The Hope of Abraham

Romans 4:13-25 Second Sunday of Lent The Promises of Abraham Year B Opening song Welcome Opening prayer Lord of presence and power, be with us on this second step of our Lenten journey to the Cross. Help us to make a commitment of our lives, our spirits, our hearts to ministry in your name. AMEN. Stewardship Moment (just print the prayer of thanksgiving) The story of God finally responding positively to Abram and Sarai challenges many of us. After seeking to follow God for nearly their whole lives, they are finally given that for which they’ve yearned: the promise of the birth of their child! At 99 years old, was Abram really still waiting to receive what God promised to give? YES! Fast forward to Jesus, who offered to give the crowd and the disciples a new identity as “followers”. Were they waiting to receive what Jesus offered, even if it meant “deny yourselves and take up your cross”? YES! This season of Lent provides opportunity for us to receive what Jesus offered. Can you imagine Jesus, waiting to see how we deny ourselves and offer back to the Holy what we might have grasped for ourselves? In this season, our congregation is __________________________ (name what your special offering is, and up-date where you are in underwriting this). An additional way for us to deny ourselves is to step up and participate with generosity and enthusiasm in the Week of Compassion offering, “Let Love Flow”. (video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zDMgubCd1U, or at weekofcompassion.org). Our congregation’s goal is $__________ (or if you don’t have a goal, provide a giving challenge which will stretch folks’ “giving muscle”. Do you have an outreach team who will match what the congregation gives?) With true desire to live our lives as followers of Jesus, let us receive the gifts of the people of God. Prayer of Thanksgiving Holy Giver of Life, You’ve provided for us all that we have. So receive these gifts, offered because this is one way to act out our desire to be followers of Jesus. Help us grow in our ability to deny ourselves, to take up our cross and truly walk in the Way of the Christ, in whose name we pray, AMEN Scripture Romans 4:13-25 Common English Bible Abraham’s promise is received through faith 13 The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn’t come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith. 14 If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled. 15 The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn’t any law, there isn’t any violation of the law. 16 That’s why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham’s descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us. 17 As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations.[a] So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don’t exist into existence. 18 When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That’s how many descendants you will have.[b] 19 Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb, which was dead. 20 He didn’t hesitate with a lack of faith in God’s promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. 22 Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness. 23 But the scripture that says it was credited to him[c] wasn’t written only for Abraham’s sake. 24 It was written also for our sake, because it is going to be credited to us too. It will be credited to those of us who have faith in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over because of our mistakes, and he was raised to meet the requirements of righteousness for us. Sermon The Promises of Abraham The season is upon us once again. Around this time every year we can expect the annual cycle to bring us to this special season when we are intentional about carving out extra time in our lives for that which is most important to us. It's not like other times of the year. Instead, during this season, for many of us, our thoughts and our conversations take a distinctively different focus. Of course, most of you probably realize what season I'm talking about. We are now in the midst of the latest season of American Idol on television. One of the most entertaining parts of American Idol comes at the beginning where thousands of people audition to become contestants on the show. The ones we end up seeing are the very best and very worst. I have a feeling that there are some contestants who are intentionally weird and awful so that they will be televised and can have their brief moment of fame. They seem to have no sense of embarrassment, even though I find myself being embarrassed for them. I have watched American Idol since the first show in 2002. It stays relevant, because it has launched the careers of many people. I think the show has endured for 19 years because it gives us a sense of hope, that with a lot of hard work, and a little luck the every day person can become a star. There have been some real talent on the show. There have been some real tears of people who thought they had talent, but they were told the truth. And then there are some people, like to model who sung in his speedo’s where it is obvious that person has not talent, but is just looking for 5 minutes of fame. But all of these people have one thing in common – hope. Hope for a better future. I don’t think that it was an accident that American Idol started this season on the first Sunday of Lent. Lent also is a season of hope – Hope in things that we cannot forsee. Hope in a God who always keeps God’s promises. All of us here are people who, in spite of great odds – have chosen to take that God at God’s word. We live in trust of God. In Romans, Paul uses Abraham as an example of faith, of a model of one who trusted God in all things. The message for us today is that when we are able to have faith in God, we become children of Abraham. I love Paul’s explanation of Abraham’s faith. At 90, he knew that he was much closer to death than he was life. But God promised him life. One night he invited Abraham to count the stars in heaven, when Abraham realized that he could not count all of the stars that he saw, God promised that he would be the father of that many children. Today we are those children, not biologically, but by faith – that is a good thing. The Book of Romans was written to people who were loosely Christians. They did not belong to organized churches, they were part of family churches that met in houses. They were clearly gentiles – converts. They became Christian on profession of faith. This was a time where there was a debate of whether you could truly be a Christian if you were not circumcised. The Jewish Christians would have been circumcised as babies. These new converts would have had to go through that ceremony as adults if it were not for Paul’s words. It was not the ceremony that made us children of Abraham – it was faith. We are Christian because were like Abraham were willing to take God at God’s word – even when it did not make sense. But back to Abraham and his fit of laughter. Abraham's wife, Sarah, wasn't any more dignified when she heard the news. Author Dave Meurer claims that Sarah laughed because she was secretly thinking, "Surely the Lord would not make me go through menopause TWICE?!?" (4) Christian humorist Martha Bolton, in her book A Funny Thing Happened on My Way Through the Bible, envisions what a baby shower invitation might look like for ninety-year-old Sarah. In one column are the gifts for the baby: pureed foods, a bib, gum ointment, a walker. In the other column are the gifts for the mother-to-be, Sarah: pureed foods, a bib, gum ointment, a walker. (5) Do you imagine that Abraham began carving a baby rattle for his intended boy? Did he clear some extra space in a corner of the house for a crib? Did Sarah begin letting out the seams of her clothes in anticipation of her expanding belly? The Bible doesn't fill in these little details, only the most important detail: they believed God's promise, in spite of its impossibility. That is all it took. Abraham believed that God was going to keep the promise. For the first time in all the Bible, God said, "Here is a child who is made right with me." Abraham believed, and said, "Yes," to God. That's all it took. When we are able to trust in God- it has a huge effect on how we live our lives and how we use our faith. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul says that there are two types of hope – a fool’s hope and a child of Abraham faith. There are two ways to live – we can live by the law which requires circumcision, and there is life by faith where we trust the promises of God. Some of us have a yearbook faith – we keep it safe in a book so that we can look back on it when we need it. It gives us wonderful memories, but not a whole lot of power. Some of us have a ticket booth faith - By contrast, consider the ticket window. You go up to the box office, make a purchase, and then you are allowed in. We can think of God in Christ as the official ticket agent who lets us into the stadium, and that is true enough. The problem with a ticket window, however, is that you must have some earning power to get your ticket. You need to work hard and long to accumulate enough money, and then you will be allowed through the gate and shown to your seat. The problem, however, is that the ticket costs too much for anybody to buy. Nobody else can afford it, either. The only available tickets are the tickets that somebody gives you. So how do we make our way through the world? Not by remembering memorable achievements in the yearbook. Not by buying our own admission. We make our way through the world by responding to the free gift of God. Imagine, says Robert Capon, a sign over a stadium that announces, "Open to all for free." You draw near and discover somebody has already stuck a free ticket in your pocket, given you a fine seat, and brought you a hot dog and a drink. You did not ask for any of it. It is given to you, and you have to decide if you can accept it. There is nothing else to remember or forget. There is nothing you need to do to earn your way inside. You are already there, as a gift - unless, of course, you refuse the offer which has been offered to everybody. Capon says the work of Jesus on our behalf is like this. It says not only that we don't need to have the wherewithal (good works) for a ticket, but that even to think we could buy a ticket is to misunderstand the whole setup ... The only appropriate thing to do about such a fantastic arrangement is just shut up, believe it, and enjoy it - because we've already got it.1 In the church, the ten-cent word which we use for all this is "justification." It's the idea that God-in-Christ justifies us; that Christ makes us right in God's sight; that in our unacceptable state, God accepts us, because Jesus has done all the necessary work on our behalf. That is all it ever takes. All that faith requires is to trust that the one ticket you could never earn has already been slipped into your pocket. The good news is that the ticket booth faith is a faith that is offered to all – not just Christians, but all people who believe like Abraham. It is also a faith where all things are possible. One summer in the village of Crete, the drought of the past winter threatened the crops. The priest in the local church told his congregation: "The only thing that will save us is for us to offer a special litany of rain. Therefore, I ask that you go back to your homes, fast during the week, and believe that the rains will come. Then return next Sunday for the litany of rain." The villagers listened to him and fasted during the week as he had told them. On Sunday morning, they returned to the church. But as soon as the priest saw the people filing into the church, he was furious. "Go away," he shouted to them. "I will not do the litany. You do not believe." "But, Father," they protested, "we fasted just like you told us and we came back today believing as you asked us. Why are you being so harsh to us?" "Believe, you say?" the priest questioned. "And where are your umbrellas?" Where is your faith? Where is your faith in our church? How are you willing to stand on the faith of God? Listen to a young black girl from Botswana, writing a moving novel, When Rain Clouds Gather: I really liked this country from the very day I came here. I have always been lonely and to me it was just like a fish finding a pond at last. A country like this forces you to find your underground spring in order to survive.1 When one knows in his experience the love of God, then he has found the "underground spring." Faith is, for all, that underground spring, without which we do not really survive. In London, a few years ago, I chanced to have dinner with an official of the London Oil Company, which was then drilling in Libya. He told me that in drilling for oil they had discovered an immense lake of fresh water (something like the Great Lakes) underneath the desert. He said this could mean more to Libya than the oil. It could mean new life to Libya, irrigation for fertile soil, farms, green life. And then he added, "You know, when they bring this water to the surface, it might even start raining in Libya again." If we stand on our faith perhaps it will start raining in Wilmington again this spring. "Wait! Listen a minute! We cannot overlook the fact that the Christian movement has been the most creative and healing movement in the last 2,000 years of history. What is it? What is the source of its effectiveness? Only to our own hurt do we close our eyes to this fact. We owe it to ourselves to discover its secret." Comedienne Kathy Buckley says, "I have learned that faith is having the patience to wait, knowing that all things will be done in God's time. I only wished I owned one of [God's] watches." (3) What would happen if we were able to take God at God’s word? This is the season of lent, the seasons of dreams, trust and faith. This is the season where the contestants of American Idol are stepping out on faith in using their hope. There are two types of hope – a fools hope and the hope of Abraham. This is the season for us to choose hope in God. Amen. Prayer (just print the prayer of confession and the words of assurance) Prayer of Confession: Guiding Lord, even though we hesitated on our Lenten journey; we vowed to come with you through all the trials and fears toward the Cross. Today we face the challenge which true commitment brings. Are we willing to offer our whole selves to you in service? We would like to think that we can do that, but we are aware of how many times we have turned away from service and instead focused on our own desires. Remind us again of the commitment you would have us give if we are to become disciples. Forgive our stubbornness and fears. Lead us forward, gracious Lord, up these steps toward the Cross. AMEN. Words of Assurance: The journey of discipleship is never easy; but you can be assured that you will not be on this journey alone. Place your trust in Jesus. AMEN. Pastoral Prayer: You stop us in our tracks, O Lord, with your reminder that discipleship is not a “sometime” thing. We are called to place our whole lives in your care; to follow you; to serve you by caring for others, not just once in a while, but always. We admit that we’re not always ready to do this. The demand is great; the need is great; our energies are limited. Help us to place our trust and our lives in your care. You will give us the strength and courage that we will need for this step on the journey. Be with us. Help us to remember that your love is poured out for all your people; you are never far away. It is in Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. Lord’s Prayer Song for Reflection Faith of Our Fathers UMH 710 Announcements Benediction The step of discipleship requires commitment and faith. Go now in peace, bringing the good news of Jesus’ love to all people. Do not be afraid. God is with you. AMEN. Children’s Sermon Can We Really Trust God? Romans 4:1-25 Object: A branch from a tree Good morning, boys and girls. Our lesson for today is about trusting God. It may surprise you to know that adults have questions about life just as you do. We have questions about the future, about what life will be like after we die, all kinds of questions. We don't know the answers. But God knows. All we can do is trust God. I have this branch from a tree with me to remind me of a wonderful little story. It is about a snail that climbed a cherry tree in the middle of winter. Someone asked the snail, "Why are you climbing a tree with no blossoms at the top?" The snail answered, "It will have blossoms by the time I reach the top." The slow-moving snail knew that blossoms would appear with the coming of spring. We're kind of like that snail creeping up the cherry tree. We don't have all the answers to life's questions, but we trust by the time we get to points in our lives when we need answers, God will provide them. The most peaceful person in the world is the person who has learned to trust God. Dynamic Preaching, Collected Sermons, by King Duncan Additional Illustrations "We owe it to ourselves to discover its secret." God in Christ forgiving my sins. God in Christ making me a loving person. God in Christ redeeming the world by love - "the love activity of God" - "the underground spring of the universe" by which we survive - the "mercies of God" which we receive by faith! But so many of us are unaware, blind; we stumble on "unloved and unloving." We won’t admit God’s love for us; so we go on slapping back, getting even, retaliating, hating. We think that God has hurt us (when we have only hurt ourselves), so we go on hurting others. Wake up! Come to! Realize that you are loved, so that you can truly love others. Back to our Scripture: "(Abraham) staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith." And the world became a different place. Am I ready for this? Am I? What would you do in Pham's place? What happens when our fears collide with our faith? This morning we are continuing the sermon theme for the Lenten season, Choosing Christ at the Crossroads. It's an old joke, but an insightful one: A man slipped off the edge of a cliff, and just before he fell the hundreds of feet to the valley floor below, he grabbed a protruding branch. There he was, dangling precariously from that little branch, afraid that any second it would pull out from the side of the cliff. "Help!" he began to cry. "Help! Is anyone up there?!" Finally, after no answer, he began to pray desperately, after which he heard a big booming voice. "I am the Lord. I am here to save you!" The man was beyond relieved. "Oh, thank you. Thank you, Lord! But please hurry. Do something!" The Lord returned, "I will, my son. All you have to do is follow my every direction without doubting or fear." "Fine. Fine," hollered back the man. "Anything! But please hurry! What do you want me to do first?" The booming voice came back, "Let go." The man was silent for a moment. Finally he hollered out, "Is anyone else up there?" Imagine, if you will, a tightrope stretched across the street between two tall buildings (you might insert the names of two well-known buildings in your town or city, or you might name some high spot with which your people are familiar). That's a pretty good drop. A man stands at one end of the wire and announces his intent to walk across the wire from one side to the other. A crowd gathers to watch because what he intends to do is dangerous, not to mention, a bit strange. The tightrope walker asks the crowd if they believe he can make it across. They respond that they believe he can do it in order to encourage him to take the risk. Carefully, very slowly, he teeters his way across, almost falling, but not quite; then dances on the wire proving that the crowd was right to believe him. Reaching the other side, he holds up a wheelbarrow and again asks the crowd if they believe he can push it across the wire ahead of him. Some nod their agreement that they believe; others shrug their shoulders in a "not too sure" response. The tightrope walker then singles out a man who had nodded and points to him. "Sir," he asks, "do you believe I can make it?" The man responds, "I sure do." The tightrope walker says to the man, "Then prove your faith by riding in the wheelbarrow." Perhaps it is something like this. You are at one of those wonderful inland lakes in Indiana on a beautiful summer day. You are standing on a pier watching a family in their small boat taking in the beautiful day a hundred feet or so off shore. Suddenly the boat capsizes. The children are screaming for help. You want to be able to help them. All you can see is the deep water, that it is cold, that a strong wind is blowing, that there are tall waves ... and you can't swim! That is the bad news. But the good news is that standing there next to you is a lifeguard. He has a life jacket for you to put on. He invites you to join him in performing the rescue of your life. He invites you to believe, "hoping against hope," in spite of evidence to the contrary, that together with his help you can do it. Jesus is standing at our side. He has given us his promise. We cannot fail. There is nothing in this universe that can separate us from his love and his commitment to us. Given that reality, now is the time to jump in the water! Amen. CSS Publishing, Inc., Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost (First Third): The Good News, The Bad News, and The Only News That Matters, by Steven E. Albertin Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word. Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word Paul saw things in terms of black and white. He saw two mutually exclusive ways of trying to get into a right relationship with God. On the one hand there was dependence on human effort; on the other, dependence on divine grace. On the one hand there was the constant losing battle to obey an impossible law; on the other, there was the faith which simply takes God at his word It is told that once Saint Theresa set out to build a convent with a sum the equivalent of twelve pence as her complete resources. Someone said to her, “Not even Saint Theresa can accomplish much with twelve pence.” “True,” she answered, “but Saint Theresa and twelve pence and God can do anything.” A man may well hesitate to attempt a great task by himself; there is nothing which he need hesitate to attempt with God. Ann Hunter Small, the great missionary teacher, tells how her father, himself a missionary, used to say: “Oh! the wickedness as well as the stupidity of the croakers!” And she herself had a favourite saying:” A church which is alive dares to do anything.” That daring only becomes possible to a man and to a church who take God at his word.