Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  Over the past few months we have been looking at what it means to do life together.  We have looked at what it means to pay attention to one another.  We have looked at what it means to care for one another.  We have looked at what it means to forgive one another when relationships break down and we have looked at what it means to do life together and also forgive one another.

As we continue to think about what it means to do life together, we must once again step back and reflect on what the greater vision of the church really is.  Is it to build deeper, stronger and healthier relationships with one another.  Yes, that’s part of it.  But, the church is also designed so that it is a place for all who follow in Christ to gather, to worship to pray with one another.  And this is what we will be exploring together this morning about what it means to be inclusive.  And not only being inclusive, but building up our community to be passionately inclusive, making sure that everyone who enters through those doors are made to feel a part of the community of Chinese Presbyterian Church.

But, before we begin, will you join me in prayer.

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for today and for the opportunity to come together as a community of faith to worship you.  We thank you for the freedom that we have.  We pray Lord, that you will open up the scriptures to us and illuminate for us what you would have us learn from your words.  Transform our hearts, and our minds, and our lives, that we may become more like you, day after day.  Holy Spirit come now and speak to us this morning.  Break our hard hearts and help us to become the people you intended us to be.  We pray for these things in your name.  Amen.

1. The Hook:

When I was in high school, one of my greatest desires was to be included.  You see, my journey was quite different than any of my peers.  I was moving from a private Christian elementary school into a public high school.  And, on top of that, I had moved to a high school that was completely out of district.  I had moved away from everything that I had known and was familiar to me.  I had moved away from my teachers, my friends and my neighborhood.  And, I had to make new friends all over again.

For me, it didn’t take too long.  I made friends with all sorts of groups that were in my high school. I had made friends with the jocks, the guys who played football and rugby.  I had made friends with kids who were from Hong Kong and basically only spoke Chinese.  I had made friends, who back in the 90’s were labelled as hippies, because of their long hair and their love for playing hackey sack.  

And the greatest lesson that I learned from this experience is that human beings are designed to be in community with one another.

1. Context - Gentiles vs 11 - 13

When people come together, there is always something that ties us, that binds us that brings us together.

When families come together, it is blood lines that bring us together.

When a friends get together, there’s usually the common bond of where you met, say high school that brings us together.

When coworkers get together, the common bond that brings us together is of course work.

There’s something that brings us together.

The church then, is no different.  There is also a common bond that brings us together.  And that common bond is Jesus Christ.  We come to church, week after week, for the common purpose of worshiping our God in music and song, listening to the sermon, with the hopes of deepening our faith.  We come together to work together, to serve together, to learn together, and to grow together.

Yet, when it comes to gathering and being together, when we do it often enough and long enough, something strange happens.  The groups that we build begins to become a little more established.  We become familiar with one another, we build trust and friendship.  And more often times than not, these groups and friendships that we build become concrete and solidified.

What began as something amazing, welcoming new comers into groups has become difficult for new people to enter, to be a part of.  And this is no different for the church.

And this is something that is not new to the church.  This is something that has been dealt with since the beginning of the early church.

You see, the early church, when it was first established, had it’s own problems with groups and cliche’s and people deciding who was “in” and who was “out”.  In those days, the deciding factor was whether or not you were of “Jewish” heritage or if you were considered a Gentile.  And it seems, weird, doesn’t it?  Kind of arbitrary of why this would be the deciding factor of whether or not you were “included” or “excluded” from the church, but, division, separation, segregation, these things, for many people, seem to matter.

In our day, there are things that separate us, doesn’t it?  In our North American society, class separates us.  Whether or not we qualify into a certain income bracket will affect who we associate with.  Having moved to Vancouver, and bought a condo in Richmond, I’ve seen first hand how we view our neighbors around us.  It’s almost as if people in Vancouver look at those who have to cross a bridge in order to Vancouver seem far away.  We treat them differently.  We say things like, “those people” from over there.  We may joke about it, but there is a certain perception that does happen.  

SLIDE - 

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2: 11- 13

And this is the situation that is happening in the book of Ephesians.  Paul has to deal with the church on this issue, because there are two groups that have formed.  There are the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians, and there is friction that is happening between them.

What we have to understand about the situation is that the reason for the separation is that those who were Jewish Christians considered themselves more “proper”.  And for the Gentile Christians, they were considered outsiders, because before they had converted to Christianity, they were leading full blown pagan lives.  They believed that there were gods, but they didn’t believe in the one true God.  And so in the minds of the people in those days, they were just a little bit outside of the traditions.

In dealing with this issue then, Paul is writing about the differences between the Jews and the Gentiles.  And Paul writes, yes, it is true that before you had become Christians, had were considered to be pagans, that you were “uncircumcised”, that you were excluded from the citizenship of Israel, that you were foreigners and outsiders.

1. What Christ has done for us vs 14 - 18

SLIDE - 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  Ephesians 2: 14-18

But the turning point in this passage is found in Jesus Christ!  Because you have been brought close because of the blood of Christ.  You see, there is inclusion that is happening.  The very purpose of Christ dying on the cross is to eliminate any kind of segregation and make sure that all who come and take part are a part of it.   

You see, the very purpose of the Church is that Christ is to make it into one new humanity.  And that there is no longer any separation that happens to it.  Listen to the words that Paul writes about the church.  He calls it a “new humanity”, meaning that the church is something organic, it is about dealing with other people, it is dealing with people who are similar to us and who are different than us.  But in this kind of dealing, we must remember that it is the body of Christ we are talking about, meaning that the church is not about the individual, but it is about how we treat you and I.

And that’s why in the church, we must always turn to Christ.  Ephesians 2 tells us that the purpose of Christ is peace.  And in peace we are asked to make sure that the friction that happens between us, is put away, that we do not 

1. We are now included vs 19 - 22

The language that Paul uses at the end of this passage is such that it is clear that we are no longer segregated or separated from Christ.  Paul state emphatically:

“Consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”

Ephesians 2: 19 - 20

Notice what Paul is trying to say here.  He says that you are no longer aliens, but you are included now as citizens.

I know for myself, I take for granted being a citizen of Canada.  Many of us do not give a second thought about what that really means, to be a “citizen”.  But we know, from our interactions with our neighbors and with some of the people that we meet, that becoming a citizen of Canada IS a big deal.  People go to great lengths to immigrate to Canada.  Many stay and work hard and raise their families and embrace what it means to be Canadian.  Others stay for a short while, get their documents in order and go back to their home countries.

In Paul’s day, being a citizen was a big deal.  More specifically, being a Roman citizen was a really big deal.  Remember that Rome was the super power of it’s day.  Which meant that Rome would go and conquer the nations and countries around them.  If you were a Roman citizen, that meant that you had all the rights and privileges of Rome, given to you.  That meant that you were protected.  That meant that you had the army of Rome protecting your best interest.  If you weren’t a Roman citizen, then that meant that you would have to fight to survive and that meant that you would have to submit to Rome and their demands.  

And that’s why Paul brings up the imagery of citizenship.  Citizenship was such an important thing for the people of his day.  And Paul is saying that you are no longer foreigners or strangers!  You are now included in a greater Citizenship, that which is a heavenly citizenship.

And this heavenly citizenship has even greater implications.  What Paul is saying is that since you are part of a heavenly citizenship, you have been included into God’s household.  A household meaning that you are now part of God’s family.  Being a part of a family is so important for all of us.  We have mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, and cousins.  And we all know what being part of a family is all about.

Now, if we think about our own families, we know that we cannot choose who is in our families.  We may not get along with all of our members of our families all of the time.  But, we learn to live together and work together because we know that our families are inclusive of everyone, no matter our differences.  

In the same way, in the church family, we come together, and work together with people we do not choose.  Who chooses that we are all part of the church family?  God does.  God brings us together from different backgrounds from different places, all for the purpose of bringing glory to the name of our father.  And this is so very important for us to understand.  We do not choose our brothers and sisters in Christ, yet we are brought together for one purpose, which is to build God’s kingdom. 

1. The purpose of the church - Christ our foundation.

The purpose of the church is not to bring an ideal community of Christians together.  And that might be surprising for us to come to grips with.  We are all sinful.  We are all broken.  We all have our own baggage that we bring when we come to church.  Instead, the church is God’s experiment that says that because we are sinful people, we have all been brought here through his grace and through his mercy, built on Jesus Christ alone.

In the final section of our passage this morning, Paul brings up one last imagery for us to think about.  And that imagery is the Cornerstone.  Does everyone know what a cornerstone is?

SLIDE - Cornerstone.

A Cornerstone traditionally is the first block of cement in which the foundation is laid.  In the Cornerstone, the rest of the building sits on, it rests on.  And, the Cornerstone determines what the rest of the building will be set.  In modern times, the Cornerstone is marked and laid out and tells us when the building was built and sometimes it tells us why the building was constructed in the first place.

SLIDE - Jenga

Have you ever plaid the game Jenga?  We know that it’s all about building blocks and how we take one from the bottom and we put it on top.  We also know that the higher the tower becomes, the easier it is to knock it down.  It’s a game of skill because we have to know which block has least likely chance of making the tower topple over.  One of common sense thing that you never do is take away the block on any of the bottom corners.  Because, when you do, the game is over and the whole Jenga falls down.

And Paul here, in the same way is saying that Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone of the church.  Jesus is the one that the whole church is built on.  Without Christ as our Cornerstone, the church is nothing.  Without Christ as our Cornerstone, the services on Sunday, the Bible Studies that we have, the fellowships that we participate in is meaningless.  If we take away Christ, then the whole church falls over.

But, if we know that Christ is our Cornerstone, and we intentionally build upon the church in this way, we know that the Church is safe, that it is strong, that it doesn’t matter if there is a strong wind, or if a car crashes into the side of the building, or if there is an earthquake, the church will stand.  

Paul’s imagery of the building can be taken a step further.  And that is, that each and everyone of is an important piece of the puzzle.  That when we come and we are a part of the church, then the building can become bigger, and higher and stronger.  Paul’s imagery of the building actually then points to the temple, the temple in which God resides and rules on his throne.

SLIDE - Human Pyramid

This is an amazing thing for us to think about.  Church is much more than coming to on a Sunday morning.  It is a place where we all are important pieces of the building of God.  Each one of us has strengths and weaknesses, yet when we are a part of the church, we become stronger because each and everyone of us is built up because of the people around us.  

When we take a look at the passage from Ephesians, then, it is encouraging because what Paul is saying is that we need to be inclusive of everyone.  Because in inclusion, we are building up a temple that is bigger and better because all are involved.

I look at Chinese Presbyterian Church and I see so much talent that God has blessed us with.  I see the Sunday School with all of its teachers that are involved in this ministry.  I am thankful to God that you are there, because you are the ones that are teaching children, teens, adults what it means to love God.  And I know that I, as a pastor cannot do it alone.

I look at our leadership of our Elders, and our Board of Managers, and our Trustees and I know the skill and experience of those who are involved.  We are constantly in meetings, but it never ceases to amaze me the ideas and the words of wisdom that come from these meetings.  The passion and the drive of the people that are involved is truly amazing.

I look at those of you who are involved in our music ministry and I am thankful for that.  I know that I am not gifted in playing music or leading our congregation in worship, yet, I see how many people are involved in this ministry and it’s amazing.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  We are so blessed to be a part of the Holy Temple that is built on the Cornerstone of Christ and as we read this passage this morning then, we are encouraged to keep on building.

In doing Life Together, we need to be aware and sensitive to the people around us.  In doing Life Together, we need to be aware and sensitive to new comers who are here.  Don’t be afraid to approach someone that you may never had said hello to, or had a conversation with.  I will guarantee you that you will learn something about them that you wouldn’t have known in the first place.  Be intentionally inclusive as we build the Holy Temple and remember to include others because Christ first included us.

Amen.

Matthew 18: 21-35

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  Over the last month and a half, we have been journeying together, and looking at what it means to do life together.  Over the last two weeks, we have looked at confession as well as reconciliation.  In confession, we found that we find freedom from the sin that each and everyone of us struggles with.  In confession, we saw how our brothers and sisters can help restore us to a right relationship with God.  Last week, we looked at reconciliation and knowing who in our lives pushes our buttons, we are called to go and confront that person, making sure that it is the healing of that relationship that moves us forward as a community.  This morning we will continue on our journey, looking at the very next teaching that Jesus gives to his disciples.  This next lesson deals with forgiveness, which for us we know to be a simple thing.  Yet, our world is short on giving out forgiveness.  We know that we are broken people and that’s why as Christians we often ask God for forgiveness.  I remember being taught as a child that I must confess my sins, which I did every night before I went to bed.  But, when it came time for me to forgive others who had wronged me, it seemed to be a different story.  No matter how many times I tried to forgive someone, the thought of that person and what they did to me would play over and over again in my mind, like a broken tape recorder.  This morning, as we explore this topic of forgiveness, we find that Jesus knows exactly what we are going through.  Jesus addresses it in this passage as well as with the parable of the unmerciful servant.

Prayer

And so, before we go any further, will you join me in prayer.  Let’s pray.  Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning that you have given to us as a community.  

1.  The Hook

It’s no secret that forgiveness is difficult.  It’s one of those things I think that we hear about it and we know that we should do it, especially if we’re Christ followers, but, on any given day, on any given opportunity to forgive, it’s one of the hardest things TO do. 

A few years ago, 

2.  Matthew 18

You see, forgiveness is a difficult thing to do.  Jesus knew it.  The crowds who came to hear him preach and teach knew it.  Jesus’ own disciples knew it.  And that’s why Peter comes to Jesus with this odd question, kind of out of no where.  But he asks Jesus, 

“How many times should I forgive someone?”  

Now, for Peter, this was not some funny joke question that he was asking.  He wasn’t trying to be cheeky.  This was a serious question for Peter.  And note, the follow up question that he asks.  Peter says

“Seven times?”

For Peter, this was something that was logical.  Because, what he had been taught with regards to forgiveness was that you are to forgive.  But, to continue to forgive was something that wasn’t in his understanding.  It wasn’t part of his vocabulary.  So, for Peter to say, “seven times”, this was a stretch for him.  Peter thought that he was doing the right thing, the courageous thing.  Peter thought this was the answer that his teacher was looking for.

3.  70 X 7

But, listen to what Jesus says about forgiveness.  Jesus says, and I’m paraphrasing now, “No Peter, not seven times.  But seventy seven.

SLIDE 77 times!

Think about what Jesus is saying, even with the simple math.  Jesus is saying that you need to forgive not once, not twice, not three times, not seven times, but you need to keep on forgiving.

One simple observation that I can make is that IF you obey what Jesus says and you keep on forgiving, EVEN IF you keep count, then this becomes a habit.  If you practice real and true forgiveness, then as you keep doing it, it becomes easier and easier and easier.  And, when it becomes a habit, you do not need to keep count any more, because that’s not what true forgiveness is all about.

So, for us then, what is this word “forgiveness”, what’s it really all about?  What does “forgiveness” really mean.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research on the subject.  And, what I can tell you is very surprising. Forgiveness, true forgiveness happens, when you can get to a point where you can say to yourself and then act upon it that, yes, I have truly forgiven the person for what they have done wrong AND I can WISH THEM WELL

Forgiveness = wishing well to the person who wronged you.

You see, in being able to wish the other person well, what you are actually saying is that you are letting go.  You are letting go of your “right” to get even.  You are letting go of the pain, the negative emotions, you are letting go of the “replay” button in your head.  You no longer dwell on the negative thoughts about the other person.  You simply let go and you are able to wish them well.

This of course is a simple definition for forgiveness, but it is a powerful one.  It is a powerful one because in being able to give true forgiveness, you are practicing what Christ himself did for you and I.

4.  Christ + Forgiveness

As we are into the Lent Season and with Easter only a mere month away, it is important for us to reflect on what Jesus has done for us on the cross.  

In practicing forgiveness, we can see that there is a direct relationship between what Christ has done for us on the cross and what we are called to be as his followers.  In spending time with Jesus, the disciples were asked a pointed question.  Jesus wanted to know what people were saying about him.  He wanted to know what the perception was that the people had of him.  And so, Jesus asked his most trusted disciples, he asked his most trusted friends.  He says, who do people say that I am?  

And the answer that the disciples gave Jesus is not unlike the same kind of answers that we hear today about what people think about who Jesus is.  The disciples replied, some people say that you are Elijah, that you are one of the great prophets.  And it’s true, right?  When we hear about what people say about Jesus our Lord and savior today.  People tell me that he was a great teacher.  That he is worthy of respect.  No more no less.  Jesus is equated like an Albert Einstein or like a Piccasso.  Somebody who was great in his time, but no more, no less.

But Jesus wanted to know what his disciples thought about him.  And so he says, who do YOU say that I am.  And Peter answers him that you are the Christ, you are the anointed one.  You see, in this one simple answer, Peter has identified who Jesus is.  He is the one that we need to FOLLOW, that he is the ONE and ONLY.  That he is the Christ and that he is the KING.

But, what we have to understand about Jesus is that he IS the king.  But he’s not the king that comes and conquers everything by the sword.  Instead, Jesus is the King that will come and LOSE everything.  Jesus says to them he is to surrender his life.  That, it is in weakness that there will be victory.  

And what does Peter do?  Peter begins to rebuke Jesus.  Because, for Peter, HIS understanding of the Christ, is the powerful one.  He is the one that will ride in on the horse and he will bring VICTORY through the sword, through VIOLENCE.

Peter rebukes Jesus, because Jesus explains to them that it is NOT through violence will their victory be won, but instead it is through being HUMBLE, through FORGIVENESS, through DEATH, even DEATH on a CROSS.  AND, Jesus says that if you are to be one of HIS disciples that you too need to lay down everything and pick up your own cross and follow him.  What Jesus is saying, in the Easter story is that yes, there is victory over death on the cross through the resurrection.  But we as his followers, we too must be willing to do the same.  That in forgiving us, Jesus gave up the right to get even with us.  And in the same way, when we forgive others, we too must be willing to give up our right to be mad the other person.  We are called to forgive, because Christ first forgave us.

1. Forgiveness means no more accounting

When we take a look at the parable that Jesus gives to his disciples, we see that the Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven IS LIKE, a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  

Now don’t get caught up with the imagery of kings and servants.  We can all relate to this parable, because in actual fact, this parable is really about accounts and accounting.

Now listen to what Jesus teaches his disciples.  He says that this servant owed 10 000 bags of gold.  And the king wanted that gold back.  But the servant doesn’t have it.  He doesn’t have the means to pay the king back.  So, what do you do?  In our day in age, actually in any time period in human history, the thing to do is to demand that you are paid back.  In most cases interest charges are put in.  We know this all too well.  Interest charges are 18 - 19 %.  The rule of thumb is if you borrow and can’t pay back the money back on time, you get charged interest which means that you have to pay back even more than what you borrowed in the first place.  This is how the world works.

Yet, Jesus says that in the kingdom of God, here, the King says no, don’t worry about the debt that you owe me.  You owe me 10 000 bags of gold.  Yet, because you can’t pay me back, don’t worry about it.  Your debt is forgiven.

You see, this is the upside down, crazy kingdom of God that we are all invited to join and take part in.  We are given this gift of forgiveness freely.

Forgiveness - who absorbs the cost?

But, if we pause and think about it.  Ok.  The servant owes the King 10 000 bags of gold but can’t pay it back.  The king says don’t worry about paying me back.  It’s great, because we as the servants, we no longer have to absorb the cost of the bags of gold.  But, there’s still the matter of the bags of gold.  Who absorbs it then?  The King absorbs it.  It’s a loss of 10 000 bags of gold.  And the one who ultimately pays for the 10 000 bags of gold is the King.

In the same way, when we look at Christ on the cross.  We know that our sins are forgiven.  We know that we are quote un quote “scott free” because Christ died for our sins.  But in the same way, there is still the matter of the sins that we have committed.  We have still wronged God and we have wronged others.  Who is the one that absorbs that sin?  It is Christ.  Jesus is the one, where all the sin of the world has been heaped onto his shoulders.  Think about the Easter Story.  We are told that when Christ was hanging on the cross, when he was about to draw his last breath.  What happened to the world around him?   We are told in the gospels that the earth trembled, that the sky turned black, and that the temple was split in two.  All of these signs were of the sins of the world that was piled on to Christ.  He was the one that absorbed all of our sin.  He was the one that died on the cross for us, because the result of sin is death!

If we are to draw a parallel between the parable and to what Jesus did for us on the cross, then Christ was the one that took the loss on the gold.  Christ is the one that took over our sin, in order that we could taste life!

What are we instructed to do?

This is all well and good, I think.  We all understand that we are forgiven and many of us go on our merry way.  But the parable that Jesus tells doesn’t end there, does it?  The servant goes on his merry way as well, but he remembers that you know what, since we’re talking about accounts, since we’re talking about people owing money to people, you know what I’m owed a bit of money myself!  I’m owed 100 silver coins!  And you know what, that’s rightfully my property.  I ought to go get it back.  And so he does and he finds his fellow servant.  But, it’s the same situation, one servant can’t pay back the other servant.  But, instead of showing mercy, retribution is demanded.  And, instead of showing leniency, he has his fellow servant thrown into prison, until he can pay him back!

Now, we read this right and our jaw drops.  I know when I first read this passage, I just couldn’t understand why the unmerciful servant would throw his fellow servant into prison until he gets paid back.  I mean, if we were in prison, how could we possibly make money to pay back our debts?  I get it right, I need to pay it back.  But, why would he throw his fellow servant, his wife and children into prison as well?  I mean, he’s basically cut off all means to get his money back.

And, I think, what’s happening here is that by putting him into prison, in those days, the servant had every right to do that.  In Jesus’ day and age, this was common practice, that if you had a debt owing to another person, you could throw him, and his family into prison.  That this was a way, of publicly shaming the person who owed you money, and you put them into prison, until they were able to borrow, beg, or plead other people to help them out.  As long as you got your money, as long as you get what was yours, it didn’t matter.

But, when we read further, Jesus doesn’t even concern himself with how payment was going to be made.  Jesus is telling this parable from the point of the King.  And  he says that if the King has shown you mercy, then you ought to show others mercy as well.  If the King has forgiven you, then you ought to show the same kind of forgiveness to those who “owe” you as well.

Why?  Because YOU were forgive first.  Because YOU were shown mercy first.

This parable comes with a warning as well, doesn’t it?  It says that if we choose to act and be like the unmerciful servant, then the King, God won’t be merciful with us either.  When we read this parable, we see that once the king finds out what has happened, he immediately rescinds the mercy he had first given out, and he treats the unmerciful servant the way he treated his fellow servant.

This is a warning, and it’s a dramatic warning that Jesus gives to his disciples.  We as Christ followers, we must hear this warning and we must take it seriously, so that when we take a look around at our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we too change the way we treat them.  We need to forgive because it is commanded by us by our master and our king.

6.  Finding Freedom in Forgiveness and Letting Go

And so far, we have talked about forgiveness and what it may look like when we decide to give it out and when we decide to not give it out.  But, the next question is, practically what can we do in order to practice forgiveness in our world today?

There are three things, three suggestions that may help us find freedom in forgiveness.  Dr. Lewis B. Smedes gives us three suggestions to help us out on this simple yet very difficult act.

1. We need to rediscover the other person’s humanity.

The hard part in forgiving someone is that it is difficult for us to get beyond what the other person has done to us.  Many of us find difficulty in forgiving our brother or sister in Christ, our family member, our parents is that we can’t see beyond the wrong we have expierienced.  So, for many of us, it feels like a VCR, a DVD, or an instant replay that plays over and over again in our minds.  We no longer see the other person as a human being, but we only equate the negative emotions that we feel when we see them or when we think about them.

When we rediscover the other person’s humanity, we are reminded that the other person is fragile, broken and hurt as well.  They are much more than what they have done to you.

Dr. Lewis Smedes reminds us of a wonderful phrase “God washes away our sin.”  When we are full of sin, we are dirty, we are scum filled.  But God washes all that away in forgiving us.  He no longer sees that we are dirty, but he sees us for who we really are.  We are human beings created and loved by God.  We are his creation.  Remember each other’s humanity.

1. The second thing that Dr. Smedes writes is that in forgiveness, God surrenders the right to get even.  In the parable of the unmerciful servant, we see the example of the King when he first deals with the servant that owes him 10 000 bags of gold.  The King (God), throws out the accountant’s book.  He forgives and as we talked about before, he is the one that absorbs the cost.  In forgiveness we are taught to let go of our want to settle the score.  The King shows mercy and forgiveness, and so should we.

1. The third thing that Dr. Smedes writes about forgiveness is that we need to revise our feelings and thoughts about the other person.  This process may take years for some of us.  But we need to be actively doing this, practicing forgiveness over and over again.  Remember what Peter asks Jesus.  He asks, “How many times should I forgive?  Seven Times?”  And what’s Jesus answer?  No!  Forgive 70 X 7 and forgive over and over again.  This practice of forgiveness and revising our thoughts about the other person is something that is difficult to do.  But, if we are to really and truly wish the other person well, then it is something that we need to do.

7.  Practice Forgiveness and Be More like Christ (Conclusion)

In actively practicing forgiveness that Jesus commands us to do, what we soon discover that we will find freedom in forgiveness.  What I mean by this is that as we begin to forgive people freely and generously what we begin to see is that we no longer hold on to grudges, we no longer allow our negative emotions to control who we are.

But, in forgiveness, we have to be very careful that we do not forgive too quickly.  You see, when we do this, we may allow others to continue down their destructive paths and run rough shot over us over and over again.  Forgiveness comes with giving out grace and mercy, but there needs to be an understanding that happens between the one who is being forgiven and the one who is doing the forgiving.  There needs to be a balance that happens, knowing that yes, the relationship was once broken.  The ultimate goal is for the relationship to be healed, and that we need to move forward.  But, we need to make sure that there is an understanding that happens between the two parties so that we can move forward and do things better.  It is in the healing that we learn how to be better brothers and sisters and Christ, hoping that we can learn from our mistakes.

It is in the practice of forgiveness that things can become better.  That we let go, that we move forward, and that we become more like Christ.  

Amen.

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  Since we have began 2012, we have been talking about what it means to be doing life together and what it means to be in fellowship with one another.  Over the past several weeks we have talked about what it means to be ATTENTIVE, as God is attentive on our lives and we have talked about what it means when someone is caught in sin and he we restore them gently back into the community of God.

This morning, we will take a look at the teachings of Jesus and see how he teaches us to live, when someone wrongs you and sins against you.

Prayer:

Our Heavenly Father, we pray that you will be with us this morning as we hear your words.  We pray Lord, that you would open up our minds to hear your illuminated scriptures.  Be with us Lord that we might hear the things that you would have to say to us and convict us in our hearts if there is anything that we need to confess.

Be with me as well, that you might forgive me of my sins.  We all fall short of your glory and we thank you for the forgiveness your son offers to us.  Amen

 Genesis:  Cain and Abel - Am I my brother’s keeper?

Doing Life Together, being in community is something that was intended by God for human beings since the beginning of time.  Think about the creation story, where in Genesis, God created the world and everything in it.  And as he created it, he called it good.  He then created Adam.  And if you’ll remember, God said that it was NOT GOOD that he be alone.  And so, after looking at all of creation, God determined that there was no suitable helper for Adam.  And so because of that, God created Eve to be his partner and to live in community.  

And so you see, God’s original intention for human beings to be living in community with one another was something that he intended for people to do.  Human beings were supposed to be living in community with each other, AS they were living in community with God.  And this was supposed to be very good.

But, as we know, the story of human kind, because of sin, has taken a turn for the worse, and we see this happening  in the story of Cain and Abel.  In the story of Cain and Abel, we know that conflict happens.  Competition happens.  And sometimes they have very bad results that happen.

But think about what’s going on with Cain and Abel.  The Bible tells us that they are brothers.  That, in this brand new world that God has created, one brother is a farmer and the other one is a shepherd.  And, I’ll bet you, that even though the Bible doesn’t tell us about the other fights that Cain and Abel have had before, that for Cain to feel jealous of his little brother, to feel anger towards him, isn’t a new thing.  Think about it, Cain has been slighted over and over again.  Abel, the younger brother, probably had it easier than his older brother.  Maybe growing up Abel had a completely different set of rules than his older brother.  Maybe, Adam and Even favored Abel more than Cain.  Whatever it is, we don’t know what was going through Cain’s mind, BUT we know that his buttons were being pushed.  And for Cain, this instance, and giving offering to God, pushed him over the edge.

And we know that Cain attacks his brother.  And then he tries to hide it from God.  But, God knows.  We know that God can’t be mocked or deceived, yet he goes to Cain and asks him where his brother was.  And Cain replies, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Now, I’ve always wondered about this passage and why Cain would say this.  “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  How am I supposed to know where he is?  In essence, Cain was really asking God, Should I care about my own brother?  A very selfish and pointed question indeed.

Who is your Button pusher?

The question then for us, as we think about the story of Cain and Abel is, “Who is your Button pusher?”  Who is that one person that constantly drives you insane?  

Dr. John Townsend writes about this issue and he points us that more often than not the person who pushes our buttons is a person who might be very close to us in our lives.  A Button Pusher is a person who is important to us, maybe a family member, maybe a close friend, it could be a brother or sister in Christ.  

Being aware of who your button pushers are is important SO THAT you can identify them when you put up your guard around them.

Be Aware

Dr. Townsend says that there are different ways to recognize when your guard is up and when your buttons are being pushed.  

 Disconnection

In a relationship that is broken, becoming emotionally disconnected can happen.  This is when you withdraw emotionally because you have been hurt.  And this can result in isolation, alienation, and loneliness.

Diminishing Love

In a dating relationship, this can happen if you are dating a difficult person.  The person that is being affected might feel as if they are falling “out of love” with the other person.  Dr. Townsend writes that this might be a helpful indicator because for the person experiencing this emotion, it is a tell tale sign that the button pusher once held a meaningful place in their heart and mind.  And because of this, there is a chance that the relationship can be healed.

Powerlessness

Another tell tale sign that a relationship is broken is if you feel powerless.  You may have tried talking to other person and nothing has changed.  You might feel powerless and frustrated.  And recognizing this sign in the relationship should help you understand that healing needs to take place.  In a healthy relationship there should be a mutual experience of problem solving, initiation and choices.

Bringing out your Worst

Often times in a broken relationship, when you’re with your button pusher, it may trigger things you don’t like about yourself and it may tap into your darker side.  Dr. Townsend writes that God designed us to be in good relationships and not bad ones and when this feeling of bringing out your worst happens, he writes that it is time to make some changes.

Other relationships are affected

Another sign to be aware of is that your button pusher may have the ability to control how you act and react to your other relationships.  Dr. Townsend points out that there are instances where you are so obsessed with this button pusher that you may be having lunch with another friend and you begin talking about the button pusher that they may as well be there.  This is a clear indicator that the button pusher is running things.

Loss of hope

Dr. Townsend writes that the worst kind of indicator that there is a broken relationship is the loss of hope.  In this situation, we recognize the relationship is bad but we think that there is nothing else or nothing more that we can do and so we accept the situation as is.  We have lost all hope that things will get better.

It’s important for us to recognize the signs that if our relationships are broken we need to take steps to heal them and fix them.  We all struggle though these difficult relationships and so how can we make it better?  

Let’s take a look at the biblical teachings and see how it has changed from the Old Testament Teaching to the New Testament Teaching.

The Old Testament Law:  An Eye for An Eye

The way we have been taught to live when our buttons are being pushed range from many different reactions.  And in the Old Testament of the Bible, treating others who have wronged you is clearly spelled out in the laws of Moses.  Check out what the law in Exodus says about what happens when someone wrongs you.

“But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”  Exodus 21: 23 -35.

And this kind of living makes sense to us, doesn’t it?  That everything should become fair and equal, that we put in place checks and balances and that if we lose something in a fight or if we are hurt, or if our lives are harmed, we ought to have justice.  And justice calls for everything to be set right again through loss.

Through loss?  What do you mean through loss?  Well, really think about what this statement is talking about in Exodus.  It means that if I wrong you, in order to set things “right”, then you must take something from me that is of equal value.  And so, for example, if we’re arguing and I dented your car, well the law in the Old Testament calls for that you put a dent in my car, in order to equal everything.

But, don’t you see the problem with this kind of system?  In this kind of system, it quickly goes down hill from there, doesn’t it?  That if we live in a world that is an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand or a foot for a foot?  Then quickly our world begins to be filled with people with only one of everything.  Because in this kind of law, in this kind of system, we all lose because we are all sinful.

To take this kind of law literally is hard, but in the old world, it was taken quite literally.  But, I’m looking at this kind of law that is being talked about in Exodus and I’m saying to myself, there has to be a better way of living.  That in this world of eye gouging, hand chopping, leg losing system, that this can’t be what God had intended for us, can it?

The New Testament Teaching:  Matthew 18 - NOT an eye for an EYE, but reconciliation

Yet, in Jesus’ teachings we see that he allows us to live in a new and different kind of way.  Instead of living in the old way of demanding equal hurt of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, Jesus teaches us that reconciliation is the way that he wants us to live.

But look at the way that Jesus taught his disciples to live, especially in Matthew 18:

Our passage says this:

15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Matthew 18: 15 - 17

In this teaching, we see that at the heart of dealing with your button pushers in life is not to GET BACK at them, but it is to mend the bridge that has been broken WITH them.  It sounds nice and good and everything, but this teaching from Jesus in Matthew 18 must be the most ignored teaching that Jesus ever gave us, because it flies in the face of everything that we know, understand, and operate under, yet, if Jesus teaches it, there must be truth in it.

But listen to what Jesus says about what to do when somebody sins against you.  He gives us three steps towards reconciliation.

 Step 1 - Go and try and bring healing to the situation.

go to your brother or your sister.  Notice what Jesus says, if your brother or sister has sinned against you, he tells us that WE must GO to them.  Already in this teaching, Jesus is giving us a really hard thing to do.  

Our first reaction, for many of us, when we have a problem with somebody else is to either ignore them and wait for them to come to us, OR, if we have a big problem with them, is to go to someone else and talk about it with them.  These are natural things to do, I think, depending on how we are wired.  Some of us hate confrontation and so, instead of dealing with the problem head on, we often try and ignore the problem, and do what the ostrich does, and bury our head in the sand.  We think, if we don’t deal with the problem at hand, maybe, just maybe the issue will go away.  Yet, we know from experience that this never ever happens.

OR

For others, if we have a problem with someone else, we’ll go to a friend, in order to let other people know what’s bugging us and what’s on our mind.  We might go tell another friend in order so that we have a sympathetic ear and that we might rally others to be on our side.  We’ll bring others into the issue that we have, yet we seldom go directly to the person that we have a problem with.  I’m sure we’ve been on both sides of this coin.  We have been the complainer and we have been the one who has heard the gossip about other people.  In family systems, we call this triangulation, where a problem between two people is talked about and shared with a third person.  And the best thing to do, if you are that third person is to really step back and say to the complainer, that they really need to talk to the person that they have this problem with.

In Matthew 18, in this first step we’re told to go to the other person, privately, one on one and point out their fault.  But in pointing out their fault it’s not so that you can hold that fault over their head.  The point of going to them is so that the hope is to build reconciliation, that the issue might be resolved so that both of you can move forward in your Christian walk together.

Step 2 - Ask two others to help you bring healing to the situation.

The second step that Jesus teaches us within reconciliation is that if the first step doesn’t work, if going to your brother or sister in Christ privately has failed, if they don’t want to listen to you, it’s only then do you bring two more people into it.  The purpose in bringing the extra people into the situation isn’t so that you are ganging up on the other person.  It’s so that there are others who are there to plead on your behalf so that reconciliation CAN HAPPEN.

Often times we get to a point in a conflict where we are at a stale mate.  That maybe the person that we have a problem with doesn’t want to reconcile with you.  Maybe they are just happy the way they are.  And in that case Jesus teaches us that we need to bring others in so that maybe, just maybe the person that you’re having a problem with will hear what they’re saying and realize the magnitude of their mistake.  Maybe they are justified with being angry with you, but seeing that you are willing to bring others into the situation, for the sake of healing and for the sake that this relationship is worth saving may be worth another try.  And so Jesus teaches us that we bring two others into the equation.

Step 3 - Ask the Church to help you bring healing to the situation.

If that fails, if the person that you have a problem with still won’t listen to you and still won’t listen to the two other people that you have a problem with, then we’re told that we must tell it to the church.  In bringing the community into the situation, we know that this has got to be a big thing, that this issue won’t be resolved.  But bringing it to the church once again doesn’t mean that we are to judge and condemn.  Remember what it means to be in fellowship with one another.  We remember what we talked about last week about if someone is caught in sin.  We are taught that we need to restore them gently.  In telling the church and the Christian community, the hope is that the person who has sinned against you will listen to the community of faith will show them where they have been wrong in order that their hearts will be softened and so that restoration can happen.  In the greater community, we can find strength with like minded brothers and sisters in Christ and healing hopefully can take place.

Step 4 - Treat them as a pagan or a tax collector (but don’t give up!)

Barring that the three steps above don’t work and the button pusher that you’re dealing with still won’t listen to you, to your two or three small group, to the entire community, Jesus tells us that we are to treat them like the pagan or the tax collector.  In essence we are to treat them as a hopeless sinner.

And, I’ve always thought that to mean that we treat them coldly, that we ought to excommunicate them, that we ignore them because they have ignored us as the community.  That all the effort that we have used on them has gone to waste.  But then, I got to thinking.  How did Jesus treat the pagan?  How did Jesus treat the sinner?  How did Jesus treat the tax collector?

We see over and over again that Jesus treated those who were considered untouchables, those who were considered to be out casts with just as much love and respect as he treated those who were in authority.  Over and over again we’re told in the scriptures that Jesus ate with them and partied with them and stayed at their homes.  Jesus accepted them for who they were, but Jesus also taught them to not sin.

CONCLUSION Being in Relationship with others

You see, the controversial, upside down teaching that Jesus give us in Matthew 18 shows us that he does not have polarization in mind.  Jesus does not want the gap between our Christian brothers and sisters to get wider.  He wants us to live in love and peace with one another. 

That’s why Jesus gives us a new teaching, other than an eye for an eye or a foot for a foot.  In the Old way of living, true, justice happens and all the checks and balances fall into place and “fairness” happens.  But, at the end of the day, people are still hurt, the issues are not resolved and reconciliation still doesn’t happen.

Jesus teaches us a better way, which is that the issue is dealt with head on and that love and patience and kindness is given as our example over and over again.  In building Christian character and dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ, the ultimate goal in our relationships with one another is that we are able to bestow and give the same kind of grace that Jesus has given to us.

And so, if we have button pushers in our lives we ought to find forgiveness and reconciliation with them.

What if?

Of course, there are exceptions.  There are some people that we might know that are abusive, verbally, physically, emotionally.  And they might not change.  And, in those situations, when we see them, when an abusive situation does happen, we ought to leave them BECAUSE what is going on in their lives is so destructive so sinful, that we do need to leave.  We are taught to try and find reconciliation, but we are not instructed to be the other person’s verbal, physical or emotional punching bag.  In those cases, we need to leave, for our safety and for the safety of others.

What Relationships Ought to Give You

Being in right relationship with God and being in right relationship with others means that we recognize that we are all sinful and broken and because of that even in good healthy relationships conflict will happen.

But, the thing that we have to know is that if our goal with all of our relationships is to keep them healthy, then we must be open and honest and acknowledge that we aren’t perfect ourselves and therefore we must give grace to others.  In working out our differences we ought to show one another love at all times.  Jesus teaches us that if we have been hurt, we must go to the other person and try and bring healing.  Think about it.  We as humanity hurt God first by bringing sin into the world, yet he came to us to forgive us and heal our broken world.  Our challenge is to do the same for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We can do it, with help of our God.

Amen.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Life Together – Carrying Each Other’s Burdens

Galatians 6: 1-10

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  As we continue along on our theme of fellowship and of doing life together, we will be looking at an out of the ordinary command that Christians are given, which is to carry each other’s burdens.  It’s an out of ordinary command, because when we look out into the world, when we evaluate our relationships and friendships with our friends who are not believers, we know instinctively that this practice of “carrying each other’s burdens” is almost never done.  I have friends, back in Toronto, that I’m close with.  And with them, they are very good at the “non-judgment” part.  They are wired so that they don’t judge, they don’t question, but instead they accept each other’s flaws and each other’s actions, no matter what they are.  But accepting a person for who they are without actually turning around and pointing out to them what they are doing doesn’t help much, because it’s almost like looking at a friend walking down a destructive path and instead of steering them in the right direction, you are actually cheering them on.  It seems as if in order to stay politically correct, to stay non-judgmental, we have sacrificed the person’s greater good.

The Christian though, the believer is called to live differently, that somehow the way we interact with each other, the way we do life together is different than the non believer.  And in Galatians, this particular issue is addressed.  Carrying one another’s burdens is something that is a unique call to the Christian, yet it is a difficult one.  We are not wired to do so, but instead, our first instinct is to hide.  But, we must be aware of this, if we are to live lives that are without fear with one another.

Prayer:

Before we get into the sermon this morning, let’s pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we come now to you Lord, with hearts full of thanksgiving.  We pray Lord, that you would be with us, and speak to us, and teach us to know your will.  Heavenly Father, we pray that you would give us courage, that we might hear the words from your scriptures, and help us to live boldly and differently in our lives.  Break our hearts, that we might be willing to follow you.

Forgive me of my sins as well Lord, God.  That there might not be anything that comes between your words and your people.

We pray in your name.

Amen.

1.  Getting to know the human side of people

One of the greatest challenges that I have experienced as a pastor is having people know my true human side.  I have come to realize that being a pastor; there are certain expectations that people have of who we are and what we do.  For example, I didn’t realize that as a pastor, I was expected to say grace at every large meal.  And this expectation isn’t only confined to people in the congregation.  I’ve noticed that this expectation has now carried over to my extended family as well.  Before I became a pastor, whenever we had big family dinners, my Uncle or my cousins would normailly say a prayer.  But I’ve noticed that ever since I have become a pastor, my uncle always, without fail, asks me to say grace for the meal.  And, it’s not that I have a problem with it.  I am happy to pray or to say grace at the meal.  But I’ve come to realize that I shouldn’t have to be obligated or be told to say grace for the meal because of what I do, but I should, we all should be praying or saying grace because we want to give thanks to our heavenly father for the food that he has provided for us.

I know that this is a simple example, but I think it goes much deeper than just saying grace or praying publically in front of people.  Our persona, that others see of us has hindered and blocked other people for who we truly are.   For some of us, we are afraid that if people really saw who we are, that they would reject us because they would know how truly flawed we really are.

Fear of allowing people in is at the heart of keeping us from being in true authentic Christian relationship.  We are afraid, aren’t we, of letting people know that we are broken people.  And many of us put up walls and shields to hide this very fact.

It’s the teaching on sin that has got us so afraid of allowing others to see what is going on in our lives.  But what happens when we are sinful and we do not share it with our most trusted brothers and sisters?  We begin to carry a load that becomes heavier and heavier the more we try and bear this burden alone.  In confessing our sins to God and confessing this sin to our brothers and our sisters in Christ, we begin to lighten the load that we carry.  We no longer have to fear because we have allowed others to see who we truly are.

God’s Grace - transformers

When I was a child, I remember some pretty happy moments when I was at school and on the playground with friends.  And, in the mid 1980’s the popular toy at the time was transformers.  I remember bringing our transformers to the playground with my friends and we would spend hours pretending that we were the good robots fighting evil.  But, I remember one time when my friend had his transformer and I was playing with it and as I was holding the toy and transforming it from car to robot, the toy broke in half.  A wave of guilt and embarrassment came over me.  How could this have happened?  And of course, I remember my friend demanding that I replace it.  Well, I went home that night and I was too afraid to tell my parents what had happened.  One day went by, two days went by and about a week after I had broke the toy, my friend approached me and demanded once again that I get him a new one.

What was I to do?  If I didn’t replace the toy, my friend would tell the teacher who would in turn call my parents.  But, if I wanted to replace the toy, I would have to admit it to my parents.  And so, reluctantly I did.  And do you know what surprised me?  That my father was so cool about it.  He said, ok.  We’ll go to the toy store on the weekend and he would buy this toy so I could give it to my friend.  That was it.  It was ok.  My father would take care of it.  I was forgiven and I could replace that toy that I broke. 

This was the first time in my six year old life that I experienced grace.  It was one of the best feelings that I had ever experienced.  And, I learned my lesson from then on.  I would be careful with how I handled other people’s things AND I knew that I had a father who loved me.

It’s this kind of gentle restoration that Paul writes in the book of Galatians.  Sin, yes, is bad.  And everyone is guilty of it.  But read carefully in what Paul writes to the Christian community in Galatia in how they should handle it.

Galatians 6

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  Galatians 6:1-2

Being caught in sin can be embarrassing for the person who is caught.  They may be feeling fear and embarrassment.  But the call of the Christian community is to restore that person gently so that they can pick themselves up from their fall and so that they can do better next time.

But this call for restoring others gently comes with a caution.  It says, but watch yourselves you also may be tempted AND FALL (my words added). 

But as you restore the person gently, also carry each other’s burdens, so that you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The call to restore gently and the call to carry each other’s burdens is what is given to the Christian community in Galatia and given to the Christian Community in today’s church as well.

2.  Politically Correct

The problem, I think with this kind of living is that it is the complete opposite of how people in our society and in our city live.  We are obsessed with being “Politically Correct” in our day and age.  I was listening to the radio this week and the DJs were discussing some of the news that have been going on.  One of the DJ’s said this line, “I’m all for people doing their own thing within reason….”  We are so saturated with prefacing everything we say in order to stay politically correct.

Being politically correct, on the surface sounds really nice.  It implies that we allow other people to do their own thing, so long as they are not hurting others or themselves.  It sounds nice, because we are trying to break away from any judgemental tones that we might have, against other people, even though we might not agree with it.

The problem with being politically correct, or allowing political correctness to be our guide in how we relate to people is that in essence, being politically correct is a selfish act.  It is selfish because we don’t want to offend anyone for fear of any backlash that we might receive.

I have a group of friends in Toronto who pride themselves on not judging each other.  Each person is allowed to do their own thing, even though what they do, might not be the right thing to do.  But, at the end of the day we have seen some of our friends go down destructive paths.  And if we don’t say anything, even though we might not agree with them, we might as well be cheering them on.

3.  Restoring with Judgment vs. Restoring Gently

The reason, I believe that we have allowed political correctness to run rampant is because of the backlash that we have received.  The church has turned off many people because they view it as too judgmental.  Too often a time, we have seen people “caught in sin” and the aftermath with the church is that they have been dealt with severe punishment. 

I have met too many people who have been hurt by their experiences with the church.  And so, there must be a balance that happens when we look towards Christ and his gracious actions with us on what he has done for us on the cross and the way we deal with sin.

We cannot throw sin out of the equation; because it is talked about and mentioned over and over again in the scriptures, yet, on the other hand, how do we approach this very touchy subject in the love of Christ?

4.  Restoring Gently

Restoring a brother and sister in Christ gently is what we are called to do.  And carrying each other’s burdens is what is talked about in Galatians chapter 6.  But, what does it look like in the real world?  What does it mean to restore somebody gently?

To restore someone gently means that you don’t come from a position of “I’m right” and “you’re wrong”.  When we approach it from that aspect, it’s no wonder people get defensive very quickly.

To restore someone gently means to approach it from a position of weakness.  That with their sin, or their weakness exposed, we too ought to approach them from a position of our vulnerability and weakness as well.

We are all sinners.  We are no better than the other person.  Yet, what unites us universally as brothers and sisters in Christ is the forgiveness we all receive from Jesus Christ our Lord.  Look to your left and to your right.  Look in front of you and behind you.  We are all sinners, gathered here in the church because of Christ’s grace and grace alone.

And the reason why we restore one another gently, the reason why we confess our sins to each other, the reason why we are called to carry each other’s burdens is so that we can pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and continue on our spiritual journey and walk with one another and with God.  We want to see each every person restored so that we can do better, walk more assuredly and that we might be the “holy nation” the people that has been set aside for God’s use.

Holiness – But remember what holiness is all about.  Holiness is not about trying to live a perfect life.  Instead, holiness is that we are broken people who have been redeemed for God’s purposes.  And in that we must hear the cautions and the warnings that Paul gives to the church in Galatia. 

Paul says that in carrying each other’s burdens and weaknesses, we need to be careful that we do not become tempted ourselves.  Hearing about our brothers and sisters in Christ and their weaknesses does not give us a free pass to do likewise.  We need to be careful that we do not fall into sin either.

Paul writes this about sin and confession

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6: 7-8

God knows what is going on in our hearts and we need to be careful in what we chase after.  If we chase after worldly things, then what we get is destruction.  Yet, if we sow to please God, we will get eternal life. 

This goes back to what we were talking about time about seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to us as well.

In seeking out the kingdom of God first, what we are chasing after is that our lives are transformed and that our character becomes more and more like Christ.

The litmus test for us is to see where we have progressed in our Christian faith.  Are we more like Christ or have we fallen away from the character of Christ?  And if we have fallen away from the character of Christ, we must confess our sins towards God first and then confess these things to our brothers and sisters.

One of the greatest struggles I have seen and been a part of for Christian men is the sin of lust.  In our day and age, men are bombarded with advertisements and with junk on television and the internet namely pornography.  I have friends who have struggled and fallen with this sin.  And I’ve had brothers in Christ who have come to me and confessed these sins.  And to be honest, when they first come to me, it is uncomfortable.  It’s uncomfortable for them and for me.  But I understand their struggle because as a Christian man, living in this day and age, we all have been tempted.  But my brothers in Christ have come to me and confessed their sin and their struggle so that I would know and that I can help them with their walk.  It’s been hard, because I’ve been learning how to live in this Christian relationship where I don’t bring judgment on them, but instead give them a listening ear, so that we can restore their relationship with God with their loved ones. 

Carrying another’s burden is not easy, but we are called to do it, so that they might be restored, and that I might be reminded that I am not perfect either.  It’s hard, it’s a struggle, but our relationship has deepened because of it.

5.  Confession

In Confession, we find hope and we find freedom.  We find hope because once again we are reminded that it is not by what we do that earns us a place in heaven.  Instead, we are reminded that we are imperfect people that have been brought close to God through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. 

In Confession as well, we find freedom.  We find freedom because we no longer have to wear the persono and the masks that we portray because we know that we have brothers and sisters in Christ that accept us for who we truly are.  We also know that we have brothers and sisters in Christ that will help us carry our burdens and to keep us accountable.

In Confession also, we know that we can do better, that we can grow in our relationship in Christ.  And that is what we are called to do by Paul.  In order to grow in our character and who we are as Christ followers, we must recognize the things that keep us away from Christ and repent and turn away from them.  Only by doing this can we move forward.  We are called to be a people of God, living in a world that does not know God.  And if we live in this counter cultural way of confession, we can then begin to tell people that they no longer have to live in fear and in judgment, but they can begin to live without fear and begin to live in forgiveness.

May we do life together in love.  May we restore one another gently when we stumble and fall.  And may we live in authentic relationship with God and with each other.  Amen.

Matthew 6: 25-34

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  It has been a couple of weeks but this morning we will continue on our journey together and explore the character of God and see what his intentions are for us as we build the body of Christ and the community at Chinese Presbyterian Church.

Doing life together is something that we have been talking about for the first month of 2012.  In it we have talked about what is a community of Christ and how to become a community of Christ.  This morning, I’d like to focus our attention once again on the character of God, in particular how Jesus taught about God the father to his disciples and to the crowds that came to hear him teach.  By us turning our attention and focus on towards God, we can then see how we are taught about the character of God, in order to be the kind of Christ follower he wants us to be.

But, before we get into the sermon this morning, will you join me in prayer?

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning and as we come, we pray that you would be with us this morning.  We come to you Lord, and some of us are tired and weary.  Some of us are distracted by the things that are going on in our lives.  Some of us are dealing with sadness and disappointment.  But Lord, we are here this morning in your house.  We are here because we want to worship you.  And so for the time that we have together, we pray that you would be with us this morning.  We pray that you would speak to us.  Breathe on us. And let us know that you are here and that you would take care of us.  We pray for our time together.  In your name. Amen.

Looking towards Valentine’s Day

As we approach Valentine’s Day, our thoughts turn to our loved ones, those who are spouses or those who are our boy friends or girl friends.  And, as we think about this day, our thoughts tend to drift towards the romanticism, the “what it ought to be”, sort of relationships that we dream of or what we see on television or the idea that Hallmark has sold us on years ago.  But being in a relationship is much more than this idea that we’ve been sold on my Hallmark years ago.  Being in a relationship is hard work and it is much more than just coming at it from one perspective.  Being in relationship with the other person we must constantly be aware of the other person’s side of the story

I’ve shared a little bit about some of the lessons that I’ve learned while Allison and I went to pre marriage counseling.  And one of the lessons that I’ve learned is to pay attention to the body language. 

Communication is a key component to any relationship, but what’s even more important is that they say that 80% of communication is body language.  The way you move or the way you stand or the way you sit.  The way you look at the other person, all of these things play a factor into how you communicate to the other person. Think about how a person stands.  If they stand up tall with their shoulders held back, we might thing that this person is confident.  Or if you are talking to a person, and they won’t look you in the eye, you might think that this person is hiding something from you.  Or, if you’re talking to a person and their arms are raised in the air and their tone of voice is loud, you might think that person is excited or angry.  Body language, in communication is a hugely important thing.

I’ve been learning about this lesson of communication pretty well, I think and it showed itself this week.  This week, Alli and I had some friends over for dinner one night.  And, after our friends had left to go home, we spent some time doing the dishes.  As I was washing the dishes, I noticed that some of the scraps of food hadn’t been scraped off into the garbage before being put into the sink.  And so I asked Alli, if she wouldn’t mind throwing out any scraps in the future before putting the dishes into the sink. 

What I thought was a logical and simple request, ended up being a potentially big issue that could have blown out of proportion.  But, I noticed, I paid attention to how Alli reacted and I realized that either my tone of voice or the way I had made my request wasn’t well received.  And so, I immediately asked Alli what was bothering her.  Well, it turns out that the reason WHY she hadn’t thrown out the scraps was because our friend had placed them beneath the dishes.  And so Alli didn’t see them before she put the dishes into the sink.  After she had explained her side of the story, I realized that I was in the wrong, that I had jumped the gun and because I had jumped to conclusions that weren’t exactly right, this was a cause for potential conflict.

As I sat and reflected on what had happened, it occurred to me that the one saving factor out of that whole story was that I had PAID ATTEHNTION.  I had looked at Alli and I had recognized that something wasn’t entirely right.  That what I said had probably offended her or had took something out of place.  And because I had paid attention, I had noticed, that I was able to fix the problem right away.

1. Matthew 6

The book of Matthew is an account of the life of Jesus and it tells us about the life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  In the book of Matthew, it gives us much more than just the miracles that Jesus performs, because Matthew specifically records the teachings of Jesus to the disciples and to the crowds.  In these teachings we find that Jesus tells us how we ought to live as people who follow him.   As we read the chapter of Matthew 6, we see that Jesus teaches us what we should and what we shouldn’t do.  How we should give to the needy, what we should and shouldn’t do while we fast, how we should store up our treasures in Heaven and how we should pray.  And as we read about these things, there is an underlying tone that HOW we should do these things, really communicates to other people our motives towards them and towards God.

2. Jesus’ teaching regarding worry

And in Matthew chapter 6, we see that Jesus begins to teach about this topic of “worry”.  Jesus says that we shouldn’t worry.  Because in the act of worry, it reveals to us some telling things about our attitude and relationship with God AS WELL AS how we relate to the world around us.

3. The promise that is given to us - God will take care of us

It’s interesting because Jesus addresses the issue of worry, and begins to make a comparison between those who are believers and those who are not believers.  Jesus says that those who are not believers, those who are pagans live their lives worrying about things.  The examples that Jesus uses is that those who are not believers worry about things like, clothing, and where there next meal is, because these are the things that concern them.  They are worried about the things that are the physical world, because this is how they relate to the world that is around them.

But Jesus reminds those who are in the crowd to really listen and read between the lines.  He says that instead of worrying, those of you who are to be my followers, you should put your worry aside.  Because the reason why we worry and why we fret is because when circumstances beyond our control take over, when we ourselves lose control over the things that we think we ought to be able to control, this is when we start to worry.

Take for example the pagans and the non-believers that Jesus mentions.  They worry about the

Physical of world, like where their clothes will come from or whether or not they will have enough to eat.

But, listen to what Jesus says about these things.  He says to the believer, why are you worrying about these things?  Look at the lilies in the field, even Solomon in his entire splendor, wouldn’t be clothed as glorious as the lilies in the field.

Or

He says, look at the birds in the air, why do you worry about the food that you eat, doesn’t God take care of them?  And what about you?  Aren’t you MORE important than the birds in the air or the animals?  God takes care of them, what makes you think that he won’t take care of you?

Now, I’ve read this passage many times over the years.  For some, it might be a familiar passage.  For others, it might be a passage that you’ve been hearing for the first time.  What I’d like to point out is that at first, I’ve always assumed that the focus of the passage is about worry about what we should and shouldn’t do.  But, upon further reflection, this passage is goes much deeper than that.

This passage not only teaches us not to worry, but it also reveals to us the character of God.  Jesus tells us to NOT WORRY because God ALREADY KNOWS what we need!  And because we know that God knows what we need, we ought to be rest assured and not to worry. 

But the revelation here is even more amazing I think.  And it’s this.  God is continually paying attention to us.  Jesus doesn’t teach us that he notices us once or twice. But instead that he notices constantly, that he is attentive, ALWAYS.

4. Notice the attentiveness psalm 139

This attentiveness is not only found in Matthew 6, but is also found in other places of the scriptures as well.  One of the most beautiful pieces of scripture to have ever been written, capturing and describing to us the way God cares, loves and pays attention to us is in Psalms 139.

Listen to the words of Psalm 139.  They say this:

PSALM 139

¹ You have searched me, LORD, 
   and you know me. 
² You know when I sit and when I rise; 
   you perceive my thoughts from afar. 
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; 
   you are familiar with all my ways. 
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue 
   you, LORD, know it completely. 
⁵ You hem me in behind and before, 
   and you lay your hand upon me. 
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, 
   too lofty for me to attain.

 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? 
   Where can I flee from your presence? 
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; 
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, 
   if I settle on the far side of the sea, 
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, 
   your right hand will hold me fast. 
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me 
   and the light become night around me,” 
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; 
   the night will shine like the day, 
   for darkness is as light to you.

 ¹³ For you created my inmost being; 
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
   your works are wonderful, 
   I know that full well. 
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you 
   when I was made in the secret place, 
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; 
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book 
   before one of them came to be. 
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God! 
   How vast is the sum of them! 
¹⁸ Were I to count them, 
   they would outnumber the grains of sand— 
   when I awake, I am still with you.

 ¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked! 
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty! 
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent; 
   your adversaries misuse your name. 
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD, 
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you? 
²² I have nothing but hatred for them; 
   I count them my enemies. 
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; 
   test me and know my anxious thoughts. 
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, 
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

How amazing is this kind of description that David has about God.  The beautiful thing about the way David describes this relationship that he has with God is that we know that David has spent a tremendous amount of time nurturing his relationship with God.

We know by reading the story of David in first and second Samuel is that we know that King Saul has chased him, hunted down and has feared for his life.  If anybody has the right to worry, it would be asking David.  Yet David has put his full trust in God and because of that, he knows that God knows all that he needs and his wants and he writes about it in the book of Psalms.

It’s a beautiful description isn’t it? That no matter where David goes, he knows that God will be there.

Listen to the words and phrases that David uses to describe how attentive God is towards him.

David writes

you have searched me and that you know me

You know when sit down and rise up

You know the words that come out of my mouth

You hem me in

You formed my inner most parts

You knit me together

And then David invites God to search him and to see if there is anything that is out of place and out of order, anything that is detestable in his life, and if there is, David invites God to lead him away from these things, into the ways ‘everlasting’.

As we read Psalm 139, it becomes clear the kind of relationship that David has with God.  It is one of a kind.  God knows the inner most being of David and David allows God to come in.

And this relationship that happens and forms, I think is something that we ought to nurture ourselves with God.

This is something that we ought to do, on a personal level.  Something that we should be conscious of every waking moment of our lives.  But, it is also something that we ought to be building in our community life as well.

5. How we ought to teach one another in attentiveness

In God’s attentiveness on who we are, we ought to also come and realize that this is the model for our own relationships as well as we model and build community. Attentiveness is such a simple thing, yet, many of us find it so difficult to do.  Many times we are preoccupied by the things that are going on in our lives, be it what’s going on at work, or maybe it has something to do with our health, or it is something to do with what’s going on in our lives.  We are preoccupied, because we are worried.  Yet Jesus tells us to NOT WORRY, to out our faith in God.  And when we do that, we find freedom.  The freedom that we find in letting go of our worries is so that we can be attentive.  We can be attentive towards God, and we can be attentive towards the people around us.

6.  Be attentive, so that we can seek first his kingdom

Being attentive for the sake of God and being attentive for the sake of others is so very important, if we are to take anything away from Christ’s teachings in Matthew chapter 6.  And the main point, our take away, if you will from Matthew 6 is that we must take Christ’s words seriously when he says

‘Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to you as well.’

These are holy words that Jesus gives to us because they are a reminder for the person who is truly trying to follow Jesus in this broken world.  In paraphrasing Christ then, let me put it to you in these words

All you, who claim to be followers of Christ, remember that your purpose here on earth is not to make money to buy clothes or to put food on the table.  These things are important, but don’t be consumed with worry about these things.  Instead, put your faith in God that he will provide for you these things.  In the meanwhile, your purpose is this: seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness and everything will be given to you as well.

Friends, Jesus our Lord and Savior has given us a mission and a purpose, that we might live lives that are so utterly completely different, that the hope that we have and display and demonstrate on a day to day basis would be so radical, so different, so attractive, that other people might know about it.

You see, it’s in doing life together, that is how we can journey together and accomplish this mission and this purpose.  And the call that Jesus gives to us is that we should be attentive to one another as God is attentive to us.  In this attentiveness, we must be vulnerable to one another, as David was vulnerable to God.  But this vulnerability is difficult, because it requires trust with one another.  And I think this is one of the hardest things that we are asked to do.  But think about it, when we become vulnerable, and we begin to trust one another, to the point where we can confess things to each other, then we can begin a process of healing and reconciliation.

I’m not suggesting that we confess all our weaknesses, all of our faults, or all of our sins to just anybody.  But, what I am suggesting is that we find those people who are in our community of faith, that we feel that we can put our trust in, and begin to practice this.  In attentiveness, in love, and in forgiveness, we begin to reveal ourselves to the other person.  And the purpose of this is so that we can begin to grow and build and trust.  So that we can begin to let go of the worry that is in our lives.  In this we can begin to grow into the people that God has called us to be.

Mentors in the body of Christ.

This begins with trust between one or two people.  Over the past several years, I have begun this process with a few people.  I have mentors back in Toronto who have invested time and energy to help me grow in my faith.  They have spent countless hours with me, listening to me and talking with me.  I have mentors who are older than me.  And I have peer mentors, people who are about the same age and stage in life as me.  And this helped me to grow, because I have been given wisdom by others who have experienced things before my time and I have people who have given me wisdom because we share the same kinds of experiences.  And, what I’ve found is that our relationships have grown over the years.  I have trusted them with many things like my successes and my failures.  And, even when we meet up to this very day, I have still been able to share with them on a deeper level.  We have built trust, because they have been attentive in my life.

The hope is that as we build these relationships with others, as others have been attentive to me, that we might also be attentive to others.  Build trust, and be attentive, so that others who come after us may be mentored as well.

So, as we journey together, may we be attentive to the face of God, so that we might reflect that attentiveness to our community around us.

Amen.

Philippians 2: 1-11

Building on our sermon series over the last couple of weeks, today, I’d like to focus on How to be a Community of Christ.  It sounds almost simple really, but going back to the basics is a great reminder of what we should be, after journeying together for a long time.

(SLIDE) Vince Lombardi

There’s a story about the Green Bay Packers in the 1960’s when Vince Lombardi took over a terrible Packers team and transformed in into a Super bowl Champion.  As Lombardi was running practice one day, he looked up in frustration at what was going on and got everybody together.  And began to teach in a slow deliberate way.  This, is a football.  I am the coach, you are the players.  What Lombardi was trying to do was not chastise his players but bring them back to the basics of the game of football.  The “fundamentals”, if you will, of any sport, any organization, of anything you’re trying to accomplish is important.  Because, if you revisit the fundamentals, you begin to strip away everything that has been added to what you are trying to accomplish and you get to see and hear and breathe and live what you are supposed to be.

In our series in Life Together, revisiting the fundamentals is important to us, because in doing so, we get to strip away all the preconceived notions or ideas of what we might think church is, and we get to see what the scriptures say with regards in becoming a Community of Christ.  This morning, we get to spend time in the book of Philippians, a book where Paul is the author and he writes to the community in Philippoi in order to encourage them to keep living in the way that they are.

And so, as we begin this morning, will you join me in prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for today and this time where we can come together and worship you.  We thank you for bringing all of us here this morning.  And we pray that your Spirit would be among us this morning.  Speak to us.  Enlighten your Word for us, so that we might not miss the message that you have for us.  Amen.

The Basics of Life Together

Coming to Church can either be Soul Sucking or it can be Life Giving.  I think, having been in the church for all of my life, I can speak with confidence when I say this statement.  I have experienced both ends of the spectrum of this statement.  It can be Soul Sucking, when we become critical of everything in it.  From the music and the bands to the preaching and the teaching, to the way our leaders lead, when we come to church and point the finger, Church becomes a soul sucking thing.  I say this, because I myself have been in this position when I have come to church.  When I was in my home church back in Markham Ontario, I was the one that would come every Sunday and would be the one sitting in the back.  And I would be secretly criticizing everyone who played a role in running the church.  The music wasn’t good enough.  The preaching was terrible.  People didn’t know about their Bibles.  And, to be honest, when I have taken the time to reflect on this kind of attitude, it was soul sucking.  It was not only soul sucking for the people around me, but it was sucking out my soul as well.  And, to be honest, it took me a long time to recognize this.  I began to think long and hard and I began to pray, and to be honest, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my bad attitude, because although I couldn’t articulate it at the time, I was beginning to recognize that the world I lived in revolved around ME.  And that’s why there was so much complaint in my life.  That’s why there was so much frustration that was coming out.  And that’s why I was so dissatisfied with the church that was supposed to be there to feed me.

Ahhh, this idea that church existed to serve MY NEEDS is something that I think is quite prevalent in our world today.  Like the shopping mall that is filled with stores, and vendors, kiosks and foodcourts, we except that church will be able to fulfill our every need and desire.  I mean think about it. 

We head over to Oakridge one day, during the lunch hour, because we are hungry and we think to ourselves, I’m going to get something to eat.  Ahh, but the question is, what do I feel like?  Maybe I want a hamburger, so I’ll go to the A+W.  Or, maybe I’m feeling the Mexican food, I’ll go to the taco luis today.  Or, maybe I feel like a bag of chips, and I’ll go over to the Safeway.  We go to the mall in order to fulfill our needs, and in fulfilling our needs, we are given a multitude of choices.

But, that’s not the only function of the mall, is it?  We can also buy electronics from The Source, or Apple or Electronic Boutique.  We can buy clothing from Banana Republic or the Bay or Harry Rosen.  We can borrow books from the library, we can have our shoes repairs and the list of things that we can get at the mall goes on and on.

When I was growing up, I kind of felt like the church was like that too.  That the church existed so that I could come and I could attend service, that I could go to fellowship so that I could “feel good” about who I was about my spiritual life.  Yet, when I began to complain, it was Soul Sucking and I knew that something wasn’t right.  And for a while, I decided to stop complaining.  I decided to stop complaining because I knew it wasn’t right.  And, I even took it a step further, I decided to stop going to things that I was complaining about, because I knew that it wasn’t fair that I was complaining about people who were giving their best effort, even if I felt as if my needs weren’t being met.

It was a first step that I took, actively that changed my life.  Yet, as I reflect on it, it still wasn’t the right way to do it.  It wasn’t the way that God had wanted his church to function.  It wasn’t the way that it was supposed to work in Jesus’ time, Paul’s time and even in our time.

How were we supposed to live?

Philippians 2

Paul addresses Christian Community in his letters to the Philippians.  And this was an important theme to his book in Philippians because he was writing to a church community that was based far far away from Rome.  And, because they were based far far away from Rome, the influence of the Jewish traditions, how they were supposed to live culturally as Jewish believers hadn’t really affected them.  It was almost the traditions and the baggage of the Jewish faith wasn’t even an issue for the church in Philippoi and because of that, Paul commends this church in the way they were actively living together.  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 2.

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  Philippians 2: 1-4

When we read this passage, it’s almost as if we’re being parachuted into a conversation.  Yet, when we do a little bit of research, the context in which Paul is giving this encouragement to the church in Philippians is that he is writing to them while he is in prison.  Paul has been arrested at this point and the church in Phillipoi has heard about it.  And because they have heard that this dear leader of the early church had been imprisoned, they decided that they would send aid and support to him.  It was out of their generosity and their goodness that the church in Philippoi is sending gifts in order to take care of Paul.  And that is why Paul is writing to them in an encouraging tone.

But look at what Paul is saying to them.  If you are to be a community of Christ that is UNITED in Jesus, then really do these three things.

1.    Be like minded

2.   Have the same love

3.   Be in one spirit and purpose

And then Paul begins to take it one step further.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit

But

In Humility consider others better than yourself.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The first time I read this, this passage has seared right into my memory.  It’s there, forever etched in my mind, because it cuts at to the heart of what the church should be.  Like how going back to basics for Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers did it for football, Philippians 2 brings us back to the basics of what a Christian Community should be.  And, to the credit of the church in Philippoi, they were doing it right.

You see, when I take this passage in Philippians 2 and compare it to my previous understanding of church, there is a huge clash that takes place. 

I once thought that church existed to fulfill MY NEEDS

But Paul doesn’t say that at all.

Paul writes that the Christian Community doesn’t exist to serve our own selfish ambition, but instead it is there to serve the needs of others.

In my attitude that I was complaining about other people, what I was REALLY doing was saying that THEY weren’t doing a good enough of job.  But, in this attitude, I wasn’t asking the question of what I was doing for the greater community as a whole.  And, in my attitude of complaining, I didn’t have any body else’s interest in mind other than myself.

Paul writes against that.  He says to be like minded, that we should have the same love, and that we are to be in one spirit and purpose.

Christ’s love + Humility

It’s interesting for us, I think to hear these words from Paul about having the same love, to be one in spirit and one purpose.  Unity, is what Paul is ultimately driving at.  And, as a church, Paul was encouraging his readers to demonstrate the love of Christ to one another.  Now, what’s even more epic, is that Paul then points to his readers the ultimate example of this love, and begins to write up Christ himself.  And he reminds his readers and us, what that love looks like.

Paul writes this, and he reminds his readers about attitude.

“Your attitude should be the same as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.

But, made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And, being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name that is the name of Jesus, that every knee should bow in heaven and under the earth

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”

If we are to talk about our attitude in the church and how we are to be as the community of God, then we do not need to look any further than Jesus Christ himself.

And, in this passage, we see that humility and love are the characteristics that Jesus exemplified and taught to his followers and in the same way, we ought to do the same.

Looking towards the cross:

When we look towards the cross, we can be reminded of nothing other than the self-sacrificing love that Jesus had for you and I.  This is at the heart of the cross.  And because we see what Jesus did on the cross, we too are to be imitators OF Christ.

There’s a story about a woman in Idaho that was about to be a mom for the first time.  But during the pregnancy, she was diagnosed with cancer.  She had a choice to make.  She could either give up her baby and take chemotherapy treatments or, carry her baby to term and stop the treatments.  For her, it was a struggle to make that decision, but the choice she made was to keep her baby and so she stopped taking chemotherapy.  About a month before she was to give birth, the doctors told her that her cancer had spread to the point where it was untreatable.  She gave birth to baby boy named Chad, and 12 days after giving birth she passed away from her cancer.  But, in the moment after giving birth to her baby boy, she said, it is done, my baby is safe!  She had sacrificed herself so that she was able to give her baby life.

When we reflect on the cross, we know that similarly Jesus did the very same for us.  Christ died on the cross in order to give us life.

Now think long and hard at what we’re trying to say here.  If we are to be imitators of Christ, it is much more than just coming to church and singing a few hymns.  It’s much more than going to a few meetings or coming to service on a Sunday morning.  Being an imitator of Christ is really asking yourself, do you love the other person, your neighbor, a complete stranger, your enemy enough that you would sacrifice your own life for their well being.  This might sound EXTREME to you and I, but if Jesus did it, can we say that we do the same?

I think you and I know full well, that even if we had the very best intentions to imitate Christ, we cannot do it alone. 

And this is where we must put our faith in Christ AND build each other up in community.  Walking together and doing life together is where we can get the strength do walk the Christian journey.  If we are to be like-minded in our spiritual journey of serving others for their sake and for their own good, then we cannot do it alone.  We do it in community together, sharing the bonds and sharing the work in this endeavor.

Groups as Life Giving, Not Soul Sucking

As I have spent time thinking over what Christian Community is, experiencing it first hand, as well as studying it in the scriptures.  The one thing that I have concluded is that in community and in groups, Christian fellowship is life giving.  It is life giving for those who take part in it, but it is also life giving to those who are around it.

In Christian community, we are told that we ought to consider others better than ourselves and in we ought to be looking out for the interest of others.  And, when we begin to do that, a certain form of humility, and a certain form of vulnerability takes place.  Vulnerability takes place because we no longer need to put on the masks that we might put on in our work place or among our friends.  In vulnerability, we no longer have to hide or mask our weaknesses to other people.  In vulnerability, we are free to be authentic with one another.  And, if we are all following and if we all have the same attitude in treating other better than ourselves, we no longer have to fear judgment.

Authenticity is important if we are to be part of a group that is life giving.  In authenticity we are given freedom to be the people that God created us to be.  And being created in this way, we bring to the table who we are, our strengths and our weaknesses.

But, if we are authentic as we come to the group, we recognize that we are not perfect people, that we do not know all the answers.  Yet, when we meet together and we keep in mind what Paul writes about in keeping the attitude of humility in mind, we can see that spending life together can be life giving instead of soul sucking.

I once went to a Regent College graduation, where the student address was given by their valedictorian.  In addressing a crop of newly graduated seminary students, she encouraged her fellow peers to not hold their knowledge of the Bible as something that made them better than those they were teaching.  In learning about the Bible, we can turn that knowledge into pride.  Yet, when we really think about what we are trying to do when we teach the Bible, it is NOT so that we can shame others because they know less of the scriptures than we do, but we are encouraging those who hear the word of God to be more like Christ.

Humility is the way that Jesus lived his life and we are to be imitators of that.  Going back to the basics of what it means to be in Christian fellowship and being the community of Christ means that we see others as better than ourselves and that even though we might be right in what we believe in and what we do, but it is more important that be build up one another in love.

Be the difference maker

It has been said that we ought to be the change that we want to see in our world and I would agree with that to some degree.  Yet, the question then becomes, WHAT is the change that we want to see?  In Christian Community we want to see people, each and everyone of us, become closer to Christ and have our character and our entire person reflect, mirror and imitate our Lord and Savior.  If then, that is our goal, it is important that when we get together with like-minded people, we push towards the goal and that our purpose in becoming like Christ is at the forefront. 

If this is something that is tugging at your heartstring, that Christian Community is something that you are yearning for, then I encourage you to be that difference maker.  Becoming like Christ starts with each and everyone of us wanting to see a change in the way we meet, in the way we pray together, and in the way we form our community in Christ.  And then it flows into serving the other person.  We must stop looking towards ourselves and then look outwardly to the others around us.   Be like the church in Philippians that met together in Christian Community, that cared and loved for Paul, even taking care of his needs while he was in prison, that were a prime example of what it meant to be the church, meeting together as like minded people and served one another first in the unity of Christ.

Amen.

Exodus 19: 1-8; 1 Peter 2: 4-10

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  As we have entered the New Year, we have begun a new theme and topic where we are trying to come together and figure out what it means to be in full Christian Fellowship.  And, as we have already begun talking about last week, we looked at what covenant meant, in particular to the Christmas story.  Last week, we looked at how Mary and Joseph lived their lives, trying to live within the covenant that had been passed on to them from generation to generation.  In last week’s passage of Luke chapter 2, we saw that Mary and Joseph were abiding by the laws that were laid out to them.  Those three laws included:

1.    Jesus’ Circumcision and Naming

2.   Mary’s Purification after Childbirth

3.   Presentation of the Firstborn

These three laws were important for any new parent, especially if they had a son.  In the naming and circumcision ceremonies, the purification ceremonies and the presentation of the firstborn ceremonies, Mary and Joseph and other new parents were ensuring that their child would be counted among those who were INCLUDED in the nation of Israel.

It’s interesting, isn’t it that humans go to such great lengths to be included in something.  And, I think what is happening here is that there is something deeper that is going on here.  Inclusion, or being included in a group is something that is found deep down within each and every one of us.  We know this from a very early age.  Think of kids on the playground and when they try and form teams.  Usually the most athletic or the most popular kids are picked as captains.  And as the process goes, the most athletic and popular kids get to go first.  Until at the very end, the last kid is picked.  In this process, we know that the kids who are picked near the bottom or dead last feel as if they are snubbed, that some how they aren’t good enough.  And for any child, this hurts.  This brings tremendous pain, that sometimes can last a life time.

It’s this inclusion that is so important.  We can relate to it and we can understand it.  And for the Israelites, they understood it as well.  But for the Israelites, it was more than just being excluded out of a game of hockey or of volleyball, or of  football.  For the Israelites, it was a matter of life and death.  For you see, if they were found to be NOT included in the people of Israel, then that meant that they could not take part in what they were supposed to do, what they were called to be.  And what they were called to be was that they were called to be a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation. 

Now, as we’ve read in our text this morning, we can see that the phrase “Royal Priesthood” and “Holy Nation” are found in two different places.  One is in the Old Testament and the other in the New Testament.  And because we find this kind of language both in the beginning of the Bible and at the end of the Bible, we know that this phrase, these terminologies are important for both the understanding of the Israelite people and for us.

And so, before we really dig into our passages this morning, will you join me in prayer.  Let’s Pray.

Prayer

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.  We thank you for this time that you have given to us, that we might come to know you

Team Canada

This past week, the World Junior Championship hockey tournament wrapped up in Calgary this week, where we saw the Swedish National Team beat a heavily favored Russian Team.  But, all through the tournament, we could see that there was heavy coverage of Team Canada, and what it was like for them to finish with the Bronze medal.  In 2011, Team Canada face disappointment because we lost to Team Russia in the Gold Medal game.  This year, there was disappointment because we had lost to the Russians again and were relegated to play the bronze medal game.

I was watching this on television, and what I noticed as the announcers began to cover Team Canada, was that many of these young men had trained, and tried out and put 100% of their effort over the last two weeks in playing in this tournament and played hard to represent their country.  And, even though they came up short of achieving their ultimate goal of winning the gold medal, we know that the entire country is proud of them for their effort, for their passion and for their zeal.

One commentator said that he couldn’t imagine what it would be like for these young men to now have to go back to their club teams after taking part in this amazing experience, bonding with these players as Team Canada.

There’s something about being on a team, isn’t there?  There’s something about being part of a bigger group and a larger collective, isn’t there?

Mount Sinai

When we read the scriptures and when we read about our own biblical history, we find that being part of a larger collective, the bigger group is something that is so very important to who we are in the eyes of God.

This morning, as we read in the scriptures this morning, we find ourselves in two passages.  We find ourselves first in the Old Testament, in Exodus, at Mount Sinai.

Mount Sinai is a significant place, especially for the people of Israel, because it was one of the stops that the people made after they had been rescued from slavery out of Egypt.

What made Mount Sinai so special was that this was the place that God chose to summon Moses to come and speak to him.  It was also the place where God gave Moses the ten commandments.  And with the ten commandments, God was essentially giving the Israelites their identity.

And so, the scriptures tell us that after three months of traveling in the desert, three months after fleeing from Egypt and escaping slavery, God speaks to Moses and he says these words about the people of Israel who are now in the desert following him:

God says this:

“This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.⁵ Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, ⁶ you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’                   Exodus 19: 3-6

The Rescue:

You see what’s going on here?  For the Israelites, their identity for several hundred years was a non identity!  Their identity was that they had been slaves.  They had no freedoms, they had no rights, they weren’t even humans.  Yet, because of the saving grace of God, they were released from their bonds of slavery and they were set free!  And it was BECAUSE they were free, they were to obey God and keep his covenant.

And, in keeping this covenant, they were to find a NEW identity.  And this identity was to be a [KINGDOM of PRIESTS] and a [HOLY NATION].

Kingdom of Priests/Holy Nation

Now, what’s interesting about this new identity is the language that is used by God himself in describing who the Israelites were supposed to become.  The terms Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation are in fact really curious combinations of words that have been put together.  I mean, let’s break it down.

What does it mean to be a Kingdom of Priests?

It means that the entire kingdom, everyone who is included, their job is to be a priest.  And, what does a priest do?  A priest is in fact one that worships God, one that speaks to God, one that does all the ceremonies and prayers that a priest would do.

And what does a Holy Nation mean?

The word Holy means to be “set a part” and to be a “holy nation” means that the entire country, all the people were to be set apart for God’s use. 

In these terms then, we see that everyone who claimed to be an Israelite was given the responsibility to ensure that their lives were in right order, so that they could be used for the glory of God.

A New identity for the Israelite people

What an incredible calling for the Israelite people wasn’t it.  If we take a look at the bigger picture then, we can see that the call of the Israelite people was to live lives that were holy and that were set apart.  They were to live among other nations.  But, it was because of HOW they lived their lives that was so completely different and radical, that the other nations, the pagan nations that were living around them and among them would know that their God was greater than any other gods.

How you live, and how you interact with one another, how you treat those around you, how you express your love towards God, these are the things that separated the Israelites from the other nations around them.

A New Beginning + A New Church

Now that brings us to the New Testament.  And as we have celebrated Christmas in the last few weeks, we have been reminded over and over again that the Israelites have been anticipating a Savior.  Last week, we saw that in the waiting, there were two such individuals who were given the honor of seeing the baby Jesus and had the privilege of holding him in their arms.  Simeon and Anna both were overjoyed when Jesus was presented at the temple and we remember that both of them gave thanks because Jesus would be the redemption of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

Now, we know that Jerusalem was and is an important place because it was a city where people came to worship, where people came to do their business, where people came to live their lives.

And in cities, we know that God is concerned for cities.  God was concerned with cities such as Jerusalem, because Jerusalem was a place where everything was supposed to be “right”.  Jerusalem was a city where the worship of God was front and center in the people’s lives.  Jerusalem was supposed to be a city people lived out their lives in reverence and fear of God and it was supposed to be a city where people related to each other out of care, concern and love for one another.

But, at the time when Jesus was born, Jerusalem was far from this kind of ideal place.  It was broken and conquered by the Romans.  It was a place where the people were taking advantage of those who had come to worship in Jerusalem.  We know this because Jesus becomes angry with the money changers in the outer courts of the temple.  We’re told that he flips tables and is indignant with those who are overcharging people for their sacrifices towards God.

Jerusalem was a broken place AND Jesus was the one who would come and redeem Jerusalem.

The rescue: Christ on the cross

In Jesus coming and dying on the cross, and through the victory of resurrection, conquering death and being raised to life, we know that we are saved, that our sins are forgiven.  And like the Israelites who have been freed from the bonds of slavery from the Egyptians, we too have been freed from the bonds of slavery of sin.

And, in this freedom then, we too are called to be a people of God.  We are called to live our lives out of this freedom, to love God and to serve him fully.

A New Identity: 1 Peter 2

Like the Israelites on Mount Sinai then, we are called to have a new identity.  Which is why Peter writes in our New Testament passage that we are called to be a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation.

In this call, there is no mistake that Peter is using the exact same language that the Israelites received from God back in the book of Exodus.  Peter is reminding his readers of their original call, but is also pointing to the fact that our NEW IDENTITIY is found in Jesus Christ.

In this call, Peter reminds us of who Jesus is.  He says this:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

   “The stone the builders rejected 
   has become the cornerstone,”

 ⁸ and,

   “A stone that causes people to stumble 
   and a rock that makes them fall.”

   They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

You see, Peter is writing to his readers and reminding them HOW they should live in their cities.  They are living in a pagan society, where people do not know God, where people do not CARE to know God.  He reminds them that the message of Jesus is one that is rejected.  The message of the cross is a message that is rejected, like builders who reject a stone because of its size and shape, but like Christ, this stone has become the cornerstone, the foundation where everything is built upon.  This message that Jesus brings makes people stumble because people don’t want to believe in him, they don’t want to believe in what he has to say, and they don’t want to obey his teachings.

BUT in this message, Peter’s readers are reminded they are a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation.

Living in the City

God cares about the city, because wherever a city is built, people dwell in it.  And God cares about people.  But, living in the city is difficult, isn’t it?  It’s a place where, when people gather and when people sin, it can be a scary and ugly place.  When we live in cities then, especially when we move to a new city, it is so easy become assimilated, to begin to care about the things the people in the city care about.

And, as Christians, it is easy for us to come to a city and lose our spiritual identity.  So, what can we do?  For most there are only two options.

3 options of living

1.   The first option is to move to the city and to love it, and by doing this we become distracted from God and begin to forget about the things that he cares about.

2.   The second option is to recognize this fact and then to become isolated.  We begin to fear the city and through that we decide that we do not want to have anything to do with the city.  And, this happens, we can see it even in our own context today.  We know that there are people who have moved to Vancouver, those who have moved here for decades, and yet, they have chosen to live their lives a part from main stream Canadian society.  They keep to their own language and customs.  And, we know that by living in the city, it’s possible to do this.

3.   Yet, when God calls us to be a Holy Nation and a Royal Priesthood, what he has called the Israelites to do and what he is calling the church to do is to live their lives through a third option.  And that third option is to live their lives and live in the city, but keep their Spiritual Identity.  In this third option, we are called to engage the city, to pray for it, to work so that the city prospers because of our work.  But in doing all of these things, we are called to remain strong in our faith.  And by doing so, others, those pagans might come to know that there is something different about our lives.  That’s why Peter writes later in chapter 2, to live such godly lives that though pagans might accuse you of doing wrong, that they might see your good deeds and glorify God when Christ returns.  Peter says, submit your selves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority such as governors and honoring the emperor.  And Peter tells Christian slaves in those days to obey and submit themselves to their masters, so that the way they live might be an example of the way Christ suffered as well.

Growing in Life Together in groups

In this way then, this third option of living is a challenging one, no doubt.  In Peter, we are reminded that we each have a role to play in the city that we live in.  And, in that role, we are to live godly lives in order to bring glory TO God.

(SLIDE) How do we ensure that we live in the city and keep our spiritual identity?

But the question then is who do we do this?  And the way we do this is to look back at our original call.  We are called to be a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation.  In the word Priesthood and in Nation, these words suggest to us that we are to do this together and in community.  And the only way to do this as the church is to do life together.

Of course we each live in separate houses, some of us live in Vancouver, others live in Richmond, and still others live in Coquitlam and beyond.  But in order to do life together, we must first begin to meet. 

(SLIDE) Live life together in fellowship and in groups

It’s in the fellowship groups like Westside Fellowship, Family Fellowship.  It’s in the Ladies Bible Study and the Evening Bible Study.  It’s in the friendships we build inside and outside of church is where we begin to do life together.  And when that begins to happen, we begin to study the Word of Christ together, in order that we might become that Royal Priesthood and that Holy Nation. 

In the next few weeks, we will be exploring what we ought to be doing in those groups more fully, in hopes that we will choose to live that third option of living, which is to engage our city and keep our spiritual identity.

Amen.

Matthew 2: 21 - 40

Good morning, Happy New Year and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  It is so good to see you this morning, especially as we gather together and kick off the new  year together.  As well, as we begin the new year, we are also beginning a new theme for the year which happens to coincide with our larger theme.

When we first began journeying together, we looked at a larger theme, adapted from Rick Warren’s book, “Purpose Driven Church.”  In it we wanted to help set up a way in which it would be good for us to ask the question, what does God require of us as the church?  In it we came up with an acronym which goes like this:

(SLIDE) 

What Every Follower Must Do, and we took the letters W, E, F, M, D. 

(SLIDE) Those letters stand for Worship, Evangelism, Fellowship, Ministry and Discipleship.  

For 2012 then, we will be focusing on the aspect of Church known as “Fellowship”.  And we will be asking questions such as, “What is Fellowship?”  “What does Christian Fellowship look like?”  and “How do we enter into Fellowship.

2012 stands to be an awesome year, and our prayer is that we will continue to grow, as we are nurtured in the Word of God.  Will you join me in prayer, as we prepare our hearts to listen to the Word of God and as well, for this year and what it has in store for us.  Let’s pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we come to you this morning with hearts full of thanksgiving.  We thank you for being with us, as your promised.  We look back at the past year and reflect on all that you have taught us.  Continue to be with us and shape us and mold us into the kinds of people you would have us be.  We pray now Holy Spirit that you would come here into this place.  Speak clearly that we might hear.  Open our minds that we might understand.  And soften our hearts so that we might be come the kinds of people that follow you with all of our hearts.  Come now Holy Spirit we pray in your name.

Amen.

If we are to sit down and really examine the Bible and think deeply about this topic of “community” and of “living together”, it would be best to start with looking at the life of Jesus and take a look at the example from his life in order to determine what we can learn in the 21st century as well.  And, when we look at the Jesus story, in particularly if we look at the book of Luke, it would seem as if Luke includes some pretty significant details that would suggest that living Life Together was something that was held on to pretty tightly by Mary and Joseph.

When we examine Luke chapter 2 then, we see that eight days after the birth of Christ, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be, what they call, “presented” at the temple.  And, as a side bar, if we think about our own calendar with celebrating Christmas, 8 days would put us about the same amount of time that this particular story was happening.

But getting back to the passage, we see that Mary and Joseph were taking Jesus to the temple, according to the laws that were set before them. And what was those laws?  We’re told that there are in fact 3 laws in which Mary and Joseph were observing.

1. Jesus’ Circumcision and Naming 2:21

The first law that Mary and Joseph abide by and obey is found in verse 21.  Mary and Joseph have Jesus circumcised and in the same ceremony, they also name their baby Jesus, just as the Angel had told them.  (Remember we had talked about naming Jesus a few weeks ago as we waited for advent.

But the question becomes, what is so significant about circumcision?  

You see, what Mary and Joseph were actually doing was that they were following an ancient tradition.  In that tradition, they were taught that if they wanted their child to be included in the people of God, they would need to bring him to the temple, so that a priest could circumcise him.  It was through the ritual of circumcision of all Jewish males which set them a part, that people would know that they belonged to God.

Now, what we have to understand is that circumcision isn’t just some weird ritual ceremony, but instead, it was something that had a much fuller and deeper meaning.  In fact, the meaning of this ceremony had its roots all the way into the Old Testament, all the way to Abraham.  And if you were here last week for our Christmas Day service, you’ll remember how we talked about the family tree and how Matthew traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Abraham.  So you see, this ceremony was important not only to Mary and Joseph, but it carried deep meaning over generations of Jewish people.

The meaning of circumcision

So what is the meaning of circumcision?  The meaning of circumcision is first mentioned in Genesis 17.  And in that story, we’re told that God wants to make a covenant with Abraham.  

Now, I was thinking about what the best definition of a covenant would be and the best definition that I could come up with is that 

A Covenant:  is an agreement to engage in or refrain in a specified action. 

Meaning, if a covenant is made between two parties, it would stipulate what a person would or would not do for the other person.  And this is what happens with God and Abraham.  In Genesis 17, God makes a covenant with Abraham, promising that if Abraham would keep his covenant, God would make him a father of many nations, and that he would become fruitful and that God would establish this covenant between Abraham and himself for generations to come.  You see, this circumcision, covenant was first and foremost about an invitation to join and be part of a greater body of people.

In God’s promise of covenant, we find that God’s plan was to build up Abraham.  From an elderly couple, God wanted to bring up a nation, that would first and foremost be a beacon a light, that would show the world how to live and how to come close to God.  In the covenant that God makes with Abraham, we find that God’s intention was the restore the broken relationship that had happened, so that people around the world would come to know that He was God.  And in this we find the covenant of circumcision.  

That’s why Mary and Joseph observed the law so diligently.  They wanted to make sure that Jesus, their son, would be a part of this covenant.  And we know, that from looking from his story, that he wasn’t only part of the covenant that would bring restoration to the world, Jesus was THE LEADER, the one that showed people how to do this.  He didn’t come to abolish the law, Jesus came to fulfill it.

1. Mary’s Purification after Childbirth 2:22, 24

The second law that we find nestled in this passage is Mary’s purification ceremony after childbirth.  In the book of LEviticus, chapter 12, there is a law that states clearly that after giving birth, the baby boy must be circumcised 8 days after being born.  And as for the mother, she is to attend a ceremonial cleansing ritual 33 days after giving birth.  And, at that time, she is to bring a lamb as a sin offering, in order to be cleansed.  But, if she can’t afford a lamb, she can bring two doves or two young pigeons as an offering instead. (Leviticus 12: 2-6, 8)

In Luke 2, we find that Mary and Joseph were just doing that.  After giving birth to Jesus, Mary and Jospeh were heading to Jerusalem, so that Mary could receive her ceremonial cleansing ritual.  And, we’re told, that because they were poor, Mary and Joseph offered up two doves for their offering.

In this short passage, we are reminded that the parents of Jesus were very devout Jews and because of that, they were following the laws in order that they might be included in the covenant and be left outside of the ring of the community.

1. Presentation of the Firstborn

The third law that we find Mary and Joseph were following was ensuring that their first born son, Jesus, would be consecrated to the Lord.  In order to understand what was happening here, we have to first be given some background about this consecration ceremony.  Luke writes this:

23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” Luke 2: 23-24

You see, the ancient Hebrews that the first born, whether humans or animals belonged to God and were reserved for his services.  Animals of course were sacrificed, but for humans, the first born son meant that they would be placed in the service of God.  This was true for the Levites, the family or the branch of the Israelites that were the family of priests.  And, if you were a family in the broader Jewish community that was NOT a Levite, you would pay a redemption fee of 5 shekels for your first born son.  And this was in order to support the priesthood.

The Three Laws.

We examine these three laws that Mary and Joseph observed, because really in essence, they were more than just rules and regulations that they had to follow.  These laws that Mary and Joseph followed were laws that had to do with living in community.  It was living within laws that provided for the greater good of not only of themselves, but of the people around them.

Living like this, carefully observing the laws, reminded both Mary and Joseph that they were not alone and that they were part of something greater.  And, by observing these laws, they were making a conscious decision to raise their son, Jesus in the same kind of manner.

For Us

When I read about these laws that Mary and Joseph had to observe, I can’t help but think that there is something for us to take away here as well.  I think it is very important for us to recognize that we in the 21st century, we do not nearly have the same kind of mentality that the Hebrews had.  We seem to have more of an individualized understanding of our faith and spiritual journey.  In the 1980’s, when i was growing up, we were told over and over again, that we needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  While this is theologically correct, we may also may have misunderstood this phrase to mean that we must have an individual relationship with Jesus Christ, that I don’t need to share my faith, really with people around me.  If I sin, if I stumble, it should be something that I keep to myself.  Yet, when we see the laws of Moses then, especially with the ceremonial cleansing after the birth of a child, we might actually find this sort of thing offensive.  In our world today, how can you say to a woman who just gave birth to a child that she is ceremonially unclean?

Our perspective vs. God’s perspective.

I think this is true, in our day in age, in our world it is an offensive thing to say, imply or suggest.  Yet, in the world that Mary and Joseph lived in, they did not live from a world that was concerned with being politically correct.  Instead, their world was mono centric, it was God centered and because of that, all of these ceremonies centered on whether or not they were holy and clean in the eyes of God.  And so for Mary and Joseph, their concern was that they were walking in accordance to God’s laws and the way he would have them live.

And because of that, Mary and Joseph wanted to ensure that they were included in the bigger covenant of the people of God.  

Simeon and Anna

Our passage this morning though includes two more people who were also living in covenant with God.  Those two people were Simeon and Anna.  We’re told that Simeon was a righteous man, that the Holy Spirit was upon him and that he had been promised by God that he would see the messiah before he passed away.  And because he was living in covenant with God, this promise came true.  Like the promise that God gave to Abraham, Simeon was given an incredible privilege and when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be consecrated, Simeon had the chance to see with his own eyes who the messiah, the Savior was going to be.

Anna as well was privileged as well.  We’re told that she was a prophetess and well advanced in years.  We’re told that she had been married for 70 years before she was widowed and that in her final years she prayed and fasted and waited for the messiah.  And when Jesus was presented at the temple, she too got to see Jesus.

It’s interesting that Luke would include these details in his account of Jesus’ life.  And to include Simeon and Anna wouldn’t have served any real purpose, other than confirming for his readers and to us that Jesus was a real live boy.  He was not some spiritual figment of the imagination, but like the skit that was presented at Christmas Eve service, Jesus was really the Word that became flesh.  He was brought to the temple courts, he was consecrated, and he was seen and held by people who were waiting patiently for his coming.

Life Together: Living in Covenant

It’s this flesh and bones, this reality that God had indeed become flesh that is so important to our understanding of who God is.  God’s promise of being with us has come true in the birth of Jesus.

As we transport our selves back into the 21st century then, what can we take away from the lives of Mary and Joseph?  It is this all important covenant between God and for us.  And living in covenant is so very important.  By living within the covenant, we are promised that we would be included in God’s bigger plans.

In the life of Jesus then, because he is the one in whom we turn our eyes towards, we see that in his life, there is a new covenant that we are to live by.  This morning, we get to celebrate in communion.  And the words of communion that Jesus gives to us which are recored in the scriptures, Jesus says this,

Jesus takes the bread in communion and says, when you take of this bread, it is a reminder that it is my body, that is broken for you, take and eat and do this in remembrance of me.  In the same way, Jesus then takes the cup and he says, this cup represents the NEW COVENANT sealed in my blood, take this and drink and do this in remembrance of me.

You see, all of this is rooted in the death and the resurrection of Jesus.  What Jesus is actually saying through these words is that the old covenant, the laws of circumcision, the laws of purification after child birth, the laws of the presentation of the first born to God, all of these things are part of the old covenant that we find in Abraham.  But in my death and in my resurrection, there is a new covenant.  And if you are to be included in the new covenant, then take the bread and the cup.  Eat and drink as symbols that you are part of this new covenant.  Drink and eat and be a part of who I am and what I’ve done for you, on the cross.  

In the life of Christ, we are to do these things, so that we can be co heirs with Christ in the kingdom of heaven.

Living in the Covenant

And by living in the covenant then, you, we agree that we are to gather and have Christ at the center of our lives and of our church, and in our fellowship.  Christ ought to be at the center of why we meet always.  Without Christ being at the center, our gatherings are no more than just a social thing.

(SLIDE) Bulletin Cover

Our bulletin cover is an interesting one.  And as we were putting together the bulletin cover, we see a familiar setting.  We see shoes at the front door.  These shoes have been taken off and scattered, implying that those who have come to the house are now gathered in the house.  But, why are they gathering?  They are gathering because the owner of the house have invited them in.  To talk, to play, to share a meal.  Why are these shoes here?  Because the guests have arrived to spend time with the host.  In the same way then, why do we gather as well?  We gather not to spend time with one another, but because Christ, our host has invited us in.  So that we might get to know who he is.

I find this imagery so powerful, because it keeps us focused on why we gather in fellowship, why we gather as a community and why we gather as his people.  We are all invited to come in.  And so we gather, as a church, as a congregation, and as a community in order to get to know Christ, the one who has invited us to join the party, the one who has invited us to come in and join the banquet.  This is a powerful image, that we ought to hold in our minds and remember.

Our theme verse for the year is taken from Psalm 133 and it says this:

(SLIDE)

1 How good and pleasant it is
   when God’s people live together in unity!

 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
   running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
   down on the collar of his robe.
3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
   were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
   even life forevermore.

The reason why God’s people live together in unity is because of Jesus Christ, who has come to the world already, who has already lived in it.  We live together in community because of what he has done for us on the cross.  And when we gather in community and live in covenant with God and each other, it is called good.  The imagery that David uses in this Psalm is like precious oil poured on the head, running down Aaron’s beard.  And this might seem strange to us, but really what David was trying to say is that this oil that was used in religious ceremonies, is like a sweet smelling perfume.

(SLIDE) Starbucks

We know that when different people come together, it might be a tough thing to do.  We come from different backgrounds, with different expectations, with different baggage.  But, when we come together in community with Christ at the center, this is good.  A modern day example would be like coffee.  Coffee itself, is a bitter mixture.  But when freshly ground, and brewed, and when sugar and cream are added to the mix, it becomes fragrant and sweet smelling.  And this is what living in covenant and community ought to be like.

In this new year of 2012, may we make a commitment with each other to live in covenant with one another.  And when we do, may our community be like the shoes at the front door and may we mix together like sweet smelling coffee.

Amen.

Matthew 1: 18-25; Titus 3: 4-7

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  And a Merry Christmas to all of you!  This morning is a special morning, as today is Christmas.  And I must commend all of you who are here this morning, that you would come and that you would worship with us this morning, and add to this very special day.  

I love Christmas and I love the advent season.  Because ever since I started ministry three and a half years ago, we’ve always done a sermon series for advent.  We know that advent is the four weeks leading up to Christmas, where we have talked about anticipation.  We have talked about yearning.  We have talked about looking ahead, using the Christmas story, in order to remember that there is a greater hope for us!  We are waiting for the second coming OF Christ.  And this is what Advent is all about!  Yet, what I’ve realized is that even though we have four weeks to prepare for Christmas to arrive, because we do not meet on Christmas day, there’s always something lacking, I find.  And the thing that I find lacking is that we do not get to meet as a church, we don’t get to celebrate the birth of Christ together.  And often times I find myself lacking and yearning to be able to share that good news with all of you.

But today, today is special.  Because it so happens that this is the first time since 2005 that Christmas Day happens to fall on a Sunday.  Which is awesome.  Because we get to meet together, as the church family to remember and celebrate the birth of our savior together! 

When we turn our attention to the first chapter in Matthew then, we find that really, Matthew is all about family.  He starts off with tracing the bloodlines of Jesus, and then he begins to talk about Joseph and he talks about the Christmas story from Joseph’s point of view.  And, when we take a look at the Christmas story for Joseph’s point of view, I can’t help but wonder if Joseph really knew what he was getting himself into.  And that’s why I’ve called this sermon, “Mary, Joseph, Did you know?”

And so, this morning, as we begin, will you join me in prayer.  Let’s Pray.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning that you have given to us.  We thank you Lord for Christmas Day, for the story of anticipating and waiting.  And today is the day that Christmas finally arrives and we get to come and worship you as the church family.  We thank you Lord for this.  Bless our time together and may your Holy Spirit be among us this morning.  Speak to us Lord and transform our lives with your wonderful message.  For this we pray in your name.  Amen.

Family is very important.  I think there isn’t anyone here that would argue that point.  In fact, Christmas Day is probably the most important day of the year, where we do spend time together as a family.  Ever since I’ve moved out to Vancouver, this particular realization has become more real to me every year.  And in fact, I remember last year on Christmas Day, I was spending it at home alone and thinking to myself that wouldn’t it be nice if I got to spend it with my own family.  Maybe it was a Christmas wish, but I know this year that wish has come true because my mom and dad have come and are here this morning and I got to wake up on Christmas morning with them. 

We all know how special and important family is don’t we?  I’m sure we all have our own stories about family and what the Christmas holidays are all about.  We know of people who have flown across the country to come home and be home in Vancouver for the holidays.  We know of people who try and get away as a family, to spend some time in a hot, sunny place during the holidays as well.

Family is an important theme for us during the Christmas Season.  And, when we read the gospel of Matthew, it would seem as if the first chapter is no different.  When we read the this first chapter in Matthew, we find that Matthew has taken a lot of time in order to trace the blood lines of Jesus, all the way back in the family tree.  And, in that family tree, we find that Jesus’ family goes all the way back through to Abraham.  Matthew traces the bloodlines back 14 generations!  It’s interesting as we read this family tree, because it would seem as if Matthew was trying to get across a very subtle point, as he begins to list out all these people that are related to Jesus, who is the Christ, who is the Savior.

A careful reading of Jesus’ family tree reveals to us that those who are included by Matthew might not be the kind of people that would really be shining examples people that you might typically think that might be included if Matthew was trying to prove to his readers the purity of the pedigree of who Jesus was.

Included in the family tree, Matthew has included people like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  But, he’s also included people like Rahab, Ruth,

And in all of this, we see that Matthew is trying to do a couple of things.  He is trying to show where Jesus’ family is coming from.  Fulfilling the prophecies are important, especially if you are looking to determine for yourself whether or not Jesus is the true Messiah.  But, I think, the genealogy that Matthew includes in this first chapter is quite interesting, because the people he chooses to include, aren’t the kinds of people that you might consider.

For example, Rahab is included in this genealogy.  Which is eye brow raising.  When we read about Rahab, we know that she is a person who showed tremendous faith.  She was the one that helped the Israelite spies, as they came to see whether or not the Promised Land was fit for the taking.  Yet, when we look at her occupation and her bloodlines, it is surprising that Matthew includes her.  Rahab is first and fore most a prostitute.  Which is pretty interesting if we think about it.  If Jesus is supposed to be the Son of God, wouldn’t it have been better for Matthew to keep this fact quiet?  Rahab is also a gentile.  She is not of Jewish blood.  Yet, Matthew includes Rahab in this family tree.  It’s pretty interesting.

There are scholars here that would suggest that the reason why Matthew would include all of these kinds of different people is because he would have been trying to hint that the good news of the gospel that Jesus was about to bring to the people was in fact for all people.  It didn’t matter where you came from or what you’ve done in your past.  What matters is whether or not you have a repentant heart and whether or not you are willing to follow God with all of your heart. 

In the account of the bloodlines of Christ, we see that Matthew is trying to get this point across.  Yet, what’s interesting is that even though Matthew sets up the first chapter of Matthew as a way to trace back Jesus’ bloodlines, immediately after the genealogy, Matthew focuses in on the Christmas story, but from the perspective of Joseph.  For Joseph, his role as the human father of Jesus seems almost inconsequential.  He is mentioned briefly in the first chapter of Matthew and is mentioned again a handful of times in the gospels.  Yet, we know that his role as the human father of Jesus is important because of his ties to King David.  In the prophecy that the angel gives to Mary, we’re told that the throne of David will be given to Jesus and it is because Joseph is a relative of King David, that is why we know that he is important to the prophecies coming true about Jesus the Messiah.

Yet, Matthew does something really interesting after listing out the genealogy of Christ.  He begins to tell the Christmas story from the perspective of Joseph.  We’re told that at this point in the story, Joseph knows that his bride to be is pregnant.  He also knows that without a doubt in his mind, that this child isn’t his.  The scriptures tell us that he is a righteous man.  That he too lived a holy life.  And because of this, even though HE was the victim here, HE would not publically disgrace her.  He had decided in his mind that he would divorce her quietly in order to not make a big scene.

If we take a moment here and reflect on the character of Joseph.  We can totally tell that he is a righteous man and that he lived in accordance to the laws.  We know that adultery in those times was a serious offence. And for Joseph, he lived in a world that was ok to take back what was rightfully his.  He lived in a world that was all about an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.  And because his bride to be was pregnant, he could have asked for restitution.  He could have asked for revenge.  Yet, he doesn’t.  And in Joseph’s mind, the way that he could show grace to Mary was to divorce her, but to do it in a way that wouldn’t cause embarrassment or shame to her.  We can see that Joseph was a righteous man, living in the standards his world during those days.

Yet, when the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph, we’re told that he is asked to go the extra mile, that he is told to take Mary home to be his wife.  That it’s ok, because the baby was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

This, must have been such a hard thing for Joseph to do, yet, Joseph obeys and we’re told that he accepted Jesus as his own Son.  When I read this passage, I find it very difficult to comprehend why Joseph would do such a thing.  And the only conclusion that I can come to is that he loved God so much, that even though this might have been a painful thing for him to do, he put aside his pride and he did it.

I think, there’s also another side to the story that is happening here that we need to consider.  And that side of the story is the whole idea of adoption.  Strictly speaking, Jesus is not Joseph’s son.  Yet, we’re told that Joseph takes him in.  If Joseph had refused, if Joseph had disobeyed the command of God, I’m sure things would have worked out for Jesus.  But in obeying God, in accepting this child as his own, Joseph is actually saying that bloodlines and families didn’t matter as much.

What’s interesting about all of this is that Joseph “accepts” Jesus as his own son.  And I think there are ramifications for us, because of Joseph’s actions.  In the same way that Joseph accepts Jesus as his own son, we too are accepted by God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us.  You see, if we flip our understanding, we too are illegitimate children.  We have sinned, and we are not worthy to be part of God’s family.  However, it is because of what Jesus would eventually do on the cross for us.  Jesus would die for us on that cross.  And because our sins are forgiven by Christ, then we are accepted by God into his holy family.  I wonder if Joseph knew what would happen when he said yes to God and accepted Jesus as his son?

Like Joseph accepting Jesus as his own, God accepts us as his own.  We are included as heirs to the throne because of this great gift of Jesus on Christmas morning!

But, being accepted into God’s Holy Family isn’t the end of the story!  The good news of the gospel doesn’t just stop there.  What happens now that we are accepted as his heirs, we are redeemed SO THAT we might do good.  Being part of the God’s Holy Family, means that we are responsible for carrying out the family business.

The book of Titus reminds us that the family business of God is to do good.  Titus chapter 3 says this:

¹ Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, ² to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.

 ³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

As we reflect on this Christmas season, let us not lose sight of the great gift that has been given to us by God as Jesus was born into this world.  With the birth of Christ and his sacrifice on the cross, we have the opportunity to join him and be a part of his family.  And once we are a part of his family, we have a family business to take care of.    Church be ready, and never forget the promise that the Angel gave to Joseph about Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  The angel called Jesus Immanuel, which means – God with us.  And it is because God IS with us, that we can live this kind of life, and find it in the good news of the Christmas Season.   Amen.

Luke 1: 26-38

Good morning and welcome to Chinese Presbyterian Church.  This is our third sermon as we celebrate the season of Advent.  And in this celebration, we have been reminded about what the season of Advent is all about.  In our first sermon, we mentioned that “Advent” is all about the “coming”of Christ, as the word Advent has its root meaning in Latin.  Therefore our sermon series has been about Anticipating Advent, or, anticipating the coming of Christ.  As mentioned before, we use the Christmas story to root ourselves in Christ’s first coming, so that we might be reminded to anticipate his second coming, which is yet to come.

Over the last few weeks, we have used the word anticipate, in order to be reminded that we are

(SLIDE)

1.    Anticipating a new King

2.    Anticipating a New Beginning.

3.    For this week then, we are once again anticipating, but this week, we are anticipating a “Savior”

Today is a special day, as we not only anticipate our Savior’s second coming, but today we also get to celebrate baptism, and so its fitting that we together as a congregation shift our minds and reflect on the Savior that is foretold by the Angel Gabriel to Mary, the mother of Jesus, our Lord.

So, before we begin, will you join me in prayer.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for this morning, that we can come together and worship together as a community and congregation.  We pray Lord that your Holy Spirit would come upon us, that you would be with us, that you would speak to us, that you would help us to grasp and understand how deep and wide and how great your love for us truly is.

Be with us, we pray in your name.  Amen.

Divine meets Human

The story of the birth of Christ is a special one, because if we read between the lines, we can see the character of God very clearly.  In that character of God, we see that somehow, some way, in the birth of Christ, we as human beings are included in the story of God.  Now pause for a moment and think about it, God, in his infinite power and his infinite wisdom, does he really truly need to include US in the bigger and wider picture of human history?  Of course not!  Yet, he chooses to include us in the story.  In fact, when we read the story of the foretelling of the birth of Christ, we see that God’s choice of HOW he’s going to enter the human story is one that is strange and peculiar in its own right.

At first glance, when we read this story, we see that indeed, it is the Divine that meets the human.  And what I mean by that is that God sends the Angel Gabriel to Mary, and tell her that she has found favor in the eyes of God and that she has been CHOSEN to carry the baby that would turn the world upside down and that this miracle child will rule for all eternity.

I think, when we read this story, we tend to romantisize it, that we think of this really great news and we have this amazing story of Angels appearing to Mary as the chosen one.  When I was younger, and when I heard this story, I always got this warm fuzzy feeling, that yes, this was the way that Jesus was announced, that it was announced in a special way, and that nothing else could be compared to it.

But when we begin to read between the lines, when we begin to put ourselves in Mary’s shoes, this prophecy that is given to Mary, this is not as glamorous a kind of prophecy that we might first imagine.  Think about it, Mary, a young woman, probably in her late teens maybe in her early twenties, she is betrothed to be married to Joseph.  She is looking forward to her wedding day.  She is anticipating that she will be married.  And suddenly, in an instant, we see that her life is changed.

She’s told that she’s found favor in God’s eyes, that she has lived a holy life, that kind of life that would have been deemed good enough that she could become the mother of Jesus.  Yet, because she’s found favor in the eyes of God, she is to now carry a child.  A child that is not Joseph’s, her future husband.  A child that is not, any human being.  But instead, she is to carry the child of God, SO THAT Jesus could be known as the SON of GOD!

That to me sounds, CRAZY, yet God chooses to be born in this way.

And for Mary, this sounds even CRAZIER!  Being pregnant without being married, WOULD HAVE caused all sorts of implications for her. 

1.    She could have been accused of committing adultery, which would lead to her being excommunicated from her family, or worse!  She could have been stoned to death. 

2.    OR, this would have thrown a wrench into her wedding plans, OR WORSE, she could have been publically humiliated by Joseph. 

3.    OR, this would have meant that she would somehow have to raise the child BY HERSELF, OR WORSE, she would have been thrown out of her community and  would have had to somehow fend for herself.

All of these  implications that Mary probably would have considered, and my guess, would have instantly popped into her mind, as she was talking to the Angel Gabriel.

BUT she doesn’t.  For some reason, she understood that this role that she was being told about, was something unique and something that she shouldn’t pass up.  And so, she agrees to it.  She KNOWS that something special was about to happen to her, and she instantly agrees to be God’s servant.  And this is amazing!

The prophecy 4 fold – anticipating a Savior

But what was Mary agreeing to?  I think it is important to take some time and look at the prophecy that the Angel Gabriel gives to her, as this will help us understand her decision as to why a young, teenage girl would agree to something so difficult to do.

Aside from being visited by an Angel, we see who this child she is about to carry is all about.  The prophecy that Gabriel gives to Mary reveals to us a four fold promise.  Those four things are:

(SLIDE)

1.    You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

2.     He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

3.    The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

4.    and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.

1.     The first promise that the Angel Gabriel gives to Mary is that she will have a Son.  And that not only are you going to have a son, you are going to have a son and you will name him Jesus.  At first glance, this might not seem significant to us, but really in essence what the angel was saying is that yes, you will be blessed with a son, but this son won’t really be yours.  Now, let’s think about this for a moment here.  As a parent, one of the most important and exciting things you can do is to name your child.  In anticipation of this new life, people spend hours and hours, thinking and debating what they are going to name their child. 

We have a friend, who is named after his father.  And because of that, he is named Paul Jr.  His father was named Paul, and so he is named Paul.  Most recently they had a son, and even though they call him by his middle name, Grason, the little boy’s legal first name is Paul.  And so, Paul Junior Junior is known as Paul the third.

But really, what’s in a name?  God, in his infinite wisdom, decided to name the Christ, Mary’s promised son Jesus.  And the name Jesus is very significant, because what it really is, is a derivative of the name Joshua, which means “he who saves”

By naming the child Jesus, in his name, it suggests that Jesus is the Savior that we are anticipating.

2.     The second promise that the Angel Gabriel gives to Mary is that Jesus will be called the Son of the Most High.  This is significant, because this designation is only reserved for God himself.

In the gospels, we see about how important it is in how Jesus is addressed.  In the scriptures then, we see that Jesus is referred to as the Son of the Most High, the Son of Man, and the Son of God.  And these designations are significant, because really, if we hear that Jesus is the Son of the Most High or that he is the Son of God, really what we are hearing is that he is directly related TO God.  

In our world, where we are so sensitive to other people’s position opinions, and their rights, and their freedom of choices, for us to hear that Jesus is the Son of God changes our perspective on our world.  Yes, we must be aware that other people may believe in someone or something else, but for the Christian, we MUST obey Jesus and live our lives through his lens, if we are to fulfill the mandate that we ARE the church and if we are to be Salt and Light to the world and be witnesses to those people around us.

Be followers of the Son of God, we must come to know who God is.  And the reason for that is because if those who do not know Jesus begin to ask us questions about who are Savior is, we must be ready always, in season and out of season to give them an answer to why we believe.

3.     The third promise that Gabriel gives to Mary is that Jesus will be given the throne of David.  This promise might not be as significant to us, as it might be to Mary, but nonetheless it is an important promise, as it fulfills many Old Testament prophecies. 

You see, in the Old Testament, as they anticipated a Savior, people knew that the Savior would come from the lineage and from the descendants of King David.  King David is important in the history of the Israelite people, because he was the Second King of Israel.  He was also known as “a man after God’s own heart.” As well, it was well known that the Savior that was to come, would come from King David’s family.  Now, it was well known that Joseph was from that King David’s family, but it is also important to note that Mary was also from Nazareth, the same town and region that King David was from.  For the Israelite who was looking for, and aware of these little details, this would have been important for them to pin point the authenticity of the claims that Jesus was the Savior.  The prophecy therefore pointed out that Jesus had the right pedigree, that his humble beginnings in that small, isolated region, was in fact that right place, and that Jesus’ family was in line with Gabriel’s Prophecy, as well as the prophecies in the Old Testament.

4.     The fourth and final promise that Gabriel gives to Mary is that Jesus would rule over Jacob’s descendants and that his kingdom will never end.  This final prophecy was so important and so significant, because it was a promise that the rule of Christ would be here until the end of time.

As we hear about this promise, we know how the life and ministry of Jesus is played out.  We know that as we read the scriptures, that Jesus in fact spends 3 years, teaching, preaching and healing people.  We also know that Jesus was betrayed into the hands of the religious order and that he was executed.  Yet, the hope that we find in the gospels is that Jesus is raised from the dead and back to life.  This promise of the kingdom of heaven is true, because as the church, we are a part of this prophecy.  We have been given the task at hand to further Jesus’ kingdom, here and now. 

And this is a wonderful thing for us, because as we celebrate Advent and as we look forward to the Christmas season, we also anticipate his coming again. 

You see how the prophecy that the angel Gabriel had given to Mary is still playing out in our world today?  This is an amazing promise and we are so blessed to be a part of it.

Mary’s response:

As we have broken down this four fold promise, knowing all of this information is good.  But there is one more aspect of this passage that is important for us to explore.  And that aspect is how Mary responded to hearing all of this news that was being given to her.

We mentioned before that the implications of Mary who would have been a teenager at the time would have affected her life, but the one thing that we can see from her encounter with the Angel Gabriel is three things.

And those three things are that she must have been

(SLIDE

1.    Afraid

2.    She questions God

3.    She had a spirit of submission

1.    Mary must have been afraid after hearing this kind of news, because this kind of news would have affects, not only physically, but also spiritually, and psychologically as well.  Becoming pregnant at that young age, without being married would have been difficult, yes.  But think about the other challenges she would have to face as well.  She was assured by the Angel Gabriel that she had found favor in the eyes of God, and she was told that because of this, she was given the responsibility of caring for Son of God.  Being physically, emotionally and spiritually tied to Jesus, the responsibility of caring for this child would have been great.  I don’t pretend to know what it means to be pregnant, but I have seen and spoken to different moms and I know from my own experience from my own mother that there is a special bond that happens between a mother and their child.  Moms know and feel differently about their children than any other human relationship there is out there.  And we know that Mary would be forever tied to Jesus because of this.  Becoming pregnant with Jesus would have made Mary afraid for reasons other than being rejected from her community

2.    The other thing that we see from Mary’s example is that even though we know that she is has found favor in God’s eyes, which means that up until that point she had lived a life that was in line with the teachings of Moses, she was not afraid to question God about this matter.  I think this is important for us to note because there are times that we might think that it is bad, or that it is inappropriate to question God.  Yet, Mary does.  After hearing that she had been chosen to become the mother of Jesus, she asks the question, “

How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

This is important for us to note because even in the midst of everything, the craziness of life, as we are discerning what our place and our role in life for God is, it would seem that it is appropriate to question God if things don’t make sense in our lives.  By looking at the example of Mary, we are given permission to do so.

3.    But, even though we are given permission to question God, we must also look to Mary to see how she finally responds to the Angel Gabriel, after she hears of this news.  And this final response is full submission and full obedience. 

Our passage this morning ends with Mary saying

“I am the Lord’s servant, may it be as you have said.”

These are truly amazing words that end out this encounter between the Angel Gabriel and with Mary.  Yet, these words show the character of who Mary really was.  At the end of the day, after hearing the news that would forever change her life, Mary simply says “do as you please, because I am the servant of God.” 

Mary through and through was a servant of the Lord and there was nothing better than to be able to do the will of God.

Conclusion:

Friends, as reflect on this passage this morning, it would be easy for us to dial in and focus on Mary, her encounter with Gabriel, and how great a person she was to be willing to become the mother of Jesus.  Yet, the thing that we can take away this morning is that at the end of the day, all Mary wanted to do was to be a servant of God.  Our attention and focus should not be on what Mary had done, but instead our attention and our focus should be on THE ONE that was being foretold. 

In the encounter that Mary has with Gabriel the good news that was being given to Mary was that through her, a Savior was now being anticipated!  And this was wonderful news, not only for those who were reading the book of Luke in the first century, but for us as well.

May we too have the attitude, the character, and the obedience of a servant, as we anticipate the coming of Christ in this advent Season.

Amen.

Benediction:  As you go, may you be reminded that we are anticipating the second coming of our Savior who was given the name of Jesus.

And as you go, may you be reminded that he is the Son of the most high.

And as you go, may you be reminded that we are anticipating his return, so that his kingdom may reign forever and ever,

Amen.