“Now hear this!”
St Andrews Church
JUNE 25 2023
LIGHTING OF THE CHRIST CANDLE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
To you, O God, we lift our hearts.
Listen to our voices and answer.
The Lord is good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love.
God does wondrous things with grace and mercy.
So let us glorify God’s holy name together!
We come to worship God in love and loyalty.
HYMN 431 Jesus where’re thy people meet
PRAYER of INVOCATION AND ADORATION
God of grace, you created our minds to grow in wisdom. You created our hearts to expand with love for you and your world. You created our voices to sing your praises forever. Fill us to overflowing with your Holy Spirit, so we may worship you in spirit and in truth, bold and unafraid to follow Jesus, even when challenges confront us. In this time of worship, assure us of your presence with us and reveal to us the path you open before us, for we live to serve as your people wherever you lead. Amen.
UNISON PRAYER OF CONFESSION
God who creates the future,
you call us to follow you,
yet we prefer familiar paths.
You offer us new beginnings,
yet change makes us uncomfortable.
You invite us into the fullness of life,
yet we resist more than we already know.
Forgive us, O God, and make of us courageous
disciples ready to serve in Jesus’ name. AMEN
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
In Christ, we are a new creation; the old life is gone and the new life has come! Trust that God loves you and forgives you. Do not be afraid to make a new start!
THE PEACE
HYMN 500 Open my eyes that I may see
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Psalm 86.1-12
Romans 6.1-11
SERMON “Now hear this!”
Here we are – the first Sunday of the summer. Solstice was just last Wednesday. A time to sit back, relax and enjoy the benefits of long days- but – and in every life there is a but, we listen – or read the news every day. This world is rife with divisions—political, economic, social, racial, ethnic and gender included. The fabric of our society is torn asunder, most certainly in countries, communities and even in families. Some think the divisions are a struggle against the cosmic powers of this present darkness (Ephesians 6:12). We are engaged in a daily struggle for God’s rule and God’s way on this earth are tested and decisions are made about the things that matter in this life.
I’m sure most of you recognize we normally use the Common Lectionary Readings. A wonderful guide to keep us searching through the biblical stories. Yet there are times when a simple decision on which to chose as the preaching theme just doesn’t clearly pop out.
A continuous prayer of the Christian church is that peace may encompass all people and all places. After all, isn’t that what God envisioned when he created this beautiful world. Yet if I had chosen the reading from Matthew today Jesus speaks a different message.
Jesus’ language is terse and provocative. It is almost the equivalent of our modern day “Now hear this!” He states emphatically and upfront that he did not come to this earth to bring a political rebellion against Rome, or to settle inner individual struggles in people. His work is at once deeper and broader than those two extremes. “I have not come to bring peace, but a sword,” says Jesus (Matthew 10:34). This applies to the powers of the world as well as the powers of the inner heart.
Jesus boldly proclaims that with his coming the ultimate age of peace has not yet dawned, but instead the last struggle for the salvation of humankind has broken out. God’s inbreaking activity attested by the presence of Jesus on earth, will not usher in a messianic era of peace when the hearts of parents will be turned to their children and the hearts of children will be turned to their parents.
The one true God who created the world has no obligation to prove anything to anyone. Yet, the God who is love so desires a loving relationship with humanity that God sent God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to bring this about.
For Paul, what a Christian understands is extremely important. Paul is convinced that Christian learning results in Christian living, that doctrine leads to duty. To help us know the nature of our union with Christ, Paul employs the powerful metaphor of Christian baptism. For Paul, baptism symbolizes wonderful realities.
Above all else, Paul wants us to know, or understand, the nature of our union with Christ.
In Romans 6:1-11, Paul, after several chapters in which he expounds the doctrine of justification by faith alone apart from works of the law, asks: “Shall we continue in sin in order that grace might abound?” His response in verse 2 is, of course, “By no means!” Paul goes on to ground this in the coherent and consistent biblical teaching that through baptism and faith we participate in the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection. (Verses 3-5)
The reality of our union with Christ leads not only to hope for eternal life in the future but the expectation of holy living in the present (verse 4). Baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ exists in order that “we also might walk in newness of life.” In other words, our right status (justification) and our right relationship with God (reconciliation) leads to right living (sanctification).
One of the dangers of preaching salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ alone is that it can be interpreted (or rather, misinterpreted!) as license to do whatever one wishes.
He knows such thinking is not only logical to some minds, it is also natural because sin is enjoyable “for a short time” (Hebrews 11:25). He knows, too, that sinning could even be twisted into a religious duty, because it provides an opportunity for God to give his grace and love, and thus glorify himself. Even people who have claimed to be Christians have thought this!
Sin is fundamentally about broken relationships—between people and God, each other, and the whole creation—and is manifest in all that works against God’s loving, life-giving purposes.
For those who do not identify as Christian, or as “religious” in any way, the very concept of being a “sinner” who needs (or even wants) reconciliation with God may seem strange or even offensive. In some contexts, this may especially be the case of the younger generations that many churches are hoping to attract. Many such people see “sin” as an outdated concept used to shame people into embracing a narrow religious morality that constrains them and their freedom to live according to their own values. One cannot receive the “good news” of the gospel if one does not perceive need of it.
Paul is well aware of this tendency, since he mentions in Romans 3:8 that some were slanderously reporting that he is saying, “And why not do evil that good may come?” Because of this type of misrepresentation, Paul is always on guard when he makes a strong statement about the grace of God.
So, when he said in Romans 5:20b, “but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” he knew that the worst would be made of it by some. He knew that a perverted logic would be applied: “Well, if sin brings more grace, let’s sin!”
So, he goes ahead and voices it himself in Romans 6:1, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” His answer is an emphatic, “Don’t even think that!” (6:2).
Paul has no use for even the slightest hint that grace encourages sin. In fact, he finishes verse 2 with a question to the contrary: “How can we who died to sin still live in it?
In today’s lesson, Romans 6:3-14 answers the question, “How are we to live obediently in light of God’s grace?”
While very few would intentionally adopt a position of “sinning so that grace may abound” (Romans 6:1), this is the inadvertent result of many implicit Protestant theologies—to both the left and the right—
When writing about our life in Christ, Paul starts out at our baptism. We often think of the waters of baptism as a cleansing agent. They are more than that. We know water can kill, and at our baptism, we die with Christ so that we can also live with him. Change is not based on trying harder. It is founded on the fact that the old is no longer a part of our lives.
When we were baptized into Christ, we entered into a profound union with him. Our text emphasizes this union in verse 5 which uses a botanical term in saying that we have become “united with him.” The word “united” (Greek, symphytoi, “grown together”) pictures a branch bound to one another—they are grafted together. That describes our union with Christ. The Scriptures boldly affirms this in a number of places.
The specific emphasis of verses 3-5 is that we are so profoundly united with Christ in his death and resurrection that we actually did die with him and truly were raised with him, so that we now share in his resurrection life.
What this means practically is this: Christ did not serve sin, and so, neither must we. We must walk in the newness of life that we have in Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin, but now we are slaves to righteousness.
In the paraphrase “The Message” verse 6 reads “Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ – a decisive end to that sin- miserable life - no longer at sin’s every beck and call”
The old self is the kind of person we were before our union with Christ. That self was crucified with Christ. The body, as it was, a vehicle of sin—has been rendered inoperative. The power of sin was and is broken!
We need to know this if we are to walk in obedience to Christ. This is our position. We do not have to be conscious of it any more than of our conscious participation in Adam’s sin. It is simply a fact: we are united with Christ.
So much of our time is spent in corrective theology—what to do when we sin, for example in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. That is good and necessary.
But reflecting upon your union with Christ is even better. Why? Because it curbs sin. To consider yourselves dead to sin is something you are to do constantly, as the present tense of the verb indicates.
So far Paul has told us what we must know about our union with Christ. Now he tells us we must act.: Paul is very precise and clear, Verse 12 commands That is, do not keep on making the parts of your body (your tongue, your hands, your feet) available as tools of unrighteousness. Be on constant guard against doing this.
And while you are doing this, take positive action (in verse 13b), “. . . You must say to God something like this: "God, here I am—alive from the dead! I have died with Christ and have been resurrected with Christ. Thank you for your gift of grace. Now here is my body -my arms, my voice, my eyes. Take them all, that they might be instruments of righteousness." Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to you.”
Paul insists that the place to begin is our knowledge. We must know two things. First, we must know something of our profound union with Christ. Though we cannot fully understand it, we died with Christ and were resurrected with him in the historical events.
And second, this shared death and resurrection means that the dominance of sin has been broken and we are freed from the power of sin in our lives. God has delivered us from sin. It is impossible to continue living unchanged when we become Christians.
In conclusion, I would like to share a short story I found on the internet.
A colleague shared about a church he served in Tennessee where an eccentric and flamboyant elder impressed him with her intense commitment to the faith. She did not have a pietistic bone in her body, but her devotion was nonetheless clear and articulate. One evening at a dinner party in her home we were animatedly discussing some theological idea. In the midst of the give and take, her teenage daughter, frustrated with all of the high-blown discussion of religion, asked, "Mother, you talk about religion all the time. Why are you so religious anyway?" This query brought a loud hush to the dining table. Her mother paused dramatically, pushed her chair back from the table, stood and responded, "Every morning before you are awake, I rise and walk into the living room. I lift my arms and ask, `Who's in charge here?' The answer always comes back: `Not you!' That's why I am religious. Because I am not in charge. Author Unknown
God loves God’s creation and the people that God created. God has decided that nothing—not even sin—will stand in the way of God’s relationship with humankind. Instead, all the changes that take place within us come from God. That way Satan has no-ground for attack. God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. What a powerful, concise expression of the gospel! an eternal relationship with the Triune God brings peace and wholeness. AMEN
HYMN 18 Through all the changing scenes of life
OFFERING
Around us the gifts of God’s good earth appear in fields and gardens, speaking of God’s goodness to us. Our gifts also speak of God’s goodness as we offer our gratitude for all we have received in Christ and in creation.
DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost
OFFERTORY PRAYER
O God, we offer you our gifts in thanksgiving. Pour out your Spirit upon them and upon us. May the gifts we offer bear the fruit of your Spirit in every life we touch in Jesus’ name. Amen.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
God of compassion and courage, In our weakness you are strength. In our sorrows you are comfort and peace. We thank you for your embracing presence in our lives. Embrace each situation we lay before you today with your steadfast love.
We thank you for moments of joy that break into our lives, for love given and received, for friends who furnish our life with meaning and happiness, and for family who embrace us with love and understanding. We pray for those who cannot feel joy today, for those estranged from family or friends, for those feeling stress as the costs of living rise, and for those who face any kind of loss. Embrace us all with your mercy, O God, And give us grace to respond to needs around us.
God of the nations, As Canada Day approaches we pray for our country. We give thanks for peace and plenty in this land and for resources to support those facing difficulties in our communities. We give thanks fro the blessings received by the many folks who gathered and celebrated in and with the Indigenous communities across Canada this past Wednesday. There are still so many critical issues which need to be dealt with and so we give thanks that you are leading in the many challenges which have faced these relationships.
As wildfires remain a huge challenge to people and communities – to fire fighters and governing bodies , we pray for rains and cooling temperatures, for folks to obey the commands received that all may remain safe . May there be uplifting comfort in the face of danger and loss
Challenge those who govern to share resources as a generous global partner, and commit to international efforts to preserve the earth for future generations. Guide leaders to set fair policies that protect vulnerable groups, and ensure equity and dignity for all.
We lift to you the work we have of sharing the gospel – not just on Sunday mornings , but in each of the opportunities you place before us .We give thanks and pray for those providing pulpit supply during pulpit vacancies, for when a minister is away for a weekly service , for vacation times , and study leave . We pray for rest and renewal for all who have given so diligently to the work of the church in difficult times. Dear Lord, strengthen us where we are weak, build us up where we are torn down, and prop us up on every leaning side.
Gracious God we lift to you -------------
Eternal God, We thank you for your people in every age who have entered into your heavenly presence, especially those dear to our own hearts. Thank you for memories that inspire us,
for love and laughter shared and lessons learned. Hear us now as we offer prayers in silence for the concerns on our hearts this day…
Silence
God of wisdom, open our minds to your truth, our hearts to your love, and our hands to do your will With your Holy Spirit, equip us to follow Jesus, who is your Living Word We sum up our prayers, spoken and unspoken, in the words that Jesus taught us:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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. 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.
HYMN 324 Great is thy faithfulness
BENEDICTION
Go into the world knowing who is in charge and what it means to act upon that knowledge! By the virtue of our baptism, we are called and equipped by the Spirit to tell those around us that God is seeking a loving, life-giving relationship with them . So go in faithfulness, ready to serve God, trusting that God counts your life as precious. And may God bless you and keep you, may God’s face shine upon you ,and may God grant you grace and peace now and evermore.
CLOSING SONG
Lead me Lord, lead me in your righteousness
Make your way plan before my face
For it is you and you God only
Who makes me dwell in safety.
Threefold Amen