Sermon March 4, 2007
"Walking in the Word"
Reading: Philippians 3:17-21
Intro - The Epistle Readings has words that sound strange to me.
Paul writes - join in imitating me. Doesn’t that seem wrong somehow?
But Paul wrote as he was led by the Holy Spirit, so it cannot be wrong. We need to take a closer look at this idea. So . . .
What is Paul’s example?
He wrote to the Colossians, "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus." Now what does this mean?
That is, all that you say and do is to be according to His will and His Word.
For as Christians we put His name behind it all.
There is a load of law here because to not do that is to walk as an enemy of the cross of Christ.
So you go around bad mouthing people, being negative all the time or making yourself seem important by attacking or belittling people - an enemy of the cross.
Or make fun of people, hurt them with your words or actions or fail to do good for them and be - an enemy of the cross.
Count on your income, the lottery, the slot machine or the gaming tables as the source of your blessings and security and be - an enemy of the cross.
Change the Word of God or its meaning to agree with the world and be - an enemy of the cross. And the list goes on to each of us when we do things our way and not His.
So how can we do this? Listen to what the Lord Himself said in John chapter 15 - Abide in Me.
This is the beautiful metaphor of Christ as the vine and we the branches.
He says there that He gave us life. He made us clean. He is with us, so we can abide.
So He says remain connected to the vine so that He can nourish and strengthen you.
He feeds us and keep us spiritually alive through the Word and Sacrament where He is for us. Look at the beauty of this picture now. Jesus, the Word made flesh, comes to us, His branches, and feeds us through the Word written. He is there in its pages waiting to feed us and remain connected with us ans we remain with Him through it.
This is most serious for to be separated for Him is to be spiritually dead and to be the branches that will be gathered up and burned, a reference to Judgement Day.
Then He tells us, with this life He has given us bear fruit. And here we are, fully immersed in the metaphor and right here today at the same time, for in front of us we see millions of dead branches and the opportunity to bear fruit.
India is a country filled with branches that need to be grafted to Christ the vine or they will be lost, gathered up and burned. 97% of the population, more than 900 million people, in fact. But once grafted to the vine Jesus will give them life now and forever. So look at this field.
It is large and it is waiting, what is the line from the hymn - field ripe and harvest waiting.
You see we have an excellent tool with which to cultivate this field, education.
70% of India’s population cannot read. Through Mission India we have the opportunity to give them not only the ability to read words but to read the Word, the Word of God that gives life by grafting them to the true vine.
Tonight we give you the chance to multiply resources for Mission India. After the offering is collected, the ushers will return and offer you an envelope. In it is a 10$ bill.
If you accept the envelope, for the nest ten weeks you will be living the parable of the talents. You will have $10 of the Lord’s money. The idea is to put that money to work to multiply it for the work in India. How you do that is up to you, but remember that all you do do in the name of the Lord. No hoping for a hot streak or the lucky numbers, but bake sales, craft items be creative.
On May 6th you will bring in what has been brought by your talents, whether 100 fold or 30 or 10. We trust in the Lord that He will bring a rich harvest in this field so as to support the work of His Word in the mission field.
That work is to graft new branches to Christ the true vine. As His branches we have life in Him now and forever. That noone can take away from us for all who abide in Jesus have His promise to abide in them. Then as His body we will live forever with Him in His Fathers Kingdom.
The promise is sure, the blessing eternal. Thanks be to God. Amen.
SDG
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