07.03.2022 - Pride before the Fall

Scripture: Luke 10:16-20

Luke 10:16–20 NRSV

“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

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Surprise Success

Sometimes we get it right.

Sometimes, in the face of opposition from within and without, despite our shortcomings and downfalls, we manage to find real victory in our lives. When that happens, let me tell you, it is time to celebrate.

All the best leadership advice tells us that we will repeat and reproduce whatever it is we celebrate. Fifty years ago we celebrated church choirs went on the road, rented busses, and performed all across the country. Thirty years ago, it became bands, often playing the same instruments they used with their church choirs, that were doing the traveling around. Churches celebrated these services with big dinners and teams of people going out into the community to invite others to join them. Twenty years ago churches celebrated the birth of small groups that met in homes, and sometimes they started clusters of small groups that were all studying the same material, just meeting in different places. There have always been mission events and ministries that we celebrate meeting the needs of those in our community and around the world.

Our natural response to our success is to repeat it bigger, better, and faster the next time. The more success we experience, the more we want to share it with others. There is something that is entirely God-inspired about this. We are created and designed to share the things that excite, inspire, and bless us. Most of the impulses we have to hide away the blessings in our life (and I say this as an introvert myself) are not from God. They come from other influences like fear, shame, and other outside pressures. We are wired to share the good in our lives.

The trouble is not the act of celebration. The trouble is what and how we choose to celebrate. When we focus on ourselves, our pride prevents us from recognizing God’s hand in our work. When we miss out on God, we miss out on everything.

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Supernatural Power

The disciples may have invented the phrase “beginner's luck”. They did not have textbooks or worksheets on how to preach, teach, and heal. There were no special classes on casting out demons. They simply learned by watching and doing. We might expect more mistakes from them during those first mission trips into the surrounding villages. They knew how to gather a crowd but it was a challenge to figure out what to do with the crowd once it had formed. I am sure there was a lot of WWJD (What would Jesus do?) going through their minds as they brought people together. Imagine the nervousness they must have felt facing life-threatening illnesses or longstanding injuries that the people brought to them in hopes of healing.

I remember sitting in the hospital as a student pastor with the husband of a church member who had gone in for a small cancer surgery. It was a routine procedure as a response to some concerning tests she had done earlier. After they finished the operation the doctor came out and I could tell something was wrong. They found stage 4 cancer, he said, and it had spread all over. There on the operating table, they took out everything she did not need to live. The doctor left us there in the waiting room and then it was my turn. It was time to lead the family in prayer.

I was way out of my league. What words could I possibly use against cancer? How do you fight that spiritual battle and hope to win?

We may not have faced down demons the way the disciples did that day, but you probably have had your faith tested out in the deep waters of the world and miraculously found your way back to dry land. Maybe you even successfully brought someone back with you. The demons fled from the disciples as they looked at each other with amazement. It was hard enough to believe it when they saw Jesus do it, but to have that same power coming from their words, their touch? Incredible. Unbelievable.

As the reality of it all sunk in, they began to be filled with joy and they celebrated with one another all the way back to Jesus. They accomplished more of the mission than they thought possible. Jesus had given them authority over the spiritual realm and they had come home as something more than conquerors for the good of the people and gained some new souls for God’s kingdom.

They had real power to make a difference in the world, and they were excited about what it would mean. If they could accomplish this mission so well, what was next? The possibilities were endless.

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Authority and Responsibility

Jesus caught them in their celebrations and began a long process of bringing them back to reality. Notice, that He did not deny any of the power they showed in their work. He did not jump in and tell them, “No, actually that was God doing that through you. You have no power on your own.”  He did not scold them for their excitement and celebration about their work. Instead, He redirected it into a different framework. What you have done is indeed good, but it does not hold a candle to what God has done. Sure the disciples cast demons out of people for a day. Jesus saw the devil cast out of heaven for eternity.

The same applies to healing. The lame walk, the deaf hear, the mute speak, and the lepers are cleansed - not just at the hand of Jesus, but the disciples would eventually do all this as well between the gospels and the book of Acts. And they passed on that mission, that power, and authority to us. That power and authority come with responsibility as well.

What does that mean to have authority and responsibility for those we connect with as we serve Christ in the world? Fast forward with me to the weeks after the resurrection, to a day that the disciples were not celebrating their power in mission. In fact, their part in getting Jesus killed, failing to keep the movement together, and then seeing Jesus raised from the dead rather proved to them that Jesus could conquer the worst spiritual enemies without their help. That was the day I think Peter was ready to hang up his disciple hat and retire out onto his boat.

What did Jesus do? He went out to them, called Peter out of the boat again, and asked Peter if he still loved Him. Anyone paying attention would have said, no, Peter doesn’t love Jesus... he loves fishing. He gave up and moved on. But Jesus gave him another chance.

“Peter, do you love me.” “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” “Then feed my sheep.”

All those people you went out and preached to and healed. Those poor individuals whom you cast evil spirits out of... they are still out there. Some of them are in worse shape than the day you met them. Some of those spirits came back with a vengeance because they did not have anyone to defend them and teach them to become disciples themselves. You invited them into your eternal family as your brothers and sisters and then you turned away and left them there. If you love me, go find them and care for them. That’s the mission.

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Why We Rejoice

If the mission, the real work of serving Jesus is that big, we might be tempted to give up and leave it for someone else to do. Going fishing sounds a lot easier. But Jesus does not let us off the hook. Yes, we have work to do. Yes, it is challenging work. But we don’t do it alone. God is the driving force behind every faithful act we do. When we spend time at the feet of Jesus, growing closer to Him each day, receiving our daily bread and strength to serve, we can experience the same kind of victory in our lives and in the lives of those around us... just like the disciples.

The lady who we prayed for in the hospital those many years ago went through radiation and chemotherapy. She shaved her head and bought a wig, and wore it to church every week. She never missed and pushed right through despite her dire diagnosis. It was a miracle, and I got to be a part of that. Her friends encouraged her, her church family cared for her, her Sunday school class checked on her each week, and I got to play my small part in praying for her right as this was all coming together. We all celebrated that healing, and none of us claimed to be the ones who did it. We celebrated what God did, and that we got to play a role in that.

While her physical healing, just like every physical healing, was temporary, God did a greater work in her and in us - helping us to be the church family He created us to be. She was not just healed, she was adopted in as part of the family, and that is forever.

There are some of you out there today who are actively doing this work, and I don’t have to tell you not to boast about your part in it, but to celebrate the work God has done through you because you know where your strength comes from to go feed Jesus’s sheep each day. You know what would happen if you tried to do that work on your own strength with your best guesses, rather than knowing God is with you, leading and empowering the work you do. We need to hear your stories of what God has done. You need to celebrate and rejoice in what God is doing in your life today.

There are others of you who are sitting on the fence. You have heard Jesus calling your name and calling you to action, but you know it is going to be difficult and it’s just more comfortable to sit in your fishing boat. You may even be humble about it. But your celebration has stopped. You’ve run out of things to thank God for because you slowly stopped seeing Him working on you and in your life when you stopped stepping out in faith. It’s time to step up and out again, and you can start by remembering and celebrating what God has done in your life.

There may be others of you who are doing your best to do things in Jesus’ name, but the truth is, you don’t really know if it is was God wants or not. You don’t know how to ask or how to recognize His voice. You are just doing your best. While the world would commend you for giving your best effort, the truth is: you cannot serve faithfully if God is not in charge of your life. In fact, the very work you do to appear to serve God may be getting in the way of you growing closer to God. If that is you, it’s time to stop what you are doing and turn to God today. It is not a matter of judging your work, it is recognizing that none of us were ever meant to do it on our own. That’s not what it means to be a good and faithful servant. Whether God turns you completely around or just gives you a new perspective on your work, it will make all the difference. Don’t wait, take care of that today.

We move toward the things we choose to rejoice in. Will you rejoice yourself closer to God or let something else steal you away?

Communion – The Great Thanksgiving II

Christ our Lord invites to his table all who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin and seek to live in peace with one another. Therefore, let us confess our sin before God and one another. Merciful God, we confess that we have not loved you with our whole heart. We have failed to be an obedient church. We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy. Forgive us, we pray. Free us for joyful obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hear the good news: Christ died for us while we were yet sinners; that proves God's love toward us. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven! Glory to God. Amen. The Lord be with you And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, Always and everywhere to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. And so, With your people on earth And all the company of heaven We praise your name and join their unending hymn: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. Holy are you, and blessed is your Son Jesus Christ. By the baptism of his suffering, death, and resurrection you gave birth to your church, delivered us from slavery to sin and death, And made with us a new covenant by water and the Spirit. On the night to which he gave himself up for us he took bread, gave thanks to you, broke the bread, gave it to his disciples, and said; “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” When the supper was over, he took the cup, gave thanks to you, gave it to his disciples, and said: “Drink from this, all of you this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” And so, In remembrance of these your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving, as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ’s offering for us, as we proclaim the mystery of faith. Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine. Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.” By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet. Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church, all honor and glory is your, almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen The body of Christ, given for you. Amen. The blood of Christ, given for you. Amen.