You ARE the light of the world: Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world: Matthew 5:14-16

Before what is traditionally called the Sermon on the Mount Jesus begins his ministry career with an announcement that is packed full of political, social, and religious substance…”repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” He then begins to choose some men who will follow along with him in this journey of kingdom coming near…4 in fact (Peter, his brother Andrew, James, and John the Zebedee brothers whom in Mark’s account Jesus gives them the names “sons of thunder”.) These young men drop whatever it is they were currently doing and begin their journey of discipleship. The first kingdom of heaven coming near episode that occurs is Jesus going through Galilee teaching, healing, releasing those who were suffering from demon possession, severe pain, seizures, and those who were paralyzed…making people whole again. Physically, mentally, spiritually…the whole entire person…whole again. Its what the reign of God is all about.

Now on to our topic for this morning…I’ve been reading a little book by Randy Harris titled “Living Jesus” and this book covers the Sermon on the Mount. And he suggests that in order to possibly get the best grasp on what this sermon is all about you must begin at the end and that is where we will begin…7:24-27

And now the beginning…5:3-16

Our main focus is 14-16 but before we can get there we must give 3-12 some effort b/c Jesus probably said all this without taking a breath.

So let’s look at 3-12 and see where it leads us…

The beatitudes…God’s blessings…the character of the kingdom of heaven coming near/God’s reign coming near contradicts the values that most people in our world hold dear…(the sermon is one example of kingdom ethics/standards/realities/etc)…

these blessings are contrary b/c God’s blessings/God’s favor rests on the unlikely ones—the poor in spirit—mourners—the meek—persecuted—merciful—those who hunger for true righteousness/true justice (side note the greek word for righteousness dikaiosunan mean both righteousness and justice)—the pure in heart—peacemakers—these are the ones most often trampled on by the world—and this is an upside down way of understanding what it means to be blessed…and these are not commands…these are not something we must muster up and become or try to become…he begins each one with “blessed are” he identifies with his audience which includes his four and all else from the crowds who join in. When we embody the reign of God/the kingdom of heaven we begin to see how these are indeed blessings.

See if this makes any sense…being blessed is a state of existence in a committed relationship to God in which a person is favored from God’s perspective even when he/she does not feel favored or isn’t presently experiencing good fortune.

First beatitude stomps the predominant worldview that assumes that material possessions are a sign of God’s approval in one’s life and that they automatically flow from one’s spiritual efforts. This way of being humble is true humility in the harsh realities of life makes a person open to receive the blessings of God’s reign. Humility at the core of our heart. Recognition that they can produce no spiritual or religious self help before God. No attitude of being owed something—physical and spiritual bankruptcy…the anawim of the world…my way of understanding anawim is through a kickball illustration…the left behinds, the worthless, the pathetic, Israel knew this all to well…exile…I extend this next thought from Randy’s book…”I want you to imagine what you would have thought if you had heard those words. For all your life you’d been told that you’re too pathetic, you’re too pitiful, you’re too worthless for God’s love and acceptance, and the first words out of Jesus’ mouth is to affirm God’s love and blessing for you.” You are favored in God’s kingdom.

Blessed are those who mourn—Ecclesiastes 7:2…mourning is a reality of life but for those of the reign of God…mourning does not last there will be a time for comfort…what happens when we begin to mourn the things for which God mourns…violence, war, death, poverty, sickness, the injustices of this world…I’m jumping ahead a little but might this have something to do with being light in a dark dark world?

Blessed are the meek—does not imply weakness…the domineering, the aggressive, the harsh, are often those who attempt to dominant the earth and establish their own little kingdoms at the expense of others. This is an upside down way of looking at the world—it takes more courage to stand with the downtrodden and outcasts of the world, the poor, the forgotten, the lonely—these Jesus says will inherit the earth when the one who sits on the throne comes again with the new heavens and new earth…remember the announcement…I am making all things new…

Blessed are those who hunger/thirst for justice and righteousness…a passion and desire for things that include Godly justice for those who have been wronged. Hunger for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven…hey that sounds familiar. The coming of the king and his reign to its completion will satisfy all who hunger for the things of God to come about, but a present taste will be met when this person experiences this type of justice himself/herself/ourselves but also when this righteousness is embraced by someone else…reminded of the Samaritan woman in John 4:13-15…

Blessed are the merciful---recall Micah 6:8…also the parable later on in Matthew 18:21-35.

Blessed are the pure in heart…not so much about moral purity but the heart…the gut—bowels—the center core of a person—undivided loyalty---allegiance to God/to Jesus and the reign of heaven. Will see God—lets try this…Jesus is Immanuel…God with us, for those who set the core of their being on God and not simply religious ritualism will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers—those who are active in bringing peace to a violent and dark world. Those who refuse to get drawn into the violence and confusion and hostility of their age...of our age…but simply by their presence create peace—and Jesus says they are blessed and that this is to be our way of life. What is a characteristic of what it means and looks like to be a child of God? Peacemaking.

10-12…Darkness will do its might to overshadow the reign of God. Blessed are you when darkness does its best on you. Your reward IS in heaven where God is on his throne and coming one day to restore to rights his people and creation.  God’s got you…

These are not commands…but a way of being in this dark world that comes out of kingdom allegiance b/c if you’ve noticed in the biblical narrative what typically happens when light comes in and invades the darkness…the darkness fights back…and when it does it gets ugly…you are blessed. Jesus blesses the counter cultural standards of the world…the broken, the anawim’s of this world. He begins with blessings. God’s favor on the outcasts and those who stand for light.

13-16…notice the beginning of each metaphor…YOU ARE…Christianity is a way of life that changes the way you and I look at everything else. We are salt and light…Harris says in his book…”The world needs light. The world needs salt. It doesn’t need a bunch of Christians crawling into their Christian storm shelter and never coming out b/c its not safe out there, nor do we need a bunch of Christians who look so much like the world that the world can’t see the light.”  Is the problem that we’re so much like darkness and we’ve so much lost our saltiness that we no longer have an impact on the world, or is the problem that we’re so withdrawn from the world that the salt and light is not having the impact that it should have?

Does the world/ do our neighbors/ do our co-workers/ can people at our schools notice what makes us different? Jesus says you are…it begins with that declaration…we have already been crowned as being salt and light…blessed are you…you are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world…Can we stand out enough for people to ask, ‘what makes you different'?

Father's Day Sermon

The One whom Jesus called Father

On this Father’s Day of 2012 I would like to begin our time by asking one question that will eventually lead into other questions that should end us up with one specific question… now what was that all about?

Here is my question…Who is the God whom Jesus called Father? And can he be trusted? Is the One whom Jesus called Abba Father worthy of our trust? And we sometimes shot from the hip when posed with such a question but it is a question that seeks deep into our souls and at difficult times in our lives stares us right in the face.

Lets begin with a basketball question…streak shooters claim…it is a mathematical claim…and a complete and total false claim…each shot is independent from all shots before or after

Many believe that this study is way off base…why? Because in some way shape form or fashion they have experienced what we call streak shooting or otherwise known as “they are on fire” but the understanding is completely based on experience. And even faced with a fact that streak shooting is simply a myth…when sized up against experience…experience most often wins.

Now this got me thinking…is our understanding of God often deeply shaped by our experience of God. Because he is a relational God. This is beautifully seen in John 14:8-21.

Now back to our question regarding trust…

This question takes us back to the beginning…so lets go to Genesis 3 and see where it takes us.

Question #1

 Why would Adam and Eve risk so much for a piece of fruit? It seems like in the garden life is pretty good. They have gotten to name the animals…relationships with each other are in harmony…relationship with God is as it should be…everything is as it should be…the world is right…why would they risk so much???

And the logic of this story is that they are going for the 1 thing they do not have…that’s their independence. The serpent says if you eat of this fruit then you will be like God. And up till this point they have been completely dependent upon God but if they can eat that fruit and become like God they can declare their independence from God.

Question #2

 If God does not want them to eat this fruit why did he put that tree there in the first place? And not only does he put there and the story is quite clear but he puts it in a place where it is highly desirable—its like parents putting a cookie jar in the middle of a table telling the children in this jar are the best chocolate chip cookies in the history of the world but you cant have any. What sense does that make?

But if you follow the logic of the story…b.t.w. I think this is one of the most helpful ways of reading the Bible. You gotta get in a conversation with the story that is being told, because we are invited to participate in this story. As it talks to you, you gotta talk back.

SCRIPTURE IS DISRUPTIVE TO OUR WAYS OF LOOKING AT THE WORLD  

The logic of the story is something like this…God wants to know from the very beginning if the human beings he has created will trust him or not. Will they trust him to be their provider and caretaker or will they attempt to be the source of their own security? That is the theme for the rest of Scripture and the underlying most important question we will ever ask…

 Will human beings trust God or will they try to be the source of their own security?

There are two biblical stories I want to mention briefly about this

1. Is found in Genesis 22 and I must begin this story with a joke…why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice his 12 year old son Isaac? Answer…if he had waited until he was a teenager it would not have been a sacrifice…

And now the tricky part where I try to make that meaningful…back to the story…22:3-14

2. Daniel 3…Hananiah…Mishael…and Azariah…also known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…lets pick up in 3:13-18

Will human beings trust God or will they try to be source of their own security?

So when we come to Jesus he basically says this about God…God can be trusted. The God that Jesus calls Father is worthy to be trusted…

This is clearly seen in his story…before the cross in Matthew 26…and we often sing this song…”He could have called 10 thousand angels…now I don’t think it would have taken 10 thousand it would have only 3 b/c angels have ray guns…but at any point Jesus could have called all the hosts of heaven and defended himself but he instead choose to trust his Father who would not abandon him, even though he would eventually die. Even in the prayer from the cross…which is a prayer by the way…Jesus begins with My God…but he’s quoting from the Psalms Psalm 22 to be exact and this Psalm screams I will trust no matter what my current experience looks like. I will trust.

Jesus trusts his Father on the cross not to abandon his soul in Hades but to raise him up. That is why the cross is Jesus’ great profession of faith. Even in the face of death he will choose to trust his Father over than trying to be the source of his own security.

We see this from Paul in Romans 5 where he does this comparison thing between Adam and Jesus and here is the jest…

Adam—goes to the tree will he go for the fruit and be the source of his own security or will he trust God?

Jesus—goes to the tree will he be the source of his own security or will he trust God by going to the cross.

Paul’s calculation—Adam gets an F…Jesus---gets an A.

That’s why the Hebrews writer says Jesus is the pioneer of our faith…he shows us how to do it. How to radically and completely trust God.

Ok…this is where for all us it gets personal and heart searching.

Will we trust God when everything around us tells us otherwise?

Last time I preached on Father’s Day I gave a memorial sermon to my dad who had passed some months prior…here is some of that sermon. 

My dad fought in the Vietnam War. He did not want to fight, but he did anyways. The time that he spent in war is what I believe brought the illness upon him. From conversations with family members and friends his time that he spent in that war brought nightmares and a depression that he could not control. In May of 1997 a test result diagnosed dad with what is called chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It was a stage 0 type of leukemia that did not require any treatment or brought dad any discomfort at all, it was just there. And all dad had to do was a couple times a year go in for a blood test just to make sure nothing had changed. My dad never smoked a cigarette or touched any drug or even drank a bit of alcohol, I believe that even on his honeymoon with my mom they had sparkling grape juice. He ate weird stuff like vegetables/ all the regular stuff but he ate turnip greens, cabbage, beef liver, and would add onions to his green peas. Strangely he hated sour cream and guacamole. He would experiment with all kinds of dishes, adding bacon grease to his green beans which by the way is the only way he would get me to eat them. He made the best spaghetti and chili I have ever tasted. He really took care of himself. Except for some heart problems that were most likely caused by his crazy spoiled rotten son. But some how he came to have that cancer.

On Nov. 4^th of 2004 his only grandson was born. I can honestly say that I have only seen dad smile that much once before and that was at Carrie and I’s wedding. But the joy that was on his face when he held Dylon for the first time is unforgettable. My dad willingly and it seemed at times forcefully watched Dylon when Carrie went back to work and while I went to school. He was able to watch Dylon for six months. Then in March of 2005, dad begins to have sinus problems, dental problems begin because of TMJ that had not yet been detected by doctors. April, May and June the same problems exist only a slight increase in symptoms, doctors think that the cause of his pain is from TMJ and preexisting sinus problems. In July of 05 he quit working the Opry and voluntarily quit watching Dylon. Late in the summer he had nose surgery to try and figure out if all the drainage problems were from some problem in his nose and he went physical therapy for his TMJ. In Aug of 05 dad had what is called a septoplasty operation on his nose to try and fix his constant drainage problems. By this time dad was unable to eat a lot of foods, the weight loss had begun to take affect on his mental and psychological health. During this month he also had many blood transfusions/ he was diagnosed as being anemic. Doctors still do not have a clue as to what is causing all these problems/ seems more like guesswork than anything. In September another operation was given and the results were that what was causing all the sinus problems/ all the dental problems/ the fact that now he could not eat was due to a mass that was discovered by accident near the base of his tongue. The diagnosis was lymphoma of the larynx. Once discovered the pathologist immediately started chemotherapy. He was only able to complete two rounds of chemotherapy. At the end of October he started to have frequent temperatures all above 100 degrees. The doctors diagnosed it as capnocytophaga/ in other words cat and dog disease. A disease that anyone else could have fought off with a cough and a sneeze, but someone who is taking chemotherapy treatments is like a well person coming down with the flu. In Nov due to the amount of weight that dad had lost and that now he cannot swallow at all a feeding tube was put in to keep nourishment in his body. He could no longer talk to anyone, all his communication was through writing. Later that month since chemotherapy could not affect what the doctors are now calling squamous cell cancer that was caused by the chronic lymphocytic leukemia that he was diagnosed with nine years ago. Radiation now began and there were signs of improvement at one point in time during the treatments. He went through 36 treatments. In Jan of 06 breathing began to be a problem for dad. He had a trac put in to help with his breathing. The radiation by itself was not doing enough so they started what is called hypothermia treatments which I guess is just turning up the heat. My dad goes through all this without complaining once/ and watching and hearing his grandson upstairs playing and witnessing his Carrie and I try to make him as comfortable as possible while trying to go about daily living. On Feb 18^th a Saturday evening we had to call an ambulance to pick dad up, he had become delusional from all the anxiety and antibiotics and depression medication and pain medication that he was taking. He stayed in Southern Hills until February 27^th when we were advised to have him moved to hospice care. On March 4^th a Saturday morning after a Friday night filled with Gods Holy Spirit all around his room and the presence of Jesus that was undeniable. Some family members and friends (Linda and Kristen Brown) rubbed his feet and sang to him till the morning light broke, and God then really made His presence known at 6:30 a.m. when the sun was just beginning to rise and the sun covered my dad from head to toe with birds singing in the courtyard outside, my dad feel asleep. When I look back over last year of my dad’s life it can appear that God is no where to be seen, but if you look at what happened before and even what happened during his final months God is everywhere.

I learned a lot about what it means to trust God in the midst of some of the toughest times I have had thus far in life.

Contrary to our immediate experience God can be trusted.

The One whom Jesus called Father can be trusted.

And this Father is not what we too often wind up thinking about God which is Moralistic Therapeutic Deism…God as therapist, butler, and free vending machine…

I find this to be so true “the one great idol of our time is the idol of entitlement”  

I think I’m owed some things, a certain quality of family life, a certain quality of financial well-being, certain level of health. Once we get rid of all that…then we have what you call faith.

Here is a truth to the Jesus story. The God that Jesus called Father lets him die. The God that I call Father let my dad die. And in the midst of the death of Jesus is this deep empowering trust that death does not have the final say.

Trusting God does not mean you/me/us will get everything we want when we want it. Trusting God means that you believe he will not abandon us.

It’s believing sometimes against our experience that no matter how it looks right now God can be trusted.

Will we trust Abba Father to be the provider and caretaker and security or will we attempt to be the source of our own security?

God has made us alive

A few years ago there was a popular song that contained this chorus, “Love will keep us alive.” The song was referring to a relationship between a man and a woman, and how love would keep them going even through those difficult times. As many can attest to, there are times when love does indeed keep a relationship going. This idea of love’s power to bond people together is especially significant in our relationship with God and with one another. During those times when we go astray and fail because of our rebellion, it is His love for us that keeps Him close and gives us the opportunity to return again and again. Especially at the time of communion we are reminded of the awesome power and awesome love of God; a love that both saves/rescues/and protects. It truly is His love for us that keeps us alive in a broken world that so desperately needs to know this type of love.

If we change one word in the chorus of that oldie and but goodie, it more appropriately describes what God has done for us: “Love will make us alive.”

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions.”

Scripture uses the terms slave and free as parallels for being dead and alive. At one time we were dead in our sins, but now we have been set free from that which held us in slavery (our sin and rebellion). Since we are free from sin, we should live like liberated people no longer under sin’s mastery.

Around the table we experience though bread and cup vivid reminders that we are set free from sin in order to be a new creation and live a new life. His love has indeed made us alive.

Wind Chimes

Wind chimes are amazing things. They are designed with a very specific purpose, but also retain a unique beauty. Wind chimes come in many shapes and sizes, colors and designs, and all are made of quite a diversity of materials. Some are made of seashells, while others are made of brass; still others are made of glass, and the list could go on. All of these things make them beautiful, depending on your preferences. But no matter the shape, size, or material, the wind chime has a specific purpose: to create a beautiful music from the invisible power of the wind. At the communion table we also see a unique beauty. Here, people from all walks of life and personal backgrounds come together for a single, special purpose. No matter the various shapes, sizes, and situations of the participants, the Lord’s Supper is something beautiful. All are welcome at the table.

Galatians 3:26-28: “So in Christ Jesus you are children of God through faith, for all of you were baptized in Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

One aspect of the Lord’s Supper beauty is that it communicates to each of us that we are saved/redeemed/rescued/reconciled/set free because of Jesus’ death and resurrection. In this moment we are reminded of the beauty and power of this time together. It is all that makes up this time bread/cup and even the silence that can energize the broken pieces of our lives with His beauty and rescuing power.

John 17:20-23: “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”

Almost Christian # 4

It has been a couple months since I have discussed the book Almost Christan: What the faith of our teenagers is telling the American church. A section I read this past week has convicted me in a strong way. I hope it does the same for you. "Research is nearly unanimous on this point: parents matter most in shaping the religious lives of  their children. This is not to say that parents determine their children's spiritual destinies...Yet there is no doubt that teenagers' appreciation of a life-orienting/altering God story, and their ability to discern God's ongoing movement in their lives and their communities are heavily influenced by adults' appreciation of such a story, and adults' ways of discerning and responding to the Holy Spirit's presence in their lives...Teenagers ability to imitate Christ depends, to a daunting degree, on whether we do" (112). May each one of us have the desire/will and commitment to live our lives in a way that our children. grandchildren, nieces, nephews, whoever we might have the opportunity to influence, will want to follow us, as we follow the Savior. Not some religious tradition, simply Jesus.   

"Blue Rose"

Received this story from Ken Green and I find it too moving not to spread.

Blue Rose

Having four visiting family members, my wife was very busy, so I offered to go to the store for her to get some needed items, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags, detergent and Clorox. So off I went.

I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies and headed for the checkout counter, only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man who appeared to be about sixteen-years-old. I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice, "Mommy, I'm over here."

It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said, "Hey Buddy, what's your name?" "My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly. "Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name was Denny, but my name is Steve." "Steve, like Stevarino?" he asked. "Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?" "How old am I now, Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle. "You're fifteen-years-old Denny; now be a good boy and let the man pass by."

I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement, because he was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section. Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.

I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow, and pink roses in God's Garden; however, "Blue Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness. You see, Denny is a Blue Rose and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God. She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked, "Who are you?" Without thinking I said, "Oh, I'm probably just a dandelion, but I sure love living in God's garden." She reached out, squeezed my hand and said, "God bless you!" and then I had tears in my eyes.

May I suggest, the next time you see a BLUE ROSE, don't turn your head and walk off. Take the time to smile and say Hello. Why? Because, by the grace of GOD, this mother or father could be you. This could be your child, grandchild, niece or nephew. What a difference a moment can mean to that person or their family.

From an old dandelion! Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God .

"People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel!" 

Amazing Read

Megan's Secrets by Mike Cope is an incredible read. I have shed tears with each chapter and through my reading have come to a deeper appreciation for the time I have with Dylon and Allie. I cannot recommend this book enough.



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