Whose I Am Determines Who I Am

Worldly Identity

Good Morning.

Thank you for inviting me here today. I’m rarely in the pulpit these days so you may have to bear with me a bit as I get my sea legs again, or sea voice as it may be. With all of the events that have been taking place in our world, our country, our state, our schools, and in our various levels of government, not only this week, this month and since our elections, I am led to try to find some deeper perspective. I’m trying to find some deeper understanding, something we can hold onto as individuals, particularly as Christians, followers of Christ as our Lord , and as our Savior, our only real source of hope in the midst of all that we’re seeing and experiencing.

After Alynda asked me on Wednesday if I’d be willing to speak today, and after all of the events of that day, I had to turn off the television and give everything a while to process. I began have my usual nightly bouts experiencing hot flashes a little early, like around midnight instead of between 3 and 5 am. So as I laid awake, until around 5 or 6, I had plenty of time to work out a message that would address all my thoughts from my perspective, on what all these events mean for us as Christians. I tell you my time-line and that I was trying to fall asleep through all of this to give you perspective on what you’ll hear today. I think you might understand that if I was putting mental notes together for at least 4 or 5 hours, I might put you all to sleep today if everything I thought about then were to be shared today.

So, in the interest of your well being, I fall back on my tried and true methods of keeping my Message somewhat manageable time wise and having a little bit more of a narrow perspective I sat down and typed this all out on Saturday to keep me more focused. I wanted to find some source of hope that all of us can find something to hang onto regardless of what happens in the world around us. I am looking for hope because frankly, world events give me cause to worry, not so much for myself, but more for the 3 generations of descendants of mine sitting here today in this congregation. Worry for your futures was keeping me awake as much as, and probably more than, my hot flashes.

Most people, and most news sources, are focusing on the events of this most recent election, how it was conducted, how it turned out, what it means from whatever perspective a particular source is viewing the world through. I am focused much more broadly than that in that I see that there has always been division in our world since the time of Cain and Abel. There has been sin in our world since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden. We hear talk about the peace and prosperity we experienced as a country after WWII, even though there’s been Korea, Vietnam, the Faulkland Islands, Granada, Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, all of the fighting in the Middle East and Africa, and the list continues to build. It hasn’t been one political party or another that is more to blame for what has happened and is happening in our world. It is the fallen nature of humankind. I worry most because so many people are focusing on the present and on finding a way to blame someone, other than people that share their perspective, their view of the world. What scares me most about that at this point in my own life, from my own experience, is that those in our government today, have no personal experience from a worldwide perspective. There are very few veterans who have have found themselves immersed in multicultural settings where all those they knew and, not only worked and lived with on a daily basis, but trusted their lives with, in our governing bodies today.

I could continue laying the groundwork for where all of this comes from as I look at our world but it would take quite a series to explain it all just as it would for my hope from the God’s Word for survival. So pray with me as we begin to look at how God’s Word provides hope in the midst of whatever we may experience as individuals, as Christians as the body of Christ, His Church in our World Today.

(Prayer)

We entered the Season of Epiphany on Wednesday. It provides a good starting point for looking at where we find ourselves as Christians today. Epiphany is our time of observing the visitation of the child, Jesus, by Magi from the East. As I listened to the Message in another church last week I was reminded of how we usually misrepresent this in the church. We have our children’s Christmas plays and we have shepherds, the Magi, and animals present around the manager with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. We’re compressing many scenes together to make a presentation that tells as much of the story in one sitting as we can.

Today we see here in Matthew the account of the visit of the Magi.

Matthew 2:1–12

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.[1]

[1] Revised Common Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.

Did you pay attention to verse 11? On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

“On coming to the house, They saw the Child.”

It is plainly saying that the Magi, and we are not told a number although in our Christmas plays we usually have 3 wisemen present along with donkeys and maybe a cow or 2 along with the sheep. These were after all shepherds that were first called by the heavenly host to witness the newborn Baby Jesus. I am only drawing our attention to the birth narrative to illustrate how some of our traditions can maybe be misleading to folks who have never read the Bible and have only our pageants and live nativity scenes from which to base their understanding and prayerfully beliefs on.

I’ve been a Pastor and Preacher for 20 years now and I grew up in the Churc, being in Christmas plays, not only in church but also in school back in the day when such a thing was done. We sang real Christmas Carols not Christmas “songs.” We also had Santa bringing candy and maybe gifts? Santa in grade school happened to be my Father which I was as blissfully unaware of at the time as I was of the disparity of the Biblical accounts being combined. I tell you all of this raise the question of “who are we presenting our plays and programs to today when we are able to have them? Are we really praying that people who don’t know Jesus will be in attendance, and if so might they be questioning the reliability of our account when they maybe read Scripture for the first time and see this discrepancy?

I am not saying we should shift away from doing children’s programs. I am saying, in today’s world, with so many different backgrounds we might be wise to consider the context of our presentation. We usually are at least somewhat mindful of and aware of the people who are present for these presentations and can be comfortable they are familiar with our traditions. But in today’s world, do any of you record your precious children, your elaborate live nativity pageants and post them on social media? Share them with friends and coworkers who may not know Christ? Again, I’m just saying we need to be thinking about things a little more deeply as we do them.

As this week has shown, there is a lot of power in how people react to media and social media posts, and more importantly to comments made about those posts. I go back to my own era when Vietnam protestors were the first to see live images of war and its deadly results. The mass demonstrations, the burning of draft cards, the burning of the flags, the burning in effigy of the President, the Commanding Officers or whoever someone disagreed with the actions of became much more widespread than any lynch mobs, or even CC Clan lynching ever was.

My purpose in exploring this is to try and explore how we, as citizens of this world, with the promise of being citizens of heaven to strengthen us, should engage our world as Christians. We need to remember we are inside these walls of this building, for maybe an hour or two a week and the rest of the time we have at least some sense of being a part of the broken world around us. Yes, we need these times of support and prayerfully comfort, now more than ever even when our society is telling us not to gather. We’re a small enough church here we’re not going to exceed any arbitrary capacity limits. I pray we want to have an impact beyond these walls though. We also need to look at how we display our heavenly citizenship when we pass through the doors of this building as the Church of Jesus Christ. How do our social media posts portray us to the wider world, should be a question we ask ourselves when we want to make comments or posts. Those who see my posts may notice one thing, there aren’t many of them. If you were to look at my feed you would see a wide spectrum of folks. Some have some very different beliefs and customs than I hold and practice. Some of the posts and comments on my feed get censored by Facebook somewhat regularly and would help those who think I might be offended when their language is a little foul. Most of those posts come from people who’ve pledged to to lay down their lives for mine as I have for them. We have trusted each other to that degree for over 50 years. My training as a Chaplain has helped me learn to appreciate the effect of listening to all folk, especially those who hold differing beliefs and practices. Then, maybe, they will know we really do care about them as people, even if we disagree with them in some areas.

How do we this? First, sorry for anyone who thought I was coming to the end of my message there. Maybe the halfway point. No promises. Since this is also Baptism of the Lord Sunday in the church calendar. This where I show I’m Baptist in training, not necessarily in practice because I’m also Covenant and Free Lutheran in training. With some Catholic from our time as a Catholic family when all 4 of our children were baptized in the Catholic Church. So, yes, I have fondness for the familiarity and structure following the church calendar brings. It also helps provide some sort of structure that I have rejected at least in part since my 8 years of military experience.

Baptism of Jesus Sunday observance, or at least recognition of, also provides a real sense of support for us as Christians. Listen to Mark’s account of this.

Gospel

Mark 1:4–11

4And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

[1]

This passage provides encouragement to me for several reasons. One of those reasons is John himself. Look at who John was and where he was. We know John was born of Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah a priest in the priestly division of Abijah. as we read in Luke’s Gospel account. We also read there in Luke how John Leapt in the womb of Elizabeth when Mary visited while carrying Jesus. Another point worth remembering from that account that isn’t emphasized often is verse 41. Let me read Luke 1:39-45.

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,40 where she entered Zechariah’s homeand greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 but why am I sop favored, the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.45 Blessed is she who has believed what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

“Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” She was already carrying John the Baptist with John leaping in her womb at the sound of Mary’s voice, Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit to make the proclamation, which is often also a part of Christmas plays, and is definitely part of Catholic Ritual, “Blessed are you among women, and Blessed is the child you will bear.”

That’s really most of what we hear about John until we get to mark’s Gospel which God inspired Mark to begin with the account of John and Jesus meeting again, this time in the wilderness.

This is where a lot of preachers I’ve know have preached this passage in coats representing camel’s hair and have emphasized the wilderness aspect of John’s ministry. I was tempted to take the opposite approach as I planned my Message out in those Wednesday night early Thursday hours, with an exception. I’ve never worn a robe and stole when I preached. I’ve only worn them at a couple of my Master’s Degree Graduations and my ordination. Being one who likes tradition, mostly so I can go against tradition when I get the urge, I thought it would be clever to Wear the suit and tie with a Robe and Stole instead of a camel hair garment to illustrate “who do people say you are.” As you can see, I didn’t do that. You’re welcome.

John was dressed fittingly for the role God called John to. Prayerfully I am dressed for the role God calls me to as you to dress as God leads you. Clothing do not identify a person, they only help to display their setting and customs.

John, in his setting where he obeyed God’s calling to, was appropriately clad. John demonstrates to me that as we find ourselves following God, and His calling in our lives, God will provide what we need to reach people in the setting God allows us to be a part of.

Our role may seem insignificant and lonely at the time but we can’t see what our actions and their effects on others will be provided by God. We can’t fathom how suffering and trial can provide inspiration for others who may observe us.

As an example look at this passage from Acts:

Acts 19:1–7

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.

Not only did John baptize Jesus, John was already out in the wilderness baptizing others as God led john to do. From here in Acts we see that Paul was able to continue the discipleship of those John had baptized. We’re not told whether these people had been baptized before John baptized Jesus or after. We see that it doesn’t matter. Paul was able to minister to them and become baptized by the Holy Spirit.

This brings me back to us, God’s people in our world today. We read later in Mark, 6:14-29, that John was beheaded because a ruler was enamored by a lovely young lady and made unfortunate bargains without thinking through how they could turn out.

14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.[1]

I can think of the actions of several people that would put them in a position like King Herod that would only be exacerbated by their positions of power and feelings of self-aggrandizement. In our world with the power of mob mentality, especially when they have the relative anonymity of being on social media, not meeting face to face while having the encouragement of like minded folk, events like Wednesday’s, and many of the last decade or two,

are more likely to occur.

Also like many of the people involved in Wednesday’s incident in particular are finding out, like King Herod after the fact, there can be dire consequences and unintended consequences. We can avoid those types of consequences when we choose who we identify as fathom how suffering and trial can provide inspiration for others who may observe us.

As an example look at this passage from Acts:

Acts 19:1–7

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.

Not only did John baptize Jesus, John was already out in the wilderness baptizing others as God led john to do. From here in Acts we see that Paul was able to continue the discipleship of those John had baptized. We’re not told whether these people had been baptized before John baptized Jesus or after. We see that it doesn’t matter. Paul was able to minister to them and become baptized by the Holy Spirit.

This brings me back to us, God’s people in our world today. We read later in Mark, 6:14-29, that John was beheaded because a ruler was enamored by a lovely young lady and made unfortunate bargains without thinking through how they could turn out.

14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.[1]

I can think of the actions of several people that would put them in a position like King Herod that would only be exacerbated by their positions of power and feelings of self-aggrandizement. In our world with the power of mob mentality, especially when they have the relative anonymity of being on social media, not meeting face to face while having the encouragement of like minded folk, events like Wednesday’s, and many of the last decade or two,

are more likely to occur.

Also like many of the people involved in Wednesday’s incident in particular are finding out, like King Herod after the fact, there can be dire consequences and unintended consequences. We can avoid those types of consequences when we choose who we identify as

[1] The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. (2005). (Mk 6:14–29). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.fathom how suffering and trial can provide inspiration for others who may observe us.

As an example look at this passage from Acts:

Acts 19:1–7

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.

Not only did John baptize Jesus, John was already out in the wilderness baptizing others as God led john to do. From here in Acts we see that Paul was able to continue the discipleship of those John had baptized. We’re not told whether these people had been baptized before John baptized Jesus or after. We see that it doesn’t matter. Paul was able to minister to them and become baptized by the Holy Spirit.

This brings me back to us, God’s people in our world today. We read later in Mark, 6:14-29, that John was beheaded because a ruler was enamored by a lovely young lady and made unfortunate bargains without thinking through how they could turn out.

14King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15Others said, “He is Elijah.”

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”

16But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

21Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.[1]

I can think of the actions of several people that would put them in a position like King Herod that would only be exacerbated by their positions of power and feelings of self-aggrandizement. In our world with the power of mob mentality, especially when they have the relative anonymity of being on social media, not meeting face to face while having the encouragement of like minded folk, events like Wednesday’s, and many of the last decade or two,

are more likely to occur.

Also like many of the people involved in Wednesday’s incident in particular are finding out, like King Herod after the fact, there can be dire consequences and unintended consequences. We can avoid those types of consequences when we choose who we identify as to whose we are. As I’ve titled this Message today. “Whose I am Determines WHO I Am.”

If we chose to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior, if we choose to be His children, then Who We ARE will be determined for us. I am not saying that because we are children of God, even highly favored children of God like David and Moses blew it on occasion. We will blow it more often than we think or intend. We can continually seek to become more filled with His Holy Spirit so that we can call out in praise like Elizabeth and prayerfully hear This is my child with whom I am well pleased” when we hear the final trumpet call at Christ’s return. At the very least we can know the comfort of the fact we will receive forgiveness of our sins through Jesus Blood when we stand in Final judgement.

Pray with me please.

[1] The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. (2005). (Mk 6:14–29). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[1] The Holy Bible: Today’s New International Version. (2005). (Mk 6:14–29). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

[1] Revised Common Lectionary. (2009). Bellingham, WA: Faithlife.