The Kingdom of Heaven is like....

July 26, 2020 Proper 11/ 8th Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 13: 31-33, 44-52 Year A The Kingdom of Heaven is like Children’s Sermon Object: enough imitation pearls so that each child may take one home; one pearl larger than the other pearls. What is really important to you? What is the most important thing that you call your own? Is it your doll or baseball glove? Maybe it is a pretty dress or a chemistry set. What is the most important thing to you? Jesus told a story about a businessman who thought that the most important thing in the whole world was a perfect pearl. This man was a good businessman and he had earned a lot of money from his business. Besides money he had a beautiful car. This car was really gorgeous. It had cardinal red leather upholstery inside and a gleaming metal body that was painted black. The steering wheel was made of ivory and the carpet was so thick that you practically lost sight of your feet when you stepped inside. This man had good taste in cars and he treated his own as though it were one of his best loves. This businessman did not stop with money and cars. He had a house that would make your mouth water to just think about it. The mansion sat back from the road so far that you couldn't see it, but there was a lawn that looked like a golf course leading up to it. The pillars on the porch were so big and so high that only eagles in flight could see the top. The rooms were large and each had a magnificent fireplace. Along the walls there were mirrors with gold frames and the paintings of the masters. This was really the kind of a home that kings and queens dream about. This businessman thought a lot of his money, his car and his house but the most important thing in the world was his search for a perfect pearl. One day while he was cruising in the South Seas he heard from some sailors about the most perfect pearl that they had ever seen. He couldn't wait to see it and he told the captain to set his course to find the pearl. When he arrived he was really impressed and he said that he would give anything that he had if the owner would sell him the pearl. There was lot of talk but finally the owner agreed to sell his pearl for all the money that the man had. (Hold up a pearl.) It cost a lot but the businessman was glad, for he felt that he owned the perfect pearl. A couple of years later while he was shopping in Paris he heard some stories about a perfect pearl that an old man had kept secret all of his life. The old man had died and people just raved about the pearl that had been kept secret for so many years. The businessman could not resist and he went to see it. This was really a perfect pearl. His first pearl was good but not this good. He had to have it. What would the heirs take for the pearl? (Hold up another pearl.) They bargained and bargained but the only thing the owners would take was his gorgeous car. The businessman finally agreed. He gave up the most beautiful car in the world for the perfect pearl. Things went pretty well for the businessman who had given up his money and car, until one day he heard some exciting news about a pearl that had been found along the Gold Coast of Africa. This one, they said, was really the best pearl that men had ever seen. The businessman could hardly believe it. He looked at his other two pearls and thought and thought. They were beautiful, the most beautiful that he had ever seen, but what if there was one that was still better. There was no choice, he had to go and see this pearl. Everything they had said was true. (Hold up another pearl.) This was by far the very best. It had the best shape and it glistened in the sun like a pure rain drop from heaven. He had to have it, but what could he give in exchange! There was only one thing left to give and so he gave it. He offered the men in Africa his beautiful home with all of the exquisite trimmings, and they took it. He had given all of his money, his gorgeous car and now his wonderful home. The days passed quietly and the businessman spent them looking at the most important things in his life, his three pearls and he was happy. Happy that is until the word came from a palace in India about the largest, purest and most beautiful pearl in the whole world. Once it had been discovered there were pictures in every paper and magazine throughout the whole world. What else could the businessman do but go and see it and try to buy it if he could. He went to India and stood in line for days to see the most perfect pearl in the world. When he finally looked down upon the pearl he knew that it had to be the best pearl that had ever been created. What did he have to offer? What could he give for this pearl. (Hold up the large pearl.) He had only one thing left to do. Do you know what the businessman did? (Wait for any answers.) He went all over the world trying to sell his three pearls that he had bought with his money, his car, and his house and he finally was able to sell all three. With the money that he got from the other three pearls he bought the one most beautiful pearl in the world. He sold everything that had to have the one thing that meant the most to him. I told you that this is a story that Jesus told to teach us a great truth. The final pearl, the best of them all is the same thing that heaven is. It is the best. Jesus says that we should be willing to give up everything that we have to know and live in God's heaven. No other thing on earth is worth as much as life with God in heaven. It is the best, and it is the only place in the whole world that is better than everything else put together. Heaven is to the Christian what the pearl of great price was to the businessman. You and I will give up everything to put God first so that some day we can live with God forever. This morning I am going to give you a pearl so that you can remember this story. Heaven, God's world, is the most precious thing there is and we will give up anything for it. CSS Publishing Company, The Parables of Jesus, by Wesley T. Runk Prelude Welcome Opening Prayer Call to Worship (Matthew 13) Come and worship God with your whole heart. We come as mustard seeds of faith. Come and worship God with your whole being. We come as leaven for the world. Come and worship God with your whole mind. We come as treasures and pearls of great price, enriching the world with our witness. Come and worship God with your whole lives. Stewardship Moment Seed Money Joseph Henderson and his wife had retired to Arizona several years ago. Now after his wife died, Joseph decided to visit the midwestern, rural area where they had grown up. His son and family lived near that area and he was staying with them for a few days. On a Saturday afternoon Joseph asked his grandson Will, a sophomore in high school, if he wanted to accompany him for a ride in the country. As the two of them rode along, Joseph pointed out some of the landmarks he remembered from having lived there many years before. "They still have some gravel roads in these parts," Joseph noted as the car raised a continuous cloud of dust. Suddenly, almost as if by surprise, they came across an old country church, long since abandoned. "Well, I'll be ..." Joseph said as he stopped the car. "That's the church where I used to attend Sunday school as a kid! Let's see if it's open so we can look around." It was open, and as they walked through the silent building, memories flooded back to Joseph. "I was baptized right at that baptismal font," he said to Will. "And I'm sure I marched up this aisle a few times in our Christmas pageant dressed as one of the kings." He chuckled as he recalled that pleasant memory. "Why did they stop using the church?" Will wanted to know. "Oh, this has happened to lots of rural churches," Joseph began. "Farmers moved into town, and those that didn't often preferred to attend worship in town. So there are empty church buildings like this in many parts of our country." "Is it just going to sit here and deteriorate?" Will asked. "You know, that gives me an idea," Joseph said with sudden enthusiasm. "Come on; let's go back to town!" "What are you going to do, Grandpa?" Will asked. "I want to go see the pastor of the church they built to replace this old building." He paused before going on. "You know, I think that old church could be restored and become kind of a reminder of the old days when we drove horse and buggy many miles to get to church." "Do you think anyone will be interested in doing that?" Will was full of questions. "That's what we're going to find out," Joseph responded. "Sometimes when someone comes up with an idea, it catches on. And besides I intend to start the ball rolling with a cash gift for the project - that is, if the pastor thinks if might be a good idea." They drove along in silence for a few moments. Then Will said tentatively, "Grandpa, if would take major league money to restore that building..." "You're probably thinking I can't give very much for it, and that's true, but a little bit can grow into a large amount." He was searching for the right words to explain it. "It's called seed money. You plant this idea and a little bit of seed money - well, you'd be surprised how big it will grow." Merle G. Franke, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit. God Specializes in taking what we have and multiplying it and making it enough to do ministry. Offertory Prayer God of grace and mercy: we offer our gifts to you this day, knowing that is your love and presence that have sustained us through all our difficult days. We know there have been days when fear and anxiety have gotten the better of us, and we have needed the reminder Paul gave in the Epistle to the Romans, “If God is for us, who is against us?” Help us to live as Christ calls us, to share what we have and show love and compassion, as Christ taught us. We boldly pray, in the name of Jesus our Savior and Redeemer. Amen. (Romans 8:26-39) ___________________________ Scripture Parable of the mustard seed 31 He told another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and planted in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all seeds. But when it’s grown, it’s the largest of all vegetable plants. It becomes a tree so that the birds in the sky come and nest in its branches.” Parable of the yeast 33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in a bushel of wheat flour until the yeast had worked its way through all the dough.” Matthew 13:44-52 Common English Bible Parable of the treasure 44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that somebody hid in a field, which someone else found and covered up. Full of joy, the finder sold everything and bought that field. Parable of the merchant 45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one very precious pearl, he went and sold all that he owned and bought it. Parable of the net 47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that people threw into the lake and gathered all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they pulled it to the shore, where they sat down and put the good fish together into containers. But the bad fish they threw away. 49 That’s the way it will be at the end of the present age. The angels will go out and separate the evil people from the righteous people, 50 and will throw the evil ones into a burning furnace. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth. Treasures new and old 51 “Have you understood all these things?”Jesus asked. They said to him, “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them, “Therefore, every legal expert who has been trained as a disciple for the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings old and new things out of their treasure chest.” Sermon I would like for us to begin by saying the Lord’s Prayer together. Different words, But God hears the same. I say the Lords prayer pretty frequently lately. Prayer last a little over 20 seconds, so pray it everytime I wash my hands. But the Lord’s prayer is also a great centering prayer for our sermon for the next two weeks. Today I want us to think about the words “ They kingdom come, they will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The first words of our scripture for today – the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus desparately wants us to understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. In Matthew when Jesus says the kingdom of heaven, he is not talking about a place up there. He is referring to the kingdom of God. Jesus is referring to this line in the lords prayer – the will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus is saying that heaven is not a place up there, it is a place here on earth. As a matter of fact, heaven is in here in your heart. Jesus gives us a series of 6 parables – all scenes from everyday life to help us to understand heaven. As Jesus is giving parables, he is intentional about being inclusive. – He talks to the farmer, the housewife, the banker, the fishermen the lawyer. Jesus is talking to men, but he is also talking to women. The kingdom of heaven is something that we can all relate to. It is something that we all have access to. Matthew 13 is the last part of the third of five major teachings in Matthew. Jesus has been training his disciples what it means to follow Christ and to do the work of God. Jesus talks to the in straightforward and easy to understand stories – parables. Jesus is not just talking to the twelve, but to anyone in the crowd who is willing to listen. So he gives 7 different parables. All of them are rich in meaning, I wont go into detail about each parable, we would be here all day , and we want to get out of the heat. But I will say that each of them is a lesson in discipleship. The first parable is a farmer planting the mustard seed. Actually, a mustard seed is not the smallest seed, but it is symbolically the seed that the isrealites talked about when they wanted to talk about something small turning into something big. No self respecting Israelite would ever plant a mustard seed in their field or garden. The mustard seed is a weed. It does not grow into a tree – but an out of control bush. Once you plant it, it takes over everything. The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. They start out small and grow from there. But also we cannot control God’s will. When we choose to follow God, we don’t get to write the script – the script writes us. When you become a disciple, you have to always expect the unexpected. The next parable is from the kitchen – in Jesus day that would have been a message specifically for women. This woman is using 3 measures of flour to make some bread. This would have been enough bread to last a large family a week. Not only is she making a large amount of bread, she uses leaven to make it expand even more. To add leaven would have been a bad thing in a jewish household – eventually she is going to have to through this rising bread away. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven in bread – God has a way of expanding our efforts once again beyond our control. Yeast in bread is invisible, mysterious, and out of control. The next two parables are about pearls of great price. Ancient people loved and valued pearls. One man hides his pearl in the field and must sell the field to get the pearl. Another man sells all that he has in order to find the perfect pearl. The pearl is once again hidden, but very valuable. The kingdom of heaven is like the pearl of great price. The pearl is available to us all – and if we are disciples, we should all search and pay the cost to get the pearl. The message for us – we all have a choice about the life we live. We can use the common sense of the world, or we can listen to Jesus and let him determine the decisions we make in life. We all have to potential to be bad or good. What would you be doing if you were not a Christian? How would you treat people if you were not a Christian? How would you be using your Sundays if you were not a Christian? We all have a choice, but Jesus is asking us to choose the pearl of great price – Choose to follow God. In the next parable Jesus encourages the fishermen to collect all of he fish, and let the angels separate the good ones from the bad. In other words – we don’t get to choose who to be Christian to. Be kind, understanding loving to everyone. Let God be the judge of whether they deserve it or not. The last parable is for me to most important. It is a lawyer – mixing the old and the new in order to present a case. In life we like to make choices between good and bad, new and old, young and old, new school old school. Jesus says that all of life is more integrating the new and the old together. The Greek uses the word Kanios – which means fresh. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the old – but God does not want the old to turn into the stale and unusable, so we should keep things in our life and our life fresh and usable. Six lessons for six disciples. The kingdom of heaven is a tiny seed that will grow, leaven that will work through the lumps, treasure that is heaven but will be found, fish that will be sorted, faith that needs to be integrated. But I think that they are deeper than that. They are also six phases in each of our relationship with God. We are all in the process of putting together the old and the new, finding, selling buying our lives, reinventing ourselves in the face of new revelations. And that is why each of us is here on earth – to discover God. Not in strange extraordinary places in life, but in the normal places in life. Heaven is not a place up there, heaven is a place on earth, heaven is a place in here. Meister Eckhart said that each of us has an inner wine cellar juse it. We all have the guidance to our lives, within ourselves in within our relationship with God – we don’t all access it. The best place to find God is in our desire to be a disciple. We all have gifts. We just have to be willing to use those gifts in our everyday work. We have to plant to seeds, we have to put in the yeast, we have to sell the field, we have to do the fishing, we have to integrate the old and new. A disciple is one who is willing to do all of the work. A Commitment That Is Entire A goal that is worthy deserves and demands a commitment that is entire. An Olympic athlete must be committed to training; a great violinist must be committed to practicing; anyone who pursues a goal must be committed to the disciplines the achievement requires. After hearing a famous pianist, a lady said to him, "I would give anything to be able to play like that." He replied, "I'll bet you wouldn't give five minutes a day." Another said to a master musician, "I would give my very life if I could play the way you do," and the musician replied, "That is precisely what it cost me, my life." Jesus is saying that the Kingdom of God is like a treasure to be found, like a priceless pearl to be sought. Leonard W. Mann, Life-Sized Living, CSS Publishing Company The kingdom of God is not just about our personal spiritual journey – but also our journey together as the church. Don’t You Understand? The church Board of Trustees gathered for their monthly meeting. Theirs was a small church struggling to grow. The church had received a substantial grant from and urban church that had closed and decided to help other churches in the area by distributing its endowment. A worshipping congregation of less than thirty, this church had decided to spend the gift in a way they hoped would help them grow. They had taken the bold step—some would say the foolish step—of calling a fulltime pastor, knowing full well that unless attendance and contributions increased dramatically they would run out of money in less than three years. Membership had increased; pledges twice the amount they were before their bold step of faith. But the picture was still bleak. The trustees listened carefully as the treasurer reported the year-end deficit: $11,000. $11,000! They had known that they were behind, but the figure was staggering, fully 20% of the total budget. There was an uncomfortable silence, disturbed only by the sound of people shifting in their chairs. And then, one of the men started to chuckle. The woman next to him flashed a look of surprise, then horror. But something inside her started to giggle too. One by one the people around the table were captured by the spirit of laughter, some nervous at first, against their wills, but soon the whole room was filled with the sound. Why were they laughing? How could they possibly laugh when they were faced with such a serious situation? Then again, how could they not laugh? What a ridiculous notion to think that they could really raise the kind of money it would take to balance the budget. What an impossible situation! Yet somehow they had been led there, by a vision—wasn’t it from God?—that they were called to do more than they had before, that the potential for ministry was great, that the possibility of growth was real, that God had put them on the road they were on. They laughed because they couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. They laughed because they felt overwhelmed and inadequate in the face of it all. They laughed because somewhere deep within them they knew they weren’t ready to give up, and that God wasn’t ready to give up on them. They could have cried, maybe they should have cried, but instead, they laughed. The last to join the laughter was the pastor, sitting on the far side of the table near the corner, wondering if he was going to be able to cash his next paycheck. “Have you understood all this?” he wanted to shout. But finally the Spirit tickled even him, and he nearly spewed the coffee out of his mouth as the laughter overtook him. Donald B. Brown, Have You Understood All This? Dr. A. Rendle Short points out that the first blind asylum was founded by Thalasius, a Christian monk; the first free dispensary was founded by Apollonius, a Christian merchant; the first hospital of which there is any record was founded by Fabiola, a Christian lady. Christianity was the first faith to be interested in the broken things of life. Anyone who asks the question: “What has Christianity done for the world?” has delivered himself into a Christian debator’s hands. There is nothing in history so unanswerably demonstrable as the transforming power of Christianity and of Christ on the individual life and on the life of society. Let us pray…… Prayer Pastoral Prayer God of amazing surprises, how easy it is for us to focus on the big picture and forget that change comes in the smallest of ways, in our hearts, our spirits, and then in our actions. We have gathered here this day, coming from different experiences, to hear your word of healing love. We offer our prayers for our friends and family members who are in need of your healing and forgiveness. Yet we withhold ourselves from you. We have a hard time imagining that you would find much of real worth in each of us. We think of ourselves as insignificant in your kingdom. But you have poured your love on us. You have given us the seeds of hope and compassion; you have called us the treasure that is meant to enrich the world. Help us be those people who are so confident in your presence, that we dare to step out in faith, to work for you in places of need and strife; to witness to your love in all that we do, proclaiming your presence with our mouths and our actions. Give us your guidance, your forgiveness, and courage to be at work in your kingdom. AMEN. Moment of Reflection Announcements • We have had to have alternative styles of worship for 6 months now, who would have thought we would still be dealing with this, but we are. • We will have communion next week – it will be self contained and we will have it from our cars. Ushers will pass it out, with gloves. If you are not comfortable taking it, that is okay, just put your hands up. • The health team has determined that our main gathering with continue to be drive in worship for the month of August. After Labor day, starting on September 13th we will have some form of indoor worship in addition to the 3 ways that we already have. Details of what that looks like will be coming, as the health team continues to monitor the everchanging situation. • I will send out the breaking open the scripture next week – but we will continue our look at the gospel next week – the scripture will be Matthew 14:13-21 Benediction With a song of praise on our lips, we go forth with God. With the love of God in our hearts, we go forth with God. With a commitment to usher in God’s kingdom, we go forth with God. With all that we are and all we can be, we go forth with God. Additional Illustrations The Holy Grail In Tennyson's tale of the Holy Grail, a knight searches high and low for that which lasts for eternity and gives ultimate meaning. He comes upon a singing brook, with deep meadows and wonderful fruit trees. But even as he ate the fruit, it turned to dust, for no feeding of the flesh could still his deepest hunger. Riding on, he saw a home, its opened door a promised welcome and in the door there was a beautiful woman, her eyes innocent and kind. Surely the love of a woman and the sweet shelter of home are my heart's desire, reasoned the knight; "But when I touched her, Lo! She too, fell into dust and nothing, and the house became no better than a broken shed." His soul still craving, he traveled on. He found a warrior clad in golden armor. But he also turned to dust. Then he came upon a city that sat upon a hill. Surely civic service and the affection of his fellow men will mean his journey's end. But when he reached the crest, there was neither city, man, nor any voice, so that he cried in grief. "Lo, if I find the Holy Grail itself, and touch it, it will crumble into dust." Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows? Are you tired of spinning round and round? Gather up all the broken dreams of your life and at the feet of Jesus, lay them down. Find the pearl of great price. J. Howard Olds, Faith Breaks, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc. Both Glad and Sorry There is an ancient legend about some men who were on a long journey. They came across a great desert, and rode into a wilderness area. At sundown they came to a river. They got off their horses and knelt down by the river to drink water. Suddenly a voice spoke to them. The voice said, "Fill your pockets up with pebbles from along the river. And tomorrow you will be both glad and sorry." So they did what the voice commanded. They got on their horses and rode away. On through the night they rode. Finally the sun began to peek over the horizon. They stopped and reached into their pockets and there they found diamonds and rubies. They held a treasure in their hands, and they were both glad and sorry. They were glad they had it, but they were sorry because they had not taken more. The good news for us is we can have all we want of the treasure of His kingdom, all we are willing to take. If you will take that treasure you will learn it is the discovery of a lifetime. Thomas A. Pilgrim, The Man From Galilee, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. Mustard: The Weed The Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder, who died in 79AD while investigating the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, writes: Mustard grows entirely wild, though it is improved by being transplanted: But on the other hand when it has once been sown it is scarcely possible to get the place free of it, as the seed when it falls germinates at once. Pliny describes in great detail the medicinal uses of the mustard plant, but it is important to remember that it was then, as it is now, a weed. It is significant that Jesus chooses a seed that when easily germinated tends to take over where it is not wanted, that can quickly get out of control and that attracts birds into a cultivated area, where they are least desired. William L. Dols, Looking for the Kingdom of God Too High Up and Too Far Away A Precious Gift There is an ancient legend about the monk who found a precious stone, a precious jewel. A short time later, the monk met a traveler, who said he was hungry and asked the monk if he would share some of his provisions. When the monk opened his bag, the traveler saw the precious stone and, on an impulse, asked the monk if he could have it. Amazingly, the monk gave the traveler the stone. The traveler departed quickly overjoyed with his new possession. However, a few days later, he came back, searching for the monk. He returned the stone to the monk and made a request: “Please give me that which enabled you to give me this precious stone!" A commitment of the whole heart, that’s what heaven…the Kingdom of Heaven requires of its followers. I love this last parable because Jesus does not say the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl of great price. He says the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant, a merchant who finds a great deal on a flawless stone and does everything in his power to close the sale. That’s commitment to a greater cause. That’s sacrifice and hard work. That’s what heaven is like. Amen. Keeping It Fresh In our text, the word kainos is used. While it can mean, something recent; in this context, it may also mean "fresh," in contrast to old and stale, as in this Jewish story (A Treasury of Jewish Folklore: Stories, Traditions, Legends, Humor, Wisdom and Folk Songs of the Jewish People Edited by Nathan Ausubel Copyright, 1948, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York). Usually the orthodox rabbis of Europe boasted distinguished rabbinical genealogies, but Rabbi Yechiel of Ostrowce was an exception. He was the son of a simple baker and he inherited some of the forthright qualities of a man of the people. Once, when a number of rabbis had gathered at some festivity, each began to boast of his eminent rabbinical ancestors. When Rabbi Yechiel's turn came, he replied gravely, "In my family, I'm the first eminent ancestor." His colleagues were shocked by this piece of impudence, but said nothing. Immediately after, the rabbis began to expound Torah. Each one was asked to hold forth on a text culled from the sayings of one of his distinguished rabbinical ancestors. One after another the rabbis delivered their learned dissertations. At last it came time for Rabbi Yechiel to say something. He arose and said, "My masters, my father was a baker. He taught me that only fresh bread was appetizing and that I must avoid the stale. This can also apply to learning." And with that Rabbi Yechiel sat down. [p. 51] A Treasury of Jewish Folklore: Stories, Traditions, Legends, Humor, Wisdom and Folk Songs of the Jewish People Edited by Nathan Ausubel Copyright, 1948, Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, quoted by Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes Thy Kingdom Come Every hour in the 24 hours that make up any Sunday on planet earth, the words are heard countless millions of times. Millions pray these words each week in worship and some pray these words every day. Do you know them? "Thy kingdom come.." Of course you do. These words come from the best known prayer in the Christian world... The Lord's prayer. But let me ask you a question. When you pray, "Thy kingdom come," what exactly do you mean by this "kingdom?" What is it that you want to come? It would seem to be a pretty straight forward question with an easy answer. The "Thy" in the phrase refers to God, so obviously it is God's kingdom we want to come, isn't it? But do we understand all that is involved in the coming of the Kingdom? What will it mean to live in the presence of God? And aren't we already supposed to be doing exactly that? John Jewell, Understanding the Kingdom Heaven Is a Process Most people I know believe that heaven is some far, distant place. When folks describe heaven they generally speak of some favorite place, like Myrtle Beach, Hawaii, the Smoky Mountains or a cabin in Canada. The book of the Revelation to John talks about a place where there are "streets of gold, walls with precious stones and pearl gates." Our images of heaven tend to be some form of paradise where everything is beautiful and wonderful. But here in the gospel of Matthew Jesus does not describe "heaven" as a place. He is speaking in parables and in each parable he refers to heaven as an activity. Heaven is not a destination but a journey. For Jesus, heaven has to do with planting seeds, discovering treasure, selling everything you have and being caught up in a huge net. In other words heaven is not a place where we end up but a process we participate in. Keith Wagner, Heaven Is Like This…. Humor: Prioritizing Treasure Bernard Tristain once won a newspaper competition by providing the best answer to the question: "If a fire broke out in the Louvre and you could save only one painting, which one would it be?" His reply was, "The one nearest the exit." I can sympathize with that. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com The Tiny O-Ring The Shuttle program was once grounded for several weeks due to cracks in the fuel line. We are reminded about the tiny rubber o-ring about three-tenths of an inch wide. To look at a tiny o-ring that small would not impress anyone. And yet 20 years ago two of those rings were placed in the aft field joint of the Solid Rocket Booster to stop gases from escaping. Whether it was the unusually cold weather, a contaminate introduced into the zinc putty used on them, any number of potential compression problems, or human error during manufacturing, these two miniature o-rings failed to do what they were designed to do, and the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded before the watching world, 73 seconds into her flight, claiming the lives of all seven crew members. It's the little things. Tiny viruses the size of a pin head, heart valves no larger than a man's thumbnail, single votes in an election, an ill-chosen word from a loved one - little things have tremendous power. Matthew 13 records the story Jesus told about the smallest thing His audience could identify with--a mustard seed. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com. Adapted from a Sermon titled "Diminutive Dynamite" at mecf.net Living on the Edge Christ's kingdom always calls for the note of sacrifice, taking a chance, living on the edge. There was an man down in Florida who used to wrestle alligators for tourists. One time after one of his performances a lady noticed he wore a string of alligator teeth around his neck. She said, "Oh, that is sort of like wearing a string of pearls." He replied, "Not quite. Anyone can open an oyster." Thomas A. Pilgrim, The Man from Galilee Acres of Diamonds There is a story called, "Acres of Diamonds." It is about an African farmer who hears that some have made millions by discovering diamond mines. In his excitement, he sells his farm and uses the money to travel all across the continent of Africa in search of diamonds. But the former farmer never finds his fortune, and he dies as a poverty-stricken, heart-broken man. But it just so happens that the fellow who purchased the farm from the fortune seeker was one day crossing a stream on his newly acquired property when he found a big, beautiful rock. The fellow placed this strange rock on the fireplace mantel. Several weeks later a visitor noticed the rock and just about fell over. He recognized that this wasn't just an ordinary rock; it was a diamond. In fact, it happened to be one of the largest diamonds ever to be found. And the farm turned out to be one of the most productive diamond mines in all of Africa. J. Matthew Miles, The Ethic of the Kingdom: Finders-Seekers, Givers-Keepers Pearl of Great Price A hundred years after it was buried with Manchu emperor Ch’ien Lung in 1799, the fabled “Pearl of Asia” was stolen by grave robbers. The fabulous pearl had been found by Persian divers, and purchased by the emperor Sha Jahan for his wife Mumtaz, for whom he also built the Taj Mahal and the Pear Mosque. About a century later the pearl was listed among the treasure of Ch’ien Lung. After it was stolen from the emperor’s tomb, the pearl disappeared from sight for eighteen years before turning up in Hong Kong. There it was used as security for a large loan that later defaulted. The pearl was then sold in Paris to an unidentified buyer for an undisclosed price. Since the 1940s, the location of the “Pearl of Asia” has been unknown; and its value is unassessed in today’s dollars. (Today in the Word, September 9, 1995, p. 16). If you were to find this pearl today you would gladly sell all your possessions on earth to purchase it. You know that its value would far exceed your current treasures. In the same manner give your heart to God. Hold nothing back and you will posses treasure in heaven where no thief can pilfer and no moth destroy. Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations Blessing or Curse? The story is told of old King Midas who loved the sight and sound and the feel of gold. The king was convinced that enough gold would bring meaning to his life and was delighted when he was granted his wish that everything he touched would be changed into gold. Yet his golden world came to have a hollow ring to it. He discovered he couldn’t eat because his food would turn to gold as it touched his lips. He couldn't embrace his young daughter because that would turn her to gold. As long as he had the Midas touch, the king could not have life or love. He soon realized the boon of materiality was in fact a curse of death, and begged to have it removed so he could once again enjoy more genuine blessings. The good you want will never come from a material thing. Material goods are nothing but physical expressions of ideas of good things. But the REAL good things never break or go out of style because they are invisible and eternal. Enjoy a good, loving or creative idea today--it will last forever! John Marks Templeton, Discovering the Laws of Life, Continuum, 1995, p. 263 _____________________________ Do You Understand? My son, Arthur, is a very active nine-year-old. Daily he roars through our neighborhood on his skateboard jumping curbs and busting out tricks with his buddies. But before he was ever allowed to play outside alone with his friends, my husband and I drilled him about the dangers of the streets. We taught him who strangers are and what they might look like, we described the various lures they use to draw children closer to them, and we acted out the steps he should take if ever approached by someone he didn’t know. Frequently, before he goes out to play, we ask him questions to drive these vital lessons into his mind: What does a stranger look like? What do you do if a stranger approaches you and wants your help in finding a lost puppy? Why is it important to stay with the group and never go off alone? Then we ask, “Do you understand why all these lessons are so important?” His answers to these questions help us determine his ability to play safely away from our presence. Jesus had three short years to teach the disciples all about the kingdom of heaven before He sent them into the world “as sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). He wanted them fully equipped so He repeated lessons from different parable perspectives to drive the divine truths into their hearts and minds. Frequently at the end of His exhortations He would ask them, “Do you understand?” In this week’s parables, you will learn in further detail the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. It is my prayer that after you’ve studied these stories, if you are asked, “Do you understand?” you will be able to answer confidently, “Yes!” Kristi DuBay, Do You Understand? Three Measures of Flour "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." Three measures of flour! Do you know how much that is? About eighty pounds! This woman is not Martha Stewart whipping up a couple delicate exquisite little biscuits that together weigh less than a canary. No, no. This woman is a baker! She's emptying sixteen five-pound bags of flour into the biggest mixing bowl you've ever seen. She's pouring in forty-two cups of water! She's got a mass of dough on her hands that weighs over a hundred pounds! Kneading this lump of dough, shaping it, pounding it. It looks like some scene at the end of a professional wrestling match. Here we have a no-nonsense operation. Sports fans, this is baking at its best. A woman, with her apron dusted with flour, her ten fingers deep into the dough -- she's a combination of Julia Child and Hulk Hogan. Charles Hoffacker, The Work of the Baker Woman An idea was sown in the mind of one man, and that idea changed life for hundreds of thousands of people. An idea must find a man willing to be possessed by it; but when it finds such a man an unstoppable tide begins to flow. Someone must begin a reformation; he need not begin it in a nation; he may begin it in his home or where he works. If he begins it no man knows where it will end. “And such were some of you.” As Denney had it, we must never forget that the function and the power of Christ is to make bad men good There is an unwritten saying of Jesus which never found its way into any of the gospels, but which rings true: “Raise the stone and thou shalt find me; cleave the wood and I am there.” When the mason is working on the stone, when the carpenter is working with the wood, Jesus Christ is there. True happiness, true satisfaction, the sense of God, the presence of Christ are all to be found in the day’s work, when that day’s work is honestly and conscientiously done. Brother Lawrence, great saint and mystic, spent much of his working life in the monastery kitchen amidst the dirty dishes, and he could say, “I felt Jesus Christ as close to me in the kitchen as ever I did at the blessed sacrament.” IN the ancient world pearls had a very special place in men’s hearts. People desired to possess a lovely pearl, not only for its money value, but for its beauty. They found a pleasure in simply handling it and contemplating it. They found an aesthetic joy simply in possessing and looking at a pearl. The main sources of pearls in those days were the shores of the Red Sea and far-off Britain itself; but a merchant would scour the markets of the world to find a pearl which was of surpassing beauty. There are certain most suggestive truths hidden in this parable. Every man comes to Jesus Christ with some gift and with some ability. Jesus does not ask that he should give up his gift. So many people think that when a man declares for Christ he must give things up and concentrate upon the so-called religious things. But a scholar does not give up his scholarship when he becomes a Christian; rather he uses it for Christ. A business man need not give up his business; rather he should run it as a Christian would. One who can sing, or dance, or act, or paint need not give up his art, but must use his art as a Christian would. The sportsman need not give up his sport, but must play as a Christian would. Jesus did not come to empty life but to fill it, not to impoverish life but to enrich it. Here we see Jesus telling men, not to abandon their gifts, but to use them even more wonderfully in the light of the knowledge which he has given them.

What Type of soil are you for God's Word?

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Which Soil are you? 6th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 10 July 12, 2020 Year A Children’s Sermon Object: A flower and a common weed Boys and girls, I pulled these out of my garden. What is this? (Let them guess the flower.) I love flowers, don’t you? Flowers add so much beauty to our world. We all love to smell a beautiful flower. Girls can look so pretty with a flower placed carefully in their hair. A man might even wear a flower in his lapel on special occasions. When someone is sick we send them flowers. When we are in love we send flowers. We place flowers on our altar to remind us that Christ is alive bringing love and beauty to his world. Most flowers have to be planted and carefully cultivated. That’s the difference between a flower and a weed. Weeds will grow anywhere and usually do. But a flower usually takes some care. That’s the way our spiritual lives are. Usually we have to work at the things that really matter. If we want to be a good athlete, we have to exercise and practice. If we want to be a good student, we have to study and read and learn. If we want to follow Jesus, we need to work at it, too. We work at being loving to others. We work at remembering to pray. We come to Sunday School even when we might like to do something else. And as a result, we become beautiful people inwardly. We become beautiful flowers rather than merely weeds that always do what comes easy. Remember, God created you to be a beautiful flower. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Third Quarter Sermons 2008, by King Duncan Opening Song Welcome Opening Prayer Call to Worship #4: L: The Lord is the sower of the seeds of love and redemption. P: But we have not always been ready to receive these seeds. L: Today we hear again the scriptures that remind us of the awesome generosity of God. P: Help us be good soil, O God, prepared to receive your love and to grow in that love. L: Amen. P: AMEN. Stewardship Moment The theme of our worship experience this morning is sowing weeds of hope, love and peace, and looking to God to give the increase. God and Three Pennies Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India died as a world-known figure. But who would have ever thought she would have attained such influence when she first began? What did she have to recommend her? A tiny woman, she began with the most meager of resources. Mother Teresa told her superiors, “I have three pennies and a dream from God to build an orphanage.” “Mother Teresa,” her superiors said, “you can’t build an orphanage with three pennies . . . with three pennies you can’t do anything.” “I know,” she said, smiling, “but with God and three pennies I can do anything.” Mother Teresa understood the principle of the seed. It takes very little -- but very little blessed by God -- and miracles can occur. This, of course is akin to Jesus’ teaching elsewhere, that faith only the size of a mustard seed can produce an enormous bush (Matthew 17:20). That is a constant law in God’s world. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com Offertory Prayer God of the universe, we come to worship this morning, longing to set our minds on the Holy Spirit, to live with Christ within us. We have not always made room for Christ in the clutter of our lives. We have indulged our wants so often that too often the voice of the Spirit is downed out. As we dedicate these gifts this morning, may it help us to live more in tune with the Spirit and to use our resources in a way that reflects that Christ is Lord of all our lives. In his holy name, we pray. Amen. (Romans 8:1-11) Scripture Matthew 13:1-9 Common English Bible (CEB) Setting for the parables 13 That day Jesus went out of the house and sat down beside the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he climbed into a boat and sat down. The whole crowd was standing on the shore. Parable of the soils 3 He said many things to them in parables: “A farmer went out to scatter seed. 4 As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it scorched the plants, and they dried up because they had no roots. 7 Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked them. 8 Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. 9 Everyone who has ears should pay attention.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Matthew 13:18-23 Common English Bible (CEB) Explanation of the parable of the farmer 18 “Consider then the parable of the farmer. 19 Whenever people hear the word about the kingdom and don’t understand it, the evil one comes and carries off what was planted in their hearts. This is the seed that was sown on the path. 20 As for the seed that was spread on rocky ground, this refers to people who hear the word and immediately receive it joyfully. 21 Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. 22 As for the seed that was spread among thorny plants, this refers to those who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the false appeal of wealth choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 23 As for what was planted on good soil, this refers to those who hear and understand, and bear fruit and produce—in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon I have learned from doing genealogy on my family that there are different kinds of farmers with different kinds of resources. When I look at the census records, all of my ancestors were listed as farmers. But some of the farmers in my family owned land and some did not. For instance, my grandmothers family moved all over the area taking care of the crops of other people. These would have been the type of farmer that Jesus was talking to as he gives his third major teaching in the book of Matthew. Jesus tells them a funny story who is sowing seed. Obviously he is not a good farmer, because he is taking good seed and just throwing it anywhere, even in places where the seed will obviously not grow. But the story gets even funnier. Because Jesus says that after he had just thrown the seed in places it cant grow – the farmer now expects the get a bumper crop, not just of four or five times more, but 30, 60 or 100 times more. How in the world is that going to happen? Jesus point is that with God anything can happen. As Jesus is telling this story to the crowd, on the one hand they can relate to the everyday life in the story. But some parts of it are just crazy. So crazy on fact that they ask Jesus, why are you even telling us stories like that? What does this story have to do with planting crops? More importantly the disciples want to know what does a story about farmer, seeds, the ground and an unexpected harvest have to do with training he disciples in evangelism and mission? Jesus must have been just as dumb as the sower that he talks about in the story. (even though some scholars calls this sower a genius). The Wrong Question: What Does It Mean? For a moment, let's put this story to one side and hear another story. It concerns a young anthropologist named Connie who works among aboriginal people in Australia. The community where she lives has a rich tradition of storytelling. Everyone gathers at night, a story is told, and then another, and another. Connie feels extraordinarily privileged when she is asked to join in this activity. The first story told that evening is about the animal ancestor of this community and its adventures at the beginning of time. The story overflows with detail, action, imagery. At the end of the story, Connie is delighted. "May I ask a question?" she says. "What does it mean?" All eyes are upon her. The elder looks at her gravely and says, "That is the one question you cannot ask." A long time passes before she is invited again. She has asked the wrong question. "What does it mean?" was the wrong question for Connie to ask about the aboriginal myth. It may also be the wrong question for us to ask about the story of the sower, or any of the stories told by Jesus. "What does it mean?" is the wrong question if we think that by having an answer, we can somehow get a handle on this story, domesticate it, make it safe. The stories Jesus tells are not subject to our control. He tells these stories so that we can be transformed. He tells these stories, not so that we can ask questions about them, but so that the stories can ask questions of us. Charles Hoffacker, What Kind of Soil Are You, What Kind of Sower? The important question is what does it mean for all of us? Each of us as we listen actually get a different meaning out of the story because we all listen differently. As we are gathered today in different circumstances, we also respond differently. Some of us come to church and we participate and we don’t get anything out of it. Some of us come and we are inspired for about a day and then we are distracted, some of us care and want to be inspired, but there is so much other stuff going on that we just cant listen, some of us listen and it is good but nothing changes, some of us listen and participate, and we are inspired to do things on behalf of others, we truly want to make a difference. Story of church clothes pantry – and planting seeds
There is the story of a church – a small church in a changing community- which started to see its membership declining. They noticed that there were no children in the Sunday school and wanted to do something to attract new members.
They decided that as an outreach project – they turned their Sunday school rooms into a clothing center. They would collect old clothes and give them away to anyone who needed them. Anyone could take as many clothes as they needed.
One winter day – a mother came with her many children. She said that she needed clothes. The kids took bags and bags of clothes. The church realized that this was a needy family – so they asked the pastor and some others to stop by to visit the family. While at the house – they noticed a pile of clothes that they had taken so much time to fold – being used as bedding for the dog. One lady noticed a dress that had belonged to her late grandmother torn and crumpled on the floor. As they were walking back to the church – they decided that the clothing ministry was a waste of time. People did not care anyway. And the help that you gave most people was wasted, because there were ungrateful about what you do for them.
Until one snowy day a winter later – when the pastor noticed an old beat up pickup truck in the parking lot before church service. The pickup was plowing the parking lot – when the pastor asked why – it was one of the older children of the family who had taken all of those clothes – the young man was now eighteen. He replied that the church had helped out his family when they were down on their luck. Now that they were on their feet and doing a little bit better, this was their way of helping out.
For many years later – the family plowed the churches parking lot. Most parishioners never even noticed.
In this story, the church members were the sower and the seeds were planted within the lives of those they served. It is not our responsibility to make the seeds grow – the life is inside of the seed not inside of our actions. We may never know the difference that our Christianity makes to those whose lives we touch. But it does indeed make a difference. Our job is to plant freely and abundantly – just as God has done for us. We are the tenement farmers that Jesus is talking to. It is not our land, not our seeds, we have no control over the ground, it is not our world, it is not our ministry, we have no control over the things going on in the world. But we are all called to plant seeds of hope, peace, and love wherever we go. Sometimes we may never see the crop that we are caring for, but we can celebrate that the harvest appears to us in so many unexpected ways. When the crop is harvested not only does it satisfy the landowner, provide seed for next year, pay our bills, and feed our family – but it benefits others. What we do for the church makes a difference. Jesus knew that there are all kinds of farmers in the crowd – but he also knows how to keep on the same page in spite of our differences. You keep us together by sowing the seeds in so many different places and nurturing all seeds no matter who. God blesses the efforts of us all in the harvest. There is the seed that falls upon the good earth and takes root and grows to maturity. This crop, we are told, is a harvest that will bear fruit a hundredfold. Jesus mentions this last because it is the thrust of the story. True, there are failures, but the good news is that there is also victory. Now, here is the hard part. Our efforts in life are not always measurable. Sometimes, you may not see the final product. You may not see the actual harvest. Sometimes all we can do is plant a seed, and trust that God will do the rest. A school teacher works with a troubled child, but she may not know how the story ultimately turns out. All she can do is plant a seed of love and trust that God will do the rest. Sometimes just a word of encouragement to a person in need, or a shared personal thought and someone picks up on it and it gets them through a dark night. We may never see the results, but God always blesses our efforts. Isaiah 55:10-11 says “My word is like the snow and the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the crops grow and provide for planting and food to eat. So also will be the word that O speak – it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do everything I send it to do.” God’s word never comes back empty – is changes everything it touches. Do not be afraid to go out into the world and throw seeds where ever you go. Let’s pray… Prayer Pastoral Prayer Lord, our spirits are on a summer time schedule. We change things around in our lives to accommodate new activities, times of rest, times of visiting with families and friends, times of travel and leisure. Help us remember that in all these things you are with us. Hear our cries of frustration when the plans that we have so carefully crafted do not work out. Be with us in all of our journeys, guiding our lives and our steps. Again, lavishly pour your love and mercy on us. Prepare us to serve you in all that we do. AMEN. Time of Reflection Announcements Benediction God has placed the seeds of love and forgiveness in your heart. Go into God’s world with joy, telling of the good news of God’s abundant, lavish love for all creation. Go to be a witness to all the miraculous possibilities for hope and peace. AMEN. Special Music Additional illustrations Sowing the Seed One of William Barclay's friends tells this story. In the church where he worshiped there was a lonely old man, old Thomas. He had outlived all his friends and hardly anyone knew him. When Thomas died, this friend had the feeling that there would be no one to go to the funeral so he decided to go, so that there might be someone to follow the old man to his last resting-place. There was no one else, and it was a miserable wet day. The funeral reached the cemetery, and at the gate there was a soldier waiting. An officer, but on his raincoat there were no rank badges. He came to the grave side for the ceremony, then when it was over, he stepped forward and before the open grave swept his hand to a salute that might have been given to a king. The friend walked away with this soldier, and as they walked, the wind blew the soldier's raincoat open to reveal the shoulder badges of a brigadier general. The general said, "You will perhaps be wondering what I am doing here. Years ago Thomas was my Sunday School teacher; I was a wild lad and a sore trial to him. He never knew what he did for me, but I owe everything I am or will be to old Thomas, and today I had to come to salute him at the end." Thomas did not know what he was doing. No preacher or teacher ever does. Keep sowing the seed. We can leave the rest to God, including keeping the fire going. And that is GOOD news for all us tenant farmers. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com What Only God Controls Janet Mathistad is a Lutheran pastor in Minot, ND. She writes, "One aspect of this text that has interested me is that even in the good soil, there was such a difference of yields. I got an insight into one answer back in 1993, when I had just married my husband, who is a farmer. That was the summer that the Mississippi River flooded, and our area of North Dakota received 13 inches of rain in June (our total average annual moisture is only 17 inches). A phenomenon happened in Todd's durum fields that he referred to as "stooling out." Whereas normally, each seed sends up one stalk and produces one head of wheat, when the weather is cooler and wetter, the grain will send up a second and even a third stalk. The yield is therefore abundantly greater." Pastor Janet continues. "I see it as an example of something that humans have no control over. If the wheat stools out, it is not because the farmer was especially clever or because the soil was so good, but because the weather conditions were right. It seems that in farming or in ministry, we can sow, but we cannot guarantee results. We can give it our best effort, but cannot completely control the outcome. Only God can do that. And God is convinced that in the end, when it comes to [that] harvest the results will be abundant." David E. Leininger (with thanks to Janet Mathistad), Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Good Seeds on Good Soil A farmer went out to sow seed, said Jesus. As he was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the path. Well, everybody knows you don’t plant seed where people are going to be walking. It’ll never grow. It won’t penetrate the hard-packed soil. So, said Jesus, the birds came and ate the seed that had fallen by the path. Some of the other seed, said Jesus, fell on rocky places where there was a deficiency of soil. Again, not a very good place to sow. The resulting plants sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, Jesus said, which grew up and choked the plants. So, it didn’t survive either. This farmer is 0 for 3 to this point. Looks like he will have a poor harvest this year. Finally, however, he got lucky. Some of the seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop -- a miraculous crop -- up to a hundred times what was sown. This will not be a bad year after all. Where good seed falls on good soil, amazing things can happen. It reminds me of something Robert Schuller used to say: “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.” The greatest things in this world, including the kingdom of God, grow from tiny seeds. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com Seeing Christians Bruce Larson tells about a young African woman who came to the U.S. from Angola. Her name was Maria and she was always laughing. One day she went to a meeting on evangelism in her church where they were talking about pamphlets, missions, campaigns, and all the rest. At one point someone turned to Maria and said, “What do they do in your church in Angola, Maria?” “In my church,” said Maria, after a moment’s thought, “we don’t give pamphlets to people or have missions. We just send one or two Christian families to live in a village. And when people see what Christians are like, then they want to be Christians themselves.” Somehow I believe that is the best way of all to sow the seed of the Gospel. It is the way of love. The best type of sower is the person who loves God and who loves others. The light of Christ shines though their lives. They are “good soil.” They respond to the Gospel, then they share that Gospel with others. Of such is the kingdom of God. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com Knocks You Flat The Parable of the Sower. One of the best known of Jesus' pithy little anecdotes, these "earthly stories with a heavenly meaning." P. G. Wodehouse says, "A parable is one of those stories in the Bible that at first sounds like a pleasant yarn, but keeps something up its sleeve which suddenly pops up and knocks you flat." David E. Leininger Humor: Birdbaths and Flagpoles "I want to start a garden, but my yard's a little problematic," a customer told the proprietor at the yard and garden center. "I get blazing afternoon sunshine for about two hours, but otherwise it's all shade." "What kind of soil?" asked the proprietor. "Hard clay, lot of rocks," said the customer, "What do you recommend I plant." "Hmmm," mused the store owner. "Why don't you look down Aisle B. We've got a big new supply of birdbaths and flagpoles . . . " Maybe you have a lawn like that--good for growing only birdbaths and flagpoles. Fertile Soil But there is a fourth kind of soil. Don't ever underestimate the power of a seed. Did you know that in 1959 there were 1 million Roman Catholics and 600,000 Protestants in China. That may sound like a lot, but when you compare it to a population that is rapidly approaching 1 billion people, you understand what a tiny seed that represented. Then in 1959 China closed it doors to the outside world. Many people began to wrap a burial shroud around the Christian church in China. They said that it would never survive. Then in 1979 China again opened its doors to the West and to the rest of the world. And a strange thing had happened. That tiny seed 20 years earlier had taken root. The number of Roman Catholics during those dark years rose from 1 million to 3 million and the number of Protestants rose from 600,000 to 3 million. The church in a time of persecution and hardship, had grown 53% in a twenty year period. How do you explain it? Fertile soil! There was obviously a hunger for the gospel. Brett Blair and Staff, www.Sermons.com Sowing the Seed One of William Barclay's friends tells this story. In the church where he worshiped there was a lonely old man, old Thomas. He had outlived all his friends and hardly anyone knew him. When Thomas died, this friend had the feeling that there would be no one to go to the funeral so he decided to go, so that there might be someone to follow the old man to his last resting-place. There was no one else, and it was a miserable wet day. The funeral reached the cemetery, and at the gate there was a soldier waiting. An officer, but on his raincoat there were no rank badges. He came to the grave side for the ceremony, then when it was over, he stepped forward and before the open grave swept his hand to a salute that might have been given to a king. The friend walked away with this soldier, and as they walked, the wind blew the soldier's raincoat open to reveal the shoulder badges of a brigadier general. The general said, "You will perhaps be wondering what I am doing here. Years ago Thomas was my Sunday School teacher; I was a wild lad and a sore trial to him. He never knew what he did for me, but I owe everything I am or will be to old Thomas, and today I had to come to salute him at the end." Thomas did not know what he was doing. No preacher or teacher ever does. Keep sowing the seed. We can leave the rest to God, including keeping the fire going. And that is GOOD news for all us tenant farmers. David E. Leininger, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com

Rest from the exhaustion of the world

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Year A 5th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 9 Rest from the exhaustion of the world Children’s Sermon Exegetical Aim: In Christ there is rest from weariness. Props: A wrist watch. Lesson: How is everyone? (response) We are going to pretend like we are all sleeping. Everyone lay your head down. Let them rest for a few seconds. Ring, ring, ring. Look at your watch. Well, good morning it’s 7:00 and time to get up. Ok, everyone get up. Imitate the motions for them. Let’s Stretch. Everybody stretch. (stretching motion) Make your bed. Everybody make your bed. (response) 7:20 Pick up the room. (response) 7:30 time to eat breakfast. (response) 7:40 time to get dressed. Put on your shirt, pants, socks, shoes. Tie you shoes. (response) We’re going to be late. Gotta’ run and catch the bus. Let’s run. (response) Time to study and read. Everyone read. (response) Time to write. 12:00 Lunch time. Time to eat again. (response) 12:30 Lunch is over. Pick your tray up. Put it away. Throw away the paper. Get your books. Run back to class. (response) 12:40 time for math. Act like your doing math problems on a chalk board. 2:00 Recess! (or PE) Run outside. Play some Baseball. (response) Hopscotch. (response) Now some football. (response) Tennis. (response) Give me three push-ups. Get up recess is over; run back in. (response) Time for spelling. How do you spell Flabbergasted? (blank looks on their faces) You don’t know? Ah, that’s an easy one. How do you spell annoying? (response) Ring, Ring, Ring, 3:15 schools over; time to run back home. (running motion) Finally home. Whew! Everybody wipe your brow and go, Whew? (response) Get your books and folders. 4:00 Time to do your homework. (response) 5:00 Time to play. Ride you bike. (response) 6:00 time for dinner. Wash your hands. (response) Let’s eat. (response) Try now to string together several things too quickly so that they can’t keep up with the motions. Pick up your dirty dishes, pick up your room, finish your homework, take a bath, wash behind your ears, you missed a spot, dry your hair, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, say your prayers, kiss your mom, kiss your dad, kiss your dog. lay your head down, everyone lay down, go to sleep, everyone rest. You need to rest. You’ve had a big day. While your laying down let me tell you something that Jesus said. He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” God knows that all need rest. So he provided us with a wonderful thing called sleep. But, sometimes we need more than sleep. We need someone to help us make through the day. We are so busy all day and sometimes we feel awful and feel like we just can’t go another step. That’s when Jesus comes into our lives and tells us to stop running so hard and stop worrying so much—just “Stop,” he says, “put it all down. Put down the books, put down the problems, and stop running and just rest.” Let’s Pray: Oh God, save us from our selves. Help us to find rest in you. Give us the peace of heart and soul that only comes from your Son Jesus. Amen. ChristianGlobe, , by Brett Blair Opening Prayer Call to Worship (Matthew 11) "Come to me," Jesus invites. We come to you. "Come to me, if you are tired." We come to you. "Come to me, if you carry burdens." We come to you. "Come, and discover rest for your souls." Opening Prayer (Genesis 24, Romans 7) Like an oasis in the desert, worship satisfies our sin-besieged souls. Today, help us find the good in this life by delighting in your presence, and help us find the hope you have placed in our innermost selves. Amen. Offering Prayer (Genesis 24) May the love of Isaac for Rebekah; may the love of Rebekah for Isaac, be present in our offerings this day— offerings of our lives and possessions freely given. May we be found faithful with the many gifts you have given us. Amen. Welcome Stewardship Moment Scripture This generation 16 “To what will I compare this generation? It is like a child sitting in the marketplaces calling out to others, 17 ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. We sang a funeral song and you didn’t mourn.’ 18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 Yet the Human One[a] came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved to be right by her works.” Footnotes: a. Matthew 11:19 Or Son of Man Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Matthew 11:25-30 Common English Bible (CEB) The Father and the Son 25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have shown them to babies. 26 Indeed, Father, this brings you happiness. 27 “My Father has handed all things over to me. No one knows the Son except the Father. And nobody knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. 29 Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Invitation to the Word/Sermon (Genesis 24) Almighty God, prepare us to discover your word for us today. Help us hear your servant, and in the spoken words, hear your Word. May these words help us recognize our master in the many fields of life through which we travel. Amen. Sermon I think that we can all agree that COVID exhaustion is a thing. Time magazine says that our current emotional state is sort of like a battery. We all started this social distancing thing with energy and diligence – But a professor or Psychiatry, Jacqueline Gallon says that after a cocktail of stress, anxiety, isolation and disrupted schedules – all of this has gotten old. Our spirits may be tired, but the COVID virus is still alive and well. Originally we were told that this would only be a few weeks, but now weeks have turned into months. We cannot let our guards down. We are all exhausted, but cant give up now. The good news for us is that as we journey through the book of Matthew, Jesus has a special word of comfort just for us, just for our situation. Those special words come with a special invitation. Today we are looking at Matthew 11. Jesus has been talking to his disciples, preparing them to go out into the world and spread God’s love. He is preparing them for a life of discipleship. Following Jesus is not for the faint hearted. It is not an easy journey. We are all going to be tested by life. We are all going to face negativity and troubles. Jesus promises to get us through. The greatest tool that we have to face the difficulties of life is the presence and love of God. In this scripture, we are given 3 more tools to deal with COVID exhaustion – wisdom, discernment, and reliance on Jesus. Apparently, after Jesus talked to the disciples, he also talked to the crowd gathered to listen to him. Today, you and I are gathered in that crowd as you sit in your cars. Worship: Time to Cool Down In the early days of automobiles, it was common for eating and drinking places to be built on the tops of long hills. I know that near where I grew up on the old Island Highway, there is a restaurant called the Malahat Chalet - still located at the top of the longest grade between Nanaimo and Victoria. It was not located there for the view, nor were most of the others you can still find around North America at the tops of hills and mountains. These locations were for the convenience of people who needed to stop and let their overheated radiators cool down. That is one of the functions of Worship for many of us - a time for rest and refreshment - when we let our overheated radiators cool down. Richard J Fairchild, Come Unto Me - For My Burden Is Easy As we look at Matthew 11 – the words are spot on. Jesus starts out by asking To what can I compare this generation. How many of us here are asking the same thing – what in the world is going on in the world, everyone seems to be losing their mind. Jesus says that this generation is like a bunch of spoiled brats – nothing will satisfy them. Jesus says he tried to get them to play the wedding game, and they refused to dance. So jesus ways okay, lets all be sad and play the funeral game, but they refused to mourn. They still pouted and refused to cooperate. Well the bad news for us – Jesus is not talking about the people out there – Jesus is talking to each of us. Kind People in a Bad Mood The theologian Leonard Sweet underwent what he describes as a "deconversion" when he was nineteen. He writes, "What ignited my deconversion was the church’s funereal spirit, its fussy, buttoned-upness. Christians’ stay-at-home-and-pickle-in-their-own-juices personalities, their vinegary countenances, drained me emotionally, incapacitated me intellectually, and shut me down spiritually. The best I could say was this: by and large, Christians were kind people in a bad mood." Scott H. Bowerman, Dancing With God Sometimes we are so stuck in our feelings, that we just don’t want to listen to anything. That unwillingness to listen or to be comforted is a symptom of our spiritual exhaustion. It is so much more than COVID exhaustion, it is life exhaustion. There is a lot going on for all of us. Possible Sermon Closer Growing weary is the consequence of many experiences: We can be weary of waiting; We can be weary of studying and learning; We can be weary of fighting the enemy; We can be weary of criticism and persecution. There are lots of things in life that are fine in themselves, but our strength has its limits and before long fatigue cuts our feet out from beneath us. The longer the weariness lingers, the more we face the danger of that weary condition clutching our inner man by the throat and strangling our hope, our motivation, our spark, our optimism, our encouragement. But Let's understand that God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to TAKE so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us HIMSELF. That is all. And that is enough. The Savior says: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV). Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Zondervan, 1983, pp. 150-151 Jesus offers 3 tools to alleviate tiredness – wisdom, discernment and reliance on Jesus. We may act like children sometime, that is okay. Jesus says that God does not give wisdom to the smartest person. God gives it to that person with a primal understanding of God’s presence. It is something on the inside of each of us that allows us to recognize God’s presence in our life. When we look for Jesus, Jesus helps us. In the midst of our exhaustion, Jesus invites each of us to follow Him. Jesus says follow me and I will give you spiritual rest. Counter-cultural Surrender There is something quite important for us to understand as we celebrate Independence Day. There is a "flip flop" quality to understanding today's scripture. It goes counter to our usual way of thinking. America is the home of Davey Crocket who conquered the "wild frontier" and Wyatt Earp who tamed the "wild west." We honor and value independence, self-sufficiency, strength and the glory of a "self-made" man or woman. Surrender is what we did not do. With brains and brawn we became a super power in the world. "Yankee Ingenuity" is the brilliance that made us great. Resisting the yoke others would put on us is the strength that made us free. Now Jesus comes along to say that wisdom and intelligence did not cut the mustard when it comes to knowing God. Not only is the yoke not to be resisted, we are to voluntarily take this yoke upon ourselves and surrender to one who is greater than us! How counter-cultural can you get? We can not fight, or think or power ourselves into the kingdom of God and the peace of Christ. John Jewell, Knowing God I don’t think that obeying God is a counter cultural idea for us. We are a nation that seeks God’s presence in all things. We seek God’s presence not only in our life, but in our leaders, the people, the entire nation. Our entire nation is that generation seeking God’s transformation. God Bless America was written originally by Irvin Berlin in 1908 in response to WWI. He rewrote it in 1938 in response to the rise of Hitler. Kate Smith was the first to sing it, she sung it as a prayer got God to bless America, the land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her with the light from above. In today’s situation how is God blessing America today? What does God expect from us in return? We are still one nation under God. And Jesus still promises us rest if we come and follow him as disciples. A Beautiful Doxology Early one morning some years ago, Robert Raines got into his car and started driving through the mountains. There was no one on the road (at that time) as the mountains were quietly beginning a new day. The beautiful colors of autumn were splashed all over the trees. It was a magnificent and glorious sight as the early morning sun glistened upon the wonders of the mountains and the valleys below. And then it happened… Robert Raines saw one of the most beautiful things he had ever witnessed in his life. Right there at the very edge of that great mountain peak and facing the gorgeous valley below… was a young man in his early twenties with a trumpet pressed to his lips. And, do you know what he was playing? With his lungs expanded fully and releasing all of the energy in his soul, he was playing the Doxology on his trumpet! Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below Praise Him above ye heavenly host Praise, Father, Son and Holy Ghost! The point is clear: With all the stresses and problems in this life, still the truth is: - We have so many doxologies to sing, - So much to be grateful for, - So many blessings to count. The point is: Life is more than a grueling endurance test. Life is more than a survival game. Life is more than a coping competition. So, you see… it’s not enough to just escape the stress. It’s not enough to just endure the stress. Thank God… there is another option… James W. Moore, Collected Sermons,www.Sermons.com Let us pray…. Prayer Independence Day Prayer: Almighty God, bless our nation and make it true to the ideas of freedom and justice and brotherhood for all who make it great. Guard us from war, from fire and wind, from comprise, fear and confusion. Be close to our president and our statesmen, give them vision and courage, as they ponder decisions effecting peace and the future of our world. Make me more deeply aware of my heritage realizing not only my rights but also my duties and responsibilities as a citizen. Make this great land and all its people know clearly your will, that they may fulfill the destiny ordained for us. Officiant As we remember the birth of our nation, and the gifts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, let us offer our thanks and prayers to God, the giver of all good gifts. Intercessor For the women and men who braved the long journey by sea to come to this new world, We thank you Lord. For the tribes and nations who inhabited this land for generation upon generation, We thank you Lord. For patriots who dreamed of, and fought for, a free nation, We thank you Lord. For the men and women who laid the foundation of our democracy, and who pledged liberty and justice for all, We thank you Lord. For those who built this country brick by brick, road by road, and town by town, We thank you Lord. For the brave soldiers who have fought for our country, for all who paid for our freedom by their service, and those who paid by their sacrifice, We thank you Lord. For the innovators and artists, poets and teachers, farmers and factory workers; for all who labor and provide for the common good, We thank you Lord. For this land, with its peaks and valleys, coasts and deserts, fields and meadows, We thank you Lord. For our own community, for those who came before us in this place, and for our neighbors near and far, We thank you Lord. Lord, we pray for The United States, that we might always be a nation which defends and promotes liberty and freedom, truth and justice. We pray to you Lord. That we might always be a nation where all are free to worship and pray, We pray to you Lord. That we might be a beacon of freedom to all those who live under the shadow of terror and hopelessness, We pray to you Lord. That those who are elected to govern and lead, would be guided by you, and be ever aware of the trust that has been given them, We pray to you Lord. That we would be a people who repent from our sins, and who always return to you and to your grace, We pray to you Lord. Intercessor Gracious God, Father of all nations, bless and defend us and our land; prosper the work of our hands, and increase in us your grace and compassion, and our offerings of thanks to you, our rock and our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. By Rick Morley Time of reflection and Passing of the Peace Passing the Peace of Christ (Romans 7, Matthew 11) In the midst of sin, may you find peace. Peace and forgiveness. Fatigued by life's pain, may you find peace. Peace and comfort. Burdened by the law of do and do not, may you find peace. Peace and joy. The peace of Christ Jesus be unto us all. Announcements Thank you to all of the health team as well as volunteers who helped to make this service a success. The health team asks for your feedback on how the service went, and what are concerns and suggestions. They will meet on Wednesday morning, so ask that you give feedback. You can respond to the email, or call the office. We will take it one week at a time. First we gather, and listen to how the virus is spreading. And adjust accordingly. You can also listen to the sermon over the phone. Just call into a local number and listen to the sermon – more than likely recorded after the service, Monday morning for sure. The number is 815-205-3381 Because we are publicly broadcasting the service, prefer not to name those on our prayer list, but encourage you to check emails for prayer list, or become a part of the phone tree so you can get announcements. But encourage us to keep our church and all of its members and friends in prayer. Benediction Benediction (Psalm 4, Matthew 11) As a gentle father, God has opened his hand and blessed us with his touch. God has wiped away our tears and healed our every hurt. Let us leave this place now satisfied in his embrace. Special Music Additional Illustrations There is a wonderful legend concerning the quiet years of Jesus, the years prior to his visible ministry. The legend claims that Jesus the carpenter was one of the master yoke-makers in the Nazareth area. People came from miles around for a yoke, hand carved and crafted by Jesus son of Joseph. When customers arrived with their team of oxen Jesus would spend considerable time measuring the team, their height, the width, the space between them, and the size of their shoulders. Within a week, the team would be brought back and he would carefully place the newly made yoke over the shoulders, watching for rough places, smoothing out the edges and fitting them perfectly to this particular team of oxen. That’s the yoke Jesus invites us to take. Do not be misled by the word “easy,” for its root word in Greek speaks directly of the tailor-made yokes: they were “well-fitting.” The yoke Jesus invites us to take, the yoke that brings rest to weary souls, is one that is made exactly to our lives and hearts. The yoke he invites us to wear fits us well, does not rub us nor cause us to develop sore spirits and is designed for two. His yokes were always designed for two. And our yoke-partner is none other than Christ himself. Running throughout all scripture from the beginning to the end is the theme that ours is a burden bearing Christ. He is not just a Lord whom we burden, and we do, but a Lord who actually solicits our burdens.... ________________________ The Sweetest Sound There is a story that Hebrew families tell their children to help them understand the fourth commandment. The fourth commandment reads, "Six days you shall labor but on the seventh you shall rest." The story is called, "The Sweetest Sound." The main character in the story is King Ruben. It goes something like this. The king asked his royal subjects, "What is the sweetest melody of all?" Early the next morning they gathered all sorts of musicians. The sound awoke the king and all morning he listened to their tunes. But, after listening to all of them he could not tell which was the sweetest sound. Finally, one subject suggested they all play together. It was so noisy the king couldn’t think. About that moment a woman, dressed in her Sunday best, pushed to the front of the crowd and stepped forward. "O, king," she said, "I have the answer to your question." The king was surprised since she had no instrument. "Why didn’t you come earlier?" he asked. She replied, "I had to wait until the setting of the sun." The musicians were still playing and the king told them all to stop. The woman then took two candles and placed them on the king’s balcony rail. She lit them just as the sun continued to set. The flames glowed in the evening darkness. She then lifted her voice and said, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, Our God, King of the universe, who sanctified us with the commandments and commanded us to kindle the Sabbath lights." She then said, "He who has an ear, let him hear." Everyone was completely still. "What is that?" asked the king." He could not hear a sound. The woman then replied, "What you hear is the sound of rest, the sweetest melody of all." Jesus said, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." This is also the sweetest sound any of us can hear. Keith Wagner, True Freedom Possible Sermon Closer Growing weary is the consequence of many experiences: We can be weary of waiting; We can be weary of studying and learning; We can be weary of fighting the enemy; We can be weary of criticism and persecution. There are lots of things in life that are fine in themselves, but our strength has its limits and before long fatigue cuts our feet out from beneath us. The longer the weariness lingers, the more we face the danger of that weary condition clutching our inner man by the throat and strangling our hope, our motivation, our spark, our optimism, our encouragement. But Let's understand that God does not dispense strength and encouragement like a druggist fills your prescription. The Lord doesn't promise to give us something to TAKE so we can handle our weary moments. He promises us HIMSELF. That is all. And that is enough. The Savior says: Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30 NIV). Charles Swindoll, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, Zondervan, 1983, pp. 150-151 od Is Like a Tiger A priest friend of mine went to the missions in Africa. It took him three years to learn Swahili. He was working in a small village when he could finally communicate to his community. They understood him, but one of the men came up to him afterwards and said, "Father, we thank you for all the sacrifices you’ve made to preach to us in Swahili, but you don’t understand God the way we do. You speak of God as out there in the universe, but for us God is like a tiger and we are the prey. Not only does He hunt us down, but we are already captured by him and baptism puts the seal on this capture. We are held by Him and He owns us, so there isn’t any great difficulty in reaching him. He is the one who seizes us." The priest learned more from that man, the native, than he probably learned in the seminary. It’s just a way of looking at God which is more meaningful in some ways than some kind of a vague, distant God in whom you have faith. We are owned by God. Once you have the faith to know that the Lord will sustain you and keep you and hold you and protect you, you don’t have to worry. Faith then becomes the support of your life. John Catoir, The Power of Faith Matthew 11:29-30 The “yoke” Jesus refers to in Matthew 11:29–30 is well illustrated by the process of training a young bullock to plow. In some parts of the world, the farmer will have the young bullock harnessed to the same yoke as a mature ox. The bullock, dwarfed by the other animal, will not even be pulling any of the weight. It is merely learning to walk in a field under control and with a yoke around its neck; the ox pulls all the weight. It is the same when a believer takes Christ’s yoke. As the Christian learns, the yoke is easy and the burden light. Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching