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Boulder City
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Pastor John's Message will be posted on Sunday Afternnon
August 29, 2010
Service of Music and Word
This morning we are singing hymns written by John Wesley’s brother Charles (1707-88). Both lived during the 1700’s. They were very educated men both having attended the best universities in England. During his life Charles wrote over 5,000 hymns.
Like so many people it was the verses in Romans chapter 3 that changed their lives: “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
The church was a powerful institutional in their day and it seemed the doors of the great churches were only open to those in the upper classes. The Wesleys preached in fields, and outside factory gates, and in the open spaces around the mines. The message was always God’s grace is present in the lives of everyone, rich or poor, educated or not, churched or unbeliever always there is grace before we believe, at the time of believing, and ever-after. They spoke to everyman and everywoman about God’s grace. They preached a life of spirituality and one of service or social responsibility. They believed God is always working in our lives to take us “on to perfection” as they called sanctifying grace.
Many of those who heard them preach could not read so Charles used music as a means of learning about the Christian faith. Today we talk about the need to teach others the Christian language. If you have not grown up where Christ talk and Bible talk is common then the language of faith is new and needs to be learned.
The words we sing this morning were written with that in mind as you sing you learn about your faith. As there were no hymnals, Charles found setting the words to common music of the day made it easier to sing. It is said that many of these tunes were from the alehouses and inns because without access to churches they were the social centers for many people.
The hymns are not repetitious as if repeating increases understanding but are wide ranging in the use of Christian language.
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“And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-19) NT page 193
We sing put on the armor which is a gift from God: your salvation, Jesus’ righteousness, the truth, a message of good news, your faith itself a gift and God’s word so we would know him. It is like a panoply which means a complete suit of armor. We are to stand and be overcomers because God supplies our needs through Christ. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks. Rejoice always because we stand in the grace of God in armor he has provided. He asks nothing of us that he has not provided for.
Hymn 513 Soldiers of Christ, Arise
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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and refreshment for your body.”
(Proverbs 3:5-8) OT 553 page
God’s perfect love casts out fear if we will but only trust. We know enough about our own sinfulness and about what life is like that we should not be dismayed. We are not to let our own weakness or what we experience destroy our courage or resolution, or bring on dread or apprehension. God is the lifter of our heads. There is joy in our salvation. Trust in the Lord and do not lose enthusiasm; do not be upset or alarmed. The nights shall end in joyous day. Remember God loves you. We are now safe in his hands and in his care.
Hymn 129 Give to the Winds thy Fears
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The Apostle John wrote “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 7:9-12) NT page 235
The evangel is one who proclaims. Let us proclaim, publish aboard the wonder of the name of Jesus. Oh what a vision John saw. Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb. Do we live our lives in the reality of the kingdom?
The multitude, the heavenly host, they know. Oh, that we might live knowing our God reigns and that our lives might reflect the words of this song. It should make us catch our breath at our failures, but quicken us to sing out to God who sits on the throne and to join in the worship of the Lamb.
Hymn 181 Ye Servants of God
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First read from John 19: “Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" (John 19:1-5)
Paul wrote words of encouragement to Timothy and to us. “From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8) NT page 201
“The twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:10-11) page NT 233
This is a personal thought but I believe there is nothing I do that is worthy of a crown. To live as Jesus wants me to live, a person of grace who always demonstrates love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is impossible. My righteousness comes from him. And because I believe that I will be given a crown. That crown is the only thing I will be able to offer my Lord and my God.
Matthew recorded these words Jesus spoke: “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34) and “what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart” (Matthew 15:18). As you sing and voice the words of this beautiful hymn I want you to think about why you are singing it. Are these just words or do you sing these words from your heart because you believe Jesus is all compassion, pure, unbounded love?
Hymn 384 Love Devine, All Love Excelling
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We think of the Old Testament, the Hebrew Bible book Leviticus as a book of ‘no’s’ or rules and we forget Jubilee. “You shall count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month--on the Day of Atonement--you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, or reap the after-growth, or harvest the un-pruned vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces.” (Leviticus 25:8-12) page OT 108
Jubilee is an amazing part of the Hebrew Bible, an amazing part of the lives of the Hebrew people. Was there any culture, any people, or any religion before or even since that said every 50 years all citizens would be made whole again? People were freed from slavery and being indentured to return to their families. Property that had been used as collateral was returned. What an amazing thing.
What an awesome example for us. Can you even imagine what it must have been like during that fiftieth year? God has chosen to give each person a Jubilee, a Day of Atonement. He makes us whole and brings us back to him with no debt when we believe. We have been ransomed by the blood of Christ.
Hymn 379 Blow Ye the Trumpet, Blow (verses 1-4)
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“Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 15:51-57) page NT 167
Rejoice, and again I say rejoice for death has been swallowed up in victory. The fear of sin and death has been replaced by the mercy and love of God and of God’s forgiveness for sin that brought the death. The kingdom cannot fail. Are you expectant? Do you long to hear the trump that signals the Lord’s return? We shall all either die and be raised or live and be raised. This good news is for those who have fallen and can’t get up. It should lift us when we are pressed down. For this is the word of God and it will not pass away!
Hymn 751 Rejoice, the Lord is King