The following is a summary of my sermon for February 15th, 2009 (Year B, Epiphany 6) based on I Corinthians 9:24-27.
Bob forgot it was Valentine’s Day.
When he came home after work that evening, empty handed, Bob’s wife stuck her finger in his face. “Listen here, boy,” she demanded. “You go buy me a present, and it better go 0 to 200 in six seconds, or don’t come home. Just leave it in the driveway, AND I MEAN IT!”
The next morning, after Bob had left for work, his wife ran and looked out the front window. Sure enough, there was a wrapped box sitting in the driveway. Confused, Bob’s wife ran out and opened it.
It was a bathroom scale.
Bob’s been missing since Valentine’s Day.
*****
Paul is continuing his lengthy answer to the question “is it ok to eat meat that has been offered to idols?”. It wouldn’t seem that an issue like that would have anything to do with us today. Yet, we find some of the most practical and needed advice for 21st Century Christians in today’s scripture focus.
Discipline. Focus. Training. Self-denial. It’s easy to associate these words with successful athletes. In order to be at the very top of your game, you must maintain an extremely strict lifestyle. We witnessed the benefits of a lifetime of strict training at the Olympics last summer, when Michael Phelps took a record number of gold medals in swimming events. Our entire nation identified and celebrated with him at a time when there wasn’t much else to celebrate.
We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks what happens when a star athlete takes his foot off the gas for one moment.
Grace. Freedom. Hope. Comfort. It’s easy to associate these words with God’s love. After generations of emphasizing God’s judgement and sovereignty, resulting in a Church and world that feared Him, there’s a renewed emphasis today on God’s love. Today, we understand that love is not just another side of God’s split personality, but that love is God’s very nature, and all of His other attributes flow out of that love. We know that only love could explain the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the God-man. Punishment wasn’t enough of a motivation for Him to come and walk among us, allow us to kill Him, then come back even from hell with our adoption papers in His hand.
We also understand, correctly, that we cannot help ourselves. No matter how hard we try, we cannot love God and others without God’s help. We have come to understand that we are “powerless over our tendency to do the right thing, and that our lives have become unmanageable.” We can’t work hard enough to, live good enough, or believe right enough to earn God’s favor. He just loves us because it is His nature to love us, and if we are willing to respond to that love, He takes care of the rest.
I’m afraid, however, that we’ve come to understand this as exempting us from any responsibility whatsoever. We can live now live however we want to live, regardless of the consequences, knowing we are secure in His love.
My own journey mirrors this understanding. Somewhere along the line growing up, I got the idea that God was awfully mad at me, and, try as I might, I could never please Him. My fear of His immediate and eternal displeasure kept me on the straight and narrow, though it was a very unhappy way to go.
I can’t forget the freedom in knowing that He really wasn’t mad, or even disappointed, in me, but delighted in taking my hand in His.
Unfortunately, like a child raised in an overly strict home who finally gets a taste of freedom, I went off the deep end. No longer constrained by fear of God’s wrath, nothing became “off limits” to me. What I thought was freedom led to addictions, broken relationships, and a lot of heartache.
Now, back to our scripture. This is exactly what was happening in Corinth. Believers were engaging in practices that harmed their own bodies and the Body of Christ in the name of “Christian freedom.” This was the real “issue behind the issue” in the case of meat offered to idols.
Paul uses a metaphor the Corinthians would have understood quite well. Athletes competing in local games were intensely focused on the prize. Therefore, they maintained very strict, almost abusive lifestyles in order to be the greatest, the strongest, the fastest, the best. Their reward? A wreath of pine.
Paul urges the Corinthians to live in such a way as to win the prize. We often think of the prize as Heaven. Eternity is certainly in his mind, but Paul isn’t talking about working for a mansion. Paul is really talking about the prize of eternal love.
He who dies with the most trophies still dies, but he who dies with the most friends wins!
Church, how focused are we on loving those around us? Can we really reach out when we’re unhealthy, debt-ridden, entertainment saturated, and over-comfortable?
We have a responsibility to maintain a strict lifestyle, not because God won’t love us if we don’t, or even because we might Heaven otherwise, but because of the great love we have been given, which we are compelled to share with others around us.
God, help me to enslave my body, my wants, my preferences, my life, in order that I might grow relationships with those seeking You and those following You.
When he came home after work that evening, empty handed, Bob’s wife stuck her finger in his face. “Listen here, boy,” she demanded. “You go buy me a present, and it better go 0 to 200 in six seconds, or don’t come home. Just leave it in the driveway, AND I MEAN IT!”
The next morning, after Bob had left for work, his wife ran and looked out the front window. Sure enough, there was a wrapped box sitting in the driveway. Confused, Bob’s wife ran out and opened it.
It was a bathroom scale.
Bob’s been missing since Valentine’s Day.
*****
Paul is continuing his lengthy answer to the question “is it ok to eat meat that has been offered to idols?”. It wouldn’t seem that an issue like that would have anything to do with us today. Yet, we find some of the most practical and needed advice for 21st Century Christians in today’s scripture focus.
Discipline. Focus. Training. Self-denial. It’s easy to associate these words with successful athletes. In order to be at the very top of your game, you must maintain an extremely strict lifestyle. We witnessed the benefits of a lifetime of strict training at the Olympics last summer, when Michael Phelps took a record number of gold medals in swimming events. Our entire nation identified and celebrated with him at a time when there wasn’t much else to celebrate.
We’ve seen in the last couple of weeks what happens when a star athlete takes his foot off the gas for one moment.
Grace. Freedom. Hope. Comfort. It’s easy to associate these words with God’s love. After generations of emphasizing God’s judgement and sovereignty, resulting in a Church and world that feared Him, there’s a renewed emphasis today on God’s love. Today, we understand that love is not just another side of God’s split personality, but that love is God’s very nature, and all of His other attributes flow out of that love. We know that only love could explain the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the God-man. Punishment wasn’t enough of a motivation for Him to come and walk among us, allow us to kill Him, then come back even from hell with our adoption papers in His hand.
We also understand, correctly, that we cannot help ourselves. No matter how hard we try, we cannot love God and others without God’s help. We have come to understand that we are “powerless over our tendency to do the right thing, and that our lives have become unmanageable.” We can’t work hard enough to, live good enough, or believe right enough to earn God’s favor. He just loves us because it is His nature to love us, and if we are willing to respond to that love, He takes care of the rest.
I’m afraid, however, that we’ve come to understand this as exempting us from any responsibility whatsoever. We can live now live however we want to live, regardless of the consequences, knowing we are secure in His love.
My own journey mirrors this understanding. Somewhere along the line growing up, I got the idea that God was awfully mad at me, and, try as I might, I could never please Him. My fear of His immediate and eternal displeasure kept me on the straight and narrow, though it was a very unhappy way to go.
I can’t forget the freedom in knowing that He really wasn’t mad, or even disappointed, in me, but delighted in taking my hand in His.
Unfortunately, like a child raised in an overly strict home who finally gets a taste of freedom, I went off the deep end. No longer constrained by fear of God’s wrath, nothing became “off limits” to me. What I thought was freedom led to addictions, broken relationships, and a lot of heartache.
Now, back to our scripture. This is exactly what was happening in Corinth. Believers were engaging in practices that harmed their own bodies and the Body of Christ in the name of “Christian freedom.” This was the real “issue behind the issue” in the case of meat offered to idols.
Paul uses a metaphor the Corinthians would have understood quite well. Athletes competing in local games were intensely focused on the prize. Therefore, they maintained very strict, almost abusive lifestyles in order to be the greatest, the strongest, the fastest, the best. Their reward? A wreath of pine.
Paul urges the Corinthians to live in such a way as to win the prize. We often think of the prize as Heaven. Eternity is certainly in his mind, but Paul isn’t talking about working for a mansion. Paul is really talking about the prize of eternal love.
He who dies with the most trophies still dies, but he who dies with the most friends wins!
Church, how focused are we on loving those around us? Can we really reach out when we’re unhealthy, debt-ridden, entertainment saturated, and over-comfortable?
We have a responsibility to maintain a strict lifestyle, not because God won’t love us if we don’t, or even because we might Heaven otherwise, but because of the great love we have been given, which we are compelled to share with others around us.
God, help me to enslave my body, my wants, my preferences, my life, in order that I might grow relationships with those seeking You and those following You.
Scripture Focus:
I Corinthians 9:24-27 (NIV) (The Message)
(year b, epiphany 6, NT)
Background:
Review -
Corinth was a major port city in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a narrow strip of coast, fifty miles west of Athens. In New Testament times, it was the center of worship for Aphrodite, the goddess of sex, whose temple was served by over 1,000 priestess-prostitutes.
There is quite a lively “conversation” going on between the followers in Corinth and Paul, who founded the church there. Letters are being sent back and forth, delegations are coming to and fro, arguments are made, instructions given, and misconceptions clarified. I and II Corinthians are the only two surviving letters of this exchange.
Review -
Corinth was a major port city in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a narrow strip of coast, fifty miles west of Athens. In New Testament times, it was the center of worship for Aphrodite, the goddess of sex, whose temple was served by over 1,000 priestess-prostitutes.
There is quite a lively “conversation” going on between the followers in Corinth and Paul, who founded the church there. Letters are being sent back and forth, delegations are coming to and fro, arguments are made, instructions given, and misconceptions clarified. I and II Corinthians are the only two surviving letters of this exchange.
Paul is continuing to answer the question of whether or not it is ok to eat “idol meat”. He deals with the real issue behind this controversy: selfishness vs. love. He uses a metaphor from athletics to make his point.
The city of Corinth played host to the Isthmian Games, from which our modern day Olympics evolved. Atheletes competed in running, leaping, boxing, chariot racing, and other feats of agility and speed. Winners of these competitions were rewarded with a wreath of pine. Paul makes the point that if people are willing to work so hard for temporary prizes, followers of Jesus should be just as strict in obtaining eternal rewards.
Many Corinthian believers were under they impression that as long as they continued to worship by taking part in the Lord’s Supper, they could sit back and take it easy. This lead to using the Lord’s Supper as an opportunity for gluttony and drunkenness, and caused division. Paul reminded the Corinthians that if they truly loved God, they would discipline and deny their bodies in order to spread His love to others. Paul had only one focus in life – spread the Good News of God’s love.
This Sunday’s sermon will focus on how we can live a “strict” lifestyle of love.
Five Questions:
1. What is your favorite sport to play? To watch?
1. What is your favorite sport to play? To watch?
2. Other than spiritual needs, what is the greatest need in the community of Denison right now?
3. What lessons can Christians learn from sports?
4. Is it important for followers of Jesus to be self disciplined? Healthy? Debt-free?
5. What area of your life needs the most discipline right now?
The following is a summary of my sermon for February 8th, 2009 (Year B, Epiphany 5), based on the epistle reading, I Corinthians 9:16-23.
A long time ago there lived a man named Jesus. He said and did things that delighted some, frightened many, angered a few, and shocked everybody.
Today, we would refer to him as “controversial.” He couldn’t have been elected to any public office, or even have had his own reality tv show. He was far too offensive. However, at least he was fair about it. He was an equal opportunity offender. He offended liberals and conservatives, “churched” and “nonchurched”, friends and family, those close to him, and perfect strangers. The problem with Jesus was he told the truth and shamed the devil.
Yet, people couldn’t stay away from the guy. They followed him by the thousands to hear what he said and see what he did. They crowded him to the edge of the sea, forcing him to get in a boat. They sat and listened to him for three days at a time, giving no thought to what they could eat. The more Jesus told the people the truth, the more they wanted to hear.
People weren’t used to hearing the truth. The government had told them to pay their taxes, mind their own business, not cause a stir, and they would lead safe, comfortable lives. Yet they constantly experienced injustice at the hands of those in power, and saw corruption all around them. The church had told them to do the right thing, follow all the rules, and they would find peace. Then this same church waited around for them to take their foot off the gas for one second, and had a finger in their face, condemning them.
Then, someone comes along and tells them “Look. The only way to God is my way, which is loving God and other people more than yourself. The only truth about God is my truth, which is that He loves you. The only life that counts is my life, which actually ends up in death. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” They called this Good News!
Paul understood this Good News. He knew that life was not about making money, or getting all you had coming to you, or being right. The Good News was about losing your life to save the lives of others. It’s about real love. Paul found out that loving God, loving others, and leading others to love God and others was its own reward.
Have you ever known someone who took a job they really didn’t like because they needed health insurance? I feel for those forced to do that, because they are usually pretty miserable. Others work 40+ hours a week at jobs they hate to draw a paycheck. They do this because of duty to their families. A few of us, however, are privileged to support ourselves and our families at jobs that fit our gifts, talents, and passions. We do these jobs because we love doing them. Work truly becomes its own reward.
I fear in the Church today are simply working for the benefits. They serve Jesus to make Heaven and miss hell. Again, they are pretty miserable Christians. Others are serving Jesus out of a sense of duty. Then, a few find the secret of a happy life – serve Jesus because you are passionate about serving Jesus. Love is then its own reward.
The longer I study this good news, and the man who brought it (Jesus), and the man who taught it (Paul), the more I understand its about love. That’s it. If I never get paid a dime for preaching the gospel, as long as I have love, I have all that I need and more than I deserve.
Scripture Focus:
I Corinthians 9:16-23 (NIV) (The Message)
(year b, epiphany 5, NT)
Background:
Review -
Corinth was a major port city in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a narrow strip of coast, fifty miles west of Athens. In New Testament times, it was the center of worship for Aphrodite, the goddess of sex, whose temple was served by over 1,000 priestess-prostitutes.
There is quite a lively “conversation” going on between the followers in Corinth and Paul, who founded the church there. Letters are being sent back and forth, delegations are coming to and fro, arguments are made, instructions given, and misconceptions clarified. I and II Corinthians are the only two surviving letters of this exchange.
Review -
Corinth was a major port city in the Roman Empire, strategically located on a narrow strip of coast, fifty miles west of Athens. In New Testament times, it was the center of worship for Aphrodite, the goddess of sex, whose temple was served by over 1,000 priestess-prostitutes.
There is quite a lively “conversation” going on between the followers in Corinth and Paul, who founded the church there. Letters are being sent back and forth, delegations are coming to and fro, arguments are made, instructions given, and misconceptions clarified. I and II Corinthians are the only two surviving letters of this exchange.
Paul spends the first half of chapter nine defending his right to receive financial support from the Corinthians for bringing them the Good News. He spends the second half of the chapter explaining why he refuses any such support!
Ancient cultures used hospitality like a type of currency. To be known as a good host meant that when important visitors came to town, you were likely to have a chance at housing them, feeding them, and attending to their needs. In exchange, they were obligated to provide you with any favors they were in a position to give. Rather than obligate himself in this manner to anyone in Corinth, Paul chose to support himself through his trade of tent-making. This involved curing leather and converting it to cloth suitable for portable dwellings, such as those used by the Roman army.
Paul is not bragging when he points this out to the Corinthians. He is right in the middle of his answer to the question of whether or not it is permissible to eat “idol meat”. In continuing his reasoning from chapter 8, Paul reminds the Corinthians that our “rights” as Christ followers (such as freedom to eat whatever we choose) are not nearly as important as our obligation to spread the Good News.
It may appear that Paul is advocating hypocrisy here (saying one thing while doing another.) It is not the message of the Good News that Paul is changing to please his audience. It is his lifestyle he is willing to amend in order to have an opportunity to preach to people from all walks of life.
This Sunday’s sermon will challenge us to take a look at our own lifestyles, and see if they are condusive to spreading the Good News.
Five Questions:
1. What modern invention would be hardest for you to live without for the rest of your life?
1. What modern invention would be hardest for you to live without for the rest of your life?
2. What event on the church calendar do you look most forward to each year?
3. What motivates you to follow Jesus?
4. How is the way we, as followers, live similar to seekers ( “the unchurched” )? How is it
different?
5. Does your lifestyle have any barriers that would prevent seekers from finding and following Jesus?
The following is a summary of my sermon for February 1st, 2009 (Year B, Epiphany 4) based on I Corinthians 8:1-13 (the epistle lesson.)
“The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves God is known by God.” – I Corinthians 8:2-3
The Corinthians were very concerned with correct behavior. They wanted to know what they could do and could not do in this new religion called Christianity. Some had been raised under strict legalism, and felt that since they were not under the Law, any behavior they wanted to engage in was fine, no matter how depraved or who it hurt. Others had come out of paganism, and didn’t think it was appropriate to engage in any activity that had a hint of their former religion.
The Corinthians were also very concerned with correct belief. The Hellenistic culture of their day valued knowledge above all else. Many cults of the day promised to give their adherents “special” knowledge about life and afterlife that the general population did not possess. Some viewed their new faith in Christ as access to this knowledge.
Both of these concerns collided in the issue of eating “idol food.” Part of the religious ceremony of local religion was to offer meat to a god, which was then eaten by the priests and the celebrants in pagan festivals. Any meat not consumed was sold in the marketplace.
For those Corinthian Christians who had come out of idol worship, eating this meat in any form was taboo. They felt as if they were compromising their worship of the true God if they got involved with anything offered to false gods. This presented a hardship, as it would have been practically impossible to know if meat bought in the marketplace had been offered to a god or not. So, Corinthian believers most concerned with correct behavior were either abstaining from meat altogether, or struggling with guilt over their failure to do so.
Other “stronger” Corinthian believers were secure in their knowledge that no gods existed but the true God, and to worry about any meat they had been so ignorantly “offered” was mere superstition. Not only did they eat whatever they wanted without worrying about its source, they scoffed at those “weaker” believers who did not do the same. However, their libertine attitudes were taking them too far. Many had no problem with heading back to the pagan temples and taking part in the feasts where the meat was “offered.” So, Corinthian Christians most concerned with correct belief were returning to idol worship.
Paul addresses this issue by confronting both sides with the litmus test question. It’s the question he uses in resolving any ethical dilemma, and one we can use today. In deciding whether or not any belief or behavior is correct, we must decide what the most loving option is. The question is not “what would Jesus do” or even “what does Jesus think”, but “how would Jesus love?”.
Love casts out fear. So, the loving solution to this problem is to go ahead and buy meat in the marketplace as you normally would, and not be let superstitious fear put an unnecessary hardship on you or your family.
However, love is sacrificial. So don’t eat meat in such away that disgraces God and His people, or causes your sisters and brothers to stumble.
Paul does a beautiful job of reminding the Corinthians that when you have God’s love, you already know all you need to know in order to serve God, God’s followers, and God’s world.
I grew up in a church very concerned with correct behavior. “Christians don’t smoke. Christians don’t drink. Christians don’t dance. Christians don’t go to movies. Christians don’t wear shorts.” On and on the list went. As I have grown up, I have realized some of the above “don’ts” are pretty silly. Others, I have seen the wisdom in avoiding. Whether I engage or abstain, however, has no bearing on my standing with God. I could do all of the above all I wanted and still be His kid.
But, when I choose my own desires over what’s best for the people He’s placed under my care, well, that’s where He and I have problems. If I go see a rated “R” movie and run into a teen from my church who says “Well, if Pastor Dave saw it, it must be ok.” If I order a glass of wine with my dinner in a local restaurant, and a new Christian who struggles with alcohol abuse follows my example. When I don’t make the best choice for my brothers and sisters, I fall “out of love” with God.
I also grew up in a church very concerned with correct belief. Faith was defined as a mental assent to the right doctrine, and for us, that meant understanding the very complicated concept of entire sanctification. It wasn’t enough to seek it or live it. You had to understand it.
After 37 years, I must confess I still don’t. But I do have this one piece of knowledge. If I ask God to help me love Him, His people, His creation, and myself the way He loves, He takes care of the rest, whether I get it “right” all the time or not.
When we get our focus off of “what can I get away with and still go to Heaven” and “how can I make sure my doctrine is better than all those other denomination’s doctrines”, and instead focus on “how can I love”, we find the behavior and beliefs tend to take care of themselves.
The Corinthians were also very concerned with correct belief. The Hellenistic culture of their day valued knowledge above all else. Many cults of the day promised to give their adherents “special” knowledge about life and afterlife that the general population did not possess. Some viewed their new faith in Christ as access to this knowledge.
Both of these concerns collided in the issue of eating “idol food.” Part of the religious ceremony of local religion was to offer meat to a god, which was then eaten by the priests and the celebrants in pagan festivals. Any meat not consumed was sold in the marketplace.
For those Corinthian Christians who had come out of idol worship, eating this meat in any form was taboo. They felt as if they were compromising their worship of the true God if they got involved with anything offered to false gods. This presented a hardship, as it would have been practically impossible to know if meat bought in the marketplace had been offered to a god or not. So, Corinthian believers most concerned with correct behavior were either abstaining from meat altogether, or struggling with guilt over their failure to do so.
Other “stronger” Corinthian believers were secure in their knowledge that no gods existed but the true God, and to worry about any meat they had been so ignorantly “offered” was mere superstition. Not only did they eat whatever they wanted without worrying about its source, they scoffed at those “weaker” believers who did not do the same. However, their libertine attitudes were taking them too far. Many had no problem with heading back to the pagan temples and taking part in the feasts where the meat was “offered.” So, Corinthian Christians most concerned with correct belief were returning to idol worship.
Paul addresses this issue by confronting both sides with the litmus test question. It’s the question he uses in resolving any ethical dilemma, and one we can use today. In deciding whether or not any belief or behavior is correct, we must decide what the most loving option is. The question is not “what would Jesus do” or even “what does Jesus think”, but “how would Jesus love?”.
Love casts out fear. So, the loving solution to this problem is to go ahead and buy meat in the marketplace as you normally would, and not be let superstitious fear put an unnecessary hardship on you or your family.
However, love is sacrificial. So don’t eat meat in such away that disgraces God and His people, or causes your sisters and brothers to stumble.
Paul does a beautiful job of reminding the Corinthians that when you have God’s love, you already know all you need to know in order to serve God, God’s followers, and God’s world.
I grew up in a church very concerned with correct behavior. “Christians don’t smoke. Christians don’t drink. Christians don’t dance. Christians don’t go to movies. Christians don’t wear shorts.” On and on the list went. As I have grown up, I have realized some of the above “don’ts” are pretty silly. Others, I have seen the wisdom in avoiding. Whether I engage or abstain, however, has no bearing on my standing with God. I could do all of the above all I wanted and still be His kid.
But, when I choose my own desires over what’s best for the people He’s placed under my care, well, that’s where He and I have problems. If I go see a rated “R” movie and run into a teen from my church who says “Well, if Pastor Dave saw it, it must be ok.” If I order a glass of wine with my dinner in a local restaurant, and a new Christian who struggles with alcohol abuse follows my example. When I don’t make the best choice for my brothers and sisters, I fall “out of love” with God.
I also grew up in a church very concerned with correct belief. Faith was defined as a mental assent to the right doctrine, and for us, that meant understanding the very complicated concept of entire sanctification. It wasn’t enough to seek it or live it. You had to understand it.
After 37 years, I must confess I still don’t. But I do have this one piece of knowledge. If I ask God to help me love Him, His people, His creation, and myself the way He loves, He takes care of the rest, whether I get it “right” all the time or not.
When we get our focus off of “what can I get away with and still go to Heaven” and “how can I make sure my doctrine is better than all those other denomination’s doctrines”, and instead focus on “how can I love”, we find the behavior and beliefs tend to take care of themselves.