Topic: Twofold
1st What can the church do for a Christian?
2nd What can a Christian do for the Church?
To start with I want everyone to be aware of the fact that this is a very inclusive and lengthy topic and requires much more time and talent than I have as I stand before you this morning.
I would like at the start also to establish the fact that what I have to say on the subject is my own personal view point. If my point of view doesn't agree exactly with yours I hope you will not shut your mind's eye but rather will listen to what I say and take it home and chew on it, and then tell me what you think. In this way you and I can both grow. This is known as constructive communication. Thomas Paine put this in a much simpler form.--He said, " If I do not believe as you believe, it proves that you do not believe as I believe, and that's all it proves."
Before we can take up the discussion of this twofold topic we need to establish by detention what we mean by the terms Christian-and-Church-- and I am going to include the term "born-again Christian".
A Christian is a person professing a belief in Jesus as the Christ, or a person having the qualities demonstrated and taught by Jesus Christ.
The Church is the fellowship of Christians. In the New Testament the word for Church is "ecclesia". The basic meaning of this word is a meeting or gathering of people. Ecclesia may be viewed from the standpoint of God's action towards and upon men. The ecclesia or Church then can be understood as the people who have been called out, chosen, gathered, justified, glorified, or sanctified by God. God calls men; they in response call upon God. Those who thus constitute the ecclesia, or Church.
Born-again Christian--many of today's Christians avoid the use of this term--it embarrasses them. In the early or first Church the followers of Christ where simply know as Christians. The term was tacked on to all those that lived according to Christ's teachings. Today as I stated before this is not the meaning of the word Christian, so there is a need to distinguish between Christian and born-again Christian in my opinion. Today a true Christian-- a born-again Christian-- is one who has accepted Christ and his way for his life and is honestly trying to live according to Christ's teachings. Let me hasten to add he is not a perfect man or woman.
Now that we have set the ground rules for this talk let us consider, "What the Church can do for Christian".
It can provide opportunities for learning. In the Church school, in the prayer meeting groups, in the MYF meetings, and in special study groups. These times of study are very important for all Christians because they provide the opportunities for growth toward Christian perfection.
The Church can provide the fellowship that is necessary for all Christians.--If we are going to be good Christians we should look for our fellowship among other good Christians. If all of your fellowship is in and of the world you will fall short of being part of the ecclesia. It is as simple as this---good begets good---and evil begets evil.
The Church provides the Christian with many high moments in his life---such as baptism, confirmation, membership and opportunities to serve. It provides the renewing of the mind, heart and spirit in the service of communion. It starts two people off on the road to a life -time companionship in the marriage ceremony. It provides solace and comfort when we suffer the loss of loved ones.
The business of the Church is to provide a starting place for all people and to help them to grow in the knowledge and stature of Jesus Christ to the end that they will love the Lord their God with all their hearts, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and their neighbor as their self.
Secondly--"What can a Christian do for the Church?"
Let's look on the negative side first. A nominal Christian can be a bad influence to other people around him. He can be a negative witness by poor attendance, by worldly living, and by association with bad companions. You have all heard the people speak of this type of Christian witnesses too--you've heard this argument--"why do I want to join that Church on the corner of Melville and St. Clair--look at all the hypocrites that go there. But friends I would rather see these so called hypocrites in the Church exposed to the love of God and the fellowship of the ecclesia than standing outside the fellowship making excuses for their moral attitude toward the call of God.
On the positive side the born-again Christian can serve the Church in many ways.--He can be the leader of a Sunday School class, he can work with Youth groups. He can serve the Church by offering his service to the commission on Membership and Evangelism by offering to call in the homes of the membership and in the community. He can give of his time and talent by serving on the boards and committees when called on by the nominating committee. He can support the Church through the work of the Women's Society, the Guild and the Men's Club. By giving of his time and talent to the local Church the Christian is able to advance the cause of Jesus Christ through out the world through missions and evangelism.
Let me close with a thought from Bishop Gerald Kennedy's book titled "I Believe". He says--I believe in the Church. I believe that every man who knows he ought to do something about making the world a better place should be in the Church. I believe the Church can add my own feeble efforts to the efforts of others and make them count for something. He continues with this little antidote--Someone asked a deaf and dumb man, "Why do you come to Church each Sunday when you cannot hear the Service?"
He wrote out this reply: "I come each week to let people know which side I am on."
Finally Bishop Kennedy says---I want to be on the side of the Church, I need the comfort and inspiration of the Christian fellowship, and that fellowship deserves the best I can give it. Just as it is impossible to be an American without America, I believe it is impossible to be a Christian without the Church.
Nottingham Methodist Church
Nottingham Village, Cleveland, Ohio
10/10/1965
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Giving to God
Hymn no 31 "when Morning Gilds the sky"
Call to Worship: Dearly beloved, we are come together in the presence of almighty God, and of the whole company of heaven, to make humble confession of our sin unto him; to set forth his most worthy praise; to hear his most holy Word; to declare faith in him, to ask, for ourselves and all men, those things which are necessary for the body and the soul; to offer unto him the service of our lives; and to receive his blessing.
Wherefore; let us rejoice and offer unto god our praises.
Scripture text: Luke 12:16-34
Hymn of preparation No.255 Take My Life and Let it Be
Hymn of dedication No. 226 O Jesus I have Promised
Giving to God
There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, "I hate to," duty giving says, "I ought to," thanksgiving says, "I want to." The first comes from constraint, the second from a sense of obligation, the third from a full heart. Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since "The gift without the giver is bare." Something more happens in duty giving but there is no song in it. Thanksgiving is an open gate into the love of God.
I would like to talk to you this morning about our attitudes concerning giving to God.
Giving involves many areas and facets of our lives. We will limit ourselves this morning to three areas-- what we give, how we give, and why we give.
We give because of the abundant blessing that is promised us in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10, where we find God speaking through the Prophet and saying bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, and prove me herewith, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing. Yes, God says try me.
I have had many people question me about the tithe and I think that too much emphasis has been placed on the amount a person should give. Let's quickly look at some scriptural rules for giving.
We give according to income. Deuteronomy 16 verse 17 says, every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the lord thy God which he hath given thee.
We are to give without display or show for Jesus said "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."
Give Freely---In Luke---Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together, for with the same measure as you give it will be measured to you again."
Paul in speaking to the church at Corinth about giving said that they should set aside an amount on the first day of the week as God has prospered them, so there would be no gatherings when he came.--- Paul was saying be orderly about your giving--set it aside regularly, freely, cheerfully as God has prospered you. Paul's words still apply---Give freely-- this is the hard part for most of us, Yes, we give, but we like to channel and direct or giving. Some of us say I want my money to go toward paying the pastor's salary, others say I don't believe in Missions so I want all my giving to go to general church expenses, I don't approve of building fund so don't put any money there. Can you see how this attitude multiplied over and over again in the church hampers the work of Jesus Christ in the world?
We have many examples in the bible of Munificent giving, the greatest of these is the story of the widow's mite.
Jesus sat watching the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in great sums of money, but the widow cast in all that she had even her living.-- This scripture has always given me trouble, it seems to say that the widow will receive a greater reward because she gave all she had. This is not in focus with the picture we have of Jesus, the one who loved all men, looking at the widow's act of giving as better than say the free, willing, loving gift of a rich man. Many times where great people are involved their friends when talking and writing about them tend to make them do and say things that are not in character with their nature, and I think the writer here in Mark had a slight tendency to do just that.
But this story also indicates to us what we are to do more than give out of our abundance.- Too many people today give out of what is left over, we, many of us, fall into the same sin that the early Hebrews did in their sacrificial giving to the temple, they gave sick, blind, lame beasts to the temple for sacrifice, instead of the new born, unblemished animal that was required. Malachi the prophet of God said of this---it would be better to shut the great gates of the temple and extinguish the fires on the alter than to allow this shameful practice to continue.
Of course we don't sacrifice at the alter today. But we do give the lame, the sick, the blind beasts.---We serve at Church if we have any time left over, we give from the end of our income instead of setting aside at the beginning regularly, we visit the sick if we have time, we would go on listing the ways that we give the "sick, the lame, and blind beasts", because we are turned in on ourselves and just plain don't have time for the things of God.
The robbers in Christ's parable jumped on the man who was passing by and tore off his clothes and mugged him and left him half dead by the side of the road. After awhile a couple of other men came by who were not half dead but only half alive, because when they looked at the man lying in the ditch, what they saw, this priest and this Levite, was just a man lying in a ditch. Half dead
They saw the man, but they also saw the road, and in their mind's eye they saw whatever goal they were traveling that road to reach. They recognized two needs, the need of the wounded man for help and their own need to get where they were going. These men were not especially bad or heartless men, they were just men turned in on their own business and need. This is the sad state of many churchmen today. Christians who give to God if it is convenient --- If they have time.
But I see the question in your eyes, you say OK-- what is the proper tithe, where does the blessing come in, how do we experience this blessing. The tithe is the regular amount that is given no strings attached to the work of the Church.--The tithe includes service as well as money, each of us has talent in an area that can be used in the work of the kingdom. This monetary amount and the hours we give will increase as we experience the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This working of the Holy Spirit begins with our smallest beginning, and grows---this is the blessing, not riches or fame, or success in business, no these things although we can achieve them are not blessings. The real blessing is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we experience this the tithe is right and proper. (L tourmeau)
First Timothy 6:7 gives us marching orders. Paul says---We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and predition. For love of money is the root of all evil. Which while some coveted after, they have erred from faith, an pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
An Paul continues, I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Lord says, "try me". "Bring ye all the tithe into storehouse and prove me herewith, and see if I will not open the window of heaven and pour you out a blessing."
Prayer of Confession:
Our heavenly Father, who by thy love hast made us, and through thy love hast kept us, and in thy love wouldst make us perfect: we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and we have not loved one another as Christ hath loved us. Thy life is within our souls, but our selfishness hath hindered thee. We have not lived by faith. We have resisted thy Spirit. We have neglected thine inspirations.
Forgive what we have been; help us to amend what we are; and in thy Spirit direct what shall be; that thou mayest come into the full glory of thy creation, in us and in all men; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen
Nottingham Zion 196?
Call to Worship: Dearly beloved, we are come together in the presence of almighty God, and of the whole company of heaven, to make humble confession of our sin unto him; to set forth his most worthy praise; to hear his most holy Word; to declare faith in him, to ask, for ourselves and all men, those things which are necessary for the body and the soul; to offer unto him the service of our lives; and to receive his blessing.
Wherefore; let us rejoice and offer unto god our praises.
Scripture text: Luke 12:16-34
Hymn of preparation No.255 Take My Life and Let it Be
Hymn of dedication No. 226 O Jesus I have Promised
Giving to God
There are three kinds of giving: grudge giving, duty giving, and thanksgiving. Grudge giving says, "I hate to," duty giving says, "I ought to," thanksgiving says, "I want to." The first comes from constraint, the second from a sense of obligation, the third from a full heart. Nothing much is conveyed in grudge giving since "The gift without the giver is bare." Something more happens in duty giving but there is no song in it. Thanksgiving is an open gate into the love of God.
I would like to talk to you this morning about our attitudes concerning giving to God.
Giving involves many areas and facets of our lives. We will limit ourselves this morning to three areas-- what we give, how we give, and why we give.
We give because of the abundant blessing that is promised us in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10, where we find God speaking through the Prophet and saying bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, and prove me herewith, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing. Yes, God says try me.
I have had many people question me about the tithe and I think that too much emphasis has been placed on the amount a person should give. Let's quickly look at some scriptural rules for giving.
We give according to income. Deuteronomy 16 verse 17 says, every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the lord thy God which he hath given thee.
We are to give without display or show for Jesus said "When thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."
Give Freely---In Luke---Jesus said, "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down and shaken together, for with the same measure as you give it will be measured to you again."
Paul in speaking to the church at Corinth about giving said that they should set aside an amount on the first day of the week as God has prospered them, so there would be no gatherings when he came.--- Paul was saying be orderly about your giving--set it aside regularly, freely, cheerfully as God has prospered you. Paul's words still apply---Give freely-- this is the hard part for most of us, Yes, we give, but we like to channel and direct or giving. Some of us say I want my money to go toward paying the pastor's salary, others say I don't believe in Missions so I want all my giving to go to general church expenses, I don't approve of building fund so don't put any money there. Can you see how this attitude multiplied over and over again in the church hampers the work of Jesus Christ in the world?
We have many examples in the bible of Munificent giving, the greatest of these is the story of the widow's mite.
Jesus sat watching the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in great sums of money, but the widow cast in all that she had even her living.-- This scripture has always given me trouble, it seems to say that the widow will receive a greater reward because she gave all she had. This is not in focus with the picture we have of Jesus, the one who loved all men, looking at the widow's act of giving as better than say the free, willing, loving gift of a rich man. Many times where great people are involved their friends when talking and writing about them tend to make them do and say things that are not in character with their nature, and I think the writer here in Mark had a slight tendency to do just that.
But this story also indicates to us what we are to do more than give out of our abundance.- Too many people today give out of what is left over, we, many of us, fall into the same sin that the early Hebrews did in their sacrificial giving to the temple, they gave sick, blind, lame beasts to the temple for sacrifice, instead of the new born, unblemished animal that was required. Malachi the prophet of God said of this---it would be better to shut the great gates of the temple and extinguish the fires on the alter than to allow this shameful practice to continue.
Of course we don't sacrifice at the alter today. But we do give the lame, the sick, the blind beasts.---We serve at Church if we have any time left over, we give from the end of our income instead of setting aside at the beginning regularly, we visit the sick if we have time, we would go on listing the ways that we give the "sick, the lame, and blind beasts", because we are turned in on ourselves and just plain don't have time for the things of God.
The robbers in Christ's parable jumped on the man who was passing by and tore off his clothes and mugged him and left him half dead by the side of the road. After awhile a couple of other men came by who were not half dead but only half alive, because when they looked at the man lying in the ditch, what they saw, this priest and this Levite, was just a man lying in a ditch. Half dead
They saw the man, but they also saw the road, and in their mind's eye they saw whatever goal they were traveling that road to reach. They recognized two needs, the need of the wounded man for help and their own need to get where they were going. These men were not especially bad or heartless men, they were just men turned in on their own business and need. This is the sad state of many churchmen today. Christians who give to God if it is convenient --- If they have time.
But I see the question in your eyes, you say OK-- what is the proper tithe, where does the blessing come in, how do we experience this blessing. The tithe is the regular amount that is given no strings attached to the work of the Church.--The tithe includes service as well as money, each of us has talent in an area that can be used in the work of the kingdom. This monetary amount and the hours we give will increase as we experience the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This working of the Holy Spirit begins with our smallest beginning, and grows---this is the blessing, not riches or fame, or success in business, no these things although we can achieve them are not blessings. The real blessing is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we experience this the tithe is right and proper. (L tourmeau)
First Timothy 6:7 gives us marching orders. Paul says---We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and predition. For love of money is the root of all evil. Which while some coveted after, they have erred from faith, an pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
An Paul continues, I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Yes, the Lord says, "try me". "Bring ye all the tithe into storehouse and prove me herewith, and see if I will not open the window of heaven and pour you out a blessing."
Prayer of Confession:
Our heavenly Father, who by thy love hast made us, and through thy love hast kept us, and in thy love wouldst make us perfect: we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and we have not loved one another as Christ hath loved us. Thy life is within our souls, but our selfishness hath hindered thee. We have not lived by faith. We have resisted thy Spirit. We have neglected thine inspirations.
Forgive what we have been; help us to amend what we are; and in thy Spirit direct what shall be; that thou mayest come into the full glory of thy creation, in us and in all men; through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen
Nottingham Zion 196?
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Cages
Most of us attend church to receive grace, to pray for what we need. We come to with the idea of getting to know Christ better as a person - To enter more fully into His plans, not as servants but as friends. We come in order to put on Christ as our mantle and go into His waiting wonderful world and plain love, honor and respect every one of his creatures we meet in the market place, on the expressway, or down at the laundry-mat.
I ask everyone here: What kind of a fellowship would we experience at the laundry-mat. a Super-market, and expressway if we carried this spirit with us.
It would be terrible - why - people would look at people instead of ignoring them.We'll watch our safety rules on the road more closely, we'd watch our tongues, our tempers and dispositions at the water-coolers and in the kitchen. Oh, it'd be ghastly! No - - I'm afraid this tired ol' world might shake and die from fright if we'd "put on Christ and let our hearts and souls out of their tiny confining cages of conformity, complacency, and mistrust.
I ask everyone here: What kind of a fellowship would we experience at the laundry-mat. a Super-market, and expressway if we carried this spirit with us.
It would be terrible - why - people would look at people instead of ignoring them.We'll watch our safety rules on the road more closely, we'd watch our tongues, our tempers and dispositions at the water-coolers and in the kitchen. Oh, it'd be ghastly! No - - I'm afraid this tired ol' world might shake and die from fright if we'd "put on Christ and let our hearts and souls out of their tiny confining cages of conformity, complacency, and mistrust.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Granny's Salmon Patties
1 T. Flour
1 T. butter
1/2 c. milk
small onion, grated
1 can Red Salmon
10-12 eggs
Make white sauce of flour, butter, and milk. Add onion to cook a little at the end.
Clean all the black and bones from salmon - break in small pieces. Add white sauce with onion.
Add eggs at least 10 and when you fry a sample, if it is too thick, add other two eggs. You may add salt and pepper to taste.
The pan will need to have shortening added as you fry. They should look like small pancakes.
How to Believe, Ralph W Sockman, page - 204:
God does not gather up the dust of decayed corpse and restore it to its earthly form. Paul declares that the body will be changed. "It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body." (I Cor 15:44)
1 T. butter
1/2 c. milk
small onion, grated
1 can Red Salmon
10-12 eggs
Make white sauce of flour, butter, and milk. Add onion to cook a little at the end.
Clean all the black and bones from salmon - break in small pieces. Add white sauce with onion.
Add eggs at least 10 and when you fry a sample, if it is too thick, add other two eggs. You may add salt and pepper to taste.
The pan will need to have shortening added as you fry. They should look like small pancakes.
How to Believe, Ralph W Sockman, page - 204:
God does not gather up the dust of decayed corpse and restore it to its earthly form. Paul declares that the body will be changed. "It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body." (I Cor 15:44)
Monday, March 21, 2011
History and God - Notes
How to Believe
Ralph W Sockman (Pg 62)
"When the late Charles A Beard came to the close of his brilliant career at Columbia, He was asked what lessons he had learned from his life-long study and teaching of history. He struck of these points. 1. The mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine. 2. Those whom the gods are about to destroy, they first make mad. 3. When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars. 4. The bee fertilizes the flower that it robs.
Here are at least four evidences of a sovereign purpose and justice at the heart of the universe."
to love, forgive, accept, and give - and thus become the person God intended us to be.
Ralph W Sockman (Pg 62)
"When the late Charles A Beard came to the close of his brilliant career at Columbia, He was asked what lessons he had learned from his life-long study and teaching of history. He struck of these points. 1. The mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceedingly fine. 2. Those whom the gods are about to destroy, they first make mad. 3. When it gets dark enough, you can see the stars. 4. The bee fertilizes the flower that it robs.
Here are at least four evidences of a sovereign purpose and justice at the heart of the universe."
to love, forgive, accept, and give - and thus become the person God intended us to be.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Teach Us To Pray
SCRIPTURE TEXT Matthew 6:5-13
Prayer is religion in action.
Prayer is as old as civilization itself. Man has always found much which perplexed him, natural phenomena he could not explain. To help release himself from the fear of the unknown, primitive man often placed his faith in ONE who could help. In the beginning he prayed to fire, wind, the moon and the sun; thunder lightning streams, lakes, mountains, and trees. He attained communion with "another" who could bring about something that man alone could not achieve.
Man today is still beset by problems, anxieties and fears fears as binding as those man has faced through the ages. Although science has given him many answers, he is still surrounded by much that bewilders him.
This was the condition of the disciples in out scripture reading.
The disciples seeing and realizing that Christ spent much time in prayer, and witnessing the fact that Christ received great spiritual strength from his communion with the heavenly Father, desired also to pray after this manner. On various occasions they desired that Christ should teach them to pray. It is natural that they should have this desire, for all men should pray. God made man to be in communion with Himself, He did this first of all because He cherishes that communion. But the importance of prayer lies in the further fact that man is dependent upon God. Men ought to pray always because one single step apart from His wisdom and gracious providence would start man in the direction of destruction.
Jesus first of all set the pattern for prayer in verse 5-7. We are not to stand and pray to be seen of men. Rather we are to pray to our father in secret. He tells us our prayers should be communion with God not just a recital. And he tells us our Father knows our needs and will honor the fervent prayer of a righteous man. Prayer is not to inform God or persuade him. He knows and loves us, but he has set prayer as a mysterious law of approach to him. It has something that prepares the way for the answer. The important distinction in this connection is that, although we should pray, we must put our trust in God rather than trusting in prayer. The question may follow, why should we have to ask him or tell him if he know?
The simple answer is that God has made it a law, in a sense as truly a law as the law of gravity. It is a prescribed method of approach to our Maker, and we may assume that there is something in the very effect of prayer that prepares us to receive the blessing we seek. Two of the universal requirements for victorious prayer are clean hands and a humble heart. In I John 3:22 we read that we have a standing access to answered prayer, if we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And so Jesus tells them beginning in verse 9 when you pray, pray then like this--. And so he gave to us what we call today the Lord's Prayer, it is brief as prayer goes, it is simple and meaningful. The prayer begins by declaring God as our heavenly Father. This was Christ' usual address to God when he prayed. he establishes God as the divine Ruler and Maker and enthrones his name with the words "hallowed be Thy name". Our Father is the highest and dearest name we know, embracing both father and mother and embodying both justice and mercy. Our first petition then is-- Hallowed be Thy name. The second and third petitions-- Thy kingdom com, Thy will be done.
God's kingdom cannot come to man until man does God's will. Thus we petition that God's will be accomplished in our lives that His kingdom may come. This should be a joyous petition, for the kingdom of God is righteousness, joy, and peace.
The fourth petition-- Give us this day our daily bread.-- This prayer is concerned with our day by day needs both temporal and spiritual. The bread that we seek is bread for the body and bread for the soul. This is supplied to us in direct proportion to our submission to God's will.
The fifth petition-- And forgive us our debts, as we forgive or debtors.-- We seek in this prayer forgiveness of sin, both sin against God and sin against our fellow-man. Forgive us our debts-- but along with this is the prayer, as we forgive or debtors. The two forgivenesses go together, we cannot hope to obtain forgiveness if we refuse to forgive. An unforgiving spirit closes God out of our lives. He is ready to forgive but often we are not ready to be forgiven. Eph. 4:32 tells us: "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ' sake hath forgiven you."
The sixth petition-- And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. This prayer is probably best explained as the plea of conscious weakness. We do need testing. It is no sin to be tempted, it is sin only when we fall prey to temptation. This prayer admits our weakness and asks God's help for deliverance.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. amen.
This ascription to the Lord's Prayer was almost certainly not in the original prayer. But we may be glad for the addition. This doxology of the Lord's Prayer is the churches praise for his risen power.
No one has yet exhausted the power of prayer in a lifetime.
"Your contribution," says Dr. Laubach, "can be titanic beyond all imagination. It depends upon one thing only-- how much time and heart and mind and soul and strength and prayer to give to God's world task."
And so in this manner Christ taught his disciples and us to pray.
Man ought always to pray-- Luke18:1-8 says "and he (Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said in a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man, and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying vindicate me against my adversary; for a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming."
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily."
We too can talk with God-- for ourself --that our experience of Christ right now may be as fresh and vital as the air we breathe.
For others that we right now may share the concern of Christ for others.
For the world-- that continuing peace of Christ may become the peace of the whole world.
Finally-- see that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another, and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Let us join in prayer-- Dear Lord, who makest all the commandments of the law to consist in love toward God and toward man, grant to us so to love Thee with all our heart, with all our mind, and all our soul, and our neighbor as ourselves, that the grace of charity and brotherly love may dwell in us, and all envy, harshness, and ill will may die in us. And we beseech Thee, so to fill our hearts with true affections that by constantly rejoicing in the happiness and good success of others, by sympathizing with them in their sorrows, and by putting away all harsh judgments and envious thoughts we may follow Thee, who art the Way the Truth and the Life. In Jesus name--
Amen.
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit and go with you.
Amen.
Nottingham Methodist Church 7/14/1963 -- Evening
Nottingham Village, Cleveland, Ohio
Prayer is religion in action.
Prayer is as old as civilization itself. Man has always found much which perplexed him, natural phenomena he could not explain. To help release himself from the fear of the unknown, primitive man often placed his faith in ONE who could help. In the beginning he prayed to fire, wind, the moon and the sun; thunder lightning streams, lakes, mountains, and trees. He attained communion with "another" who could bring about something that man alone could not achieve.
Man today is still beset by problems, anxieties and fears fears as binding as those man has faced through the ages. Although science has given him many answers, he is still surrounded by much that bewilders him.
This was the condition of the disciples in out scripture reading.
The disciples seeing and realizing that Christ spent much time in prayer, and witnessing the fact that Christ received great spiritual strength from his communion with the heavenly Father, desired also to pray after this manner. On various occasions they desired that Christ should teach them to pray. It is natural that they should have this desire, for all men should pray. God made man to be in communion with Himself, He did this first of all because He cherishes that communion. But the importance of prayer lies in the further fact that man is dependent upon God. Men ought to pray always because one single step apart from His wisdom and gracious providence would start man in the direction of destruction.
Jesus first of all set the pattern for prayer in verse 5-7. We are not to stand and pray to be seen of men. Rather we are to pray to our father in secret. He tells us our prayers should be communion with God not just a recital. And he tells us our Father knows our needs and will honor the fervent prayer of a righteous man. Prayer is not to inform God or persuade him. He knows and loves us, but he has set prayer as a mysterious law of approach to him. It has something that prepares the way for the answer. The important distinction in this connection is that, although we should pray, we must put our trust in God rather than trusting in prayer. The question may follow, why should we have to ask him or tell him if he know?
The simple answer is that God has made it a law, in a sense as truly a law as the law of gravity. It is a prescribed method of approach to our Maker, and we may assume that there is something in the very effect of prayer that prepares us to receive the blessing we seek. Two of the universal requirements for victorious prayer are clean hands and a humble heart. In I John 3:22 we read that we have a standing access to answered prayer, if we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
And so Jesus tells them beginning in verse 9 when you pray, pray then like this--. And so he gave to us what we call today the Lord's Prayer, it is brief as prayer goes, it is simple and meaningful. The prayer begins by declaring God as our heavenly Father. This was Christ' usual address to God when he prayed. he establishes God as the divine Ruler and Maker and enthrones his name with the words "hallowed be Thy name". Our Father is the highest and dearest name we know, embracing both father and mother and embodying both justice and mercy. Our first petition then is-- Hallowed be Thy name. The second and third petitions-- Thy kingdom com, Thy will be done.
God's kingdom cannot come to man until man does God's will. Thus we petition that God's will be accomplished in our lives that His kingdom may come. This should be a joyous petition, for the kingdom of God is righteousness, joy, and peace.
The fourth petition-- Give us this day our daily bread.-- This prayer is concerned with our day by day needs both temporal and spiritual. The bread that we seek is bread for the body and bread for the soul. This is supplied to us in direct proportion to our submission to God's will.
The fifth petition-- And forgive us our debts, as we forgive or debtors.-- We seek in this prayer forgiveness of sin, both sin against God and sin against our fellow-man. Forgive us our debts-- but along with this is the prayer, as we forgive or debtors. The two forgivenesses go together, we cannot hope to obtain forgiveness if we refuse to forgive. An unforgiving spirit closes God out of our lives. He is ready to forgive but often we are not ready to be forgiven. Eph. 4:32 tells us: "Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted forgiving one another, even as God for Christ' sake hath forgiven you."
The sixth petition-- And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. This prayer is probably best explained as the plea of conscious weakness. We do need testing. It is no sin to be tempted, it is sin only when we fall prey to temptation. This prayer admits our weakness and asks God's help for deliverance.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. amen.
This ascription to the Lord's Prayer was almost certainly not in the original prayer. But we may be glad for the addition. This doxology of the Lord's Prayer is the churches praise for his risen power.
No one has yet exhausted the power of prayer in a lifetime.
"Your contribution," says Dr. Laubach, "can be titanic beyond all imagination. It depends upon one thing only-- how much time and heart and mind and soul and strength and prayer to give to God's world task."
And so in this manner Christ taught his disciples and us to pray.
Man ought always to pray-- Luke18:1-8 says "and he (Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said in a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man, and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying vindicate me against my adversary; for a while he refused, but afterwards he said to himself, though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming."
And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily."
We too can talk with God-- for ourself --that our experience of Christ right now may be as fresh and vital as the air we breathe.
For others that we right now may share the concern of Christ for others.
For the world-- that continuing peace of Christ may become the peace of the whole world.
Finally-- see that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another, and to all. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Let us join in prayer-- Dear Lord, who makest all the commandments of the law to consist in love toward God and toward man, grant to us so to love Thee with all our heart, with all our mind, and all our soul, and our neighbor as ourselves, that the grace of charity and brotherly love may dwell in us, and all envy, harshness, and ill will may die in us. And we beseech Thee, so to fill our hearts with true affections that by constantly rejoicing in the happiness and good success of others, by sympathizing with them in their sorrows, and by putting away all harsh judgments and envious thoughts we may follow Thee, who art the Way the Truth and the Life. In Jesus name--
Amen.
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit and go with you.
Amen.
Nottingham Methodist Church 7/14/1963 -- Evening
Nottingham Village, Cleveland, Ohio
Monday, October 18, 2010
What is a Methodist
Scripture Text J.B Phillips
The Letter to Ephesus 2:1-10, pg 412-13
To each Methodist layman the organization of his own local church seems more important than the big over all structure of Methodism as a whole. This is understandable. He lives his life in the local church, attends to it's finances, and if he is a Steward, Trustee, or other church officer, he has a direct part to play in the church work. He knows in a general way the Methodist Church is a big institution with bishops and boards, with conferences and huge budgets. But too often the average layman feels that the Methodist organization is too complicated for him to understand; and because he does not necessarily have to understand it, he is inclined to dismiss it from further thought.
Yet it is not too difficult to understand and every methodist should know in a general way how it functions.
The Methodist Church, though large, is a closely knit organization. The basic unit of organization is the local church, or "charge", as it has been called in Methodism. A charge may be one or more local churches. If it is one it is termed a station charge, if more than one it is a circuit charge.
Charges are grouped geographically into districts each supervised by a minister known as the District Superintendent. Districts in turn compose a larger grouping, called the Annual Conference. This is presided over by a Bishop.
Annual Conferences in turn make up larger regional divisions known as Jurisdictions, of which there are six in the United States.
Who then are the people that comprise the Methodist Church?
A Methodist is the postman, the baker, the garbage man, your neighbor, your employer, your fellow-workmen, your closest friend. Methodists are peoples of all walks of life, and of all races.
But they are Methodist in varying degrees. To illustrate what I mean let me quote an often heard statement it goes something like this, "I don't have to go to church, I can be just as good, better than some of those hypocrites that belong to your church." The sad part of this is that we could not completely deny this statement, for we do have in the Methodist Churches varying degrees of Methodist members. This statement however is material for a sermon of it's own which we will not take up at this time.
Let us ask ourselves what is the cause of this varying degree of response to the total responsibility of the member to the Church. Is it because people are uninformed about their church? Is the church lax in it's responsibility to supply proper education and opportunity for learning? I think not. Is it possible that we repeat the Apostle's Creed Sunday after Sunday without an understanding of the belief and faith interpreted to us in it?
It is my opinion that it is not because the church does not make proper effort to inform people, but rather it is the people who do not make the effort. Learn.
They are to busy as a general rule to even make an effort to come together in Christian fellowship in more than a Sunday morning service.
It seems to be a an ever widening and disturbing belief, disturbing to me, on the part of many church people to feel that they have met their obligation to church if they manage to attend four Sunday mornings out of five. Really it makes as much sense as the nursery rhyme that has Little Jack Horner sticking his thumb and pulling out a plum and saying what a good boy am I.
I would term church attendance with this attitude, coming before god with nothing, if you come with nothing, not expecting or seeking, you go away as you came with nothing. If we were to come with real old Methodist zeal we would be found often in the house of the Lord seeking his will and serving as he calls us.
One of the best known and most often quoted sayings of John Wesley, was that in which he describes the Methodist as "the friend of all and the enemies of none". It seems to me we have gone far--far afield from the spirit of this quote in our modern world. At every point of life we are faced with conflicts of interest and motive. Men are grouped together in opposing camps, nations against nations, class against class, neighbor against neighbor. It seems at times that we forget that no man can unto himself, everybody influences us and we influence everybody we meet. We are the only Bible that many people ever read.
Again I ask who is a Methodist, and I would reply he is all these people we have mentioned. But he is yet some thing more. Let me illustrate what I mean with a story told by Dr. Baker in one of his books. He speaks of a friend of his who when presented with enlistment form in the first World War, entered in the space opposite religion the word "Christian". It caused confusion amounting to havoc at the local recruiting office, and they brought him the form to amend. "But I don't wish to alter it", he protested. "It is as a Christian I desire to be entered". They told him this was impossible because they did not have that category on the form.
But I say to you a Methodist is also a Christian.
A Methodist is a Christian who believes in regeneration, the new birth, through which one becomes a child of God. In the witness of the Holy Spirit that seals him as a Child of God. He believes in the possibility of final perfection, that he can be "made perfect in love" in this life. He believes in the doctrine of repentance, that he has a Godly sorrow for sin committed coupled with a will to sin no more. He believes in the universality of redemption--that Christ died for all, not simply a chosen few.
He believes in Justification by Faith, that it is by God's grace that we are saved. Faith is the lever here. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. (EPH 2:8) First God offers, then we believe, then we accept. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
Methodism like the whole Christian religion is the fruit of man's response to God's initiative.
It is not required of a Methodist that he hold fast to a set form of rules and regulations. The Methodist Church is noted as a Church that "thinks" and let's think.
And yet if we as Methodist, as a church, would make our mark here for Jesus we must learn of him, we must hid his word in our hearts, we must learn all we can, for if we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ we must be willing to put loyalty to him above everything else.
We must be Christian, Mothers teaching Gods word to our children, we must be fathers with a faithful witness. We must be children at work and play who have the Love of Christ in our hearts. We must be workers who have a concern and compassion for all our fellowmen around the world. If we are to count for as Methodist and Christian we must "stand for Christ". All the waking hours of everyday. We must show Christ in our lives always.
Our watch word must be
"Christ Above all"
AND FOR ALL
Nottingham Methodist Church 1961, Nottingham Village, Cleveland, Ohio
The Letter to Ephesus 2:1-10, pg 412-13
To each Methodist layman the organization of his own local church seems more important than the big over all structure of Methodism as a whole. This is understandable. He lives his life in the local church, attends to it's finances, and if he is a Steward, Trustee, or other church officer, he has a direct part to play in the church work. He knows in a general way the Methodist Church is a big institution with bishops and boards, with conferences and huge budgets. But too often the average layman feels that the Methodist organization is too complicated for him to understand; and because he does not necessarily have to understand it, he is inclined to dismiss it from further thought.
Yet it is not too difficult to understand and every methodist should know in a general way how it functions.
The Methodist Church, though large, is a closely knit organization. The basic unit of organization is the local church, or "charge", as it has been called in Methodism. A charge may be one or more local churches. If it is one it is termed a station charge, if more than one it is a circuit charge.
Charges are grouped geographically into districts each supervised by a minister known as the District Superintendent. Districts in turn compose a larger grouping, called the Annual Conference. This is presided over by a Bishop.
Annual Conferences in turn make up larger regional divisions known as Jurisdictions, of which there are six in the United States.
Who then are the people that comprise the Methodist Church?
A Methodist is the postman, the baker, the garbage man, your neighbor, your employer, your fellow-workmen, your closest friend. Methodists are peoples of all walks of life, and of all races.
But they are Methodist in varying degrees. To illustrate what I mean let me quote an often heard statement it goes something like this, "I don't have to go to church, I can be just as good, better than some of those hypocrites that belong to your church." The sad part of this is that we could not completely deny this statement, for we do have in the Methodist Churches varying degrees of Methodist members. This statement however is material for a sermon of it's own which we will not take up at this time.
Let us ask ourselves what is the cause of this varying degree of response to the total responsibility of the member to the Church. Is it because people are uninformed about their church? Is the church lax in it's responsibility to supply proper education and opportunity for learning? I think not. Is it possible that we repeat the Apostle's Creed Sunday after Sunday without an understanding of the belief and faith interpreted to us in it?
It is my opinion that it is not because the church does not make proper effort to inform people, but rather it is the people who do not make the effort. Learn.
They are to busy as a general rule to even make an effort to come together in Christian fellowship in more than a Sunday morning service.
It seems to be a an ever widening and disturbing belief, disturbing to me, on the part of many church people to feel that they have met their obligation to church if they manage to attend four Sunday mornings out of five. Really it makes as much sense as the nursery rhyme that has Little Jack Horner sticking his thumb and pulling out a plum and saying what a good boy am I.
I would term church attendance with this attitude, coming before god with nothing, if you come with nothing, not expecting or seeking, you go away as you came with nothing. If we were to come with real old Methodist zeal we would be found often in the house of the Lord seeking his will and serving as he calls us.
One of the best known and most often quoted sayings of John Wesley, was that in which he describes the Methodist as "the friend of all and the enemies of none". It seems to me we have gone far--far afield from the spirit of this quote in our modern world. At every point of life we are faced with conflicts of interest and motive. Men are grouped together in opposing camps, nations against nations, class against class, neighbor against neighbor. It seems at times that we forget that no man can unto himself, everybody influences us and we influence everybody we meet. We are the only Bible that many people ever read.
Again I ask who is a Methodist, and I would reply he is all these people we have mentioned. But he is yet some thing more. Let me illustrate what I mean with a story told by Dr. Baker in one of his books. He speaks of a friend of his who when presented with enlistment form in the first World War, entered in the space opposite religion the word "Christian". It caused confusion amounting to havoc at the local recruiting office, and they brought him the form to amend. "But I don't wish to alter it", he protested. "It is as a Christian I desire to be entered". They told him this was impossible because they did not have that category on the form.
But I say to you a Methodist is also a Christian.
A Methodist is a Christian who believes in regeneration, the new birth, through which one becomes a child of God. In the witness of the Holy Spirit that seals him as a Child of God. He believes in the possibility of final perfection, that he can be "made perfect in love" in this life. He believes in the doctrine of repentance, that he has a Godly sorrow for sin committed coupled with a will to sin no more. He believes in the universality of redemption--that Christ died for all, not simply a chosen few.
He believes in Justification by Faith, that it is by God's grace that we are saved. Faith is the lever here. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. (EPH 2:8) First God offers, then we believe, then we accept. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."
Methodism like the whole Christian religion is the fruit of man's response to God's initiative.
It is not required of a Methodist that he hold fast to a set form of rules and regulations. The Methodist Church is noted as a Church that "thinks" and let's think.
And yet if we as Methodist, as a church, would make our mark here for Jesus we must learn of him, we must hid his word in our hearts, we must learn all we can, for if we are to be disciples of Jesus Christ we must be willing to put loyalty to him above everything else.
We must be Christian, Mothers teaching Gods word to our children, we must be fathers with a faithful witness. We must be children at work and play who have the Love of Christ in our hearts. We must be workers who have a concern and compassion for all our fellowmen around the world. If we are to count for as Methodist and Christian we must "stand for Christ". All the waking hours of everyday. We must show Christ in our lives always.
Our watch word must be
"Christ Above all"
AND FOR ALL
Nottingham Methodist Church 1961, Nottingham Village, Cleveland, Ohio
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
