Sermon for August 7/8, 1999
Pentecost 11A
After reading the Scripture Readings and the Sermon, be sure to return to the Semon Index page by clicking your mouse on the link that looks like this at the bottom of the page:
BACK TO SERMON INDEX PAGE
BACK TO RAY OF HOPE CHURCH MAIN PAGE
The following are the Scripture readings as scheduled in the "Revised Common Lectionary," an ecumenical schedule of readings of Holy Scripture. Our sermons are based on these readings.
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost, (Year A)
1Now Jacob dwelt in the land where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2This is the history of Jacob.
Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. And the lad was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives; and Joseph brought a bad report of them to his father.
3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
12Then his brothers went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem. 13And Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them.”
So he said to him, “Here I am.”
14Then he said to him, “Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me.” So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron, and he went to Shechem.
15Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, “What are you seeking?”
16So he said, “I am seeking my brothers. Please tell me where they are feeding their flocks.”
17And the man said, “They have departed from here, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’” So Joseph went after his brothers and found them in Dothan.
18Now when they saw him afar off, even before he came near them, they conspired against him to kill him. 19Then they said to one another, “Look, this dreamer is coming! 20Come therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into some pit; and we shall say, ‘Some wild beast has devoured him.’ We shall see what will become of his dreams!”
21But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, “Let us not kill him.” 22And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit which is in the wilderness, and do not lay a hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hands, and bring him back to his father.
23So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colors that was on him. 24Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.
25And they sat down to eat a meal. Then they lifted their eyes and looked, and there was a company of Ishmaelites, coming from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry them down to Egypt. 26So Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is there if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh.” And his brothers listened. 28Then Midianite traders passed by; so the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.
This is the Word Of The Lord; Thanks Be To God.
Psalm 105
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!
7 He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
12 When they were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.
13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”
16 Moreover He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
17 He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
18 They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.
23 Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
24 He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.
26 He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength.
37 He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He remembered His holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness.
44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
45 That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.
Praise the LORD!
(Year A)
Romans 10:5-15
5For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.”£ 6But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”£ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”£ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”£ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”£ 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”£
14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who £preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!
This is the Word Of The Lord; Thanks Be To God.
Matthew 14:22-33
Pentecost 11 (Year A)
22Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24But the boat was now £in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30But when he saw £that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33Then those who were in the boat £came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Reader: This is the Gospel of the Lord; Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Brother Benedict, Sermon 186
Pentecost 11A, 1999
Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28
Psalm 105
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33
Our topic this week deals with "fate" or "faith"! Do believers depend on fate or is there a sense of confidence with our dependence on faith?
What is fate? The Webster's Dictionary defines fate as: that which unavoidably befalls one; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind. 2. Divine agency by which the order of things is prescribed: fate decreed that they should all die. 3. That which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: death is man's fate.
It seems to me that common usage of the word "fate" implies a set of circumstances that will make something happen or work out a certain way, without anything religious being involved. When I hear people using the word "fate" it is often used to infer a secular guidance rather than a religious guidance for what is happening in someone's life. Some people imply they feel helpless in the face of "fate," or that things will happen a certain way regardless of any effort they might expend. Some people sound as though they feel trapped and totally controlled by "fate," and are even afraid of how their lives may evolve due to the ominous power of "fate." Some people seem to be convinced that there are powers out there somewhere that make things happen in our lives and we go through time responding to those events.
The Webster's Dictionary defines faith as: "1. Confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability. 2. Belief which is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact. 3. Belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: old pilgrims, strong in their faith. 4. Belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone in all matters."
I think the dictionary is dancing all around many possibilities of definition for both of these words to cover all potential bases to basically say, you figure it out and make these words mean what you need them to mean.
For the born again Christian faith is that confidence we have in our relationship with Jesus. We know Jesus and we can depend on our relationship with Him to be living and active. Our faith in Jesus is also a matter of trust. We trust His promise to be with us always. Once a person knows and understands this promise, "faith" isn't about things we cannot explain, rather it is about action and relationship we can and do expect!
Christian faith is not a wandering experience with a blindfold on. Christian faith is lived experience that is that operates on expectations of our relationship with Jesus. The relationship is real, so the action is real that we would expect in Christ.
Often people express a disappointment with their experience of faith. This often happens when people analyze the "amount" of faith they think they have based on their feeling responses during worship or during prayer. If we stop and think about our feelings, we have to say they are constantly in movement. Recall those times when we count on certain feelings to enhance a situation and our feelings let us down. Recall those other times when our feelings totally surprise us and either enhance or hurt a situation. We sometimes tell people to "control" their feelings and the persons almost always respond by saying they cannot control their feelings. What we should say is please try to control your responses to your feelings. Or, it is difficult for us to be involved in your response to your feelings right now. Is there a better way all of us could handle this? There are circumstances when people use feelings to manipulate and control situations. We are not talking about those tactics when saying it is unfair to expect people to control their feelings. We are talking about the genuine feelings that are just part of our daily lived experiences.
Having drawn our attention to the ebb and flow of feelings in daily experiences we can now ask why would we evaluate the quality of our faith based upon our feelings. Feelings may or may not accompany a living faith. It is a luxury when our feelings are in tune with the reality of God present with us at all times. However, think about it, we have parents, or friends, or lovers, or siblings, or friends who are always in our lives, sometimes they are always in our faces but our feeling responses to them change constantly. Their feeling responses to us change constantly as well. It is a luxury when human feelings are flowing in the same direction at the same time, but all of us realize these experiences are special extraordinary times to be cherished and celebrated. So, likewise in our lived relationship with the Ever-present Living God, our feeling responses are not dependable.
We live in a world that is very much centered on so-called "personal satisfaction." Almost every product promises us personal satisfaction when using their product. How do we measure our "personal satisfaction?" We measure our feeling responses to the experience of using the product. Feelings are truly the rule of measurement of "personal satisfaction." It is natural then that the average person would measure their religious experience with the same criterion, feelings. "Natural" is the key word in that statement. Jesus told Nicodemus that unspiritual persons couldn't understand spiritual matters. So, when we are using "natural" experiences to evaluate "Spiritual" realities it is not going to compute truthfully. No wonder Satan uses a lack of feelings to once again make God look like a liar or at least unfair in how each person "feels" God. Remember, Satan always is looking for ways to make us doubt the work and presence of God in our lives.
How do we fight back against these lies and the "father of lies?" We fight back with Sacred Knowledge gained from the Holy Scriptures. Remember, Jesus is Truth personified! (John 14:6; Revelation 19:11) We look, then to Holy Scripture: 16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16)
In our first reading this weekend we have the familiar story of Joseph, the son that his father, Jacob loved the most. (Gen. 37:3) It is a story of sibling rivalry and jealousy that can go out of control. It is also a story of coveting; namely coveting the approval of parents that often divides siblings. In the story, Joseph's brothers intend to murder him, but sell him into slavery instead. Was that fate or faith? Joseph eventually ends up in Pharaoh's service and in charge of the food store houses of Egypt while Israel goes into famine. Was this fate or faith in action? Jacob sends his other sons to Egypt to beg for food, not knowing Joseph was Pharaohs assistant. Was that fate or faith in action? Eventually the story ends with a great reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers, peace for their father, and better preparation to be the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Was this fate or faith in action?
I do not believe this was fate. I believe God was intimately involved, even from the affection Jacob had for his son, Joseph all the way to the reconciliation many years later. God had a plan for the household of Jacob. God absolutely will not recant the promises to the House of Israel. Satan found a way to cast doubt on God's plan for the house of Jacob. Once doubt came in, sin had a great breeding ground. However, salvation will always prevail with those chosen to love and worship God. Faith was in charge even when sin thought victory was in view. Notice the wages of sin are death, and death was the intention after jealousy, anger, coveting, and ultimate hatred had taken root. However, God's intentions are always life giving. When God had finished with the situation, life was in full bloom for the House of Israel again.
In the second reading, Paul reminds the Church how to educate the people in the necessary tools to fight off the wickedness of Satan and his cohorts. Paul writes: "And how are they to believe in one in whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? And how are they to proclaim Him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15) Perhaps our most important ministry is to prepare believers with the ability to teach the Good News and to equip others who are helpless in Spiritual matters. Think of the great gift Ray Of Hope Church could be to the larger Church if we sent strong believers into the world, especially teachers, pastors, apostles, prophets and evangelists! What a great ministry it would be if we became known as the congregation able to bring the GLBTQS Community the knowledge they need to break out of the dark spiritual bondage so many are presently in?
What do we teach? We teach the pure and simple Gospel of Jesus Christ! This is what people need, and then they will not measure their amount of faith based upon their feeling responses. Instead, we will equip persons with the ability to evaluate the quality of their faith based upon what they know to be the promised truths of a faithful and true God.
This second reading also contains one of the most valuable pieces information people need for their defense. Paul says: "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we proclaim…" (Romans 10:8) When we set this next to the very words of Jesus where He says He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28) and so many other verses where He promises his real presence we have a Doctrine! Jesus cannot lie; it is not part of His nature. He openly proclaims His ability to be actually and really present to each and every one of us all the minutes of our eternities. This is an awesome promise for sure, and surely we can understand those who may find it a little difficult to grasp. However, Jesus is Faithful and True! So, one very important piece of defense each person needs is know that Jesus has truly promised to be surely and actually present with us. Therefore, His presence to us is not at all dependent on our awareness and feeling response to the fact that He is here. We need to place our endorsement and our confidence behind His spoken promise of real presence. When we base our response on the spoken truths of Christ, we can know our faith is true and active.
Did you notice the remaining doctrinal truths in this reading are in fact our Scripture verse chosen as our theme for 1999?
"If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. …. For, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-13) Again, this is Scripture! The truth of this promise is in no way dependent on our feeling response to it. The truth of this statement does not come in ebb and flow based upon our feelings. This promise is in full force at all times. The power of this promise is faith in action. It is not a helpless fate. The spoken promises of God are faith in action.
The Gospel reading of Peter walking on water is a demonstration of the promise mentioned here. Notice when Peter calls out; "Lord, save me!" (Matt. 14:30) Jesus "immediately" reached out his hand and pulled Peter from the water. Could Jesus have done anything else? Of course not! Isn't it painful though to realize the sin of the Garden of Eden was playing out right there in front of Jesus? As soon as Peter was unsure, as soon as he doubted his ability to walk on the water in obedience to Jesus, sin set in and spiritual and physical death were both immediately at hand. Jesus, whose name means, "Our Salvation Is With Us" was also there just at the right time to save Peter from certain death. That is what Jesus has been doing since humanity chose to walk in sin.
The Lord Jesus does not want to see any person condemned, but He wills that everyone be saved from eternal death. This is His whole mission, to bring salvation to all.
We apply this Holy Wisdom by changing our view on how our lives progress along. Our lives are not in any way left to natural "fate" if we are in tune with the living Holy Spirit of God. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are always present to us and are most certainly interested in our every minute. However, we have the power of choice. We have actually been given the choice to ignore God.
When we travel down the road of ignoring God, we leave ourselves wide open to doubt. Satan knows the best way to get us to doubt the presence of God is to convince us to use our feelings as proof that God is real. Once we doubt the promises of Christ, we effectively turn off their benefits in our circumstances. Doubt will lead to disbelief, and that could lead to spiritual and even untimely physical death.
So let's encourage each other to trust the spoken and written promises of God, especially those promises in the Doctrine of Real Presence. Encourage people to base their faith on God's promises rather than human feelings. While all things natural and all things human are "passing on," all things spiritual never change and are always firmly in place. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace…" (Hebrews 13:8, 9) Once we understand the Doctrine of Christ ever present, ever the same, ever faithful, ever caring, ever loving, ever etc.!! Then, we are ready to build a real faith. Faith that is based on the expectation that God will always do what God has promised.
We have the opportunity eliminate "natural" "fate" from our lives. We have the invitation from God to base all things in our lives on expectant "faith" with confidence that God is with us always. You would think everyone would be busting down the door to find out how to get this order into his or her lives! The best part is it is so simple to have expectant faith. Christ wants to give it away freely to anyone who desires it. Do you desire faith or fate in your life? The choice is yours. The opportunity to choose faith is present to you anytime as long as you are alive. Why not be done with natural fate and circumstantial living and firm up your life with expectant faith sooner than later? Well, we all know the proverb about taking horses to water but not being able to make them drink. I guess that is sadly true of taking humans to the Living Waters, and not being able to make them drink. We certainly will keep trying and we certainly will continue to bring as many people as we can to the Living Waters. Let us pray that everyone will drink and begin living by expectant, informed, educated faith!
)
May almighty God bless you, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
TOTUS TUUS! Totally Yours, Lord Jesus Christ.
May Almighty God bless all of us, in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Internet Links...
BACK TO SERMON INDEX PAGE
BACK TO RAY OF HOPE CHURCH MAIN PAGE
Thank you for taking the time to read this Sermon.
Send e-mail to ShawnFBen@rayofhopechurch.com
Copyright © 1999 Br. Shawn Francis Benedict.
Page created 20 June 1999. 11:59 PM.
Produced with Webford 2.01.