Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Depend Upon the Lord

Pastor Sherry’s message for May 16, 2021

Scriptures: Acts 1:15-26; Ps 1, 1 Jn 5:9-13; Jn 17:6-19

​Bishop Alf Stanway was the first Dean President of the seminary I attended in Ambridge, PA (just west of Pittsburgh).  He had passed away by the time I got there, but stories about him abounded.  I learned much that deepened my faith from his approach to life.  One of my favorites came from his tenure as the Principal of a Christian Boarding School in Kenya.  Besides teaching the usual academic subjects, this school also trained the students in skills they could use to make a living.  Alf had just assumed his position as principal when he ​learned they needed someone skilled to teach tailoring.  The only tailors anyone could think of in the area were Muslims.  Alf wanted only Christian instructors at his school, so he worked tirelessly to locate a Christian tailor.   None of his efforts, however, yielded an appropriate applicant.

He was soon called away to attend a conference but found he could not concentrate on the speakers due to his anxieties about locating a Christian tailor to teach his students. He knew he had to let go of his worry and so he prayed that God would take it away. What an interesting prayer. How often do we consider asking God to remove a particular worry from us? Aren’t we usually praying, instead, for the solution to what is plaguing us?

God so completely removed his worry that it was only as he re-entered his office at the school that he remembered he still had no one to teach tailoring. Classes were set to begin in 3 days! YIKES! He greeted his clerk, Joseph, and asked what he thought could be done about a Christian tailor. Joseph responded with a big smile—some Kenyans have very dark skin and very white teeth, so when they smile it is dazzling! Joseph smiled and replied, “There is now a tailor in the sewing workshop. Go see for yourself if you think he is qualified.” While Alf had been away, a Christian tailor had heard of the vacancy and had come to check it out. Joseph had asked for a demonstration of his skills. Alf took a look at the man’s tailoring and hired him on the spot.

Not only had God removed Bishop Alf’s worry, but He had sent him a Christian tailor. God answered the spoken prayer, and also met the attendant, unspoken need.

​Our Scriptures today all remind us that we can, like Bishop Stanway, safely depend upon the Lord:  

In our Acts 1:15-26 passage, Peter and the 119 other disciples are praying. Jesus has ascended into heaven after having told them to wait upon the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So, they obediently meet daily to pray together and to encourage one another. On this particular occasion, the topic of a replacement among the 12 for Judas Iscariot comes up. Peter addresses them all and explains both how Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent suicide had been predicted in Scripture, as well as the consequent need for a replacement Apostle. This would be like having a JV or 2nd stringer elevated to Varsity status. They determined that the primary requirement was having been an eye-witness to Jesus and His work. The newly elevated candidate had to have been with Jesus from the beginning of His earthly ministry (His baptism), through His crucifixion and resurrection, and including His ascension–which we honor today. In other words, they were united in searching out a legitimate witness—just as Bishop Stanwaywanted only a Jesus-believing tailor.

The group no doubt talked it over and then arrived at two candidates, Joseph Barsabbas (also called Justus) and Matthias. Both men met the criteria. However, rather than taking a Roberts Rule of Order vote, they enlisted the guidance of the Holy Spirit through casting lots. The idea was that the Holy Spirit would superintend the process and lead them to the “right” person. I experienced how this works some years ago—prior to attending seminary–when I served on a “call committee” whose job it was to select a new pastor for our church. There were 12 of us and we decided all issues by unanimous vote—assuming the Holy Spirit would lead us all into agreement. Over a year, we narrowed our focus from 99 contenders to two. When we tried to take a vote on the final two, we were repeatedly stymied at 11-1. I was the lone dissenter. I believed firmly that I had been told by the Lord to “stand firm” for this particular nominee. Our committee took several votes, all of which resulted in the same impasse. Someone suggested we drop the unanimous rule for this decision, but I reminded them we would need a unanimous vote to do so and I would not agree to such a change until after this decision had been made. (Hadn’t we learned somewhere, “Don’t change the horse in the middle of the stream?”)

Finally, after much frustration and even anger expressed towards me, someone suggested we cast lots. Knowing this was both Biblical and that the Holy Spirit would guide this process, I was willing to go along with it. We agreed to fill a basket with 12 gold wrapped and 12 purple wrapped hard candies, the gold indicating the one candidate, the purple representingthe other. A clerk passed the basket around above our heads and we each had to reach up to draw out our selection. I was there and I saw all 12 of us draw the same color! The probabilities of this happening—without the guidance of the Holy Spirit—are so miniscule as to be impossible. The one we selected was the one I had held out for. But now all of us knew that candidate must have had the approval of the Holy Spirit.

So the lesson is clear, both from Scripture and from my experience 25some odd years ago, that we can depend upon the Lord to help us make a right choice.

Psalm 1àContrasts for us the behavior and destinies of godly and ungodly folks. The godly or righteous person does not…

(1) Listen to those who leave God out of their lives. Six years ago, I was teaching Psychology in a community college nearby. I noticed that my three sections each semester were loaded with the maximum of 35 students. I asked the department secretary why I had so many students when other adjunct professors had fewer. She told me it was because the kids had learned I am a Christian. Students knew of non-Christian professors who would ridicule them publically for their faith. They assumed I was safe, so they piled in. They wisely did not want to listen to—or be graded by—those who exclude God from their lives.

(2) Exclusively hang out with the godless. We need to interact with those who do not know Jesus so them we can tell them about Him. But if we hang only with them, we are likely to be brought down by our associations. Remember when we were either raising teens or when we were a teen. We knew that associating with “bad actors” would probably lead us into trouble. My college students who tried to quit smoking for their “Self-Change Project” I assigned each semester, soon learned they had to stop hanging out with the smokers in order to truly kick the habit. Associating with smokers just continually tempted them to smoke again.

(3) Join in with the jeering of atheists. Similar to point (2), it is all too easy to find yourself a victim of group think; that is of conforming with the dominant views of the group and becoming contemptuous of God if you hang out with a crowd who expresses contempt toward Him.

What the godly person does is meditate on Scripture. This word, meditate literally means chew the cud, like a cow. The godly person reads the Bible carefully and over and over again. Each reading is made with a view toward understanding both what it meant to the folks living in Jesus’ time as well as what it means for us now. As you read a passage, askyourself, “What is God saying to me through this passage?”

The godly person also derives his/her blessings from being planted in Christ, or being born again. This keeps us connected to the vineàJesus.

This keeps us drinking in living wateràJesus. The psalm goes on to state that the ungodly person does not do these things. The ungodly person does not stay connected to Jesus. The ungodly, or the wicked, therefore, will be judged and will perish.

So, the question Psalm 1 provokes is, “Are we going to live like godly persons or ungodly persons?” The choice is ours.

In 1 John 5:9-13, the Apostle John makes it abundantly clear that the key to eternal life is Jesus. We have life if we trust in the testimonies of 3 kinds of witnesses:

(1) People All of those who lived with and followed Jesus. 500 eyewitnesses encountered Him after His resurrection, and countless thousands during His years of earthly ministry. They knew He was/is the heaven-sent Son of God.

(2) God the Holy Spirit He was present at Jesus’ baptism (in the form of a dove hovering over His head), and at work in all of His miracles.

(3) God the Father He audibly affirmed Jesus at both His baptism and on the Mount of Transfiguration. He also restored Him to life in the Resurrection and empowered His ascension into Heaven.

According to John, we have life if we believe in Jesus Christ (verses11-12) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

This lesson is straightforward and clear. We can depend upon Jesus to honor our faith in Him. If we love and believe in Jesus, we are Heaven-bound.

Finally, in our Gospel lesson, John17:6-19, we are eavesdroppers on Jesus’ great intercessory prayer for us believers. He has completed the Last Supper and is probably on His way to the Mount of Olives when He prays to the Father for us (obviously out loud so that John could overhear).

He reports to His Father that He has been obedient to complete His mission: the Rescue Plan. He has said to His followers what the Father told Him to say. He has taught them what the Father told Him to teach. While He came to save the world, He is here praying only for those who believe in Him.

Verse 9 I pray for them [believers]. I am not praying for the world.

Amazingly, we are among His final thoughts before He goes to the Cross.

He also asks the Father to protect us…not to take us out of the world because we have ministry to do; but, rather, to be kept safe from the Evil One and from wicked people while we remain here. He asks the Father to sanctify us, consecrate us. Set us apart as those who believe in the Truth, the Truth He taught us. Jesus makes it clear that He continues to intercede for us and that we have a mission to the world. He defends us to the Father against the accusations of the Devil. He prays for our success with godly living, and in sharing with others what Jesus has done for us.

I hope that you, like me, find this tremendously comforting! Who better to plead our cause than Jesus? As Paul says in Romans 8:31à…If God is for us, who can be against us? And again, in verse 35àWhoshall separate us from the love of Christ? These are both rhetorical questions. They don’t require an answer because the answer is obvious:

no one!

We can depend upon our God because He meets our needs, both spoken and unspoken. He can and does lead us to make wise decisions. He teaches us, through His Word, how to remain connected to the Source of eternal life. He gives us eternal life when we choose to believe in Jesus. Jesus intercedes for us daily before the throne of His Father.

​We can, like Bishop Stanway—and many Christ-followers just like him—depend upon the Lord. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ! Alleluia, alleluia!

©️2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Anomalies for Christ

Pastor Sherry’s Message for May 2, 2021

 Scriptures: Acts 8:26-40, 1 Jn 4:7-21; Jn 15:1-8

         The other day I bumped into an old friend, a pastor I have          known for years.  We chatted about our families and our churches.  Then we got to laughing about our surprising career paths.  He has been called out after 4+ years of retirement to serve his former church again (as they search for another pastor); while I, an Anglican, am pastoring a Methodist Church.  He commented that it seems a happy fit—since I’m in my 6th year here at WUMC.  I bragged on you, telling him that you love Jesus, love Scripture, and love each other (& me, I        hope).

         Thinking over the unusual turns my life has taken, he said, “Sherry, you have always been an anomaly.”  Now I could have been insulted as an anomaly can be       defined as a defect.  But since he’s a big tease, I knew he was probably thinking more along the lines of “being different,” “unique,” “unexpected,” or     “outside the norm.”  My Anglican Bishop has said he thinks I have “the spirit of Deborah,” the only female judge or national leader in the book of Judges.  She was certainly unique and so clearly outside the norm.

         Though I have chuckled over my friend’s assessment, it has since struck me that following Jesus makes us each an anomaly.

Think about it:  If we love Jesus, we live out values different than the mainstream; we behave in such a way that we almost no longer fit in with present day American culture.  I have another friend who often says our Christian values so set us apart that we are like cultural dinosaurs (Though neither extinct nor obsolete).  Knowing y’all, I don’t think you would disagree.

         Our Scriptures today share some ways we are gonna be countercultural–we are gonna be anomalies–if we love Jesus:

         Acts 8:26-40 In this passage, Dr. Luke describes deacon Philip’s encounter with a fellow returning from Jerusalem to Ethiopia.  The context of this encounter is the persecution against Christians—followers of “The Way” as it was first called–that had broken out in Jerusalem, beginning with the stoning of Stephen, another deacon.  One would think, “This is terrible! What a tragedy!”  But remember that Jesus had told them they were to take the Gospel beyond Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.  Instead, they had remained in a “holy huddle,” hunkered down with like-believers.  God uses the persecution to scatter or push the disciples out into other Jewish then non-Jewish areas.

         Philip (not the Apostle, but a guy in the 2nd tier, a deacon) goes first to Samaria.  In verses 5-8, before this passage, we are told   that he preached the Word, healed the sick, and cast out demons!  He’s not God but–empowered by the Holy Spirit–he is doing the work Jesus did.  And he was doing it very well!  Secular wisdom would say, “He’s a success. Keep him there, growing the church bigger and bigger!”  But God, thru the Holy Spirit, sends him off in another direction.

         The Holy Spirit sends Philip on a divine appointment.  Have you ever had one of those?  You are frustrated when your car breaks down, but then have an opportunity to talk to the tow truck driver, or the mechanic, about the Lord.  You are about to leave the house when a distressed friend calls in a dither. You speak to them, calm them down, and pray for them.  In these and similar events, you realize after that those were not coincidences.  No, they were nudges to kindness and service, divine appointments, ordained by God.

         Philip was serving in Samaria, to the north, but was then sent to the Gaza Road, way to the South.  The Holy Spiritdirects him to the Ethiopian governmental official.  The guy was a North African believer in the God of the Jews.  Notice:  He has already encountered the Word of God.  As he is chauffeured along in his chariot (perhaps the equivalent of a stretch limo) he is reading Isaiah 53, the last of the 4 Suffering Servant Songs—all of which predict Jesus.  However, he is understandably confused.  Is the prophet Isaiah talking about himself or of someone else?  He already has a hunger to know more about God.  Running alongside the chariot, Philip offers to help him.  Notice: the Holy Spirit has prompted the Ethiopian official to be curious about Scripture.  Notice again: God has prompted Philip to be right there to explain.  This is truly an appointment that God has arranged.

         Philip does such a good job of explaining the Gospel—Jesus lived, died for our sins, and came back to life, all so that all of us who believe in Jesus could become close to the Father—that the guy wants to become a Christ-follower.  He asks to be baptized, and Philip obliges him (and the Lord).

         Interestingly, instead of continuing on toward Ethiopia, Philip is then whisked away to a Philistine city, Ashdod, to further evangelize.  We have absolutely no idea how many Samaritans or Philistines came to Christ through the ministry of Philip.  Early Church history does tell us, though, that the first big church was built in North Africa!  That Ethiopian went home and told many others about Jesus.  Even today, 2100 years later, 62.8% of Ethiopians are Christians (while 34.6% are Muslims).

         1 John 4:7-21 John, the Apostle of love, sets out several counter-cultural realities about AGAPEO love (not philios [brotherly or sisterly] or [sexual] eros).  In verse 7 he affirms that love comes from God, because God is love.  In other words, love is not our initiative.  Human beings did not invent it.  In verse 12 he states that whenever we demonstrate love, we are imitating God.  In verse 14 he reminds us that God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to redeem us.  Furthermore, in verses 16-17 he assures us thatone of the ways we see/experience/and cooperate with God is by taking loving action.   Aren’t we touched when we see a TV ad as touching as the old Budweiser ones?  Remember the one featuring the Clydesdale pony who, as a grown up horse, leaves the parade to find and to nuzzle his former trainer?)   How about those rare TV news stories in which someone has done something generous or unexpectedly kind for someone else?  Those are examples of love in action.

         Now James, Jesus’ brother, states in his epistle (1:17) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  In other words, if you are moved to do something generous or kind, it is because the Holy Spirit has inspired you to do so.  And this is counter-cultural.  Without God in our lives prompting us to love, Isa 64:6 …all of our righteous acts are like filthy rags.  If youwatch the news, it’s hard to see any love in action.  I think ofSilicon Valley CEO’s and Wall Street magnates who behave unscrupulously then donate a huge amount of cash to some charitable enterprise.  Their actions look loving, but unless Jesus is at the center of their giving, according to Isaiah their gifts are like “dirty diapers” (the literal translation of filthy rags).  Loving actions are anomalies our God wants us to demonstrate all the time.

Finally, in verse 18, the Apostle writes, There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear.  Knowing that God loves us can keep us from caving into fear.  God’s perfect love for us casts out our fear.  As a survivor of repeated childhood trauma, I grew up always afraid of the dark.  This changed for me when I developed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I still pray for Him to keep me safe at night.  He hasn’t ever let me down. I’m no longer afraid at night.

         Now, if we live on a daily diet of the news, we can become          fearful of many things–Everything from nuclear holocaust to being mugged, to dying from the Covid.  But if we can focus on God’s love for us, we can enjoy freedom from these kinds of anxieties. The peace that passes all understanding is clearly countercultural—and if we abide in it, we will be perceived as anomalies.

         In John 15:1-8 Jesus asserts that, I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener.  Last Sunday, in a terrific sermon, Ken told you about Jesus’ 7 I am statements in John’s Gospel.  Any believing Jew of that day would have known that God the Father referred to Himself as I am (or The Great I AM).  So any Jew paying attention to Jesus’ 7 I am sayings would understand that He was equating Himself with     God. Since many of them did not believe He was God, they charged Him with and executed Him for blasphemy.  We know He was speaking the truth because He is God.

         Not only this, but He is referring to Himself as the true or genuine Israel.  All throughout the Old Testament, the vineyard or grape vines are a metaphor for the Israelite nation.  If Jesus is the authentic, genuine Israelite, it is because He has loved His Father, been obedient to His Father, and loved and served His people.  They have not done likewise, though that is what God wanted from them.

         Additionally, He is saying that we can do nothing of any significance apart from Him.  This is so congruent with the concept from Isaiah 64:6.

Our culture would have us believe that “Might makes right”; or “The one with the most money, most expensive toys, or the most political power wins.  But we anomalies know that none of that stuff will get us to Heaven!  We can take no U-Hauls with us into the afterlife, right?  In this life, money, power, fame, even health can all be lost.  But a vital relationship with Jesus will see us through this life and safely into the next. 

         If loving Jesus makes us anomalies, well so be it!  I don’t know about you, but I would rather love Jesus and live outside the current norms than be a cultural conformist without Him.  Remember those critters called lemmings?  When they overpopulate, they run themselves off cliffs into the sea to drown.  I wonder if any unique, non-normative lemmings stand off to the side and say to themselves, “What are you all doing?  That way leads to death!  Not me, Buddy!” 

         This week, try to be aware of when God shifts your direction; when He provides you with a divine appointment.  Let’s try also to be countercultural people who daily demonstrate God’s love in word and in deed.

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Hunt for Red October?

Pastor Sherry’s Message for April 18, 2021

Scriptures: Acts 3:12-19; Ps 4; 1 Jn 3:1-7; Lk 24:36-48

         The Lord woke me up several days ago with the thought, “Hunt for Red October.”  I hit the snooze button several times, and each time I awoke, again, to the thought, “Hunt for Red October.”  “How odd,” I mused.  “I’ve not thought of that Tom Clancy novel, or the movie (starring Sean Connery) in ages.”  I was curious about why the Lord would want me to remember this title.  Of what relevance was this? I had seen the movie in the early 1990’s but had never read the book.   So I went to the library, checked the book out, and began reading to see if I could figure out what God wanted me to learn.

         Do you remember the novel or the movie?  It’s the story of a Russian submarine captain who decides to defect to the US with a brand new, nuclear-powered sub armed with 36 nuclear missiles.  What I mainly remember from the movie were the underwater sub chase scenes, the fabulous Russian men’s choir singing in the background, and the difficulties and dangers involved in defecting from a hostile nation in a sophisticated—and silent–weapon of mass destruction.  Would the U.S. believe the captain’s intentions were peaceful, or would he be considered a rogue or a nut intent on beginning WW3?  With no direct communications with the U.S., how would this captain make his desire for asylum known?  Meanwhile the Russians set out 58 subs whose mission is to destroy him and the state-of-the-art sub.  The United States sets out 3 carrier groups and 1,000 planes both to protect our coastline and to try to ferret him out.

         As I read the novel, I realized the film had not clearly revealed the captain’s reasons for defecting.  His dear wife of 15 years had died due to incompetence and neglect in a Soviet hospital.  She had had an attack of appendicitis that was mishandled. Clancy continues on p.44, The state had robbed him of more than his wife.  It had robbed him of a means to assuage his grief with prayer, it had robbed him of the hope—if only an illusion—of ever seeing her again.  Yes, the surgeon who responded to her ruptured appendix was drunk and botched the surgery.  Yes, the antibiotics provided to fight infection were inferior and ineffective.  But, in addition, the communist party had prohibited him to have any faith in God.

This deprived him of utilizing the power of prayer on behalf of his beloved; it also denied him any hope of seeing her again in the afterlife.

Jack Ryan, the American consultant to the CIA who realizes the Russian captain wants to defect, summarizes the psychological profile of defectors during the Cold War (p.291): They tended to understand the inequities of life under Communism; the lack of justice (party members were always treated better than others; the inability to develop as an individual; a desire for a better life; and the grayness of life in Russia.

         I think the Lord brought this book to my mind this week to remind me, and us, of the differences between life lived in a totalitarian society vs. the freedom we have in Christ Jesus.  Compare what the Russian captain was trying to escape from—a harsh, cold political reality– to the picture presented in our Scriptures today—a grace-filled and loving spiritual one:

          Acts 3:12-19 Peter and John are going to the Temple at 3:00p.m. to pray.  Remember, the new Christian Church was composed only of Jewish believers at this point, and many continued their Jewish religious observances.  A crippled panhandler asks them for money, much in the way we see homeless with their signs at the corners of our city streets, or at the on/off ramps of our interstates.  Peter replies, famously, (v.6) Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”  What a gracious response!  Peter and John lift the guy to his feet, and his feet and ankles realign as they are made strong.  The beggar has asked for money, but he receives a healing.  He’s asked for money–provision for a day or two–but Peter and John give him the ability to support himself the rest of his life.  This is the first recorded miracle of the infant Church.

         This incident also prompts Peter’s 2nd sermon.  Once again, he emphasizes the facts that Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead.  Once again, he asserts the need for repentance for sin and faith in Christ.  Dr. Luke, the author of Acts, tells us 5,000 men (not to mention women and children) at the Temple that day came to faith in Jesus.  (Remember Peter’s sermon on Pentecost resulted in 3,000 conversions).  Peter is on a roll!  Clearly conviction plus and encounter with Christ changes people’s lives.

         Psalm 4 This psalm of David constitutes a prayer for relief.

In it,the King appeals to God for help (perhaps for end of a drought).

In verses 2-3, he inquires of his people why they seek help from fake gods rather than the One True God.  In verses 4-5, he urges his people not to give way to exasperation, anger, or anxiety, but to put their trust in the Lord.  In verses 6-8, he reminds us all that God is good to us and that He offers provision and peace.  Our God is neither asleep at the wheel, nor careless, nor incompetent.  We can place the fate of our loved ones in His hands when they are hospitalized.  We can trust in the power of prayer.  Furthermore, we don’t have to live in a gray, colorless, scary, or hopeless world—or feel totally alone, up against hostile and unfeeling forces– because we are loved and cared for by our God.

         1st John 3:1-7 The Apostle John urges us to live like we know Jesus.

He is saying that our lives ought to demonstrate the fact that we are “in Christ.”  Knowing Jesus should make a positive difference in the way we relate to God and to others.  We don’t just talk the talk, spinning the impression that we love Jesus; but we actively walk it out.  We try to keep short sin accounts with God.  We ask His forgiveness daily.  We cooperate with the Holy Spirit who encourages us to behave like Jesus.  We are kind, loving, and forgiving of others.  Our lives truly are our witness.

         As the novel makes clear, the Communist Party does not trust individuals to do the right thing.  So they spy on and infiltrate and threaten for compliance.  Anyone who makes a mistake or a poor decision is often never heard of again—talk about “Cancel Culture.”  There is no grace and no forgiveness, only threat and punishment.  Praise God this is not the case for us with our God.

         Luke 24:36-48 Rather than chastise the Apostles for having abandoned Him during His trials and His crucifixion, in this Post-Resurrection passage, Jesus greets them with good will; offers to dine with them (also demonstrating He was not a ghost, as spirits do not eat); and opens up for them the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.  What a fabulous Bible Study that must have been!  Messiah Himself teaches them how the Old Testament predicted and described Him, as well as how He fulfilled every “jot and tittle.”  What grace!  What mercy!  With the possible exception of John, they have all let Him down.  He doesn’t retaliate.  He doesn’t try to execute them (like the Russians wish to do to the captain of the Red October).  Instead, He reinstates, reassures, equips and encourages them.

         He also goes on to entrust them with a great mission:  take what He has taught them into the world…

         1.) Beginning with Jerusalem (Wellborn);

         2.) And as Dr. Luke continues in Acts 1:8, then out to all of Judea  (Suwannee County);

         3.) Then up to Samaria (the state of Florida);

         4.) And then to all the world (the United States and beyond).

He overlooks (or simply accepts) their human frailties, and knowing their potential, gives them a goal, a new purpose for living. This is another place in the novel where the Communist party failed the sub commander.  Despite his years of loyal service,  and his irreplaceable skill and experience, they are so frightened by his defection that they would rather kill him than repatriate him.  Thank God our Lord offers us chance after chance after chance!

         Communism, socialism, and fascism (totalitarianism) often promise an equal treatment of people and a fair distribution of wealth and goods–but none of them delivers.  Rather than having our freedoms restricted, we, as Christ-followers, are free to be ourselves and to develop our God-given gifts and talents.  We live in the Light of Christ, so our lives are not gray!  Rather than feeling anxious, paranoid, angry or depressed, we can feel confident because our God gives us a hope and a future (See Jeremiah 29:11).  Rather than responding punitively or looking for revenge, we can give our concerns to the Lord, ask His forgiveness for our sins, and trust Him to vindicate us.   Rather than Hunting for Red October—or trying to escape with it–our hunt/our aim/our efforts should be to live a life pleasing to our gracious God.  Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ!  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Transcending Our Cultural Values

Pastor Sherry’s Message for March 28, 2021

Scriptures: Isa 50:4-9a; Ps 31:9-16;Phil 2:5-11; Mk 14:1-15:50

          Recently I learned of a historian named Charles John Summerville.  The 82 year old is currently retired from teaching yet held the honorary position of professor emeritus of history at the University of Florida.  It is said that he used to challenge his students in the following way: He would have them imagine an elderly lady carrying a large pocketbook walking down the street.  He would describe her as small, frail, perhaps with a Dowager’s hump, moving slowly with a cane.  He would then submit to his students that it would be remarkably easy to knock her over and steal her purse.  He would even admit that most students could use the money. Then he would ask his students how many of them would actually consider stealing the lady’s purse. The majority would deny it.

         He would go on to suggest that most of us would not grab her purse for either of two possible reasons:

         (1) We come from a “Shame and Honor Culture.”  If we acted this way, such behavior would mark us as contemptible persons, an embarrassment to ourselves and to our families.  Some people would condemn us as bullies and others would despise us for ripping off someone weaker than ourselves.  The professor called this approach “Self-Regarding.” He would clarify that we do what we do (or don’t do what we don’t do) because of how it reflects upon us and our clan.  The highest values of a shame and honor culture are personal honor and good reputation among others.  We wouldn’t mug the woman because we are concerned about how this would appear to others.  (If you recall the horrid incident– replayed repeatedly by the news this summer–of the elderly lady hit in the head by a young man as he passed her by, you can see where we are not living in a shame and honor culture.)

         (2) Or, we might imagine how mugging her would affect her or those she loves.  We would not want to deprive her of money for rent, groceries, or prescription medication.  We would not want her to risk being injured or to fear in the future for her personal safety.  In short, we would empathize with her and have compassion on her.  Prof. Summerville referred to this as an “Other-Regarding Culture.”

         He would summarize the challenge by pointing out that the ethic or value of putting another person’s needs ahead of our own derives from Christianity.  Even though a significant number of his students might have been hostile to the Christian faith, he would contend that their moral behavior (not to steal the woman’s money) had been largely shaped by Christian values.

         As Christ-followers, we are called to major on mercy/grace.   The values espoused by the power elites in our culture todayinclude the drive to achieve power, influence, and control; they also seek money because it provides power, influence, and control.  Others are driven to attain success, fame, and recognition (“developing their brand”).  But Jesus Christ lived, taught, and modeled a life based on humility. He put a lot of effort into dodging the lime-light and living out obedience to the Father.  He is the gold standard for putting the needs of others before His own.  His example was not just counter-cultural, it’s revolutionary!

         Our Scriptures today all demonstrate how very different Jesus was and is from the culture then (Ancient Near East) and our American culture now.

         Paul tells us in our Epistle, Philippians 2:5-11, that Jesus willingly left all of his divine prerogatives to come to earth to pay the penalty for our sins.  Can you think of any politician, rock or movie-star, or professional athlete who would willingly divest themselves of all of their extraordinary privileges for the sake of others?

         St. Paul celebrates Jesus’ humble obedience to the Father.  He asserts that the King of the Universe came to earth as a servant to all.

Jesus Christ agreed to deliver the Father’s rescue plan to die for our sins.

               But St. Paul also rejoices in how Jesus’ obedience led to His very great reward (2:10-11) Therefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth [all of creation] and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

         We Christ-followers know that the way to the Father’s heart is through humble submission to God’s will.  Our God is most pleased when we counter-culturally put the needs of others before our own.  The story is told of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist denomination, who encountered a hostile, rival pastor at a narrow footbridge:  Wesley allowed the man to pass before taking his own turn.  As the guy walked toward Wesley, he snootily commented, “I never give way to a fool.”  Rather than get angry, Wesley calmly replied, “I always do!”

        The psalm appointed for today, Psalm 31, was written by King David as a prayer for deliverance from trouble.  However, it also describes how Jesus probably felt during his arrest, His ridiculous excuses for trials, and His crucifixion:  He is drained, physically and emotionally; He feels abandoned by His friends; and He knows He has been slandered, that angry and evil men have deliberately misperceived and misconstrued Him.  Nevertheless, and actually quite amazingly, both King David and Jesus eschew an angry response and place their trust in the Father saying, (v.14) But I put my trust in You, Oh Lord; I say, ”You are my God.”

         This is such a good reminder for each of us when we encounter pain or difficulty:  Don’t get mad.  Don’t get even or seek revenge.  Instead, Do take the matter to God and trust in Him to redeem it!

         Our Old Testament reading, Isaiah 50:4-9a, is the 3rd of 4 “Suffering Servant Songs” in Isaiah.  Written 700-750 years before Jesus journeyed from Palm Sunday to Easter, they each foretell how the Messiah would behave.   Jesus fulfilled each of these descriptions to the letter.  He was totally obedient to the Father’s will and plan. He faced His Passion–His extreme travail–with courage, and humility—v6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.

         Isaiah accurately predicted that Jesus would face His death with determination—v7 Because the Sovereign Lord helps Me, I will not be disgraced.  Therefore have I set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.  Again we read that Jesus trusted in His Father, despite His pain and suffering.  In a way that is counter to our current American cultural beliefs, He accepted that He must suffer in order to save us.

         Our Gospel passage from Mark 14:1-15:50 details only the essentials of Jesus’ experiences from the Thursday night Passover Meal until His death at 3:00 p.m. on Friday.  We commemorate His triumphal entry into Jerusalem today, Palm Sunday.  Crowds of common folk and Christ-followers provided Him a hero’s welcome.  Meanwhile, the unbelievers and those in the religious and political hierarchy most threatened by His counter-cultural ministry, plotted to take His life.

         In his practical and no-nonsense way, Mark minimizes the transitory rousing Palm Sunday welcome and gets right to the tragic miscarriage of human justice to come.  Mark leads us through Jesus’ Last Supper, a Passover Meal stripped of lamb, because Jesus Himself would be the Sacrificial Lamb of God.  Then Judas slips off to betray Him.  His three closest buddies sleep through His agony in the Garden.  He endures several kangaroo trials before the Sanhedrin and Pontius Pilate, His best buddy publically denies he knows Him, and He barely survives vicious beatings by Roman soldiers.  He is crucified, taunted, humiliated, and scorned, only to die after 6 agonizing hours on the Cross.  The Temple curtain, made of thick goat hair, is torn from top to bottom at the moment of His death.  (This signifies that God Himself made a way for sinful men and women to approach Him and live).  A tough, battle-hardened Roman Centurion—so impressed with the way in which Jesus died—prophetically proclaims He must have been the Son of God.  His female followers, and the Apostle John, stand vigil at the foot of the Cross.  Finally, Joseph of Arimathea, a rich member of the Sanhedrin (and heretofore closet believer), removes Jesus’ body and buries Him before sundown, the start of the Sabbath.

         Who can meditate on these two chapters without being overwhelmed by Jesus’ sacrifice for us?  Or by His great love for us!  He lived in a Shame-Honor culture, but thoroughly transcended those self-regarding values. 

         Jesus transcended the cultural values of that day and of this.   Additionally, He calls us to as well.  Acclaimed on Sunday, the perfect Son of God takes on Himself the penalty for our sins on Good Friday.As we journey through Holy Week this week, let’s praise Jesus for satisfying the Father’s justice in our place.  Let’s worship Him with gratitude.  Let’s meditate upon His love for us by responding with love for Him.  Let’s commit ourselves to follow His culture-transcending example of humble obedience to God and loving concern for others.

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Problem With Freedom

Pastor Sherry’s message from March 7, 2021

Scriptures: Ex 20:1-17; Ps 19; 1 Cor 1:18-25; Jn 2:13-22

Remember when the Berlin Wall came down?  (Some of us remember when it was put up.)  What a historic day!  Communism appeared to be collapsing all over Eastern Europe.  On Christmas Day of 1989, the Romanian president was captured and executed.  Romanians were delirious with their newfound freedom.  However, since no one had been left in charge of the country, first joy, then turmoil reigned.  Western news correspondents found one woman who spoke English and asked her opinion of the chaos.  She stated correctly, “We have freedom, but we don’t know what to do with it.” (“Christian Century”, Mar. 15, 2000).  In her country, it appeared that freedom led to anarchy—at least for a time.

         Martin Luther expressed similar sentiments following the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s.  The German people were so happy to be out from under   the then oppressive rules of the Catholic Church that they initially went hog wild.  Believing God’s grace was free, they felt they could do as they liked.  Luther himself visited a number of communities near Wittenburg and concluded, “Alas, what wretchedness I beheld.  We have perfected the fine art of abusing liberty.”  Hoping to reign in the worst of the excesses, he set about writing his Large and Small catechisms.

         We can all think of similar cases, can’t we?  How about the young man or woman whose folks raised them very strictly, then sent them off to college?  You, like me, probably saw some of them lose their minds, once the clamps were removed (drugs, sex, etc).  We often see similar behaviors from persons leaving unhappy marriages  (partying, drug use, multiple hook ups, etc.). 

         You see, freedom doesn’t mean we can do whatever we want.

Lasting freedom is much more disciplined than that.  Lasting freedom says, “What I want or need is important, but so is what others want or need.”  It’s not aggressiveà”Only what I need or want counts,” something we saw a lot of in the riots last summer, when peoples’ property was destroyed and some lives lost.  And it’s also not passiveà”Only what you need or want counts.”  This is where people take no action to protect their rights.  They naively allow someone stronger, or more charismatic/glib, or having more money and influence to determine what happens.

         Our Scriptures today impart to us how our God perceives we should respond to our freedoms:

                Exodus 20:1-17 demonstrates that we cannot manage well without a moral code.  The Israelites have been freed from slavery for about a month. 1st, they worried about escaping Egypt alive.  After God took care of them by parting the Red Sea and eradicating the pursuing Egyptian army,they then became concerned about having enough food and water in the wilderness. By the time of Exodus 20, it had become clear that they didn’t know how to behave.  While Moses was up on the mountain, receiving God’s Law, the people took the wealth with which they had left Egypt to make a golden calf to worship! They abused Moses’ leadership andthey were disrespectful to and untrusting of God.  God knew they needed some rules to live by and He provided them.

         We call these the 10 Commandments:  They are a God-given moral code for us.  The 1st four have to do with how we treat or regard God:

         1st, verse 3 No idolatry.  This meansno polytheism or multiple gods.  But it also implies noaethismàPsalm 53:1àthe fool has said in his heart, “there is no God.”  They [the fools who deny god’s existence] are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.

         2nd, verse 4 No idols.  This one comes with consequences:  punishment to the 3rd and 4th generations of those who reject God;but blessings and rewards to the 1000’s of generations of those who love God and obey Him.

         3rd, verse 7 Do not take God’s name in vain.  We see and hear cursing all the time which involves God’s name, don’t we?  Many people punctuate their speech with curses—and don’t know or care how they offend God.

         4th, verses 8-11 Keep the Sabbath holy.  Our culture also violates this one frequently.  But those of us who are believers know we need to take a day of rest, 1 per each 7 days to honor God.

         The next 6 all have to do with how we treat others:

         5th, verse 12 Honor your father and mother  Our God-given moral code toward others begins in our homes.  As I have shared several times, my folks were both active alcoholics whom I did not respect.   I have since wondered how much of the trouble in my life arose from my teenaged disrespect of them.

         6th, verse13 Do not kill (aimed at individuals, not nations).

         7th, verse 14 Do not commit adultery.

         8th, verse 15 Do not steal.

         9th. verse 16 Do not lie.

         10th,verse 17 Do not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.  There was a time I had to not watch HGTV.  I found I was coveting the home improvements people enjoyed on those programs.  They create an appetite for more and better in us that we have to consciously decide not to pursue.

         The 10 Commandments are the guardrails on the highway of life.  They are not meant to restrict us as much as to keep us safe.  My son owns a Corvette.  These high performance cars sit very low to the ground.  My daughter has recently built a house at the back of a cow pasture.  To get to it, one must drive down a ¼ mile driveway consisting of two deep ruts in the grass—sometimes waiting for curious but unconcerned cows to move out of the way.  My son cannot drive his Corvette to see his sister.   Corvettes are not meant for off-road treking and neither are we!

         Using a different metaphor,  J. Vernon McGee says the 10 Commandments are like our bathroom mirror.  They help us see the dirt on our faces.  Fortunately, we have a sink just below the mirror in which to wash away the dirt.  God’s Law is like that mirror.  It reveals our sinfulness, but instead of a sink, we have Jesus to then forgive us for our sins.

         The ancient Hebrews would not have used either of these metaphors—expensive cars or mirrors, but neither did they regard the 10 Commandments as restrictive.  Instead, they viewed them as a gift which kept human ruthlessness at bay; which help us manage our freedoms well; and which convict us of where and when we fall short.

               Psalm 19 was written by King David to…

                 1. Praise God as the God of creation, Elohim (plural form of El, indicating the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit);

                 2. And praise Him for His Commandments.

David knew full well what happened when someone, including himself, violated God’s Law.  In the Bathsheba incident, he had coveted the wife of his “might man,” Urriah.  He had an adulterous affair with her, then ordered Urriah to the front of a battle, effectively murdering him.  And he committed a lie of omission to then act as though he had done no wrong.  After he acknowledged his wrong-doings, he also knew the grief and sorrow these violations caused both him and those they loved.  God said the sword would never leave his house.  One of his sons raped a daughter by another mother.  That daughter’s brother then killed the rapist.  Another son attempted to steal his throne from him, and so on.  David paid mightily for his sins with Bathsheba!  By the time he wrote this psalm, he clearly saw the 10 Commandments  as the guardrails on the highway of his life.

               In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Paul is talking about how the Cross divides humankind into 2 categories:  saved vs. unsaved.  To those who are perishing, the lost, the Gospel of Christ appears foolish, a folktale, an unbelievable myth. I have certainly encountered scoffers, mockers, and unbelievers. They have made their choice and we Christ-followers know it is a misguided one.  But to those of us who believe, the Cross demonstrates the supreme power of God over sin and all the works of the evil one, and  over death.

         Paul also divides people into two other groups:  Jews and Gentiles (Greeks).  Essentially, he says the Jews lost out because they denied the Messiahship, the Lordship of Christ. During Jesus’ time among them, they were given many signs/miracles, but they disbelieved them or explained them away.  Their religious beliefs had largely become rituals only, empty forms lacking a personal relationship with God and a Holy Spirit inspired view of Scripture.  So, instead of looking to see how Jesus fulfilled their Scriptures, they asked for more signs in today’s Gospel, John 2:13-22. 

Nevertheless, Jesus did give them one more sign, the “sign of Jonah”(Matt 12:38-40) Just as Jonah was trapped for 3 days in the belly of the fish, Jesus lay in the tomb 3 days before being resurrected.

         Paul is writing to Corinthians, those who dwelt around and in the Greek city of Corinth.  The Greeks were big believers in the power of human philosophy, or human wisdom, to raise humanity to a higher level of functioning.  They sought the truth, but through human intellect. Someone has humorously defined philosophy as, “A blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn’t there.”  Not a very reassuring definition is it?

We think we’re very smart, but we can and do justify whatever we want to try to defend.  The truth is that the wisdom of God far surpasses ours.    Or, as Paul writes, (v.25) For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.

         So, the problem with freedom is that we humans tend to take it too far.  We need limits; we need boundaries to keep us safe.  God has provided these boundaries in the 10 Commandments and the rest of His Law.  In them, He has taught us how to live in regard to Him and to others.  In them. He has taught us how to enjoy freedom free of chaos.

Like David and Paul, let’s praise Him for His life-giving wisdom and His life-saving boundaries.

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Trusting in God’s Promises

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 28, 2021

Scriptures: Gen 17:1-16; Ps 22:23-31; Ro 4:13-25; Mk 8:31-38

Who of us has not enjoyed Charles Schultz’ comic strip, “Peanuts”?  Charlie Brown, the main character, though just a child–with an amazingly creative dog, Snoopie– is sort of a pint-sized “everyman,” a “mensch” as they would say in Yiddish.  Most of us can identify with his earnestness, his longing to be well regarded (especially by the curly-haired girl of his dreams), and his desire to do the right thing.  We can also all identify with him when things in his life go wrong.  Consider his relationship with Lucy and the football:  Haven’t you found yourself thinking, if not saying, “Charlie Brown, don’t trust her to hold that football!”  You know she will grab it out of the way just as you go to kick it, don’t you?  Charlie, she just can’t resist seeing you fall flat on your bohunkus!  Charlie, don’t you know by now, she can’t be trusted?”

         Charlie Brown is just a cartoon character, but don’t you identify with him in this? Can’t you think of times you have trusted someone, like Lucy, who turned out to be clearly untrustworthy?  We may not have landed flat on our backsides like Charlie, but the disappointment and the betrayal hurt nonetheless.

         There is such good news about the character of our God!  For all of us Charlie Browns, one of the best of God’s characteristics is that He is trustworthy!  My first principal told me, in dealing with high school students, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”  She was a 35 year old nun who had been an excellent teacher herself.  She mentored me and claimed me to the teaching profession in 1970.  In advising me to always say what I meant and to mean what I said, she was conveying to me one of the ways you earn students’ trust and cooperation—and she was right!

         Our God says what He means and means what He says.  God does not lie.  He always speaks the truth.  He has earned our trust and our cooperation.  Our Scriptures today provide several examples of this:

         Genesis 17:1-16.  Last week, we examined God’s Covenant promise to Noah.  Remember, He promised never again to destroy all living creatures with a worldwide flood.  And now, several thousands of years later, He hasn’t broken this promise.  Our Old Testament reading this week finds God making a number of new promises to Abram.  The pre-incarnate Jesus visits Abram when Abram is 99 years old (Sarai, his wife, is 89).   Jesus tells him that he will be (vv.4-5)…the father of many nations.  No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. The name Abram means exalted father in the Hebrew; whereas Abraham means father of many, or, father of a multitude. Jesus changes his name to indicate the coming change in his status: he is already a father to Ishmael, but by human manipulation.  God intends to make him the father of Isaac by divine intervention.  Jesus prophesies that nations and kings will come from Abraham’s lineage–not just figuratively or even spiritually, but literally and biologically.  In the 4000+ years since this prophesy, two great nations have indeed come from Abraham and Sarah:  (1) the Arabs from Ishmael’s line; (2) the Jews from Isaac’s line; (3) and Christians worldwide, who have been grafted into Isaac’s line through Christ Jesus.  How’s that for promise-keeping?!

         In verse 7, God promises to be Abraham’s God forever.  In verse 8, God guarantees that the Land of Canaan will be …an everlasting possession to [Abraham] and to your descendants after you.  Nowthe Jews have been put out of the Holy Land 3 times:

                 First, when famine drove them to Egypt under Joseph’s administration under pharaoh.  There were approximately 90 of them when Jacob’s extended family sought Joseph’s aid, but over 1.5 to 2 million of them when they left to return to the Land during the exodus 400+ years later. 

                 Second, in 578BC, as a punishment for idolatry.

                 Lastly, in 70AD as a punishment from the Romans for continuing insurrection, but actually from God for having rejected His Messiah. Scripture seems to indicate that they will not truly be restored to the Land until Jesus’ 2nd Coming.  (They were ceded the state of Israel in 1947, but its borders were/are far smaller than what God gave to Abraham, and there are said to be more Jews in New York than there are now in Israel.)  However, the Lord made this as an everlasting promise, so we can be sure that Israel will one day be fully restored to the Jews.

         Finally, in verse 10, God says the sign of the covenant will be circumcision.  This is done at 8 days old for Jews (13 years old for Arabs).  It’s a permanent sign.  Unlike a tattoo, it cannot be undone.  In essence it means, If I do not keep this covenant, may the sword of the Lord cut me off and my offspring as I have cut off my foreskin.  YIKES!  This is a serious promise!

         Psalm 22:23-31.  The first portion of this psalm conveys Jesus’ thoughts from the Cross.  Scholars believe He also thought this section assigned for us today, even though it celebrates the sovereignty and the trustworthiness of God.  Think of that.  Struggling for breath from the Cross, and in terrible pain, Jesus ends His meditations by declaring (v.28) that God the Father has charge of all creation, …for dominion belongs to the Lord and He rules over the nations.  Jesus’ final word from the cross and in this psalm is Tetelestai, (v.31) it is finished.  (This is actually His next to the last statement He made before His death.  As He breathed His last, He said, Father, into Your hands I commend [place] My spirit.)   How remarkable that, as He was dying, He would be rejoicing with His Father over having completed the work God sent Him to earth to do.

         Romans 4:13-25.  Paul is trying to demonstrate that Abraham    was made righteous before God by his faith, not his deeds.  Actions-wise, Abraham was just like us, a mix of good intentions, wise actions, and sinfulness.  However, it was his trust in God that makes him a standout, the “Father of our Faith.”  Paul makes the point in verses 19-21, that Abraham, without weakening in his faith,… faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb [at 90YO] was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.  This is why it was credited to him as righteousness.  Abraham believed God even though biology, science, and common sense would have all made the case that a 100YO and a 90YO could not conceive and bear a child.  Oh that we might believe in God’s promises with this kind of unwavering faith!

         Finally, in our Gospel lesson (Mark 8:31-38), Jesus rebukes Peter for wanting Jesus to act according to Peter’s expectations.  You see, it’s not just science, biology, and common sense that we have to sometimes set aside in our walk in faith. It’s our will, too, that can be problematic.  Peter’s understanding was that Messiah would reign victoriously, so he was appalled that Jesus would predict His own death.  Jesus goes on to state thatHis followers must deny their own will, or…take up [our] cross and follow Him.  His followers must be willing suffer and to lose their [physical] lives in order to gain them [eternal spiritual ones].  YIKES!  Isn’t that where we err also?  We want Jesus to do for us what we request of Him.  Instead our Lord would have us trust in Him and do as He directs us to do.

         Are we willing to do this?  Do we so trust in Jesus that, like Abraham, we would deny biology, science, and common sense and trust in what God promises us?  Do we so trust in Jesus that, like Peter, we would stand corrected when what we desire contradicts what God wants for us?  When our will clashes with God’s will for us?  When our perception of what should happen conflicts with what God allows to happen?

         If you are one of those who want Charlie Brown to quit trusting in Lucy, rest reassured that Charles Schultz was a Christian.  He wrote his comic strip over 50 years, from 1950 to the year 2000 when he died. He showed us through the Peanuts gang that some are trustworthy—Linus for one, and Snoopy for another, and some are not–Lucy.  Charles Schultz knew and believed in the One who is worthy of trust.  Hopefully we do too!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Sacrifices Pleasing to God

Pastor Sherry’s Message for Ash Wednesday February 17, 2021


Scriptures: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Ps 51:1-17; 2 Cor 5:20b-6:10; Matt 6:1-6,16-21

The story is told of 2 African chiefs who came to a missionary named Chalmers. They approached him to request Christian teachers for their villages. He apologized, saying he had no one to send to them. Two years passed and the chiefs appeared again with the same request. This time, Chalmers went back with them himself. What he saw at the first village stopped him cold in his tracks. All the people of the village were silently on their knees. It was a Sunday, so Chalmers asked what they were doing. The chief replied that they were all praying. Chalmers then noted, “But no one is saying anything.” The chief then replied, “White man, we do not know what to say. For two years, every Sunday morning we have met here. And for four hours we have been on our knees and we have been praying like that; but we do not know what to say.”

This is a true story, but one that’s hard for us to imagine, isn’t it?  I don’t know about you, but stories like this of faith and piety or persistence in seeking God make me ashamed of myself by comparison. Would I, would you, willingly spend 4 hours on our knees seeking God, especially if we did not know how to pray?  I believe this kind of faith and persistence is pleasing to God.  I believe it blesses His heart.  We too can bless God’s heart—and open our own hearts up to improve our spiritual connection with Him.

A. Joel 2:1-2, 12-17:Joel is prophesying to the Southern Kingdom that “the Day of the Lord”—the day of judgment–is coming.  In the short term, Judah will be overrun by locusts, bringing on a widespread famine; but this was a metaphor for the long-term prophesy that the Babylonians would eventually invade and take over the Promised Land.  So his message—from the Lord—is that they need to repent while they still have time.  They can avoid locusts, famine, and a Babylonian takeover if they will return to the Lord (stop their worship of idols), confess their sins, and declare a holy fast to demonstrate their renewed commitment to God. Joel reminds them—and us– that God will give them another chance.

In v.13b he writes, He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love…[and] He relents from sending calamity.  In other words, God loves them and wants them to draw near to Him, to avoid His judgment.  Our culture today is in a similar fix.  We have stopped worshipping the One True God.  Instead, we have made idols of money, influence, power, materialism, our own intellects, sex, etc.  Like those long-ago Judeans, if we want to please God, we need to humble ourselves before Him, admit our sins and failures, and ask His forgiveness.

Thankfully, it’s still not too late to avoid God’s wrath and discipline, but they—and we–need to get busy!  We need to ask ourselves, in the past year, have we been more concerned with the things of this world than with the things of God?  This past year, this year of Covid-19, has the Lord always taken 1st place in our hearts?  Or have we allowed other priorities, and our fears, to crowd Him out?  Have we been so focused on those priorities and fears that we have neglected to nurture our vital relationship with Jesus?  Have we abandoned meeting with Him in daily prayer and Scripture reading?  Have we locked the doors to our heart, assuming that our faith will remain intact until we have time to give it?  Unfortunately, death can come to us too quickly for us to react and ask God to save us.  We need to make the decision to draw near to God right now.

         Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period of spiritual house-cleaning lasting 40 days.  Scholars have traced its observance to the early 100’s    (attested to by Irenaeus of Lyons).  The 40 days are a reminder of the time Jesus fasted in the wilderness.  Ashes are applied to the forehead to remind us of the truth from Gen 3:19 when God told Adam and Eve, Remember you are dust and to dust you will return.  The ashes are a sign of our repentance and our sorrow for our sins.  As such, they remind us of the need to maintain our commitment to love and please Almighty God.

          B. David’s evidence of his sorrow for his sins in perfectly recalled in Psalm 51.  The prophet Nathan has confronted him about his sins of covetousness, adultery, and murder related to the beautiful Bathsheba.  His resulting lament to God provides a perfect example of how we should feel about our own sins.  (1)He takes personal responsibility—he admits he is guilty and does not blame others, including Bathsheba.  (2)He humbly pleads with God to(a) forgive him and (b)give him a pure heart, saying, in v.10, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast [right] spirit within me.  David ended his life as a man after God’s own heart.  This means that despite his sins, he pleased the Lord.  We too, following David’s humble and heartfelt example, can please the Lord.

          C. Paul calls for us to be reconciled to God in 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10.  We do this by remembering that Jesus, who was sinless, took on all our sins so that we could stand before God with clear consciences and clean hearts.  Paul also tells us we do this by not allowing anything to displace our focus on God.  Do you recognize the common theme throughout these passages?  (1)Remember what Jesus has done for us;

                          (2) Keep God 1st pursuing Him like those African seekers;

                          (3) Humble ourselves with frequent sin inventories;

                          (4) Seek God’s face and ask His forgiveness.

          D. In Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, Jesus tells us how to best go about fasting and doing good in God’s name.  We are to fast and practice good deeds quietly, without any fanfare. He assures us that even if no one else notices, God does.  If we play to the crowd, we receive our reward, from onlookers here on earth.  But tostore up lasting treasure for ourselves in heaven, we want to be “stealth-givers” and silent, non-complaining fasters. This is not how we get ourselves to heaven–Jesus has already done that for us.  But giving and fasting this covert way both blesses God’s heart and draws us closer to Him.

         Again, today we begin the season of Lent. As usual, I am asking us all to fast something.  It can be food or drink, or TV, or social media.

But it can also be a habit, something that calms you or brings you pleasure;

When we resolve to let go of it for 40 days, we demonstrate to God our commitment to get our hearts right with Him.

          Rather than fast, you may choose instead to add a spiritual practice that will draw you closer to Christ.  You may wish to do a Bible study, or to read a set of Lenten devotions.  Or you may want to increase your time spent in prayerful conversation with God.  Whether we give up something or add something, let’s realize that in doing so, we are making the kinds of sacrifices that please our God.

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

We Do Not Lose Heart!

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 14, 2021

Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:1-12; Ps 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6; Mark 9:2-9

               This past Wednesday, I preached the funeral of D.W. Williams, a 94 year old member of this congregation.  After the service ended, one of his nephews—a man about my age—approached me for conversation.  It turns out he works for Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse organization in North Carolina.  He told me he is in charge of the distribution of the Christmas shoeboxes we help with annually to a large section of Africa.  In fact, on his last trip over, he contracted the Covid virus in Rwanda, but said he got excellent medical care.  We chatted at length about how fabulously God works through those gift boxes to bring so many children to a saving belief in Jesus Christ.  My particular favorite tale was of the young boy who desperately wanted a black shirt and a black cap.  Those two items were among the bounty in the shoebox he was given.  Only God could make such a thing happen!

         From there, he segued into telling me that not every member of his family at the funeral service was a professing Christian.  This is often the case, so I was not surprised.  It almost seems easier to reach children in Africa, who have so little–with some small gifts—than privileged and highly educated adults in the U.S.

         Paul speaks to this phenomenon—and our response to it—  in his 2nd Corinthians (4:1-6) passage today.  Paul begins by affirming that we have all been given the ministry of proclaiming the Gospel.  We may do this by preaching and teaching, like me, or like Ken and Jenn who evangelize in Eastern Europe each summer.  Or we may share our faith with friends who are open to it, through conversations or writing books—like Jenn or like my son, David.  Or we can reach others by writing and singing worship songs, like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, or other contemporary Christian singers and composers.  Or we may witness to others by simply trying to live out a life pleasing to God, letting what we do and what we don’t do be our model to others. I don’t believe we are called to stand on street corners and wave our Bibles at passersby, or to go door to door to try to convey the Gospel.  Jesus didn’t do this.  He spoke to those who were open to His message, and he told the disciples to share with those who were interested, but to shake the dust off their feet and move on when they encountered those who were not. 

         Next, Paul says our ministry is best served if we live lives that demonstrate Jesus’ transforming effect on us.  Listen to how Peterson’s The Message paraphrases v.2:  We refuse to wear masks and play games.  We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes.  And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves.  Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open, the whole truth on display, so that those who want to can see and judge for themselves in the presence of God.  In other words, we are not hypocrites.  We are not posers or fakers.  We believe the Word we present.  The fellow at the funeral said he could tell I believed in Jesus as I preached.   Though we’re not perfect, the way we live should, as much as possible, reflect well on Christ.

         However we go about it, Paul says (v.1)…we do not lose heart.   We don’t look at our lack of results and give up.  I could tell by watching peoples’ faces and by observing their body language (at the funeral) who was open to the Gospel and who was not.  We remember that even Jesus did not convince everyone in His day.  We remember that we are called to share our faith, but the results are up to the individual and to God.

         And we don’t contort God’s Word to justify things we want that God does not condone.  We don’t add to God’s Word.  For example, you’ve probably heard folks say that, “God helps those who help themselves,” but this proverb comes from Benjamin Franklin, not Scripture.  In addition, we don’t take anything away from it, even if    we don’t always understand or like God’s message.  For example, our culture is at odds with God on the issues of marriage, life, and homosexuality.  God has said that marriage is between one man and one woman, only.  Similarly, God is the giver of life and we are not free to justify the killing of unborn children.  Finally, I have read Romans chapter 1 in the original Greek.  It is very clear there that God is opposed to homosexual acts—both those done by men and by women–just as He is to heterosexual acts of fornication.  I cannot honor God and “shack up” with a man.  The only legitimate place for sexual activity is within marriage.  We must remember, though, that we love the sinner while not excusing the sin.

         Paul goes on to say (vv.3-4) that not everyone is going to understand God’s message.  Paul blames “the god of this world” for blinding people to the truth of the Gospel.  He writes, The god of this age [Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.  Satan applies scales to their eyes so they cannot see/perceive the Truth.

Haven’t you heard nonbelievers say, “I read the Bible but I cannot understand it.”  Or, “There are things in the Bible that I just cannot believe.”   When we don’t understand, we ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us (which is one of His jobs), or to lead us to a pastor or a Bible study to help us get it.  I recommend any Beth Moore study, or for folks to tune into Dr. David Jeremiah or to Dr. J. Vernon McGee, both of whom are excellent at explaining God’s Word.  Again, as Peterson presents it, If our message is obscure to anyone, it’s not because we’re holding back in any way.  No, it’s because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention.  All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness.  They think he can give them what they want, and that they won’t have to bother believing a Truth they can’t see.  They’re stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we’ll ever get. 

         Consider today’s Gospel lesson (Mark 9:2-9): John, James, and Peter actually get to see Jesus in His glorified or heavenly state.  Scales removed, or vision transformed, they see Jesus as God’s Divine Son.  There is an otherworldly glow or aura about Him.  He is encompassed with bright, almost blinding light—not light that shines down on Him but light that shines forth from within Him.  If that weren’t enough, they encounter God the Father.  Much as He did in the 40 years of the Israelites’ desert wanderings, He manifests as cloud and fire or bright light.  Additionally, He speaks and they hear, Mark 9:7: Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them and a voice came from the cloud:  This is my Son, Whom I love.  Listen to Him!  Literally, John, James, and Peter see the Light of Christ.  They hear God’s voice and they later, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, faithfully recount this experience.

         Back to Paul, in verse 7 he says, But we have this treasure [the Gospel] in jars of clay [our ordinary/ human minds and bodies] to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are simply messengers of the Gospel to others.  How amazing of God to trust its transmission to us!

         In verses 8-9, Paul reiterates the troubles we may encounter when we share Christ with nonbelievers (as per Peterson): You know for yourselves that we are not much to look at.  [Again, the power of the Gospel comes from God, not us.]  We’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we’ve been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn’t left our side; we’ve been thrown down, but we haven’t broken.  What they did to Jesus, they do to us—trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us—He lives!

         The nephew at the funeral commended me for preaching the Gospel even though unbelievers were present.  As I stated last week, I can’t not preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It was my first ordination vow.

It is also commended to us by Scripture (2 Timothy 4:2), where Paul tells the young pastor Timothy, Preach the Word; be prepared, in season and out of season [the Gospel is clearly out of season in our country today, isn’t it?]: correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

         I believe that time is now.  Many, even in our denomination, have abandoned the wisdom of God for their own faulty perceptions.  In over 40 years of counseling others, I have heard people justify all kinds of sinful things: murder, theft, not repaying debts, committing adultery, and even abusing children or the elderly.  Human beings are remarkably good at justifying whatever they want to do.  But we have a standard, and that standard is the Word of God, the Bible.  May we not be justifiers of immoral behavior, our own or that of others.  May we stand fast for the Gospel!  May we not lose heart, but continue to place our trust in Jesus Christ.  Amen!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Our God Does Not Forget Us!

Pastor Sherry’s Message for February 7, 2021

Scriptures: Isa 40:21-31; Ps 147:1-11; 1 Cor 9:16-23; Mk 1:29-30

If we were having a conversation, I would ask you to tell me if you have heard this story before.  But, we’re not, so please bear with me if this is a repeat.  It’s the truestory of the Cambodian man whose testimony I heard in a college chapel service and found to be riveting!

In the 1970’s, he was a 16 YO brilliant student, already in medical school at that young age.  One day, he and his friends were recreating in a city park when truckloads of Kmer Rouge soldiers (under the dictator PolPot) descended upon them.  He witnessed his friends to either side of him being shot to death. (They held University ID’s, and the communists were bent on getting rid of all intellectuals, doctors, etc.).  He was spared because—through a bureaucratic snafu, he had as yet no university ID [1st miracle].  Nevertheless, he was taken to prison camp with many others.  The word had spread there that they were all to be executed (You may remember a movie which documented those events called, “The Killing Fields”).  He found himself blindfolded and lined up and realized the executions were being carried out to his left.  He said he cried out to God, “If You exist, spare my life and I will serve you for the remainder of it.”  By a 2nd miracle, they ceased the executions just before they reached him.

         In a 3rd miracle, he escaped into the jungle.  While running by night and hiding during the day, he met a fellow he called, “The Jungle Man,” a 4th miracle.  “The Jungle Man” was a Christian who shared with him his faith in Jesus.  He taught him one Bible verse–probably John 3:16.  (Just think, if you were running for your life, which one Bible verse would you have wanted to have memorized?)  They had to separate for safety, but the Cambodian gradually made it to a refugee camp across the border into Thailand.  In a 5th miracle, he encountered “The Jungle Man” at the camp community water faucet.  “The Jungle Man” then taught him another Bible verse.  Daily, he learned a new verse and shared with whoever-camped-in-his-area would listen. No one had a Bible, but many were hungry to learn of Christ.  There is no telling how many were saved by learning those verses and sharing the love of Jesus with other refugees.  Not so ironically, they took in Living Water around a simple water faucet.

         In a 6th miracle, the Cambodian found sanctuary in the US, in Denver, Colorado.  There, he completed college and seminary—though he didn’t share how that had come about.  Nevertheless, it is clear he honored his promise to God to become a pastor.  I have no idea how many Cambodian refugees found their way to that Denver seminary, but in a 7th miracle, the Cambodian man met there and married a Cambodian Christian woman.

         They completed their studies and returned to Cambodia to preach the Gospel to their countrymen (now a communist country).  They were both arrested on arrival, imprisoned, and denied much food or water.  Like Paul in our 1st Corinthians passage, he believed he could not stand to not preach the Gospel.  Like Jeremiah, he felt his very bones would have to cry out God’s word.  His confinement left him despondent and frustrated with God.  As he grumbled one day, his dear wife reminded him, “Husband, didn’t Paul preach to the walls when he was imprisoned?”  So he began to preach to the walls.  It turned out they were bugged!  Several communist guards who were listening were actually converted! [8th miracle].  In a 9th miracle, they came to him and said,”We can’t let you go, but is there something else we can do for you?”  I might have asked for more food or water, but in his zeal, he asked them to bring people to his prison door so he could preach to them.  He reported that the guards actually went out into the streets and brought people in by gun point!  [10th miracle]  Eventually, he and his wife were released [11th miracle],  and he founded a Christian Seminary in Cambodia. By the time I heard him, he had been leading teaching crusades for Jesus in soccer stadiums in Cambodia, still a communist country [12th miracle].

         I was very touched by his testimony (which I heard in the late 1990’s). It was clear to me that God protected and provided for him over and over again in miraculous ways.  He knew for certain that God had saved him, several times over.   The Cambodian man’s experiences are dramatic and extraordinary, but as our Scriptures today attest, we too can be assured of God’s love, grace, provision, and protection.  Let’s focus on 2 of them:

               1.) Isaiah 40:21-31.  Isaiah is probably my favorite book in the Old Testament.  It is certainly quoted in the New Testament more than any other O.T. book.  Beginning with Chapter 40, the Prophet Isaiah is foretelling the return of the Israelite remnant from their Babylonian Captivity.   Now scholars believe Isaiah prophesied from 750-700BC.  In previous chapters, he predicts the Southern Kingdom, including Jerusalem, will be taken intocaptivity because they abandoned God and worshipped pagan dieties.  God then removed His protection from them and allowed the Babylonians to capture and deport them in 586BC.  Now, in chapter 40, Isaiah predicts that 70 years later God will bring them back home.  This had been meant as a punishment for their spiritual adultery.  In His mercy, however, God fully meant to later restore them.  In fact,God assures them in this message that, when the time comes, they will be able to pack up and set out in confidence.  WHY?

         a.)Because of His power and His sovereignty.  Afterall, He is (v.22) enthroned above the circle of the earth.  The sky and its stars are His canopy, His tent.  In Verses 22-24, he says essentially that God rules and overrules the decisions and the actions of rulers.  They only come to power because He allows it.  And when their reign ends, they disappear like dandelion seeds dispersed by wind.

         b.) And because He does not forget about us or fall asleep on the job! In verse 27, we learn thatGod knows where they are and what they need (He knows this about us too).  In verse 28, he proclaims that The Lord is the everlasting God.  This means He’s not dead! He’s not even retired!

He hasn’t abandoned us or left us to fend for ourselves.  Psalm 121:4 echoes this:  He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep….Later, in verses 7-8, the psalmist declares, The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  I don’t know about you, but I find deep comfort and reassurance in these passages.

         c.) Finally, if we wait upon Him (hope/trust in Him), God will renew our strength.  Isaiah 40:29 says, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  And in verse 30 (saving the best for last; this is one verse I would memorize to share), But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint.  Do you know that God gave the Israelites strength to walk back to Jerusalem from Babylon, a journey on foot of 1678 miles!  He did the same for the Cambodian pastor.  Like Paul, the Cambodian fellow felt compelled to preach the Gospel.  Like Paul, God gave the Cambodian the power to preach and an audience to preach to.  So too can we assume He will also strengthen us if we ask.

         2.) Mark 1:29-39.  Look at the renewed strength Jesus gave to Peter’s wife’s mother!  She was sick, He healed her, and she popped right up and fixed Him supper.  From the perspective of one laid low this past week by a reaction to the Covid vaccine, I can now appreciate more fully how complete was her healing.  I spent two days in bed recuperating, while she immediately felt good enough to get up from bed and cook.

         The same was true for Jesus.  He taught at the Synagogue, chased out some demons, then He healed untold numbers of sick and demonized after sundown (once the Sabbath had ended).  Surely He was tired!  But rather than sleeping in late the next day, He got up early and went off alone to pray.  He knew that it was His connection to His Father and the Holy Spirit that renewed His strength.  Sure, He was/is God and we are not.  But He was/is human too, with human needs and frailties like ours.  I think Mark is emphasizing for us what Jesus modeled:   the necessity of a prayer connection with Our Heavenly Father, our Source and our Strength.                                                  

         Over the course of this next week, I urge you to focus on the encouragement our God gives us for those times we grow weary or overwhelmed.  We tend to think, “I can’t!” or “It’s awful!”  and forget that God is able.  Like with a deck of cards, pick a worry, any worry:

         a.) Your health; the Covid or other illnesses or concerns.

         b.) Your finances; the direction of the economy;

         c.) The moral decline of our culture;

         d.) The bad behavior or poor choices of a loved one;

         e.) The bad behavior or poor choices of our political leaders;

         f.) A mental condition or an addictive pattern with which you currently                     struggle, etc.

Let’s remember that none of these issues is a surprise to God. None of these is too difficult for Him to handle.  None of these is outside His expertise or His control.  This week, let’s practice trusting in the God of Isaiah, of St. Paul and of the Cambodian pastor.  Our God is never asleep at the wheel!  He knows what is going on in our lives and what we need.  When we trust in Him to provide and protect, He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The God of Second Chances

Pastor Sherry’s message for January 24, 2021

Scriptures: Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Ps 62:5-12; 1 Cor7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20

         Our culture tends to believe that success is good but failure is bad.  Furthermore, we should avoid failure at all costs.  This can lead, however, to some really bad decisions/actions on our parts.  I read this week about the Darwin Awards.  Very cynically, these are given to people…“who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it—usually doing so in an extraordinarily stupid manner.”  I don’t know who these Darwin folks are, but they scan the news, looking for foolish ways that people accidentally kill themselves.  They have been making these posthumous awards annually since 1994.  One recent winner was a 19 YO male from Houston.  He had bragged to his friends that he could win at Russian Roulette.  His gun was a semi-automatic. Apparently he either didn’t know or didn’t remember that it automatically inserts a bullet in the chamber whenever it’s cocked.  In other words, his chances of surviving pulling the trigger were zero, and he indeed died.  A second recent winner was a Malaysian executioner.  Imagine putting that on your resume:  “From 2001 to 2008, I was an official executioner.”  It seem she wanted a friend to take a picture of him standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck.  However, he hadn’t first checked to see if the trap door was locked in place.  When he stepped on the platform with his head in the noose, the trap door opened and he was hanged!  The Darwin Folks would have us believe these two got what they deserved and we are better off without them.

               In a similar vein, do youremember France’s Maginot Line of WWII? The French had heavily armed and barricaded the border they shared with Germany, thinking this would save them from a Nazi invasion.  What they failed to consider is that the Nazis would first invade Belgium, then cross into France from that border, breaking into France to the west of and avoiding the Maginot Line altogether.  I’m sure students of military history have decried France’s misplaced trust in this impaired defensive strategy as a huge and costly mistake.

         Currently we are dealing with the “Cancel Culture.”  If the press or social media discover one bad thing you have done in your past, they come after you with no mercy, shaming and embarrassing you in public.  There is no grace and no mercy.

         Cancel Culture, the Darwin Awards, and even the experience of the Maginot Line would have us all believe that it is fatal to make a mistake. Such a belief is both unchristian and totally at odds with our God!  He often views failure/mistakes as a way to bring about good:

         (a) Failure keeps us humble;

         (b) Failure reminds us we are neither perfect nor gods;

         (c) Failure allows God to mold and shape our character;

         (d) Failure helps increase our dependence upon God.  When we see what a mess we have made of our lives, we realize we need God to guide and protect us.

         Two of our Scriptures today reference a godly response to failure.  In our Old Testament lesson, we catch up to Jonah (3:1-5, 10) post whale experience.  You probably remember that God had given the prophet the assignment to evangelize the Assyrians.  But Jonah was horrified at the prospect and immediately ran in the opposite direction.  Maybe he or his family had been victims of Assyrian raids, as they were feared all over the ancient Near East for their ferocity in battle.  The tales told regaling the revolting and brutal things they did to those they fought and defeated would strike terror into the hearts of any listener.  It is said that piles of human skulls sat outside the gates to all their cities.  Perhaps Jonah ran from the missionary task because he instead wanted God to justly punish them (like the Cancel Culture, he wanted to exact revenge on his enemies).  Or perhaps he just couldn’t get his mind around the fact that God meant to show them—even them!–mercy.  Or maybe he was just simply afraid of them!  Whatever his rationale, he headed to Spain, got caught in a violent storm, was thrown off the ship by the crew—who were sure someone on board had offended the gods–and swallowed by a giant fish/whale.

         Our lesson today picks up with Jonah having been miraculously vomited up onto the beach, only to have God again tell him to go to Nineveh, the capitol of Assyria.  And, having learned his lesson—it’s not healthy to defy God—he goes. Archeological digs dating from the 1950’s tell us the city was apparently 27 miles in circumference (2.5 mi. long; 1.33mi. wide).  It was probably like many of our large cities, in that one suburb ran into another in a big urban sprawl.  It apparently was so large that it took Jonah several days to walk through it, proclaiming his message of repentance.

         Now I don’t know about you, but I have often wondered why fierce Ninevites would pay any attention to a lone, bedraggled Israelite.  But imagine how Jonah might have looked after having spent 2-3 days in a whale’s digestive juices.  Other folks who have been recovered from the stomachs of large fish (and some have over the years), have been found to be hairless.  Like persons who have undergone chemotherapy, they lose the hair on their heads, faces (including eyebrows and eyelashes), and their bodies.  Jonah probably didn’t wear a wig, so his totally hairless appearance, and lack of a beard, would have surely grabbed peoples’ attention.  No doubt the stomach acids altered his skin color as well.  He probably looked orange, the original “Orange Man.”  The folks of Nineveh had never seen anyone like him, so they probably stopped to gawk.  While he had their attention, he told them they had 40 days to change their ways or die! Pagan folks (& some Christians too) are often superstitious.  They would have figured Jonah was someone special, so they all—even the king—immediately fell into repentance.  They were profoundly impacted.  Several hundred thousand people came to grief over their sins and desired to know and follow God.  J. Vernon McGee, my favorite Bible commentator, calls this the largest revival in history.

         This story is such a wonderful demonstration of God’s mercy.  Look at how grace-filled He was toward these horrible Assyrians! He gave them a second chance.  Look at how grace-filled He was toward His disobedient prophet! I’m always amazed at how God uses and redeems our rough experiences, when we allow Him.  He even used Jonah’s altered and strange appearance as a means of attracting an audience willing to listen to this wandering Israelite.

         And these are not the only examples of God’s extension of second chances to folks in Scripture:

         (1) Jacob stole his brother’s inheritance, yet God made  him a patriarch of the faith;

         (2) King David committed adultery and murder, and yet God later—following David’s repentance–made him a man after His own heart.

         (3) Peter denied and abandoned Christ when He needed  him most, yet Jesus made him an Apostle and very likely the first Bishop of Rome.

         (4) Saul, who zealously murdered Christians, encounters the Risen Christ, and becomes Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

         (5) In Jesus’ story of the Prodigal This son, who according to ancient Near Eastern tradition, should have probably been snubbed by his offended father, is gladly embraced.  Any on-lookers would have expected the father to kick this money-grubbing, insolent, disrespectful son to the curb, but his father greeted him with  kisses.  Their neighbors would have expected to see the son beaten, but instead his grateful father produces a celebratory banquet.

All of these examples demonstrate that our God is a God of grace and forgiveness.   He patiently waits on us to come to our senses and come to Him.   Unwilling that any of us would miss out on His love and mercy, He offers us a 2nd chance, and sometimes even more!

         Our psalm today is Psalm 62, written by King David in his elder years. As you read it, you may be surprised by David’s themes as he wrote this after having survived a palace coup by his favorite son, Absolom.  Over time, and without David’s knowledge, Absolom had curried the favor of former friends of his father’s, and even a portion of the Israelite army no longer loyal to the King.  Absolom and his cronies entered Jerusalem by one gate, while his elderly and grieved father is forced to flee (with his court, advisors, and army personnel still loyal to him), by another.  So, as David composed this psalm, he is feeling rejected and betrayed by his favorite son, and overcome by grief.

         Yet notice how he focuses not on his pain, but on his relationship with God.  He expresses his trust in God!  Though he has been forced from his capital city in defeat, instead of being caught up in bitterness or a desire for revenge, he expresses optimism and praise to the Lord!

         (1) In v.9 He says he doesn’t put his trust in the fickle mob, not in men, but in God;

         (2) In v.10 He says he doesn’t trust in material things;

         (3) In v.11 Instead, he says he trusts in God because God has the Power!

         (4) In v.12 Instead, he says he trusts in God because God is merciful.

         These are such good lessons for us in these uncertain times, aren’t they?  When wild-eyed and unhinged political zealots are calling for revenge and retribution toward their enemies; when the Covid-19 has morphed and ramped up its killing capacity yet again; when the economic future seems uncertain; when we see our civil rights being challenged and increasingly curtailed by big tech, big business, big media, and big government; and when another caravan of thousands of migrants seems poised to storm our borders; in all of these situations, we need to put our trust in God.

         Like Jonah, we can be obedient and stand back and watch Him do miracles!  Like King David, we can trust in Him despite our circumstances…remembering that God has the power to protect us, remembering that God is merciful.  Unlike the people who give out the Darwin Awards, the Nazis, or the Cancel Culture, our God has shown time and time again that He believes we can change—with His help.  He doesn’t demand that we be perfect (the more I feel pressured to be perfect, the more mistakes I tend to make).  He just wants us, like King David, to trust in Him.  And He wants us, like the prophet Jonah, to obey Him.  Thank you, Lord, for being the God of 2nd chances!  Amen!

©2021 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams