There is a Good Shepherd Psalm 80; John 10

 Psalm 80:1-7;  John 10:11-18  “There is a Good Shepherd”  4/21/24
Preached at Eastminster Presbyterian by Rev. Dr. J. Ben Sloan

Here is a video of a sheep that I would like for you to see at the beginning of this sermon:  

There are so many images of sheep in scripture.  In our more urban society, we may easily get confused.  But I remember 2 things: they can get messy and wander off;  I can remember when we had the Live Nativity here, and before we hired the sheep, we had a farmer, Mr. McCracken, who would allow us to have his sheep at the Live Nativity.  There were two problems.  First we had to catch the sheep.  My brother, who is about 10 years older than me—and I think David Chase, went to catch these sheep one Christmas.  It had rained the night before and they came home absolutely covered in mud!   Then the other problem was that the sheep tended to escape and headed down Trenholm Road toward what is now the field.  Sheep are cute, sweet, won’t hurt a fly, but they can be messy and get in trouble.  [show slide]  I love that meme.  It reminds me that as many times as Jesus rescues me, I tend to get in trouble all over again.  The good news is the Good shepherd does not give up- to the point that he would rather die than not rescue the sheep. 
     When Jesus restored Peter after his resurrection- He went after one of his lost sheep; His question  3 times (one for each of the times he denied him) was: “Do you love me.”  Then the next admonition was to “Feed my lambs, take care of my sheep, feed my sheep.”  He was asking Peter to be an under-shepherd- and a good one- motivated by love, and the need to care for the people of God.  He was asking him to be a good shepherd.  We need people who will consider the ministry.  Who are willing to give themselves fully for the glory of God.  Jesus here lists some qualities for a Good shepherd.  He listed them not just for the apostles, but for all who listen. 
He lays down his life; He knows his sheep; he cares for their being peacefully together; He gives them abundant life.
    1) THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP- He Doesn’t run away when trouble comes.  Do you know how much you are loved by the God who made you?  He loves you, knows you, and gives Himself for you.  When you stray away- He reaches down to bring you back.  The birth of God in human form that we celebrate at Christmas shows God is willing to come down for you that you might be brought up to Him.  The death of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, is not some esoteric theological concept.  Jesus said it like this, Greater love has no one than this- that He gives his life for his friends.  He said the Son of Man came not to be served- like a hireling- but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.  We know all that, but can you let it sink into your bones?  The Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  God is not out to get you, or manipulate you, or zap you, or consume you. 
     That doesn’t mean that the Good shepherd doesn’t want you to come into His fold, into the safety of His care, to come back to Him.  The Good Shepherd cares when you go astray.  He doesn’t shrug his shoulder and say, “Those old dumb sheep- they’ll get what’s coming to them.”  No, He comes down.  He looks for us like the Prodigal’s father.  He leaves the 99 to go after us.  He looks for us as a person looking for a lost coin or a lost pearl, and He invites us to look for Him.  The Good Shepherd says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness then all these other things will be added to you.” 
   Eight months ago 9/2 at 1:30 AM, Joseph Pope and Charles Segar saved the lives of two 18 year old students whose car was burning in a late night wreck.  They saw the car burning, and when they looked they saw the man inside.  They busted out the window and pulled Anderson Jones from his Nissan.  Jones told him there was another in the car.  They pulled her from the car too as the car started to be engulfed in flames.  The car could have exploded.  Pope cut his arm trying to help and required stitches.  The two could not save themselves- but Pope and Segar saved them and were recognized for that by Clemson City Council, and the Boy Scouts.  Pope was an eagle scout from our own troop 10.   Jesus is our rescuer.  He came to us when we could not save ourselves at risk to himself.   When we rescue, when we help when we give of ourselves we are being Christ-like.

2) THE GOOD SHEPHERD KNOW HIS SHEEP AND HIS SHEEP KNOW HIM- he binds up their wounds, they call out to the shepherd, and the shepherd calls back to them.   I said this awhile back, but we tend to live like everyone knows us except God.  Our Snapchat, twitter, facebook, virtual friends may know us- but God doesn’t really know us.  If He did, He wouldn’t like that snidy comment I put up about someone else’s opinion.  We think our GPS service knows where we are- but somehow God does not.  We think Google can see our house from Google earth, but somehow God cannot.  If Google knows your email, your ad preferences and wants, and it is but a machine, cannot God Almighty the omniscient one?  The guillemot is an arctic bird that lays its eggs on the cliff . All the birds lay thousands in a row.  Yet studies show the mother incredibly  knows which egg is hers.  So God knows you by name and loves you.  There is a great article in the State paper about Dawn Staley texting a Clemson fan giving him comfort over his gamecock mother’s passing.  It meant so much that she took time and that of all the fans she met, she knew her and cared.  God knows you so well.  He made you.  He knows every cell, every molecule of your body.  He knows when you fall into a ditch.  He knows when you are in the green pastures feeding and lying beside the still waters.  He knows when your heart is broken.  He came down to earth to show us He understands us.  The One who is and gives eternal life understands suffering and death.  There is nowhere, not the darkest evil place, not the brightest good place;  not the stupidest place, or the most enlightened place; not the place where you feel horribly uncomfortable- even the death bed, and not the place where you think you are already in heaven.  There is no place where God does not know you and care about you.  Tim Keller said, “God know us to the bottom yet loves us to the skies.” 
3) THE GOOD SHEPHERD CARES ABOUT THE UNITY OF THE FLOCK- There are other sheep not of this pen—He is clearly talking about that there are gentiles that Jesus wants to invite into the fold.  They also will know Him, and he says, “And there shall be one flock.”  One of the saddest things in our day is that we seem to have lost in the last fifteen years, the desire to be one flock.  We divide and cast out and divide again until people say, “why do I want to go to that individualistic church.”  The number of denominations is growing.  The first 1,000 years of Christianity there was only one denomination.  The next 500 years there were about five.  Today there are roughly 45,000 different denominations in the world- including non-denominational churches who became denominations.  We have a problem.  The problem is not that our beliefs are not perfect- no one believes perfectly.  The problem is described in 1 Corinthians 13- “If I speak in the tongues of angels but have not love- I am nothing.  If I have a faith that can move mountains but have not love I am nothing.”  The church is dying today because we lack faith, hope and love. In our context, we must learn to love across denominational lines- to love those with whom we differ- or we will wither into nothing.   It is not our kingdom come- it is His.   The old joke is about a person who dies and goes to heaven.  St Peter is giving them a tour.  In one room are people kneeling.  The man says, “Who are those people?”  They are the Methodists;  Then another room there are people singing and raising their hands “Who are those people?”  They are the Pentecostals.  There were some with their heads bowed quietly- almost like they were asleep- “Who are those people?”  They are the Presbyterians.  Then there were three rooms with the doors shut.  The man says, “Who are those people?”  Peter says, “SHHHH!  Those are the indepen dents and they think they are the only ones up here.  It is time to repent of our divisiveness, and our willingness as sheep to wander off looking for greener pastures.  The Good Shepherd wants one flock. 
4) ABUNDANT LIFE-The Good Shepherd is not a thief who seeks to kill and destroy and take away your joy.  The thief is not just the devil.  There are many thiefs!  Envy steals our joy;  drugs we may think give us joy- but can also give us regret and addiction that kill and destroy- Last year in SC over 2,000 people died to drug overdoses and that is with an abundance of Narcan that keeps people from dying.  Immorality steals our joy- things like pornography- SC ranks 9^th in the nation in time spent on porn on the internet.  But porn can destroy a family.  There is a long list of wolves in sheeps clothing that people buy into.  Life can be hard and troubling- but we can be of good cheer- for the resurrected Christ has overcome the world.  The Good Shepherd is not a wolf in sheep’s clothing who wants to take the beauty of your life away.  The Good Shepherd says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden- I will heal your wounds, get you beyond your past mistakes and hurts.”  The synonym for salvation is “eternal life.”  Jesus says, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  1 John 5:12 says, “Whoever has the Son has life.”  Ephesians 2 says when we were dead in our sins, Christ came to make us alive.  The abundant life is right here.  Today is the first day of the rest of your eternal life.  Are you just existing?  Are you just coasting in life?  Is your life meaningless?  Is loneliness consuming you?  Are you trying to find yourself?  There is one who wants us to open the door to His love.  He wants us to give up our destructive ways- give up jumping back into the ditches and live in the abundant life.  Today at Eastminster we will have baptisms of confirmation students and a baby.  It is not the end of their journey- it is the beginning of their abundant life!  Hedonism is living for pleasure.  John Piper coined the phrase “Christian hedonism” which means finding pleasure in the living God- the good.  We are made to not just glorify but enjoy God- right now and on into forever.   Do not let any thief steal your joy.  Instead, seek to relish the abundant eternal life- which begins today. 

4-1-1 Do You Want Information?

                                           Wikipedia- Partial Map of the internet
 What is Your Information Source?

Scripture: "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings from the honeycomb." - Psalm 19:7-10

Today is 4/11. Many of those under 35 do not know what "dial 4-1-1" means. We may know what 9-1-1 means (emergency), but from 1930-2023, you would often hear on the other end of a 4-1-1 dial: "Information." The free directory assistance service was discontinued by AT&T in 2022 for cell users and in 2023 for landline users. With Google, and certain directory search engines as well as screens on cars that pull up directories, 4-1-1 became obsolete. However, since 4-1-1 was eliminated, the most helpful directory assistance websites either require payment or make you put up with annoying advertising. So where do you go for information?

We live in a time of information overload. We have access to more information than we can use. We also have so many prejudicial sources of information that we recognize that most truths are hidden and combined with a layer of slant or agenda. We have become so used to this that some have given up on believing there is any truth (or trustworthy information) at all in the world.

When confronted face-to-face with the living Truth of God in the flesh, Pontious Pilate asked the famous (pagan) question of doubt: "What is truth?"

So where do you go for real, deep information (epistemology)?

Some say to trust the truth to the experts. Certainly, we do this to a certain extent. When a car repairman services my brakes, I trust the brake expert more than my ability to even check on what he is doing. The problem is that sometimes experts get it wrong. When the locomotive was invented, one "expert" said the human body could not endure traveling at such speed and with such noise, thinking such travel would "injure the brain." Experts can contradict each other with half-truths. Just look at the political "experts" and debates of our day.

Our confessions speak of the Bible and especially the person and words of Jesus Christ as being the measure of real Truth and information. Jesus is the incarnation of God's love. In some ways, the whole Protestant Reformation was about putting the Bible in the language of the people (vernacular) and then putting that Bible in the hands of the people – teaching them to read it. One of the reasons we have so many Bible studies is we believe that what we ought to believe and do is found in the scriptures.

In addition to the scriptures themselves, we also need the church (and one another) to help us discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today through the scriptures. The information we receive is not just for trivial pursuit or encyclopedic storage but for application to change us and the world to make earth more like heaven itself.

So do not be afraid to seek the most important information from the One who claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is the One who said, "Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17). The word "Gospel" can be translated as "good news” or "good message" or "good information."

The most important information is information that will affect us both now and in eternity. Part of our calling is to not keep the really great information to ourselves but to tell others how to have the hope, joy, and love that is within us. Look for ways to pass that 4-1-1, that important information, on to others.

Prayer: Lord, your commands are true and righteous altogether. In a drowning sea of information and misinformation, help me see your Word as my lifeline to hope and truth. Give me a heart to seek you in scripture and ears to hear your Spirit speaking to my heart. Amen.

DEVOTIONAL AND THOUGHTS ON THE ECLIPSE 4-8-2024

 

ECLIPSE

4/8/2024

All of the United States will experience at least a partial eclipse Monday 4/8.
There was a 2017 eclipse (8/21) that passed from Oregon to South Carolina in which 215 million Americans viewed it directly or digitally;  The 2024 eclipse (7 years later) will go from Texas through Maine.  If you combine them together, the two eclipses form an X or a cross intersecting south of St. Louis.  South Carolina will experience a partial eclipse 81%  to 69% beginning around 1:50PM peaking at 3:08 and ending at 4:25 PM.  Please wear special eclipse glasses to protect your retina.  I did not at a total eclipse when I was 13 and it damaged my retina which tore in 1993. 

Historical significances of eclipses:
1) On May 28, 585 BC there was a huge battle at the end of a six year war between the empires of Media (later Medes and Persians/Iran) and the Lydia in what is now Turkey. Herodotus recounts that “just as the battle was growing warm, day was on a sudden changed into night…when they observed the change, the Medes and Lydians ceased fighting, and were alike anxious to have terms of peace agreed on…This event was foretold by Thales.” 
2) Herodotus also accounts how the Persian king, Xerxes  saw an eclipse before invading Greece.  He was told by his Zoroastrian priests that it was a warning of the Greek’s destruction.  However, we know the Persians were defeated, not the Greeks and Xerxes was assassinated in 465BC. 
3) When Jesus died on the cross 3:00 PM 4/3/33 there was an earthquake (Mt. 27:51) and a darkening of the sun (Mt. 27:45; Mk. 15:33; Lk. 23:44) from 12-3:00 (sixth to the ninth hour).  Some say this darkening was by a solar, lunar, or simply dark clouds from a storm. 
4) Christopher Columbus on his third voyage to North America, was shipwrecked on Jamaica in 1503.  He and his crew was facing starvation.  Columbus forecast a lunar eclipse on March 1 as a sign from God that they should not withhold food from his crew.
5) Tecumseh’s brother prophesied a solar eclipse 4/16/1806 and it united the Shawnee and other Indians in a confederacy against William Henry Harrison and the Americans.
6) In 1919 an eclipse proved Einstein’s theory of relativity’s prediction that the sun’s gravity bent starlight forever changing how we look at time, space and motion. 

Religious significance of eclipse:
“The heavens are telling the glory of God.  The skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words, no sound is heard from them.  Yet their voice goes out into all the earth.”  (Psalm 19).  An eclipse is another amazing sight in the heavens that could help us to think about the God who made it all. 
Jesus quoted Isaiah 13:10; 34:4 about the distress of the days around his second coming:
“the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the sarts will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.”  Joel 2:10 speaks of the great Day of the Lord that “the earth quakes, the heavens tremble.  The sun and the moon grow dark and the stars lose their brightness.”  (Ezek 32:7).
In other religions eclipses had different religious meanings.  According to a BBC article (Richard Fisher 10/12/23) in western Asia it was a dragon devouring the sun; In Peru a puma; The Vikings spoke of sky wolves.  In Choctaw Native American culture black squirrels devoured or clouded the sun, and we were supposed to remain quiet. 
In a total eclipse, the birds hush their singing, some animals curl up as if going to sleep, and there is a quiet upon the earth. 

From a Christian point of view, signs in the heavens are opportunities to re-think our faith.  It is a definite reminder that the universe is bigger than we are, and that we are not in control of it.  Nor should we expect that the universe is always constant and beyond change or the control of a Creator.  Even if an eclipse is predictable mathematically, that doesn’t mean it is not a huge event that effects life or is a possible wake up call.  When I see a sunrise over the ocean or a sunset behind the mountains such things are predictable but that does not take away the ability for them to inspire and even change me for the better.  Because Jesus (and Isaiah and Joel) predicted the darkening of the sun and moon before the day of the Lord (or the day of the second coming), seeing an eclipse can make us think of seeing our God face to face one day.  Perhaps (as the Lydians and Medes) it could inspire us to seek peace and pursue it.  Perhaps those who are dividing from others would seek instead to love and overcome their differences.  Perhaps our egos and pride will be seen for what they are in the shadows of an eclipse.  Maybe we could stand and see the Bailey’s Beads (sunlight around the edge of the moon) or the shadow bands (seen on the ground before or after an eclipse) , the 360 degrees of orange and feel the temperature drop and stand in awe of the God of the universe.
I remember the 2017 eclipse.  We had a worship service at the church.   There were no earthquakes, nuclear war, no apocalypse and the Lord didn’t come back.  But HE was present and we stood in awe and wonder at the God who made the sun, the moon, the earth, the stars, and “set their courses in the heavens.”  “But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God.”  (Acts 2:33). 

Prayer: Lord, you are the Creator of the sun, the moon, the stars, and all that I can see, including me.  Thank you for the gift of life, and the things that happen in life that make it interesting and point to you. I stand before you in humility at your greatness and power.  I kneel before you in silence, humility, and repentance.  How majestic is your name, Lord our Lord!  You have set your glory in the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you have set in place.  What are human beings that you are mindful of them?  Yet you came down to our level in Jesus.  You showed your sympathy and love through Him making a way for us to come to you. 

 

Suggested Hymns:  For the Beauty of the Earth;  God is Working His Purpose Out, O God who Spins the Whirring Planets;  “Let all things Now Living” (has the great phrase- “His law he enforces, the stars in their courses, and sun in its orbit obediently shine.”). 

My pop song eclipse playlist:  “Here comes the Sun” (The Beatles) “Soak up the Sun” (Sheryl Crow); “A Sky Full of Stars” (Coldplay); “Fly Me to the Moon” (Frank Sinatra); “Moonshadow” (Cat Stevens)
But specifically for a solar eclipse:  “You’re so Vain” (Carly Simon); “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (Bonnie Tyler); “Bad Moon Rising” (Credence Clearwater Revival); “Eclipse” (Pink Floyd);

Christianity Today Article highlighting Footwashing (and Eastminster)

Christianity Today article on Footwashing

Maundy Thursday Thoughts

 

Maundy Thursday Eastminster 3/28/24- Sanctuary
Ex.  12:21-27;  John 13:1-17, 31b-35  Rev. Dr. Ben Sloan

The word “Maundy” in Maundy Thursday has some mystery to it.  We are not absolutely sure what it means.  I can remember one of my kids a long time ago asking, "Daddy are we going to church on Monday Thursday?"  Some speak of Maundy money- as a way to give alms or gifts to the poor;  Some say it has to do with anointing with oil.  Some say it has to do with washing the feet.  But most think the word comes from the French Mande- and the Latin Mandatum- meaning the mandate or command to love one another.
Tertullian recorded the washing of feet in the 2^nd century;  But Maundy Thursday services go back to at least 1250 AD- about 800 years ago.  Of course on this day, Jesus celebrated the Passover- the Last Supper- with his disciples.  He washed their feet.  They went out to the Garden where Jesus prayed so hard he dripped blood as He said, “Not my will but yours be done.”  He was betrayed by a kiss and arrested and taken to Caiaphas’s house.
      [Read Scripture]

A sacrament is a visible sign of God’s invisible grace.  It is something that you can see that reminds you of something bigger that you cannot see.  Much like this ring on my finger is a visible sign of my invisible relationship and love for my wife.  Everytime I look at this ring, I think of my promises and my covenant of love with her. 
The Roman Catholics thus had seven sacraments:  1) Baptism, 2) Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper), 3) Confirmation, 4) Penance/Reconciliation, 5) Anointing of the sick/Last rites, 6) Marriage, 7) Ordination  These are all means of grace- that is tools to enhance the Christian life and help us to grow.  But some of them are not for everyone- marriage is not for everyone- Jesus did not get married.  Ordination is not for everyone.  Luther said there were only two of these that were biblical.  There were only two of these that all people were commanded to do- 1) Baptism- Jesus said go and baptize;  and 2) Communion/Lord’s Supper- where He said, “Do this in remembrance of me.”  Baptism has an Old Testament equivalent in circumcision.  Both are initiation rites of cleansing.  Communion has an Old Testament equivalent in the Passover.  Both of these were to be done remember salvific acts- the exodus’ salvation from slavery and the Lord’s deliverance from our sins on the cross. 
      But I want to say using Luther’s standard, there is a third sacrament.  It is not found in the Old Testament as a sacrament- but it is a new commandment an ordinance.  This new commandment is not as clear.  But Jesus says it clearly, “A new commandment I give you that you love one another.  As I have loved you- so also you should love one another.  By this shall all the world know that you are my disciples- by your love for one another.”  Love is the new commandment- the new sacrament.  What is the visible sign of this sacrament.  Here he says, “You call me Master and Lord for that is what I am.  Now that I your master and Lord have washed your feet, so you should also wash one another’s feet.”  The visible sign of the new commandment- the new sacrament is foot-washing.  But it is not just washing feet, that would be too simple and constrictive.  His emphasis was on the Master doing the work of a servant.  In other words- visible service is a sacrament of God.  The standards of Luther and Calvin are met here- it is biblical- and it is commanded to all the followers of Christ- love one another by washing one another’s feet.  Or to translate it once again- love one another by visibly serving one another.  
       In the Reformed faith- Zwingli said that baptism and communion were just ordinances.  Just commandments- nothing special happens with them.  But the word “sacrament” means mystery.  It is in experiencing these visible ordinances that we experience the invisible presence and grace of Christ.  Calvin emphasized that when we are baptized and take the supper the Holy Spirit was especially tied or present in these things.  Sacraments are more than just something we’re supposed to do.  We have experienced God working through them.  So many people talk about their baptism or their baby’s baptism as a way that God really drew them to Himself.  It is a milemarker for them- a memory place holder- kind of like an event monument that helps them to remember.  Similarly the Lord’s Supper is a moving experience in which we remember Jesus giving Himself for us on the cross.  But service to others (especially when God gets the glory) is also a placeholder for when God drew close to us.  A sacrament is special- and I would say that service out of love for Christ is a sacrament. 
     So I want to say that when we serve other people in Christ’s name- His love, His Holy Spirit is especially present.  When you feed the hungry- it is a heart warming experience.  When you read a book to a child (like at Bradley) who has no one else to read to him or her- it is a heart warming experience- not just something good to do- but a spiritual experience.  When you do Salkahatchie or Habitat or Homeworks- and you know by hammering nails or patching holes you are helping someone else- it is not just a good thing= but a spiritual thing. 
       The Mennonites are often talking about a third way.  The Mennonites are known for their service- coming in when there is a disaster to help rebuild.  The third way- as Walter Wink speaks of it is that when someone slaps you on one cheek- you don’t 1) slap them back, or 2) run away, but 3) turn the other cheek.  When someone asks you to carry their load one mile- you don’t 1) throw their load in their face, or 2) begrudgingly carry it one mile but you 3) carry the load an extra mile.  The third way is not just rebelling against injustice as some would put it, but it is the way of love- the way of service.  It is not the way of comfort or pride or consumerism.  But it is the way of humility, gentleness.  Faith alone brings us into relationship with God, but James says this, “What good is it if you have faith but no deeds?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food . If one of you says to him, “Go I wish you well, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?”  You could say that once you have experience the love of God by faith, you can’t help but want to get outside of yourself and serve others. 
      We are familiar with St. Francis prayer- “Lord make me an instrument of your peace- where there is hatred let me sow love, where there is injury pardon…”  But the story of St. Francis has to do with his encountering Jesus through service- I think this third sacrament.  As a young strong, handsome man, Francis of Assisi hated and was scared of lepers.  There were two leper hospitals near Assisi.  One day a leper asked him for alms.  Francis passed by him thinking he was too good to help him. But then he felt God was telling him to turn around and help the leper.  He turned his horse around, went up to the leper, game him money and then he kissed him on his wound.  Then Francis got back on his horse.  He turned back around to say goodbye and the leper had vanished.  Francis believed that the leper was Jesus in disguise.  It was a holy, changing moment for him- and really the order of the Franciscans began with this act of service or love.  It wasn’t washing feet, but kissing a leper is similar in sentiment.  Washing the feet of the homeless at Central Christ church on Tuesdays, feeding the hungry at Washington Street Soup Kitchen, or Transitions, or Habitat build, or volunteering at Cooperative Ministries are all ways of washing feet, of this third way- the third sacrament of service.  Jesus said, “When you have done it to the least of these you have done it to me.”  The Bible says, “When you welcome strangers, you may welcome angels unawares.” 
     We have a new mandate- that makes this Holy Thursday “Maundy Thursday.”  It is to show love in service to others.  Amen. 

 

 

 

JOHN 13:1It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

9“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

10Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Psalm 30- Joy comes in the Morning

 A Psalm. A song for the dedication of the temple. Of David.

1I will exalt You, O LORD,

for You have lifted me up

and have not allowed my foes

to rejoice over me.

2O LORD my God, I cried to You for help,

and You healed me.

3O LORD, You pulled me up from Sheol;

You spared me from descending into the Pit.

4Sing to the LORD, O you His saints,

and praise His holy name.

5For His anger is fleeting,

but His favor lasts a lifetime.

Weeping may stay the night,

but joy comes in the morning.

6In prosperity I said,

“I will never be shaken.”

7O LORD, You favored me;

You made my mountain stand strong.

When You hid Your face,

I was dismayed.

8To You, O LORD, I called,

and I begged my Lord for mercy:

9“What gain is there in my bloodshed,

in my descent to the Pit?

Will the dust praise You?

Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?

10Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy;

O LORD, be my helper.”

11You turned my mourning into dancing;

You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

12that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever.

THOUGHTS: This Psalm is a call for perspective.  Hard times will come.  Weeping may remain for the night.  There is mourning in life.  But joy and dancing comes in the morning.  God is able to turn things around.  For Christians, this is always our perspective.  We know who will win in the end, and we know He loves us with an everlasting love.  No one can thwart God's plans.  Even after the cross there comes the resurrection.  If this Psalm was used for the dedication of the Temple- a time of great celebration and joy- then it is a reminder that we can pray to the Lord in our darkest valleys and He will hear us.  In good times, we can remember God saved us from the bad ones.  He is the lifter of our heads and our hearts.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you that with you there is victory over bad times.  In every cross there is the halo of the resurrection.  

Sermon: Nothing is So Strong as Gentleness

 “Nothing is So Strong as Gentleness” Eph. 4:1-6 (unison); Prov. 15:1; Phil. 4:5

Preached by Rev. Dr. J. Ben Sloan at Eastminster Presbyterian 3/11/2024

The fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control- all compliment and support one another beautifully.  Today we will look at the fruit of gentleness. 
Prov. 15:1- “A gentle answer turns away wrath- but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
Phil. 4:5 “let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” 
Eph. 4- “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace- one Lord, one faith, one baptism…

In 1991 I went to the brand new Walmart to buy diapers in Asheville NC.  When I arrived I saw an old beat up pickup with an old guy in overalls leaving and a few Walmart employees waving goodbye.  Turns out it was Sam Walton, the richest guy in America at the time and founder of Walmart. He liked to visit his stores incognito.  His vision was to help people save money so they could live better.  He and his wife were elders at First Presbyterian, Bentonville AK where he taught high school SS. earlier that year they had left the equivalent of 12 million to the PCUSA Foundation to start new churches.  In another year he would die of leukemia.  He was smart, creative, and a meek humble guy.  

Our fruit of the Spirit today is gentleness. Sometimes translated meekness.  Jesus was God but he was described and even described himself as gentle and lowly in heart.  You don’t have to be weak to be meek. God in Jesus was not weak. In fact, I would argue it takes Great Strength to turn the other cheek, to love your neighbor as yourself- even when they are not lovable, or love your enemies, deny self, bear a cross while living, or die a sacrificial death on the cross.

Matthew 5:5 says, “God blesses those who are gentle- the whole earth will belong to them.  The KJV says, “Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”
1)  We often don’t understand the Christian concept of meekness, gentleness or humility.  In fact the word “humility” was not even in the ancient Greek- it is a new Christian standard that other religions and people had not heard of.  But you cannot understand the person of Jesus or even the idea of the incarnation of God if you cannot grasp that humility is not antithetical to power.  Almighty God can accommodate to our level by stooping gently down.  Some have rightly said gentleness is strength under control- like bridled power.  A horse that is able to be ridden is still as strong as it was before it was a wild kicking bronco- but its strength is now under control.  The opposite of this is being egotistical, self-aggrandizing, or even bullying.  The story of Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites.  A Prince is turned into a beast because he is harsh and not gentle toward a stranger.  He can only be softened by love.  It seems impossible that gentle love could be found toward a harsh beast before the pedals of life run out.  But the beauty of gentle love tames the beast and he softens and turns into a prince again.  It was not the raging beast, but the gentle beauty who had the power.  We each have our pedals dropping.  Life is to precious to not live it with gentleness. 
2) OUR WORLD needs Gentleness today.  We live in a bullying age.  One in five students say they have been bullied at school, 30% of report they have been bullied at work.  60% of kids and 40% of adults report they have been cyberbullied on social media.  In this political mud slinging year- we might do well to remember Christ’s call to us to be gentle through scripture.  Remember King Rehoboam.  He inherited a unified, wealthy kingdom under Solomon. The people went to Rehoboam and asked for some tax and work relief.  The older advisers said if Rehoboam would 1) Serve them and 2) Answer them gently- they would follow him.  The younger advisers said he needed to show them who is boss.  He returned and said, “My father used whips to keep you in line- I will use scorpions.”  The kingdom split then and never came back together.    Proverbs says a “Gentle answer turns away wrath.”  Washington, Lincoln, MLK Jr, Ghandi, Mandella, Moses were great leaders who were gentle yet strong.  Moses was said to be the most humble man alive at that time.Of course we could add Jesus to that list too.  Jesus said he is gentle and lowly in heart.  We see that in how he gently healed people who were hurting, and how terribly patient he was with his disciples.  Jesus said the gentle or meek shall inherit the earth.  Certainly He did.  Today He is the most popular figure in all the world.  He is the only religious figure who has adherents in every country in the world today.  Gentle Jesus.  The One who didn’t bring an army into Jerusalem, but rode on a humble donkey. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Yet.  He inherited the earth!  The root of gentleness- as all the fruits of the Spirit is found in God Himself.  

3) This, by the way would apply well to our HOMES.  Colossians 3:19- says “Husbands, love your wives and be gentle with them.”  1 Peter 3:4 says to the women that an unfading beauty is found in a gentle spirit.  Do you remember the story of Boaz and Ruth?  Boaz was a wealthy businessman, Ruth was a foreigner and had nothing, but she had a great humble heart caring for her widowed mother-in-law.  Boaz saw her on his land- he could have told her to get off.  Instead he gently allowed her and encouraged her to stay.  Ruth told him, “You have made me feel better by speaking gently with me.”  Guys- we can learn from that!  One pastor [Rick Warren] said, “If Boaz had been ruthless, he would have been Ruth-less.”  Of course, Boaz and Ruth are the great grandparents of King David and ancestors of Jesus.  So without his gentleness there would be no King David.  The Bible also encourages us to be gentle discipliners of our children and to not be overly harsh with them (Eph. 6:4).  A gentle answer to our spouse and to our children and to our parents goes a long way.   
4) OUR NEIGHBORS & CHURCH NEED IT- An old saying goes “love your neighbor as yourself-sometimes use words.”  Eph 6:4- be comepletely humble & gentle. EPC is that way. In our First Steps Class the new comers talk about how welcoming and gracious the church is.   I am grateful for Eastminster’s concrete way of helping others motivated by our love for God who calls us to love neighbor.  What we did on March Out missions day was amazing.  Our Habitat work is a way to love a stranger in Jesus’ name.  One of my favorite Habitat workers was a guy named Don Mabe in Georgetown.  He was the former CEO for Perdue Chicken.  He lived in Debordieu, had a plantation in Maryland, two beach houses.  But every time the church built a Habitat House he was both a major donor and a guy who came out and worked on the house.  Millard Fuller, who founded Habitat,  was a millionaire.  He had 2,000 acres of land, horses, cows, speed boats, luxury cars.  But he didn’t get to see his wife at all.  She left him and went to New York.  He flew there and said, “I have failed in my relationship with God and my relationship with you.  Let’s give it all up and start over.  She agreed.  They became missionaries to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) for three years. People thought they were crazy.  They came back and started Habitat for Humanity in 1976- with the idea that a home helps families.  So the homeowner doesn’t have to pay a downpayment, and they pay 0% interest on the building materials and their money goes to fund the next home.  Each homeowner gets a Bible along with their keys.  Almost a million homes in 92 countries have been built with these concepts.  But it started with a meek and gentle swallowing of ego- a giving up of all they had to save their marriage and to save others from homelessness in Christ’s name. 
5) THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS GENTLENESS-  Rather let the Spirit of Gentleness flow through you.  Embrace gentleness. Do not quench the Spirit of gentleness with your pride or ego.  Do not grieve the Spirit by turning away from His prompting to be gentle.  Rather, be filled with the Spirit of gentleness in your heart.  Open your heart to Him.  This stained glass says, “Come to me.”  That is the main point.  But the full verses says, Come to me  all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls.    Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.”  (Mt. 11:28-29)  Do you want more gentleness?  The God of the Universe has this controlled, gentle power and He can give you just a taste of it and transform your life.   I like what Rick Warren said about applying gentleness:  when someone is helping you at a restaurant this week- seek to be Christ to them- by being understanding not demanding.  When someone disagrees with you this week be tender without surrender.  You can listen to those who disagree with you without stomping on them or stomping out of the room.  When someone disappoints you this week be gentle not judgmental.           
     I want to close with another concrete example of gentleness.  Billy Graham’s last remaining sibling died this past week- Jean Graham Ford.  She married Leighton Ford, who also was an evangelist.   She was a steady, peaceful, example of unity in the church to that family.  She was a member of Myer’s Park Presbyterian in Charlotte.    Not too many people knew about her.  She had polio and unlike her brother, could not speak loudly.  She suffered physically her entire life, but she led a gentle faith-filled life impacting her brother, her husband, and those around her.  Someone in her family said she was a peacemaker, and a gentle, faithful person who loved reaching others for Jesus.  The Bible says, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.”  What I am saying is that it is possible to see gentleness in others.  Look for it, and seek to be filled with the gentleness of God.  Amen. 

 

[Some of this was taken (not verbatim) from a sermon from Rick Warren 5/27/2014]