

            The story is told of a church-going man that worked for an atheist. For many years he had tried to get his boss to come to church with him. But his boss wouldn’t come. However, during those years, the man also had been taking files home from the office for his personal use. He had rationalized his actions by thinking that he was underpaid and this was one way he could make up for it. However, a strange thing happened. Guilt. And so he went to his boss, confessed his acts of stealing and paid for all the files that he had taken. His boss asked him why he was doing this. He replied that he was a Christian and that he realized what he had done was wrong. His boss said, “You’ve shown me one important thing today. Only a Christian would come, ask forgiveness and repay me. I will be in church this coming Sunday.” For that moment in time, the man was holy.

            Peter’s Letter  In our morning scripture, Peter writes to Christians in Asia Minor who are being persecuted by the Emperor Nero. He urges them to stand fast in their Christian commitment by reminding them that they have been chosen and destined by God to be obedient to Jesus Christ. Here the key word is “obedient.”  

+ In the midst of their trials, they are to remain obedient. 

+ In the midst of pressures to renounce their faith and go along with the crowd, they are to remain obedient.

+ In the midst of temptations to follow other gods, they are to remain obedient.

Now why should they do this?

Paul explains that God has saved them from sin, from the perils of the present age, and from the power of death. They did not deserve this, but because of God’s mercy, he has given it to them and they are to respond in thankful obedience.

Be Holy in all your Conduct  He ends this portion of the letter by saying, “Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." [See Leviticus 11:44,45]  

Be not conformed to your former desires. Instead, be holy in all your conduct. There it is! The command to be holy! The command to become living letters of recommendation for Christ to all whom we meet.

The command to be the aroma of Christ  and the ambassador for Christ with each act we perform.

The command to become living stones with which God can build a holy church.

The command to be the light of Christ to a world living in darkness.

Not Holy All the Time Obviously, we aren’t holy all the time. Actually we slip in and out of holiness. Thus at any particular moment, things and people are either holy or not holy. Either they are being used by God to carry out his purpose or they’re not. Whether or not our time on this earth is holy is up to us.

            So, when we say that we are holy, we are saying that our lives are conditioned and directed by Christ.

To be holy doesn’t mean we’re perfect or “holier than thou.” It doesn’t mean we’re better than others. It doesn’t mean we’re sinless. It doesn’t mean we spend our days shining our halos. It simply means we are doing our best to live out, day by day, God’s purpose for our lives.

Final Thoughts  How can we do this?

Each time we allow God to use us - our voice, our hands, our money, our talent - we become holy.

Each time we let go of resentments, regrets and revenge, we become holy. 

Each time we forgive someone, We become holy.

Each time we treat one another with dignity and respect and refuse to gossip, we become holy.

Each time we stop using profanity and hold our temper in check, we become holy.

Each time we reach out to invite someone to church, we become. 

Paul captured the idea of being holy when he wrote, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” [Colossians 3:17 ]

            The story is told of a minister who asked the children what a saint was. One of the children looked at the stained glass windows and said, “A saint is a person the sun shines through.” If whatever we say is said in the name of the Lord Jesus, and if whatever we do is done in the name of the Lord Jesus, then the light of Christ will shine through our lives and we will become holy. And now Donna’s card to her holy St. Mark makes sense. May the time we have left to live on this earth be holy in every way. Amen.

Exodus 19:1-6 NRSV

At the third new moon after the Israelites had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the wilderness of Sinai. They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.’

I Peter 1:3-9, 13-16 NRSV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’

The Colors of Sin and Forgiveness, Feb. 2, 2014

The Colors of Sin and Forgiveness

Psalm 51:1-12, 1 John 1:5-10

February 2, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

Past, Present and Future  Our past is forgiven - Our present is holy - Our future is safe in the hands of God. Those three truths capture the basic essence of the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.

....Our past is forgiven because God is able and willing to forgive the sins of our past. This frees us from guilt.

....Our present is holy because God calls us to be  holy ambassadors for Christ in the present. This frees us for service.

.....Our future is safe in the hands of God because no matter what happens in the future, God is always with us. This frees us from fear.

Freedom from guilt, freedom for service, freedom from fear. This morning, and over the next two Sundays, we will explore what forgiveness, holiness and safeness can mean to us. This morning, we will celebrate the fact that “Our past is forgiven.” To do this, we will focus upon sin, repentance, forgiveness and atonement. Let’s look first at sin.

A minister was preaching about sin one morning and said in a loud voice: “If you get drunk, it’s a sin! If you swear and use bad words, it’s a sin! If you lose your temper and throw things, it’s a sin! If you gossip about other people, it’s a sin!”

The minister paused for effect and a small boy in the congregation looked up at his mother and said, “He’s talking about daddy, isn’t he?”

The first thing we can say about this story is that the preacher surely wasn’t a Presbyterian, was he? I mean no respectable Presbyterian is going to talk about sin in that way. Instead we Presbyterians might say that we have erred in our ways, or that we’ve goofed, or that we made some errors in judgment. In our version of the Lord’s Prayer, we even ask God to forgive our debts rather than our sins.

So even though we avoid talking about “it which shall not be named” [shades of “Harry Potter”] the fact remains that each of us is a certified, card carrying sinner.

What is sin?  Assuming that’s so, then it is appropriate to ask “What exactly is sin?” Actually, most of us can spot sin a mile away. We have 20-20 vision in identifying sin in other people. Unfortunately, our eyesight fails miserably when we look in a mirror. In the final analysis, sin is anything and everything that separates us from God. Period. This includes our words, actions and even our thoughts.

So how do we deal with sin? We don’t. Christ has already dealt with it.

In our reading from 1 John, it says, “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Ah, there’s the answer! We must confess our sins. If it is true that confession is good for the soul, then David’s soul was greatly helped when he repented from his sin of committing adultery with Bathsheba by saying: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  [Psalm 51:1-4] Blot out. Wash me. Cleanse me. David was really good at confessing and repenting wasn’t he?

But how about us? How good are we at the practice of confessing and repenting? When we ask God’s forgiveness, are we sincerely sorry for our sins? Do we really want to be washed and cleansed? Do we want to change? And be changed? Do we, like David, want God to create a clean heart in us? Unless we really mean it, repentance is a sham. It doesn’t mean a thing and we end up just playing games with God. However, assuming our repentance is genuine, then God will forgive and transform us. So what does forgiveness mean?

Forgiveness  To answer that, let’s turn to Kipper, Nasa’, and Salach! Sounds like either a law firm, a rock band, or exotic food on a buffet table. Actually, kipper, nasa’ and salach are Hebrew terms for the removal of sin.

Kipper means our sins are covered so that they no longer are obstacles to our being reconciled to God.

Nasa’ means that our sins are carried away, out of sight of God. Buried in the sea.

Salach means a forgiveness so complete that there is no resentment or anger in God’s mind for our sins.

In the New Testament, forgiveness means to cut loose, be gracious, and send away.

Forgiveness is not sanctioning the sin  At this point it is vital to understand one thing. When God forgives us, it doesn’t mean that what we did or said or thought was all right. It simply means that God no longer holds our sins against us. In like manner, when we forgive someone who hurt us, it in no way is saying that what that person did or said was OK. It is just saying that we are no longer going to be chained to the hurts of the past.

The colors of Sin I don’t know if you realized it but sin and forgiveness have their own unique colors. Actually, the prophet Isaiah gave those colors when he wrote: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” [Isaiah 1:18] Aha! Sins are colored scarlet and forgiveness is white.

Atonement  So how do our sins of scarlet become white as snow? John answers this questions by saying that Jesus Christ “is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2)

The word "atone," both in Hebrew and Greek, means to "wipe away" or "cover over."

It means that God perceives our sins as non-existent and he treats us as though we had not committed them. In fact, God said, “I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34.

This means that no matter what you have done, said or thought in the past, however long ago it might be, if you are truly sorry, you are forgiven. You don’t have to carry the burden of guilt around any longer! This is why the news of Christ isn’t called bad news, or so-so news, or oh-hum news. It is called GOOD news!

Forgiveness not like a Car Wash  Unfortunately, some folks think that once their sins are forgiven, they are free to go out and sin some more. They feel forgiveness is like taking their car through the car wash. When it gets dirty, they just run it through again. For them, forgiveness is simply offering a quick prayer, telling God they are sorry for what they did, and bingo! they’re made white as snow again. Wrong! The end result of forgiveness is not a license to sin again, but a call to a holy life. Allow me to say this again.

The end result of forgiveness is not a license to sin again, but a call to a holy life. More about holy lives next Sunday.

Final Thoughts  As we participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion, we give thanks for the atonement of Christ by which our sins are forgiven. The bread which we eat symbolizes the body of Christ, broken for us. The cup which we drink symbolizes the blood of Christ, poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. This morning, as you eat the bread and drink the cup, surrender your life to Christ asking to be cleansed, changed and transformed.

And then rejoice! Your past is forgiven! You have been reconciled to God. You now can stride forth into the future with joy! Amen.

Psalm 51:1-12 NRSV

This is the great prayer of repentance and request for forgiveness offered to God by David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Have mercy on me, O God,

   according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

   blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

   and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

   and my sin is ever before me.

Against you, you alone, have I sinned,

   and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are justified in your sentence

   and blameless when you pass judgement.

Indeed, I was born guilty,

   a sinner when my mother conceived me.

You desire truth in the inward being;

   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;

   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins,

   and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

   and put a new and right spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

   and do not take your holy spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

   and sustain in me a willing spirit.

I John 1:5-10 NRSV

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.