Soaring Like Eagles, August 17, 2014

Soaring Like Eagles

Isaiah 40:28-31, 2 Corinthians 4:8-18

Grace Presbyterian Church

August 17, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Bad Hair Day  If any of you have ever had a “bad hair day” you will appreciate this. The story is told of a newspaper reporter was trying to get pictures of a forest fire. As he tried to get pictures, the smoke and dust of the fire spoiled all his pictures. So he called his boss and asked for an airplane to get some pictures above the fire. His boss called back shortly and said, “There is a plane waiting for you at the airport.” So the photographer drove to the airport and sure enough, there was the plane, all warmed up and ready to go. He climbed in and said, “Let’s go! Let’s go!” So the pilot took off until they were above the fire. The man said, “Fly to the north side of the fire and do several passes as low as you can go.” “Why?” asked the pilot. “Because I’m a photographer and want to get pictures for my paper.” There was a long pause and finally the pilot said, “You’re not the instructor?”

 

I dare say that all of us have had or are having the proverbial “bad hair day.” But sometimes things happen that go far beyond just having a bad hair day. Things that bowl us over physically and emotionally. When that happens we may feel like Walter Payton, the great running back for the Chicago Bears from 1975 to 1988. Over his career, he gained over nine and one-half miles rushing. But every 4.6 yards of the way, someone knocked him down.

Over the years, most of us have been knocked down for various reasons. Some of us have had loved ones die. Others have suffered financial hardship and unemployment. Some have lost their homes. Still others have had health problems or family difficulties. So sometimes it seems as though we go through the years running a few yards until something knocks us down. We run a few more yards and suddenly we’re on the ground again. The older we become, the more times we’ve been hit, fallen down, and gotten up again.

Life is Difficult  In his book “A Road Less Traveled,” Scott Peck says, “Life is difficult.” [p. 15] Now that’s not headline news. Each of us here this morning knows that life can be difficult, at times at least. However, Peck goes on to suggest that unless we recognize and accept the fact that life is difficult and not always fair, we never will get on with our living.

If we assume life is supposed to always be free of stress, then we may spend our life bemoaning our fate rather than enjoying life. Jesus himself said “In this world you will have tribulation.” [John 16:33]

Difficulties Lie Ahead  Since the past has had its share of problems, it is logical to assume that the years to come will bring us difficulties as well.

And since we don’t know what they might be, all we can do is prepare ourselves as best we can to meet and handle them when they come. A part of that preparation involves recognizing the truth of the following.

No Guarantee  First of all, being a Christian is no guarantee of a pain and trouble-free life. If it was, every human on earth would be a Christian. Stephen was stoned to death and became the first martyr of the Christian church. The apostle Peter was crucified. James was martyred for his faith. Paul was imprisoned and noted that he had been shipwrecked, beaten with rods, and stoned.

The fact is that we Christians can be the kindest, finest, law-abiding, church-going human beings on earth and still be knocked to the ground by trials and tribulations.

And what’s worse is that we look around and see lawbreakers and non-church goers blessed with both wealth and health.

As it says in Matthew, God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” [Matthew 5:45 NIV] 

Uniqueness of Suffering Second, we must remember that no other human being has ever lived a life exactly like us. No one else has the same specific memories, even identical twins. No one has experienced the exact same joys and problems as we have. And our genetic makeup is unlike any other person that ever lived. That means that we are unique. We are different from any one else in the world.

Similar Feelings  At the same time, we are alike in many ways. Paul wrote, “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.” [1 Corinthians 10:13] This means that in spite of our uniqueness, most people have felt the same feelings we feel, such as anxiety, fear, loneliness, sorrow and depression. This is why people can come up to us and say, “I know how you feel.” And this is why support groups for grief, addictions, and mental illnesses can be so helpful.

Don’t Deserve It Another facet of stress and pain is that sometimes we get knocked down when we don’t deserve it.

            Some years ago, Bob Hope won a major award. When accepting it he joked, “I don’t deserve this, but then I have arthritis and I don’t deserve that either.”

 

Each of us here this morning can identify something that has happened to us or to someone we love that was not deserved. When this happens, we can become quite angry. 

One person who felt he didn’t deserve it was a boy named Joey who was dying with cancer in a Rhode Island hospital. Joey said, “When I get to heaven I’m going to ask God why he put me through this. He’d better have a mighty good answer.”

 

Yes, sometimes we get knocked down and we don’t deserve it.

Helpless to Fix It  Another reflection on misfortunes is that often there’s nothing we can do to fix our problems and make things better. When we catch a cold or come down with the flu, we know that it soon will go away. If we have a tooth ache, the dentist can fix it. If we break an arm, the doctor can set it and it will heal. However, it’s different if a loved one has a terminal disease. Then, in spite of all the efforts of the doctors, the loved one dies. We are helpless to eliminate the disease. Such feeling of helplessness is one of the most upsetting feelings a person can have. 

 

Paul One man that encountered numerous problems in his life was Paul. In his letter to the church at Corinth, he wrote, “We should like you to know, dear friends, how serious was the trouble that came upon us in the province of Asia. The burden of it was far too heavy for us to bear, so heavy that we even despaired of life.” [2 Cor 1:8]  Paul sounded pretty low at this point, didn’t he? Yet, later in the same letter he wrote, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.” [2 Corinthians 4:8-9] Paul displayed uncommon courage. And courage in the face of personal challenges and crises is a gift God offers us each day. We can seize that gift of courage, or we can give up. It’s up to us.

Climbing Mountain

 A few years ago, a young man by the name of Mark Wellman was climbing a mountain peak in Yosemite National Park when he fell. His legs were paralyzed for life. Mark could have given up on life, but he didn’t. Instead he worked to get in shape. Then with the help of a friend, Mark climbed the 3,200 foot El Capitan mountain. He did it six inches at a time over nine days using only his arms. He performed 6,800 pull ups on ropes placed by his friend and became the first paraplegic to make the vertical trek up the mountain.

Hymns The hymn writer, Joseph Scriven [1820-1886], lived in Dublin, Ireland in the 1800's.  His life was marked by many tragedies including the accidental drowning of his fiancee on the eve of their wedding. Out of this and other grief experiences, he wrote the beloved hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.”

Another favorite hymn, “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go,” was written by George Matheson [1842-1906], one of Scotland’s outstanding preachers and devotional writers. He became totally blind in his late teens. As a result, his fiancee broke off their engagement. Matheson now was surrounded not only by blindness, but by loneliness and suffering as well. As Matheson began to experience God as the love that never lets him go, no matter what, he wrote the hymn.

 

 

 

Crucible of Pain Whether we realize it or not, without trials and tribulations we would never reach out to God or to anyone else for help. We would be so self-sufficient and filled with our own importance that we never would help others in their troubles. Sometimes it is only by being transformed in the crucible of pain that we grow strong enough to serve God in the world in which we live. It was in his weakness and troubles that Paul discovered the immeasurable strength of God and enabled him to say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” [Philippians 4:13].

But how does Christ strengthen us? Through his body, the Church. Through the congregation known as Grace Presbyterian. By each of us supporting one another to dispel loneliness and help each other get through times of stress and anxiety. This was most evident yesterday when we Celebrated the life of Deeda Mae. The love we have for her was revealed through the countless hugs and words of assurance, through the beautiful music, the words of Scripture, and the lunch so lovingly prepared by members.

Not everyone who experiences misfortunes ends up writing beautiful hymns or grows stronger. Some become angry and bitter, and give up. Others wallow in self-pity.

How we handle our tribulations is up to us. Be assured that God is willing and able to help us transform sorrow into peace and misfortune into opportunities. He took the sufferings of Christ and transformed them into the Bright Morning Star. [Revelation 22:16] If we let him, God will enable us not be crushed if afflicted, or driven to despair when perplexed, or forsaken when persecuted, or destroyed when struck down. Like Paul, we can do all things in Christ who strengthens us.

Soar Like Eagles Isaiah said, “Even youths will faint and be weary, and young men will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” [Isaiah 40:30-31]

 

 

I read once that an eagle knows when a storm is coming long before we do. So the eagle will fly to the highest point in the area and wait. When the storm hits, the eagle sets its wings so that the winds pick it up and lift it above the storm. The eagle doesn’t flee the storm, but instead uses the storm to be lifted even higher.

 

Like the eagle, we needn’t run away from the storms of life, but instead we can call upon the winds of the Spirit to lift us up and help us ride out the storm with confidence and hope.

Takes Time  To soar like eagles in the midst of adversities takes time. It doesn’t happen over night. We can’t race through pain and distress. Instead, we wait on the Lord and move ahead without remaining mired in the past. No matter what our problems might be, God can give us the courage to soar like eagles. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 

Isaiah 40:28-31 NRSV

 

Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

   the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

   his understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint,

   and strengthens the powerless.

Even youths will faint and be weary,

   and the young will fall exhausted;

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,

   they shall mount up with wings like eagles,

they shall run and not be weary,

   they shall walk and not faint.

2 Corinthians 4:8-18 NRSV

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—‘I believed, and so I spoke’—we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

I Am The Resurrection And The Life, August 10, 2014

I am the Resurrection and the Life

1 Corinthians 15:51-58, John 11:17-27

Grace Presbyterian Church

August 10, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

How’s Buffy?  Some years ago, when I was taller and my hair and beard was very dark, I was at the back of the sanctuary in my black robe shaking hands with the members following worship. A young couple with their six year old daughter approached and before I could say anything, the daughter grabbed my hand, looked up at me and said, “How’s Buffy?” I replied, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.” “I said, How’s Buffy?” I still had a blank look when the little girl’s mother leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Buffy was her kitten who just died this week. And we assured her that Buffy was alive and in heaven with Jesus.  She thinks you’re Jesus.” So I looked down at the little girl and said, “Buffy is doing just fine. Even though she misses you a lot, she’s very happy in heaven.”

The little girl asked the same question many of us have asked through the years. “Is our loved who died happy in heaven?” But we might add to that question many others, such as “What happens when we die?” “Will I see my loved one again in heaven?” “What is heaven like?”

Birth and Death  This morning I will try to address such questions as these by focusing first of all upon Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the resurrection and the life.” These words are usually heard only at services when someone dies.. But sometimes at funerals our minds are so full of emotions that it is difficult for us to remember anything that is said.

A time to be born and a time to die  I’d like to start by reminding us of these words from Ecclesiastes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.”

Being Born  Now the first part, the part about being born, is a time of celebrating and congratulations. Prior to the birth, we have baby showers and buy things for the baby’s room.

And when our child is born, we send out birth announcements saying “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” And we confer upon our child a name which we had thought about for months ahead of the birth.

Dying  However, deaths are another matter. Sadness replaces rejoicing. Tears replace laughter. Obituaries replace birth announcements. And the older we become, the more likely it is that we have experienced sadness, tears and obituaries as the result of the death of loved ones - grandparent, parent, spouse and even our children.

Two Parts of the Gospel  In the midst of our grief, we need to remember that the Good News of the Gospel has two basic parts - the forgiveness of sins and life after death.  

1. In the first part, Christ's death paid the penalty we deserved to pay for our sins.  When we repent of our sins and turn back to God, God will forgive us and lead us into a new life. As a result, God guides us, comforts us, and strengthens us. It is because of this good news that we rejoice every day of our lives.  

2. The second part, the resurrection of Christ. is the ground and basis of our personal resurrection when we die. Jesus not only said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he followed that statement by saying, he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26)   "Because I live, you shall live also." (John 14:19)

Here is the foundation of our Christian faith and the ground of our hope and assurance at time of death. Simply stated, because Christ rose, we too shall rise. Because he lives, we too shall live. For this we rejoice, give thanks, and sing praises to God. 

This is of great importance to us this morning since someday, somehow, somewhere, each of us will die. However, because of Christ, when we die, life continues beyond the grave. Heaven is real! How do we know this? Because Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

What Happens at Death?  "This is wonderful," we say, "but what exactly happens when we die?  What kind of a body will we have in heaven? Will we know our loved ones who have gone before us?" These are the same questions which the members of the Corinthian church were asking themselves.

In his first letter to them, Paul devotes the entire fifteenth chapter to answer these resurrection questions. Paul writes that if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised.

If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching and our faith is in vain. However, Paul continues, the fact is that Christ has been raised. Because he has been raised, all who believe in him shall be raised as well. This glorious resurrection of his followers will be the final fruit and benefit of the forgiveness of their sins.  

Spiritual Body  Paul then addresses their concerns about the body we will have after death. This is an important question since all of us identify ourselves in relation to our body. Existence after death without a body just doesn't make much sense. Paul's answer is that our resurrection body will be imperishable and spiritual and will bear the image of Jesus. That means that our spiritual body will be far superior to our mortal bodies, he says, in the same way as the grown wheat plant is superior to the seed from which it has sprung. We were born of the seed of Adam, a living being. We will be raised as a spiritual body in Christ.  And yes, we will recognize, greet and embrace loved ones who have gone on before us.

Is There Really a Heaven?   Throughout our lives, we’ve talked and heard about heaven.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we say, "Our Father, who art in heaven..."  At his ascension, it says that Jesus was "taken up into heaven." (Mark 16:19) The Book of the Revelation states that heaven has twelve pearly gates and streets paved with solid gold.

All that is well and good, but when a loved one dies, or when we're about to die, we start to wonder. Is there really a place to which we go called heaven? Perhaps for the first time in our life, it has become the most relevant question we’ve ever asked. Of course there is heaven. Very simply, heaven is where God is, and heaven is being in a perfect and glorious relationship with God, no longer shackled by sin. Period.  

Kind of Life  So what kind of life will we have in heaven? First it will be a joyous life with God, without any pride or greed or unfaithfulness getting in the way of our fellowship.   And it will be free of pain and sorrow.

In the Book of the Revelation, John said, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4)

Can you imagine a life without sin or guilt, free of physical or emotional pain? Without arthritis, cancer or heart attacks? Without anxiety, worry, tears or sorrow? Without fear or dread of any kind? This is what heaven is like. Can you imagine greeting parents, husbands, wives, children and friends that have died before you? And can you imagine reaching out to former enemies with open arms of love? That's what heaven is like.

Paul put it this way: "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)   "For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (II Corinthians 4:17)  Eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison!  Can you imagine a life in which the most stirring music, the most beautiful sights, and the deepest emotions of love experienced on earth will pale in comparison to the music, sights and love we will experience in heaven?

Last Wednesday, I called up a friend and wished him a happy birthday. He said, “It means that I’m one year older.” And, trying to be cute, I replied, “Well, it beats the alternative.” And he said, “Are you sure?”

 

 

 

Comfort from God   Even though we know that the life to come will indeed be wonderful in every way, the death of a loved one still brings sorrow and tears. And rightly so. So in the midst of our intense missing of loved one and time of mourning, and in the midst of our feelings of bewilderment, denial, fright and anger, Jesus says to us,

"Let not your heart be troubled.  Ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:1-3, 27)

Yes, Christ went on ahead to prepare a place for us in heaven. When we die, the doors of heaven are thrown open and Christ receives us unto himself with open arms.

The story is told of a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. She contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes she told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. The woman also requested to be buried with her Bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leaven when the woman said, “There’s one more thing.” “What’s that,” asked the pastor.  “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.” The pastor looked at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. “That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the woman asked. “Well, to be honest, I am puzzled by the request,” said the pastor. The woman explained. “In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, “Keep your fork.” It was my favorite part because I knew that something wonderful was coming -- like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful and with substance. So I just want people to see me there in the casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder, ‘What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork, the best is yet to come.” So the next time you reach for your fork, let it remind you oh so gently, that the best is yet to come. Amen!
1 Corinthians 15:51-58 NRSV

Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:

‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘Where, O death, is your victory?

   Where, O death, is your sting?’

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

John 11:17-27 NRSV

The background of this event is as follows. In the town of Bethany, Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, died. When Jesus heard about it, he walked the two miles from Jerusalem to Bethany to the house where Mary and Martha awaited him.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.’

 

 

I Am The True Vine, August 3, 2014

I am the True Vine

Isaiah 5:1-7, John 15:1-11

Grace Presbyterian Church

August 3, 2014

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Miller

 

Grape Vines, Vineyards & Vine Dressers As we know, Jesus called himself by many names. In the past few weeks, we’ve already heard him say, “I am the Bread of Life,” “I am the Light of the World,” and “I am the Good Shepherd.” This morning, as we prepare our hearts and minds for Holy Communion, we will look at his statement, “I am the True Vine.” As you might surmise, the vine to which Jesus refers is a grape vine. Therefore, this morning I would like to speak of grape vines, vineyards, vinedressers and grapes. I would like to do so from two perspectives: the fact that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and the fact that wine is the symbol of the shed blood of our savior as we take communion.

In researching this sermon, I discovered some interesting facts about grapes and wine.

1. There are more than 5,000 different wine grape varieties.
   2. It takes about 700 wine grapes to make a bottle of wine.
   3. There are approximately 44 million bubbles in a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne.
   4. Wine is fat free and contains no cholesterol.  
   5. A connoisseur of wines is known as an oenophile.
    
    
   6. Just four years ago, in 2010, a bottle of 1869 Chateau Lafite sold at auction for $233,972.
   Hampton Court Palace Vine   Today the largest grape vine in the world is located in the gardens at Hampton Court Palace in England. The vine was planted 245 years ago in 1769. The vine is twelve feet around the base and its longest rod is 120 feet. In 2001, the vine produced 845 pounds of grapes, its best crop of grapes ever.
   Grapes in Bible Times   If we turn our attention to the Bible, we find that grapes were introduced into Palestine in biblical times by seagoing Phoenicians. Because the soil and climate of Israel were quite favorable to growing grapes, vineyards became one of the more important cash crops of the Palestinian economy.  Vineyards became prized possessions and a family’s wealth was measured directly by the size and number of their vineyards. Most vineyards were planted on a hillside. The ground had to be cleared of stones. Then the land was terraced and surrounded by a hedge or stone wall to keep out marauding animals. A tower erected for a watchman.  A wine press was constructed and a vat was hewn in the rock.
   Two Kinds of Branches  The vines in Jesus’ day produced two kinds of branches, one fruit-bearing and the other non-fruit-bearing. The branches that did not produce fruit were drastically and mercilessly pruned back to allow the life giving force of the vine to nourish the branches that were producing fruit.
   Laborers were hired by the vinedresser to prune the vines and weed the ground around them. The vines themselves were allowed to spread along the ground with the fruit-bearing branches slightly raised from the earth. The grapes, normally a red variety, began to produce in September and October. When the harvest began, dancing and celebrations started, with singing filling the air.
   Israel the Vine  The symbol of the grapevine was on Israeli coins until the time they were conquered by Rome. And the grape vine was so symbolic to the Jews that a huge grapevine decorated the gates of the temple. In many places in the Bible, grape vines and vineyards were compared to the relationship between Yahweh and Israel.
   In our Old Testament reading, we hear that God rescued Israel out of Egypt and planted it in the Promised Land to be the vine through which his desired fruits for humankind would be produced. [Isaiah 5:1, Psalm 80:8-9, Jeremiah 2:21, Hosea 10:1]  However, because of the disobedience of Israel, all God received were wild grapes, good for nothing.
   New Testament In the New Testament, Jesus carries on the analogy of the vine. At the time, he is in the Upper Room with his disciples the night before he was crucified. After washing his disciples’ feet and identifying Judas as the one who would betray him, he said to his disciples: “ I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit.  Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15)  
   Thus, Jesus replaced Israel as God’s true vine.  And God was pleased with Jesus as his true vine since at both Jesus’ baptism and his Transfiguration, God said “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17, 17:5)
   We are the Branches  Now if Jesus is the vine, we are his branches. Jesus says to us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.” (John 15:16) What fruit does Jesus mean? Paul identified the fruit that we are to produce as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Our ability to bear such fruit depends solely on whether or not we abide in the vine by remaining connected to the source of our life, Jesus.
   Branches apart from the Vine Jesus tells us that apart from him we can do nothing. If we no longer abide in him, our lives become lifeless, disoriented and misdirected. We end up doing and saying things that hurt God’s holy Kingdom and hurt those around us. In other words, apart from Christ we are spiritually dead and cannot bear fruit. We are to stay connected to the vine because Jesus is the life force of our lives and of our church. Without that connection, we will fall away. We will resort to our old life apart from Christ. We will fail to serve, fail to love, fail to witness. But when we abide in Jesus, we draw upon his power and strength and end up bearing the fruits of the Spirit.
   George Whitfield  George Whitfield conducted outdoor evangelistic campaigns in the 1700’s during a period of revival called the “Great Awakening.” Thousands responded to his Gospel message. After one of his sermons, someone asked Whitfield how many people were converted. He replied: “We’ll know in five years.” In other words, the passing of time would show which decisions were superficial and which were genuine. Some would still be abiding in Christ, others would not stay Connected to the Vine.
   “I am the vine, you are the branches,” is a statement about the importance of connecting both with God and with each other. Jesus was saying that if we, the branches, are going to serve in the kingdom, we must stay connected to him, the vine.
   How can we do this? When we fill out our daily calendar, mark down time for prayer, meditation, Bible reading, or simply moments of silence. One simple, yet effective, way is to keep scriptures visible in various rooms in your house, such as your bathroom or kitchen.  For instance, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Or “Lo, I am with you always.”  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”  “Nothing can separate me from the love of God in Christ.”  “This is the day which the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it!”  “My help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.”  “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!”   On an on the list might go.  
   Homan Walsh and the Niagara River Bridge  In 1847, both Canada and the United States wanted to build a suspension bridge across the Niagara gorge to increase tourism to Niagara Falls. The gorge was 825 feet wide and 200 feet deep. The question arose: how to stretch a cable across such a chasm. Then the brilliant idea came to them. Have a kite flying contest and the first person to fly a kite across the gorge would win $5.00.
   So in January of 1848, ten year old Homan Walsh entered the contest. He stood on the Canadian bank of the Niagara River, letting more and more of his kite string go out, and his kite kept going higher, and higher, and higher ... until it stretched nearly 1,000 feet. That evening, the wind died down and his kite descended to the ground on the American side of the gorge.  When the kite was caught, a crowd that had gathered let up a mighty roar. For the first time in history, people on opposite sides of this great gorge were holding onto the same string. Later, a light cord was attached to the kite string and pulled across the chasm. Then a rope followed and eventually a cable consisting of thirty-six strands of number 10 wire. And the International Suspension Bridge was built. It was so strong that great locomotives and long heavy trains passed over it. Yet it started out as a simple, fragile kite string.
   Our Faith is Like That  When we take communion, we connect with Christ in such a way that a bridge of faith can be built. Some of us may be connected to Christ with kite strings. Others may have cords or ropes or cables as their connecting links to Jesus. But all of us are connected - connected to the vine and to each other. And blended together, our small strings of faith combine into a mighty bridge of faith.
   Amen.

John 15:1-11 NRSV

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.  

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.  

Isaiah 5:1-7 NRSV

Let me sing for my beloved

   my love-song concerning his vineyard:

My beloved had a vineyard

   on a very fertile hill.

He dug it and cleared it of stones,

   and planted it with choice vines;

he built a watch-tower in the midst of it,

   and hewed out a wine vat in it;

he expected it to yield grapes,

   but it yielded wild grapes.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem

   and people of Judah,

judge between me

   and my vineyard.

What more was there to do for my vineyard

   that I have not done in it?

When I expected it to yield grapes,

   why did it yield wild grapes?

And now I will tell you

   what I will do to my vineyard.

I will remove its hedge,

   and it shall be devoured;

I will break down its wall,

   and it shall be trampled down.

I will make it a waste;

   it shall not be pruned or hoed,

   and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns;

I will also command the clouds

   that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts

   is the house of Israel,

and the people of Judah

   are his pleasant planting;

he expected justice,

   but saw bloodshed;

righteousness,

   but heard a cry!
The Lord’s Supper  Now let’s turn our attention to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, also known as the Eucharist or Holy Communion. On the night before Jesus died, he gathered with his disciples in the Upper Room for a Passover meal. [Luke 21] Passover is the first of three major festival with both historical and agricultural significance. It represents the beginning of the harvest season. It is related to the escape of the Israelites from Egypt after 400 years of slavery. The word Passover refers to the fact that the angel of death passed over the houses of the Jews when the firstborn of Egypt were being slain. The reason why the homes of the Jews were passed over is that Moses had told them to sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial lamb on the lintel and the two doorposts of their house.

During the Last Supper, the Passover meal, Jesus took the cup, saying “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. [Luke 22:20] Thus, the next day Jesus was crucified and became the sacrificial lamb whose blood was shed on the Cross. [Matthew 26:28]

The word covenant is the same as testament. In Jeremiah, God said that he was going to make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. And instead of Ten Commandments being written on tablets of stone, which could be broken, this new covenant is to be written on their hearts. In essence, as both God and human, Jesus made and sealed both sides of this New Covenant. Thus the Old Testament is the Old Covenant made with Israel, and the New Testament attests to the New Covenant established by Jesus.