Ephesians 2 - Working with God

Worship & Installation of Church Officers 11am, January 17, 2021 Online at Zoom & https://www.facebook.com/centrechurchpa/ 83 New Park Road, New Park, PA 17352 Office (717) 993-2345 Pastor Don Hackett (717) 203-1018 https://centrechurchpa.org 1 2nd Sunday After Epiphany (Don) Announcements Prelude (Don) Lighting of the Epiphany Candle Hymn # 108 Angels from the Realms of Glory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSK8hek8pvk Call to Worship (from Ephesians 2:1-5 The Message) It wasn’t so long ago that we were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. We let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell us how to live. We filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Thanks be to God! Prayer of Confession & the Lord’s Prayer https://www.mdpc.org/resources/prayers-of-confession/ Heavenly Father, Although we surrender our lives to you individually, we are called to live and serve in community as one body. Nevertheless, we do not see each other equally or accurately. We tend to think that some are more gifted, more attractive, even more godly than others. Rather than claim Christ's righteousness for all who believe, we judge one another, even ourselves, on this world’s shifting standards. Forgive us, Lord. Redeem us from our wrong thinking. Open our eyes to the truth of your perfect plan for your church body to work graciously as one. We pray this humbly in Christ's name, who taught us to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. 2 Hymn # 104 I Wonder as I Wander (Marg) Sharing of Prayer Requests Prayers of the People Gracious God, we humbly offer prayers of support to the many suffering and hurting in our world. For the lonely and heartbroken, we pray for your comfort and your peace. For the sick and the tired, we pray for your grace and your strength. For the persecuted and defenseless, we pray for your stamina and your justice. For the confused and the disoriented, we pray for your wisdom and guidance. Mysterious Creator, we’re standing on the beginning of a new year and we know it will be emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually demanding. There are moments, dear Lord, when many of us feel as if we’re left with nothing. No more patience, no more energy, no more fight, no more hope and even sometimes no more love. God we need you to sustain us, to revive us, to hold us, to reorient us, to call us to your marvelous service in love of neighbor and in bringing about your kingdom which knows no sickness, no suffering, no delusion, no injustice, no end. Teach us to listen, Holy Spirit, for your voice — in busyness and in boredom, in certainty and doubt, in noise and in silence. In Christ we pray. Amen. (Don) The Offering (online donations at https://centrechurchpa.org/) Offertory Scripture - Ephesians 2:61-10 (New International Version) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 3 (Don) Sermon “Working with God” Rev. Dr. Don Hackett Work Don’t be late for work! Have you ever heard that said? Maybe by a parent or spouse? Why is being on time for work important? Most likely, there are people counting on you. • Can you imagine if a school bus driver decided one morning to come in late? There would be children stuck waiting the bus stop and missing school. Parents would be thrown off schedule and upset. Administrators would be getting calls, and that driver might lose his or her job. • Can you imagine if all the retail workers, medical personnel, farmers, public safely people, emergency responders, and businesspeople all decided to show up when it suited them? • Factories, transportation, government, and all sectors of our lives would be a mess if we did not work together and do our work well. Thank God & you! Thank God for work! Thank God for work done well and in a timely fashion. Thank God that we all can work together. Together we can help make good, important, necessary, and even beautiful things happen. Let me tell you a secret, God loves work. You and I were made for good work. If no one has told you lately, “Thank you for your good work!”, let me be the one. Thank you! • Yes, thank you farmers, educators, businesspeople, office personnel, retail workers, healthcare providers, truck, bus and van drivers. • Thank you, friends, in the arts, entertainment, and service industries, as well as factory workers, day laborers, and the food industry. • If I have missed your work, thank you for what you do to help others. • Even in the retirement years, there is much good work that is done each day. Some do it for pay, much is volunteered. • Thank you, grandparents, and caring friends, for the wonderful work you do to help family and community. Good work! Purpose of work Have you picked up on the theme for today? Yes, work. God works. We work. Work is meant to be for the good of all. Work is meant to rich and creative. Work was designed to fulfilling and deeply satisfying. Many of you know that good feeling that comes from a day of good, hard work. I read that: “More than 85 percent of workers in North America and Europe say they’re satisfied with their jobs. Employee engagement programs, fair pay, and respect are crucial factors contributing to positive job satisfaction statistics.” (from https://blog.neighborlybrands.com/how-many-people-actually-love-their-job) 4 Reality of work now That is a higher percentage that I would have guessed. I kept digging and found a world-wide Gallup poll that reported: According to just-released data by Gallup, only 13 percent of employees are "engaged" in their jobs, or emotionally invested in their work and focused on helping their organizations improve. The data, which are based on nationally representative polling samples in 2011 and 2012 from more than 140 countries, show that 63 percent are "not engaged"—or simply unmotivated and unlikely to exert extra effort—while the remaining 24 percent are "actively disengaged," or truly unhappy and unproductive. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2013/10/10/only-13-percent-of-people-worldwide-actually-like-going-towork/ Think about all the people who are working to just to survive. 1. “In 2019, about 33.98 million people were living below the poverty line in the United States.” https://www.statista.com/statistics/233138/number-of-people-living-below-the-poverty-inthe-us/ 2. Worldwide 43.6 percent on less than $5.50 a day in 2017. 3. In 2018, four out of five people below the international poverty line lived in rural areas. 4. Half of the poor are children. Women represent a majority of the poor in most regions and among some age groups. About 70 percent of the global poor aged 15 and over have no schooling or only some basic education. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/overview Our response While many of us have a good living, many more do not. So what do we do about that? We give thanks and give generously to help others. We thank God for every day we can get up and do good, meaningful work. Always start with gratitude. Most jobs are hard and can be very routine. Some are tedious and boring. While most people cannot change their jobs, we all have control of our attitudes on the job. Through the years I have worked in fast food, factories, construction, retail, business, and the non-profit. I got a good taste of them all. What made the difference for me in each of those situations was to be thankful. I needed the income! Beyond providing for my needs, I found God used each of those situations to shape my character. From mopping floors to dealing with difficult people, those experiences deepened me as I allowed God to work in me. I discovered that God and I were much better together, than Don off working on his own. The truth I needed to see was that God was and is always at work. 5 God’s first work God is working all the time on our behalf. We know from the book of Genesis that God created everything. Look around, God had done good work! Nature reminds us daily of the wonderful work God has done. Even on these cold days, go outside and allow the beauty of the outdoors to speak to your soul. It you work outdoors, please pause occasionally and soak in the grandeur of the fields, sky, and creation. We can get so busy we miss the masterpieces that God has surrounded us with in nature. Some people think that after creating the universe and people, God kicked back and has been on vacation ever since. Not so. God has continued to stay connected and engaged in the affairs of humans. God has us in mind all the time. God is working out his global plan to restore us in Christ to God’s kingdom. Our passage today reminds us the mess we were in. We all have gone our own way and done our own thing. Sometimes we acted out of ignorance. Other time we knew what we were doing was not right, or kind, or helpful. We just did it anyway. We all have sinned and rebelled against God, ourselves, and our community. As Ephesians 2 stated: It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. God’s continuing work God’s ways are not like yours or mine. God works to make all things new. Listen again this passage in Ephesians 2: Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, God embraced us. God took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. God did all this on his own, with no help from us! Instead of casting us aside and starting over, God chose to keep working on us, in us. What is so marvelous in this text is that God is just getting started. Look at what God has done and is doing: 1. God raised us up with Christ and seated us with God in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Talk about a sky-high view. There is a part of me and you with God in Heaven right now. This sentence is in the past tense. This is action God has already taken. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we are sealed for heaven. A deposit has been made. Our names our written in the book of life (Revelation 3:5). Our citizenship is now with Heaven. Our passports read, “Child of God, citizen of God’s Kingdom.” Our hearts yearn for Heaven and a part of our hearts are there now. We are the beloved of God, here on Earth to do God’s good work. 6 2. In the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. God’s work to bless our socks off. God saves us from the mess we are in. God forgives and cleanses us of all guilt and evil we have done. God moves in to heal and restore us as children of God. Just when we think it cannot get any better, God says, “Look what else I have for you!” I have given you my Son, my Spirit, my Word and promises so you will be equipped to love the world in my Name. 3. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. You and I are God’s work of art, God’s masterpieces. God is so proud of us and now send us out to do good work. We listen and respond to the voice of God. God leads us into the work that is ours to do. Each day is an adventure with Christ. Today we are ordaining and installing our church officers. They are the women and men who lead our church into the good work waiting for us. • For our Deacons, there is much need in and beyond our church. Our Deacons and others guide us in who and how to help. If you want to know what good work you can be a part of, ask our deacons. They have their fingers on the pulse in this community and beyond. Pray for our deacons. • For our Trustees, this mission station called the church requires constant upkeep and attention. If we are going to have the facilities and tools to serve others, they need on top it all. Over the last three years our trustees have tackled major renovation and repair projects. There are more to come if we are going to stay vital in our mission. Pray for our trustees. • For our Elders, this church is in a time of great change. They oversee keeping us focused on Christ. They guide the good work of making and sending disciples of Christ into the world. In this season of leadership transition please pray for our elders. These leaders do not do all the work. They facilitate our work in Christ. Our job is to listen to God, our leaders, and then take steps together to serve. We also take steps as individuals. As we move out in faith and love, people will see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. May it be so, friends, for each of us this week in Christ! Let us pray: God, we know that it is by grace we have been saved, through faith—and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. We boast in You, God! You are so rich in love for all. Thank you, in Christ. Amen. 7 Confession of Faith (The Apostles’ Creed, AD390) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. (Don) Installation of Church Officers Elder: Reed Anderson and Debra Lannon Deacon: Jo Ann Clement and Patricia McElwain Trustee: Mike Linkous and Robert McElwain (Don) Prayer of Installation: Give these leaders a spirit of truthfulness that they may show the compassion of Christ in the actions of daily living and rightly govern your people. Give them the gifts of your Holy Spirit to build up the church, to strengthen the common life of your people, and to lead with compassion and vision. In the walk of faith and for the work of ministry, give to your servants gladness and strength, discipline and hope, humility, humor, and courage, and an abiding sense of your presence. In Christ, Amen. Hymn #113 Silent Night by Hillsong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNpiQwgStNA Benediction Let the majesty of the Father be the light by which we walk, the compassion of the Son be the love by which we live, the presence of the Spirit be the power by which we serve. Amen. 8