May 2007
Psalm 91
Preached on 5/27/07 - Pentecost
David Endriss
TOUGH LOVE
Introduction
This last Wednesday evening I stood before the Senior Class of the high school along with many of their parents and friends. It was baccalaureate and one of the goals of this service is to help the students realize God’s presence in their lives both now and in the years to come. It’s an understandably exciting week for them as they turn this corner in their lives. They have received the accolades and recognition of a job well done. And with that praise, they move forward.
And so we find Jesus at a somewhat similar turning point, at the beginning of his ministry. Excited crowds at the Jordan River were introduced by John the Baptist to this Lamb who will take away the sins of the world. Now if we were in Jesus’ place, you and I probably would have allowed ourselves to ride this wave of enthusiasm and popularity to wherever it might lead.
But that is not what happens. Rather, Jesus is led by the Spirit out into the wilderness. In the gospel of Mark, the author there uses an even stronger verb...Jesus is driven, compelled out into the wilderness. Jesus’ ministry begins not among the people, but out in the desert.
This morning I don’t plan to focus in on the temptations of Jesus. They are a fruitful study, but I want to spend some time reflecting with you today about how the Spirit goes about leading us, sometimes in some very unexpected and unusual ways.
The Wilderness
The wilderness is that place, where in the Old Testament many of the prophets received their commissions or revelations from God. Consider Joel, Jeremiah, Isaiah or Job. It was in the desert that Hagar, the Israelites and David wandered. Elijah the prophet hides there, and Elisha and John the Baptist minister in the wilderness.
The wilderness is that place where we are exposed to the elements. It is where we are no longer at the top of the food chain. We are no longer ‘in charge’. Our needs our reduced to the very basics: water, food, shelter. It is that place where we become reliant upon God—or God’s Opposer. This is the very core of the temptations that Jesus was given.
When I was in High School, I too had the privilege of going on summer work trips. As we prepared to make one trip, one girl in the group became quite nervous. For Shannon, she saw this trip as a form of a wilderness journey. She realized that she was not going to be able to hide and put on the façade that we all tend to do on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings. Being with a group for a whole week was going to make her feel very exposed! There was no place for her to hide.
The wilderness or desert is a place of uncertainty and of dangers. But it is also a place of great wonders. Along with everything else, the wilderness is also a place of discovery. It is in the desert that we can find God’s call for our lives.
No spiritual journey is complete unless we have spent some time in the wilderness. It may seem so unfair, particularly after that high moment in the Jordan! Things are great! The voice of God has just spoken and you have understood who you are and what God has called you to do. You are ready to go!
But no, the Spirit drives you into the wilderness. But isn’t that how life is sometimes? From the mountains to the valleys in just one day. From the garden of the Jordan River to the wilderness desert. Life is full of the ups and downs. God has not created us to live at one level all the time. One of the best defenses that we can have for those times in the deserts is to expect them…they will come!
The Spirit’s Leading
We seldom think of the Holy Spirit leading us into trying times. When life brings difficulties and challenges, let’s not doubt the Spirit’s leading. The spirit is free to lead us not only into good things, but into confrontation with bad things.
A couple of weeks ago, our church Session concluded a lengthy meeting as we finalized and made some more decisions about our building project. You will learn the details of that decision at our congregational meeting on June 10th. We are trying to get materials both in hard copy and on the church’s web site to you before that meeting for you to study.
After several hours of discussion at that Session meeting we were ready to call it a night. But before we left, I closed the meeting by reading a passage of Scripture from Acts 16. The apostle Paul and his friends were trying to figure out their travel plans as they moved around what we now know as the western part of the country of Turkey.
They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that route. 7So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t let them go there either. 8Proceeding on through Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas. It was there that God showed Paul and his friends which way to go.
And so it is that we often experience the leading of God. We try one thing, but that way is blocked and so we try something else. That too is not the way to go and we prayerfully move forward in another direction. This path may seem somewhat circuitous, but we find that God truly is leading us. In the course of this building process, there are times when I have to confess that I have become frustrated by what I perceive to be changes on my expected route. But then I read a passage like this one from Acts and I am comforted and encouraged that God is leading us. I came away from that meeting confident of the Spirit’s leading.
Life Without a Guide
A person without a guide in their life is like a ship without maps and a compass. They will drift aimlessly from day to day hoping to arrive at the nebulous port of “somewhere.” Their voyage though life will be left to chance.
In 1938, Douglas Corrigan left Floyd Bennet Field in New York to fly to Los Angeles. It was foggy when he took off, and he turned east. Twenty-eight hours later he landed in Dublin, Ireland. Corrigan had made the journey alone with only a pressure gauge, a compass, and a map of the United States. Ever afterward he was known as Wrong Way Corrigan. When we think about our lives, is it possible you or I should be called Wrong Way Endriss, or Jones, or whatever our family name might be?
John Watson was the famous behavioral psychologist who is probably most famous for his quote: "Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select--doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant-chief, and, yes, even beggarman and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors." But John Watson also said this: “Life for every one of us is a stormy voyage with crosscurrents which are apt to sweep us out of our course, and an occasional tempest that might wreck an ill-managed vessel. The person is fortunate who has a good compass, but they are also wise who are careful to adjust their compass; and as a vessel goes into a quiet bay to test the compasses before venturing on the ocean voyage, so should a person return frequently to the gospels, and learn at the feet of Christ the way of life everlasting.”
Conclusion
On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the church. That same Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness, who guided Jesus into that upper room to share this supper, who empowered him to face the cross, is leading us today. Sometimes in surprising, unexpected, even difficult directions. Trust in the Spirit’s leading. The God who loves you will not lead you astray.
Texts: John 14:23-29
Psalm 67
Preached on 5/13/07
David Endriss
PEACE I GIVE YOU
Introduction
Be it known to all present that I, David Wayne Endriss, of 1312 Country Club Road, Indianola, of the state of Iowa, being of sound mind and body do make, publish and declare the following to be my Last Will and Testament. Now how is that for a provocative beginning to a sermon?
Charitable organizations, churches included, attorneys, and many of our families encourage us to plan ahead with our assets and finances. What bequests or endowments will we set up for our children, our husbands or wives, for our grandchildren and for those other causes that are important to us so that when we die we can be assured that a portion of our estate is passed on to them?
These are good and important questions to ask. But what kind of bequest has Jesus given to us? If Jesus filled out a Last Will and Testament, what would have been in it? What has Jesus passed on to us?
Peace
In today’s Scripture passage Jesus doesn’t pull any punches. He knows that his time with his disciples is about over. He forewarns them that he will be soon leaving them. Naturally, they are upset. Our text says they were troubled. I find that particular word a little calm for how they were feeling. The Greek word there is “tarasso” which means to be thrown into confusion or disturbed. Jesus tells them don’t be afraid. This too seems a little gentle. The word there suggests the palpitating of the heart. Jesus’ announcement that he was leaving had caught them so off guard that their hearts were racing in fear. And so he says to them, (in a rough paraphrase) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled (unsettled or agitated), and do not have a heart attack.
But what is this peace that Jesus talks about? The very familiar word for peace in Hebrew is shalom. This is more than just the absence of conflict. It means wholeness, completeness both in our personal lives and in our communal life. Shalom was the traditional way to say both hello and good-by in Hebrew, much like the Hawaiians would say “Aloha”. And again, like aloha, shalom is a complex word with multiple meanings. Jesus is beginning his “leave taking” and so in good Hebrew fashion he says, “shalom”.
The World’s Peace
But Jesus says that this peace that he is giving is very different from the world’s kind of peace. What is the nature of the world’s peace? Our world bases its hope for peace on promises of security. That sense of safety can be based upon force of arms, signed treaties of agreement, or concessions settled upon by opposing parties. But always lurking in the back is the possibility that hostilities and disagreements will once again raise their ugly head.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and activist who lived during the rise of Hitler went so far as to write, “Peace is the opposite of security.”
On a personal level people look for peace sometimes by finding ways to escape the tension and strife around them. Some of these methods can be quite healthy. A good book or television show can be nice ways to relax at the end of a stressful day. Other ways to escape are considerably less healthy: alcohol or drug abuse, for example.
Back in the early 1980’s a retired couple became alarmed by the growing threat of a nuclear war so they undertook a serious study of all the inhabited places on the globe. Their goal was to determine where in the world would be the place to be least likely affected by a nuclear war. A place of ultimate security. They studied and traveled, traveled and studied. Finally they found the place. And on Christmas they sent their pastor a card from their new home—in the Falkland Islands. Well, in 1982 their “paradise” was turned into a war zone by Great Britain and Argentina.
The nature of our world’s peace is based upon resources. How many missiles do I need to insure that my enemy won’t attack? How much money do I need to make in order to feel financially secure? What title or position can I attain that will allow me to be recognized so that I can feel affirmed?
Inevitably, this kind of peace is fleeting. Its transitory nature keeps us going back for more. No amount of missiles, money, or titles will provide any kind of lasting peace. In this, it is like an addiction. A few bombs might hold a temporary peace for awhile until someone else makes some. Then the stakes are raised and I will have to make more in order to feel secure. Similarly, some money, becomes more money and still more in an effort to satiate a desire that ultimately cannot be assuaged in this manner. It takes something more. It takes someone more.
The Peace of Christ
Where the world bases its peace on resources, the peace that God grants is based on relationships. A relationship with God. Notice that the world can only wish you peace, but Jesus gives it. My peace I give to you.
But God has been giving this peace for a very long time. Currently, the oldest record of an Old Testament text was discovered in 1979 in a valley across from the city of Jerusalem. It is dated about 600 years before Christ. On this silver amulet are recorded these words from the book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 24-26: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
The poet George Herbert had it backwards when he wrote, “Where there is peace, God is.” It is just the opposite. Where God is, there is peace.
But there is another aspect to this peace that is quite different from the world’s. We often envision peace as an extremely fragile thing, so easily broken or lost. But that is not how it is described in Scripture. The 20th century Swedish theologian, Anders Nygren wrote, “that God’s peace is a mighty power, which of itself can keep our hearts and our thoughts. God’s peace is a mighty fortress, in which we are well defended and safe against all hostile powers of destruction. It is not we who are to protect peace, but rather it is peace which is to protect us.” No, this kind of peace is far from being sentimental nonsense. This peace has power and strength.
As one person cleverly put it, “When the Christian stays his mind upon Christ, he develops a wonderful “calm-plex.”
Conclusion
Two hundred years after Jesus, the bishop of Carthage, Cyprian, wrote that Jesus gave this peace to us as a heritage; He promised all the gifts and rewards of which He spoke through the preservation of peace. If we are fellow-heirs with Christ, let us abide in the peace of Christ; if we are sons of God, we ought to be peacemakers.
D. L. Moody, in speaking of this familiar passage, “My peace I leave with you’ said. ‘Did you ever think that, when Christ was dying, He made a will? Perhaps you have thought that no one ever remembered you in a will, but if you are in the Kingdom, Christ remembered you in His. He willed His body to Joseph of Arimathea and His mother, to John the son of Zebedee. But to His disciples he left His peace (not ours, but His) and His joy. Today, even carefully crafted wills can be broken by lawyers and attorneys who challenge them. But I challenge them to break Christ’s will. No judge or jury can set that aside.”
Be it known to all present that Jesus Christ, a resident of both heaven and in the lives of those who profess his name, being of not only sound but perfect mind and body does make, publish and declare the following to be his gift and bequest to all who are a part of his family: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Texts: John 13:31-35 David Endriss
Galatians 5:13-26 Preached on 5/6/07
THE SIGN OF CHRIST’S DISCIPLES
Introduction
Bumper stickers are not quite as popular an item as they once were a few years ago. But for many years they served as an easy way to advertise or share a concise piece of what is thought to be proverbial wisdom. It wouldn’t take much to imagine that Jesus’ command, “Love one another” would have made a pretty good bumper sticker even in the first century. Can you picture all the donkeys in Israel with a sign on their rumps reading, “Love One Another”? The problem with such a promotion, is although it sounds good, no one can really carry it out.
The Context
But before we go too far with these verses, let’s stop and look at their context. Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples spending his last few hours with them before he is arrested. The words I read for you are sandwiched between Jesus’ announcements that one of the disciples will betray him and that Peter will deny him. In between these two devastating pronouncements is Christ’s command: “love one another.”
Even as I have loved you, love one another. These words are incongruously set next to treachery and rejection. Christ’s love stands in the midst of Judas and Peter. And that same love continues to stand in the midst of our duplicity, unfaithfulness, and selfishness today. We too are prone to living the part of Judas or Peter.
The Source of Our Love
Jesus’ command to “love one another”, sounds impossible. Not because it’s hard, (it is) but because it doesn’t make sense. How can you command love? For love to mean anything, it cannot be compelled. It must be given freely. But Jesus’ is not forcing us. His words are a mandate for the Christian life. Love is not just a mushy emotion that overwhelms us when we are in the presence of a person that we care about. Love is also a decision of the will. I can choose to love another person.
But even then, the kind of love Jesus is talking about is not possible. We haven’t the strength and power to love the Judas who betrays us or the Peter who turns their back on us when we are in deepest need. Back in 1967 the Beatles released their very popular song, “All You Need is Love”. But, as one critic said, three years later the group itself broke up. So how can we love the way that Christ commands us?
The clue comes in the words that come right after his command. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. The strength and ability for our love is rooted in Christ’s love for us. Children learn how to love by experiencing the love of their parents. An unloved or poorly loved child finds it difficult to love self or others. Such a sad situation even has a name: Emotional Deprivation Disorder.
But that is not true for us. The author of the first letter of John in his enthusiasm makes this emphatic statement: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. (1 John 3:1) We are God’s children and have experienced God’s wonderful love. You want to be a more loving Christian? Don’t stress out at trying to do more for others. Don’t grunt or labor at it thinking that if you just work harder you will become more loving. Simply become more aware of God’s great love for you. That growing realization will spill out into all areas of your life.
A Sign to the World
But Jesus didn’t just stop there with his new commandment to love one another. He made an observation. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. We must read these two verses together. Our command to love each other is tied to our relationship to the larger world. “We cannot go out and love the world without the support of a community wherein we are loved as Christ loves us. We need that community in order to survive as Christians. It is crucial for us to know that someone out there loves us. On the other hand, the community does not exist in and for itself alone. The church is the community where the love of God takes shape for the sake of the world, for the sake of that wider community of which the Christian community is a part. Thus the church becomes the saving reach of God’s love into the world.
This integral tie between God’s love for us and our love for each other and the world was mentioned by Patrick Morley, the popular Christian speaker and author. He wrote, The height of our love for God will never exceed the depth of our love for one another.
When the Sign Goes Wrong
One of the great tragedies in church history is when people are turned away from God because they see so little love in those who claim to be God’s people. But here is a really scary thought. Not only are people turned off but God too is turned away. In the opening chapters of the book of Revelation, the author writes seven short little letters to seven different churches. One of those letters was to the church at Ephesus. Now this particular church had a lot of things going for them. They are complemented for all their hard work, their toil and their doctrinal purity. They are commended for their patience and endurance. This sounds like a lot of churches today who work very hard and claim to be faithful adherents to the truth. But the church at Ephesus is soundly condemned for one very important thing: they had lost their first love. So much so that God is disgusted by their behavior and wants nothing to do with them! A dead church is one that has lost their ability to love.
It was Dwight L. Moody who observed that where one person reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me. Certainly, this begs the question, “what are people reading when they look at you and me? What do others see when they look at the church? Do they see a loving community or one that bitterly tears at one another?
Do you remember the story of Solomon and how he was able to discern the true identity of a mother by her love for her child? In a similar manner the world is able to identify the true disciples of Jesus by their love for one another.
People learn about who Jesus is by looking at us. They will make certain assumptions about Jesus based upon what they perceive in those who claim to be his followers. If a child is mean or rude, the blame is sometimes transferred to the parents. “Hmmm... you know what they say, The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree."
There is a sad parody of the classic hymn, “Onward Christian Soldiers.” One verse goes like this:
Like a mighty tortoise
Moves the church of God;
Brothers we are treading
Where we’ve always trod;
We are all divided,
Many bodies we,
Very strong on doctrine,
Weak on charity.
The 20th century scholar, Francis Schaeffer says that “according to Jesus Himself, the world has a right to decide whether we are true Christians, true disciples of Christ, on the basis of the love we show to one another.”
Conclusion
Virtually every grouping of people throughout the world is marked by some badge or symbol. Societies, clubs, associations, unions, companies, guilds, institutions, colleges, universities, schools, you name it, almost without exception, have their distinguishing mark.
So it is with the Christian church. From earliest days, as seen by paintings made inside the catacombs in Rome. One of those signs was the fish, since icthus (Greek for ‘fish’) formed a simple acrostic: for the Greek words ‘Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior’. The cross was another obvious sign indeed it has generally been regarded as the sign of the church all down the centuries since the days of the New Testament.
However, Jesus gave another distinguishing mark or sign which should be the outstanding feature of his disciples in every generation and in every place: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”