Not Peace, but a Sword
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Not Peace, but a Sword
Not Peace, but a Sword
Matthew
“Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.
‘I have come to set a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
Your enemies will be right in your own household!’
“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me. If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs. And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.”
As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. Someone told Jesus, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”
Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Then he pointed to his disciples and said, “Look, these are my mother and brothers.
A large crowd was following Jesus. He turned around and said to them, “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.
1 cor 4:14-21
I am not writing these things to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.
That’s why I have sent Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of how I follow Christ Jesus, just as I teach in all the churches wherever I go.
Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again. But I will come—and soon—if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power. For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?
The godly people have all disappeared;
not one honest person is left on the earth.
They are all murderers,
setting traps even for their own brothers.
Both their hands are equally skilled at doing evil!
Officials and judges alike demand bribes.
The people with influence get what they want,
and together they scheme to twist justice.
Even the best of them is like a brier;
the most honest is as dangerous as a hedge of thorns.
But your judgment day is coming swiftly now.
Your time of punishment is here, a time of confusion.
Don’t trust anyone—
not your best friend or even your wife!
For the son despises his father.
The daughter defies her mother.
The daughter-in-law defies her mother-in-law.
Your enemies are right in your own household!
As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
Micah 7:2-7
June 29, 2008
“Radical to the Extreme”
“Independence Day”
"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, last week we talked about the trouble that will come into our lives because we are Christians. We remember that God’s knows our trouble and that He has made us a very special promise, that we need not fear. Even as the Lord knows when a sparrow falls to the ground and we are more important than the sparrows.
Intro: During the American Revolution Thomas Paine wrote these words, “ These are the times that try men’s souls. The Summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.
Independence Day the 4th of July is a celebration of our nation's birth and it’s independence. Independence and freedom are treasured blessings in our country. Yet there is a greater independence and freedom that the Christian treasures. Jesus Christ has given us independence from the power of sin, death and the Devil.
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Today’s text is the continuation of Jesus sermon on discipleship. He continues to paint a very vivid picture of Christian life and faith.
National freedom came with a cost. Lives were sacrificed and are still being sacrificed to maintain our nation's independence. Peace comes with a high price. The peace we have with God came with a high price. God’s Son had to die. In Him we have independence. In Him we have dependence for forgiveness, salvation and everything we need.
Picturing the Christian faith. That’s something a lot of people like to do. They do it in many and varied ways. There are pictures we like better than others. If you want to picture the peace of believing, well, that is a comforting picture, we like that. If someone talks to us about our security in Christ, that’s easy to listen to, we like that. If you want to hear about the joy of believing, oh my! This is a wonderful and comforting thing! These are all great pictures. But they are not complete pictures. Today’s text completes the picture for us. It is a picture that is much harder to swallow, if you could swallow a picture. In it Jesus pictures for us the cost of discipleship, the difference between believing and not believing — it is a radical picture, radical to the extreme.
I. The Cost of freedom is Division.
It is radical religion. Lately we have been hearing a lot about a radical false religion. We have been hearing about radical Islam. Frankly, I don’t like it when the press and our government agencies talk about Islam in this way. It doesn’t do them justice. Those people that are practicing Islam in a radical way are being true to their religion. What the world wants, what we want, is for them to tone it down a bit. We want them to practice their religion a little less fervently. We want them to be a bit more secularized, that is to fit into the world culture. Yeah that’s what we want. I can go along with that. But guess what? That is exactly what the world wants of us Christians. This is because if we practice our faith, it will bring conflict and trouble…here comes trouble. You see, what Jesus talks about in our text for today is radical, radical to the extreme. The world, yes even our own government would rather have us keep it toned down. Jesus doesn’t tone it down.
A. Between Believers and Unbelievers.
Jesus starts our text with familiar words about confessing Him before men. The demand seems reasonable to us -- even if the tone seems just a little tough. But it gets tougher and far more exacting with each sentence. Finally, we have to admit that Jesus paints the picture in black and white. There is not a lot of wiggle room and compromise. Jesus is radical to the extreme.
Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus came to bring division. This may sound like a contradiction to us. After all we may recall the words of the angels at Christ’s birth, “Glory be to God and on earth peace to men.” Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. It is true that He came to bring peace. In Him there is peace between people and God. Still there are people that reject His peace. The inevitable result is conflict. There is conflict between light and dark, between the children of God and the children of the Devil.
B. In Families.
Jesus is demanding. This is a no-holds barred look at the Christian faith, not the warm-and-fuzzy sort of Christianity we have grown used to in our society — perhaps even here in our church. Jesus talks about war. He talks about setting Christians up against the world, against people even in our own households. He talks about crosses and how if we love someone more that Him we are "not worthy" of Him. This doesn't sound like that Christianity we hear about so often, where it seems harder to miss out on going to heaven than it is to get there.
Jesus warns us that because of Him there will be division in our families. The bonds between family members are incredibly strong. Our family relationships are the most important ones to us. Because of their importance, issues of faith divide us and sometimes become stumbling blocks for us. We are torn apart when family members reject Jesus and the free gift of salvation that He offers. We pray that they will come to faith – this is good. Until they do so we are separated from them spiritually, at the deepest level. We may be tempted to rationalize their unbelief. We may be tempted to think that it’s OK if the don’t believe or choose another religious path as long as it feels right for them. We may think that as long as they are good people they will be all right. We may not speak our faith for fear that we might offend them. Aren’t these attempts to bridge the division. Jesus words ring in our ears, “Anyone that loves his father or mother, brother or sister more than me is not worthy of me” So often we fail to put Jesus first in our lives. We are not worthy of Him.
When Jesus talks about the faith, He describes it as something that is totally absorbing. This is not a religion that you fulfill by showing up for a Sunday Service two or three times a month. This is a religion that can cost you your life. There are great potential benefits, but the dangers are just as great. Try to find the easy way in this faith, and it sounds like you will miss out entirely. This religion Jesus describes is not something else in your life, something on the side, but something central — something that will consume your life.
Divisions among us – believe too little us believe too much.
In fact, it is radical, and it brings trouble. Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword. He came to set a man against his father and a woman against her mother, and so forth. These are not words of peace and comfort and the status quo. If we knew nothing else about Jesus, we would have to conclude that He is speaking about something revolutionary. From this perspective, it is easy to see why political leaders throughout history have found Jesus and His church to be threatening, unless it is reigned in and expressed in ways that are non-threatening.
C. Division in Ourselves.
Jesus was telling the truth. He always does. Even when it doesn't fit into our preconceptions, Jesus is always telling the truth. This, not the comfortable pews and convenient services we are used to, is what the Christian faith is and what it is about. There is nothing "pretend" about the Faith. It is a "pedal to the metal", full-tilt, all or nothing, life consuming faith. Jesus tells us that nothing can be more important in our lives. If parent or child is more important, you are not worthy of Him. If getting along with others is more important, you are not worthy of Him. If personal comfort, or well-being, or even your own life is more important to you, you are not worthy of Him.
The cost of freedom and independence causes division in ourselves - “ Jesus says, “Anyone who does not take up his cross is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever losses his life for my sake will find it.” Following Christ involves suffering. We suffer because the world accuses us of being narrow minded. We say that there is only one way of salvation. When we express our faith in Christ we are accused of being fanatics. It is cool to be anything but a devout Christian. Often we may be tempted to avoid being narrow minded. We may avoid expressing our faith. We may even avoid being labeled Christian. All too often we appear to be like people that are trying to save our own lives, not loosing them for Christ’s sake. Certainly these are the times that try our souls. We are like the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot – not willing to completely commit to the cause, not willing to give our lives in the fight. We are not worthy.
By this point, you should have recognized that this is not a "gospel" passage. This is Law and Judgment. Here Jesus says "Measure yourself against this standard." The Law is true. It is as sharp as a spear, and is able cut us to the quick of our hearts. For us as Christians, when it accuses us of sin, while it has no power to condemn us because we are under grace through the Gospel, non-the-less, the Law is true. When Jesus tells us that we cannot cling to anything more than to Him, this is absolute truth. When Jesus says that you must take up your cross, that is His judgment, not merely an opinion or an over-zealous thought.
The Christian faith is a faith that requires everything. It is not casual. It is not easy. It is not something you can successfully play at or toy with — it is not a hobby or something to do because it just seems like the right thing to do. It is not something that we do just because it is what our parents did. It must be your life, the price is the CROSS. You can expect to pay a price in pain and personal sacrifice if you are one of Jesus' people. If being Christian is easy and natural and causes no problems in your life, it isn't the Christian faith - at least not the one Jesus was speaking of.
II. Our Independence Cost Jesus His Life.
With those demands and expectations, you might well ask, “Is it worth it? Do I want to be a part of something that guarantees pain and trouble? Do I want a part of a religion that promises to set children against their parents and parents against their children? Do I want to be a part of something that claims to be more important than anything else in my life and even more important than myself? You gotta ask yourself, sometime . . . somewhere. Is it worth it?
Where is our independence? Where is our freedom? Jesus speaks to us in (vs.33) “In this world you will know trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world.” The battle for our independence took place and was won at the cross where Jesus died for all people. He reconciled all men to God on that day. Even more significant is that He died as if there was only one person that needed top be saved. That one person was you. This is beyond our understanding; Jesus came to save you. He came to give you independence from you unworthiness of not putting Him first. You have been forgiven for not bearing your cross. Truly it is Christ who has lost His life so that in Him you would have eternal life.
III. Our Independence is given in Word and Baptism.
And that is a question that only you can answer. Only you can make that judgment for yourself. Many people say no. The price is too high. They want their things, or their pleasures, or their family. They aren't about to lose their relationships with family members because of religion. The Christian faith is not religion, it is life itself…and it brings crosses…dirty nasty things that bring death and pain and suffering.
When it comes to the crosses we are tempted to think, the cross is for Jesus, not for me. But Jesus says the cross, the burden of bearing and sharing the Christian faith, that will bring conflict and trouble into our lives, is our to share with Him. Many people say that it is just not worth it to them.
In our country we have independence and freedom because we are citizens. In the case of all of us here today, we were born into this citizenship. We did not earn it. We inherited it from our forefathers. Our spiritual independence and freedom comes to us in the same way. At our baptism we inherited that which Christ has won for us. “He that receives a righteous man receives a righteous man’s reward.” There is only one that is righteous, the Son of God. By hearing the Word of God and in Baptism we receive free gift of faith in Him and we receive His reward – righteousness, fellowship with God and eternal life. Daily we are dependent on His power and the Holy Spirit. Working within us, day by day and step by step we put Christ first in our lives.
We have been given a very special gift. As Christians, baptized and Holy Spirit filled, we understand the sacrifice that has to be made, must be made. Though our earthly flesh and sinful nature way us down we know and understand the gift and grace of God that has been given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The answer is 'the forgiveness of sins.' He offers a resurrection from the grave unto everlasting life in glory with Him. He offers peace and joy. What He offers is so much better than anything we experience on this earth that we take it by faith. This faith is based on God’s promise to us.
Conclusion: National independence and freedom are wonderful gifts to celebrate with fireworks and picnics. More importantly we must remember that real independence is found only in Christ and at His cross. July 4th we will celebrate our nation's independence. Every Sunday, every Thursday and whenever we come to worship – we celebrate our independence in Christ from sin, death and the Devil to the glory of God our Father.
Amen.
The promise is, “He who finds His life in the things of this world apart from God and Jesus Christ, shall lose it. And he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it. That is what Jesus offers as a gift. Your life will be given back to you, never to be lost again. You won't lose it to sorrow or sickness or pain. You will never loose it in the trouble of this world. It will be fully yours, and without end.
That is one way of answering the question, Is the Christian faith worth it? Another way is to look at the price paid for you. Jesus went to the cross for you. This faith not only requires that you take up your cross, but that Jesus also took up the cross — a real, wooden one, for you. What He asks of you, you can fulfill by His power and Spirit working with in you. We can never be worthy of Jesu Christ in a worldly sense, but by repentance of sin, recognizing our sinfulness, and by clinging to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us, we become more worthy than we could ever know. Jesus gave so much. He took the guilt of your sins, and endured the punishment you deserve. He bore the wrath of God against sin for you, and died the death your sins required, so that you could enjoy that life without end in His presence. He died for all, the Bible says, so that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
6th Sun after Pentecost A
Maybe you don’t know that you have and will continue to experience trouble in your lives because you are His, because you are Christians. The crosses that we bear are many. They vary from time to time, from place to place, and from person to person. Has your Christian faith brought you trouble? I know it has. Even coming here today was not easy. If it were, many more people would be here. Trouble…it comes even in small ways that give us grief. We ask our sons and daughter, “Have you done your memory work, do you want to go to Sunday School and church…we are greeted by a roll of they eyes and they ask if there is going to be communion…why because the service will be longer…trouble because of our Christian faith. Have we ever asked somebody to come or go to church, have we been asked the very same question and then…the shades of “I rather not talk about that” come down. Hearts are broken and families are divided…trouble comes. When it does, even in these small ways, it is what Jesus is talking about, hoe He brings division and conflict and the cross.
"The Rough Road"
“Independence Day”
38* and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39* He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
40* "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.
41* He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
42* And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."RSV
Introduction: I am combining two verses from last week’s text with the verses from this week’s text for my sermon this week!
In this section, Jesus is speaking about the "rough road" of a Christian’s live. The road which is filled with the reality of living in a sinful and less than perfect world. Jesus is speaking about what has come to be called, " a theology of the cross"!! This theology says that through the brokenness of this world, through "crosses" lives will be redeemed and renewed. Jesus is reminding the disciples and us that live is not easy. Living on this earth is very difficult. You and I will have "crosses" to bear. Christian life will not be easy. Living as a Christian, as a believer, in this world with the power of Satan surrounding us, with the burden of our sinful nature that weighs us down, leading us to sin, with the path of the easy way, Christian life, our life with Christ brings difficulty. It is a rough and narrow road.
Jesus knew that. He knew life would be difficult for His followers especially after He ascended into heaven. Jesus speaks about this difficult live over and over again in the gospels. He understands it because this is the road that He traveled. It is on this rough road that be bids His followers to come and follow me.
In this text, in He says, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Again in : 34Jesus says, "And he called to him the multitude with his disciples and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." And in and again in , he says the same thing. This theme of a "rough road" is repeated again and again in the gospels.
Not only does this theme of cross bearing appear again and again, but the idea of division, of a sword appears all over the gospels, as in this text for today and in it says, "Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;" and again in , it says, "And brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;" and we find similar text in Luke as well as John. We hear these words echoed in the Old Testament in the book of Micah, “5 Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom. 6 For son dishonors father, Daughter rises against her mother, Daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; A man's enemies are the men of his own household. 7 Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me.”
Do you see, do you get the point!!! Jesus is saying life will not be easy as you follow me. Don’t look for a life of roses, don’t look for the easy way, but the narrow road. Jesus is saying, “Carry your cross, be ready to speak against even your father, your children, your parents and also be ready for them, your father, your children, your parents to speak up against you because of your faith, your belief in Me.
Not only did Jesus tell His disciples about the kind of life they would live for Him, but on Good Friday, He demonstrated that life by dying on a cross, by experiencing death, by facing pain, by being humiliated as He died a death of a criminal. His was not an easy life. His path followed the rough road, the narrow road, to the cross and to death.
He has counted you worth the price. That is the reason you are here, the only reason that you can even contemplate the demands. For you, the door is open. Now you can consider the cost of discipleship, and ask yourself if it is worth it. And it is. Of course, none of this is done to earn our way. Whether we do this or that, or count ourselves as living up to it doesn't make us Christian, and it certainly doesn't make us fit or deserving of salvation. All that Jesus has told us is to give us a way to look at ourselves and see if we are truly Christians, or just hypocrites, or just fooling ourselves.
And our text tells us that Christianity is Radical to the extreme. It is a full-time, full-throttle, everything else comes second to Jesus and His Word kind of thing. If you don't find this text challenging you, you aren't paying attention. This is not easy listening Christianity. It is not pretty picture Christianity. There is nothing fuzzy and warm about the picture Jesus paints of the faith. This faith, described by our Lord Himself, is radical to the extreme. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. After R. Fish
We make a terrible mistake if we think that we will not have to walk the rough road that leads to the crosses in our life. To be sure, our road is a very different from the road our Savior walked. Our crosses are very different from the cross that HE bore for the sins of all people. As different as the road and as different as the crosses, they are still remarkably similar. It is the road that the righteous person must walk.
Jesus was the righteous, obedient, sinless son of God, but at the same time He had to suffer.
Doesn’t that seem odd to you??? We do not equate suffering, brokenness, pain, with obedience, sinless-ness and righteousness? We would like to equate that stuff with sinfulness, or disobedience, or unrighteousness, or unfaithfulness, or hidden sin, or guilt, or a lack of faith, but not with faithfulness and obedience. But, my friends, that is just what happened to Jesus, He was faithful, He was obedient, He was sinless and yet He suffered. He walked that rough road.
So, I have a question. Why is it today, we hear on the TV, from so called Christian Preachers, self proclaimed born again Christians, that if you are truly a believer your life will have health, wealth and prosperity??? A theology of glory!!!
In the book The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson, he seems to say that if you pray that Jabez prayer, then your life will be easy. There is no rough road. There is no cross bearing.
Many today are making it a benchmark of a so called true believer that on the outside at least life has to look perfect. No suffering, no pain, no heartache, no struggles, no temptation, no guilt, no illness, no disability, but a life that is filled with glory. Many are saying to you and me, that if you don’t have a so called perfect life then, then something is wrong with your faith, something is wrong with you personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Don’t buy it and don’t believe it. Look to Jesus, He was perfect, righteous, obedient but yet He suffered. Suffering is the way of Christians. The cross is the way of Christians. You know, in all the Christian promotional materials I have ever seen. These ideas are never promoted. Think of a church add that says, “Come suffer with us!” That doesn’t sound very appealing does it. All though it may be true as many of you have suffered through some of my sermons. But that’s not what I am talking about. Or how about a church add that says, join us, your crucifixion is waiting!” Suyfferin for faith in God is the way of God’s people, the way of the righteous. Remember righteous in the Biblical sense means a believer, one who trusted in God, one who is faithful.
It was the way of Job, where we read,"And the Lord said to Satan, ’Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ And what happened to Job. He suffered. He lived a rough life. He walked a rough road. He was a target because He had faith in God. After Job lost all of his wealth, his family, everything but his health, Satan and God talked again listen, ’ And the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity although you moved me against him to destroy him without cause." Job walked the rough road, but was faithful to God.
The Aposstle Paul walked the rough road. He is a clear example of one who suffered even though he had a strong faith and was obedient to the will of God. It could take us hours to talk about Paul, but briefly, remember his thorn in the flesh which God did not remove, remember his numerous beatings, his lashings that almost produced death, being ship wrecked and in the water for 14 days and finally dying in prison in Rome. Paul walked the rough road, but at the same time he was faithful and obedient, he kept his trust in the Lord, he was righteous.
Jesus says very clearly, that the road you and me are asked to walk is indeed a rough road. A road which clearly states the reality of life, being a followers of Christ is not easy, it is very difficult and even sometimes more difficult than we would imagine.
As I think back over the congregations I have served I see that reality expressed in your lives, in your eyes, in your faces. I see the sick, the broken, the aging, the disabled,, the hard of hearing, those who are having a difficult time remembering, and at the same time, I see believers in Jesus Christ. I see people who have put their lives, their entire beings into His hands.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see widows who have been living with the pain of loneliness, who have been adjusting to life again as a single person. I see the sad look , the look of missing a loved one, I see a look of determination to make the best of a broken situation, and at the same time I see believers in Jesus Christ.
As I think back over the congregations I have served I see young mothers and fathers trying to raise children to the best of their abilities and wondering how they are doing, wondering if they are good enough, or wise enough, and at the same time, I see believers in Jesus Christ.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see families struggling to make a living. I see families having to cut back, deciding what is truly important in their lives. I see people who have had the heartbreak of having to sell off land or animals to pay the debts. I see people hoping and praying this year’s crop will help them, will provide the needed income. At the same time, I see believers in Christ, who know because of their brokenness that God will provide in His wondrous way. I see believers in Christ who are trying with all their effort to make a go of it and will keep on trying because of the courage Christ gives them.
As I think back over the congregations I have served, I see people who are and will continue to deal with guilt, with past sins, with wanting to change, but having a difficult time. I see people with regrets, with: I-wish-it-could -have-been-different as words that are flowing in their hearts. I see people who have made mistakes and have become wiser for it today who are saying to themselves, I-wish-I-could-have-known-then-what-I-know now. I also see people who are struggling to change, to make a fresh start, to begin again. I see people living the second chance Christ has given them through His power of forgiveness. I see people wishing they could change their lives, but not knowing how, or not finding the right combination of people and situations to begin again. At the same time I see believers in Christ, who have felt His forgiving power, who have been forgiven their guilt and given a second chance to live in and through Him.
Are we wrong?? Aren’t you believers in Christ?? You do know the rough road which Christ speaks of!!! Are you who are struggling, coping, searching, wondering, praying, trusting, turning over your problems to Christ just as much a believer in Christ?? Are you just as much as a believer as the person who says, because I see sinfulness, because I see brokenness, because I see someone who is less than perfect, I DON’T SEE A BELIEVER!!!
As I think back to all my congregations, I do see believers in Christ, believers who are maturing, growing, struggling, allowing the power of Christ to change and renew you. At the same time, I see people who are living examples of the "theology of the cross" which says life in Christ is cross bearing, life in Christ is a rough road, life in Christ is not easy.
And because we are believers, then Jesus says in the verses beginning with verse 40 that we should show hospitality to others. We bear our crosses, life is not always easy, but in spite of that, we are to show hospitality to others as Jesus shows hospitality to us.
As Jesus says in verse 42 " And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water".
Hospitality is giving respect to others, is allowing ourselves the freedom to give of ourselves even if our life has not been easy. Hospitality is giving even if we have been hurt by another.
A closing story speaks about this freedom of hospitality by an unknown author says:
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I’ll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Intro: During the American Revolution Thomas Paine wrote these words, “ These are the times that try men’s souls. The Summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.
June 29, 2008
This coming Sunday we will celebrate the 4th of July. It is a celebration of our nation's birth and it’s independence. Independence and freedom are treasured blessings in our country. Yet there is a greater independence and freedom that the Christian treasures. Jesus Christ has given us independence from the power of sin, death and the Devil.
“Radical to the Extreme”
National freedom came with a cost. Lives were sacrificed and are still being sacrificed to maintain our nation's independence. Peace comes with a high price. The peace we have with God came with a high price. God’s Son had to die. In Him we have independence. In Him we have dependence for forgiveness, salvation and everything we need.
I. The Cost of freedom is Division.
"Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
A. Between Believers and Unbelievers.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, last week we talked about the trouble that will come into our lives because we are Christians. We remember that God’s knows our trouble and that He has made us a very special promise, that we need not fear. Even as the Lord knows when a sparrow falls to the ground and we are more important than the sparrows.
Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Jesus came to bring division. This may sound like a contradiction to us. After all we may recall the words of the angels at Christ’s birth, “Glory be to God and on earth peace to men.” Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. It is true that He came to bring peace. In Him there is peace between people and God. Still there are people that reject His peace. The inevitable result is conflict. There is conflict between light and dark, between the children of God and the children of the Devil.
Today’s text is the continuation of Jesus sermon on discipleship. He continues to paint a very vivid picture of Christian life and faith.
Picturing the Christian faith. That’s something a lot of people like to do. They do it in many and varied ways. There are pictures we like better than others. If you want to picture the peace of believing, well, that is a comforting picture, we like that. If someone talks to us about our security in Christ, that’s easy to listen to, we like that. If you want to hear about the joy of believing, oh my! This is a wonderful and comforting thing! These are all great pictures. But they are not complete pictures. Today’s text completes the picture for us. It is a picture that is much harder to swallow, if you could swallow a picture. In it Jesus pictures for us the cost of discipleship, the difference between believing and not believing — it is a radical picture, radical to the extreme.
B. In Families.
It is radical religion. Lately we have been hearing a lot about a radical false religion. We have been hearing about radical Islam. Frankly, I don’t like it when the press and our government agencies talk about Islam in this way. It doesn’t do them justice. Those people that are practicing Islam in a radical way are being true to their religion. What the world wants, what we want, is for them to tone it down a bit. We want them to practice their religion a little less fervently. We want them to be a bit more secularized, that is to fit into the world culture. Yeah that’s what we want. I can go along with that. But guess what? That is exactly what the world wants of us Christians. This is because if we practice our faith, it will bring confict and trouble…here comes trouble. You see, what Jesus talks about in our text for today is radical, radical to the extreme. The world, yes even our own government would rather have us keep it toned down. Jesus doesn’t tone it down.
Jesus warns us that because of Him there will be division in our families. The bonds between family members are incredibly strong. Our family relationships are the most important ones to us. Because of their importance, issues of faith divide us and sometimes become stumbling blocks for us. We are torn apart when family members reject Jesus and the free gift of salvation that He offers. We pray that they will come to faith – this is good. Until they do so we are separated from them spiritually, at the deepest level. We may be tempted to rationalize their unbelief. We may be tempted to think that it’s OK if the don’t believe or choose another religious path as long as it feels right for them. We may think that as long as they are good people they will be all right. We may not speak our faith for fear that we might offend them. Aren’t these attempts to bridge the division. Jesus words ring in our ears, “Anyone that loves his father or mother, brother or sister more than me is not worthy of me” So often we fail to put Jesus first in our lives. We are not worthy of Him.
Jesus starts our text with familiar words about confessing Him before men. The demand seems reasonable to us -- even if the tone seems just a little tough. But it gets tougher and far more exacting with each sentence. Finally, we have to admit that Jesus paints the picture in black and white. There is not a lot of wiggle room and compromise. Jesus is radical to the extreme.
Divisions among us – believe too little us believe too much.
C. Division in Ourselves.
Jesus is demanding. This is a no-holds barred look at the Christian faith, not the warm-and-fuzzy sort of Christianity we have grown used to in our society — perhaps even here in our church. Jesus talks about war. He talks about setting Christians up against the world, against people even in our own households. He talks about crosses and how if we love someone more that Him we are "not worthy" of Him. This doesn't sound like that Christianity we hear about so often, where it seems harder to miss out on going to heaven than it is to get there.
The cost of freedom and independence causes division in ourselves - “ Jesus says, “Anyone who does not take up his cross is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever losses his life for my sake will find it.” Following Christ involves suffering. We suffer because the world accuses us of being narrow minded. We say that there is only one way of salvation. When we express our faith in Christ we are accused of being fanatics. It is cool to be anything but a devout Christian. Often we may be tempted to avoid being narrow minded. We may avoid expressing our faith. We may even avoid being labeled Christian. All too often we appear to be like people that are trying to save our own lives, not loosing them for Christ’s sake. Certainly these are the times that try our souls. We are like the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot – not willing to completely commit to the cause, not willing to give our lives in the fight. We are not worthy.
When Jesus talks about the faith, He describes it as something that is totally absorbing. This is not a religion that you fulfill by showing up for a Sunday Service two or three times a month. This is a religion that can cost you your life. There are great potential benefits, but the dangers are just as great. Try to find the easy way in this faith, and it sounds like you will miss out entirely. This religion Jesus describes is not something else in your life, something on the side, but something central — something that will consume your life.
In fact, it is radical, and it brings trouble. Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword. He came to set a man against his father and a woman against her mother, and so forth. These are not words of peace and comfort and the status quo. If we knew nothing else about Jesus, we would have to conclude that He is speaking about something revolutionary. From this perspective, it is easy to see why political leaders throughout history have found Jesus and His church to be threatening, unless it is reigned in and expressed in ways that are non-threatening.
II. Our Independence Cost Jesus His Life.
Where is our independence? Where is our freedom? Jesus speaks to us in (vs.33) “In this world you will know trouble. But take heart. I have overcome the world.” The battle for our independence took place and was won at the cross where Jesus died for all people. He reconciled all men to God on that day. Even more significant is that He died as if there was only one person that needed top be saved. That one person was you. This is beyond our understanding; Jesus came to save you. He came to give you independence from you unworthiness of not putting Him first. You have been forgiven for not bearing your cross. Truly it is Christ who has lost His life so that in Him you would have eternal life.
Jesus was telling the truth. He always does. Even when it doesn't fit into our preconceptions, Jesus is always telling the truth. This, not the comfortable pews and convenient services we are used to, is what the Christian faith is and what it is about. There is nothing "pretend" about the Faith. It is a "pedal to the metal", full-tilt, all or nothing, life consuming faith. Jesus tells us that nothing can be more important in our lives. If parent or child is more important, you are not worthy of Him. If getting along with others is more important, you are not worthy of Him. If personal comfort, or well-being, or even your own life is more important to you, you are not worthy of Him.
By this point, you should have recognized that this is not a "gospel" passage. This is Law and Judgment. Here Jesus says "Measure yourself against this standard." The Law is true. It is as sharp as a spear, and is able cut us to the quick of our hearts. For us as Christians, when it accuses us of sin, while it has no power to condemn us because we are under grace through the Gospel, non-the-less, the Law is true. When Jesus tells us that we cannot cling to anything more than to Him, this is absolute truth. When Jesus says that you must take up your cross, that is His judgment, not merely an opinion or an over-zealous thought.
III. Our Independence is given in Word and Baptism.
In our country we have independence and freedom because we are citizens. In the case of all of us here today, we were born into this citizenship. We did not earn it. We inherited it from our forefathers. Our spiritual independence and freedom comes to us in the same way. At our baptism we inherited that which Christ has won for us. “He that receives a righteous man receives a righteous man’s reward.” There is only one that is righteous, the Son of God. By hearing the Word of God and in Baptism we receive free gift of faith in Him and we receive His reward – righteousness, fellowship with God and eternal life. Daily we are dependent on His power and the Holy Spirit. Working within us, day by day and step by step we put Christ first in our lives.
The Christian faith is a faith that requires everything. It is not casual. It is not easy. It is not something you can successfully play at or toy with — it is not a hobby or something to do because it just seems like the right thing to do. It is not something that we do just because it is what our parents did. It must be your life, the price is the CROSS. You can expect to pay a price in pain and personal sacrifice if you are one of Jesus' people. If being Christian is easy and natural and causes no problems in your life, it isn't the Christian faith - at least not the one Jesus was speaking of.
Conclusion: National independence and freedom are wonderful gifts to celebrate with fireworks and picnics. More importantly we must remember that real independence is found only in Christ and at His cross. July 4th we will celebrate our nation's independence. Every Sunday, every Thursday and whenever we come to worship – we celebrate our independence in Christ from sin, death and the Devil to the glory of God our Father.
With those demands and expectations, you might well ask, “Is it worth it? Do I want to be a part of something that guarantees pain and trouble? Do I want a part of a religion that promises to set children against their parents and parents against their children? Do I want to be a part of something that claims to be more important than anything else in my life and even more important than myself? You gotta ask yourself, sometime . . . somewhere. Is it worth it?
And that is a question that only you can answer. Only you can make that judgment for yourself. Many people say no. The price is too high. They want their things, or their pleasures, or their family. They aren't about to lose their relationships with family members because of religion. The Christian faith is not religion, it is life itself…and it brings crosses…dirty nasty things that bring death and pain and suffering.
Amen.
When it comes to the crosses we are tempted to think, the cross is for Jesus, not for me. But Jesus says the cross, the burden of bearing and sharing the Christian faith, that will bring conflict and trouble into our lives, is our to share with Him. Many people say that it is just not worth it to them.
We have been given a very special gift. As Christians, baptized and Holy Spirit filled, we understand the sacrifice that has to be made, must be made. Though our earthly flesh and sinful nature way us down we know and understand the gift and grace of God that has been given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The answer is 'the forgiveness of sins.' He offers a resurrection from the grave unto everlasting life in glory with Him. He offers peace and joy. What He offers is so much better than anything we experience on this earth that we take it by faith. This faith is based on God’s promise to us.
The promise is, “He who finds His life in the things of this world apart from God and Jesus Christ, shall lose it. And he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it. That is what Jesus offers as a gift. Your life will be given back to you, never to be lost again. You won't lose it to sorrow or sickness or pain. You will never loose it in the trouble of this world. It will be fully yours, and without end.
That is one way of answering the question, Is the Christian faith worth it? Another way is to look at the price paid for you. Jesus went to the cross for you. This faith not only requires that you take up your cross, but that Jesus also took up the cross — a real, wooden one, for you. What He asks of you, you can fulfill by His power and Spirit working with in you. We can never be worthy of Jesu Christ in a worldly sense, but by repentance of sin, recognizing our sinfulness, and by clinging to Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for us, we become more worthy than we could ever know. Jesus gave so much. He took the guilt of your sins, and endured the punishment you deserve. He bore the wrath of God against sin for you, and died the death your sins required, so that you could enjoy that life without end in His presence. He died for all, the Bible says, so that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Maybe you don’t know that you have and will continue to experience trouble in your lives because you are His, because you are Christians. The crosses that we bear are many. They vary from time to time, from place to place, and from person to person. Has your Christian faith brought you trouble? I know it has. Even coming here today was not easy. If it were, many more people would be here. Trouble…it comes even in small ways that give us grief. We ask our sons and daughter, “Have you done your memory work, do you want to go to Sunday School and church…we are greeted by a roll of they eyes and they ask if there is going to be communion…why because the service will be longer…trouble because of our Christian faith. Have we ever asked somebody to come or go to church, have we been asked the very same question and then…the shades of “I rather not talk about that” come down. Hearts are broken and families are divided…trouble comes. When it does, even in these small ways, it is what Jesus is talking about, hoe He brings division and conflict and the cross.
He has counted you worth the price. That is the reason you are here, the only reason that you can even contemplate the demands. For you, the door is open. Now you can consider the cost of discipleship, and ask yourself if it is worth it. And it is. Of course, none of this is done to earn our way. Whether we do this or that, or count ourselves as living up to it doesn't make us Christian, and it certainly doesn't make us fit or deserving of salvation. All that Jesus has told us is to give us a way to look at ourselves and see if we are truly Christians, or just hypocrites, or just fooling ourselves.
And our text tells us that Christianity is Radical to the extreme. It is a full-time, full-throttle, everything else comes second to Jesus and His Word kind of thing. If you don't find this text challenging you, you aren't paying attention. This is not easy listening Christianity. It is not pretty picture Christianity. There is nothing fuzzy and warm about the picture Jesus paints of the faith. This faith, described by our Lord Himself, is radical to the extreme. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. After R. Fish