John 8:36 - We Are All Beggars (10-28-07)

“And if the son makes you free you will be free indeed.” Today is reformation day and it is the day we remember that we celebrate that we are set free from sin by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ.

Today is the day we remember that Martin Luther wrote this note and placed it on the door of the Wittenberg, Germany church: stating Disputation of Doctor Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences by Dr. Martin Luther, 1517, effectively starting the Reformation!

In 1999 – a joint declaration of faith was signed by the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation. Over 30 years of dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans, we agreed that we are saved only by grace in Christ Jesus; which is what the reformation was all about! I had the chance to preach at Elizabeth Ann Seaton Roman Catholic church here in town that day and the Roman Catholic priests and Lutheran pastors present signed our own ceremonial declaration. In 2017, yes in ten years, we will remember the 500^th anniversary of that date and I wonder how things will look then!

How did this dispute start almost 500 years ago? What was an Indulgence? Indulgences were pieces of paper that had the seal of the pope that would guarantee that you are forgiven. You could even pay to ensure that your family members who have died were in heaven by purchasing one for them. This would provide relief and comfort to people who weren’t sure of the grace of Jesus Christ. They would be reassured by the letter of the law that their dead family members were forgiven. The dispute had a great impact upon us all! We just don’t want to admit we are all beggars and need God’s grace!

The reformation day gospel is always this passage from John 8:31-36 Jesus is in Jerusalem confronting the attitude that we are not beggars, we have made it in life; we are good people and will not admit we are beggars, never! Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” The word Jesus was referring to was either the words himself he spoke; or it was Jesus who was the “word” of God; or it was the “logic” of the words of Jesus (as the word in Greek for “word” is logos, where we get logic) that we are all sinners and need to be set free; we are all beggars. “We have never been beggars” they complained.

It is so freeing to admit we are beggars! There is great logic in doing so, as our bodies can take a breath from all this doing. So I want you to look at someone and say, “I’m a beggar.” (let them do this). Now say, “You are a beggar.” (let them do this). Now say, “Wouldn’t you like to be a beggar too. Be a beggar… (Dr. Pepper tune sing with these words.)

What does a beggar do? Ask for something, bread perhaps or some type of food substance. In August, I did a 24 campout @Pearl Lake. We went to the Walmart to get some dinner food to cook that night and I picked out a big bag of Doritos. We actually opened it in the truck and started eating it in the parking lot. We got out to the stop sign and there was a man with a sign for money to get a bus. I opened the side window and asked if he needed food, which he said yes. I grabbed the bag we just opened and we handed it to him. No sacrifice! Yes it’s a band aid. I didn’t teach him how to fish; but he was a beggar with a sign. There are signs all around us of people who are admitting they are beggars. We just don’t want to ask, but I see the signs on the hearts of all those I see. So many beggars…

In 2000, I remember my mother asking or begging for help to deal with her mortgage troubles. She called me a week before the house was going to be foreclosed, looking for help, as she didn’t know she qualified for the senior citizen exemption which was why she couldn’t make payments anymore on time and for the correct amount. She gave me an example in her later years of begging and after I took over her finances. In this past year and in her passing three weeks ago, I saw how she was begging for help. We are all beggars.

It’s a blessing to be a Pastor in a church where I can ask for help. I could beg for your support and encouragement during this time of loss in dealing with the death of my mother three weeks ago. I was able to ask for the Bishop to find preachers so I could just sit at worship or be with family. It’s been three weeks out of the pulpit and I am grateful that you don’t mind me begging.

WE BEG EVERYDAY FOR GRACE! We ask, we plead; we beg. We ask for mercy from family, friends, neighbors and co-workers everyday. We don’t beg for food because we have so much! IT IS EASY TO HIDE OUR BEGGING.

Two days before he died in 1546, Martin Luther wrote his last note. It was found in his pocket after he died: "We are beggars: This is true." In these words, the last which Martin Luther's tireless pen wrote for us, lays his legacy to Christianity.

Today we gather with you to beg for God’s mercy. We gather to admit we are hungry for bread; for the bread of life and Jesus comes to us and we are fed! Fed in a few ways:

1. By COMMUNITY; as we gather in relationships; like these 5 teenagers who will affirm their faith in the one we beg for strength to face the struggles of life; so when car accidents happen like the one that took place last weekend, we are surrounded by people who will sing and say the words we might not be able to.

2. By the WATER; as we gather at this font; we gather with Karli Launius who is baptized at the 8am service

3. By the WORD; as we continue to read and hear scripture that reminds us we are forgiven and are empowered to forgive those around us by God’s mercy and love

We beg for bread and we are fed by Jesus, the living bread! We are never hungry again. We have been set free; so what are you going to do with that freedom? These teenagers are set free to continue to beg God for strength and grace. We are all beggars! Let us pray:

Gracious God, we come to you as beggars with our hands and hearts open to your grace. We come to you and you set us free from the power of death, sin and the grace to live and love freely, looking for the signs of those all around us who are beggars.

Luke 15: 1-5 - "Searching For The Lost"

“I once was lost, but now I’m found.” Luke 15 is the gospel within the gospel. This passage reminds us that God is the one who is searching for the lost.

Jesus is eating with outsiders in this lesson, affiliated with those in great need of social services, the riff raff or people we would not get caught upon. They were people that the society of the day looked down upon, the prostitutes and tax collectors. They are listening to what he has to say and are somehow they are experiencing a presence of God’s grace and mercy in this rabbi.

Now the Pharisees were upset that Jesus was eating with these unclean people, these people who are a LOST CAUSE. The Pharisees kept the 613 laws of Old Testament; this made them feel right with God, for they were lost is keeping the rules.

So Jesus tells the story of the one lost sheep. “Which one of you, have a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and after the one that is lost until he finds it?” This doesn’t make any economic sense. There is no economic gain in risking the 99 for this one! But Jesus says that there is great joy for the one lost sheep than for all 99 who’ve never gone astray.

Have you have ever felt lost? It’s easy to get lost when we think we know where we are going. Men sometimes don’t ask for directions, but really lost. We sometimes get lost in the details; the rules; my plans and what I think life’s about. We get lost in ministry and wondering into areas that are irrelevant and not important in the big picture. When we get lost in all the doing, we can sometimes lose the joy of living.

Do you see yourself as one of the ninety-nine or the one lost? I usually see myself as a part of the 99. I’ve found the light; we like to say when we have experienced conversion moments in our lives. Hey, I’m a pastor. I’m teaching my kids the Lord’s Prayer; it’s a good thing to do and the right thing. But we can get lost in doing the right thing.

Jesus was searching for the lost and the religious establishment was resentful. They didn’t want to be compared to the shepherd, for their work was like the “Dirty Jobs” show on TV.

Jesus was searching for the one lost sheep and for the ninety-nine sheep that were lost and didn’t realize it. The irony is that the ninety-nine sheep didn’t think they were lost. “There is more joy in heaven for one lost sheep than for (mockingly say this) all of you who don’t think you are lost”, as if you are not lost.

What is interesting about the one lost sheep and the ninety-nine is that none of them realized that they were lost. The sheep never came to himself and said, “Hey, I’m lost.” It doesn’t realize it’s lost nor does it attempt to return! They stay lost until the FINDER searches for them; those lost people; wandering aimless with out the joy of the Lord; who have lost that loving feeling. When we lose that which brings us the greatest joy, we are lost.

Remember that there is a God who is searching for you. There is joy for all of us, for we are all like sheep who’ve gone astray. Thank God that God’s spirit is searching for us…

Let us pray, Gracious God, we are walking lost together. Help us to be lost in wonder of love and praise of your mercy, for we are all lost who have gone astray.

Luke 16:1-13 - "Scheming Faith"

Jesus is not praising dishonest business dealing. Jesus showed that this “scheming” was a good skill. The word means “prudent” or “wise” or “practical”. Scheming faith is what Jesus is telling the disciples the way to go. We shouldn’t be naive, but look to this shrewd example for faithful service.

I think that there are three main points we can take from this passage that would help us to have prudent faith as we are called to grow this ministry. If we are to continue to develop ministry programs and activities in new ways here at Living Waters, I believe this passage can help us to reach out to the ever growing needs in our community.

First of all, we are called to the take the initiative[i]. This steward was about to be fired and had to settle his outstanding sales accounts with his customer clients. He goes up to them and deals with the final details. He doesn’t just dump responsibilities. He initiates the conversation without informing these two customers that he has been fired.

As a church community, we must encourage our leaders to take the initiative in developing their ministries in new ways. One example was a new person was invited to help with the media preparation for worship on Fridays each week. I told her thank you for her serving before she was about to be trained by our Office Manager and encouraged her to find a partner to team up with so that they could do this area of ministry together. They could rotate the schedule or manage it in a way that would be beneficial to both. We need leaders to take the initiative in new ways.

Secondly, this lesson helps us to see that this manager was willing to cut his commission. One commentator suggests that when he told the person who had to pay one hundred jugs of oil to cut it by fifty percent and the person who owed 100 bags of wheat to cut his bill by twenty percent, the manager was taking a short term lose for a long term gain. He was willingly to lose the short term benefit so that he could be invited into their homes later.

We are called to serve other unconditionally without expecting a return on our investment in relationship because we have been invited into the eternal home. We care for others with love and mercy so that people see we are not asking for anything in return. We don’t serve because we have to but because we know that our eternal home is secure with God. We are free not to worry about our eternal retirement plan.

Finally, this scheming steward was willing to take drastic actions[ii]. We are called again and again to turn our lives around in the direction that God is leading. We might discover that we are called to serve in an area that we never thought we had the gifts for but in an area we truly are called to serve. There will be times when we must confess to one another our mistakes. Then there is the drastic action of coming to worship, being a part of a small group, opening your hands and hearts to received the bread and wine. These actions are drastic compared to the cut throat and rugged individualism of the world.

So be prudent my friends, be practical and see that God will work in the simple ways of the world that might not seem so holier than though.

Let us pray, Gracious God, help us to see that you will provide for us in some very basic ways that don’t seem as holy and innocent.

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[i] www.homileticsonline.com – sermon points from “Smooth Operator”; changed to fit our setting

[ii] ibid