The Great Pretender, May 18, 2014

The Great Pretender

Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 23:1-12

May 18, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Once Upon a Time  Years ago, there was a man who said to the people that the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions would become the pillars of the new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolf Hitler was a master of outward religiosity--with no inward reality! [Today in the Word, June 3, 1989].

Hypocrisy  Pretending to believe one thing but act another is called hypocrisy. It is the pretense of having a virtuous character, moral or religious beliefs that one does not practice. The word hypocrisy comes from the Greek and literally means playing a part on the stage in which the actor presents a false appearance of virtue - that is, not being what one claims to be. It refers to an actor who is a pretender, one who wears a mask to cover his true feelings, one who acts outwardly in a way that doesn’t reflect the way he really feels inside.

Of course, hypocrites have been around for thousands of years before and in all the years since. And they existed in Jesus’ time as well. As we know, Jesus didn’t take kindly to such pretense.

Judging For instance, Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” [Matthew 7:1-5]

Scribes and Pharisees In our morning scripture, we find that hypocrisy was the charge made by Jesus against the scribes and Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees held a prominent place in the religion of the Jews. They had a saying, “Moses received the Law and delivered it to Joshua; and Joshua to the elders; and the elders to the prophets; and the prophets to the men of the Great Synagogue.” [Barclay, Matthew, Vol 2, p. 281]

Scribes  The men of the Great Synagogue were the scribes who spent their lives studying the Law of Moses in depth. As a result, they became the official  interpreters of the Law. Over the years, the scribes broke down the great principles of the Law into thousands upon thousands of tiny rules and regulations.

Pharisees  A group separate from the scribes were the Pharisees. These were men who spent their entire lives trying to follow every minute rule and regulation which the scribes had written. Pharisee were known as “The Separated Ones” since by dedicating their lives to keeping all the regulations they had time for nothing else and had to withdraw from society in order to have enough time to keep every jot and tittle of the Law.

Woe to You!  The problem Jesus saw was that both the scribes and Pharisees professed to keep the Law but didn’t. Outwardly they put on a great show of piety and humility but failed to carry out the Law themselves. Jesus saw that these men, under a mask of elaborate godliness, concealed ungodly feelings and emotions. Jesus lashed out against these men by leveling a series of seven woes against them. Each of them uses very descriptive metaphors and begins “Woe to you!”

For instance, Jesus said, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!

You are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Finally Jesus calls them snakes and a brood of vipers. Jesus was really, really furious with them and let them know about his feelings in no uncertain terms.

Woe is both Wrath and Sorrow  The Greek word for “woe” not only includes wrath, it also includes sorrow. It includes both righteous anger as well as the “anger of the heart of love, broken by the stubborn blindness of men. There is not only an air of savage denunciation; there is also an atmosphere of poignant tragedy.” [See Barclay, Matthew commentary, Vol. 2, p. 288]

Spotting Hypocrites Are you acquainted with any hypocrites? It’s likely that you are since each of us here this morning has 20-20 vision in Identifying anyone whose words don’t match their actions. We can spot a phony a mile away. And nowadays it seems there is a national “Hypocrite of the Week” emblazoned across the newspapers and airways and Internet. Politicians who espouse family values but who undermine their own family by immoral actions. Clergy who preach about the importance of high moral character but who are caught in immoral acts. Athletes who put forth an image of the perfect role model for our youth yet are involved in activities that are anything but role model behavior. When we see such people behaving as they do, we shake our heads in disgust and say, “They’re all a bunch of hypocrites!”

A man, returning from a business trip, was met at the airport by his wife. They walked from the gate together and were standing waiting for the baggage to be unloaded. An extremely attractive stewardess walked by. Suddenly, the man came to life. Beaming, he said to the stewardess, "I hope we can fly together again, Miss Jones."

His wife asked, "How come you knew the name of that stewardess?" The man replied smoothly, "Well dear, her name was posted up front in the plane, right under the names of the pilot and co-pilot." To which the wife replied, "Okay, so what were the names of the pilot and co-pilot?" BUSTED! The man’s hypocrisy was uncovered.

 

We’ve Got Hypocrisy All Over Us As we say such a statement with self-righteous indignation, it never occurs to us that we, too, have hypocrisy all over us. Some people say to their children, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Parents tell their children not to smoke and yet continue the habit. They tell their children to be honest, but cheat on their income taxes. And they say “Love your neighbor,” and “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” yet continue to hurt others with words and actions. Unfortunately, each of us has been afflicted by this malady of hypocrisy at one time or another.  

A rather pompous-looking elder was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment's pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it's because they don't know you." [Source Unknown].

Hypocrisy and God What we don’t realize is that hypocrisy corrupts our relationship with God. Hypocrisy is a form of deceit and lying. And by our deceit, we are trying to fool God into thinking that we’re someone that we aren’t. We may subconsciously think that the only time God pays any attention to us is when we come to church to pray and sing praises to his name. But God knows our thoughts, words and actions all week long. We can never hide anything from him.

Hypocrisy Poisons Us  Second, hypocrisy poisons us. The more we put on masks to hide our true selves from others, the more we tend to lose our real self.

Nathaniel Hawthorne said, “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.”  

Another person noted, “Be who you is, ‘cause if you ain’t who you is, you is who you ain’t.”

 

Hypocrisy and Others  Third, It affects our relationship with others.

An example is the story of the wife who asked her husband, “Why don’t you play golf with Ted anymore?” Her husband replied, “Would you play golf with a man who claimed to follow the rules of golf, but moved his ball out of the rough with his foot when he thought you weren’t watching?” His wife said, “Well, no. I guess I wouldn’t.” Her husband replied, “Well, neither will Ted.”

Witness to Others  Fourth, hypocrisy dilutes our witness to others. Far too often, our actions speak so loudly that people can’t hear what we are saying. Whether we realize it or not, non-Christians watch to see if our actions match our beliefs and if our words match our faith. If they don’t, then they can rightly level a charge of hypocrisy against us. But what they don’t understand is that Christ died for hypocrites just like them and us. And what we sometimes don’t remember is that the church is not a haven for saints, but rather a hospital for sinners.

I love the story of the man who said to a minister, "I never go to church because there are so many hypocrites there." "Oh, don't let that keep you away," replied the pastor with a smile. "There's always room for one more." [Unknown]

Attracted to Authenticity  We are attracted to people who never put up false fronts. My great-grandson doesn’t wear a mask. My granddaughter knows at once how he is feeling - happy, sad, upset, or hungry. But as he grows up, he will learn to wear masks. My Aunt Elsie was one of the few adults that I knew who was completely guileless. You could trust anything she said.

Final Thoughts So how do we deal with our hypocrisy? Perhaps the first step is to admit we are hypocrites. That we often claim to be better and more moral than we actually are. Next we seek God’s forgiveness for perpetuating such moralistic shams. Next, with God’s help, we strive to be more authentic in all our relationships and stop hiding behind masks. Finally, we celebrate the fact that God has given us numerous gifts that enhance the Kingdom of God - acts of kindness and consideration, words of comfort and encouragement. If we practice carrying out these gifts of ministry with sincere humility, always conscious of our shortcomings, then our affliction of hypocrisy will become less and less a barrier in our relationship with God, others and ourselves. Amen.

Micah 6:6-8 NRSV

With what shall I come before the Lord,

   and bow myself before God on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,

   with calves a year old?

Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,

   with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?

Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

   and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

   and to walk humbly with your God?

Matthew 23:1-12 NRSV

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

The Making of Heroes, June 15, 2014

The Making of Heroes

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 1 Corinthians 13:11-13

Father’s Day

Grace Presbyterian Church

June 15, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Why Do We Need Daddies?  A little boy asked his mother. “Did you say that the stork brings babies?” “Yes,” answered his mother. “And God gives us our daily bread?” “Yes, dear.” “And Santa Claus brings us presents?” “Yes” “Well, then,” the little boy frowned, “what do we need Daddy for?” A good question.

On this Father’s Day, we honor the person or persons who fulfilled the fathering role for each of you as you were growing up. And the question we will address is “What do we need Daddies for?” One answer might be that every child needs a hero. A hero to look up to. A hero to emulate. A hero to learn from. A hero to help teach and mold a child into a fine adult. A hero who will love them.

Sport Heroes We find heroes nearly every where we look. When the new Busch stadium was opened in 2006, they honored past Cardinal heroes such as Stan Musial, Ozzie Smith, Bob Gibson and Lou Brock. These were ball players that many a kid idolized growing up.

Movie Heroes  As were some of you, I was raised with such western heroes as the Lone Ranger, Tom Mix, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and Gene Autry. And on July 26th is National Day of the American Cowboy.  And of course I was an avid reader of comic books, featuring such super heroes as Superman, Batman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Captain Midnight, and Spider Man. Or how about James Bond, Rambo, Indiana Jones, Robin Hood, and the Karate Kid?

Military Heroes  And then we have such military heroes as Alvin York, Eddie Rickenbacker, and Jimmy Doolittle, each of whom received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor for valor than can be given. 

Audie Murphy was the most decorated hero of World War II. He received the Medal of Honor, along with 32 additional U.S. medals, five from France, and one from Belgium. Jacob Wilson Parrott was the first recipient of this medal for his valor in the Civil War. Whether famous or not, each was a hero in his own right.

Biblical Heroes In addition, heroes also are found in the Bible. In fact, Hebrews 11 contains a listing of some of the Bible’s gallery of heroes - such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Rahab, Moses, David and Samuel. These were men and women who were empowered by God to do wondrous things. They were heroes because they had courage, character, and confidence in God.

What About Us?  But what about us fathers and grandfathers?  How can we become heroes to our children or to the children around us? I’d like to highlight two qualities that would achieve that end - teaching and loving.

Teaching our Children  First let’s look at our role of teaching our children. Proverbs puts it very well - “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” [22:6] This proverb was put into action by a Florida couple who lived in Sarasota. They taught their teen age sons everything there was to know about their family business. Unfortunately, their family business was armed robbery, and the training they gave their sons included the use of AK-47 assault rifles, police scanners, escape routes, surveillance, survival gear, and disguises. After each robbery, the boys were debriefed, and their mistakes were identified and corrected.

In the Book of Acts, after the apostles of Christ had been flogged and released from prison, it states, “And every day in the Temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.” [Acts 5:42]

Our scripture from Deuteronomy reflects the same idea. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.”

It is very clear what God is telling us in scripture. Train our children in the right way. Do not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Tell our children that they are to love God with all their heart, soul and might. Tell them this when we are at home or away, when lying down and when we rise. In other words, tell our children to love God all the time. Far too often today, teaching our children about our faith is left up to our Sunday School teachers on Sunday morning or Vacation Bible School in the summer. If fathers do this year in and year out, they become a hero of the highest order to their children. However, far too often Christian homes abdicate the responsibility of teaching children about the faith.

A horticulturist once wrote, “If we paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds.” ‑Luther Burbank (1849‑1926).

 

But I would also suggest the need for fathers to teach their children other things as well, such as patriotism - the love for our country, our need to vote, be involved in the community, flying the flag, the pledge of allegiance, and appreciating our democratic form of government. One way I’ve used to teach my children patriotism is to trace their ancestors back to the Civil War and the Revolutionary War. I’ve pointed out that they have grandparents who were passengers on the Mayflower. When my granddaughter was in Plymouth, Massachusetts, she visited the Mayflower Society House with the knowledge that she was a direct descendant of many of the people memorialized there. My children not only treasure their Patriot ancestors, but they have a greater appreciation for all who fought and are fighting for our freedom.

In addition, the home is the best possible place to teach children the virtues of self-discipline, compassion, responsibility, work, honesty, and loyalty.

 Loving our Children  The second quality of a father who would be a hero to his children is to be loving. Paul highlights this need for love when he wrote, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”

Role Model Basically what we’re talking about on this Father’s Day is that all fathers and grandfathers should be Christian role models to their children. Someone whom the children can emulate and from whom they can learn. It is said that the greatest gift a father can give his children is to love them and to love their mothers.

The Lone Ranger  As I mentioned earlier, one of my boyhood heroes and role models was the Lone Ranger. When his character was created by Detroit’s radio station WYXZ in 1933, the station manager gave the following instructions for the character of the Lone Ranger. “The Lone Ranger always uses perfect English, no accent. He never casts aspersions at any race or religious group. He is always fair and serious. Remember, the Lone Ranger never shoots to kill. He is a sober-minded man with a righteous purpose. Make the kids look up to him. Make him an idol.” [Wukovits, John J., “Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear,” 1988]

Heroes Today Are heroes perfect? By no means! Are fathers perfect? By no means! But fathers can prove that God can take humans who are weak and transform them into heroes. After all, heroes are simply people who walk with God, and who open themselves up to his power.

 

They are people who commune with God each day in prayer, acknowledge their sinfulness and weaknesses, and make all that they are or could be available to God for his purposes. God is, after all, the potter, and we are the clay. When we allow him to mold and make us into people of courage, character and confidence, then without us even realizing it, another of God’s heroes is born.

Who are the heroes of today ? Who do our children and grandchildren idolize? Are there heroes with pure hearts and upstanding character in America today? If our answer is “Not very many,” then the solution to such hero-shortage is simple. God is in the business of making heroes. When the tribulations of hardship, disappointment and sorrow disrupts the tranquility of our lives, and they will, God can raise us up and empower us to be a hero.

Paul Harvey   A few years ago, Paul Harvey told of a poem called “What Are Fathers Made of?”  “A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. A father is a thing that growls when it feels good--and laughs very loud when it's scared half to death. A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child's eyes. He's never quite the hero his daughter thinks, never quite the man his son believes him to be--and this worries him, sometimes. So he works too hard to try and smooth the rough places in the road for those of his own who will follow him. Fathers are what give daughters away to other men who aren't nearly good enough so they can have grandchildren who are smarter than anybody's “

Remember that one does not set out to be a hero. It simply happens as we travel our road of courage, our path of character and our journey with God.

And for all of us, it has been said that “A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove. Only that the world was better because I was important in the life of a child.”

Amen.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NRSV  Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

 

1 Corinthians 13:11-13

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Don't Be Afraid To Dance, June 8, 2014

Don’t Be Afraid to Dance

Psalm 104:24-34, Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost

June 8, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Wind, Spirit, Breath and Dancing  This morning I am going to share some thoughts about wind, spirit, breath and dancing. First, let’s look at dancing. My dancing skill is equal to my singing skill. Both are pitiful. However, there are moments when I’d really like to dance. An example of this urge took place a few years ago. On a warm summer night in August, a clergy couple and I were sitting on the patio outside an ice cream store on Manchester Road enjoying our ice cream cones. There was lively blue grass music provided by a five-piece combo. About twelve customers were seated at tables listening to the band. All of us were sedately tapping our feet to the lively music. All of a sudden, a five-year old girl set her ice cream cone down on the table, jumped down from her chair, and ran out into the area in front of the band, and began to dance with all her might. She jumped, she twirled, she clapped and ran, all in time of the music. As she did so, the adults watching her, including me, began to clap our hands in time with the music, encouraging the little girl as she danced.  And deep inside me, there was a little five year old boy wishing he was brave and bold enough to run out and begin twirling and jumping to the music. But I didn’t. I remained glued to my chair.  After all, I was a somewhat dignified senior citizen.  And a minister to boot. I must maintain some degree of decorum. What would the rest of the people in the crowd think of me if I ran out and started dancing to the music?

But the little girl wasn’t concerned about what people might think. She heard the music and responded with exuberant and uninhibited joy.

Last Time you Cheered  When is the last time you responded to an event by dancing with joy filled exuberance. When you cheered and hollered with all your might? Was it watching a Cardinal’s game when they won the World Series? If you had watched the Kentucky Derby or Preakness, you likely screamed with joy if you had placed a bet on California Chrome.

Frozen Chosen  However, I don’t hear too many of us Presbyterians yelling and screaming with excitement when we worship, do you? After all, we Presbyterians are more reserved, dignified and quiet in our praise of God. We pride ourselves in doing things “decently and in order,” and even on being known as the “Frozen Chosen.” Some outsiders who watch us claim we’ve been weaned on sour pickles.

Pentecost  Now let’s turn our attention upon Pentecost, an event involving wind, breath and spirit that took place fifty days after the Resurrection and ten days following the Ascension of Christ. As you might remember from last Sunday, just before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples and followers to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon them.  And so 120 of his followers did just that. They went to Jerusalem and waited for the Spirit to come. After ten days of waiting, suddenly a rush of a violent wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. Tongues of fire descended on each of them. And to top it off, each began speaking a different language at the same time.

 

         This phenomenon of speaking in different tongues was known as "glossolalia" and            occurred many times in the early church.

 

Apparently, they were so rowdy that people passing by accused them of being drunk. Obviously, the men and women who experienced Pentecost were never accused of being the “Frozen Chosen.”

Peter’s Sermon  But Peter stood up and assured the crowd that they weren’t drunk since it was only 9 o’clock in the morning. Then he began to speak to the great crowd which had gathered. In the first sermon ever preached about Jesus, Peter told them that what they were seeing was the work of God’s Spirit as predicted by the prophet Joel where God said he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh and that they shall prophesy. Peter also said that Jesus was the Messiah for whom they had been waiting and that “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Upon hearing this, 3,000 Jews accepted Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah and were baptized and the Church was born.  

The wind I’d like to digress for a moment and talk about the wind that filled the house. The Hebrew word, Ruach, and the Greek word, Pneuma, both have the same three meanings: wind, breath and spirit. We hear it first used in Genesis where it says, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deed, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2 The wind was God’s Spirit.

Later on in Genesis it says “the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life...” Genesis 2:7. The breath of life was God’s Spirit.

And in our morning psalm we read, “When you send forth your spirit, [the creatures of the earth] are created.”

God’s wind, breath and spirit are the same thing. And when God’s spirit came as the wind at Pentecost, it breathed the Church into being.

 

The Spirit Today  As exciting as this event was, it doesn’t tell us how the Holy Spirit can dance with us sedate Presbyterians. The fact is, whether we realize it or not, the Holy Spirit is alive and well here at Grace Presbyterian. Why do I say that? Because time and time again I’ve seen the Spirit dancing you over this past year. 

I’ve seen you and the Spirit dance the waltz of healing as you called upon the sick.

You entered into the dance of holy presence as you visited our shut-ins.

I’ve seen you and the Spirit dance the dance of generosity as you collected food and gave money to alleviate hunger.

You and the Spirit did a slow dance of hugs and tears as you comforted members who mourned the death of loved ones.

I saw you and the Spirit do the Enthusiasm Two-Step when you invited someone to worship, or Circle, or Bible Study, or Men’s Breakfast.

I saw you and the Spirit dance the jitterbug of joy when Catherine made her appearance into our midst.

And I’ve seen you respond to the Spirit’s invitation to join in the dances of forgiveness and reconciliation.

You know something? You are really, really good dancers!

All we need to remember is that in every dance someone must lead and someone must follow. And the Spirit must always be the one who leads when we dance.

No matter what the dance might be, the key to dancing with the Spirit is to do it with enthusiasm! It’s interesting to note that the word “enthusiasm” comes from the combination of two Greek words: “en” meaning within, and “theos” meaning god. Thus for a Christian to be enthused means to have “God in you” or to be filled with God’s divine spirit.

Three Prospectors  Our faith should be so exciting that our enthusiasm for Christ is visible to those around us. We should be like the three prospectors who found a rich vein of gold in California during the gold rush days. They realized what a great discovery they had, and decided, "We’ve a really good thing going here as long as no one else finds out about it." So they each took a vow to keep it secret. Then they went to town to file their claims and get the equipment necessary to mine the gold. True to their vows, they didn’t say a word to anybody. They filed their claim, bought the equipment, and headed back to their mine. But when they did, a crowd of people followed them. And the reason was because the expression on their faces had given them away. Their faces were aglow in anticipation of the wealth that soon would be theirs. People knew that they must have found something very special. And since the people wanted what the miners had, they followed them out of town.

Final Thoughts  You have in the Spirit what people want and need. And by showing the joy you have in the Spirit, at home, at school, at work and at play, people will be drawn to Christ through you. And when they come they will find a caring church and a visionary church. They will find the breath of creation and wind of re-creation flowing through Grace Presbyterian. The future is bright as long as we continue to listen to the music of the Spirit. Remember, when the music begins, don’t be afraid to get up and dance because you won’t be alone. Others will join you!  Amen.

Psalm 104:24-34 NRSV

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

   In wisdom you have made them all;

   the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,

   creeping things innumerable are there,

   living things both small and great.

There go the ships,

   and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

These all look to you

   to give them their food in due season;

when you give to them, they gather it up;

   when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

   when you take away their breath, they die

   and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created;

   and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;

   may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,

   who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

   I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

   for I rejoice in the Lord.

Acts 2:1-21 NRSV -  When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: ‘Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

“In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

   and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

   and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

   in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

     and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above

   and signs on the earth below,

     blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness

   and the moon to blood,

     before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

What Comes Down Must Go Up, June 2, 2014

What Comes Down Must Go Up

Psalm 47, Acts 1:1-11

June 2, 2014

Grace Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Ascension Day of the Lord   As I’m sure all of you know, last Thursday was Ascension of the Lord Day, and I’d like to thank all who sent me a Happy Ascension Day card. Unfortunately, I can’t thank any of you since none of you, nary a single one, sent me such a card. I was heartbroken that you forgot. But perhaps I should forgive you since Ascension of the Lord Day isn’t very high on the liturgical hit parade. It finds it difficult to compete with Christmas and Easter.

But before we go any further, it is well to allow scripture to refresh our memories of the ascension event.

The Ascension Accounts We read of this event In Luke” “Then [Jesus] led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.” [Luke 24:50-53 NRSV]

In Acts, Luke writes that when the disciples had come together with Jesus in Jerusalem, they asked Jesus, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. [Acts 1:6-9 NRSV]

Carried into heaven. Lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight.

I suggest to you this morning that the Ascension of Jesus is just as important as Christmas  and Easter.

If you are a bit startled by this statement, perhaps an explanation is in order. To do so, I’d like to look at God’s entire act of redemption through the eyes of the Apostles’ Creed.

In this creed, we find the most succinct and powerful summary of what God did for us. We proclaim:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth,

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

Listen to what we are saying. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. That is to say, God’s Word came down to earth, became flesh, and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. This we celebrated last Christmas.

We then say that Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into Hell. This we observed during Lent and Good Friday.

The third day Jesus rose again from the dead. This we celebrated at Easter.

But then comes the proclamation Jesus “ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” This we observe at Ascension of the Lord day.

He came down at Christmas and He ascended into heaven. Herein lies the culmination of the redemption story. Jesus not only came to die for our sins. He not only came that we might have life after death. He also ascended to reign as Lord of Lords and King of Kings over each of our lives.

If Jesus hadn’t ascended, he’d probably would have lived to a venerable age, with his disciples and followers tagging along wherever he went. His influence would have been limited to a relative few. And his Lordship over all creation and over each of our lives would never have happened.

St. Augustine expressed it this way, “Unless the Saviour had ascended into heaven, his Nativity would have come to nothing, and his Passion would have borne no fruit for us, and his most holy Resurrection would have been useless.”

Jesus is Lord   Yes, because of his ascension, Jesus rose to assume kingship and power over each of our lives.

Paul says, God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. [Ephesians 1:22-23 NIV] 

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul writes, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:9-11 NIV]

God’s Kingdom  Yes, Christ is our Lord and our King. He came down to earth to establish a kingdom over which he is the ultimate and final authority. As Christians, we are members of God’s kingdom. We have a new life under the lordship of Jesus. When called to be members of his kingdom, we promised to be obedient to our King. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

The lords of Darkness  The fact is that all of us are going to bow down to a lord of some kind. Each day we encounter forces that urge us to worship them. According to Paul, these forces go by such household names as power, money, possessions, greed, jealousy, anger, envy, immorality, drunkenness, and licentiousness. [Galatians 5:19:21] These are names of the lords of darkness.

 

 

The Lord of Light  We either will serve these lords of darkness, or serve Christ, the Lord of light. This is what Paul meant when he said that God has delivered us from the dominion and power of darkness. Without accepting Christ as Lord, we will inevitably worship the powers of darkness. God has transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved son. The question is always whether or not we accept or reject the transfer. God has given us the freedom to do either.

Unfortunately, many Christians find it far easier to love a savior rather than to obey a Lord and to seek forgiveness rather than offer it to others. Too often, we want the benefits of salvation without the responsibilities of discipleship. We balk at the idea of kneeling before our Lord. To accept the Lordship of Christ means to acknowledge his complete authority over every aspect of our lives: our speech, work, play, money, family, social life and emotions.

The story is told of a man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window. She looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects. He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn and cussing a blue streak at the man in front of you. I noticed the 'Jesus is Lord' license plate holder, the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally. I assumed you had stolen the car."

 

 

 

 

Church as Christ’s Body One final note. Because of his bodily ascension, Jesus ended his personal and visible ministry to his followers. Christ no longer is visibly present to people on earth. As a result, we, the Church, have become his visible body. And the ascended Christ is the head of the Church. As Paul said, Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it. [1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV] 

As the body of Christ, we are the visible presence of our Lord Jesus to everyone in the community, even at stop lights. People are introduced to the living Christ through us, the members of Grace Presbyterian Church. We are the body of Christ in this place.

Yes, Jesus came down to save and rose up to rule. What came down must go up.

As we come to the Lord’s Table, let us remember the challenge from Joshua who said, “Choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” [Joshua24:15 NRSV]  Amen.

 

Psalm 47 NRSV

Clap your hands, all you peoples;

   shout to God with loud songs of joy.

For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,

   a great king over all the earth.

He subdued peoples under us,

   and nations under our feet.

He chose our heritage for us,

   the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

God has gone up with a shout,

   the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

   sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For God is the king of all the earth;

   sing praises with a psalm.

God is king over the nations;

   God sits on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples gather

   as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

   he is highly exalted.
 Acts 1:1-11 NRSV

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

As we all know, what goes up must come down. The law of gravity dictates that. But did you know, in the case of Jesus, what comes down must go up? Perhaps an explanation is in order. First, the “coming down” part. At Christmas time we celebrated the birth of Jesus. This is when the Word of God came down to earth to become flesh and dwell among us. [John 1:14] During his three years on earth, Jesus called his disciples, taught and healed the multitudes, paid the penalty for our sins and achieved our salvation by his death on the Cross. For this we call him Savior. He was then raised from the dead to give us life after death. For this we call him Lord.

Now for the “going up” part. Forty days following his resurrection, Jesus left this earth by ascending into heaven. This last Thursday was the fortieth day after Easter. We call this the Ascension of the Lord Day. It is the final act of Jesus while on earth. We find the account of Christ’s ascension recorded by Luke both in Luke and in Acts.

Perhaps the following story of Bill will help. Bill was a ten year old who walked to school each day. Every day after school he had to walk home by the park. Sometimes, one of the school bullies would wait for Bill and knock Bill down as he walked by.  Since the bully might or might not be waiting for him, going home was both stressful and suspenseful. Then one day Tom enrolled at his school. Tom was the biggest and strongest kid in Bill’s class and much bigger than the bully. And, since Tom lived close to Bill, he became Bill’s friend and walked home with Bill every night. All of a sudden, Bill’s fear of the bully went away. As long as he walked with Tom, he was safe from all harm.

Bullies of Today  Time after time in life, we encounter bullies that frighten us.

* when we are diagnosed with cancer

* when faced with divorce

* when a loved one dies

* when we worry about being able to pay our bills

* when we lose our job

* when we can’t take care of ourselves anymore

* when we worry about our children

These and many more things are the bullies of our lives that lurk in the shadows to frighten us and fill us with anxiety.

Power of Jesus Greater than Bullies The fact that Jesus is Lord means that he walks with us through life. It means that his power is greater than any force or event that would cause us fear and anxiety and sorrow. When we talk about Jesus sitting at God’s right hand we are saying that he has all the power and the glory of God. No force or person on the face of the earth is more powerful than the ascended Jesus. He is Ruler and King over all things. He is Lord of all.

Place for Us at Death   When loved ones die or when facing our own death, Jesus is Lord.  As Lord, he has prepared a place for us when we die.  “‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling-places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” [John 14:1-3 NRSV] Yes, our King and our Lord overcame the power of death and assured us that there is life after death and that he has prepared a wonderful place for us in heaven.