“You Want to do Good? Here’s Your Checklist!”

“You Want to do Good? Here’s Your Checklist!”

2017 August 27

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Continue to love each other. Don’t forget to show hospitality to believers you don’t know. By doing this some believers have shown hospitality to angels without being aware of it.  Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them. Remember those who are mistreated as if you were being mistreated.

Marriage is honorable in every way, so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other. God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.

Don’t love money. Be happy with what you have because God has said, “I will never abandon you or leave you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can mortals do to me?”

Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. Think about how their lives turned out, and imitate their faith.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Through Jesus we should always bring God a sacrifice of praise, that is, words that acknowledge him. Don’t forget to do good things for others and to share what you have with them. These are the kinds of sacrifices that please God.

Message:  “You Want to do Good? Here’s Your Checklist!”

Here is your list:

1. Be Hospitable to Strangers

2. Remember the Oppressed

3. Be Faithful Spouses

4. Don’t Love Money or Things

5. Be Content

6. Remember Your Leaders

7. Bring Your Sacrifices to God

In three of the gospels a young rich man asks Jesus what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. We gathered here today already know the answer to that: Believe in our heart that Jesus’ death removed our sins, and confess with our lips that Jesus, not us, is in charger of our lives.  However, we still wonder, “What do I need to do to be good?”

Listen as this Spiritual Song echoes what the Apostle was telling his readers in his letter to the Hebrew Christians.

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart

Stanza 1 is a prayer expressing the initial desire to become a Christian;

 the others are prayers for growth in Christian character:.

Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more giving in my heart, in my heart.
Lord, I want to be more forgiving in my heart, in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart.
And more verses akin to these

This African American spiritual could well have originated in Virginia in the 1750s

"A black slave asked Presbyterian preacher William Davies, 'I come to you, sir, that you may tell me some good things concerning Jesus Christ and my duty to God, for I am resolved not to live any more as I have done. . . Lord, I want to be a Christian.'

First, a little about this epistle:

Paul was most often credited with the letter. However, more recent evidence indicates that it was more likely to have been authored by Apollos and Barnabas.

Although the author of Hebrews is unknown to us, he was obviously well known to and well respected by his readers.

At the time of its writing the first century church was being severely persecuted and the writer sent this letter to those Jewish Christians who were considering abandoning the teaching of Jesus and lapsing back into strict Judaism. So, this portion of the letter gives a checklist of how to be a Christian.

The apostle recommends several excellent duties to them, as the proper fruits of faith

1. Be Hospitable to Strangers

2. Remember the Oppressed

3. Be Faithful Spouses

4. Don’t Love Money or Things

5. Be Content

6. Remember Your Leaders

7. Bring Your Sacrifices to God

Christ, in giving himself for us, was able to save to himself a special people who are enthusiastic to do good works. Now the apostle calls the believing Hebrews to carry out these good works as is expected of Christ’s followers.

1. Be hospitable to others.

Hospitality of this sort is made up of parts: 1. Brotherly love, 2 Charity

This is the brotherly love which is different than that love we show to all mankind.

It is also different than that shown to our relatives. 

This is that special and spiritual affection which ought to exist among the children of God.

It is important to remember that this letter is written specifically to the Jewish Christians.  Family connections were very important to the Jews.

It was how they identified themselves, first as Jews, then by tribe of the 12,

then by the larger family and finally by their own parentage.

So, it was assumed that this family form of brotherly love was ingrained in them.

That is why the writer clarifies and defines what he means by showing hospitality to believers by saying, “hospitality to believers you don’t know.”

We can suppose that these early Christians had this love for one another because they had all things common. They sold their possessions and created a general fund in which all shared equally.

The spirit of Christianity is a spirit of love.

Faith works by love.

The true religion is the strongest bond of friendship.

·       However, this brotherly love was in danger of being lost during this time of persecution, when it would be needed most; it was in danger of being lost because of disputes among them concerning the ceremonies of the Mosaic law.                       Then, as now, disputes about religion too often produce a splits in the body of Christ; but this must be guarded against, and all proper means used to preserve brotherly love. Christians should always love and live as brethren, and the more they grow in devout affection to God their heavenly Father the more they will grow in love to one another for his sake.

We must add to brotherly kindness charity.

·       The duty required is to entertain strangers, both those that are strangers to Israel, and strangers to ourselves, especially those who are strangers here and are seeking another country, which is the case of the people of God. At this time the believing Jews were in a desperate and distressed condition. But he seems to speak of strangers in general. Though we do not know not who they are, nor from where they come, yet, seeing they are without a place to live, we should allow them room in our hearts and in our houses, as we have opportunity and ability.

·       The reward for this lifestyle is that some have entertained angels unawares. Abraham did so as we read in Genesis. 18,  The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oak trees belonging to Mamre as he was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day. Abraham looked up, and suddenly he saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them, and he bowed with his face touching the ground. “Please, sir,” Abraham said, “stop by to visit me for a while. Why don’t we let someone bring a little water? After you wash your feet, you can stretch out and rest under the tree. Let me bring some bread so that you can regain your strength. (later)Then the men got up to leave. As Abraham was walking with them to see them off, they looked toward Sodom. The Lord said, “I shouldn’t hide what I am going to do from Abraham.  After all, Abraham is going to become a great and mighty nation and through him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.  I have chosen him so that he will direct his children and his family after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. In this way I, the Lord, will do what I have promised Abraham.” Not only was Abraham visited by three heavenly beings but the one announced himself to be the LORD.

Lot in Genesis. 19 also has an encounter with two of these angels and likewise shows them hospitality. 19 The two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gateway. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed with his face touching the ground. 2 He said, “Please, gentlemen, why don’t you come to my home and spend the night? You can wash your feet there. Then early tomorrow morning you can continue your journey.”

“No,” they answered, “we’d rather spend the night in the city square.”

3 But he insisted so strongly that they came with him and went into his home. He prepared a special dinner for them, baked some unleavened bread, and they ate.

Though we can not assusme that we will ever entertain the Lord himself, yet what we do to strangers, in obedience to him, he will count it and reward it as if done to himself. In Matthew 25:34-40 we read, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

God has often bestowed honors and favors upon his hospitable servants without their being aware. I have told this before but, once I had done a kindness for a woman who thanked me by saying, “Thank you for being Jesus for me.” I replied, “No. You were Jesus for me.” It is why I do what I can and give what I can to those in need, because I do and give as if I were doing and giving to Jesus. If I do this, then the gift I have given is in the Lord’s care and I do not have to concern myself about what the other person or persons do with that gift. It is in God’s hands.

2. Remember the Oppressed

“Remember those in prison as if you were in prison with them.” Christian sympathy has several parts: remembrance and empathy. 

·       Remember those that are in bonds. This is the duty—to remember those that are in bonds and in adversity. They need not be in an actual prison of stone and steel. There are many ways in which people are imprisoned by the choices they have made, by physical or mental distress, by poverty, and more. It so happens  that while some Christians and churches are in adversity others enjoy peace and liberty. All are not called at the same to the same thing.

·       Empathy. Those that are at liberty must sympathize with those that are in bonds and adversity, as if they were bound with them in the same chains: they must alleviate the sufferings of their brothers. We must understand that our time of chains may come and think on how we would want to be treated by our brothers in Christ. It would be unnatural in Christians not to bear each other’s burdens.

3. Be Faithful Spouses

“Marriage is honorable in every way, so husbands and wives should be faithful to each other.” It is honorable, for God instituted it in paradise, knowing it was not good for man to be alone. He married and blessed the first couple. Christ honored marriage with his presence and first miracle. It is honorable as a means to prevent impurity and a defiled bed. It is honorable and happy, when persons come together pure affection, and preserve the marriage bed undefiled, not only from unlawful but lustful thoughts. Proverbs 23:7a reads, “for as he thinks within himself, so he is.”  And Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 “I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

The writer also warns his readers that, “ God will judge those who commit sexual sins, especially those who commit adultery.”

4. Don’t love money.  1 Timothy 6:9-10 advises us, “But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain.” And Jesus warns us in Matthew 6:25, “No one can serve two masters, because either he will hate one and love the other, or be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and riches!”

5. Be Content

“Be happy with what you have.” Paul in his letter to the Philippians 4:11-13 wrote,  “I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in. 12 I know how to be humble, and I know how to prosper. In each and every situation I have learned the secret of being full and of going hungry, of having too much and of having too little. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

And Christ in Matthew 6:25-30 said, “That’s why I’m telling you to stop worrying about your life—what you will eat or what you will drink—or about your body—what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t plant or harvest or gather food into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are more valuable than they are, aren’t you? 27 Can any of you add a single hour to the length of your life[b] by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Consider the lilies in the field and how they grow. They don’t work or spin yarn, 29 but I tell you that not even Solomon in all of his splendor was clothed like one of them.30 Now if that is the way God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and thrown into an oven tomorrow, won’t he clothe you much better—you who have little faith?

6. Remember your leaders

It is clear from the contents of this letter that the author is not speaking of all of those who claim authority over us. He is speaking of those within the body of Christ who are our leaders and have shared the Word of God with us, for he later writes that these leaders must give an account to God.

Jesus in Matthew 23:2-3 tells the crowds that followed him, “The scribes and the Pharisees administer the authority of Moses, so do whatever they tell you and follow it, but stop doing what they do, because they don’t do what they say. This again indicates that we listen to and follow the truths that they share even as we witness their human weaknesses.

7. Bring God a sacrifice

Now what are the sacrifices which we must bring and offer on this altar? Not sacrifices for atonement for our sins. Christ has already made that great sacrifice which washed away our sins. We need only to offer our praise in acknowledgment on that sacrifice.

Our adoration and prayer, as well as our thanksgiving are the fruit of our lips. These must be offered only to God, not to angels, nor saints, nor any creature, but to the name of God alone, through Christ our savior.

The second part of our sacrifice is to do good deeds for and in the name of God’s Son. As God is well pleased; he will accept the offering with pleasure, and will accept and bless the offers through Christ.

Let me here recap:

1. Be Hospitable to Strangers

2. Remember the Oppressed

3. Be Faithful Spouses

4. Don’t Love Money or Things

5. Be Content

6. Remember Your Leaders

7. Bring Your Sacrifices to God

And all God’s people said, “Amen!”

2017 August 20 sermon “Ask a Butterfly, ‘Who Are You?’”

2017 August 20 sermon
“Ask a Butterfly, ‘Who Are You?’”
First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35
Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. Afterward all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.

Second Reading: Luke 9:28-36
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” —not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Message: “Ask a Butterfly, ‘Who Are You?’”
Hear now the Parable of the Caterpillar

There was a caterpillar much like other caterpillars. It had lots of legs beneath and lots of stripes of black, white, and yellow. And like all of the other caterpillars, it crawled along eating leaves. That was its life. That is it was its life until one day it crawled upon a lovely flower. The flower was so glorious, so spectacular, so beautiful, that the caterpillar began to weep.
“I never knew such splendor existed!” it cried. “Look how the flower reaches for the sky. Look how gracefully it moves in the breeze. Oh how I long to be so beautiful and full of grace. But I am but dull and brown and fit to do nothing but crawl upon the ground. No one will ever gaze upon me and exclaim, ‘What beauty!’”
In despair the caterpillar curled into a ball in the center of the colorful flower. Soon it slept.
In that sleep, dream formed. A brilliant white butterfly came to him. It was whiter than sunlight on the snow. It glowed with such beauty that it was hard to look upon. In a commanding, yet gentle, musical voice the butterfly spoke, “Wake, my child. Arise, and join me, for I seek a relationship with you.”
“I c-c-can’t follow you,” replied the caterpillar, “You can fly, and I am fit for nothing other than to crawl in the dirt.”
“Then you must stop crawling in the dirt. I’ll give you instruction on how not to live in the dust.”
“I’ll try. However, I still can’t fly.”
“I’ll send my beloved son. Follow him and he’ll teach you all you need to know so that you can join me.”
A short time later another caterpillar appeared. It also had stripes of black, white, and yellow. It looked just like any other caterpillar with legs below and stripes above. It was quite unremarkable until it said, “I am the son of the Great Monarch butterfly in the sky. I’ve been sent to show you how to fly.”
“But, you have no wings either. How can you teach me to fly?”
“Ah, you need to understand how to live as a caterpillar before you can be a butterfly.”
The new caterpillar spoke many things to the old caterpillar. They were wise words about how to live among the flowers, how to behave with other caterpillars, and how to show reverence for the Great Monarch.
More and more caterpillars came to listen to the Monarch’s Son as he spoke about how it was going to be when they would live together in the sky. He spoke about how they would be changed inwardly and outwardly.
Some caterpillars were upset with these teachings. The words were foolishness in their ears. “How can a worm like you speak of flying? You are just a grub like us.” They were so angry that sought to kill him. However, he was always surrounded by his followers and they feared the crowds more than they hated the new caterpillar.
However, one day, a follower of the Son came to them and said, “I know a place and a time when you can come to him when he is nearly alone.” So they came, in force, with others who did not believe the tales told by the Son. They captured him and killed him. “That is the end of that nonsense,” they said, “Let no one speak of him again.”
They felt quite smug about killing him until three days later when word came to them that the Son had been seen alive and meeting with his followers. He was continuing to teach them many things about the kingdom of the sky. He taught them that at the end of their life as a caterpillar they would enter a chrysalis and slowly be changed into butterflies in the image of the Great Monarch. As he was speaking, he was suddenly changed into a brilliant white butterfly and rose into the air until he could no longer be seen.

More about caterpillars.

That famous theologian Lewis G. Carol once wrote:
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice. `Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.'
`What do you mean by that?' said the Caterpillar sternly. `Explain yourself!'
`I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir' said Alice, `because I'm not myself, you see.'
`I don't see,' said the Caterpillar.
`I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly,' Alice replied very politely, `for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.'
`It isn't,' said the Caterpillar.
`Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet,' said Alice; `but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think
you'll feel it a little strange, won't you?'
`Not a bit,' said the Caterpillar.
`Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,' said Alice; `all I know is, it would feel very strange to ME.'
`You!' said the Caterpillar contemptuously. `Who are YOU?'

Now I ask you, “Who are you?”
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are a new creature.
Who are you?
How do you explain your transfiguration to others?

Here is the definition of Transfiguration: to give a new and typically exalted or spiritual appearance.

In our scripture reading we see how Jesus was transfigured. “the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white”.
For just a brief moment, those fortunate disciples saw Jesus as he truly is.

How often do we let others see our true nature?
And what would they see?

I would hope that they would see the glory of Christ shining through me.
But most likely if you were to see my true nature it would be fragmented.
There would be those glorious, dazzling white clothes,
patched together with filthy rags.

I am not yet complete.
But I strive forward toward that goal.

As Saint Paul wrote to the Philippians 3:12-14
“It’s not that I’ve already reached the goal
or have already completed the course.
But I run to win
that which Jesus Christ has already won for me.
Brothers and sisters,
I can’t consider myself a winner yet.
This is what I do:
I don’t look back,
I lengthen my stride,
and I run straight toward the goal
to win the prize
that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.”

I was a caterpillar.
I was a man lost in sin.
And the worst part of it was
that for the longest time,
I didn’t even know that I was lost.

In mine own eyes
And to the eyes of the world,
I was a good man.

As I measured myself against other men,
I could say, “I’m not a thief,
I’m not a murderer,
I obey the law
(that is the law of man-
For I didn’t truly know God’s Law)
I treated my fellow man as I wanted to be treated,
Most of the time.
I wasn’t a liar,
Most of the time.
I was good to children and small furry animals.
That made me a good man. Amen?

Yes I was a good man.
But still a man lost to sin.
I was so surrounded by
The darkness of the world
That I couldn’t see that
I wasn’t a Godly man.

I may have been morally upright,
But I wasn’t morally clean.
My garments were tattered and dirty.

And then,
And then, Jesus made everything right
I gave Him my old tattered garment
He gave me a robe of pure white.

As the hymn says,
“I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares,
“Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation.
The old way of living has disappeared.
A new way of living has come into existence.”

But, just as a caterpillar,
Doesn’t become a butterfly overnight,
My transfiguration was just beginning.
I was, and still am, in my chrysalis stage.

Paul, in his lengthy, lawyer way, wrote this.
In Romans 8
So those who are believers in Christ Jesus
can no longer be condemned.
The standards of the Spirit,
who gives life through Christ Jesus,
have set you free from the standards of sin and death.

It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand
because of the weakness our human nature has.
But God sent his Son to have a human nature
as sinners have and to pay for sin.

I love the lyrics to the hymn by Isaac Watts “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.”
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
and did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
for such a worm as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I have done,
he groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
and shut its glories in,
when God, the mighty maker, died
for his own creature's sin.

4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
and melt mine eyes to tears.

5. But drops of tears can ne'er repay
the debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'tis all that I can do.

Master, it is good for us to be here.
We have heard your command,
“This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!”
We have been made into a new creature
Lord, we pray that Your beauty shines through us.
Go, you butterflies and share with the caterpillars.
Amen.