St. Paul’s Sermon 2005

The Tenth Sunday of Pentecost - July 24, 2005

Lessons: 1 Kings 3:5-12; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

“Surprising, Priceless, Choosy and Continuing”

Introduction:

Parables- noted part of Jesus’ teaching- prophesied in Psalm 78:1-2: O my people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth.

[2] I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter hidden things, things from of old--

Most of Jesus’ parables are on the “Kingdom of God”- odd phrase- yet the people understood it- OT talked about the “Day of the Lord”- when YHWH himself would intervene and rule over his people. Many of Jesus’ parables are explanations of what this Kingdom will be like.

It’s something we experience in part now, but fully when Christ returns to reign over his people. Let’s look at that Kingdom. Six tiny parables: (Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52)

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. [32] Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."

This Kingdom started small. 12 guys. Today perhaps a billion Christians alive on this planet. Pretty good seed! It’s a tiny, hidden thing grows against all odds, against persecution, even in this last century, where more Christians died than in all the other centuries combined.

[33] He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

This Kingdom is hidden. Sometimes it pops out in places and people you don’t expect. Little yeasties are very tiny creatures. Very simple. But they sure like to grow. That kind of growth makes it a surprising Kingdom.

The church was stirred deeply into China early in this century. In 1949, when the Communists took over, there was horrible persecution of Christians. China was closed to foreigners for thirty years. What had happened to the church? It had been buried like a seed, and in those thirty years it had grown from a quarter million to 30 million. It’s a surprising Kingdom!

[44] "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

[45] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. [46] When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Each one of us knows somebody who made a really good investment. The bought Microsoft stock for $2.00. They bought lakeshore when it was cheap. These two parables talk about people who found something so precious, so amazing that they just had to have it. It was worth their all. They gave up everything they had, just so they could have that one thing.

The older I get, the more I think about eternal life. This life is being used up very, very quickly. Each decade seems much shorter than the one before. I think of Edna’s kitchen plaque often:

“Only one life, so soon ‘tis past;

Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

I have spent most of my life concentrating on the joy of Christianity being the direction of God in one’s life, and how that direction makes our lives have meaning and purpose. He calls us to a task, and that drives our lives. That purpose, that vision, that direction, that project has been the driving force and great joy of my life. That’s a treasure and pearl of great price. That’s been my life’s obsession or passion for the past 30 years.

But, lately, I’ve been finding myself wondering more and more about what the next 30 million years are going to be like. That’s really interesting. I know there’s a lot of work here left to be done. But what a treasure a million years of life is! The first thousand years the block party’s at my place! That’s a priceless Kingdom.

[47] "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. [48] When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. [49] This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous [50] and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The theme of judgment is not popular in American churches today, but the Bible clearly teaches that some will pass up on their opportunity for being a part of that Kingdom. CS Lewis writes about this in terms of God letting them go their own way– for eternity! God will not force anybody to have to spend eternity with him. I can’t imagine what that would be like. Alone forever? Nothing greater than yourself? Kept away from the presence of God, out in the place of all the dark, broken things of the Universe? To choose one’s own punishment, one’s destiny of individualism, relying on one’s self for eternity? That’s too horrible to comprehend! The Bible’s pictures of flames, falling in bottomless pits, waterless places, outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth- these things are horrible pictures of people left on their own, not in a relationship with God for eternity. Even so, God, in his deep love and respect will allow people to do what they want to do. Amazing love.

Those who love God will be chosen and kept by the angels. A choosy Kingdom.

[51] "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.

"Yes," they replied.

[52] He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

The scribes were the teachers of the law. They were the religious experts, the theologians who studied and taught the law. This was a career, a religious duty, a matter of memorizing the thousands of right answers. Jesus said these scribes needed to be trained for the Kingdom. They needed the reality of living in a relationship with the living God. They needed to see that religion wasn’t enough. It needed to be real. This Kingdom, this rule by the King, needed to come to them from inside. Matthew’s gospel was written to show again and again that this faith in Jesus was the living continuation of the Old Testament faith. This Kingdom was continuing.

Matthew aimed at the Scribes, because they were the ones who should have led the people into that relationship. Instead, they had grown cold and lifeless. Here they stood in the presence of the Living God, yet some would reject his Word. So Jesus said, the Kingdom is like a householder who brings out his treasures- takes them out of hiding under the bed- both the old and the new. You’ve got Grandpa’s pocket watch, and your brand new I-Pod. You’ve got Great-Grandma’s tea kettle, and you’ve got that plasma TV. The old was the old covenant and the history of God’s faithfulness. The new was Jesus and his gospel. This is what it took to have a living faith in the God of Israel.

Faith, if it’s real isn’t just a memory. The good days are also today. How about you? If the reality of faith seems more like a memory than a reality, you’re in danger. God hasn’t moved. The Scribes took the heritage, the traditions, their knowledge of Scripture- but Jesus made it come alive. How can that come to us?

Jesus calls you to be alive. Turn to his Word and expect him to speak. Open your heart in worship and re-live the words that are so familiar. Pray and ask to receive God’s :Living Water and be renewed. Drink deeply of the Spirit; ask God to fill you to overflowing and renew in you the joy of your salvation. That’s this amazing Kingdom-Surprising, Priceless, Choosy and Continuing

Invitation, Amen.

Pentecost 10 - July 24, 20025

1 Kings 3:5-12

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

[6] Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

[7] "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. [8] Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. [9] So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

[10] The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. [11] So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, [12] I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.

Romans 8:26-39

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. [27] And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

[28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

[31] What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written:

"For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

[33] He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

[44] "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

[45] "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. [46] When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

[51] "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked.

"Yes," they replied.