January 2008
Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18
Preached on 1/27/08
David Endriss
DIVIDED HOUSE
Introduction
He sat back with a sigh. His unexpected visitor had just
left. But she had left him with a long litany of questions
that his friends back in Corinth were desperately seeking
answers to. There were so many divided opinions about so
many different topics: about marriage, about idols, about
the sacraments, about freedom, about spiritual giftedness,
about immorality, about the resurrection, about giving. With
a shake of his head he realized that he would have to answer
these people. But he began to understand that this was not
simply an issue of divided opinions on these different
topics. There was a more serious and systemic problem lying
underneath all these other issues.
And so like any good doctor, Paul was willing to deal with
the symptomatic problems of the Corinthian church. He does
so in some detail, in the second part of first Corinthians,
starting in chapter 7. But this is not where he starts. He
begins with the much more serious cause of it all.
Divided we Fall
United we Stand, divided we fall. This patriotic axiom first
began during the American Revolutionary War in a song made
popular by the 18th century politician John Dickinson. It’s
most famous use was probably by Patrick Henry shortly before
his death in 1799. Since then it has been used as the state
motto of Kentucky and can be seen in the flag of Missouri.
This line has shown up periodically in American history,
perhaps most recently as a result of September 11, 2001.
Going back still further in history to England and the 16th
century, we come to the life of John Foxe. Foxe was shocked
by how throughout much of history the greatest danger to the
church has not been from outside forces but with believers
who have fought among themselves! In a sermon that he
preached at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in 1570 he said,
that such dissension and hostility Satan has sent among us,
that Turks be not more enemies to Christians, than
Christians to Christians, Catholics to protestants; yea,
protestants with protestants do not agree, but fall out for
trifles.
But we can go still further back in history. The apostle
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians writes about their
divisiveness. Paul indicates that he has heard rumors about
how the church has broken up into different camps; each
claiming to follow a different leader, “I belong to Paul,”
or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” (that is,
Peter) or “I belong to Christ.”
Those who claimed to follow Paul might have had the attitude
that since Paul started this church he ought to be the
leader. We might label them the traditionalists, a label
that might have appalled the apostle! Those who said they
followed Apollos might have emphasized knowledge of
Scripture. We learn elsewhere that this man was mighty in
his use of God’s word. Let’s call these followers Bible
intellectuals. Since Jesus had given Peter (Cephas) the keys
to the church, there was another faction who said that Peter
ought to be the leader of the Corinthian church. Then there
was the fourth group who were so fed up with the other three
that they piously announced that we follow Christ. But their
very sectarian attitude would have sickened our Lord.
This behavior so upset Paul that he rhetorically shoots off
to them a series of questions: Has Christ been divided? Was
Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of
Paul? The answer to these questions is of course, a
resounding no.
United we Stand
If Paul sounds harsh it is because he is so passionate about
the gospel and because he cares so much for these people.
Twice in the passage I read for you he writes, “my brothers
and sisters”. Before he is done with this letter he will
write those words another 20 times! Easily Paul uses this
phrase more times when addressing the Corinthians than in
any other of his letters.
And Paul does give them words of encouragement. Instead of
bickering over secondary issues, he admonishes them to focus
on those things that are most important. He tells them that
they should be in agreement with one another. That they
should be of the same mind, united towards the same purpose.
But Paul is not advocating uniformity here, only unity. He
does not expect, nor even desire that we all be exactly
alike. Elsewhere in Corinthians he even credits people’s
differences to the work of the Holy Spirit. Those very
differences make the church stronger.
God did not make us all physically alike. One of the
greatest miracles of God is how we are all similar: one
nose, two ears, two eyes, etc., and yet we are all
different. One of my favorite movie lines comes from the
film, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. In one scene a little
girl comes up to the character of Azeem, played by the actor
Morgan Freeman. The little girl asks him, “Why did God paint
you black?” Azeem responds with great wisdom, “Because Allah
loves wondrous diversity.”
So if we are so different and so diverse, what are those
things that we can affirm together? Paul, I am sure, was
telling them to go to that most central of declaration of
our faith that “Jesus Christ is Lord,” something that he was
to remind them about later in his letter. (1 Corinthians
12:3)
As a denomination and as a church we struggle over all sorts
of issues: the nature of ordination, our understanding of
sexuality, the justification of war, the sanctity of life
and on and on. We can discuss and argue politics, economics,
and party loyalties. On a more local level we might wrestle
with budgets and priorities. Do we paint the new hallway a
shocking pink or an off white? These discussions often need
and should happen, but when we are having them we need to
always remember that what holds us together is so much
stronger than those things that try to pull us apart.
A couple of weeks ago we held our January Presbytery meeting
up in Ankeny. I don’t know how many of you are familiar with
Robert’s Rules of Order. Believe me, unless you are
parliamentarian nut, this does not make for good bed time
reading! Essentially, Robert’s Rules helps a meeting to be
run in an orderly manner.
Our Presbytery is a good example of a diverse group of
individuals who certainly do not always agree, but we have
found that we can still affirm our unity in that diversity.
During this particular meeting a vote was taken which was
fairly split. Someone then called for a “division of the
house!”, a parliamentary procedure. This meant that instead
of a verbal vote, each voting member was required to stand
and be counted.
Although we were divided in our opinions on this particular
matter, I enjoyed several conversations after the meeting
with many of those who voted the other way. Despite the call
for a “division of the house,” this house we know as the
Presbytery of Des Moines was not divided on those issues we
deem most important.
Conclusion
Among his favorite metaphors to describe the church, Paul
likens the church to both a body and a building. I’m going
to add one more. When was the last time you did a puzzle?
Each piece is unique and different. But without each and
everyone of those unique pieces, the puzzle would be
incomplete. Paul invites us all to be united in one spirit.
The word he uses is καταρτίζω (katartizō). Another
translation says, perfectly fitted together. God has cut
each one of you to be a perfect fit in the overall design of
God’s kingdom.
Texts: John 1:19-34
Daniel 4: 28-37
Preached on 1/20/08
David Endriss
FAMOUS FOOTWEAR
Introduction
John the Baptist has often fascinated me. Here is a guy who
in many ways was made from the same mold as the Old
Testament prophets. He is charismatic. He is dramatic. And
he is dogmatic. He does not mince his words as he proclaims
without hesitation the immediate coming of the Messiah and
the need for repentance.
Such a powerful speaker, who preaches with such confidence
and draws such large crowds and attention you might think
would also be full of himself. But instead you find one of
the most humble men in all of Scripture. Let’s spend some
time this morning looking at this particular quality of
John.
Who Are You?
When John began to preach, he quickly drew the attention of
the religious establishment who wanted to verify not only
his theological orthodoxy, but to authenticate his
authority. In our text this morning we have a transcript of
their interrogation of him:
Who are you?
Are you Elijah?
Are you the promised prophet?
Who are you?
What do you say about yourself?
By what authority do you baptize?
In each case John refused to fit neatly into their mold of
what they wanted. I am not Elijah. I am not the promised
prophet who will be like the next Moses. What I am is that
voice crying out in the wilderness, telling you to get
ready. He is coming!
Who are you? It was not a bad question that the Levites and
scribes asked of him. Who are you? Now there is a question
that we have probably all asked of ourselves; more than
once! This is more than a simple answer that describes my
roles in life: husband, father, pastor, friend, etc. Who am
I? John seemed to know his place in life.
I am he who is not worthy to untie the thong of the one who
is yet to come. Rabbinical teaching around the time of Jesus
stated that, All manner of service that a slave must render
to his master a student must render to his teacher, except
that of taking off his shoe. But John even takes this humble
role upon himself! When Nicki and I go shopping for shoes we
often run up to Famous Footwear. Here is John saying that he
is more than willing to deal with the footwear of the most
famous individual in history.
Alfred Adler, one of the fathers of modern psychiatry,
considers the desire for recognition to be one of the
strongest of all human instincts. We all look for
recognition from our parents, from our friends and from our
colleagues at work or school. This is not necessarily bad.
This desire often drives much of what we do. But unchecked,
it can get us into a lot of trouble. When our desire for
recognition gets out of hand, pride replaces humility,
conceit over modesty, and self-importance governs
self-service.
A man or woman must truly be able to answer the question,
“Who am I?”, to be able to respond in the way that John did.
They must know who they are and be comfortable in that
knowledge. Let me give you a negative example of another
individual. When Muhammad Ali was in his prime and the plane
he was in was about to take off, the flight attendant
reminded him that he still needed to fasten his seat belt.
Ali responded back rather brashly, “Superman don’t need no
seat belt.” The attendant quickly answered, “Superman don’t
need no airplane, either.” Ali fastened his belt. A humble
person honestly recognizes their place in life.
Another Poor Example
In the Old Testament there is a wonderful little story found
in the book of Daniel about King Nebuchadnezzar. Because of
his great pride, God humbled him and for seven years he was
made to act like an animal, eating grass like oxen. Not to
long ago, a popular movie was made whose story line follows
this Old Testament tale so closely that I find it hard to
believe it was coincidental. Let’s see a portion of that
movie.
Walt Disney’s “The Emperor’s New Groove” is the story of a
proud king who, for awhile became a llama. Eventually, he
does “come to his senses” and becomes a much more humble
man.
Humility - An Unusual Virtue
The popular radio show host, Bernard Meltzer once made this
observation. He said, Humility is a most strange thing. The
moment that you think you have acquired it is just the
moment you have lost it. The second you start to crow about
having humility, you have proven that you don’t. The
Christian devotional writer Oswald Chambers said that, There
is nothing more awful than conscious humility; it is the
most satanic type of pride.
The story is told of one pious college student who started
every day in prayer. After one session of prayer he left his
dorm room and began to make his way to the cafeteria for
breakfast. As he was leaving his room, he thought to
himself, “how good I am for having my morning devotions!”
Having caught himself with the sin of pride, he immediately
returned to his room and confessed his sin. Having finished
his confession he again began his journey towards breakfast
thinking, “how good I am to have caught myself and how
righteous I am to immediately get it fixed.” All of a sudden
he realized he was doing it again. Deeply troubled he ran
back to his room, fell on his knees and again prayed.
Afterwards, he once again headed off to breakfast, but by
then he had lost his appetite. Humility is indeed a strange
thing.
The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, in an essay on humility,
suggests that we conceive of humility like an arrow racing
on its course when suddenly it halts in mid-flight, perhaps
in order to see how far it has come or how high it has
soared above the earth or how its speed compares to that of
another arrow (or to see and admire the gracefulness with
which it flies); at that very moment it falls to the ground.
So, the philosopher insists, a self-conscious humility is
always dangerous and self-destructive.
Madam Curie is one of only two people who have ever been
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in two separate fields. In her
case it was in Physics and Chemistry. After her death, one
of her daughters, Eve Curie wrote a biography about her
mother. She writes that her mother never knew how to be
famous. That’s unconscious humility.
Unconsciously Humble
So how can one be humble without crowing about it? “I’m more
humble than you!” Let’s return to the story of John the
Baptist. Throughout John’s life and in his message one thing
always stands out: his utter Christocentricity. That is,
John is always pointing to Jesus Christ. Shortly after the
passage we read from John chapter 1, we find some of the
Baptist’s disciples being jealous because many people were
leaving John to now follow Jesus. John’s response is “he
must increase, but I must decrease.”
True humility is not so much a matter of belittling yourself
but of lifting up others. The truly humble person spends
their time focusing on others. And for Christians in
particular, we are to lift up Christ.
Conclusion
John knew not only how to point, but to whom to point. He
must increase, I must decrease. Here is the Lamb of God who
takes away the sin of the world! Make straight the way of
the Lord! Who are you? John could answer that question. He
was one who always pointed towards Christ. A truly humble
person will do likewise.
Texts: Matthew 2:1-12
Isaiah 53:1-12
Preached on 1/06/08
David Endriss
APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING
Introduction
As I just shared with the children, we have often heard it
said, “appearances can be deceiving.” Or to put it another
way with a different aphorism, “don’t judge a book by its
cover.” More than once we probably have been suckered into a
movie plot where a character we thought was good, turns out
to be bad. A commercial that we thought suggested one thing,
throws us a surprise at the end.
Of course, this past week many of you participated in the
caucus process. As you prepared to cast your support with
one candidate over another, you hopefully sought to look
beyond the surface - beyond the cover of the book. You did
not want to be fooled by mere appearances.
Now look at our story this morning. This very familiar tale
is full of people who appear to be one thing - but in fact
are something quite different. The mysterious magi are pagan
outsiders who surprisingly worship Jesus. Herod initially
plays the part of a subservient king but we discover that
this is only a devious ploy. Even Jesus is not what he
seems; a peasant baby born in a humble setting turns out to
be the king of kings.
The Star and Magi
Perhaps the first appearance in our story is that of the
star itself. Was it a supernova, a comet, or some unusual
conjunction of planets? Frankly, it doesn’t matter too much.
But these magi, who were experts at interpreting events that
they saw in the heavens, realized that an unusual occurrence
was taking place in the land of the Jews. They were
determined to learn more, and so they began their journey.
Throughout the gospels we usually find Jesus going out of
his way to reach people. Most often, he is the one going to
find them. But in this story, the people are coming to Jesus
- and no one travels further in the gospel narrative than
these wise men.
Perhaps that is a requirement for being a Christian, a
willingness to go on a journey. For many believers the only
journey they have to make is on Sunday morning: from their
home to this place. For them being a Christian is a staid
and uncomplicated life with little or no risks. But that was
not true for these magi. They travelled a very long distance
to come and worship this new king.
We sometimes talk about “coming to Christ.” The very phrase
speaks of a journey. And, as my friends who are more
proficient in English grammar than I are quick to point out,
the word “coming” is a gerund, an “ing” word. That is, it’s
a process, not a one time event. You and I are on a journey
- coming to Jesus.
Over three years ago, Time Magazine had an issue right
before Christmas that highlighted the nativity story.
Quoting a professor from Chicago the author stated,
Matthew's wise men were a classic case of fish out of water.
"Like a meeting of Iranian ayatollahs in Nebraska,"
It is very clear in each of the gospels about how Jesus
reached out to the poor, the oppressed, the outcasts and
those who were outside what was considered the norm of
Jewish society. Even here, at the very beginning of his
life, we find that Jesus is drawing individuals who are
unusual, unexpected and unforeseen into his influence.
When the magi finally arrived at the manger they rejoiced.
One of the interesting things about the Greek language is
that it doesn’t have superlatives. When we want to emphasize
something as the best we say it is the greatest, biggest, or
largest. To do this in the Greek you emphasize by saying it
multiple times. So when the magi finally arrived at the
manger you have this wonderful phrase which could be best
translated, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
King Herod
But in strong contrast to the magi and their response at
finally meeting Jesus, listen to what the text says about
how Herod reacted when he learned of this new king, he was
frightened, and all of Jerusalem with him.
Jesus has always brought very diverse reactions to those who
are confronted by his presence. To some Jesus is good news.
To others Jesus’ very presence is a threat. For some, Jesus
is the light that shines, leading them out of darkness. For
others, that same light exposes that which they would wish
to keep secret.
Why is it that some can embrace the light, like the magi,
and others, like Herod, turn away? Why is it that the same
light can create such different responses in people? Perhaps
there are many reasons but I suspect underneath most of them
is fear. Fear of getting lost on this journey. Fear of the
unknown. Fear of even losing one’s self.
Jesus
We have seen how the magi were not what they appeared at
first. King Herod too, was not what he seemed. Then there is
Jesus himself. He too is not what he initially appears to
be. Or more accurately, he is more than what you see on the
surface. Yes, he was born of humble parents in a small
village in Israel. But if that is all you see, then you have
not seen Jesus Christ.
Today is Epiphany. Now there is a word that is not a part of
our everyday vocabulary. Epiphany means an appearance, and
by inference, a god appearance. God appeared to humankind in
a manger in Bethlehem. But this manifestation was not what
we expected. Even Isaiah spoke of this appearance in
unexpected ways: he had no form or majesty that we should
look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire
him. Then Isaiah goes on in some detail about this
unexpected appearance of God.
God, can does, appear to us in many ways. For example, here
at this table is a God-appearing. Here at this table,
through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we do, in fact meet
God just as surely as the magi met the Christ child in
Bethlehem.
But God can also appear to us in other surprising ways.
Through the kind and unexpected actions of others we can
often see the face of God. On your way out of the sanctuary
this morning you will be given a gift. An Epiphany Star.
Attached to the star is a note inviting you to be that face
of God to someone near to you. You can be used of God to be
an epiphany moment.
Conclusion
Most of us have, at one time or another experienced that
wonderful exhilaration that comes from taking the family on
a vacation in the car. You spend hours preparing, packing
and planning. Finally, the day arrives and you pile
everything and everyone into the car and you begin to drive.
But you are not even out of town yet when you hear those
four fateful words from somewhere in the back seat, “Are we
there yet?”
Did the magi ever ask that question? I wonder. But the
manger was not the end of their journey, nor is it the end
of ours. Just as the gospel of Matthew begins with a lengthy
journey, it also ends with one. Jesus invites us to go on a
journey with him: go and make disciples of all nations...”
We have begun this journey.
Texts: 1 John
3:1-7
Isaiah 42:1-9
Preached on 1/13/08
David Endriss
SEE WHAT LOVE GOD HAS!
Introduction
What is something that every person here in this room has in
common? This is one experience that we all share and no one
is excluded? What is the ONE thing that we know for sure we
have ALL had?
Are all of us here in this room Presbyterians? No. Are all
of us Christians? Probably not. Are all of us American
citizens? As I shared with the children, definitely not.
What is the ONE experience that we know for sure, that every
single person in this room has had?
Yes, we are all human beings. Yes, we all breathe, drink
water, and eat food to stay alive. Another thing that every
single person here in this room has in common with each
other is the fact that every person here in this room has
experienced childhood. All of us have been or are children.
Little Children
Eight times in this short little letter, John uses the
phrase – “little children”. It is the Greek word – “teknoi”
– little children. “Little children do not sin.” “Little
children, your sins are forgiven.” “Little children, it is
the last hour.” “Little children, let no one deceive you.”
“Little children, love with deeds and truth.” “Little
children, keep yourselves from idols.” Eight times the
author addresses his reader with his pet phrase, “Little
children. My little children.”
If the disciple we know as John actually wrote this letter,
he was probably advanced in age at the time he shared these
words. It is easy to imagine a wizened figure of a man,
stooped with age, but afire with God’s love, sharing his
deepest longings with those whom he calls little children.
When Nicki and I attended Bible school in northern England
back in 1979 one of my favorite lecturers was Dr. Alan
Redpath. At that time Dr. Redpath was already 72 years old.
I imagine him something like the aged disciple John, sharing
with his “little children.” Dr. Redpath would look out to
the lecture hall of about 150 students, mostly in their late
teens and early 20’s and he would literally vibrate with an
intensity to share what was placed upon his heart. He would
beg us not to miss an important truth that he was wanting to
share. That’s how I envision the author of first John
writing to his “little children.”
We Are God’s Little Children
Probably like most of you, one of my favorite times in
church life is the baptism of infants. Besides being a cute
and tender moment, it is a constant reminder to me of God’s
love and how God has called us to be a part of a family. At
the end of the baptism service, assuming the child is
cooperating comes one of my favorite moments - when I
present the child to you, the congregation. As I step out
towards you, I often quote this verse from 1 John 3:1. “See
what love the Father has given us, that we should be called
children of God; and that is what we are!”
I love my two boys deeply, in ways that go beyond words.
When they are your children, you love them in spite of their
irritations, their faults, their limitations. When I look
out at our congregation I can still see and think of
children in our church family. The Bishops (and four girls!
How do they manage?) The Van Dams. The Hunters. The Wilsons.
I see children of all ages, sizes and personalities. And I
love them...but I don’t love them in the same way that you,
their parents do. It is not with the same intensity. In
spite of your children’s idiosyncrasies, you still love
them. And I might wonder... what’s wrong with me? Why can’t
I love them like you do? The obvious answer is that there is
nothing wrong with me; I am simply not their parent. They
are not MY children.
And so it is with God. We are God’s little children. We
belong to God. And by calling us little children, this
reveals the patient and intense love that God has for us,
because God loves us just like a parent loves his or her own
children in a way that another parent cannot.
In the December 4, 1989 issue of Newsweek magazine, there
was an article about a little known mental disorder called
erotomania. It is a mental illness in which a person has the
delusion that he or she is the object of someone’s love.
Some imagine love affairs that continue for years, yet it
all exists only in the imagination of the sufferer. The
title of the article was “The Delusions of Love.” While
romantic love may have many delusions, there is no delusion
about God’s love.
Do notice that John states this as a fact. . “See what love
the Father has given us, that we should be called children
of God; and that is what we are!” We are God’s children. I
am God’s child now. Not later when I get to heaven. Not
maybe, or could be. This is a present reality!
Even as an aged disciple, this thought amazed John! See what
love this is! Can you imagine such love! It is wondrous,
incredible and marvelous, that God should call us children!
Let’s try looking at this in a different way. English
muffins were not invented in England. They actually started
in America over 100 years ago! (Sorry Nicki!) Danish
pastries were not first baked in Denmark, but rather Italy.
It was not the French who first gave us French fries.
Interestingly enough, neither did they give us French toast.
Nor was the croissant, which too began in Italy.
Christians, however, do belong to Christ. They find their
origin and their very being in him. They are what they are
by his grace. They are not as much like Christ as they want
to be but are trying hard.
Children with Potential
But like all children, we are not yet all that we can be.
John restates again in verse 2 what I just stressed,
“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not
yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is
revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he
is.”
Have you ever looked at a child or young person as a bundle
of potential? Their energy, their gifts, their insights,
their talents and their enthusiasm makes for such great
potential. They are not there yet. As a parent, a teacher, a
responsible adult one of our goals is for them to reach out
and grab on to that potentiality. In the words of the
popular ARMY slogan - “To be all that you can be.”
Pastor and author Carroll Simcox put it beautifully when he
said, "We think of ourselves now as human beings. We really
aren't that - not yet. We are human becomings. If you are
living in Christ, believing in him and trying to follow and
obey him as the master of your life, you are by his grace,
becoming ever more and more like him." You are becoming.
The famous preacher Charles Spurgeon once read a commentary
on the Old Testament book of Leviticus that so blessed him,
that he sent the volume to the author, Alexander Bonar, and
asked him to autograph the book and return it along with a
picture. The book was returned with the following note:
“Dear Spurgeon, here is the book with my autograph and with
my photograph. If you had been willing to wait a short
season, you could have had a better likeness, for I shall be
like him; I shall see him as he is.
Conclusion
On this day of the year, we remember Christ’s baptism. Do
you remember what happened immediately afterwards? The
heavens opened up and God’s voice was heard, “You are my
beloved son. With you I am well pleased.” Those same words
are also spoken to us: You are my beloved son, by beloved
daughter, in you I am well pleased.
Yes, we are vessels of great potential. We are human
becomings. We are, when he appears, going to be like Christ.
We are God’s children!