Living Bread

August 11, 2024 John 6:35, 41-51 12th Sunday of Pentecost Living Bread Year B Prelude Greetings Call to Worship L: We are hungering and thirsting for hope and peace. P: Come, Lord Jesus, come. L: Our hearts long for the nourishing presence of God. P: Come, Lord Jesus, come. L: Give to us the living bread of your peace that we may hunger no more. P: Open our hearts to joyfully receive your life-sustaining love. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer (John 6, Psalm 130) O Bread of heaven, come down. Come down and fill us with your Spirit— for your Spirit satisfies like no other. We hunger and thirst for you this morning and long to be nurtured in your love and forgiveness. So we come to this sacred time and place, where our hungers are finally and fully satisfied as only your bread can do. We will wait and listen for your leading in this hour. Amen. Song Help us Accept Each Other UMH 560 A Sermon for all Ages • Good morning! • [Show a picture of cookies] Can you tell me what these are? (Cookies!) • That's right -- well done! • This next question might be a little harder to answer: Can you tell me how to make cookies? • That's right, you take some ingredients -- ingredients are the things that go into the cookies, like flour, sugar, butter, milk, and chocolate chips -- so you take those ingredients and you mix them all up and then put that mix into the oven. • Making cookies is a little bit harder than what I just said, which is why there are instructions for us to follow that help us make the cookies the best way. • Do you know the fancy name we have for those instructions? • Yep! The fancy name is "recipe." • You've probably heard that word before, but say it with me -- "recipe." Nice! One more time, "recipe." • There are recipes for all sorts of foods, not just cookies! • The thing I find very interesting about recipes is how they take ingredients that aren't very tasty when they are by themselves and then combines those ingredients into something VERY tasty, like donuts, cookies, pancakes, and brownies. Mmmmmmmm TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway) • This word "recipe" comes to mind, today, because in today's scripture story, we hear Jesus say, "I am the living bread." • Jesus can be understood to be saying a number of different things, here, when he says he is the living bread. • For instance, just like bread helps feed people, Jesus might be saying that he helps feed people, too. • Another thing I think Jesus is saying when he says, "I am the living bread" is that just like bread is made with a recipe, the good life that God wants us to live is made with a recipe, too. • In the Jesus stories, we see Jesus live an amazing life that is full of God's love, forgiveness, and healing. • That life that we see Jesus living, that's the "living bread" and that bread, that life, has a recipe. • And guess what? Jesus is one of the very best people who can teach us what that recipe of “living bread” includes. • In fact, that recipe is exactly what Jesus taught his disciples • We see Jesus teach his disciples this recipe that includes prayer, the importance of knowing the faith stories, and worshiping God. SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination) • Now, on their own, prayer, worship, and Bible stories might seem as unexciting as flour, milk, butter, and some chocolate chips. • But when you mix them all together, you get something that looks and tastes so much better… • …you get cookies and you get God's good life! • Both things are great to have and they are also really great things to share. • So, next time you hear that line from Jesus about being the living bread, I hope you think of the recipe of worship, prayer, and learning the faith stories. • And, I hope you remember how God's good life of love, forgiveness, and healing – which is what Jesus means by living bread – is meant to be enjoyed by us and shared with others. • That's the good news for today. Let's pray. CLOSING Prayer • This is a repeat-after-me prayer. Dear God, Dear God, Thank you for Jesus... Thank you for Jesus... ...who teaches us... ...who teaches us... ...the recipe of living bread… ...the recipe of living bread… …using prayer, worship, and faith stories… …using prayer, worship, and faith stories… …that we can then enjoy and share with others. …that we can then enjoy and share with others. This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org and Nathanael Vissia. It is also free. Please use, improve and share this material. But you may not sell it or require any personal information for it. Responsive Reading Psalm 130 UMH 848 Scripture John 6:35, 41-51 Sermon Living Bread Eating is fundamental to life- it is the one thing that all humans no matter what their culture have in common. One of the essential forms of food in every culture is bread. It might be corn bread, wheat bread, fry bread, pita, sourdough, a tortilla. Bread is fundamental to our lives. Perhaps that is why the people who created the readings for the year spent so much time on the reading of John 6 – where Jesus tells us over and over again that he is the bread of life. He is the essential part of our faith and our life that we cannot escape or do without. Just as we may eat some form of bread everyday, we need to intentionally include Jesus in our lives in some form every day. I don’t want to dwell too long on this lesson this morning, I just want to share with you three stories, about the three important points that Jesus gives to us in the verses of John chapter 6. If you are hungry, John 6 is all about food and Jesus’ teachings. At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is teaching the crowd, many people gather to hear. Jesus realizes that they are hungry and he instructs the disciples to feed them. They find enough bread and fish for 5000. Next Jesus reveals himself to the disciples by walking on water In the verses that we deal with today – Jesus reveals himself by teaching what it means to be the bread of life In the final part of John 6 – after the people have been fed mind body and spirit, the people start to doubt Jesus, even the disciples are full and just go on with their lives forgetting about jesus. Jesus lesson to us today – is not to do that. Once we have been nourished, not to go away satisfied, but to stay connected, remember that just as bread comes from heaven, so do our everyday blessings. The three lessons for us today: Jesus is the bread of life, being close to Jesus nourishes our soul, we are drawn to Jesus through the grace of God. It is God who seeks us, not the other way around, and finally we need Jesus every day, so keep Jesus near in your heart. So, first, Jesus is the bread of life A Reminder of Our True Home The influence that food can have on us appears in a Chinese story originally told by Linda Fang. She presented this story at the Smithsonian Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C., March 19, 1988. At the foot of a great mountain in China lived a father and his three sons. They were a simple and loving family. The father noticed that travelers came from afar eager to climb the dangerous mountain. But not one of them ever returned! The three sons heard stories about the mountain, how it was made all of gold and silver at the top. Despite their father's warnings, they could not resist venturing up the mountain. Along the way, under a tree, sat a beggar, but the sons did not speak to him or give him anything. They ignored him. One by one, the sons disappeared up the mountain, the first to a house of rich food, the second to a house of fine wine, the third to a house of gambling. Each became a slave to his desire and forgot his home. Meanwhile, their father became heartsick. He missed them terribly. "Danger aside," he said, "I must find my sons." Once he scaled the mountain, the father found that indeed the rocks were gold, the streams silver. But he hardly noticed. He only wanted to reach his sons, to help them remember the life of love they once knew. On the way down, having failed to find them, the father noticed the beggar under the tree and asked for his advice. "The mountain will give your sons back," said the beggar, "only if you bring something from home to cause them to remember the love of their family." The father raced home, brought back a bowl full of rice, and gave the beggar some as a thank-you for his wisdom. He then found his sons, one at a time, and carefully placed a grain of rice on the tongue of each of them. At that moment, the sons recognized their foolhardiness. Their real life was now apparent to them. They returned home with their father, and as one loving family lived happily ever after. Today we gather in this church to receive a reminder of home, a taste of food that will help us remember who we are. I mean the bread of life, our Father's gift to us. This is the food of God's kingdom, and reminds us that this kingdom is our true home. Charles Hoffacker, Food from Home 2nd lesson – We are attracted here because of God’s grace Drawn Not by Wrath but by Love The author Ron Lee Dunn tells the story of two altar boys. One was born in 1892 in Eastern Europe. The other was born just three years later in a small town in Illinois. Though they lived very separate lives in very different parts of the world, these two altar boys had almost identical experiences. Each boy was given the opportunity to assist his parish priest in the service of communion. While handling the communion cup, they both accidentally spilled some of the wine on the carpet by the altar. There the similarity in their story ends. The priest in the Eastern European church, seeing the purple stain, slapped the altar boy across the face and shouted, "Clumsy oaf! Leave the altar." The little boy grew up to become an atheist and a communist. His name was Marshall Josip Tito - dictator of Yugoslavia for 37 years. The priest in the church in Illinois upon seeing the stain near the altar, knelt down beside the boy and looked him tenderly in the eyes and said, "It's alright son. You'll do better next time. You'll be a fine priest for God someday." That little boy grew up to become the much-loved Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. There is the gospel! We are drawn, not by wrath and condemnation, but by love. God is love. God draws us by love. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me.” David G. Mullen, The Barge, Not the Tugboat! Last lesson, never forget who it is that butters your bread. We are in need of God’s grace each and every day. God does promise us eternal life, he does say that he is the living bread. But we have to eat this bread more that once. Finding Jesus A mother was getting her five-year-old daughter, ready for church and the little girl asked, "Mom, why do we go to church?" Her grandmother, who happened to be in the same room, answered, "Baby, we go to Church to find Jesus!" Later in church Mom noticed her little girl looking all around. And after church the little girl said, "Mom, I looked all over that church for Jesus and I couldn't find him no where." That story reminds me a little of the crowds in our passage today. The crowds that had been following Jesus, being fed and healed, really had another purpose. They weren't just searching for Jesus. Their ultimate search was for the Messiah. That's why they came to listen. Always in the back of their minds was the question, "Is He the One? Is this the long hoped for and long awaited Messiah? Is this really Him?" And here in this conversation, Jesus all but says, "Hey guys, it's me." He does everything but put on a big red t-shirt with the word "Messiah" on it in big white letters. But the people's response is less than thrilling. Their reaction is, "Whoa, wait a minute. Isn't this Jesus? Isn't this the kid who grew up in Nazareth, whose father Joseph was a carpenter? Isn't this Jesus, Mary's son? We know him. How can HE be the Messiah? Where does HE get off telling us he's the "Bread from heaven." Billy D. Strayhorn, Beyond Skin Deep I know I said that I had three stories for three lessons. But that was a story of how easy it is to forget that Jesus is the bread of life, and to forget that Jesus is the source of our faith. I have one more story about remembering that Jesus is the source of our faith. We have to include him in everything that we do. Bread for the Journey My barber is a runner. He told me of a young man in a marathon race who kept falling farther and farther behind the other runners. Suddenly he looked as if he were talking to himself and his legs began to move with a steady stroke. He began to pick up speed. By the time he reached the finish line he had passed all the other runners and had won the race. Afterwards, when someone asked him why he was talking to himself, he replied, "Oh, I wasn't talking to myself. I was talking to God. I was saying, "Lord, you pick them up, and I'll put them down.'” Bread for the journey. Faith always moves forward. Life is a continuous series of journeys. Through all of them, ultimately, our aim is to nurture faith in ourselves, faith in each other, faith in God. All these journeys lead us to the grand finale journey into eternity. Good Lord, give us bread for the journey! Charles R. Leary, Mission Ready!, CSS Publishing Company Jesus is the bread of life, Jesus is the source of our faith, Jesus is the reason we come to church, Jesus is the one who gets us through every challenge and every day. In good times and bad, let us always remember where our help comes from. Let us pray! Song God be with you Till We Meet Again UMH 672 Prayers of the People (Presbyterian Outlook, Terri Ott) do not print the prayer Is the tree as it rises delighted with its many/ branches,/ each one like a poem? (“Do stones feel?” by Mary Oliver) God of glory, may we delight over our growth, our branches reaching to the sky, our children dancing beneath the summer sun, blades of grass between their bare toes. May we delight over the growth of our summer gardens, the food we can produce by seed and soil, the hunger we can feed with the abundance you so freely share. Let us not be so shrouded with concern, so overwhelmed by worry, that we miss the ways you grace us with delight. Only if there are angels in your head will you/ ever, possibly, see one. (“The World I Live In” by Mary Oliver) God of grace, help us to see your angels at work among us, lighting upon the unhoused in the street, delivering cups of coffee, Ziplocs full of fresh toiletries and deli sandwiches. Help us honor your angels with our praise and gratitude —the patient teacher, the loving parent, the determined wildfire fighter, the volunteer rescue worker, the visitor of the elderly, the sick, the imprisoned. Give us eyes to see, O God, your angels at work and help us be among their ranks. The last roses have opened their factories of sweetness/ and are giving it back to the world. (“Roses, Late Summer” by Mary Oliver) Loving God, like the roses, what sweetness can we give back this week at work, at church, within our homes and our communities? A smile? A supportive gesture? A longed-for embrace? Guide us to share what we have to give: a kind, encouraging email; an unexpected compliment; a reassuring word of grace; our presence in the midst of pain; a prayer of petition on behalf of the poor and downtrodden; an offering of time or treasure. Generous God, guide us in our giving this week. Make us bearers of your abundant grace. In these final weeks of summer, we lift these prayers to you, Great God, deserving of all our honor and praise. Now, as the Body of Christ, hear us as we pray the prayer Christ taught us saying, “Our Father …”. Lord’s Prayer Response to the Word (2 Samuel, John 6, Ephesians 4) Glorious things of thee are spoken. We marvel at the wisdom of your word, O God of heaven. May these words we have heard become nourishment for our souls and guidance for the living of our daily lives. Write these words on our hearts, O Lord, that we may be reflections of your truth and mercy. Amen. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, John Brewer) Stewardship Moment Invitation to Generosity Ephesians 4:25 reminds us that we are members of one another. That is true of the church, humanity, and all creation. The gifts we receive to sustain us have been given for our common good. When one member lacks, we all lack. When one flourishes, we all share in the abundance. Let us give generously to ensure all needs are met, the Generous One is glorified. Prayer of Thanksgiving and Dedication Holy God, thank you for the gift of generosity. Make us bold stewards of the resources you provide. Increase our offerings, expand our territory, and let our ministry testify to your goodness, nurture, and care for all. Amen. (United Church of Christ, Cheryl Lindsey) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Go forth and live as Christ in the world. Speak and live with integrity as you journey through this new week, knowing that God will satisfy your every need and lead you to a victorious life. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, John Brewer) Community Time – Joys and Concerns Benediction Beloved, may God’s grace open your hearts to recognize the needs of your neighbors; may God’s mercy fill your prayers, and may God’s peace empower you to share the goodness and blessing you receive from God with all. Amen. Written by Dr. Lisa Hancock, Discipleship Ministries, May 2024. Additional Illustrations This scene from Jesus' life (John 6:41-52) demonstrates these four possibilities. Jesus is either... 1. A Liar 2. A Lunatic 3. A Legend 4. Or a Lord Seeing with Eyes Closed - John 6:35, 41-51 I want you to think for a moment about all of the things you can’t see: • Microwaves • X-Rays • Ultraviolet Rays • Oxygen • Carbon Monoxide • Wind • Viruses • Bacteria • Sound Waves Can you think of any others? How do you know they exist? In most cases, you see the after-effects of their presence. Or you can feel them. Or maybe it’s because we believe that they exist. Others have told us so. Maybe it’s a combination of all of these. But the fact is, quite often, we are absolutely sure that certain things exist, even when we cannot see them at the time. Why then is it so hard for us at times to believe in the presence of the Holy Spirit? We tell ghost stories. We are fascinated by things we can’t explain. Many of us are sure that strange things happen that we cannot fathom or see, and we are sure that these things exist, even if we haven’t experienced the phenomena on our own. And yet, when it comes to the Holy Spirit, we accuse folks of, so to speak, drinking the Koolaid! And you know what? So did Jesus’ contemporaries. Faith in Jesus wasn’t any easier when he was alive then than it is now. We can see that today in our scriptures… Clothed in Human Flesh Next to the Bible, my favorite book is Harper Lee's award-winning novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird." I love both the book and the movie. The main character, the one who tells the story, is a little girl named Jean Louise Finch, who goes by the name of Scout. Her father, Atticus Finch, is the town's lawyer and a man of deep principles and integrity. I always wanted to grow up and be like Atticus Finch. One day, Scout came home from school and told her father about some problems she was having with the teacher and several other students. In an effort to help her get along better with others, Atticus gave her this advice: "First of all, if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." That's exactly what Jesus did. Clothed in human flesh, Jesus felt pain as we feel pain. He suffered as we suffer. He even experienced death. Jesus climbed into our skin and walked around in it. Billy D. Strayhorn, Beyond Skin Deep Eating is fundamental to life. It’s something all people in every age have taken seriously. And I believe that one reason Jesus used the image of bread to describe Who He was is because Jesus wants us to take Him as seriously as we do the other fundamental necessities of life. David E. Hall, The Bread of Life Born of God Recall the paragraph in the story of The Ugly Duckling when the ugly duck realizes who he really is. "He saw below him his own image, but he was no longer a clumsy dark gray bird, ugly and ungainly, he was himself a swan! It does not matter in the least having been born in a duck yard, if only you come out of a swan's egg!" Jesus was explaining to the gathered people that it was the same with them. It does not matter in the least having been from Nazareth and born in Bethlehem, if only you are born of God. So Jesus proclaims that "Everyone will be taught by God." Because we are born of God we can claim our inheritance. We can claim the bread that comes down from heaven. The bread of such a kind that whoever eats it will not die. The bread that if anyone eats it, he or she will live forever. The bread is Jesus himself, which he gives so that the world may live. Thus Jesus invites us to consume him, to put him on, to wear him so that we will receive life. Robert L. Salzgeber, Assayings: Theological Faith Testings, CSS Publishing Company. Adapted. A Piece of Him At the time of the Napoleonic Wars, the famous British Admiral Horatio Nelson was due to be buried in St. Paul’s Cathedral. His sailors lifted his casket over their shoulders and majestically carried his body into the cathedral. Draping his coffin was a magnificent Union Jack. After the service, the sailors once more carried his body high in the air, this time to the graveside. With reverence and with efficiency they lowered the body of the world’s greatest admiral into its tomb. Then, as though answering to a sharp order from the quarterdeck, they all seized the Union Jack with which the coffin had been covered and viciously tore it to shreds, each taking his souvenir of the illustrious dead. A swath of colored clothe as a memento. It would forever remind them of the admiral they had loved. “I’ve got a piece of him,” one sailor remarked, “and I’ll never forget him.” In like manner you now can have a piece of Christ - living bread - physically, spiritually, personally. Reaching out to receive him in faith is all that’s required. Staff, www.Sermons.com

We are God's Coworkers - repreach 2/14

February 16, 2020 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Year A Sixth Sunday of Epiphany We are God’s Coworkers Children’s Sermon Object: A pile of bricks Lesson: Do you not know that you are God's temple. Good morning, boys and girls. How is everyone today? (Let them respond.) I'll bet you are wondering why I have this pile of bricks here! When I read Paul's letter for today, it made me think of brick and stone and all the things we do with them. What are bricks used for? (Let them answer.) Good. We use bricks to build all sorts of things, don't we? Fireplaces, houses, all kind of buildings, like libraries and banks and churches. Do you think that bricks are good things to use for a building, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) That's right. They are usually very strong. A house or building made with bricks would probably last a long time. Do you remember the old story about the three little pigs? (Let them respond.) Each one of them decided to build a house. Do you remember what the first pig used to build his house? (Let them answer.) That's right. One of them used straw. What happened to that pig's house? (Let them answer.) The wolf came and blew it all down. The second pig built his house with sticks. What happened to his house? (Let them answer.) That's right. The wolf came and huffed and puffed and the house fell apart! But the third little pig was smart. What did he use to build his house? (Let them answer.) Right! He used bricks, just like these. (Point to bricks.) And his house turned out to be safe and strong. Today we will hear Paul say that you and I are like the bricks that make up "God's building," the church. In fact, he says we are God's church! That means that we have to be very strong and sturdy parts of the building, don't we boys and girls? (Let them respond.) We can't be like straw that will blow away when the winds blow, or like sand that will crumble when a storm comes. We have to be like one of these bricks. How can we be good bricks in this church, boys and girls? (Let them answer.) That's right -- by coming to our worship service, listening very hard to God's word and to the sermon. We should also pay good attention to our Sunday school teachers and to our parents. Then we will be good, strong bricks for God's church. Will you try to do that, boys and girls? (Let them respond.) Good. God bless you. Amen. CSS Publishing Company, WE ARE THE CHURCH, by Wesley T. Runk Stewardship Moment There was a church who had a big building project, and have a campaign to raise the money to make it happen. After the project, the finance committee met to decide how to acknowledge those who gave. One person felt that each person who gave should be named on a placque. Another person made the comment that they ran the risk of forgetting someone, so names should not be used. This debate went back and forth. Until another person decided that instead of naming names, that they should just say thank you to all who donated. Another thought that people should be named in the order of the amount of money that they gave. Finally, one woman who had not said anything in the meeting, reminded everyone that God was the one who gave all of the gifts. God invites each of us to participate. But it is all a gift from God to be able to give and to help. They decided that the placque would be in honor of the blessings of God. It is a privilege to work right along side of God and to give. Scripture 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Common English Bible (CEB) Wisdom applied to divisions in the church 3 Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t talk to you like spiritual people but like unspiritual people, like babies in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink instead of solid food, because you weren’t up to it yet. 3 Now you are still not up to it because you are still unspiritual. When jealousy and fighting exist between you, aren’t you unspiritual and living by human standards? 4 When someone says, “I belong to Paul,” and someone else says, “I belong to Apollos,” aren’t you acting like people without the Spirit? 5 After all, what is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants who helped you to believe. Each one had a role given to them by the Lord: 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God made it grow. 7 Because of this, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but the only one who is anything is God who makes it grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters work together, but each one will receive their own reward for their own labor. 9 We are God’s coworkers, and you are God’s field, God’s building. Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible Sermon Digging a hole, but no planting A fellow stopped at a gas station and, after filling the tank on his car, he paid the bill and bought a soft drink. He stood by his car to drink his cola and he watched a couple of men working along the roadside. One man would dig a hole two or three feet deep and then move on. The other man came along behind and filled in the hole. While one was digging a new hole, the other was about 25 feet behind filling in the old. The men worked right past the fellow with the soft drink and went on down the road. "I can’t stand this," said the man tossing the can in a trash container and heading down the road toward the men. “Hold on,” he said to the men. "Can you tell me what’s going on here with this digging?" "Well, we work for the government, " one of the men said. "But one of you is digging a hole and the other fills it up. You’re not accomplishing anything. Aren’t you wasting the People’s money?" "You don’t understand, mister," one of the men said, leaning on his shovel and wiping his brow. "Normally there’s three of us--me, Sam and Jesse. ”I dig the hole, Sam sticks in the tree and Jesse here puts the dirt back. Now, just because Sam’s sick, that don’t mean that Jesse and I can’t work." When it comes to the church of Jesus Christ, sometimes people do not think very much, either. People attend church, but they don’t get what church is all about, or they are blinded by assumptions. They just dig holes instead of planting trees. I think that is how a lot of us go to church. We go through all of the motions of being a Christian, but every Sunday that we come to church, we expect to go out the same way that we came. Nothing changes. We Have to grow We don’t realize that things are always changing. Everything that we do as Christians is intended to change us. Everything that we do is intended to help us to grow spiritually. Everything that we do should bring us closer to God, make us a better person, help us to have a better understanding of our purpose, and give us more power to do it. Explanation of Corinthians Paul’s message is to encourage us to grow, and to constantly examine what it means to be a Christian. Paul tells us that there were two types of people in the world. There are spiritual people who are attuned to God, and there are physical people who think that this is all that there is. He encouraged us to strive to be spiritual persons. Flesh vs Spirit In chapter 3 this week Paul goes a little more in depth. In all of the teachings of Paul, he is obsessed with distinguishing life in the flesh and life in the spirit. We are all flesh – that what it means to be a human being. As long as we are alive, we are flesh. Jesus was flesh – that was the point that God put on flesh and showed us what it means to live a holy life. But Paul accuses the Corinthians of being obsessed with the fleshly life. But when Paul talks about life in the flesh – he doesn’t just mean life as a human. He means life as a human with no relationship with God. Who would you be and what would you be doing if you did not have a relationship with God. Living in the flesh while still in the spirit We may be very different people, doing very different things. It would be okay for us to hate people, to be resentful, to be destructive, to be disrespectful, to steal, to run red lights, to do whatever we wanted as long as there were no consequences to our actions. Paul expects that from others, but not from Christians. Even though we may have started with that fleshly nature, we should be growing and maturing in order to do different. We should be able to make that move from being ordinary to extraordinary. Paul’s concern is that the same behavior that he would expect in the streets is present in the church. We separate ourselves, we disagree with one another, we have unresolved resentment, jealousy, an unwillingness to help one another, we learn all there is to know about God, and we still live in the flesh. All that is a sign of life in the flesh. Human nature – with no relationship with God. Are there Methodist in heaven? The story is told that John Wesley, a founder of Methodism, changed his view about church division after a dream in which he was first transported to the gates of Hell. He asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “Yes,” was the reply. “Any Roman Catholics?” “Yes.” “Any Congregationalists?” “Yes.” He hesitated, then said, “Not any Methodists, I hope!” To his dismay the answer was “Yes.” Suddenly in his dream he stood at the gate of Heaven. Once again he asked, “Are there any Presbyterians here?” “No,” was the reply. “Any Roman Catholics?” “No.” “Any Congregationalists?” “No.” Then he asked the question which most interested him: “Are there any Methodists here?” He was shocked to receive the same stern reply, “No!” “Well then,” he asked in surprise, “please tell me who IS in Heaven?” “CHRISTIANS!” was the jubilant answer. From that dream Wesley determined that unity was essential to the church’s success in her mission. What are we to think of division? Some today agree with Wesley: division is one of our greatest sins. We must unify at any cost. Others believe any effort toward unity necessarily involves compromise; therefore we must avoid it. Jesus prayed for unity; yet he preached that we must leave even father and mother for his sake and the go When I was in seminary, I was fortunate to attend some lectures of the World Parliament of Religions. They are coming again this year to Chicago. At one event, I heard Hans Kung, a catholic scholar tell it like this. At the end of the world, someone asked God, if the Baptist get it right and make it to heaven, or the Catholics, or the Pentecostals. And God said no, because in the end there will be no Baptist, no Catholics, no Pentecostals, No Methodist. End the in – none of them will exist, because in the end all that there is is God – and those who made a point to get right with God. In order to get right with God, we have to grow, we have to learn more, we have to do more, we have to commit more. We have spend less time trying to judge the journey of others, and concentrate on our own walk with God. And reach out to help others on their positive journey. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 is one of my favorite verses. I used these verses are the guiding verses for my campus ministry at UIC. Paul says “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. I want to repeat that – I planted, Apollos watered but God gave the growth. The king james version of the bible says God gave the increase. We do all of the work, God gives the blessing. Without God’s blessing our work is in vain. We can plant trees, we can take care of them, but we cant make them grow. When we are obsessed with who gets credit for our work – we are living in the flesh. When we give God the credit – we are living in the spirit. We are excited about what we did – we are living in the flesh. When we are excited about what God has done, we are living in the Spirit. It is God’s ministry, not ours. But here is the good news for us. Paul planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase. Paul, Apollos, God. The work of man is put on equal footing with the work of God. God needs Paul and Apollos and God needs you and me to do God’s work. If we do God’s work, we don’t need to be acknowledged, God will acknowledge us. what we don’t get from others, we get from God. Paul says “For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.” It is okay for us to work, to be faithful, to give with all of our heart – God gives the rest. We are to be planters, and to water the crop. That is good news to a declining church, a church who wonders if the next generation will take over, who struggles with who is going to join our church. None of that is our issue. God works harder than any of us. God has a bigger stake in the future than we do, God will be here much longer than any of us. All that we have to do is plant and water and let God do God’s work. 1854 Tam’s Partnership With God Young Stanley Tam had failed in his silver reclamation business—even though he had tithed since its beginning! “Why God?” he prayed as he drove homeward with numb disappointment. Then an inner voice from the Lord seemed to say, “You don’t need to fail; turn your business over to Me and let Me run it. Remember the promise. “My God shall supply. …” “ Finally, Tam replied: “Take it God and if you’ll make it succeed, I’ll honor you in every way I can.” He returned home and the business grew. Many months later, after he had married, he wrestled with his conscience once more and told his wife, “I feel God would have us take a bigger step of faith than tithing and make Him a senior partner in the business—50% of the stock belong to Him.” States Smelting and Refining Corp. of Lima, Ohio, was reorganized that way. Soon a new corporation, United States Plastic, was added to God’s partnership. Growth was so phenomenal that the IRS audited their books for 10 consecutive years. Dividends from God’s 51% were put into the Stanita Foundation which helps overseas missionaries mainly. As the business passed the multimillion dollar mark, God’s share was upped to 60% annually. Then one day the ultimate happened. Stan and Juanita Tam turned over the ownership of the entire business to God. They became just salaried employees. Since then, a new plant quadrupled its original size sprung up and the business continued to prosper. I think that is the greatest lesson of this text, that when we work in God’s church and fulfill God’s mission – we get to work with God as co creaters. God has given us an awful lot of power and control. God has put a lot of trust into each one of us- to plant, to water, and to trust God for the increase. The Greek word used for cocreater is synergoi – that is the same root word for synergy. – working together. We are all different people, with different gifts, but when we work together in unity we work with God. Paul’s message to us is that you can tell the quality of a person’s relationship with God, with how they work with other people. Believe and Behave There is a church in Columbia, SC near a seminary which has one of those bulletin boards out front to list service times, special events, sermon subjects, and so on. For several years there was one other thing on that bulletin board, one of those little "sentence sermons" that we see so often. It said, "The same Bible that says BELIEVE also says BEHAVE." I do not know if there were any significance to the fact that it was located so near to all the seminary students; perhaps someone figured they would need it more than anyone. At any rate, it was there, and for a LONG time: "The same Bible that says BELIEVE also says BEHAVE." David E. Leininger, Make it Right! Our primary purpose is walk in God’s ways. Walk in God’s ways together. We are truly blessed – because we are the people who are called to walk with others who have chosen to walk in God’s way – be part of the church – those who make a difference because we are walk in the presence of God. Let us pray in thanks…….. Let us pray……Amen. Additional Illustrations….. Christians under Construction People print all sorts of things on T-shirts, from advertisements to obscenities to affirmations of faith. One fellow was seen wearing a T-shirt with the words, "Christian Under Construction," printed on it. We can all appreciate what he meant by that. We can talk about the difference faith in Christ is supposed to make in our lives and about how it is supposed to work and even about the samples of the new life in Christ that we have already experienced. But, most of us know that we are not yet what God wants us to be. At our best, we are Christians under construction. And, that is all right. That is a good way to be. The changes that God will make in our lives don't happen all at once. It is a good thing to know that we are in the process of becoming what God wants to make us and to participate in that process very intentionally and joyfully. In our scripture lesson for today, Paul reckons with the fact that the Christians at Corinth, to whom he is writing, are still Christians under construction. He has been talking about new life in the Spirit and about the Spirit interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Then he comes down to earth and says, "But, you folks obviously aren't there yet. If you were, you wouldn't be arguing about petty little things like which pastor you like best." He says, "I could not talk to you as spiritual people. I must speak to you as people who are still in the flesh, as infants in Christ." Paul seems impatient at this and disappointed in the Corinthians. But eventually Paul came to understand that this is just part of the process, something that has to be worked with. James L. Killen, Jr., From Expectancy to Remembrance, CSS Publishing Company, Inc. You Are Promise If you say, "She is grace," you tell others more about a dancer or gymnast than if you say, "She is graceful" or "She has grace." If she is grace, she takes on all the properties of gracefulness; you will not know how grace looks or is supposed to look until you watch her in action. Similarly, the phrase, "He is courage" tells us that an athlete or a soldier shows all the qualities that go with heroism. These phrases are rarely used because we do not find many people who live up to them. "You are promise." People should feel free to use this phrase more liberally. In some sense or other, it ought to apply to virtually all humans. I would say everyone is promise, but that might be too literal. Does someone who is "hopelessly retarded" or in a coma near death embody or represent promise? On the basis of reports of what severely handicapped and dying people have done to expand the lives of others, it might be wiser to reserve judgment. In the meantime, it seems worthwhile to use the equation sign and say that "to be human = to be promise." Martin E. Marty, You Are Promise (Allen, Texas: Argus Communications, 1973), pp. 16, 18. Copyright 1973 by Tabor Publishing, 25115 Avenue Stanford, Valencia, California 91355.

What do I need to do?

January 29, 2017 Micah 6:1-8 Remember law and order – I used to watch that show religiously for years. And to take it back even further, my grandmother never missed an episode of Perry Mason. We seem to be fascinated with shows about the courtroom. Imagine an episode where the lawyer walks in with the accuser and they take their seat. Then the jury walks in the listen to the case and determine guilt. The court reporter is there and ready to record all of the procedings. You wait patiently to see who is on trial in this courtroom. And you are surprised to find that the deputy is leading you to the front of the room. You are on trial. The lawyer is a young prophet named Micah, the accuser – God himself. The jury – the mountains, the hills, God’s creation. But what did I do you ask. God is suing you – a faithful Christian – for get this – forgetting your faith. Not being faithful to God. But the lawyer has prepared his case and is prepared to find you guilty. First he presents how God has been faithful to you. He reminds you that you would be no where without the help of God. Every step in your life, is a step that God has taken with you. Nothing that you have, belongs to you – it all belongs to God. Everything that you have, every things that you have done is a gift from God. If it was not for God – where would you be today? As you realize that the lawyer is right – God has always remembered you, but you are slacking off in remembering God. You are a good church goer, so what can you do to make it right? Should you light a candle? Or say a special prayer? Or spend 2 hours helping at the food pantry, or even be willing to sing solo on a special song. Or I know – put an extra offering in the plate. And just like in a famous Perry mason episode - the–prosecuter stands up and comes out to speak before the entire courttoom. What does the Lord require of you? Is the Lord impressed with your prayers, your special duties or even the amount of money that you put in the offering plate. None of that matters. God just wants 3 things. Just do three things, Israel: mishpat, hesed, and hasnea (Micah 6:8) Mishpat, hesed and hasnea? What does that mean? Those are the Hebrew words for justice, mercy and to walk humbly with God. Do justice, have mercy and to walk humble with God. To break it down even further. Justice is the call to moral excellence. Justice is what we do not just for one person but for all people. It is how we live out our faith in public. I don’t want to dwell on it one way or another way – but we as faithful Christians are in the midst of a justice challenge. If muslims are not welcome in this country, who will they come for next? If immigrants are not welcome in this country then who is? How do we react to this present issue? Whose side are we on? What does it have to do with us? What does God expect of us, God’s faithful people in his situation? There was a man who watched high level government officials doing the wrong thing. He told on them. The officials were fired, but the man and his family was ostracized in the community. Reporters asked the man if it was worth it to tell what he saw. I did what God expected me to do he replied. What does the Lord expect of you? The second requirement of God is Hesed, or mercy. Mercy is accountable kindness. Kindness with a sense of understanding of the other persons situation. A school teacher by the name of Miss Thompson found it difficult to like one of her students. His name was Teddy Stallard and he was not interested in school, school work, or anything connected to school. His attitude was so disagreeable that Miss Thompson almost found herself enjoying the Fs she wrote on his papers. Miss Thompson knew Teddy’s background. His school records indicated that in the first grade he had shown some promise. In the second grade, his mother fell seriously ill and Teddy was tabbed a slow learner. In the fourth grade he was far behind and his teacher noted that his father had no interest in Teddy’s progress. Christmas time came and the boys and girls in Miss Thompson’s room brought her some gifts. To her surprise, there was a very crudely wrapped present from Teddy. Opening the package, she discovered a gaudy rhinestone bracelet and a bottle of cheap perfume. Sensing that the other children were beginning to smirk and giggle at the gift, Miss Thompson put the bracelet on and opened the perfume. She put some perfume on her wrist and invited the children to smell by saying, "Doesn’t the perfume smell lovely?" "Isn’t the bracelet beautiful?" Taking their cue from Miss Thompson’s kindness, the children responded with "oohs" and "aahs." At the end of the school day, little Teddy went to Miss Thompson’s desk and said: "Miss Thompson ... Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother ... and her bracelet looks real pretty on you, too. I’m glad you like my presents." From that day forward, Miss Thompson began to show more kindness toward that little boy. And that little boy began to improve - both in grades and attitude. Many years later, Miss Thompson received a letter from Teddy telling her that he was graduating from high school - second in his class. Four years later, she received another letter from Teddy telling her that he was graduating from college first in his class. And four more years later, there was another letter to inform her that this young fellow who had given her a gaudy bracelet and a bottle of cheap perfume was now Theodore Stallard, M.D. Also, he was getting married and his father was now dead, too. Would Miss Thompson be willing to sit where his mother would sit for the wedding if she were alive? "You’re all the family I have left now," wrote Teddy. Miss Thompson sat proudly where Teddy’s mother would have sat for that wedding. That moment of kindness many years before had brought out the best in that young boy. Kindness may cost you something in time ... money ... in pride. But, kindness is what God expects you to show to other people. As Micah phrased it so poignantly: ... and what does the Lord require of you but ... to love kindness...? The last requirement is Hapnea – that is the hardest requirement of all- hard because it is two requirements in one. First to be humble – second to walk humbly with God. Christian humility is not cowardice. It is not a summons to be a doormat. Rather it is an invitation to work behind the scenes in an enterprise greater than any of us could ever accomplish on our own; it is an invitation to appreciate the simple blessings in life; and it is an invitation to trust God whose strength will never fail. It is being reminded that without God we are nothing, we have nothing, we could do nothing. It is not us, it is God’s light in us that makes a difference. So we have to put God first. We have to do what God would do in this situation. The Ancient Isrealites would have enjoyed Perry Mason just as much as we would. They thought that all of life was a courtroom drama. Micah was a young adult holding his community accountable for their relationship with God. He was asking everyone to remember - WWJD – what would Jesus Do. Where is the presence of God in everything that I face in my life. In order for us to do what God expects of us, we have to first be willing to walk humbly with God. To honor God in all that we do and to make sure that God is honored in who we are. To live in quiet fellowship of God. And after laying out the evidence and giving the order – the defense rest its case. It has said all that needs to be said. SERMON ILLUSTRATION Paul Simon: What God Requires In a Rolling Stone interview, musician Paul Simon offers his thoughts on what God requires of us: The only thing that God requires from us is to enjoy life—and love. It doesn't matter if you accomplish anything. You don't have to do anything but appreciate that you're alive. And love, that's the whole point. In contrast, Micah, the Old Testament prophet wrote, "And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Anthony DeCurtis, Rolling Stone (02-01-01), p. 50; submitted by David A. Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia I think that Paul Simon makes an important point. God call us into court – not to punish us but to love us. God lays out his requirements – not to punish us – but to help us to see clearly. God does not want us to be uptight – but to be happy, relaxed, and comfortable. God wants what is best for us – and the only way to do that is to do what the Lord required – Mishpat, hesed, hasnea. Do justice, show kindess, and to walk humbly with our God. Is it really that hard? Let us pray….. Amen Children’s Sermon…. Exegetical Aim: Happiness comes from a life emptied and humble before God and not from a life full and easy. Props: Several dollar bills or a hand full of coins, a toy that laughs, some kind of food, and a toy sword like a light saber or any object to represent conflict. Also a box or big glass jar. Optional humorous prop: A football or some sports object that is presently in season. If there is a crucial local game then focus on that. Try to hide the sports object. Lesson: I have a question for you this morning: What makes you happy? (responses) With the items hidden behind your back and the jar out in front: Well, I have some things I want to show you. After each item is presented put it in the jar. What is this? (money) Would you be happy if you had this money? (response) Why would that make you happy? What would you do with it? (response) What is this? (laughing object) Listen to this. Make the object laugh. What is it doing? (laughing) Would you be happy if you laughed all the time? (response) Why would that make you happy? (response) What is this? (apple) Would you be happy if you had some food? (response) Why would you be happy? (response) What is this? (boxing gloves) Would you be happy if you had a gun (response) Why would you be happy? (response) This morning I brought something that makes me very happy. Do you want to see it? (response) Do you really want to see it? (response) All right, this makes me so happy! Bring out the football hold it up or toss it air. When Tennessee wins today I am going to be happy! Application: Each of us has something in our life that makes us happy. What makes you happy? (response) It could be chocolate chip cookies or a special toy or a pet. Happiness is pretty important. Jesus even talked about happiness. He said the truly happy people in the world are those who...take out the money...are those who don't have a lot of money. Fold the money and put it away. Then he said, the happiest people in the world are those who take out the laughing object and make it laugh again have some sadness in their life. He also said, the happiest people are those who take out the food are sometimes hungry and have nothing to eat. And he said, the happiest people are those who take out the gun...try to have peace in their life. Finally he said take out the football well, he really didn't say anything about football. But he did say that we could be happy if we remember that true happiness comes when we have a life that is empty. Show that the jar or box is empty. A life that is emp is a life that is ready to be filled with all the good things God wants to put there: His Kingdom, his peace, love, forgiveness, and comfort. Let’s Pray: Lord help us to understand just how empty we are and how much we need you to fill us. Amen. Additional illustrations……. ChristianGlobe, , by Brett Blair SERMON ILLUSTRATION Cornel West on Justice Justice is what love looks like in public. —Cornel West, U.S. professor and scholar (1956—) Cornel West, unknown; submitted by Kevin Miller, executive vice president, Christianity Today International [ read less ] SERMON ILLUSTRATION Søren Kierkegaard on the Difference Between Admirers and Followers If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer ... Søren Kierkegaard, unknown; submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California [ read less ] SERMON ILLUSTRATION Søren Kierkegaard on the Difference Between Admirers and Followers If you have any knowledge at all of human nature, you know that those who only admire the truth will, when danger appears, become traitors. The admirer is infatuated with the false security of greatness; but if there is any inconvenience or trouble, he pulls back. Admiring the truth, instead of following it, is just as dubious a fire as the fire of erotic love, which at the turn of the hand can be changed into exactly the opposite—to hate, jealousy, and revenge. Christ, however, never asked for admirers, worshipers, or adherents. He consistently spoke of "followers" and "disciples." —Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher and theologian (1813–1855) Søren Kierkegaard, unknown; submitted by Bill White, Paramount, California [ read less ]