Sermons for the Month
Don't Worry … The Harvest of Faith is Here
DATE: November 19th, 2006
SERVICE: 24th Sunday after Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 6:25-33“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Everyone knows what it is like to have a song stuck in your consciousness. For me this week it was the hymn that we will be singing next, "Come, You Thankful People, Come". It seemed that no matter where I went that hymn was with me - in the shower, drinking my morning coffee, visiting people at the hospital, in the parking lot of the grocery store, even as I listened to NPR I could hear strains of, "Come you thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home." Finally I found myself wondering if we are thankful people, people of the harvest, who proclaim our gratitude to God for the provision of the harvest that supplies our needs. The problem is that most of us are far removed from the images that hymn stirs up of grain stored in silos, fruit and vegetables canned in shinning jars that line the pantry shelf, barrels of potatoes and freezers of fresh meat. The majority of us cannot sigh in satisfaction over all that we grew and gathered - with God's help - that will feed us. It's just a little difficult to make the connection that God is the one who provides when the most apparent source of our meal is the fast food restaurant down the street or the deli at the local grocery store rather than the good earth or the chicken coop. In other words, there is for us a "disconnect" that makes it easy for us to think that it's us, not God, who supplies our physical needs. And, from there, it's only a short leap to trusting in me to manage all of life. The problem is that doing so creates anxiety, since in reality I am not all that trust-worthy. But, I do not want to admit that, so I defend or over-value what I have done or acquired. That cycle of trusting in me, falling short and then getting defensive or too invested becomes a vicious circle that Jesus wants to break. That's the purpose of the verses from Mathew 6 that we read today. These words are a warning signal, like the latest smoke alarms that alert you to a problem with a mechanical voice that warns, "Low battery, low battery, low battery," compelling you to fix the problem. (A friend of mine was awakened in the early morning to such a greeting that drove her to distraction until in was silenced.) Well, think of Jesus' words in scripture as a voice of warning that begins with three "Do not" statements and finishes with a "Do". Do not store up for yourself treasure on earth. Do not attempt to serve two masters. Do not worry. But do strive FIRST for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. The message is repeated over and over and over again - imagine yourself being awakened by it at midnight. Do not store up for yourself treasure on earth. Do not attempt to serve two masters. Do not worry. But do strive FIRST for the kingdom on God and his righteousness. As you sit up in bed you might ask, why? The answer is easy; it's because both are futile endeavors. Earthly treasure is temporary and it's impossible to serve two masters. Jesus states this as a fact, "No one can serve two masters" because if there are two you have to make choices; undivided service can only be given to one. So, if you chose the earthly treasure as your master - as the thing that rules your life and that you trust as the source of contentment - it will tease and tempt and worry you. But Jesus says, "Do not worry". Believe that the One who is active in creation with the birds and the flowers is also involved in your lives. And then we come to the final warning, which if followed would make the first three obsolete. Do strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness. We can't hear that often enough because if we corporately and individually seek God's priorities first then people's needs will be met and we will find blessings along the way. I would guess that these "warnings" of Jesus from Matthew 6 are among the most well-known words of scripture. I also would not be surprised if, should we hear them being repeated to us over and over again, like the warning of a smoke alarm with a low battery, we would be inclined to respond in a similar way. Disconnect the blasted thing as soon as possible; it's annoying. We have that inclination, I think, because it is just so difficult for us to trust enough in the grace-filled provision of God. It just sounds too unreliable, not concrete enough. We want instead to trust in ourselves and in what we can do or acquire, and that leads to worry and to limiting the work of God among us. It is important for us to be aware of that tendency to shut out the warning of Jesus, especially as our congregation considers a new ministry challenge in the coming months. With the possibility of a church building project before us, we will be called upon again and again to listen - not just hear - but listen to Jesus warning us, "Do not worry" and "Do strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness." We will be asked to believe that as we focus our attention on ministry needs, and on how our building can meet those needs … as we think about the approximately 90,000 non-churches people in our immediate area …and as we remember our vision to share the good news of Jesus, transform followers into disciples and go and share God's love …the financial resources and the leadership skills that are needed will be stirred up among us. That's the way God works, isn't it, through us? As we seek God's priorities - as a congregation and as individuals - a gathering in of resources occurs. Then, through our sharing of the produce of our lives people are spiritually and emotionally fed. So, you see, we are the thankful people of the hymn who raise the song of the harvest - the harvest of faith. It's occurring right here, right now, among us and beyond us. As we set aside worry and seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, we will find it, and all else that is needed will be available to us as well. Wait … did you hear that? Let me say it again so you can reflect on what it implies for your life this Thanksgiving week. As we set aside worry and seek first God's kingdom and righteousness, we will find it, and all else that is needed will be available to us as well.
AMEN