February 3 2019 Loving Words

February 3, 2019 *Jeremiah 1.4-10, I Corinthians 13.1-13 “Loving Words” (Super Bowl Sunday) Pastor Jacqueline Hines

We all love to hear words that are loving and kind. [slide # 1  One kind word…] In spite of that little rhyme that declares “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me,” sometimes, words do hurt our feelings deeply. God’s words heal us and help us along our journey.

Verse 10 tells that God puts words in Jeremiah’s mind and mouth because Jeremiah was not a bullfrog. He was a prophet.

What is a prophet? A prophet is a person whom God chooses officially to speak for God. A prophet may be a prophet for a lifetime or for just one time. [slide # 2  prophet]

Jeremiah summed up the purpose of the prophet in verse 10 where God tells him -  See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.’ Being a prophet is serious business.

Besides Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel are prophets for whom books in the bible is named. [slide # 3  Jeremiah, Ezekiel,…] Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet because he cried like a heartbroken parent at the sight of God’s children who had strayed so far away from a path that anyone wants to see their children go.

Isaiah was a prophet among the upper class and royalty who needed a word from the Lord regarding foreign affairs and all the other cultures migrating and immigrating among them.

Ezekiel spoke a word of God’s wisdom to those exiles who though victims were also guilty of many things and were reaping the disobedience they sowed.

There are twelve other books in the bible named after prophets. They are called Minor Prophets because they consist of fewer pages than the majors. 

Prophet Hosea has a short book referring to his unfaithful wife who made him an expert in speaking about God’s love to those who had lost their way. Prophet Joel lived in a day of plagues and droughts like today’s flu epidemics and fires. Minor Prophet Amos was a breeder of sheep who spoke God’s word to all who would listen in what we might call today – the red light districts full of slimy saloons and sales of sordid goods and sex slaves.

Obadiah was a prophet of doom and gloom and smarting judgment. Micah spoke to common, every day people, reminding them that God requires them to do justice and love mercy. Jonah got sinners to repent of their evil deeds and when they did humble themselves, Jonah got terribly mad because he wanted God to punish them severely for their wickedness. Instead God had mercy on them, forgave them and spoke lovingly and tenderly about them.

Micah spoke God’s truth in the reign of king Jotham who was dubbed a good king because he was not as corrupt as some of the other kings; Nahum prophesied to the Ninevites like Jonah did, but it was 100 years later and they had fallen back into the same bad habits of which their ancestors had repented 100 years earlier.

Habakkuk known for his love of God, prophesied to those who were in love with money and murder. We see such people in our daily news. Prophet Zephaniah may have had it easier than other prophets because he was of noble birth and prophesied, not during a time of decline, but during a revival when things were on an upswing under the good King Josiah. Haggai, a contemporary of the Chinese teacher and philosopher Confucius, 520 or so years before Jesus was born, was the first to prophecy after the exile and spoke inspiring words from God that helped them to complete the renovations in four years, though repair of the Temple had been hindered for 15 years due to permits and politics. (Bethel Trustees and Building Committees know all about that.)

The Prophet Zechariah’s name means “God Remembers” and just so we never forget, there are at least 27 other people in the bible named Zechariah. Zechariah’s  grandfather was the great priest, Iddo, an esteemed leader in the synagogue. Good leaders are always remembered.

Malachi is the prophet named for the last book of the Old Testament. He prophesied after the Temple renovations and wall were complete and God was no longer the focus of attention. God’s children slacked off on worship and began robbing God of tithes and offerings.

Those are the prophets who have books of the bible named after them, the three major prophets -Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the 12 minor ones. [slide #  4 Minor Prophets listed] Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

There were numerous women prophets who, though there is no book named after them, they are named in the Bible like Deborah [slide # 5 Deborah] who led an army with General Barak, Moses’ sister Miriam [slide# 6  Miriam dancing] also a singer and liturgical dancer, and Anna [slide # 7 Anna elderly] an octogenarian who spoke up about Jesus to all who wanted to hear.

Scriptures promise that every servant of God has a word to say about what God’s love and work in our lives. We see the depth of Bethel’s spirituality whenever a testimony is given. The prophet Joel predicts that God’s Spirit will be in all men and women and they will prophecy.

[slide # 8  Joel 2.28 ….ALL people.. ] “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.“ It does not get better than that. Everyone, even our children, speaking the word of the Lord. How fabulous!!  [slide # 9 sons and daughters]

Prophets, those who speak for God’s sake, speak words that are loving and kind. God’s word is loving and kind, even when they are words that are hard to hear. They are words soaked in prayer and deepened by the righteousness of Jesus, not our righteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus.

The children of God were very accustomed to having prophets among them. Prophets helped them to fight the good fight of faith. [slide # 10 strike back ] Today we usually hear of prophets in other denominations. The reason is partly cultural and partly our way of avoiding false prophets of which there have been plenty. Jim Jones was a notorious minister who had a large following back in the 60’s. He was charismatic and believable, though very disturbed. He attempted to become a United Methodist Pastor, but he was rejected. One might consider him a false prophet.

People claimed to speak for God when they were really political, self-serving, unaware of their biases [slide # 11 blind spot] and wanting to be popular, like those young men eager to be married on the campus of Eastern Baptist College when I was there. Every semester more than one claimed that God had given them a dream that prophesied that the prettiest and sweetest girl on campus was who God had chosen to be their wife. There were also those who would insist that the one blind student should come to a prayer meeting so he would gain his sight.

As Christians we are in a learning process to discern the way and will of God and separate it from our own will and way. [slide # 12 know…coffee cup]

In verse 10 Jeremiah declares 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,

to pluck up and to pull down,

to destroy and to overthrow,

to build and to plant.’

We too can speak for God. We too are called to pluck up and pull down that which God calls is to pluck up and pull down. You and I are called to destroy evil and overthrow wickedness in whatever way God guides us! [slide # 13 God’s Word…Satan]

You and I are called to speak for our God. On this Super Bowl Sunday, we know that we cannot always be champions in our speech. We will never be able to speak perfectly on behalf of a perfect God. But, it is not about us, is it? It is about letting God’s goodness and mercy flow through us all the days of our lives. It is about planting the fruit of the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (generosity), faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is about plucking out the hatred and hostility from our own lives before we work on somebody else’s. It is about building one another up in the open rather than tearing each other down behind closed doors and wailing walls.

We are all given what it takes to speak for our God. Men, women, boys, and girls. At the end of the game, may we hear the voice of God in our hearts saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant, well done!”  [slide # 14 “Well done!” ] Amen. [slide # 15 the Word works]