"On Saying Thank You" - October 16, 2011 Sermon

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

The Sermon:
How many of you were taught, as a child, to say "Please" and "Thank you"? I suspect that all of us were taught those phrases or something very similar. We were being taught the most simple and basic courtesy… Please and thank you. I am equally sure that as we grew, there were times we were told to say ‘thank you’ when we really did not mean it. As adults, there are times when we say "thank you" with the same feeling as when we say, "good morning" to someone we pass on the street or at the post office. It has become a phrase that society sort of expects but that has nor real depth to it. It’s almost mechanical.

Guess what… A recent study was released after a ten yr. period and over 200,000 managers and employees were interviewed regarding saying "thank you". The results are interesting to say the least. When people are thanked for what they do, they are more productive and motivated. Of course, this translates into more profits, so CEO’s and managers are utilizing these phrases such as: "Your contirbution is important" and "I’m truly grateful" and "Thank you for your attention to detail".

Presenting it like this makes it sound like nothing more than a good business pratice. The researchers say it still works, if it sounds sincere. An added benefit is that the more often we say it, the more we become aware of when real thanks should be given. So, even if we start out saying "Thank you" simply because it is societal convention and is expected, after a period of time, we actually begin to realize that we truly are thankful!

Now, in the letter writing conventions of Paul’s time, it was common to include an expression of thanksgiving in the opening section of the letter. Paul did this in all his letters except one, the letter to the Galatians. We can only surmise that he must have been really distressed about the problems in that church and could not think of anything to give thanks about. Which indicates that Paul was not giving thanks out of simple courtesy or routine… he truly believed it was warranted.

In the letter to the Thessolonian church, Paul not only gives thanks at the beginning of the letter, he also thanks to God again for them about halfway through the 2nd chapter, and again in the third chapter. At least part of the reason he was so thankful for them is that he and Silas had founded the church… then they were run out of town by a mob. So, in those hostile surroundings, the church they had started continued to grow in their faith and witness. Paul says, "And you became imitators of us and the Lord and in spite of persecution, you received the Word with joy… inspired by the Holy Spirit, and you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.

We need to notice that Paul’s expressions of thanks are addressed, not directly to the Thessalonians, but to God on their behalf. Paul continues, "We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father, your work of faith and labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul is not simply thankful that the Thessalonians are nice people. He is much more specific. He says he is thankful for their "work of faith, their labor of love and their steadfastness of hope." In essence, he is saying: They are living their lives according to the precepts of Christianity! Their Faith is grounded in the salvation presented by Jesus, and is translated into what they do, how they act toward one another, the way in which they face the troubles of life, and their attitude about how things will come out in the end. In other words, Christianity permeates all they say and do!

So when Paul thanks them for what they have done and for their attitude, he is at the same time encouraging them to continue on that course of thought and action. He wants them to keep on living their Faith wholeheartedly. I think Paul also benefits from his giving thanks to God for them, because he recognizes the ways in which God is blessing his work, as a servant. He is joyful… and thankful, joyful people are usually happier people.

Think about this for a moment. You know when you go to a restaurant or a stor of some sort. You may say thank you to the waiter or to the person at the check out counter… but it is really a courtesy "thank you", you really have no bond with that person as a person. They are more anonymous, someone who is waiting on you, more of a ‘something’ instead of a someone. However, when we sincerely thank someone, looking them in the eye, we acknowledge that they are a person, someone of value. Not only do they get a self-esteem boost, but we are better for it as well.

Paul’s practice of thanking God for those among whom he worked was not just a habit, it was a genuine expression of gratitude. It encouraged the people in the churches and it made Paul a better person.

We, too, can help our church and make it more vital by thanking God for the faith, hope and love of our fellow worshipers, and by thanking them directly as well ! So let’s do that, right now…turn to someone next to you or across the aisle and say "THANK YOU" for being here today…thank you for your faith and love. After all, we really do have a lot to be thankful for.

AMEN.

"Sorry, I'm Too Busy" - October 9, 2011 Sermon

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

The Sermon:
I want you to think back to a time when you were in school or college. Were you ever late with some homework or a term paper? Did you try to come up with an excuse or a reason for not having your work completed on time? I read about one young boy who had failed to do his term paper on time and gave the following excuse: "I got mugged on the way to school. I offered the mugger my watch, my money and my gold necklace, but all he wanted was my term paper." Certainly more elaborate than, "My dog ate it."

We have all made excuses for not doing something! As adults, we sometimes make excuses for not attending a professional seminar or someone’s anniversary party or a funeral or a wedding…or any number of gatherings that may interfere with something else we would rather do. We are continually confronted with opportunities to either say "YES" or "NO".

This brings us to today’s parable. A king was having a banquet for his son, who was preparing to marry. No expense was spared, his oxen and fattened cattle were butchered and everything was ready. He sent out his servants to those who were invited, to tell them to come now, but they refused. One went to his field, another to his business and some even mistreated the servants and killed them. The king was enraged…he sent his army and destroyed the murderers and burned the city.

Then, the king told his servants, "Those I invited did not deserve to come. Go into the street corners and invite anyone you find." So, the servants obeyed the king and went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

I know you probably recognize this story, but what you may not know is that something very similar actually happened. A Ms. Kathleen Gooley was all set for her wedding. A non-refundable deposit of $4,000 dollars had been given to the caterer. Then she learned that the groom had changed his mind…he was a no show. She decided, that since everything was already paid for, she would contact the local homeless shelters, and the drug and alcohol rehab centers and the salvation army center and invite all of them.

She wanted someone to enjoy the banquet.

The meaning of this parable is that the so-called righteous people of that time rejected Jesus as the Christ. So what does God do?…He gave an open invitation into His kingdom to all who would come, righteous and unrighteous alike.

What really touched a nerve with me, personally, is the excuses that were used by those who refused the invitation. They did not refuse the invite because they were mean or wicked…they were absorbed by the activities of their daily lives…all of which they deemed more important than the call of Christ. This begs the question, "Are we so absorbed with living our lives that we miss the call of Christ? " How often does our day to day conversations revolve around the weather, new cars, price of gas, clothes, furniture or sports or restaurants? These are all really trivial when compared to discussion about human destiny or our claims as Christians. Most people are uncomfortable talking about such things and when serious sickness comes or the dark shadow of death is near, they are tongue-tied, because they are only used to talking about mundane things.

Many times in life, we find ourselves allowing "worldliness", that is, material affairs to take precedent over our relationship with Christ. We find ourselves constantly exploring the path of material goods and wealth, looking for the happiness and joy that we all want, not leaving time to seek out God and embrace His promises. However, God’s plans are not defeated. The Banquet is still held for those who want to learn the ways of true Joy! The heritage of the Jews was extended to the Gentiles !

Of course, our number one excuse for not attending "Gods Banquet" is that we don’t have enough time. It makes me think of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland when she said, "It takes all the running you can do just to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you have to run twice as fast." We get so caught up in a hectic lifestyle… so busy doing things…that we don’t have time for God’s Banquet!

At some point in life, we have to decide what really matters most and make certain that the important things get done. We can sit sown and make a list of the things we deem important…and it can be a long list: family, job, self-improvement, service in the community, relaxation time, etc. However, our first priority should be time with God. If you are too busy to listen for God, then you are too busy…If you are too busy to help out in God’s kingdom, then you are too busy!We must all remember that there will come a time when our relationship with God is the only thing that will matter.

I’ll end with this anecdote: A mental hospital had a unique way of determining if some of its patients were ready to be returned to society. They would bring the patient into a room that had a sink overflowing water and the faucet was still running with water. They would hand the patient a mop and ask them to clean up the mess. If the patient turned off the faucet before starting to mop, they would be released. If the patient started mopping first, more treatment was needed.

You and I need to stop mopping long enough to see if the faucet is still running! We need to center our lives on God and God’s purposes, and we will discover that life truly is a feast. We all have been invited to His feast…let’s RSVP with a strong "YES".

AMEN

"We Are Tenants" - October 2, 2011 Sermon

Scripture: Matthew 21:33-46

The Sermon:
Jesus is in his final week of life. He has just told a parable about two sons, which I spoke about last week. It was directed at the religious leaders. Today’s parable of the Wicked Tenants is also directed at the religious leaders.

My personal opinion is that Jesus was intentionally increasing the intensity of his ministry in an attempt to remove any doubts people had about his mission and message. He turned the burner on the stove up to high and brought his ministry to a rolling boil! His message was clear!

Let’s go through this together…Who is God in this story? (Landlord)…ok, now, what does the vineyard represent? (God’s kingdom) Who were the tenants representing? (Israel…the religious leaders). Who were the servants? (God’s prophets) Finally, who is the ‘heir’ to the vineyard? (Jesus)

One more thing we need to do is understand what the responsibilities of Tenants were… in fact, let’s talk about what a Tenant is. A Tenant, in those days, was a person or family that farmed a landowner’s property. They had to raise a crop and give the landowner a share of what was produced. In today’s world, it’s like a landowner leasing their property to someone and being paid a fee. After the Civil War, sharecroppers did essentially the same thing. The key factor in this story, however, is that a crop MUST be produced. What do you think the crop is? I want you to think about as I go through the story.

God is like a landlord who has leased his vineyard-his kingdom- to Israel as laborers. The time has come for God to demand His share of the fruit from the workers. The fruit being faith in Him and His promises…repentance of sins and trust in His messengers. He wants His vineyard to produce wine that leaves the boundaries of the kingdom walls and fills the whole world with the goodness of His love and Word!

The problem is that the laborers did not produce a crop…and they ignored His warnings of eviction and murdered His servants, the prophets whom He had sent to represent His interests. Not only that, they murder the Heir, His son. This is called “foreshadowing”, that is, revealing what is yet to come.

Jesus basically says, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The time was at hand when the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. Israel had been an unfaithful tenant…it was time for new tenants!

You want to know how I understand this parable? It is really a parable about STEWARDSHIP. Think about it. It’s about managing God’s stuff on God’s behalf. There are two aspects of stewardship:

1. the first is what we have been entrusted with
2. the second is what in the world are we supposed to do with it.

As tenants, each of us has been entrusted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND our personal, worldly goods. Both come from God and both are to be used in service to God. The Gospel is the message that, despite humankind’s universal rebellion against God’s will, God still desires a reconciled relationship with us. Reconciliation has been made possible through the sacrificial death of His Son on a cross. Because of that, the entire world is invited to enter the vineyard and labor under God’s Love!

We not only have been blessed by God’s message but we are also been made dispensers of God’s message. We also need to recognize that everything from the clothes on or backs to the money in our wallet or purse to the roof over our head belongs to God and are on loan to us from God. We will take none of it with us into the next life. As Psalm 24 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” We are simply leasing or renting for a period of time.

There is more in the parable than just knowing we are blessed and knowing who the owner is. In order to be a FAITHFUL steward, we have to DO something with the Gospel and with our worldly goods ! We have to be sure that we treat the vineyard in such away that brings blessing to the whole world.

With that in mind, I am going to ask a few questions for all of us to ponder. I do not want this to sound accusatory, but I do want it to be something you give thoughtful consideration to and maybe even be challenged a little bit.

1. When was the last time you invited someone to church with you?
2. How long has it been since you last read Scripture with your children, then talked with them about it?
3. Have you matured in your Faith enough to pray for others?
4. How about helping in the ministry of this church?
5. If you were called upon in a gathering, could you talk about your Faith?
6. Do you feel that you have produced a “crop” for the Lord?

We can ask the same questions about the church, collectively. Are we producing a crop? What do we have to show for the vineyard we are in? What kind of tenants have we been? You know, we have been entrusted with a lot, it’s time for all of us to be good stewards.

AMEN