Sunday's Message - Ready, Set, Go

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, February 21, 2020.

Mark 1:9-15 [Contemporary English Version]

About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

Right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!”

Ready, Set, Go

Now, let me ask y’all a question. When you hear the words “ready, set, go,” what sort of stuff immediately comes to mind? That some kind of race or contest is about to begin, right? Of course, it probably involves something that’s athletic, you know, like a 50-yard dash or a downhill slalom or maybe the tip-off in a basketball game. But it could also be the start of “Call to Duty” or “Jeopardy” or maybe a rousing game of musical chairs. But regardless of the competition, the words “ready, set, go” kind of kick things off. 

But even more than that, I think they also have what you could call a universal meaning. For example, when you hear the word “ready,” that means you better get all your last minute preparations done, because the whistle is about to blow. And then, when you hear “set,” that means you better be looking forward, you know, toward your goal as well as the way you plan to get there. And then, with “go,” well, that tells you, in no uncertain terms, that now’s the time to go: you know, to run the race or play the game. Now I think that’s pretty much what those three words mean.

And I’ll tell you why I mention that this morning. In the passage that we just read from the Gospel of Mark, I think we have three little stories that do for Jesus what the words “ready, set, go” do for us. You see, according to the Evangelist Mark, this represented the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. In other words, given the fact that in Mark there’s no birth story or escape into Egypt or appearance in the Temple, this is the first time Jesus entered the story and began doing what he was called to do. And so, in the space of these seven verses, I think Mark told us how Jesus got ready and how he set himself for the job he’d been given to do and how he got started on that work. Now that’s what I believe happened.

And you know, since we’re followers of Jesus Christ, I think these stories can do the same kind of thing for us. And so, with that in mind, we’re going look at these three little stories. And then we’re going to consider how they related to Jesus and then how we might apply each one to ourselves as we try to live the kind of lives Jesus has called us to live. 

For example, I think the first story can help us to get ourselves ready to live the Christian life. In other words, it can prepare us in the same way it prepared Jesus. And like I said, I think we can find that in what happened at the baptism. Remember, this was what the Evangelist Mark wrote:

About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.” [Mark 1:9-11, CEV]

Now that’s what the Evangelist wrote and just think for a minute about what this communicated to Jesus, and remember, in Mark, we don’t have anything having to do with shepherds and wise men and the “word becoming flesh.” You see, it was right here that Jesus received his identity. I mean, after he came out of the water, two things happened. First, Jesus saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit come down on him like a dove. And second, he heard that voice from heaven say to him, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.” In other words, as Jesus was getting ready to do what he came to do, he learned that God’s Holy Spirit was on him. But more than that, he also learned that not only was he God’s Son, but that we was loved by his Father. You see, this was what Jesus learned.

And I’ll tell you, when we apply the story to ourselves, this is something we can know too. I mean, as we get ourselves ready to be the kind of men and women God created and called us to be, we can know that the same spirit that rested on Jesus also rests on us. And through that Spirit, we have an understanding we could never have on our own. It’s like what Jesus said to disciples:

The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you. [John 16:13-15, CEV] 

And so, as we get ourselves ready, we can know we have the Spirit, but that’s not all.

We also can know that God has made us his sons and daughters and that we’re loved by our heavenly Father. And if this is something about which we’re not sure, just listen to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God. [Ephesians 1:4-6, CEV]

And so, just like Jesus was prepared for his life, so are we when we remember what we’ve been given and who we are in God’s sight. You see, that’s how we’ve been made ready, and that’s something we can take from the first story.

And by looking at the second, I think we can become set to face the reality of the future spread out before us. And that’s something that God did for Jesus right after the baptism. I mean, before anything else happened, “right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.” [Mark 1:12-13, CEV] Now according to Mark, that was what happened to Jesus immediately after all that stuff he saw and heard at his baptism. In fact, the very Spirit that rested on him, drove him out into the wilderness; therefore, it was no accident. It was the work the Father who loved him.

And I’ll tell you, that just makes sense when you think about the two things that Jesus faced in that desert. I mean, one, he faced forty days of testing by Satan, which is a whole lot worse than those three temptations both Matthew and Luke wrote about. No, this was forty days of constant and unrelenting testing, something Jesus would see in later in his ministry, particularly when this happened:

Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “The nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life.” Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, “Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God.” [Mark 8:31-33, CEV]

You see, the testing and tempting was still there throughout his life, but so was the presence and the love and care of God, his father. You see, thanks to what he experienced in the desert, Jesus was set to face the challenges before him.

And I’ll tell you, as soon as we decide to recognize that same reality for ourselves, man, we’re set too. For example, on one hand, I think we need to accept that, from time to time, life becomes so challenging that we feel it must be some kind of test. Life can be tough, and we really don’t help ourselves when we deny it. On the other hand, thought, I believe it’s also important to acknowledge that God is with us right there in the middle of whatever we’re enduring. And you know, recognizing that both are real, well, I think that was what Paul was telling the Romans when he wrote:

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5, CEV]

You see, recognizing that both tests and comfort lie ahead of us, I think that sets us up to face the future, something we can claim when we apply the second story.

And in the third little story we just read, I think that helps us go forward with both a sense of both hope and urgency. And like I said I think we can see that in what Jesus said as he started his ministry.

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!” [Mark 1:14-15, CEV]

Now that was what Mark wrote. 

And as I read it, it sure seems as though Jesus was making two pretty clear points. I mean, I think he was telling his audience that the world was changing and changing for the better. In other words, God’s kingdom, something that Jesus would later compare to a tiny mustard seed and a little bit of yeast, that reality was on its way and would soon grow into the biggest of all shrubs and influence the entire lump of dough. Paraphrasing Bob Dylan, for Jesus, the times they were a-changing. And for that reason, now was the time to act. I mean, now was the time to turn away from the values of the world and turn back to God and then to believe that the victory had been won. You see, when he went to Galilee, that was the message Jesus shared.

And I’ll tell you, if we want to go forward, and I’m talking about in the direction God has called us to go, we can respond to that same message right here and right now. For example, right here, we can decide that God’s kingdom is coming; therefore, our time here on earth is limited. Of this we can be sure. And since that’s the case, we can also decide that right now God has given us the chance to act, you know, to focus on what God has called and equipped us to do and then to do it. Put another way, God has given us the chance to do the best we can with what we got, something that I think the Apostle Paul believed he’d done, which enabled him to look back on his life and say, “Now the time has come for me to die. My life is like a drink offering being poured out on the altar. I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful. So a crown will be given to me for pleasing the Lord. He judges fairly, and on the day of judgment he will give a crown to me and to everyone else who wants him to appear with power.” [2 Timothy 4:6-8, CEV] You see, we can go out and respond to what Jesus said with both hope and urgency, something that I think we’re able to do when we apply the third story.

Now before every game, there are certain things that the players will do whether the specific words are used or not. I mean, it’s important for them to prepare themselves and to look forward and then to start playing the game. And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus and can happen to us. For example, at his baptism Jesus saw the Spirit and heard the voice, two things we can also remember as we prepare ourselves to follow him. And during his time in the desert, Jesus got a glimpse into the kind of testing and care he was going to experience in the future, something we can also recognize as we look forward. And finally, since he went into Galilee to proclaim a message of hope and urgency, as we set out to be the people we’ve been called to be, this is a something to which we can all respond. And so, having said all that, I have only three words left to say: ready, set, go.

The Presbyterian Church of Hopedale Celebration Service - Sunday, January 10, 2021

Here's the podcast of the worship service I led in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, January 10, 2021. Below was our order of worship.

*****

Announcements 

Our Call to Worship: Psalm 29

Leader: Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

People: Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.

Leader: The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.

People: The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

Leader: The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

People: He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

Leader: The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

People: The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

Leader: The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

People: The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

Leader: May the Lord give strength to his people!

People: May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Congregational Song: “Tell Me the Old, Old Story”

Prayer of Confession

Gracious God, we confess that we have sinned against you. Through the baptism of Jesus Christ, we can learn about you and your relationship to us. Sadly, we don't appreciate this lesson. We continue to live as though your involvement in our world is small and we're powerless in the face of problems and pain. Lord, forgive us and help us remember the presence, the power and the love shown in Christ's baptism.

Words of Forgiveness

Gloria Patri

Affirmation of Faith: The Apostle's Creed

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.  Amen. 

The Prayers of the People: (followed by The Lord's Prayer)

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil;  For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.

Offering Our Gifts to God

Doxology

Scripture Lesson: Mark 1:4-11

Sermon: Out of the Water

Congregational Song: “I Need Thee Every Hour”

Charge and Blessing 

Postlude

Sunday's Message - Out of the Water

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Mark 1:4-11

John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all of the Judean country and everyone from Jerusalem came out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan River as they were publically acknowledging their sins. And John was wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locust and wild honey. And he proclaimed, saying, “The one who is stronger than me is coming after me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to stoop and unfasten. I baptize you with water, he will baptize you with holy spirit.”

And it happened in those days that Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee came and was baptized in the Jordan by John. And immediately, after coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the spirit as a dove come down onto him. And a voice came out of the heavens, “You are my son, the one who is loved, in you I am well pleased.”

Out of the Water

Now, I think every American knows what happened on Wednesday, January 6. As a matter of fact, it may be one of those days that kids will learn about in the future, you know, as either the day our country took a step back from the edge or the day that marked the beginning of our descent into the void. Now I recognize that this language sounds kind of dramatic, but I know for me, as I’ve reading some of the stuff that went on within the Capitol that we couldn’t see on television while it was happening, you know, like people carrying weapons and those zip-tie handcuffs and actively searching for certain people who were in the building, well, it would sure appear a lot darker than just a protest. And I’ll tell you, that’s why January 6 might assume the same kind of place as December 7, as another day that will always live in infamy. 

And sadly, all this kind obscured the meaning this particular day has had for almost 2,000 years. You see, January 6 is Epiphany, the day we’ve traditionally remembered the coming of the wise men to Bethlehem and the time which marks the last of the twelve days that make up the Christmas season. And for some churches, it’s a big deal. For example, I remember, when I was the minister of Southminster in Indianapolis, we always celebrated what we called “Twelfth Night.” We had a congregational dinner and a really informal service, and then we took down all the Christmas decorations we’d put up at our “Hanging of the Greens” service on the first Sunday in Advent. You see, this last Wednesday was a special day. 

And if you’re following the church calendar, on the very next Sunday after Epiphany, we’re suppose to focus on the Baptism of the Lord, in other words, the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, something that we read about a little while ago.

Of course, whenever baptism comes to mind, we generally think about water. And I believe that’s true whether we’re talking about Jesus getting baptized or the kind of baptism we had right here last week. Man, water is a big deal. As a matter of fact, Christians have actually become divided over the amount of water that must be used for the baptism, well I guess, to take. For example, some say sprinkling is enough, while other churches believe in pouring and still others insist that you’ve got to be dunked, you know, totally submerged. Of course, for Presbyterians, that shouldn’t be a big deal, because we tend to believe that the meaning is more important than the method. Still, for others, your baptism isn’t valid unless it’s done in the God-approved way.

And even though, I think most people now-a-days both inside and outside the church consider this kind of attitude a little bit silly, I believe this focus on water, particularly when we’re talking about the baptism of Jesus, well, it actually distracts us from something that’s a lot more important. As a matter of fact, according to the passage we just read, I believe what happened after Jesus came out of the water was a whole lot more important than the baptism itself, and I’ll tell you why. You see, it’s in the last two verses that we find three things that both Jesus and the reader either saw or heard. And each one points to something that God not only offered to Jesus but also gives to us. And so during the rest of this message, we’ll look at what those three things are and why they’re important. Now that’s what we’re going to do for next ten minutes or so. And I said this is all found in those last two verses.

For example, I believe what Jesus saw right after he came out of the water points to the first thing that God offered him and gives to us, and right now I’m talking about God’s presence. In other words, when we pay attention to what happened, I think this is great reminder that God is present with us right here and right now. I mean, remember what the Evangelist Mark wrote: “And immediately, after coming out of the water, [Jesus] saw the heavens torn apart...” [Mark 1:10a] Talk about dramatic. I mean, according to Mark, the heavens didn’t just open, they were torn or ripped apart. And I think that image is important, because he used the exact say word to describe something that happened at the end of the gospel. You see, right after Jesus died on the cross, this was what Mark wrote:

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom. [Mark 15:38, CEV]

I guess this business about something being torn is sort of like bookends in Mark.

But in my opinion, it’s a lot more than that. In both situations, I believe the significance is the same. You see, just like that curtain in the Temple separated the people from a room they called the “Holy of Holies” because that’s where they believed God was present, the heavens also separated these same people from God. And that makes some sense; for those ancient people, God was up, they were down and the heavens were in between. But what happened at both the crucifixion and the baptism? That barrier wasn’t just carefully removed or gently opened; man, it was torn, it was ripped apart by God. And I think he did it to remove that impediment, that obstruction that gets in the way of people, his people feeling his presence. In other words, this tearing apart reminded them, and frankly reminds us that God himself has removed what separates us from him. And in that way, it’s actually an answer to the prayer that the Prophet Isaiah offered when he said, 

Please, Lord, look down 

from your holy and glorious

home in the heavens

and see what’s going on.

Have you lost interest?

Where is your power?

Show that you care about us 

and have mercy! [Isaiah 63:15, CEV]

Now that was what Isaiah wrote and that’s exactly what God did. God removed the separation, and he did it in the most dramatic way possible; he tore it open. 

And I’ve got to tell you, I think that’s really important for us to remember, particularly when we feel isolated and alone, something that a lot of us have had to deal with during this pandemic. You see, when this is the way we feel, we can remember that God is present with us always. He was with us yesterday, and he’s with us today, and he’ll be with us tomorrow. And we can believe it, because Jesus saw the heavens ripped apart when he came out of the water. And for me, that’s the first thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

And right along with his presence, second, God also gives us his power. You see, just like he gave it to Jesus in this passage, he also gives it to us, and I’ll tell you, he’s gives it to us in the exact same way. I mean, remember the other thing Jesus saw. According to Mark, “And immediately, after coming out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the spirit as a dove come down onto him.” [Mark 1:10] Now there’s several reasons why the Spirit would come down like a dove. For one, a dove was a symbol for innocence. As Jesus said in Matthew, “I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves.” [Matthew 10:16, CEV] And two, doves were the only birds that the ancient Jews were allowed people to offer as a sacrifice to God. And three, the ancient Greeks considered the dove to be a symbol of divinity. And so, there were good reasons why the coming God’s spirit was associated with a dove.

But I’ll tell you, I don’t think how it came is as important as why it came, why it came and rested on Jesus and why it continues to come and rest on us, and I’m talking about us as a community and us as individuals. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do. [1 Corinthians 12:4-6, CEV]

You see, that Spirit that comes and rests on us, man, that spirit gives us the power, and I’m talking about the ability to do the things that God has called us to do. And if we don’t know what that is, we need to find out. And if you don’t know what God has called and equipped you do, it’s up to us to help you figure out what that might be. But trust me, through his spirit, God has empowered all of us to do something. And you know, when we feel discouraged and confused, this is something we need to remember. God has given us power. And this is also something we can believe, because along with seeing the heavens torn apart, Jesus saw the spirit as a dove come onto him. And as I read this passage, that’s the second thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

And third, I think this story is a wonderful reminder that God also gives us his love, and I’ll tell you, that may be the greatest gift of all. And you know, I believe that’s pretty clear in what Jesus heard after he’d come out of the water. Remember, after writing about the heavens being torn open and the spirit coming down, Mark wrote, “And a voice came out of the heavens, ‘You are my son, the one who is loved, in you I am well pleased.’” [Mark 1:11, CEV] Now, since the voice said “you are my son” and not “he is my son,” that message of love was from God’s mouth to Jesus’s heart. You see, not only did Jesus get his identity in those words, but he could go about living out that identity knowing he was loved.

And brothers and sisters, so can we. Right here and right now, we can choose to trust that the one who is present with us and who empowers us through his spirit, we can decide to trust that he also loves us. It’s like what Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel of John: “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” [John 3:16, CEV] Or it’s like what the minister who literally changed the direction of my life said to me, “Ed, you’re going to have to live with the fact that God loves you. Now what are you going to do about it?” I’m telling you, God loves us. And what’s really interesting, at least to me, the clearest sign of that love is his son, Jesus Christ. And the most definitive act of love was his willingness to die on a cross. That’s what the son came to do. In fact, I don’t think it’s surprising at all that, in the Gospel of Mark, the first time a human recognized Jesus’s true identity was at the crucifixion. Just listen to what happen:

Jesus shouted and then died.

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!” [Mark 15:37-39, CEV]

You see, Jesus heard the voice from heaven and could trust that he was loved. And not only can we hear that same voice, we can also see the son whom he loved, you know, the one who suffered and died for us on a cross, freeing us from our past. But more than that, we can also see that empty tomb in which the son rose, assuring us that we can look forward with peace and hope. I’m telling you, because we heard the voice, identifying Jesus as God’s son, the one who would later die on a cross to save the people who drove the nails, we can believe that like him, God also loves us. And trust me, that’s the third thing that God gave him and continues to give us.

Now, I really don’t what direction our country will go after Wednesday. But just like I’ve said about COVID, in some very profound ways, I’m not sure it’ll ever be the same again. Of course, I hope I’m wrong, but I just don’t know how you can put the genie back in the bottle. But you know, at least for me, that actually may make the assurance we can get from this passage even more important. I mean, as we consider what Jesus saw and heard, I think there are three things we can trust: first, that God has given us his presence because the heavens were torn apart; and second, that God has given us his power because the spirit came down; and third, that God has given us his love because he’s shown us his son. You see, regardless of what’s going on around us, we can focus on the baptism of Jesus and remember what happened after he came out of the water.