SERMON: THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL

THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL:
FIRST-PERSON NARRATIVE OF THE PRODIGAL SON
NAYLOR UMC HOMECOMING
27 September 2009

I. Introduction (Luke 15:11-32)

11. Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.
12. The younger one said to his father, `Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13. "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
14. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
15. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
16. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17. "When he came to his senses, he said, `How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
18. I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'
20. So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21. "The son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. '
22. "But the father said to his servants, `Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
23. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.
24. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
26. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
27. `Your brother has come,' he replied, `and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28. "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
29. But he answered his father, `Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
30. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31. "`My son,' the father said, `you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
32. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"

II. Narrative of the Prodigal Son

-- Stupid -- stupid -- how could I have been so stupid -- there I was, living in the lap of luxury -- and look what I traded it for -- I guess I just didn't know how good I had it
-- back then they called me prodigal -- excessive -- wasteful -- I didn't think I was any of that -- so what if I liked the finer things of life -- so what if I enjoyed wearing fine robes and drinking fine wine? -- so what if I enjoyed spending time in town with my friends -- feasting and having fun? -- is that prodigal? -- is that excessive? -- how is that different from any other young man of means? -- how is that different from you?
-- it's not like we couldn't afford it -- it's not like we were poor -- Father had worked very hard in life -- he had accumulated great wealth -- our villa was the largest in our town -- our family the most respected -- we had great flocks of sheep and goats -- we had a large vineyard -- groves filled with olive trees -- Father was a leader in the synagogue -- when he stood on the Sabbath and read from the Holy Scriptures, everyone would listen to his word
-- he also had a place at the gate of the city -- which, as you know, meant that he was a judge for our people -- we were a family of means -- we had money -- we had position -- we had prestige -- so why not enjoy it? -- how does enjoying what God has blessed us with make me a prodigal?
-- my brother didn't call me prodigal -- he had another name for it -- he called me spoiled -- well, maybe I was to some extent -- so what if Father did treat me a little better? -- so what if he was a little more lenient with me than Brother? -- it's understandable, isn't it? -- after all, our mother died giving birth to me -- I'm the baby -- I'm the memory of Father's first love -- when he looks at me, he remembers our mother -- and so maybe that did make him spoil me a little -- but what's wrong with that? -- like I said, it's not like God hadn't blessed us -- so why not enjoy it?

-- but, no -- neither of them would -- every day both Father and Brother would get up at dawn and head to the fields and work like common slaves -- I just couldn't understand that -- it just wasn't right -- it just wasn't seemly for men of our position to work in the fields with the servants -- isn't that what we had servants and slaves for in the first place? -- why should we lower ourselves to their level?
-- our role was to be the leaders -- the rulers -- the reapers of the wealth -- surely God didn't bless us this way just to bind us in hard labor -- surely God didn't intend for us to get our hands dirty -- after all, didn't our great King Solomon write in his book, Ecclesiastes, that such labor was meaningless?
-- in Ecclesiastes 2:22-26, he wrote, "What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? -- All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. -- A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. -- This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? -- To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. -- This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
-- see what I mean? -- Solomon says that it is the sinner who has the task of toiling and striving under the sun -- but God blesses those who please Him -- obviously, God was pleased by our family -- He had blessed us so much -- so why continue to toil in the field? -- why continue to work? -- why not take our rightful place and enjoy the good things of life that God given? -- why not eat and drink and be merry and enjoy life?

-- my arguments didn't matter -- they fell on deaf ears -- Father would make me go to the fields, too -- but my heart wasn't there -- I was no good at manual labor -- I was no good tending sheep or goats or picking grapes -- I knew I was wasting my time -- I knew that God had called me to better things -- that's fine if Father and Brother wanted to do it -- but my heart was elsewhere for I had heard the siren call of the town
-- that was the one thing I enjoyed more than anything else in the whole world -- I enjoyed walking into town wearing my best robe -- with the sound of gold coins jingling in my pocket -- young men calling out to me as I passed -- older men nodding in respect as I went by, knowing that I would one day take my father's place at the gate and at the synagogue as the leader I knew I was -- that was what I was made for -- that was what I lived for
-- but, still, that wasn't enough -- after a while, I had tasted all the pleasures our little town had to offer -- it was the type of place that you would say rolls up the sidewalks at night -- of course, we didn't have sidewalks -- but you get my meaning -- the vendors would fold up the tents at night and the town would just go to sleep -- but I dreamed of more -- I dreamed of going to a place where the fun and excitement didn't end at sundown
-- I had been to Jerusalem with Father and Brother to celebrate the Passover -- now that was a place of excitement -- when we were there to celebrate the great feast, Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims -- with people from every land under the sun -- the celebrations lasted all night long -- you've never seen such a sight -- that was the type of place where I belonged -- not here in some backwoods villa -- and certainly not here working in the fields like a slave -- no, I needed more -- I needed better
-- I kind of felt like your prophet Howard Hughes, who was the richest man on earth for a time -- he had everything -- he had tasted all that life had to offer -- but when they asked him how much more money he needed to be happy, he said, "Just a little more -- just a little more"
-- that's all I wanted -- just a little more -- just the opportunity to live in a place of excitement and opportunity -- I place where I could go and make a name for myself -- but I had two problems -- first, I still lived in Father's household -- I was still under his rule -- I was still bound to follow his ways -- and he would never allow me to leave
-- and, secondly, I didn't have enough money -- the allowance that Father gave me was enough for here -- but it wouldn't be enough for Jerusalem -- I needed freedom and I needed money -- if I just could make my own decisions without anyone else telling me what to do -- if I could just be financially independent -- then things would be so much better -- then I would be free
-- but how could I make that happen? -- I spent days and weeks and months thinking about my dilemma -- I moped around the villa -- I just couldn't be happy -- the old sights and the old sounds and the old thrills around town just weren't enough -- I needed more, but I didn't know how to get it
-- and, then, a thought crossed my mind -- a bold plan -- an ambitious plan -- all of a sudden, I realized that I didn't need more money -- I already had it -- it was my share of Father's villa -- my inheritance -- this was a vast amount of money -- this was more than enough money to go and live in Jerusalem
-- in fact, if I had my inheritance today, I could go anywhere -- I could even go to Antioch -- or Ephesus -- or Athens -- or, for that matter, I could even go to Rome -- yes, that's where I should go -- it was said that all roads lead to Rome -- the heart of the civilized world -- the center of culture and government
-- in Rome, I could become someone -- in Rome I could fulfill my calling -- a young man of means and ambition could rise to power and influence and prestige -- God had gifted me with so much talent and intellect that surely this is what He wanted -- He didn't want me to be stuck here on this villa in the middle of Judea -- He wanted me to go to Rome and to be a leader among leaders -- why, with the money from my inheritance, I could rise in power -- I could buy my Roman citizenship -- I could even serve in the Senate or in the courts of Caesar himself
-- the only problem was, I couldn't get my inheritance until Father died -- according to our law, it was only at that time that Father's estate could be divided among Brother and me -- unless.... unless I did the unthinkable -- unless I asked for it now
-- but, of course, that would mean rejecting both Father and the law of Moses -- it would be the same thing as telling Father that I wished he was dead -- it would be telling him that I would be better off if he wasn't around
-- if I did this -- if I asked for my inheritance now -- I was cutting all ties with my family -- I was rejecting all of the relationships I had -- I would no longer be worthy of being called a son -- I would be separated once and for all time from Father and could never come home again
-- but, wasn't it worth it? -- wasn't my happiness here and now of more importance? -- why discipline myself and follow Father's rules and obey his wishes and serve him by working in the field all in the hopes of a future reward? -- why not live for life now and not worry about the future?
-- who knew how long it would be before Father died and I would receive my inheritance? -- and, if he did, Brother would get two-thirds of the estate anyway -- why not just get what could now and get out? -- I knew it would hurt Father -- but surely he would understand over time
-- and, so that's what I did -- and so that's how I ended up here -- living in a pig pen in a foreign land

-- oh, it didn't start like that -- it broke Father's heart, but he divided the estate among Brother and me -- and I took my share and I headed out to Rome -- I saw the sights of Jerusalem -- I visited the brothers in Antioch -- I bought fine robes and fine wine and passed by the temple of Artemis in Ephesus -- I listened to the Greek philosophers of the Areopagus teach at the place where Paul would later argue with them about God -- and then I made my way to Rome
-- oh, it was just like I imagined -- the city was thronging with people from every land under the sun -- Roman soldiers in their burnished armor and their chariots passed by -- Senators with their robes of purple brushed by on their way to Caesar's court -- I saw with my own eyes the Coliseum and the Pantheon -- I enjoyed a bath -- a hot bath with running water -- with other young men eager for fame and fortune just like myself -- Rome had gymnasiums and libraries and shops
-- oh, the shops -- they never closed and they had everything imaginable -- gold from Cush -- you know it better as Ethiopia -- spices and fragrances from the east -- food from every land in the known world -- it was just like I imagined
-- and there I was, striding into town with the finest robes and with the sound of my inheritance jingling in the pouch at my waist -- it was so easy to find friends there -- it seems like I had no sooner walked through the gates of the city than men and women flocked to my side -- eager to make my acquaintance -- we had such a good time together -- we laughed -- we played -- we drank -- we attended parties at the best estates -- everyone wanted to be my friend -- until the day I reached in my pouch and felt only a few copper coins at the bottom
-- how was that possible? -- where did it all go? -- I had nothing to show for it -- just a rented room around the corner -- just a few belongings -- I turned to my friends for help -- as much as I had lavished on them, surely they would be willing to lend a hand to me in my need -- but my friends were gone -- they had moved on to the next dreamy-eyed man from a foreign land who had walked through the gates of Rome looking for fame and fortune
-- I sold my robes -- I sold the few possessions I had managed to scrape together -- I eventually had to move out of my room -- I couldn't afford it any more -- I started living on the streets -- begging for hand-outs from those I had counted as friends not that long ago -- and, then the famine hit -- and I got hungry -- the hand-outs dried up as everyone was affected -- no one had anything to share -- they took what they had and just took care of their own family -- but, I no longer had a family -- I had taken care of that
-- finally, I had no choice -- I sold my services to a local farmer who sent me to his fields outside of town -- and, so here I am -- in the worse place a young Jewish man could ever be -- standing in a pig pen -- serving that which God called unclean and told us to avoid at all costs -- it's even reached the point where I would be happy just feeding in the pig's trough -- but no one even cares enough about me here to give me a pod from their swill
-- it's funny how life looks so different from this side of things -- before, I chafed under the rule of my Father -- before, I didn't think I had enough -- before, I longed for freedom -- for the right to make my own decision and to live my own life just as I pleased
-- I didn't realize just how good I had it -- I didn't realize that all of those rules and all of that service and all of that discipline was for my own good -- to protect me from my own stupid choices
-- I've really made a mess of things -- I've completely separated myself from my father -- I put up barrier after barrier between us -- I let my pride and my anger and my hurtful words come between my father and me -- I made an idol out of money and power and position -- I worshiped at the altar of "having a good time" -- I coveted and I lied and I stole just to get by -- but, worse than anything else, I dishonored my father and my God by totally rejecting him and walking away
-- now what can I do? -- it was stupid to leave -- but it's just as stupid to stay here -- as your prophet Forrest Gump would say, "Stupid is as stupid does" -- just because I ended up here in a pig pen because of my sin doesn't mean I have to stay here -- even if I was to just go back and live on Father's villa as a servant -- as a common slave even -- I would be so much better off than here -- for even a servant in the house of my Father has more than I have now
-- there's no way that I could ever go back to where I was before -- there's no way that I could ever earn Father's love again -- but maybe if I just turned around -- if I repented -- if I returned to him, he would let me live off the crumbs that fall from his table -- that would be something -- that would be better -- that would actually be more than I could hope for at this point
-- pride and sin brought me here -- I can't let pride keep me from going home

-- and, so, I made up my mind -- I would return home and throw myself at my father's mercy -- I would ask that he would not give me what I deserved but would instead give me what I didn't deserve -- even though I had rejected him -- even though I had turned away -- I would just beg him to pour out his mercy and grace in my life so I could just live as a hired hand on his estate
-- it's been months now since I headed home -- it took a lot longer to get home than it took to leave -- where before I had ridden in chariots and on ships -- now I had to walk -- and with every step, I repented in my heart -- with every step I practiced what I would say when I saw his face -- if he would let me see his face after I had rejected him the way I did
-- "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. -- I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' -- Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. " -- every step -- every cadence brought the words to my lips -- "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you"
-- and, so here I am -- back where I started -- that's the villa over there -- I'm on my father's land now -- the servants in the field saw me coming and ran to tell him -- what will he do? -- what will he say? -- will he reject me just as I rejected him? -- will he throw me out and refuse to see me?
-- another step -- another recitation -- "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you."
-- what is that ahead? -- who is coming? -- is Father sending the servant back out to me? -- whoever it is, he's running hard -- he's coming down the lane -- it's --- it's Father! -- but that can't be -- men of his stature don't run -- men of his position don't do that -- but, it's him -- it's really him
-- can it be? -- can he really be humbling himself and leaving his position of power to come here? -- to come to me?
-- here he is -- now, just like I practiced -- "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. -- I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'"
-- what is he doing? -- why is he picking me up? -- what's going on?
-- you've been waiting for me? -- you've been looking for me? -- you're giving me your robe -- your best robe -- the robe you wear when you stand at the gate -- when you serve in the synagogue -- Father, no! -- I'm not worthy
-- your ring? -- you're giving me your ring? -- you're letting me back in the family again? -- no, this is more than I deserve -- just make me a common slave and that will be enough
-- sandals? -- you're putting sandals on my feet? -- slaves don't wear shoes -- you're saying that I am not a slave -- you're saying that I'm your son?
-- you mean all I had to do was to come home? -- all I had to do was return to you? -- I have nothing to offer -- I have nothing to give -- I'm not worthy of any of this -- but still you welcome me back with loving arms?

-- well, it's been one week and all is good -- I have been restored to my position -- everything that was lost has now been found -- everything that was dead -- my life -- my soul -- my heart -- my relationship with Father -- everything has been made new again
-- prodigal -- they called me prodigal -- they called me excessive -- but, it turns out that I wasn't the truly excessive one in the family -- Father was -- his excessive love has poured out on me -- his excessive mercy and grace has showered on me and I have been made new -- I have been restored -- I am his son again

-- but, what about you? -- where are you at with your Father who is heaven? -- as Christians, we all sin -- we all put barriers and obstacles between us and our Father -- as the Apostle John says in 1 John 1:8, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
-- how many of us have wandered away from our Father? -- how many of us has sinned allowed barriers to come between us and our God? -- maybe you're not in a pig pen like I was, but maybe you are in a distant land -- far away from home -- far away from God -- far away from Abba Father
-- but, if anything, my story should tell you this -- Father God is prodigal with His love and grace and mercy -- and as John wrote in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." -- if we just turn around and head home, God will run to meet us and put the robe of righteousness around our shoulders -- He'll put the ring of family on our hands -- He'll put the sandals of justice on our feet
-- but, we have to take that first step -- we have to repent -- we have to turn from our ways -- and turn home -- and, if we do that, He promises to meet us there

-- what distant land are you in this morning? -- what pig trough of pride and idolatry and sin are you feeding at today?
-- Father is waiting here for you -- if you will only come, He will make all things new -- if you will only come, He will welcome you with open arms

-- let us pray

SERMON: WHAT ABOUT HIM?

WHAT ABOUT HIM?
13 September 2009

I. Introduction
- turn in Bibles to John 21

18. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20. Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21. When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22. Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

-- for the last 25 years or so, the world has been on the brink of complete and total destruction -- and very few people have even been aware -- despite the fact that scientists and other concerned experts have been crying out and trying to get public attention to this impending environmental catastrophe, no one seems to have noticed -- probably because it involves an animal no bigger than the size of your thumbnail
-- starting around 1972, wild honeybees began to disappear -- a colony here -- a colony there -- and no one -- outside of scientists and a few beekeepers -- even really paid any attention -- I certainly didn't -- it wasn't until someone drew my attention to it did it even register that we had fewer bees in the wild than we had back in the 70s -- but now that I knew about it, I could see it
-- I remember as a kid we used to get a jar and catch the bees feeding on the azaleas around our house -- the flowers always just seemed alive with bees -- they were everywhere and you had to be careful or you would get stung -- but lately, we didn't see many bees feeding in the azaleas -- in fact, thinking about it, they were pretty rare -- you just didn't see bees anymore -- but, so what? -- it was just a bee, right?
-- but by 2006, scientists worldwide started to get concerned -- by 2006, all of the wild honeybees in the world had virtually disappeared -- they just weren't there any more -- no matter where you looked, you couldn't find them
-- and, then, in late 2006, we started seeing the same thing happen with commercial bee colonies -- complete colonies of bees -- beehives with thousands of bees went to zero almost overnight -- the bees just disappeared -- there were no piles of dead bees -- there was no indication of what might have happened -- one day, a beehive would be filled with worker bees going about their business -- and the next, the hive would be empty
-- scientists across the world began comparing notes, and found out that this was a worldwide phenomenon -- as of right now, over half of the United States has been affected by these disappearances -- now called "colony collapse disorder" or "honey bee depopulation syndrome" -- Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Slovenia and the Netherlands all have experienced the same thing -- with some commercial beekeepers losing over 40% of their hives in one year alone -- recently, colony collapse disorder has been reported in South America and Asia -- it is truly becoming a worldwide epidemic
-- now you might be asking yourself, "So what? -- So what if bees disappear? -- What does that matter to me? -- What does one little insect have to do with me?" -- well, it turns out it has a lot to do with you
-- everyone here knows about the symbiotic relationship that bees have with plants -- plants put out showy flowers to attract bees -- the bees come and feed on the flowers -- and in the process, they get covered with pollen, which they carry to other flowers, pollinating them and helping the plants to reproduce
-- this relationship has reached the point with some plants that these species are totally and completely dependent on the presence of honey bees for their existence -- if the honey bee was to disappear, then these plants would not be able to reproduce and would eventually die out
-- a good example of this is almonds and avocados -- both of these plants are dependent on honey bees for pollination -- if the bees were to disappear, we are very likely to lose both of these plants forever -- beyond the environmental effects, can you imagine the economic disaster that would result?
-- fully one-third of the food we eat depends primarily on bees for pollination -- in addition to almonds and avocados, this includes such species as peaches, soybeans, apples, pears, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, watermelons, cantaloupes, cucumbers and strawberries
-- can you imagine south Georgia without watermelons and cantaloupes? -- that's what we're talking about here -- that's the extent of this environmental disaster that the world is facing -- and all because of one little animal no bigger than your thumbnail -- one little insect that most of us overlook in our daily lives -- but the honey bee is one little insect that has a vital part to play in agriculture and in the environment as a whole -- and if it's not there -- if it's not doing it's job -- then the world is going to suffer -- we're going to suffer
-- I think this is something that we're just now starting to really understand -- as a whole, we're just starting to grasp the importance of these little parts of the environment that we once overlooked -- when we look at nature, we've always just kind of assumed that we can do without certain animals and it won't really matter -- but now, we're finding out that if you take away one little part -- like the honey bee -- the whole ecosystem can collapse, resulting in world-wide environmental effects
-- back in the 1930s, Aldo Leopold published a series of essays in a book called "The Sand County Almanac" -- in that book, writing on the complexity of nature and how the environment is like a living organism made up of many important parts, Leopold said, "The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not. If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering."
-- if there's anything that we know for certain from our experience with colony collapse disorder and the effect of the disappearance of honey bees worldwide, it is that every part of the environment -- no matter how small or insignificant it might seem -- has a job -- and that every part of the environment is needed

-- we can say the same thing about the church, as well -- you know, a lot of times, we tend to think of the church as an organization -- as a bunch of people who just get together once a week to sing and praise God and go home -- but, the Bible tells us that this isn't what the church is at all -- it's not an organization -- it's not a club -- it's a body -- it's one organism made up of many parts -- and if every part is not there, doing their job, then the whole body suffers -- then the whole body ceases to function
-- we're all familiar with Paul's teachings on this -- how many of you have never read or heard what Paul has to say about the church being a body -- in 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul wrote, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body"
-- hold your place here and flip over real quick to 1 Corinthians 12 -- let me just remind you of what Paul said here -- look at verse 15

15. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
17. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18. But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19. If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20. As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

-- there's nothing here that you haven't already heard -- Paul is telling us that the church is a body made up of many parts -- and that God has put us where He wants us to be -- He has decided what our role and our function in the body is to be -- whether that's a foot or an ear or an eye
-- but, if that's the case and we all know that -- then why do we continue to compare ourselves with others? -- or, even worse, why do we continue to compare others to ourselves?

-- flip back over to John 21 and let's talk about this for a minute -- here in the last chapter of the gospel of John, we read of Jesus' final words to Peter -- Peter, as you know, was the Lord's staunchest defender during His ministry -- right up to the point where Jesus was taken prisoner by the high priest and carried off to trial -- it was then that Peter wavered and denied that he even knew who Jesus was
-- now, after Jesus had died on the cross and has risen from the dead, He comes back to Peter and restores him to fellowship again -- Jesus lets Peter know that he is important -- he is part of the body of Christ -- and he has a job to do -- "Feed my lambs," Jesus told him -- "Take care of my sheep -- Feed my sheep"
-- and now He leaves Peter with these final thoughts

-- look back at verse 18

18. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."
19. Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

-- John tells us here what Jesus meant verse 18 -- Jesus was referring to how Peter was going to die -- we know that Peter was martyred -- we know that he died for his faith -- legend has it that he was crucified in Rome upside-down at his request instead of right-side up, because he felt unworthy of dying in the same way that Jesus had died
-- but, I think verse 18 means something more, as well -- in context, I think Jesus was telling Peter that he no longer was his own man -- now, he belonged to Jesus -- in other words, when Peter was younger, he decided what he was going to do -- how he was going to dress -- where he was going to go -- but now, he's part of the body of Christ -- and Jesus was placing him in the body where He wanted him to be -- Jesus would tell him what to wear and where to go and what to do -- Jesus was, in effect, giving Peter a job -- telling him where he fit in the body of Christ

-- look back at verse 20

20. Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?")
21. When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22. Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

-- as Jesus is telling Peter all of this -- as He's telling Peter what he's going to do and even how he's going to die, Peter looks back and sees John following them -- he turns to Jesus and says, "Lord, what about him?"
-- how many times have you said those same words to Jesus? -- how many times have you felt the same way as Peter -- "Lord, look at what I'm doing -- look at how I'm serving you -- I'm here every Sunday -- I lead worship -- I teach Bible study -- I go on missions -- I'm doing it all -- but look at Jim over there -- what about him? -- look at Jane -- what about her? -- they're not doing anything -- they're not helping at all"
-- when you think like this, it can lead to a lot of problems

-- it can affect our personal walk with Christ
-- depending on what you are called to do in the church, it can make you feel prideful about what you are doing for the Lord -- in other words, it can cause us to think more highly about ourselves than we ought to
-- William Morris was the head basketball coach at La Salle University from 1986 to 2001 -- one year, LaSalle was having a pretty good season and everyone was talking about them -- one morning, Coach Morris was shaving when the phone rang -- His wife answered it and called out to
him that Sports Illustrated wanted to talk to him.
-- Coach Morris was excited -- here he was, getting a call from Sports Illustrated to interview him because of what a great job he was doing with La Salle's basketball program -- he got in such a hurry to finish shaving and get to the phone that he cut himself with his razor -- so, covered with blood and shaving cream, he took off running downstairs to answer the phone -- he ended up tripping and actually fell down the stairs -- but, finally, bleeding and bruised, he made it to the phone and breathlessly said, "Hello"?
-- The voice on the other end asked, "Is this Speedy Morris"? -- "Why, yes it is -- how can I help you this morning?" -- the voice continued, "Mr. Morris, for just seventy-five cents an issue, we can give you a one-year subscription to Sports Illustrated."
-- needless to say, Coach Morris' ego deflated rather quickly -- it's not uncommon for us to find out that we're not really as important as we think we are
-- in Romans 12:3, Paul wrote, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith."
-- just because we may be in a more visible role in the body of Christ doesn't make us any better than anyone else -- it just means that God has decided to put us there and we need to just do our job the best we can with His help

-- the same goes true for those people that God has put in the less visible roles -- those people who serve behind the scenes -- those people that we don't think are important, but who play a vital part in the overall health of the church just like honey bees play a vital part in the overall health of our environment
-- Peter asked Jesus, "What about him? -- What's he going to do? -- Why isn't he doing what I'm doing?"
-- and Jesus said, "Don't worry about him -- worry about yourself -- worry about what I have called you to do -- your job is to follow Me"

-- God places us in the body of Christ where we are needed -- He puts us where He wants us -- and He gives us the talents and the tools and the resources that we need to succeed in that place
-- we should never look down on someone because they don't seem to be serving God in the way we think they should -- we should never look down on someone because their job in the church seems menial or unnecessary in our eyes -- we should never feel bad if we aren't the ones leading Bible study or preaching or teaching or doing any of the other more visible acts of service in the church
-- God has puts us where He wants us -- and if we are serving God where He has placed us -- whether that's as a janitor or a dish washer or a Sunday School teacher -- then we are just as valuable and worthy in His eyes as Billy Graham or Bishop King
-- my favorite quote from Martin Luther King, Jr talks about this -- he wrote, "If you are called to be a street sweeper, sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry -- Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'"
-- the important thing is that we are serving God where He wants us serve -- God has called all of us to work in His body -- we all have a role to play -- some roles are visible -- some roles are less visible -- but they all are important
-- as the old saying goes, "there's not any small parts -- only small actors" -- when someone writes a play, they write every role for a reason -- Every role, regardless of stage time or number of lines, is important, otherwise it wouldn't have been written
-- what this is telling us is that in the body of Christ, there are no extras -- there are no unnecessary parts -- everyone is vital and important to the kingdom of God

-- finally, these words of Christ in response to Peter's question tells us that we are to be ourselves -- we're not to try to be anyone else
-- a lot of times in the church, we tend to fall into the trap of uniformity -- in other words, we try to make copy-cat Christians and copy-cat pastors and copy-cat churches -- we expect everyone in church to look and act just like everyone else -- we expect every pastor to look and act just like the pastor next door -- and we expect every church to look and act just like the church down the road
-- and so we tell people, "You need to be doing this or you need to be doing that -- or you should quit doing what you're doing"
-- or we look at the church down the road and say, "Look at what they are doing -- why aren't we doing that -- we need to do that, too"
-- but God made us diverse -- He made us different -- He made us different parts -- and the miracle of the church is how God puts all of us together and forms this wonderful body that is capable of doing eternal work here on earth
-- every one is not called to do everything -- every one is not called to teach Sunday School or to preach or to do a certain ministry or get involved in a certain function just because every one else is doing it
-- every church is not called to do everything -- we're not all called to minister to the homeless -- to have a massive youth program -- to send missionaries around the world -- or to run a clothes closet
-- instead, we are called to do what God tells us to do -- what I do as a follower of Christ may not be what you are called to do -- what we do as a church may not be what the church down the road is called to do -- but together -- when we are doing what God has called us to do -- we are doing kingdom work and making an eternal difference in this world

-- it all comes down to Jesus' final words to Peter in this passage -- "You must follow Me" -- our focus should be on following Christ -- on doing what He has called us to do
-- we shouldn't spend our time trying to make everyone look the same and having them do the same thing -- we shouldn't worry about whether others are doing as much for the Kingdom as we are -- and we certainly shouldn't think too highly of ourselves or that we are doing more than someone else
-- every part is needed -- every member is needed -- every church is needed

-- Peter asked Jesus, "What about him?" -- but that's not the question we need to be asking
-- the question we should be asking is, "What about me?"
-- What does Jesus want you to do for Him? -- Where is He calling you to serve today?

-- if you are not actively involved in serving God in this church in some way, then as we close in prayer, I would invite you to ask God to show you what He wants you to do -- I want to invite you to ask God to put you where He wants you to be
-- if you need advice -- if you want to talk about how you can serve God in this church -- then just let me know and I'll be glad to set up a time to meet with you and help you get plugged in

-- as we go to the Lord in prayer, just remember this -- every member should be involved in ministry -- every member should be a minister -- because every member is needed

-- let us pray

SERMON: THE SALT OF THE EARTH

THE SALT OF THE EARTH
6 September 2009

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Matthew 5

13. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
16. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

-- I'm not sure how much you know about the process of becoming a pastor in the Methodist Church, but one of the things that a new candidate must do is to have a psychological profile conducted before they appoint you to a church -- I guess the Methodist Church must know that anyone that God calls to be a pastor must be out of their mind -- but, anyway, it is a requirement -- so about 10 years ago I went over to Columbus to the psychologist assigned by the Conference and took a battery of psychological tests including the Myers-Briggs Personality Test
-- when the tests were over and the psychologist was going over the results with me, I was highly surprised that he said that my results showed that I was a rebel in regards to authority -- that just did not sound like me -- I am a very compliant person -- I tend to do whatever the authority above me tells me to do -- I do what my boss says -- I dutifully fill out all the paperwork that the Methodist Church sends me -- I follow the rules -- the last word I would use to describe myself would be "rebel"
-- but, lately, I've started wondering if this test wasn't more accurate than I first believed -- I have found myself at odds with my doctor and I have made the decision that I am just not going to do what he has told me to do
-- several years ago, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- my doctor put me on medicine for both and told me to lose weight -- and I've been trying to do that but obviously not making much progress -- but, here's the thing that I'm just not going to do -- my doctor told me that I needed to cut salt out of my diet -- and, honestly, I tried -- I bought salt substitute and I tried eating my food without salt -- but I quickly decided that this was not for me
-- I kind of felt like Mark Twain -- one time Twain decided that he should quit smoking and drinking -- but it only lasted one hour -- Twain said that after one hour he came to the conclusion that life just wasn't worth living if a man couldn't have a cigar and a glass of wine from time to time -- he said he would rather die first -- and that's kind of how I feel about salt
-- have you tried to eat grits without salt? -- how about corn on the cob -- or mashed potatoes -- or eggs -- you just can't do it -- those foods are inedible without salt -- they have no taste -- it's like eating sawdust -- and I quickly decided that I was just going to rebel against my doctor on this one -- I would take my medicine -- I would try to lose weight -- but I was not going to cut salt out of my diet -- that was just not going to happen
-- and, honestly, I think Jesus understands -- He knows the value of salt -- He knows how necessary salt was in a person's life
-- you know, in Jesus' day, salt was even more valuable and necessary than it is in our own day -- we use salt primarily to season our food today -- to enhance the flavor of the food we eat -- to bring out the quality of the food -- salt just makes things taste better
-- but, in Jesus' day, salt was necessary for life -- in a time without refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food and to store it for long periods of time -- kind of like we do now to some extent with salt-cured ham and pickles -- but in Jesus' day, it was the only way to preserve food -- if you didn't have salt, you had no way to store food for winter or to keep food in your pantry during the lean times of the year
-- the people in the first century AD used salt for a variety of purposes -- in addition to preserving food and enhancing flavor -- salt was used to purify and cleanse wounds -- it was used to line the bottom of their clay ovens to keep mold and mildew and germs from growing inside -- farmers would add salt to their soil as a type of fertilizer
-- in fact, salt was so valuable that some Roman soldiers were actually paid with salt instead of money -- that's where we get our English word "salary" from -- it comes from the Latin "salarium," which literally means, "an allowance of salt given to a Roman soldier" -- it's also where we get the phrase, "not worth his salt" -- if a Roman soldier was derelict in his duties, the centurions would refuse to pay him because he was "not worth his salt"
-- people needed salt -- they couldn't live without it -- I think that's one reason why Jesus used salt as a metaphor here in verse 13 to describe Christians
-- so, let's take a few moments this morning and consider what Jesus was trying to get across to us in this passage about salt and light

II. Scripture Lesson (Matthew 5:13-16)
-- these verses come in the context of the sermon on the mount -- the synoptic gospel writers -- Matthew, Mark, and Luke -- tell us that early in Jesus' ministry that he went up on a mountainside in Galilee -- more likely just a tall hill -- and sat down and delivered this sermon to teach what it meant to truly follow Him as His disciple
-- it's in the first twelve verses of the sermon on the mount that we get the Beatitudes -- the short teachings from Jesus that start "Blessed are those who" or "Blessed are the poor in spirit or the meek or the pure in heart"
-- the Beatitudes are about character -- about how a follower of Christ is to think and believe and live in their hearts
-- but here in verses 13-16, Jesus shifts from character to the influence of character -- He shifts from talking about "those who" to specifically saying "you" -- before, Jesus described what the character of a Christian should look like -- now, He shows us how the character of a Christian is supposed to influence and change the world around us
-- He does so by giving us two word pictures in these verses that illustrate the same point -- salt and light -- things that were both necessary for life -- things that both were needed and that both had a purpose -- things that we just couldn't live without -- rather than looking at both salt and light, let's take a few moments and consider what Jesus was teaching us by comparing us to salt

-- look back at the first part of verse 13

13. "You are the salt of the earth.

-- now, this is important -- this is something that you can easily overlook if you read this passage too quickly -- Jesus says here that we are the salt of the earth -- we are -- we're not being made salt -- we're not in the process of becoming salt -- Jesus says if you are His disciple -- if you have received Him as Lord and Savior -- if He has forgiven you of your sins -- then you are the salt of the earth
-- this simple statement carries with it a couple of profound thoughts -- to say that we are the salt of the earth tells us who we are and what we should be doing
-- first, it tells us who we are -- we are the followers of Christ -- we are Christians -- that word, "Christian" literally means "little Christ" -- it implies that we are imitators of Christ in character and behavior and action -- it implies that we possess all of those characteristics that Jesus listed in the Beatitudes -- it implies that our lives are salted with His presence -- that is who we are -- not who we are becoming
-- this reminds me of a little game that I play with Brooke -- do you remember what it was like to be a teenager? -- do you remember how hard it was? -- how your self-esteem and your self-worth was based more on what your peers thought of you than reality? -- well, when Brooke's having a normal teenager day and she's not thinking very highly of herself, I like to turn to her and ask her this question, "Who are you?" -- and then I give the answer -- "You are a princess -- you are the daughter of the King -- you are God's beloved creation -- and that is how you should live"
-- that's the same thing that Jesus is doing for us here in this passage -- He's reminding us of who we are -- when the world gets us down -- when things and people and bosses and jobs and everything is just stomping on you and telling you that you are worthless -- Jesus says "Who are you? -- You are the salt of the earth -- you are the very imitation of Me -- you have within you My Spirit and My presence -- you are valuable beyond measure -- you are the heirs of the kingdom of God -- now live like the royalty you are"

-- which brings us to the second thought from this statement -- when Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth, it tells us what we are to do
-- as I mentioned earlier, salt was extremely valuable in Jesus' day -- it was used as a preservative and to flavor food and to purify and cure disease -- and all of these are the same functions that Jesus is calling us to perform in our lives today
-- as the salt of the earth, Christians are to preserve and flavor the world around us -- the Scriptures tell us that apart from Christ, this world and the people of this world are rotting and decaying -- they have no life -- they have no hope -- they are on a path that is leading them straight to Hell and eternal separation from God
-- it is our job, as Christians, to preserve and flavor the world -- we are to be for them the very presence of Christ -- we are to be His hands and His feet that reach out and point the world around us to life and salvation and eternity through Jesus
-- we are to carry the good news of the death and resurrection of Christ to this world -- to let them know that there is hope -- that there is salvation -- that there is forgiveness of sins and restoration of the soul through the body and blood of Jesus
-- as Christians, we are to live in such a way that we have an impact on our world and flavor it with the presence of God

-- look back at the second part of verse 13

13b. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.


-- Luke carries this teaching a little farther in his gospel -- in Luke 14:34-35 he records Jesus as saying that when salt has lost its saltiness, it is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile -- those are harsh words, indeed
-- what does Jesus mean here? -- what point is He trying to get across?
-- Jesus has been talking about the impact that a Christian should have on the world around them -- they are to season and preserve and flavor this world with the gospel of Christ -- but now Jesus asks the question, "What happens if the salt loses its saltiness? -- what happens if the salt doesn't do what it is supposed to do? -- What value does it have then?
-- any housewife -- for that matter, any cook or any scientist -- will tell you that salt doesn't lose it's saltiness -- sodium chloride -- table salt -- is such a stable compound that it is very difficult for it to be broken apart and lose its character and its flavor -- in other words, salt just doesn't lose its saltiness
-- Bible scholars have suggested that the salt in Jesus' day was different -- it wasn't pure table salt -- instead it came from the Dead Sea -- it was often mixed with impurities, making it less salty -- and that there were conditions in which the salt could be leached out or made less effective -- possibly through exposure to water or the air -- excessive sunlight -- or even other chemicals
-- and the scholars say that when once the salt content had dissolved or drained away, the residual mineral would be salt that had lost its savor -- and it was good for nothing other than being thrown away and trampled by men
-- but that's really missing the point that Jesus was trying to make here -- the issue isn't whether salt can lose its saltiness or not -- the issue is whether the salt is fulfilling the purpose for which it was made -- is the salt being made available to this world to preserve it and season it and purify it?

-- not too long ago, I knocked our saltshaker off the cabinet and broke it -- Kim went out and bought a new saltshaker -- this was one was made out of aluminum so I wouldn't break it
-- shortly after she bought it I was cooking supper and the dish needed more salt -- so, I grabbed up the saltshaker and shook it over the dish and tasted it again -- still needed more salt -- so, I grabbed the shaker again, shook it over the dish, and tasted it -- no difference -- nothing had changed -- I tried one more time -- and then I noticed something
-- this saltshaker has a plastic cap that covers the holes on the top -- it didn't matter how hard I shook it -- until this cap was removed, no salt was coming out -- it was unavailable -- it was not fulfilling its purpose

-- when we're trying to understand this verse, let's not get caught up on semantics or argue about whether salt can really lose its saltiness or not
-- the point that Jesus is trying to make here -- the question that He's asking us this morning is, "Are My people actively involved in the affairs of this world to the point where they are having an influence on the people around them?" -- or, to make it more personal, "Are we living out our character in such a way that we are preserving and seasoning and purifying those we come into contact with?
-- are we available to the world around us or have we lost our saltiness?

-- remember what this verse is all about -- Jesus isn't challenging us to become salt -- He's not saying that if we follow Him that eventually we will become salty in our nature -- no, Jesus says that we are salt and that we are either fulfilling or failing to live out the responsibility that goes along with it
-- either you are living a salty life by preserving and seasoning and purifying everything and everyone that you come into contact with or you are not -- there is no middle ground -- and Jesus offers harsh words for those who have lost their saltiness
-- what good are those who have lost their saltiness -- who have made themselves unavailable to the world -- Jesus says they are not good for anything

III. Closing
-- in one of his messages, John Stott quoted Robert Bellah, a sociologist who teaches at the University of California at Berkeley -- Bellah's focus of research is on the influence of religion on a community -- in other words, can a community of faith have an effect on those around them?
-- In an interview in Psychology Today Bellah said, "We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a new vision of a just and gentle world -- the quality of a culture may be changed when [just] 2 percent of its people have a new vision."
-- we have more than 2 percent of the population in our community represented here this morning -- so, why aren't we having more effect? -- why aren't we having more influence?
-- any cook will tell you that it just takes a little bit of salt to change the entire flavor
of a dish of food -- if we are salt, as Jesus says we are, then why aren't we having more of an impact on the world around us?
-- have we lost our saltiness? -- are we keeping our salt in the shaker away from the world that we are called to minister to?

-- we need to start thinking of this sanctuary as a salt shaker -- we can come in here once a week -- we can fellowship with all the other salt -- we can worship together and have a good time and think that our job is accomplished -- but really, we're just sitting in a shaker with the cap on
-- God wants us to be available to this world -- He brought us together in this place as His salt so He could shake us out on the world around us -- He wants us to be an influence for Jesus -- He wants us to preserve and season and purify this community for Him

-- the question that I want to leave you with this morning is this -- have you lost your saltiness? -- is your Christianity only lived out inside this salt shaker of a sanctuary?
-- salt sitting in a shaker has lost its saltiness -- it can't fulfill its purpose -- it will never exert its preservative and curing effect until it is shaken into the world around it
-- Jesus called us salt -- He wants us to permeate and penetrate every level of society and to season this world -- but you can't do that sitting in a shaker and just coming to church every Sunday and doing nothing more
-- as I close in prayer, think about these questions -- are you sitting or are you shaking? -- have you lost your saltiness or are you living as the salt of the earth?

-- let us pray