Live In Harmony

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the fourth Sunday after Epiphany, the 29th of January, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Last week I mentioned that, leading up to Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, I’d like us to revisit some of those places Jesus visited, witness His mighty works, listen to His divine words, follow along with Him as He ministers to the people.  Much of this is saved for us in our Gospel accounts of the Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Matthew and John were first-person eye-witnesses to all that Jesus did, while Mark and Luke interviewed first-hand witnesses to gather the information for their accounts.

There is one other apostle, who neither witnessed Jesus in His ministry nor interviewed other witnesses (that we know of), but who received special insight straight from Jesus Himself.  This is the Apostle Paul, who, while still blinded by our Lord’s glory, was shown the truth.  Through Paul’s letters, we can gain insight ourselves into the messages Jesus delivered, not just in our Lord’s words, but also in the example He set for us to follow.

Please listen and follow along as Paul relays one such message from Jesus regarding how we should live.  This comes from Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, the church in Corinth, from chapter 1 verses 1 through 3 and verses 10 through 18, and I’ll be reading this from the New Living Translation of our Holy Bible…

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes.

2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be His own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as He did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

3 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

10 I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. 11 For some members of Chloe’s household have told me about your quarrels, my dear brothers and sisters. 12 Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.”

13 Has Christ been divided into factions? Was I, Paul, crucified for you? Were any of you baptized in the name of Paul? Of course not! 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 for now no one can say they were baptized in my name. 16 (Oh yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas, but I don’t remember baptizing anyone else.) 17 For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News — and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

--1 Corinthians 1:1-3, 10-18 (NLT)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for calling us to be Your holy people, and for making us holy by means of Your Christ Jesus.  Father, You created the family unit so that we would have a place to be nurtured, where we could grow.  And then You sent Your Son Jesus to bring us into Your greater holy family.  Thank You, Father, for adopting us as Your children.

Please forgive us, Father, when we squabble among ourselves, when we just can’t seem to get along.  And forgive us when we fail to heed the words of Your Son’s apostles, like Paul, who tell us how we should act and live.  Please help us be more attentive and observant to all that You have saved for us in our bible.  Help us be better, more faithful servants for You and Jesus.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who are so willing to carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  May we fully realize the damage done when Jesus’ church is fractured and broken apart, especially within single congregations.  This we pray in the wonderful name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Two employees were chatting together one Friday morning. One informed the other, "The boss wants a meeting today at 4:30."  The other let out a sigh and asked despondently, "Why must he always have them on Friday afternoons at 4:30?"  The first responded, "Because everyone tends to agree with him then."

Many of us are retired now, but think back to those days of employment and those mandatory meetings, often called without notice.  If the meeting started a half hour before quitting time on a Friday afternoon, we’d doing nothing but stare at the clock, watching that minute hand creep closer and closer to a weekend of freedom, worrying that the meeting might intrude on our personal time.  In a situation like that, don’t we tend to agree with anyone about anything, just so we can get this meeting over with and get out of there!?

I think this agreeing to things holds true in almost any situation, if it suits our purposes.  But what about when it doesn’t suit our purposes?  What about when we can’t get anything out of it?  How agreeable are we then?  How harmonious is our conversation?  How one-minded and united are we in our thoughts and purpose?

In the first part of the 27th verse of the 1st chapter of his letter to the Philippians, Paul tells us to...

27a Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…

--Philippians 1:27a (NKJV)

Jesus tells us to approach all situations with love, no matter what we do, to do it with love.  Do we?  We are to love others as we love ourselves.  That isn’t always easy to do, but it would certainly go a long ways to helping us live in harmony with one another.

Paul appeals to us, by the authority of Christ Jesus our Lord, to do just that – to live in harmony with each other.  Now my daddy was born and raised in Harmony, North Carolina, and I’ve often thought of what it would be like to live there, but somehow I don’t think that’s what Paul meant.

There’s one consideration I do need to point out, though.  When Paul wrote this letter, the church in Corinth was experiencing some sharp fracturing.  It was dividing itself into pieces, with the differing factions arguing against each other.  Paul's message was aimed at stopping sectarianism in this church, trying to keep it from tearing itself apart.

Unfortunately, since Corinth was one of the earliest Christian churches, it appears the church has always been at odds with itself, and it continues still today.  We disagree on things small and large.  And this is the main reason why we have so many denominations, and so many different churches, today.

We Christians need to do a better job of getting along, especially within any given church family.  We need to be more worthy of the Gospel of Christ Jesus in our conduct.

This isn’t the only time Paul urges us to live in harmony, nor was Corinth the only church to concern him in this regard.  The circumstances were different, but he also wrote to the church in Philippi pleading for unity.  Listen to Paul’s words from the 2nd chapter of his letter to the Philippians, verses 1 through 3…

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

--Philippians 2:1-3 (NKJV)

Paul is appealing to us by our kinship through Jesus, through the Holy Spirit within us, appealing to our mercy and affection for one another, asking that we be like-minded, in one accord, of one mind.  Every Sunday, including today, I pray that God keep us of one mind and one purpose in our love, our worship, and our service.  I’m a little selfish in this prayer.  I know that this church family experienced a horrible split some number of years ago, before I was called here, and I just don’t want to see anything like that happen again.  I don’t want to see disagreements tear us apart.

We’re a family, and like any family, we’re going to have our little disagreements and squabbles.  It’s just going to happen because we’re all human.  But if we do as Jesus says and act out of love, we can work through the squabbles and still live in harmony with one another.  Our disagreements don’t have to divide us and tear us apart.

In closing, I’d like us to hear what the Apostle Peter has to say on getting along with each other.  This comes from his 1st letter to the early church, the 3rd chapter, verses 8 through 12…

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will grant you His blessing. 10 For the Scriptures say,

“If you want to enjoy life

and see many happy days,

keep your tongue from speaking evil

and your lips from telling lies.

11 Turn away from evil and do good.

Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right,

and His ears are open to their prayers.

But the Lord turns His face

against those who do evil.”

--1 Peter 3:8-12 (NLT)

There it is again: be of one mind, be like-minded, love each other.  Be tenderhearted and humble.  Don’t lash out in retaliation when someone does something that hurts you.  Instead, pray for them and ask for God to bless them.

And then Peter quotes King David, from his 34th Psalm, when he tells us to watch what we say.  That’s what it boils down to – be careful what we say.  Let’s not spread any gossip or unfounded rumors, or say anything bad about or to anyone.  We must search for, strive for, a peaceful solution to whatever it is that’s bothering us.  And we must remember that God watches over us and listens to us when we’re doing what He wants us to do, but not when we’re causing harm.

I might add to Peter’s warning that we not only must watch what we say to others, but we also need to be careful how we react to what someone may say to us.  It’s too easy to overreact, and then so very hard to overcome that reaction.  We can’t un-ring the bell.  We can’t un-say what has been said.

In both cases – before we speak and before we react to what is spoken – we need to pause and ask ourselves…  Are we acting in a loving manner?  Is our conduct worthy of the gospel of Christ?  Are we behaving as if we truly understood the message of the cross, or as if it is just foolishness?

Family, through His apostles and through His own words, our Lord implores us to live in harmony with each other.  Let us try with all our hearts to obey Him.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, You created Adam, and then You created Eve to be his companion, his wife, so he would not be alone.  And Father, almost from that very beginning, mankind has disagreed with one another, and oftentimes violently.  War has been prevalent throughout our history, with a few moments of peace scattered here and there.  But You, dear God, are still merciful to us, even in our disobedience.  Thank You, Father, for giving us chance after chance to get things right, for loving us even when we are unlovable.  Forgive us, please Father, when we don’t take the time or make the effort to try to get along with one another.  Forgive us when we don’t love as You love.  Please, loving Father, help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You command us to love others, and You showed us how to love in how You loved – unconditionally, without thought of personal gain, even when we’re not loved in return.  Jesus, You know that we cannot always live in harmonious times, but we can strive to live in harmony with one another, especially within Your church, within Your body left on earth.  Please help us get along.  Remind us to stop and think before we speak or react to what someone else might say.  Help us to always act in love, not in hatred or retaliation, but with kindness and mercy.  Help us to forgive as we are forgiven.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Shine the Light

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the third Sunday after Epiphany, the 22nd of January, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, a few weeks ago we observed the baptism of Jesus on our Christian calendar.  John had been baptizing and preaching repentance, warning that the kingdom of God was at hand.  He acknowledged Jesus as the One whose coming he had been telling the people about.  And this is when God announced that Jesus was His Son, in whom He was well pleased.

From the River Jordan, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, there to be tempted by Satan for 40 days.  He then returned to Nazareth, and soon after received some bad news.

Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Matthew recorded the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth, in chapter 4 of his Gospel account, verses 12 through 23, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles:

16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

--Matthew 4:12-23 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for working everything out from the very beginning to show Your love for mankind through Your Son Jesus.  You spoke through Your prophets of old, hundreds of years before sending Your Christ to earth, telling us of His coming and of His mission, His works.  And Jesus fulfilled all of those prophecies.  Thank You, Father, for putting it all out there in our Bible where it’s easy for people to see… if they would only believe.

Please forgive us, Father, when we have our doubts, when we feel unsure of Your love, when we don’t take the time to study Your word.  And forgive us, please, when we fail to live as You would have us live, walk as You would have us walk, love as You would have us love.  Please help us be more obedient to Your commandments and more observant of all You’ve told us.  Help us be better servants for You and Your Son.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who are so willing to carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Open our hearts to hear when Jesus invites us with the words, “Follow Me”.  Show us how to leave our earthly desires behind and truly follow Him.  This we pray in the wonderful name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

The Simon Community is an organization in the United Kingdom that works giving aid to the homeless.  One of their activities is running night shelters.  Each night, volunteers leave the shelters to take soup and sandwiches to those who, for one reason or another, do not want to come to the shelters.  They go looking for them in derelict buildings and such places.  The most important aid they take with them is a lantern, because often there is no light where these down-and-out souls live.  Most of the homeless receive the volunteers as friends.  But some refuse to have anything to do with them.  The volunteers can tell at once which group they are dealing with by their reaction to the light.  Some welcome the light.  Others fear it.  You could say that the light judges them, in the sense that it shows up the darkness in their lives – the darkness of alcoholism, misery, hopelessness, crime.  But the light doesn’t come to judge them.  It comes as a friend, to brighten up their lives, to comfort them.

Have you ever known someone whose eyes were very sensitive to light?  They tend to live in a darkened environment, only venturing outside at night or when wearing a broad-brimmed hat and the darkest of sunglasses during daylight hours.  For these poor folk, the light is not their friend.  Most of us welcome any light when we find ourselves in the dark.  When the power goes off at night, we scramble to find a flashlight or candle and matches.  It’s not that we fear the darkness as much as we don’t like not being able to see.  The Simon Community volunteers encountered both extremes in their outreach – those who rejected the light, and those who welcomed it.  

Jesus came as a beacon of God, to shine the light of truth for all the world to see.  Some rejected Him, and many reject Him still today.  But some welcomed Him, and welcome Him still.  He shines a light onto our path so that we can see where to walk without stumbling or bumping into things hidden in the dark.  He brightens our lives and comforts us.  If only those others could open their eyes, their hearts, and see the Light for what He is, for what He means.

Family, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, which is February the 22nd this year, one month from today.  Lent is that time for us to remember what Jesus has done for us, what He means to us, and to look closely into our hearts and see if we are living in a righteous way, as He would want us to live.  Lent also begins the journey that ends at Jerusalem and the foot of the cross.

Before we get to that point, I’d like us to revisit some of those places Jesus visited, witness His mighty works, listen to His divine words, follow along with Him as He ministers to the people.  So I figured the best place to start would be when His ministry began.

Sometime after His baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus returned to Nazareth.  Then He received the sad news that the Baptist, John, His own kinsman, had been thrown in prison.  So He left His hometown and headed to the region around the Sea of Galilee and stopped in Capernaum, which He made what we might call His ministry headquarters.  All of this fulfilled the words God spoke through His prophet Isaiah, 700 years before Christ came to us as a man.

While out walking along the shore of the sea one day, Jesus comes upon two brothers, Simon and Andrew, two fishermen tossing their nets into the sea and pulling them back in.  Employing some clever word play, Jesus invites them to, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”  Just a little further on, now with Simon and Andrew in tow, He comes across two more brothers, James and John, also fishermen, sitting in their boat with their father Zebedee mending their nets.  Jesus issues the same invitation to them, and they also accept it.

What is important for us to understand in this last part is how Simon and Andrew and James and John responded to their invitation to follow Jesus.  They left their nets, they left their boats, they left their father, immediately, and followed Jesus.  They left behind everything they needed to make a living, most likely everything they owned except the clothes on their backs and the sandals on their feet.  They left behind their relatives, their kinfolk, their families – everything - just to follow Jesus.  And they did it without hesitation, without a second thought, without any promise of personal reward other than to be made fishers of men.

Jesus has also invited us to follow Him, but I don’t think He expects us to leave everything behind, just everything that ties us to this world, that matters more to us than helping others, that keeps us from faithfully serving Him.  These hindrances, our worldly desires, we must leave behind as we take up our cross to follow Jesus.

Isaiah said that the people who walk in darkness have seen a great light.  Upon us all the Light has dawned, as the morning sun.  Of course, it’s our choice whether to flee from the light, to hide our faces from it, or to welcome it.  It is our choice whether to follow Jesus, or reject Him.

In our church reading this morning we heard Jesus say, “I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  If we don’t want to walk in darkness, where we might easily stumble and fall, all we have to do is follow Jesus and we’ll have the light of life around us.  And the amazing thing is that then the light will reflect off us, even come from us, so that others might see.

Just a little later on after calling His disciples, during what we call His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke to the multitude who followed Him and believed.  Hear what Matthew recorded of this teaching, in the 5th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 14 through 16…

14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

--Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)

Jesus said that He is the light of the world, and now He is proclaiming that we who believe and follow Him are also the light of the world!  He has given us the light, shared His light with us, so that we can show others the way to righteousness.  We must not hide that light, but put it on a lampstand so it can spread throughout the area.  When we hesitate to be His witness to others, for whatever reason, we are hiding our light under a basket.  Instead, we must hold it high so that others can see and avoid the darkness as we do.  And this, and all we do, is to glorify God our Father.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, we lit the Christ candle to celebrate the light of God, the light of truth, coming to the world.  Jesus is the Light.  He came to shed light into the darkness, to light our way to righteousness and salvation.

We who have seen the Light must share it with those still stumbling about in the darkness.  This is a new year, a new chance, to shine the light and share the Light.  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, Your love and mercy never fail.  When we were lost in sin, groping around in the darkness, You sent Your Son to shine a light onto our path and to show us the way to freedom and salvation.  Thank You, Father, for choosing us to believe, for giving us faith, for loving us even when we are unlovable.  Forgive us, please Father, when we take Your love for granted, when we think that just because we are saved we can go back to doing anything we want.  Forgive us when we ignore Your word.  Please help us through our darkest hours.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, You are the Light, shining in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome You.  Because of You, we walk in the light, and the light is within us.  Thank You, Jesus, for lighting our path and for brightening our lives.  Please help us reflect Your light so that others might see.  Help us remember to glorify our heavenly Father before man in all we do.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

Wise Ones Seek Him Still

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the second Sunday after Epiphany, the 15th of January, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, today is the second Sunday after Epiphany.  We talked about the Epiphany a little last week, but the main focus then was on the baptism of Jesus, because the Epiphany occurred on the preceding Friday while the baptism is celebrated on that Sunday.  So I’d like to go back today and look more closely on the event when God’s Messiah was revealed to the Gentiles.

Last week I noted than an epiphany is a sudden, intuitive insight into the essential meaning of a thing.  It is a revealing of the truth that comes in a flash.  The Epiphany we celebrate on our Christian calendar occurred when the wise men from the east, the Magi, visited the Infant Jesus.  We celebrate it on January 6th each year.  Why January 6th?  Well, January 6th is the 12th day after Christmas.  And according to Christian tradition and belief, it took 12 days after the birth of Jesus for the Magi to follow the signal star and travel to Bethlehem.  This is where we get the notion of “the 12 days of Christmas”, as well as the song.

So let’s back up just a bit, now that we’ve ordained our new Deacon and installed our officers and joined together in Holy Communion with our Lord.  Let’s tag along and watch as the wise men from the east seek out the One born King of the Jews.  Please listen and follow along to the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account of the Epiphany in chapter 2 verses 1 through 12, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible this morning…

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

--Matthew 2:1-12 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for revealing Your Messiah, Your Son, to us through these wise travelers.  You sent Your Son as one of Your chosen people, a Jew among Jews, but You also made Him known to the Gentiles, so that all people might be saved.  Thank You, Father, for caring so much about all of Your creation.  Please forgive us, Father, when we lose sight of Your purpose for sending Jesus to mankind, when we take Your gift of faith for granted and return to our sinful ways.  And forgive us, please, when we fail to obey Your command to love others, even as we love ourselves.  Please help us be more obedient to You and Your Son.  Help us recognize and carry out our role in Your great plan.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who are so willing to carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  Give us an epiphany, show us the full meaning of Your words and Your works.  Reveal the truth to us in a way we can understand.  This we pray in the wonderful name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

What if the visitors to the Baby Jesus had been wise women instead of men?  They would have asked directions and arrived on time so they could help deliver the baby.  And they would have brought along practical gifts.  Then they would have cleaned the stable and made a casserole for the little family.

When they left to return home, the conversation might have gone like this: "Did you see the sandals Mary was wearing with that gown?”  “That baby doesn’t look anything like Joseph!”  “Can you believe they left all of those animals with the baby?”  “I heard that Joseph isn’t even working right now!”  “And that donkey that they are riding has seen better days too!”   “Want to bet on how long it will take until you get your casserole dish back?”

That’s just a little bit of Christian humor, but I wonder…  would it have made a difference if those wise travelers had been women rather than men, or women and men?  In that day I think yes, it would have made a difference, for women were treated very differently than men.  For one thing, women would never have met with Herod, much less have piqued his interest in their quest.  They would have simply been considered foolish, on a fool’s mission.

So then, if Herod had not met with the wise ones and learned that a baby had been born that would be King of the Jews, he might not have otherwise learned of this and not felt threatened.  He wouldn’t have sent his troops into Bethlehem to slaughter all the male children under two years old.  Joseph and Mary might not have had to flee to Egypt with the baby to save it.  The events that shaped the early life of Jesus might not have happened.  Now I’m sure that God would have worked it all out so that His plan would still be accomplished, but how different it might have been.

There’s been a lot of conjecture over the years about these “wise men”.  We know they were wise, and we know they came from somewhere in the east, which means they were Gentiles and not Jews.  But that’s about all we know for sure - the rest we have to guess at.

They must have been learned men, scholars perhaps, who had read and were familiar with the ancient texts and scriptures, most notably the writings of Micah and Isaiah and other prophets.  They may have been astronomers, or had training in that field, for they had studied the heavens and noted a specific star that stood still in the sky.  They followed that star as their guide.  They had to have been rich, for the gifts they brought were quite expensive, in that time and still today.  The gold alone would have cost a bundle.  As a side note, the interesting thing about the gold is that it would have covered the costs for the family while they were in exile, hiding from Herod.

Finally, these men must have been devout, religious.  From their readings they would have known about the one true God, and maybe believed in Him.  For when they came into the house and saw the Baby Jesus with His mother Mary, they fell down and worshiped Him.  In a sudden, intuitive flash, they recognized that little infant as the Messiah sent from God, and they worshiped Him.

Wise men traveled from the east seeking Jesus.  Does being wise necessarily mean being smart, well educated, highly intelligent, vastly experienced?  No, not necessarily.  The Psalmist tells us that wisdom begins when we fear the Lord, when we respect Him, and then our wisdom grows as we obey His commandments.  We know God, but the hard part comes in when we try to obey His commandments, especially when it comes to loving all others as we love ourselves.  If we are wise, we will continue to seek our Lord.  We’ll turn to Him, not only for help in bad times, but to thank Him and praise Him when times are good.

Moses spoke for God when he prophesied to the Jews that they would be scattered among other nations, other peoples, other gods.  Hear what Moses told the people in the 4th chapter of his Book of Deuteronomy, verse 29 through the first part of verse 31…

29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice 31 (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you.

--Deuteronomy 4:29-31a (NKJV)

Seek the Lord and you will find him, IF you seek with all your heart and soul.  Turn to the Lord and obey His voice and he will not abandon you.  Seek the Lord in good times and bad.  Ask for His help for ourselves and for others.  Give Him thanks in all things, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.  And our true wisdom will grow.

Wise men and women still seek the Lord.  They spread His name and His message as they go.  We know God.  We believe in Him and in His Christ, His Son Jesus.  Now let our wisdom grow.  Let us be more obedient to our Lord by loving unconditionally, by serving without hesitation, by helping to find the lost and bringing them to Jesus.

As Isaiah said, our light has come.  The glory of the Lord is upon us and all around us.  Wise ones seek Him still.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, You constantly bless us in so many ways.  Even during our trials, even if You punish our disobedience, You still bless us because You love us and want us to do what is right.  Thank You, Father, for Your love and Your blessings, none of which we truly deserve.  Forgive us, please Father, when we take Your blessings for granted.  Forgive us when we can’t see or ignore Your hand at work in our lives.  Please help us grow in our wisdom and our faith.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, while You were still a babe, our Father God let us Gentiles know that You were the Christ, the Messiah sent to save us from eternal death.  Wise men came to worship You, bringing gifts that spoke of Your divinity, Your kingship, and Your death.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming to all mankind, for Jew and Gentile alike.  Thank You for offering us salvation if we only believe in You and accept You as our Lord, the King of kings.  Please help us understand the full meaning of that visit so long ago.  Help us remember why You came to this earth and what You did on our behalf.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.

To Fulfill Righteousness

 

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the first Sunday after Epiphany, the 8th of January, 2023, at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

Family, today is the first Sunday after Epiphany, and the day when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus.  An epiphany is defined as a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something.  It is a revelation of the truth that comes in a flash.  The Epiphany we celebrate today is when the Messiah was revealed to the Gentiles.  This happened when the wise men from the east, the Magi, visited the Infant Jesus.

Epiphany was this past Friday, January 6th.  And although we only step ahead a few days, we leap forward 30 years on our Christian calendar.  Jesus is now an adult, about to begin His ministry, the three year journey that ends at the cross.  Please listen and follow along to how the Apostle Matthew recorded this, in the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 3, 7 through 11, and 13 through 17, and I’ll be reading from the New American Standard Bible this morning…

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“The voice of one calling out in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight!’”

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance; 9 and do not assume that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’; for I tell you that God is able, from these stones, to raise up children for Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

13 Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have the need to be baptized by You, and yet You are coming to me?” 15 But Jesus, answering, said to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 After He was baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and settling on Him, 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

--Matthew 3:1-3, 7-11, 13-17 (NASB)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You for giving John the mission of preparing the way for Your Christ.  He let the people know that the Messiah was coming, and when Jesus approached, John acknowledged Him as the one promised.  Thank You, Father, for speaking from heaven and announcing to all who could hear that Jesus was Your Son.  Please forgive those, Father, who refuse to believe.  And forgive us, please, when we ourselves begin to doubt and our faith falters.  Please help us be more righteous in Your sight.  Help us fulfill the task You have set before us.  And Father, please protect us from Satan and from those who are so willing to carry out his evil works.  Please keep us strong in our faith, of one mind and one purpose in our love, worship, and service, and healthy and safe through these trying times.

Speak to us now, Father, that we might hear Your voice through Your Spirit within us and better understand the message You have for us this day.  We are Your servants - help us serve.  This we pray in the wonderful name of Christ Jesus our Lord.   Amen.

Today in our Christian calendar, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus by John in the River Jordan.  But I'd like to share a little story about the baptism of King Aengus by Saint Patrick in the middle of the 5th century.  It seems that sometime during the ritual, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot.  After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness.  "Why did you suffer this pain in silence?", the Saint wanted to know.  The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."

Maybe the king should have attended services more often where he might have become familiar with how baptisms were performed.  But today here at Pilgrim, part of our focus is on service, and specifically, being called to serve.  In the 11th century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch.  He made application to Prior Richard, the head of the local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative, a person devoted primarily to prayer, and to spend the rest of his life in the monastery.  "Your Majesty," said Prior Richard, "do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience?  That will be hard for you because you have been a king."  "I understand," said Henry.  "The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you."  "Then I will tell you what to do," said Prior Richard.  "Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you."  When King Henry died, a statement was written: "The King learned to rule by being obedient."

When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember that God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a good accountant or teacher or mother or father.  Christ expects us to be faithful where He puts us, and when He returns, we'll rule together with Him.  Jesus was faithful to the job God gave Him, and so was John, in preparing the people for Jesus.  John had a role, and it included baptizing Jesus, even though he felt that he was not worthy to do so.  But in accepting and carrying out that role, John, with Jesus, fulfilled righteousness by doing what was right by God.

We each have a role, too.  We each have been given a mission by God, by Jesus.  We may not know or understand or realize all aspects of that mission, or a particular role God has in store for us, but we must be ready to carry it out when it is made known to us.  We may not feel worthy of God’s love or His attention, or even of the task He has assigned us, but we must still do what is right in His eyes.  For in this way we fulfill righteousness and become worthy of our calling.  Here is how the Apostle Paul puts it, in the 4th chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, verses 1 through 6…

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

--Ephesians 4:1-6 (NASB)

We have been called to believe in Jesus as God’s Christ and to serve Him in this life.  The crucial part of that service we already know: to help others come to believe in Him and follow Him, too.  But how to carry out that role may elude us, or confuse us, or even scare us.

By loving others unconditionally we show the love of God.  We show that love by acting with humility and gentleness, by being patient with one another and not dwelling on what they might have done to hurt us or cause us harm.  And Paul adds that we must make every effort to keep ourselves united in the Spirit, binding ourselves together with peace. 

We are loved.  We must show our love so that others can see the love of God through us, in us.  For in this way, we fulfill righteousness.

In a few minutes, we will share the bread and the cup, and then we’ll sing a hymn, just like Jesus and His friends did so long ago.  By this Communion, we are all joined together with one another and with our Lord.  The Apostle Paul warns us not to come to this table until we are right with God.  So please take this time to silently confess any wrongs to our Father God and seek His forgiveness.

Remember what Jesus did for us, for you and for me.  He died just for you, just for me, so that we might live.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Let us pray…  Almighty God, You have chosen us to be Your children and to follow Your Son Jesus.  You call us to be Yours and to serve Your will, Your purposes.  Thank You, Father, for giving us the faith to carry our Your calling.  Thank You for sending Your Son to show us how to fulfill righteousness as we walk through this life.  Forgive us, please Father, when we falter in our task.  We don’t always understand what we are supposed to do, the task often scares us.  Forgive us when we hesitate, when we are timid, when we doubt our worthiness to serve You.  Please help us be better servants in all we do.  And Father, please help us remain strong, faithful, and true through all that we face in this age.

Please hear us now, Father, as we pause for just a moment to speak to You through Your Spirit within us, promising to be more obedient to Your commands, and seeking Your help to do so…

Lord Jesus, everything You did was in fulfillment of our Father’s plan for the salvation of mankind.  Everything You did was out of love.  Thank You, Jesus, for remaining faithful to God and to us.  Thank You for showing us what it means to fulfill righteousness, to do what is right in God’s eyes.  Please help us remember the example You set.  Help us love unconditionally, with patience and gentleness and humility.  And Jesus, please heal the hurts that separate and divide us one from another.  Help us remain trusting and obedient no matter what we go through.  Help us keep our focus on the things of heaven and the needs of others rather than on anything this life might offer.  This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior.  Amen.