August 27, 2017 "Patterns" Romans 12.1-8

August 27 2017 “Patterns” Romans 12.1-8 Pastor Jacqueline Hines

If you paid attention to the eclipse this week, you heard that the timing of the moon’s total eclipse over the sun has a pattern. [slide # 1 eclipse] The pattern occurs every eighteen months somewhere in the world and every 375 years in the same spot. Like humans, God has patterns for everything God does. [ slide # 2 patterns] Some of what God does happens with great precision and predictability like an eclipse, the sun rising or setting, or the coming of summer and winter. [slide #3 snow]

Other acts of God happen suddenly and are unexpected like the thunderstorms we had this week. [slide # 4 lightening] Fortunately, we live in a society that values the meteorologist whose sights are so high that he or she can see the emerging weather pattern days before they appear. [slide #5 meteorologist] Meteorologists warn us of inclement weather and assure us of sunny days and pleasant temperatures so we can prepare to confirm our plans or to take cover, or bring an umbrella or whatever else we can do to make it through the day successfully.

Paul addressed the Romans in our scripture reading this morning. The Roman’s pattern of behavior was wild. [slide # 6 Roman soldiers] History tells us that the Romans were known for their unspeakable crimes against humanity. Suffice it to say that when humans can bear to watch a crucifixion or other acts of physical violence and punishment with their bare eyes, such an appetite has been carefully nurtured from one generation to the next. [slide # 7 teach love…]

Unfortunately, the church in Rome found it easy to imitate their Roman neighbors. If it were not for Martin Luther, [ slide #8  Martin Luther] the minister who was bold enough to post his protests to the Roman Catholic church, with its 95 points, on behalf of us Protestants, the Christian church would be as hard-hearted as a rock. We will leave that debate for another time.

The apostle Paul was well aware of the struggle Roman Christians had to be all that God would have them be. He knew that to change from the worldly ways would be like swimming against the tide. [slide # 9 fish] Still he preached, reminding them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is spiritual worship. One need not wonder too far to know exactly what they were doing with their bodies.

To change their pattern of behavior from unholy to holy would be a radical change, even a miraculous change, but Paul was begging them to do just that. [slide # 10 praying on knees]  He was begging them to let their feet go places for God’s sake and nothing less. He was begging them to allow their hands to be used for good and not evil. Paul was begging them to speak the truth in love and to love in truth. He wanted every inch of themselves from head to toe, mind, body, and soul, to be offered to God in faithful and sober ways.

Paul knew that if they followed their maker’s pattern instead of jumping the gun and doing their own thing, the church would be sooooo blessed. Paul knew that if they followed their maker’s pattern instead of straying away into some wild and wicked scheme, the will of God would be done and hearts would be helped and homes would be healed and nations would have more peace. [slide # 11 dove]

Following God’s pattern inevitably opens every door in the universe for good things to happen, for enemies to be fought, and friends to be enjoyed. God has provided everything we need in the body of Christ, in the church, we just have to follow the deliberate pattern that God has revealed to us. We just have to recognize and accept the gifts God gives each of us so we can make the world a better place. [slide # 12 use your gifts…]

It is always wonderful when Christians are busy prayerfully using all that God gives them. [slide # 13 dominoes] It is a beautiful thing to watch all the wonders that happen like a domino effect. One after another great things fall in place. Hungry people are fed, souls are saved, hearts are comforted, spirits encouraged, faith is fueled, tears of pain and sadness released and tears of joy are streamed-live. The world will then hear us say with confidence and joy, “Our God is good and faithful. Our God is an awesome God.”

One of the ways we experience God as awesome is through our children. There have been several babies born in the last few weeks. There are great, great grandchildren; grandchildren, and children. (As far as I know, they are all headed for baptism in one church or another like Adeline is being presented this morning.). Baptism is a part of a pattern of behavior passed down from generation to generation and it is good.

We must pray that this generation will accept the vows made at their baptism, that they will pattern after those of us who put their hand in God’s hand, and love God selflessly, and serve in the church with dedication and joy all the days of their lives.

We must pray and do all that God guides us to do so that just like the church is here for us as we baptize our children, the church will be here for our children when they baptize their children. 

We must pray and be the church, for as you know, there are those in this world who are exercising forced conversions to other religions. We heard our president talking Monday about the immense security threats coming out of Afghanistan. He reminded us that the 911 attack was planned in Afghanistan. We have enemies and they are ruthless. They are not Christians.

During the election, I was shocked to hear several young people in my family and several strangers I spoke with in the grocery store, etc. They declared that they would not be voting. Voting is a civil right that people have died to preserve since the beginning of time. These young people said they could not make a choice, that they did not know who to vote for, that they could not choose one side or another.

The hair stood up on the back of my neck as they explained what was in their minds. Somehow we had not inspired them to walk by faith, to make a decision and do their best to be responsible citizens. Somehow, we had made them so comfortable that they believed they had the luxury of not voting at all.

The same thoughts go through my mind regarding young people participating in the church. Have we failed to inspire them to walk by faith? Are they so comfortable that they cannot perceive that while they are living their lives free and easy the enemy is lurking and planning its next attack on our country, our community, our church? Will they be victims of a forced conversion to some other God? Or will they find their way to patterns that keep the church alive and strong enough to face every enemy and strong enough to handle every blessing? [slide # 14 world…blessings]

We know first-hand how easy it is to become complacent with sin that keeps us from staying on track, but the words of evangelist Billy Sunday are inspiring. Billy Sunday was a runner and baseball player born in 1862, 18 years after Bethel was organized. He became a very famous evangelist and preached passionately about the need to fight against sin in our lives. He said, “…I’m against sin. I'll kick it as long as I've got a foot, I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist, I've butt it as long as I've got a head, and I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old, fistless, footless, and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to glory and it goes home to perdition.” [slide # 15 sin chasm]

That is a good pattern by which all of us can be inspired, especially in these challenging days. At Wednesday’s community meal a woman said she was having a down day. Others at the table worked to comfort her saying you should take better care of yourself. She answered, “For what? Why should I care?” Others shouted out several answers. The best answer I heard this week comes from a man in the UK named Godfrey Birtill who wrote a song called Outrageous Grace. The words include:

There’s a lot of pain but a lot more healing

There’s a lot of trouble but a lot more peace

There’s a lot of hate but a lot more loving

There’s a lot of sin but a lot more grace

There’s a lot of fear but a lot more freedom

There’s a lot of darkness but a lot more light

There’s a lot of cloud but a lot more vision

There’s a lot of perishing but a lot more life

May the choices we make lead us again and again to a church that we have helped to build, [slide # 16 building together] a church where everyone inside knows and sings with joy and confidence, “We can make good things happen by the grace of God. There’s a lot of bad but there is a lot more good.” Amen. [slide # 17 …try me]