| Sermon, July 18, 2004 |
| "It’s Football Season, So Let’s Talk About Great Ends" Isaiah 61:1-6 II Peter 3:9 Rev. Matthew M. Fry |
As we continue to experience The Word of the Lord together, let us pray. Shield of our
fathers and mothers, long have you held and fed the church. Help us now to grow in our
understanding of what the church is meant to be, today, and into your future, so that we might
both know and do your will. If these words are not Your Word, may they be forgotten and
come to naught, but if they be Thy Word, may they adhere to our hearts, forever transforming
us from glory into glory, into the creatures you would have us be, thou who art our rock and our
redeemer, Amen.
fathers and mothers, long have you held and fed the church. Help us now to grow in our
understanding of what the church is meant to be, today, and into your future, so that we might
both know and do your will. If these words are not Your Word, may they be forgotten and
come to naught, but if they be Thy Word, may they adhere to our hearts, forever transforming
us from glory into glory, into the creatures you would have us be, thou who art our rock and our
redeemer, Amen.
The football reference isn’t for me. It’s for Ed. We all know that while his body is currently
in California, we all know his thoughts are in Wisconsin, or wherever the Packers are currently
training. I wouldn’t even have know training camp had already started unless someone told me.
So, in honor of Ed, we mention football. But this sermon, and the 4 to follow, are more about
our Church. Our church has a constitution that consists of two books, the book of confessions,
which state what we believe, and the book of order, which states how we practice what we
believe in our government, our worship, and our discipline. The book of order, while the
practical book of how we do things, also includes in that task, statements about what we believe,
and what we are to be about. On the first page in this book, one can find G-1.0200, titled The
Great Ends of the Church. Note the capital C. This is a section about what the church is
supposed to be, and what we are supposed to do. It reads as such, “The great ends of the
church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter,
nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; (3) the maintenance of divine worship;
(4) the preservation of the truth; (5) the promotion of social righteousness; and (6) the exhibition
of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” Since 1, we are a church, and B, we like all churches
would do well to know our purpose, I am taking this week and the next 4 to preach on the great
ends of the church. This week, we will start at the beginning, (a very fine place to start), with
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind.
in California, we all know his thoughts are in Wisconsin, or wherever the Packers are currently
training. I wouldn’t even have know training camp had already started unless someone told me.
So, in honor of Ed, we mention football. But this sermon, and the 4 to follow, are more about
our Church. Our church has a constitution that consists of two books, the book of confessions,
which state what we believe, and the book of order, which states how we practice what we
believe in our government, our worship, and our discipline. The book of order, while the
practical book of how we do things, also includes in that task, statements about what we believe,
and what we are to be about. On the first page in this book, one can find G-1.0200, titled The
Great Ends of the Church. Note the capital C. This is a section about what the church is
supposed to be, and what we are supposed to do. It reads as such, “The great ends of the
church are (1) the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; (2) the shelter,
nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; (3) the maintenance of divine worship;
(4) the preservation of the truth; (5) the promotion of social righteousness; and (6) the exhibition
of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” Since 1, we are a church, and B, we like all churches
would do well to know our purpose, I am taking this week and the next 4 to preach on the great
ends of the church. This week, we will start at the beginning, (a very fine place to start), with
the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind.
So, hear now The Word of the Lord as it comes to us in Isaiah. Listen. Isaiah 61:1-6. The
grass withers, the flower falls, but The Word of the Lord endures forever…Thanks be to God.
grass withers, the flower falls, but The Word of the Lord endures forever…Thanks be to God.
And now hear The Word of the Lord as it comes to us in II Peter. Listen for God’s Word
for you today. II Peter 3:9. The Word of the Lord…Thanks be to God.
for you today. II Peter 3:9. The Word of the Lord…Thanks be to God.
I don’t need to preach to you about why this is important. You know why this is important,
you know. The single best way for God to shower love upon the world, the best way that God
has to tell the world of the love that God gives and is to the world, is through God’s people, you
and me. How else will the people know the message of salvation, unless we pass on that
message? We are to do the work of showing the world the love that will one day truly save the
world. That is our job. So, this sermon should focus on a couple of things, first, what does
salvation of humankind mean, and then second, how do we proclaim the gospel for the salvation
of humankind.
you know. The single best way for God to shower love upon the world, the best way that God
has to tell the world of the love that God gives and is to the world, is through God’s people, you
and me. How else will the people know the message of salvation, unless we pass on that
message? We are to do the work of showing the world the love that will one day truly save the
world. That is our job. So, this sermon should focus on a couple of things, first, what does
salvation of humankind mean, and then second, how do we proclaim the gospel for the salvation
of humankind.
When we talk about the salvation of humankind, the reason that we proclaim the gospel, we
are not talking only about a passage into the afterlife. In fact, that is neither the goal of
Christianity, nor the reason to become a Christian, nor the reason we proclaim the gospel.
Understand, afterlife is a good thing, but it is a byproduct of salvation, it isn’t even the goal.
How good must salvation be then, if the byproduct is eternal bliss with the creator? Salvation is
life. Salvation is access to the power of life in a world that is about finitude and death. Salvation
is access to the divine power of eternal life, even in this realm. Salvation is realizing that this
earth is not your home, you are a visitor here, and that anything that happens to you here is
temporary. Salvation means being able to be in the worst of circumstances, and not let it break
your spirit, because salvation has tapped into the other world to get strength. Salvation is being
in touch with God, and touching love, and knowing that power. Salvation does not mean just
triumphing over situations that are bad, to cause change in them. Some situations will not be
changed. Salvation means weather or not a bad situation gets changed, take action by
triumphing through situations, finding that the presence and help of the Lord is sufficient to get
through anything. Listen again to Isaiah. “God has sent me to bring good news to the
oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who
mourn in Zion.” It doesn’t read that God has sent us to stop oppression, though we are to do
that, or to right wrongs, though we are to do that too. Stopping injustice and righting wrongs is
a Biblical concept that we should be about. But Isaiah 61 would have us remember that salvation
is available to all, even those whose situations cannot be changed. Prisoners who committed
crimes and now serve time can find salvation and also realize that their position, being in prison,
will not change. Certainly we need to be about creating justice in the world, but that is great end
#5, we will get there next month. But salvation is the opportunity to get in touch with the love of
God, the eternal life giver, and is available to anyone, no matter what his or her situation, and is
available now, you don’t have to wait until your body perishes to taste salvation. Salvation is
available, NOW, TODAY, and the world needs to know about it.
are not talking only about a passage into the afterlife. In fact, that is neither the goal of
Christianity, nor the reason to become a Christian, nor the reason we proclaim the gospel.
Understand, afterlife is a good thing, but it is a byproduct of salvation, it isn’t even the goal.
How good must salvation be then, if the byproduct is eternal bliss with the creator? Salvation is
life. Salvation is access to the power of life in a world that is about finitude and death. Salvation
is access to the divine power of eternal life, even in this realm. Salvation is realizing that this
earth is not your home, you are a visitor here, and that anything that happens to you here is
temporary. Salvation means being able to be in the worst of circumstances, and not let it break
your spirit, because salvation has tapped into the other world to get strength. Salvation is being
in touch with God, and touching love, and knowing that power. Salvation does not mean just
triumphing over situations that are bad, to cause change in them. Some situations will not be
changed. Salvation means weather or not a bad situation gets changed, take action by
triumphing through situations, finding that the presence and help of the Lord is sufficient to get
through anything. Listen again to Isaiah. “God has sent me to bring good news to the
oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted…to comfort all who mourn, to provide for those who
mourn in Zion.” It doesn’t read that God has sent us to stop oppression, though we are to do
that, or to right wrongs, though we are to do that too. Stopping injustice and righting wrongs is
a Biblical concept that we should be about. But Isaiah 61 would have us remember that salvation
is available to all, even those whose situations cannot be changed. Prisoners who committed
crimes and now serve time can find salvation and also realize that their position, being in prison,
will not change. Certainly we need to be about creating justice in the world, but that is great end
#5, we will get there next month. But salvation is the opportunity to get in touch with the love of
God, the eternal life giver, and is available to anyone, no matter what his or her situation, and is
available now, you don’t have to wait until your body perishes to taste salvation. Salvation is
available, NOW, TODAY, and the world needs to know about it.
This is my job right, I am the paid staff member at this church, and so you can all sit back
and watch me go. But only if you don’t believe your Bible can you do that. Verse 6, “You,” and
that is the plural you in the Hebrew, you all it might as well say, or youns, if we were all back in
Pittsburgh, Yous guys where we were in Jersey, and plain you all, or all you folks from where I
learned it, the Midwest, or how we say it here, Y’all, or all Y’all, or how I heard it the other day,
all Y’all and your cousin Saul, “You all shall be called priests of the Lord, you all shall be named
ministers of our God.” This is not just my job. I will never be able to do this, because this is an
all Christians job. I can’t do it because I am not 70 some odd people, like we are in here. We
leave here, every Sunday, with a job to do, to show the world the gospel of salvation.
and watch me go. But only if you don’t believe your Bible can you do that. Verse 6, “You,” and
that is the plural you in the Hebrew, you all it might as well say, or youns, if we were all back in
Pittsburgh, Yous guys where we were in Jersey, and plain you all, or all you folks from where I
learned it, the Midwest, or how we say it here, Y’all, or all Y’all, or how I heard it the other day,
all Y’all and your cousin Saul, “You all shall be called priests of the Lord, you all shall be named
ministers of our God.” This is not just my job. I will never be able to do this, because this is an
all Christians job. I can’t do it because I am not 70 some odd people, like we are in here. We
leave here, every Sunday, with a job to do, to show the world the gospel of salvation.
So, how do we proclaim the gospel to a hurting world that clearly needs salvation? Let me
offer two suggestions, certainly there are more than two, but these are two that I feel need to be
mentioned. 1. This is # 1 both because it comes first, and because it is most important. If you
want to proclaim the gospel of salvation remember this, and I’ve said this before, actions speak
louder than words. Live the gospel, not just in here or with these people, but with everyone
everywhere. You want the world to be more filled with love? Let it start with you, and with
me. Treat people fairly, show patience, even with that slow bagger at the Kroger, or with the
person who takes your parking space or cuts you off, in all your situations. Give a smile to
someone who needs it, maybe that slow waitron at dinner, whose slowness could be a bother,
but if you realize that person is a person who God wants to experience salvation, as II Peter
would have us believe, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but
is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance,” realize that God
shows love to all, and even that person who would annoy you, frustrate you, infuriate you, or
make your blood boil, will be seen in a different light. Their actions never mean that we get a
break from our job of showing salvation. Show people the love of God, the love you know, the
love the hurting desperately need, no matter what the situation. If you want a world more full of
love, then live a life more full of love. This will accomplish your world being better, since (1)
your world will be more full of love, because love begets love, and (2) the whole world will be
impacted. A two for one deal that can’t be beat. Your world is exponentially better and the
whole world gets a little better also. Live in love and show the world the salvation of the gospel.
offer two suggestions, certainly there are more than two, but these are two that I feel need to be
mentioned. 1. This is # 1 both because it comes first, and because it is most important. If you
want to proclaim the gospel of salvation remember this, and I’ve said this before, actions speak
louder than words. Live the gospel, not just in here or with these people, but with everyone
everywhere. You want the world to be more filled with love? Let it start with you, and with
me. Treat people fairly, show patience, even with that slow bagger at the Kroger, or with the
person who takes your parking space or cuts you off, in all your situations. Give a smile to
someone who needs it, maybe that slow waitron at dinner, whose slowness could be a bother,
but if you realize that person is a person who God wants to experience salvation, as II Peter
would have us believe, “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but
is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance,” realize that God
shows love to all, and even that person who would annoy you, frustrate you, infuriate you, or
make your blood boil, will be seen in a different light. Their actions never mean that we get a
break from our job of showing salvation. Show people the love of God, the love you know, the
love the hurting desperately need, no matter what the situation. If you want a world more full of
love, then live a life more full of love. This will accomplish your world being better, since (1)
your world will be more full of love, because love begets love, and (2) the whole world will be
impacted. A two for one deal that can’t be beat. Your world is exponentially better and the
whole world gets a little better also. Live in love and show the world the salvation of the gospel.
The second way to proclaim the gospel of salvation is to speak it. Of course, this can only
be done after you have shown someone the love of God in your actions. You must always earn
the right to be heard, and that is the term good evangelists use, earn the right to be heard, you
must do that before your words will bear any weight. When the time is right, talk about your
faith, how it has impacted your life, and what it has meant to you. Don’t jump the gun and do
this too early, before you have earned the right, but don’t let opportunity pass you by either.
be done after you have shown someone the love of God in your actions. You must always earn
the right to be heard, and that is the term good evangelists use, earn the right to be heard, you
must do that before your words will bear any weight. When the time is right, talk about your
faith, how it has impacted your life, and what it has meant to you. Don’t jump the gun and do
this too early, before you have earned the right, but don’t let opportunity pass you by either.
So, for the love of God, literally, for the love of God, show the world the gospel of love that
will one day save this world. This world needs love, needs it. And the best way they will ever
know the love of God is through you, God’s priests, God’s ministers. Amen.
will one day save this world. This world needs love, needs it. And the best way they will ever
know the love of God is through you, God’s priests, God’s ministers. Amen.
| IMPORTANT After reading the translation: Click on the [X] in the box in the upper right corner of the translation window. That will close it. You will then return to the English version. |
| Posted July 18 , 2004 |
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