God's Last Words

WHY I DO THE THINGS I DO

Matthew 21: 23-32 (NRSV)

We tend to make a lot jokes at the expense of pastors, church leaders, church doctrine, and church dignitaries. They make appealing targets.

Two atheists were flying in a single–engine plane when it was struck by lightning.

Faced with certain death, the atheists grasped at hope and prayed to God. Their problem was that they didn’t know how to reach out to God in prayer. One asked the other, “How are we going to have God help us if we do not know how to pray?”

The other atheist answered, “Listen, I live next to a Catholic Church. I’ve listened to them pray over their loudspeakers many times.  Let’s pray one of their prayers.” So he began praying, “B5 … under the O…75 … N14 … B1.”

A Baptist preacher tells the following story on himself about receiving a call from a woman who was quite upset over the death of her pet cat named Homer. She wanted the preacher to conduct a funeral service for Homer. The Baptist preacher explained that this was a little out of his usual role and referred her to his friend, a Presbyterian pastor at a church down the street.

Later, the preacher learned that his Presbyterian friend had referred her to a Methodist pastor across town, who had referred her to someone else. About an hour later the woman called him back and told him she was very upset.

The woman said she was at her wit’s end because she couldn’t find a preacher to conduct Homer’s funeral service. She said she planned to donate $ 5,000 in Homer’s memory to the church whose preacher would conduct Homer’s service.

The Baptist preacher admitted it only took him a few seconds to say, “Well, why didn’t you tell me Homer was a Baptist cat in the first place.”

Sometimes religious leaders and churches do things that have everything to do with human things and nothing to do with Godly things. This church has that experience.

In our Gospel passage for today Jesus is asked why He is doing what He is doing and who told Him He could do it. Jesus turns the tables on the Sadducees, who will become the major accusers and demanders of His death.

Jesus simply says if they can answer a question from Him first then He will answer their question. It sounds a little smart-alecky but is actually a brilliant move that illustrates Jesus’ point about the two sons. 

We can understand someone asking to see our authority for doing something but what about the qualifications to ask that question? What qualifies you to ask what someone else’s authority is? To do so would be to seek the truth, and to seek the truth, one must have an understanding of what truth is. One must also be willing to accept the truth.

The Sadducees, because of their own worldviews, are not capable of understanding Jesus as truth. As Chief Priests of Israel they have claimed to be God’s servants, but don’t know the true God and have not followed through on their promises.

The point of Jesus’ parable is to ask a question: Is it better to promise to ask for forgiveness, or not to promise, but still seek it?

 

Listen to Matthew 21: 23-32 -

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"

Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"

And they argued with one another, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went.

The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."

Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.  For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Last week Becky, Chylle, and I went to the yearly Evangelical Association’s  Convocation in Landis, North Carolina.

This was the 17^th one and I think I’ve been to 8 or so of them. It’s good to be  reminded of our common goals and faith we pastors, church leaders, and members have in common. This year’s theme: “Advancing the Kingdom.”

While there, I realized I have never spoken of the EA much here at St. Paul’s, and decided I needed to tell you about where my ministerial authority and credentials as a Pastor come from. 

The New Testament speaks of “Diakonos” as a person who is a servant, attendant, minister, and deacon who serves in the office of “Diakonia,” which emphasizes service and ministry. It is in this spirit that the EA recognizes ministry.

In the mid 1990′s a group of concerned pastors and lay people gathered at First Protestant Church (formerly UCC) in New Braunfels, Texas to consider the fact that many congregations and clergy were leaving the United Church of Christ. (Some info is quoted from EA website).

Although created as the merger of four historically orthodox Christian bodies called  the Evangelical, Reformed, Congregational and Christian churches, the UCC had been moving in an increasingly liberal direction for many years.

By encouraging churches to become “Open and Affirming” of the homosexual lifestyle, supporting the full legalization of abortion, embracing the work of theologians who were discrediting the authority of the Bible, and through many other actions, it had become clear that the U.C.C. as a denomination no longer reflected the positions held by many of its member churches and ministers.

Following the meeting in New Braunfels, it was decided to form a new association to provide an orthodox, evangelical alternative for churches and clergy choosing to stay in the UCC as well as those leaving the United Church of Christ.  In 1998, the Evangelical Association was incorporated with a handful of charter member churches and pastors. It has continued to grow ever since.

In recent years, the Evangelical Association has become an important networking tool not only for churches with a history in the United Church of Christ, but also for congregations and clergy who share our faith, vision and values. Pastors, lay people and entire congregations now celebrate their affiliation with the EA as a link to the wider church as they seek to serve our Lord and Savior in their local context.

The Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches is a nationwide voluntary association (not a denomination) of churches, ministers, and believers networking together to further the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Recognition and standing in the Evangelical Association is fully compatible with participation and memberships in other denominations and associations.

The purpose of the Association is:

>To deepen and expand the fellowship of our clergy and churches.

>To facilitate co-operation and counsel among our Association with regard to supporting clergy and churches.
>To support and promote the Scriptural principles of the autonomy of the local church and encourage a steadfast Biblical witness by our churches, our clergy and laity – to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
>To provide guidance for clergy and churches in regard to life insurance and retirement savings.
>To assist churches in finding pastors.

The basic beliefs are:

>Jesus Christ is the head of His body, the Church, and of the local church.
>Christ exercises His authority in each local church by the Holy Spirit and through the Holy Scriptures.
>Each local church is in itself a complete church, and is therefore autonomous and possesses all the rights and responsibilities of the church as bestowed upon it by the Holy Spirit and set forth in God’s Word.
>Along with our guiding principles and beliefs, the association abides by a Statement of Faith, which is the cornerstone of the organization.

The Statement of Faith, which is the cornerstone of the organization, must be signed by each member, minister, and church.

We Affirm the Following:

>The Trinitarian name of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
>God has revealed Himself fully and decisively as attested in Holy Scripture. We believe the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired and authoritative Word of God. The Scriptures are the guide for faith and life.
>There is only one way to Salvation – through Jesus Christ.
>The sanctity of human life based on our creation in the image of God and our election by God for service in His Kingdom. This leads us to respectfully affirm sanctity at every stage of human life.
>The Biblical guidelines for human sexuality: marriage as the union of one man and one woman, fidelity and holiness in marriage and chastity outside of marriage for the sake of the Kingdom.
>We also uplift the Apostles and Nicene Creeds.

We believe that the mission of the Church is to spread the Good News of the Gospel of salvation in every word and deed. We are sent by Christ into all the world to proclaim the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and to bring every person into a life of faith, discipleship and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Personally, I have been a Licensed Minister since 1996, ordained in 2000, and was granted Senior Minister recognition through Liberty University in 2006. I am a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, a Certified Christian Life Coach, and Family Counselor.

I have been a member of the Evangelical Association since 2001, and a duly recognized and authorized minister since 2002, and resigned from the UCC in 2002.

Additionally, the uniqueness of the Evangelical Association is in it’s relationship with a Worldwide Missions group (Mission Renewal Network) and national connections to several seminaries and professional schools of Religion.

Those are my human credentials, so to speak. But I adhere to a higher standard and calling than just human covenants. In the Book Timothy it is written:

“All scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom, I solemnly charge you: proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching.

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their  own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new.

They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. But as for you, keep a clear head about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17, 4: 1-5 HCSB)

My life started out like the second son - I would not have agreed to serve God, but as it turns out I went and served. God is good all the time! 

This is why I stand before you today. I further the call of the Heavenly Kingdom of God, not our human culture and values. Amen.