Sermon – Mark 10:17-31 – Eternal Life

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon – Mark 10:17-31 – Eternal Life

28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

October 14, 2012

We have been following Jesus and his disciples on a journey as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. We saw that the disciples were not praying every day and thus were unable to cast out demons and ask Jesus important questions. We saw that their lack of humility prevented them from being the servant leaders God wanted. And we heard about some Pharisees who mistakenly followed the law concerning divorce rather that accepting the covenant relationship that God has established between a man and a woman. All these thing were keeping people from following Jesus through the cross to eternal life. There are many things that keep us from following Jesus. And today we heard that possessions can keep us from Jesus. Listen again to what Jesus said,

Mark 10:21-22 ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." ²² At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

Did Jesus just tell someone to sell everything he had and give it to the poor? Yes he did, and we need to talk about it. But first lets pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Jesus is on his way somewhere, and an unnamed man rushes up to him and falls on his knees before him. We don't know who this man is, he could be anyone. What we do know is that he has been following Jesus, listening to his teachings about the Kingdom of God, and witnessing his miracles. And he did the only thing you can do when you have have seen and heard Jesus, he drop dropped down on his knees in worship. He wanted to be close to Jesus. He wanted to be a disciple. He wanted to know more about the Kingdom of God and the promise of eternal life.

Isn't this why we are in church today. We have heard Jesus' teachings. We have read about his miracles. And we want to follow Jesus and become his disciples. So we are here in church to find out more about God and God's kingdom and God's promises for us. We are here to bow down before Jesus in worship offering who we are and what we have to be used for God's glory.

The man began by addressing Jesus as “Good teacher”, but Jesus rebuked him and focused the man's attention on God. This is a reminder for us that worship is not about a preacher or teacher. You don't choose a particular church because the preacher is charismatic or preaches a good sermon. You choose a church where you attention is turned to God and what God is doing in the world around you.

The man's question is one we all have, because given the reality of death we all want to know what comes next. The question he asked was, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” This question makes two assumptions. First, there is the assumption at there must be something that we do to live for eternity. And second assumption is that eternal life is something we inherit, like land or money we may get from our parents.

Jesus' response to the first assumption was to lead the man to the Torah, the law, the first five book of our Bible. In the Torah God blessed the Israelites with instructions for living a good life. God had blessed them richly by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. And the law was the gift he gave the people following him. Since the man was following Jesus he too had received this gift. So there is nothing that we do to live forever. Rather eternal life is a gift we receive from God.

Jesus' response to the second assumption was that the inheritance the man was waiting for had already been received. His ancestors had received it centuries before. This inheritance was the law of God. By following these laws this man led a good life, but not an eternal life. For that more was needed. He needed to follow Jesus as a disciple. But there was something holding him back. Something was preventing this man from following Jesus. What was it? According the Jesus it was his possessions. All the stuff he had accumulated over the years was preventing the man from following Jesus as a disciple.

I know what this was like. I lived in a three bedroom townhouse for 18 years and filled it with stuff. Also I filled by life with so much work and activities that I couldn't follow Jesus as much as I wanted. So I sold that townhouse, got rid of most of the stuff and moved closer to church. Then I completed all my obligations to church and various groups in Washington DC. Finally, when nothing was tying me down I told everyone that I was moving to California to attend seminary. Once my excess stuff was gone I was able to do what Jesus was calling me to do as a disciple.

Jesus told the man to get rid of his stuff and give it to the poor so that he could follow Jesus. Whatever it was that was holding him back from following Jesus had to be eliminated if he wanted to follow Jesus and find eternal life. So what's holding you back from following Jesus? What is it that you are holding onto that won't let you follow Jesus as you should. Whatever it is, get rid of it before it robs you of your inheritance of eternal life.

We know that the man was saddened by what Jesus told him. It must have been a significant sacrifice that Jesus was asking him to make. Mark tells us that this man was wealthy. Maybe his money was somehow keeping him from following Jesus. We will never know if he eventually gave up his money to follow Jesus or gave up following Jesus to keep his money. We hope that he did whatever he needed to do to get affairs in order so that he could follow Jesus all the way to the cross.

So do we need to give all of our money to the poor to follow Jesus? Maybe. If our wealth is keeping us from Jesus then it has to go. More likely you could use your money in a way that is consistent with being a disciple. This is called stewardship. It is the realization that all you have was given to you by God. You are to care for it and use it for God's purposes. If you are doing this there is no reason to get rid of your wealth, because your possessions are not blocking your access to Jesus. But if the things you own or the money you have are keeping you from following Jesus then get rid of them and follow Jesus all the way to eternal life.

Jesus' disciples were astonished by all of this. Let's listen in to their conversation with Jesus.

Mark 10:24-31 ²⁴ The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." ²⁶ The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" ²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." ²⁸ Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" ²⁹ "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields-- and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Each of the disciples left their homes and businesses to follow Jesus. But they never expected that everyone who wanted to follow Jesus would have to do the same. And for some this would be a great sacrifice. Jesus acknowledged this by telling them that it is difficult to give up what is keeping you from following him. It's as hard as forcing a camel through the eye of a needle. But Jesus assured them that anyone who does give up what is holding them back will receive from God more that they ever imagined. This is our inheritance. Give up whatever keeps us from following Jesus, and be blessed richly by God with the gift of eternal life.

So how do we do this? How do we know what is holding us back from Jesus? How do we know what to get rid of? We do this by growing our faith. This starts by coming to church. Like the man in our story we come here to hear Jesus' teachings and experience his miracles. And like the man we too ask what we must do to inherit eternal life. We learn from scripture that eternal life is a gift which we received by simply following Jesus. But something is holding us back. We don't pray every day. We don't attend Bible studies. We don't even come to worship every Sunday. What is it that is holding you back from embracing the gift of eternal life? Whatever it is get rid of it. Sell it. Give it away. And begin to follow Jesus wherever he goes.

Lord Jesus we confess that we are not following you. We hear about your teaching and your miracles, but something is holding us back from following you all the way to eternal life. Help us to identify what it is that is keeping us from fully embracing you. And help us to get rid of it so that we have receive something far more valuable, the gift of eternal life. Amen.

Sermon - Mark 10: 2-16 – What God Has Joined Together

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon - Mark 10: 2-16 – What God Has Joined Together

World Communion Sunday

October 7, 2012

In our first reading this morning from Mark 10 you heard a story about a group of Pharisees trying to trick Jesus into saying something that would get him into trouble. In Jesus' time the controversial issue was divorce. Rabbis wrote about several leading members of the Pharisees who were getting divorced. Some of the religious leaders agreed with these Pharisees that divorce was no problem citing the Law of Moses, while others condemned the divorces. Which side would Jesus be on. If Jesus took either side the other side would be angry. So the Pharisees asked this controversial question hoping that Jesus would say something that would get him in trouble. Of course Jesus was too smart for this. He had no intention of getting on one side or the other. So he changed the subject and instead of talking about divorce, Jesus talked about marriage. We will discuss this, but first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

When Jesus thought about marriage he went to the very first chapter of the Book of Genesis. Here his what it says:

Genesis 1:27-28 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.

So men and women were created to enter into marriages so that children would be produced and the earth filled with people and used for our purposes. According to Jesus a man and a woman become one flesh in a union that God has decreed called marriage. Any violation of this decree would be a sin.

There is no requirement here that everyone be married. Contrary to some recently published ridiculous reports there is no evidence that Jesus was ever married. Paul thought that remaining single could be a good thing, unless of course you were consumed with passion. In that case it was far better to marry. I was single for 47 years before I met Grace. I was active in singles groups at my church. I developed a deep relationship with God before he introduced me to my wife.

Neither is there any requirement here that you remain in an abusive marriage. Abuse, alcoholism, drug use, and violence all break the union God has established. There is no shame in leaving a bad marriage. Dissolving a bond God has established is a sin, but God hears our prayers of confession and sees our repentance and forgives us. So those who are divorced, if you turn to God, admit whatever mistakes you made, and truthfully intend not to repeat them, then our merciful God will forgive you and give you the gift of a new life.

But there is a requirement that we do what we can to strengthen the union that God has brought together in marriage. If you are married I urge you to talk with the older couples in the church and ask them for their secrets in maintaining a long marriage. I suspect that they will tell you of the importance of worshiping together, praying together and studying the Bible together. These practices not only promote you own personal spiritual growth, they also strengthen the bonds that tie spouses together. Grace and I have been married now for almost seven years. Given our language and cultural differences there should be lots of problems, but there aren't. We worship, pray and study scripture together. We talk about our faith. This strengthens the bonds the God has established. Each of us is closer to God and so we are closer to each other.

Our understanding is that there is a three way covenant in every marriage. There are the vows promised between husband and wife. And there are the promises between God and husband and wife. God blesses us with sexual gratification and children. Marriage therefore is a sort of trinity of God, Wife and Husband. This is a holy family strengthened by joint worship, prayer and Bible study.

If your spouse does not come with you to worship, if he or she refuses to pray with you and study the Bible with you then it is crucial for you to do it for the both of you. If your spouse is not a Christian then there is even more reason for you to pray every day, study scripture whenever you can and worship every Sunday. Your marriage depends on it. And, of course, pray for your spouse every day that he or she will one day come with you to worship.

As we come around this table today, I urge the couples in the church to use this as a time to thank God for joining the two of you together. I urge those in the church who spouses are not with you to use this as a time to pray that the Holy Spirit will find him or her and place a longing for God and the church their heart. For those of you who are single, divorced or widowed I urge you to use this time to thank the Holy Spirit for being with you always as Jesus promised.

The controversial issue today is whether or not marriages can be of people of the same gender, two males or two females. Question 6 will be on the Maryland ballot next month. Here is what you will be asked when you vote:

Question 6, Referendum Petition Civil Marriage Protection Act (Ch. 2 of the 2012 Legislative Session) Establishes that Maryland’s civil marriage laws allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain a civil marriage license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from marrying; protects clergy from having to perform any particular marriage ceremony in violation of their religious beliefs; affirms that each religious faith has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine regarding who may marry within that faith; and provides that religious organizations and certain related entities are not required to provide goods, services, or benefits to an individual related to the celebration or promotion of marriage in violation of their religious beliefs. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Maryland_Same-Sex_Marriage_Referendum,_Question_6_(2012)

This question makes a distinction between civil marriage and Christian marriage. The purpose of civil marriage is the good working of society. The purpose of the legislation is to give same sex couples that same rights under the law that heterosexual couples now have. This is a political decision that you as a citizen must make. But when it comes to Christian marriage we know that since creation God has chosen a man and a woman to participate in a holy union we call marriage.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is in the middle of these conflicts. A study is underway which in a couple years will report on how we should define marriage. One focus of the discussion will be whether or not a pastor can officiate at wedding for same sex couples. This highlights a tension which exists whenever a pastor officiates at a wedding. You see when I conduct a wedding ceremony I am serving two masters. On the one hand I am an agent of the State of Maryland with authority to sign a marriage certificate. On the other I am a minister of the gospel proclaiming a union of a man and woman with each other and with God.

On this World Communion Sunday we must also consider what Christians around the world will think of our actions. If we say that same gender couples can enter into the union God has established in marriage, then we might be called heretics by those who see in scripture that God has joined together a man and a woman in marriage since creation.

So what should we do. First, I think it is helpful to make a distinction between civil marriage and Christian marriage. Some Christians see marriage as a sacrament. We don't because Jesus never commanded us to be married. But I think that the time has come to see marriage as a sacrament, something holy. See the marriage of a man and a woman as a sacred act. And just as Jesus wanted nothing to do with the Pharisees' discussion of divorce, so too should the political discussion of a change in definition of marriage for the purpose of dispensing legal benefits stay out of the church. Vote any you want, but hold onto the view that God joins a man and a woman together in what we call Christian marriage.

I urge you to pray for same sex couples that they will discern God's will for their lives. I urge you pray for women and men who have been joined together by God into a sacred marriage that their bonds with each other and with God would be strengthened by joint worship, prayer and study. And pray for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that they will speak clearly from the Bible and our understanding of God concerning the subject of marriage, a sacred union of a man and a woman.

Let's pray. Lord Jesus, bless our married couples in this church with strong bonds with each other and with God. We pray that they will experience increasing closeness with you and with each other. For those who are single, divorced or widowed we pray that you will be close to them. Make your presence known, and bless them richly. This we pray in your glorious name. Amen.  

Sermon - Mark 9:38-50 – You Are The Salt

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Sermon - Mark 9:38-50 – You Are The Salt

26th Sunday of Ordinary Time

September 30, 2012

In the first reading this morning we heard through Mark that Jesus' disciples have a concern. You will remember that last week they we concerned about which one of the disciples would be the greatest, and we found the necessity of prayer for Christian leaders to remain humble servants. Today their concern is about people in other groups who claim to be doing things in Jesus' name. Where do these people fit into the structure Jesus has created with the twelve disciples? The answer to this question will be crucial when the church is establish after Jesus' ascension to heaven. Would this church be controlled by the twelve? Or would it have a more decentralized structure? These questions still face us as we endeavor to do church in a rapidly changing world. We will get to this, but first let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

For many years the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has been structured like a multinational corporation. We have a corporate headquarters in Louisville Kentucky. We have a set of rules that governs us through our constitution. We have regional offices called presbyteries. And we have local branch offices called churches. Decisions are made at the top at the biannual meetings of the General Assembly, and we are told what to do. The goal is to make every Presbyterian church as identical as possible to every other Presbyterian church. Just as anyone can go into any McDonald's restaurant in the country and find identical food so too should anyone be able to go into any Presbyterian church and find nearly identical worship. This was the thought for the last hundred years or so.

But we have found that this structure does not work for church. Each community is different. The spiritual needs of people differ. What works for one group does not necessarily work for another. Worship that appeals to aging baby boomers may not be what their children and grandchildren need in a church. Needs differ. Tastes differ. People at different stages of spiritual development need to worship God in different ways. I have seen this right here in Pocomoke. My two churches worship using different styles. One church is more formal with a pipe organ and a choir dressed in robes. The other is forming a bluegrass band with guitars and mandolins. A top down one size fits all structure just doesn't work giving the diversity of Christians in America. We need a flatter, more decentralized structure that can better respond better to the spiritual needs of people.

In Mark 9 the disciples are concerned because someone outside of their group is casting out demons in Jesus' name. They had mistakenly thought that this activity was limited to them, and they expected to control it. But Jesus in not into control. He does not want a corporate structure on earth to dispense spiritual blessings. Rather he wants individuals, who have received the gift of faith and are filled with the Spirit to provide spiritual blessings for the people with no corporate control. Rather Jesus alone is in charge.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is just now realizing that a top down corporate approach does not work. For years we have tried to start new churches using a cookie cutter approach. Every church was started the same way. Find a growing area. Send in a pastor. Bring people together for worship. Develop stewardship. And build a sanctuary, fellowship hall, and Sunday school class rooms. This worked in the 1960s. But it doesn't work today. And now we find ourselves with declining churches and no good idea of what to do.

Last year I heard Darrell Guder, the editor of Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America, speak to New Castle Presbytery. Dr. Guder said that the 20 something students at Princeton Theological Seminary are not interested in being a part of the corporate church with its top down mentality. They want to go into the world and make disciples. They want to start something new.

Pittsburgh Presbytery has accepted the challenge and has started several new worshiping communities. Two students at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary have started the Upper Room, a multiethic community in Pittsburgh. The House of Manna is a missional community that walks block to block and door to door bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone they meet. And you never know what will happen at Fountain Park Church. “On a given Sunday, you may hear an interview, view a video clip, participate in a small group discussion, visit a prayer station, or simply sit and worship from your seat.” http://www.pghpresbytery.org/new_churches/developments.htm

Our recent General Assembly, meeting in Pittsburgh, was so impressed with what is happening there they adopted a program to establish 1001 new worshiping communities in the next ten years. One such community is already operating here on the Eastern Shore. My wife's Crossroads International Fellowship is ministering to the spiritual needs of the people in downtown Princess Anne. She serves a full meal every Friday night and Sundays at noon. People come to be fed physically, and they find spiritual food as well. People who can't find work, are on drugs, are just out of prison and cannot support themselves come for a free meal, where they also receive the gospel message. Their lives are being transformed.

What is our reaction to something like that? We could say, “that's not Presbyterian”. “There are no pews.” “There is no session.” “They don't have a Minute Book or Register.” But Jesus would tell us that none of that matters. He is just not concerned with corporate structure. Rather all Jesus wants to know is whether or not this ministry is carried out in his name. And if it is he will bless it richly. Last week Crossroads had 49 people in worship, more than in either of my churches. What do you think Jesus is up to around here?

New Castle Presbytery is also about to try something new. An idea has been floating around. What if we offered newly graduated seminarians the following: We give them around $18,000 per years and health insurance. Then we send them out to form new worshiping communities. Maybe they find a church manse to live in or a host family to live with. They find the space and money they need to do the kind of ministry God is calling them to do. A host church provides them what they can in money, space and spiritual support. A seed is planted and we watch as God makes something grow. A validated ministry might result and we might ordain a new pastor. Maybe God gives birth to a new church.

Grace's Crossroads International Fellowship in Princess Anne is now at it own crossroads. The Manokin Presbyterian Church hosted them in their facility for a year, but then asked them to leave. For the last year they have operated out of a storefront church on Somerset Ave paid for with a grant from the Presbytery. And now they can receive tax exempt contributions as every church in the presbytery does. But their presbytery grant is running out, and contributions from the participants are not nearly enough to pay the rent and utilities of a couple thousand per month. They are writing applications for grants and would gratefully receive any contributions from fellow Presbyterians here on the Eastern Shore. For more information and ways that you can support this ministry please talk with Jimmy Holland, Dan Blair or Kenny Holland who serve on the Crossroads board.

So it is clear that Jesus does not want us to control ministries of his church. Rather he wants us to support those ministries operating in his name in any way we can. He put it this way:

Mark 9:41-50 ⁴¹ I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward... ⁴⁹ Everyone will be salted with fire. ⁵⁰ "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."

Salt is what makes something taste good. It is also a preservative that makes things last, You are called to be salt. You are to make new ministries taste good by helping them proclaim the good news of Jesus. And you are to help new ministries last long enough to accomplish the mission Christ has established for them. You are the salt of the new ministries Christ is establishing.

Let's pray. Lord in Heaven we pray for the new ministries started by the Presbyterian church and all such ministries established in your son's name. Help them to grow as they proclaim the good news of Christ to those who need to hear it. Help us to support them by being the salt that makes the proclamation taste good and helps the ministry to continue. Bless these new ministries and help us to learn from them how we can follow you here in our own communities. This we pray in your son's strong name. Amen.