The SS Work and the Call of Grace

(This is one of my older sermons, but also one of my favorites.)

Read Romans 3:21-31.

We are sinners in the Land of Sin.   Our people moved here as an act of rebellion.  We had lived in the Kingdom of God, the Land of Righteousness, but we didn’t like the King’s rules.  We didn’t like anyone telling us what we had to do.  So we left.  We established our own land.  It became known as the Land of Sin. 
Eventually, we realized that we were suffering the death penalty for this act of rebellion.  But this death penalty isn’t like death in the electric chair or by being hanged.  It is a slow painful death brought by the anguish and the stench of life in the Land of Sin.  In some ways, it is a permanent death sentence, an ongoing death sentence, a living death, a dead living.
The King has called us back to the land of Righteousness to live with him there.  He wants to make peace with us.  But a great ocean separates us.  Some of us were sick of the poverty and filth of our own land, and we had heard of the riches and beauty of the Kingdom of God.  So we decided to go to the beautiful Land of Righteousness. 
We got into a boat and pushed away from the shore.  It was a sailboat, but we didn’t know how to use sails, so we cut holes in the side of the ship for oars.  We cut the masts down and chopped them into oars.  We named the ship the SS WORK.  And then we began to row our way to the Land of Righteousness.  Row.  Row.  Row!
It was hard work.  We rowed until sweat dripped off our faces.  We rowed until our arms and shoulders ached.  We rowed until our hands were blistered.  We rowed through waves and wind and storms.  Row.  Row.  Row! 
After days and weeks, we could still see the dock where we had started.  “Work harder!” was the cry.  We rowed day and night.  We extended our shifts.  We rowed through fatigue and blisters.  Work.  Work.  Work!
After months and months on the SS WORK, we could still see our own land on the horizon, and we started to fight among ourselves. 
“Why are you resting?  We’ve got too much work to do.” 
“I rowed all last night.  You better take you’re turn tonight.” 
“Don’t tell me what to do.  I work just as hard as you.” 
“If you didn’t take so many breaks, we’d be there by now.” 
“If you were more focused, instead of piddling around with your own selfish games, we would be able to see the Kingdom by now.” 
“If you were more pure, maybe God would help us out here.” 
“Me, you’re the sinful one.  Listen to how you’re judging me.” 
Sometimes, we fought so much that someone got injured and couldn’t row anymore.  That just made us angrier. 
After years and years of struggling, when we could still see the mountain tops of our own land, we had made no more than a few miles of progress on a journey of a thousand miles.  We were out of food.  We were out of water.  We were out of supplies to maintain the ship.  The storms continued to come.  The ship slowly began to fall apart.   Water began leaking through the planks of the ship.  We stopped up the leaks with anything we could find.  We ripped up the sails and stuffed them into the cracks between the wood to stop the water from coming in.  Eventually, there were so many leaks, that we used our own clothing to patch the ship.  Nearly naked, exhausted and starving, we set ourselves to the oars again with renewed but exhausted diligence.   Row!  Row!  Row!!!  Work.  Work.  Work!
The ship was now taking on water.  It was slowly sinking.  All we could think to do was to keep rowing in the desperate hope that we would somehow make it if we just kept rowing.  We were now knee deep in water.  “Keep rowing!” someone shouted.  The ship was starting to break apart.  It was too old and too weary to withstand the waves anymore.  “Keep rowing!”  we all yelled.  “Together!   Row.  Row.  Row!  Work.  Work.  Work!!”
Then, over the shouting and rowing, one young lady heard something.  We’ll call her, the Hearer.  She heard a sound coming from outside the ship, and she had a deep sense in her chest that this was important.  She called to her friends, “Wait.  I hear something.” 
“Shut up!  You’re messing up our rhythm.  Row.  Row.  Row!” 
“I’m serious.  I hear something.  It sounds like a horn or people calling or something.  Stop shouting for just a minute.”
“No.  You’re just dreaming.  Keep rowing.  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“I’m going up on deck to look.”
“You’re doing what?  You can’t do that!  All hands at the oars.  Everyone has to row.  That’s our only chance.  Row.  Row.  Row!!”
“We’re sitting in water.  We’re going down.  Besides, I hear something.”  The Hearer went up to the deck of the ship.  It was beaten and battered by the waves.  Most of the ship’s tackle was washed away.  The rest was clogged and covered with seaweed and junk washed up by the waves.
Then, the Hearer looked up and saw the source of the sounds she was hearing.  There was a huge, beautiful ship.  She could see on the side of the ship the name: SS GRACE.  Once she was on the deck, the Hearer could clearly hear lots of sounds that were only dimly audible while she was rowing.  She could hear the ship’s horn calling out.  She could hear the Captain calling over the loudspeakers.  She could hear the crew of the ship calling to her over the railing.  She could hear the wind in the sails of the SS GRACE. 
The Captain called out over the loudspeakers, “Ahoy, there SS WORK.  You’re in trouble.  The King sent out a mayday call on your behalf.  We’ve come to rescue you and your crew.  We’ve come in the SS GRACE.  She’s a sailboat.  She’s powered by the Wind of the Spirit, so you won’t have to row anymore.  The SS GRACE can hold your whole crew, but you’ll have to leave your boat.  Come aboard.”
The crew of the SS GRACE was calling out with joy, “We’re so glad we found you.  Come on, get your friends.  The SS GRACE is a great ship.  We’ll take you to the King’s Land.  You’ll be well treated here.  Come on!  What are you waiting for?”
The Hearer called out to the SS GRACE, “Why?!  Why are you here?  Why do you want to rescue us?”
The Captain left his loudspeaker and rushed to the railing of the SS GRACE.  “The King loves you.  He wants you back in his own Land.  He doesn’t want you to live like this.  Come on.  Return to the King.”
The Hearer turned and rushed back into the inside of the boat where her friends were rowing away with all their strength.  “Row.  Row.  Row!  Work.  Work.  Work!”
“Oh, you’re back,” someone close to her sneered.  “Get to work.  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“No,” she responded timidly.
“What?!  Shut up, and get to work!  Work.  Work.  Work!”
“No,” with just a little more courage.  “We don’t have to row anymore.”
“What?  Of course we have to row.  We have to row until we die.  If we work hard enough, we can make to the Kingdom of Heaven and be called a Righteous one.  If we stop rowing, we die.  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“No, I’m telling you.  There’s another way.  We don’t have to row anymore.  Another ship has come to save us.”
“She’s hallucinating (seeing things that aren’t there).  There’s no one for miles around.  Rowing is the only way.  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“Just stop rowing for a minute and come up on deck to see for yourself.  There’s a ship here to save us.  It’s called the S. S. GRACE.”
“Grace - what does that mean?  Row.  Work.  Row!”
“I’m not sure, but I think it means we don’t have to row anymore.  Come and see for yourself.”
Then, one brave and curious person stood and said, “I’ve heard of the SS GRACE, but I’ve always thought it was a fairy tale, too good to be true.  I’ll go look.”
“Somebody shut her up before she gets somebody else to stop rowing.” 
But the Hearer and the Seeker escaped to the deck of the ship before anyone could stop them.  Then, the Seeker saw that the SS GRACE is the truth.  The Seeker saw the Captain and recognized some kindness in his face that he had always longed for.  The Seeker saw the full sails of the SS GRACE and noticed that there were no oars on that ship.  No one ever rowed the SS GRACE.  It was powered by the Wind of the Spirit.  The Seeker saw the crew of the S. S. GRACE.  Some of them were throwing rescue lines over to the SS WORK.  Some of them were climbing over the sides of the ship trying to reach the SS WORK, so they could help people cross over.  They moved with joy and purpose. 
This was all enough to convince the Seeker.  The Hearer and the Seeker returned inside their own ship.  “It’s true!” they both said together.
“Shut up.  Row.  Work.  Row!”
“No, really.  I saw it, too,” the Seeker cried with joy.  “The King has sent the SS GRACE to save us.  He knew we couldn’t make it.”
“Why would the King do that?  What does he care about us?  We’re just stinking people from the Land of Stink.  Row.  Row.  Row!  You want to make to the land of Righteousness boys?  Well, this is the only way.  Work.  Work.  Work!”
“The Captain said that the King made us, and He wants us back.  The Captain came on a new ship.  It’s a sailboat.  It doesn’t even have oars.”
“No oars?!!  How does it move?  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“It’s powered by the Wind of the Spirit.”
“What’s that?  Never mind.  I can’t imagine life without rowing.  What would we do if we couldn’t row?  Row.  Row.  Row!”
“Yeah, we’ve worked hard on this ship.  We’ve put our blood, sweat, and tears into the SS WORK.  It’s part of us.  Let’s just work harder.  Work.  Work.  Work!”
“Look around you people.  This ship is going down.  It’s sinking.  You can never make it by working harder.  The SS GRACE is the only way.”
A big guy in the front said, “I’m not sure I want the SS GRACE to save me.  I didn’t ask for a rescue boat.  I don’t want to be pulled from the water like some drowning rat.  I’d rather make it on my own.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Row.  Row.  Row!”
Someone in the back in the shadows said, “Maybe the SS GRACE came for you, but I don’t believe the King would send anyone after me.  I’m a dirty, stinking sinner from the Land of Sin and Death.  I’m just a piece of trash trying to paddle my way to heaven.  Once the King – or anyone else for that matter – sees who I really am, they’ll toss me back into the trash heap where I belong.  Go ahead.  I don’t have anything worth saving.  I’m staying here.  Row.  Row.  Row!!”
“The Captain said he’ll take everyone who is willing to put their trust in him and the SS GRACE.  He said he won’t turn anyone away.  We just have to put our life in his hands.  Look we’re going.  Are any of you coming with us?  There isn’t much time.”
About half the crew of the SS WORK got up and waded through the water to go up on deck to meet the SS GRACE.  The other half sat at their oars, rowing away. 
Some were bitter, “No sir, you’re not going to find me accepting any handouts.  I’ll earn my own way.”
Some were crying, “I just can’t believe it’s true.  I can’t believe they’d take me.  I just can’t believe it – not for me.”
Some were just staring into space, rowing away, almost as if they had never heard or seen anything about the SS GRACE.
When the Seekers from the SS WORK reached the deck of their ship, they were greeted by friendly workers of the SS GRACE who gave them blankets and led them to the bridge between the two ships.  The rest of the crew of the SS GRACE stood on deck cheering wildly as each person was rescued. 
As each person stepped onto the SS GRACE, the Captain smiled and reached out his hand for them.  It was then that they saw the nail holes in his hands.  Then, they understood that he had laid down his own life to make this rescue possible.  Each person, one by one, took his hand and let the Captain pull them aboard the SS GRACE.  Then, the Captain hugged and kissed them and sent them inside the ship to rest, to eat, to heal. 

We need to talk for a minute or two about life on the SS GRACE.  The SS WORK is powered by oars, by human effort.  However, the SS GRACE is powered by the Wind of the Spirit.  It is a sailboat, and when the Wind of the Spirit fills its sails it moves faster and better than any ship can move by human effort.  There is still work to do on the SS GRACE.  But it is a lighter work with a lighter responsibility.  On the SS GRACE everyone understands that our job is not to make the ship move.  Our job is just to get the sails up so that the Wind of the Spirit can take us where He wants to take us. 
I have a confession to make.  I am a recovering Workaholic.  I was a faithful member of the SS WORK.   Now, I have crossed over into the SS GRACE.  I have been working as a crewmember of the SS GRACE for a long time.  I have even helped some new people onto the SS GRACE.   But often I still think like a crewmember of the SS WORK.  Work.  Work.  Work!  Row.  Row.  Row! 
Even worse, I often still feel like a crew member of the SS WORK: dirty, fatigued, driven, bitter, worthless.   Sometimes, deep down inside, I still can’t believe that God would rescue me.  Sometimes, I can’t stand that I can’t move forward simply because of my own free will and effort.  Sometimes, I want to poke holes in the SS GRACE and get out an oar.  Sometimes, I want to hit people with an oar and tell them to get to work.  Work.  Work.  Work!
In times like these, (in times like this vacation), the Captain pulls me aside and reminds me of the King’s free love for me.  He holds my hand, and we sit on the deck feeling the Wind in our faces.   Then, He gently teaches me again the ways of GRACE.  And when I am patient enough to listen, I relax and grow.

I don’t know where you are in this story.  You may be a recovering Workaholic like me, or you may still be on the SS WORK.  You might be still on the Mainland of Sin and Death.  You might not have even heard much about the Kingdom of God and the Land of Righteousness. 
Wherever you are, the King loves you, and He has sent the SS GRACE to rescue you.  The Captain joyfully invites you to put your trust in his GRACE.   When you do, the Wind of the Spirit will bring you home. 
May God help us all to put our trust in GRACE, and may he teach us anew the ways of GRACE.

Birthing a Royal - Luke 2:1-20

January 2, 2010
Josh Broward


Read Luke 2:1-20.

    The Roman Emperor called for a census, so Mary and Joseph took a trip.  Trips are not always easy.  When my family travels back to the USA, it usually takes us more than 24 hours to get from our front door to our family’s front door.  It is stressful, tiring, and not very much fun. 
    Mary and Joseph had to take a much longer trip - at least in terms of time, and Mary was very, very pregnant.  Doctors suggest that pregnant women should not travel in the last month or two of their pregnancy.  There are two reasons why pregnant women should not travel.  First, it’s not safe for the mother and baby.  Second, it’s not safe for the dad!  Have you ever been around a pregnant woman?

    When my mom was 9 months pregnant with my sister, Dad was driving them to church.  A few minutes away from the church, Mom started crying wildly.  My dad looked over at her, confused: “What’s wrong?”  
    “My dress doesn’t fit.  It hangs crooked.”  Her belly was so big that the dress didn’t go down as far in the front as it did in the back.
    Dad said, “You’re 9 months pregnant.  Your dress is supposed to hang crooked.”
    “Take me home!”
    “But we’ll miss church.”
    “Take me home!!”
    “Can’t you just sit in the back?”
    “TAKE ME HOME NOW!!!”
    “OK.”

    I’m telling you it’s not safe to be around a pregnant lady.  They get irrational and violent.  So here are Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem, and don’t be fooled by Luke’s simple words, “He went there … with Mary” (2:5).  Nazareth was 90 miles (145 kilometers) from Bethlehem.  90 miles from Nazareth, and they didn’t have the KTX.  They didn’t even have the slow train.  They had the slow donkey.  Realistically, that trip probably took them more than a week.  90 miles with Joseph walking and Mary riding that donkey, and her bladder felt every bump.  They stopped about every 10 feet because Mary had to go pee. 
    I imagine that Mary asked about 1,000 times, “Why does Caesar Augustus want to count us now?  Can’t he wait a few months?  Can’t we wait until my feet aren’t the size of small boats?”

    Korea recently held a census.  Someone came to our apartment with a little clipboard and asked me a few questions.  She filled out about 10% of the form.  Then she ran out of English, and I ran out out of Korean, so she left.  All in all, it was pretty painless.
    Doing the census in Bethlehem would have been a completely different story.  Everyone had to go to their family’s hometown to register.  Bethlehem was just a small country village that nobody cared about except for one thing.  King David was born there.  As a king, David had five wives and lots of kids, and his son Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  How many kids do you think he had?  And that was around 1,000 years before Jesus.  Tens of thousands of people were packed into the tiny town of Bethlehem for the Roman census.  It took days, maybe weeks or months, to get an appointment to register for the census. 
    So after all the bathroom breaks, Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem, only to find the town is already full of people.  Joseph checks every inn, hotel, motel, and spare room in town.  Nothing.  They’re all full.  I can just hear that pregnant woman now: “I told you to make a reservation!  Didn’t I tell you to make a reservation?!”  She is starting to lose it, slipping into crazy pregnant land.  She grabs some guy walking by, “I told him to make a reservation.  Did he make a reservation?  No!  I told you to make a reservation!”  Finally, Joseph and Mary find a barn or a cave where they could at least have a warm place to sleep out of the rain. 
The next verse gives us irrefutable evidence that Luke is a man.  Luke writes 5 verses about the census.  He tells us the name of the Roman Emperor and the governor of Syria.  He tells us whether this was the first or second census for Quirinius.  He tells us where Mary and Joseph started.  He tells us what’s special about Bethlehem and Joseph’s connection with Bethlehem.  I’m surprised he didn’t draw a little map write there in the text.
But Luke only says one little sentence about the birth of the baby: “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son” (2:6-7).  That’s it.  The time came, and the baby was born.  No details.  No horror stories.  Nothing.
If a woman were telling this story, we would know what Mary ate the night before and how it gave her heart burn that morning, and that’s how she knew the baby was coming.  We would know where she was when her water broke and how it ruined her best dress.  We would know that she went through 17 hours of labor that felt like 17 years.  We would know that Mary felt like her abdomen was the epicenter of the worst earthquake in human history.  We would know Jesus’ size and weight.  We would know all the stupid things Joseph said to try to make her feel better, and we would know how Mary’s heart melted when she held Jesus in her arms for the first time.
But instead, all we got was: “She gave birth to a boy.”  Without a doubt, based simply on this passage alone, we know that Luke was absolutely a man.

When my mom used to complain about how difficult delivery was, my dad - I kid you not! - my dad would always say, “Now over in China, those women just work in the rice patties right up until it’s time for the baby.  Then, they squat down by the road, pop the baby out, swing it up on their backs and start working again.”  That always drove my mom crazy.  I think he said that just to drive her crazy.
When Sarah was 9 months pregnant with Emma, we were ready for Emma to come at any time.  One day, when I was getting ready to leave for class at seminary, Sarah said she thought she had a contraction.  I skipped class, and we went to the mall and walked about 10 miles trying to get that baby to come out.  No baby.  A few days later, Sarah woke me up in the middle of the night, and said she thought her water broke.  We went to the hospital and stayed there for several hours.  No baby. 
A few days later, they induced labor for Sarah.  They gave her medicine to make her body start having contractions to push the baby out.  We went to sleep, and Sarah woke up about 3am with contractions.  We spent the next 16 hours going through labor. 
They had all of these cool machines hooked up to Sarah.  You could see her heart rate and her blood pressure.  There was even a machine that showed a graph of her contractions.  The little line would go up and down as her body contracted.  Sometimes, I was so curious that I watched the machine instead of Sarah.  That little line would go way up, and I’d say, “Oooh, honey that was a big one.”  “I KNOW!!!”
She liked to hold my hand when the contractions were coming, and she would squeeze really hard.  Sometimes she would ask, “Am I squeezing to hard?” “No --- it’s OK. ---“
I used to watch the TV show Rosanne, and I’ll never forget the show when she had her last baby.  Her husband is there by her side trying to support her.  She is screaming and huffing in pain.  She grabs him by the hair and says, “You did this to me!!!”
    In the book Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy describes one young father watching his wife, named Kitty, give birth to their first child.  Tolstoy says he “heard someone shrieking and moaning in a way he had never heard till then, and he knew these sounds were produced by what once was Kitty. …  Kitty’s face did not exist.  In its place was something terrible, both because of its strained expression and because of the sounds which proceeded from it.”  He felt “that his heart was breaking.  The terrible screaming did not cease, but grew yet more awful until, as it reached the utmost limit of horror, until it suddenly ceased.”
    Emma was born by C-section, so we didn’t quite get to “the utmost limits of horror,” but Mary did.  Sometimes, we forget that inside Luke’s little comment, “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son,” – inside that short, little, manly description were hours of labor and pain and blood and water and shouting and crying.  Jesus came into the world just like all of the rest of us, squeezed through a little tunnel hearing some crazy woman shout her lungs out.

    I’ll never forget the first time I saw Emma.  Actually, I only saw her head at first.  The doctors are reaching inside of Sarah and pulling and pushing, and out pops this little purple head, just the head sticking out of her belly.  I heard “schhchcuchch,” when the nurses vacuumed out all of the junk from inside her mouth, and then “waaaa.”  That is one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard. 
As soon as they got her out they brought her over to a special table with all kinds of special equipment.  They cleaned her and measured her and tested her to make sure she was healthy.  Then, they wrapped her in a blanket and took her to the nursery.  I got to help give her very first bath.  Then, they laid her on a specially designed baby bed with a special mattress, medically designed to keep her safe and warm.  And they put that bed under a heat lamp to warm her up after the bath.
    Maybe Jesus looked purple when he came out, too.  He was definitely messy, and for a few minutes the Savior of the world was still covered in blood and connected to his mother by an umbilical cord.  But in Jesus’ delivery room there were no nurses or hospital staff or special instruments.  There were no heat lamps, no special beds.  For Jesus, there were only strips of cloth and a pile of hay in cow feeder.  Joseph and Mary were the poorest of the poor they couldn’t even bribe their way into a real house on the night of Mary’s labor. 

    I remember taking Emma to the window of the nursery to show her off to our family.  There were a dozen grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles, all crowding around that little window to see Emma up close for the first time.
    Luke tells us in chapter one that when Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, there was a big party; “her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared in her joy” (1:58)
Apparently, there was no big celebration for Jesus’ birth.  No one was there to celebrate Jesus’ birth until God rounds up a group of raggedy shepherds from outside the town. 
From the world’s perspective, Jesus’ birth was nothing special – just another poor baby born to another poor family.  From the world’s perspective, a Savior for the world was born in the most unexpected country - Israel, in the most unexpected city – Bethlehem , in the most unexpected house – a house for animals, to the most unexpected people – a poor couple not even fully married, who were just passing through Bethlehem, not even permanent residents. 

Luke has set up a great contrast in this story.  Luke is quietly telling the story of two kings.  The first king grew up in a small agricultural village outside the power centers of his time.  However, he eventually became the most famous king in the world.  He brought peace after a long time of darkness and despair.  He fulfilled the longings of his people - as few people even believed possible. 
His kingship was all about unity and reform - reform of every part of society.  He was depicted in every form of art - music, painting, sculpture, literature.  Poets wrote songs about him.  Historians wrote the story of his life.  The day of his birth was celebrated for years to come.  In fact, his life was so momentous, so significant, that it started a new era.  People reset their calendars, making year one the year of his birth.  Messengers traveled around the world announcing the Good News of his Kingdom.
He was given names and titles never before given to another human being:
Prince of Peace - He was the king to end all wars.  People could hang up their swords because of his peace.
Light of the World - Like the sun, the golden rays of his peace and wisdom warmed the whole world.
King of Kings - All kings in all lands must bow to him.
Lord - He was the Master, the Ruler, of everything known to humanity.
Savior - He rescued humanity from self-destruction, giving them mercy, justice, and freedom.
Son of God - His father was no mere mortal.  He was human and yet also divine.  He had Godly blood in his veins.
    In the Eastern Mediterranean, people worshiped this king as god even before he died.  But after he died, people around the world worshiped him as god.
    Ironically, his great reign of peace was also associated with the single greatest torture device ever known to humanity - the cross.  In a great irony, the cross was his means for giving peace.
    Who is this great king?  You all know him.  He is mentioned in Luke’s story.  He is Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor.  Caesar Augustus came to power after years of civil war as a member of the Triumvirate - with Marc Antony and Marcus Lepidus.  However, that union was ripped apart by greed and the struggle for power.  Finally, after several bloody battles and betrayals, Augustus was the undisputed king and Emperor of Rome.  He maintained this peace through a combination of bribes with the right hand and the threat of the cross with the left hand.  Anyone who cooperated could share in Rome’s glory and luxury.  All who rebelled could suffer Rome’s wrath and crosses.
When Luke begins his birth narrative with Caesar Augustus, he is not simply giving a marker for time.  He is setting the back drop for a comparison of the greatest king of this world (Caesar) with the greatest King of all worlds (Jesus).
Luke tells us, Jesus is also a king - in the line of David.  Jesus is also the Son of God - actually the Son of God, not an adopted heir of a human king.  Jesus is also the Savior - a real Savior, not a brutal conqueror.  Jesus is also Lord - Master of all, not only those he defeat with the sword, the bribe, or the cross.  Jesus is also the Prince of Peace - thorough peace and goodness, not just a glossy surface.  Jesus is also the center of Good News - and this is Good News for all people, not just those on the top, Good News for the poor and the rejected, delivered first to the shaggy shepherds.
Caesar Augustus became king with armies and violence.  Jesus became king as a helpless, homeless baby in the hay.  Caesar Augustus won friends and influenced people through the shrewd use of money and resources.  Jesus called his friends to shrewdly give away their money and resources to benefit others.  Caesar Augustus appealed to people’s desire for pleasure, sex, and luxury.  Jesus appealed to people’s inner desire to give up themselves for the good cause of the Kingdom of God.  Caesar Augustus proved his undeniable authority by nailing rebels to crosses to punish them for their sins.  Jesus proved his undeniable love and authority by being nailed to a cross to forgive rebels of their sins.   Caesar Augustus has long faded from the scene.  Jesus’ fame and glory are still growing every day. 

Yet the battle is not over.  Like we celebrated last week, we still walk in the Twilight Hours.  Every day, we make choices.  Will we live for Caesar, or will we live for Jesus?  Will we live like Caesar, or will we live like Jesus?  Will we live for power, sex, and money, or will we live for love, grace, and truth?  Will we pursue prestige, honor, and glory, or will we pursue humility, service, and mercy? 
These battles never end.  The Christmas story of two kings never ends.  Jesus is always, always, always, waiting to be born anew in us and through us.  Birthing Jesus as King in our lives is never easy.  It wasn’t easy for Mary, and it’s not easy for us.  Every day, we make the choice: Caesar or Jesus - the love of power or the power of love.  Which King do you want in your life?  What choice are you making?

Christmas 2010 - Darkness to Light

KNU International English Church
December 26, 2010

This sermon is part of a unique Christmas service, moving from darkness to light.  The service will begin in darkness.  While some Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah scroll across the screen, a single candle will enter as a sign of the Christ-light entering the world as a small, fragile child.  Slowly, throughout the service, the room will get lighter and lighter.  All the while, a series of artists will be adding a few strokes at a time to a single picture of Advent Candles and the Christ-Light.  We will finish with each person holding a lit candle and singing "Joy to the World."  The sermon is in three parts, with three different preachers.

Part 1: The Beginning  (Josh Broward)

    This is not the beginning.  Christmas is not the beginning.  We usually think of Christmas as the beginning of the Jesus Story.  This is when Jesus was born.  But this is not when Jesus began.
    Jesus is the very Logic of the universe.  Jesus is the Fiber of our global cloth and the Stitching at the seems of the universe.  Jesus is the Glue between the atoms.  Jesus is the foundation on which the mountains were set.  Jesus is the metaphysical Space in which the stars were hung.  Jesus is the Supreme Contractor of creation and at the same time the one and only Construction Supply Company.  Jesus is the Math before math, the Science before science, the Art before art, the Word before words.

John 1:1-15
1 In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
 2 He existed in the beginning with God.
 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
 10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
 15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
    Christmas is not the beginning of Jesus’ story.  “The Word was with God, and hte Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God” (John 1:1-2). 
    But Christmas is also not the beginning of our story.  We have to go back to Genesis and beyond to get to the place where our story begins.  “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:4-5). 
    Our story begins in the very heart of the Eternity, in the love of the Trinity.  Before the creation of the universe, God loved us.  Before one star was planted in the sky, God had a plan to choose us as his own.  Before one electron was matched with one neutron to make the first atom in all creation, God had a plan to wrap us up into his family through Jesus the Messiah.
    Then, creation happened.  Then, the Fall.  Then, the covenant with Abraham.  Then, the Exodus and the formation of Israel.  Then, countless failures and redemptions and promises of the Messiah.  Then, finally, finally, after centuries of waiting and longing and pain, the Messiah came.  The true Light shined in our darkness.
    The Logic of the universe, the Architect of galaxies, the Crafter of sunsets ... became a human child.  The blazing Glory of the infinite God entered our world as a baby boy.  The True Light who gives light to everyone came into our darkness as a tiny candle flickering in the wind.
    But this Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.  It is vulnerable, but it shines on.  It waves and sputters, but it shines on.  Many reject it, but it shines on.  It shines and it spreads, from person to person, from heart to heart.  The true Light, which gives light to the world is on the move, changing our world, from darkness to light.

Part 2: Savior Born in a Stable  (Jocel Sancho Longcop)

    God controls all history. Augustus’ decree went out in God’s perfect timing and according to God’s perfect plan to bring His Son into the world.  Christmas is History.

Luke 2:1-7
1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All returned to their own towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was obviously pregnant by this time. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

The Savior has come.
He has come at a time when all the doors were closed. He has come at a time when there was nowhere to lay him down but the manger.  A feeding trough for a bed?  Despite popular Christmas card pictures, the surroundings where Jesus was born were dark and dirty.
    A Savior born at the stable - this was not the atmosphere that the Jews expected as the birthplace of the Messiah-King. But for reasons that are beyond our comprehension ...
This Savior, who was born at the stable, though He was God, chose to come into a humble family and be a carpenter’s son. (Luke 4:22)
This Savior, who was born at the stable, though He was God, did not demand and cling to His rights as God. (Philippians 2:6)
This Savior, who was born at the stable, though He was God, made himself nothing and appeared in humble human form (Philippians 2:7).

Christmas is History. Christ, the Son of God, entered our world. He has come.
The baby Jesus in the manger has been the subject of a beautiful Christmas scene, but we cannot leave Him there.

Christ has come to save the lost, but he is coming back as a reigning King of
the redeemed.
He was born in dark and dirty world, but darkness and filthiness cannot contain
       Him for He is pure light. He is at work in our sin-darkened world.
Royal baby bed, He did not desire, though He is the King of kings and the Lord
 of lords.
In Him, the salvation of God has appeared to all men, but not all have received
Him.
Scorned by those He came to save, He gave more grace, and more grace, and
    more….
Tattered, broken, and spilled out, He endured shame at the cross to bring hope
       and healing.
Meekly, He fulfilled the purpose of His birth, obedient to the very end.

And God, the Father, gave Him a name. Jesus Christ - a name that is above
 every name; a name by which every one is saved.

Savior, though He was born at the stable, the stable was God’s perfect place to
  set forth the life changing and light giving power of the One and Only.
   
    The baby Jesus in the manger is a beautiful Christmas scene, but we cannot leave Him there. History continues to unfold……..changing our world…..

Part 3: The Art of Light and Life  (Michael Palmer)

    Israel's world was burning right in front of their eyes.  The Israelites were a proud people.  They had a long history of prophets, kings and victories, but the moments the were living through were not filled with the powerful stories and figures that their history had been filled with. Until John the Baptist, it had been 400 years since a prophet spoken a divine word. Israel was in the middle of “The Dark Period.” During this period all seemed lost.
    When our story picks up in Matthew, Israel is under the rule of the Roman Empire.  Israel has been conquered and reconquered by many foreign Kings. They are now under the reign of a Caesar (Augustus) who is ruthless, and a governor (Herod) who is jealous and insecure. Israel's world was dark. Israel's world was hopeless.
    During this time, Rome was in the middle of what's called Pax Romana. Though it means, “Roman Peace” it was obtained in the most violent way possible.  The world that Rome conquered was not just defeated, but Rome would break the will of those they conquer. They destroyed their opponent so fully, so completely, that there was only enough left to mutter the words, “Caesar is lord.”
    Bringing the suffering to a sad climax, the birth of Jesus took place right before the mass murder of countless infants by Herod, a power hungry, insecure governor.
    Into this dark and broken world, a light was born...


Hopelessness
    In Israel's mind, the worst part of all of this had to be the not knowing.  Israel had not seen any hint of change in 400 years.  They worshiped a silent God who seemed to have completely abandoned them.  Israel was once a world power, but they had become a commodity that was passed from King to King when a new country conquered the old one.  By earthly standards Israel had no reason to hope.
    How often do we feel this sort of hopelessness in our lives?  We know something is wrong, but nothing seems to come from our prayers. Our search for answers give us only more questions.  God seems to be distant, and he seems to not care.  Maybe you have not heard from him in a long time, or maybe you don't like the things he says to you. For so many of us, God's voice has become a distant memory, and like a friend you once knew years and years ago, you aren't sure you'd even know God's voice if you heard it today.
    The reason hopelessness is so dark is because it works its way into the deepest parts of us and makes us believe that nothing will change.  It convinces us that our problem is too big for God or that He doesn't care.  Hopelessness pulls you away from God and from others and instead drives you deeper into yourself. It separates you from the community that God has given to us. Hopelessness is a suffocating darkness.

The Light of the World
    In John 9, Jesus said that, “...I am the light of the world." Through this statement, Jesus is saying that all of the hopelessness that you and I will find in this world, all the unjust darkness that you can't control, and the conflict that you can't seem to avoid finds it's end, it's ultimate destruction, in Him. He is saying that darkness isn't just a dual force, equal in strength and power to Christ, but instead, darkness is only the absence of light. Darkness is completely broken and defeated by light. Christ is telling us that our hopelessness can and will find its end in Him.
    Maybe it is a work situation that makes you feel sick every time you think about it. Maybe it is a home situation that has your heart broken. Maybe money or sex has a grip on you that you can't seem to break away from.  Maybe an addiction has rooted itself so deeply inside of you that you can't imagine a world in which you live free from that hold.  Maybe you feel like possessions, friends, or social status or standing will give you the purpose and meaning you have been searching for. And maybe, just maybe, you are realizing that none of those will light that dark place in your soul.


Candles
    As we planned this service, we wanted it to be a full representation of what Christ's birth means to us as people.  Words can be important, but when you actually think about it, it so often is music, or art, or action that truly changes us.  Words can be hollow. When we don't like what we hear, we can tune out words. But actions and examples can revolutionize the ordinary or mundane. Actions are hard to ignore and, when they are done through the power of Christ, they are impossible to witness and not cause change.
    The candle you watched be brought in at the beginning of the service represents the delicate light that was birthed into the world on that miraculous Christmas day 2000 years ago.  This candle represents “the Light” that powerful men traveled across great distances to see, and that other powerful men killed to extinguish.  This represents “the Light” that had a star announce its arrival, and angels to tell of its coming.
    The miracle of Christmas is that the light embodied in the baby Jesus, our Savior, was only a small, delicate light when it first made its appearance some 2000 years ago. It was not, at that moment, the light that cast out demons and the light that defeated death.  It was the naked, vulnerable light that could not fight for itself.  It could not find a decent place to sleep and could not feed itself.  The light of the world was as fragile life itself.

Painting
    As for the painting. The majority of Israelites had no idea that they were living through the change that they, their parents, and their parents before them, had spent their lives praying for.  They were witness to the overthrowing of the kingdom of earth, and they had no idea.
     You see, the beauty of the way our God works is that we can't see his working when we are in the middle of it. Our role in the shaping of the earth is represented by the artists who are painting this picture. As people who follow Christ, we only participate in a small part of a MUCH bigger picture. A picture that has taken thousands of years to create. In our life we might make a stroke or two, but nothing that brings about massive change.  But through us, God is working on this painting.  He is changing the darkness and, from the threads of the canvas of our world, is using His perfect artistic taste to seduce out of the canvas a picture that the world has never seen and has always hoped for. 

Artists
    This brings us to the artists,  a truly amazing part of this whole story.  In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus tells his disciples that,

 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

    Throughout the service you have seen many people become artists and participate in the transformation of a canvas.  They each came with an unlit candle, then joining with the light of Christ, they took that light to participate in the painting of a beautiful picture.  No one person did this whole painting, and no one person holds the only light.  We are all participating in this together.
    When Christ was born, and as he lived, he passed His light on to new artists. 
    If you notice, the explosion of Christianity happened after Christ had ascended into heaven.  The birth of Christ signaled something that was to come; the final conquering of darkness and death.   The birth of Christ means the death of hopelessness. 
    The crazy part of this whole story is that we, the Church, are invited to participate in the spreading of hope and light.  It doesn't matter how qualified we feel we are, or how much we can bring to the painting. What matters is that we walk in the light of Christ and the community of other artists.
    When we follow Christ and do our best with the 2 or 3 paint strokes we are given, we can change the canvas of our world.  As the Church, this is what we are about.  The Kingdom of God is not about material possessions, and it is not about power or prestige. Those things destroy us, and through us they destroy others. What we were created for, and invited to participate in, is the creation of something infinitely beautiful. 
    In closing, I want to challenge you, this Christmas, to think about what Christ gave to us. Christ's birth 2000 years ago gave us 2 options. We can choose to become artists and work to create beauty, or we can become arsonists, and work towards the destruction of beauty. I challenge you- each one of you- to become artists.
    Mother Theresa once said, "What I can do, you cannot.  What you can do, I cannot.  But together we can do something beautiful for God."   Church lets take this light, and with our one or two brush strokes, do something beautiful for God.

The MORE Myth - Luke 1:36-59

December 12, 2010
Josh Broward

Read Luke 1:39-56.

    Today, I am going to get some help from some other pastors.  I’m going to call in a pinch-hitter, if you will.  Listen to what Ron Lewis and Andrew Edwards have to say about Christmas and God’s upside down Kingdom.  (The video frames may be a little off, but the videos seem to be playing OK.)







    So Mary’s Song is the great, global myth buster - our global, universal myth of more.  All around the world, throughout every age and every culture and every generation, people are all hungry for the same thing: more. 
    We all want more.  Everything in us cries out for more - more power, more status, more money, more pleasure, more stuff.  We always want more, more, more, more.  We are completely and utterly addicted to more.  Our hearts are looking for satisfaction, security, and self-worth in more. 

    Our hearts crave more because we believe that more can satisfy us.  How much do we really need?  Just a little bit more, right?  Whatever we have, we need just a little bit more.  We need one more room, one more thing, one more car, one more project, one more Facebook friend, one more movie, one more of whatever it is that we are chasing in this minute. 
    The problem is that self-satisfaction is a myth.  The idea that we can actually satisfy our own desires is pure fiction.  More will always leave us empty.  Chasing more is like putting one little coffee cup of gasoline in our cars and thinking that will be enough.  More is never enough.  We always go on wanting more. 

    We also look to more for our security.  This one is especially about money and stuff.  We believe that we will have a safe and reliable future if we can save enough money or if we can get a good job that will give us earning power.  However, this also touches on status.  If I earn enough favors or social points or achievements, then my position will be secure. 
    The problem is that self-security is a myth.  Our world is too big, and we are too small.  Natural disasters, wars, illness, and economic meltdowns can strip us of our security in the blink of an eye.  More can never protect us enough.

    The last one is probably the most difficult - because it is the most subtle.  We look to more to establish our self-worth.  Why do we really want all those clothes?  Why do we really want all that success?  Why do we really want our kids to do so well?  Why do we really want that big promotion?  Why do we really want that super-cool vacation?  We are trying to justify ourselves to ourselves and others.  We are trying to prove to the world that we are worth something: “I AM valuable, dang it!  See my car.  See my clothes.  See my facebook pics in this amazing place.  See my name on the door.  See my diploma on the wall.  See my kid at Seoul National.  See my big Bible.  See my very uncool clothes that show how subversively cool I am.  I AM worth something, and this more proves it.”
    The problem is that self-worth is a myth.  At some point, all of our more will come tumbling down.  At some point, all of our more will be scattered, and we will be knocked off our self-made thrones.  One day, we will walk in the door with our hands full of all the reasons we are valuable people, and we will walk out with our hands empty and shaking.  Getting more - no matter what the more is - can never make us good, valuable people.

    Our cultures are pumping this More Myth.  Every advertisement, every business, every school, even many churches are pumping more.  If you have more, if you give more, if you serve more, if you save more, if you do more, if you play more, if you pray more, if you just get more, then you will find satisfaction, security, and self-worth. 
    Mary busts this up.  Pregnant with the Son of God and full of the Holy Spirit, she cries out: “More will never be enough!  God will bust up all our mores!  All our thrones and trophies and degrees and photos will be scattered to the wind and burned in the fire.  What will survive?  Praise.  Joy.  Real blessing.  Mercy.  Humility.  Hunger.  God.”
    This is sheer grace.  This is the action of God and only the action of God.  Mary didn’t do anything to deserve to house the Creator of the Universe in her womb.    In absolute mercy, God strips the rich of our wealth, the powerful of our power, the satisfied of our satisfaction.  In ruthless grace, God destroys our myths. 
    Why?  Because they are myths.  They are falsehoods.  They lead us astray.  They keep us from God.  So eventually, all of us, rich or poor, must face the hollow emptiness of the More Myth.  More can never satisfy us.  More can never give us security.  More can never prove our self-worth.
    If more can’t, what can?  If our global, universal, trans-cultural myth is wrong, if we are all completely screwed up inside and pointed in the wrong direction for generation after generation, then what?  Is humanity a hopeless mess?
    Again, Mary speaks right to our pain.  “How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!  For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.  The Mighty One ... has done great things for me.  He shows mercy from generation to generation ... He has exalted the humble ... and filled the hungry with good things ... and remembered to be merciful.”
    Who does God help?  The humble, the lowly, the hungry, those who need mercy.

    We live in a mixed up, jumbled up world.  What is wrong seems right, and what is right seems wrong.  What is up looks down, and what is down looks up. 
    We can’t fix ourselves with more.  We can’t get right side up with more.  The More Myth is completely upside down. 
    The only way up is down.  The only way out is in.  Healing starts with feeling the pain.  Satisfaction begins with feeling the real hunger.  Security comes through radical vulnerability.  Self-worth is found in being a lowly servant girl. 
    The cure for our mixed up world is the simple Life that made Elizabeth and Mary sing.  The cure for our messed up hearts is Jesus.  Jesus, with the DNA of God and Mary, budding to life in Mary’s womb exploded GRACE into our world.  We don’t earn it.  We can’t buy it.  We can’t save it up for a rainy day.  GRACE is just there.  GRACE strips us of our myths and leaves us naked and bare before the God who loves us completely and thoroughly exactly as we are - with all of our scars and moles, with all of our wrinkles and fat rolls.  GRACE puts us empty before God Almighty so that he can fill us with Jesus.
    Here is the heart of the Gospel.  We have nothing.  We can do nothing to make God like us or love us or forgive us.  Nothing.  But God has already done it for us.  Through Jesus, God entered this world through the portal of a teenage womb.  Through Jesus, God lived and loved and died as a human.  Through Jesus, God has reclaimed humanity, saved us from our own destruction. 
    Through Jesus, God offeres us pure and absolute GRACE.  Through Jesus, God offers us true satisfaction, true security, and true self-worth.  We can’t earn it, or buy it, or achieve it.  We are naked and broken, but GRACE remains freely available to us in all of our nakedness and brokenness.    God wraps us up in his GRACE.  God clothes us in GRACE.  God heals us with GRACE.  God - absolutely and without reservation -loves us with his GRACE.
    This may not seem like enough to you.  Your pain might be too big and too deep to believe in GRACE right now.  Just remember this.  GRACE grew as a tiny life inside the womb of a tiny girl in a tiny country on a tiny planet inside a great big universe.  And this tiny seed of GRACE was the very life of God that turned our world upside down.

    This Advent and Christmas Season, I challenge you to live with upside down grace.  Do some things that just don’t seem right.  Do things that are actually so right that they seem wrong in our messed up world. 
Love an enemy. 
Do less not more. 
Compliment instead of complain.
Run to your pain not away from it. 
Hold onto hope when everyone else is getting cynical.

    The last upside down thing I want you do is this: Receive instead of give.  Now, there will be plenty of opportunities to give - our Christmas Concert tonight, and our offering for Bangladesh on the day after Christmas.  Giving is beautiful and important.  But for a little while, at least when you are alone in your room, stop trying to give to God.  Stop trying to say nice things to God.  Stop trying to do the right things before God.  Stop trying to get God to like you.  Just stand there before God, like Mary: lowly, humble, hungry, and needy.  And receive.  Let God love you.  Let God bless you.  Let God’s grace wrap around you.  Let God say to you, “From now on, all generations will call you blessed.” 

    Through Jesus, God is turning our upside down world right side up.  It’s not happening all at once.  God’s grace-revolution happening little by little, person by person, group by group.  It ebbs and flows.  But slowly, slowly, slowly, grace wins.  The power of love overtakes the love of power.  The power of humility shrinks the pride of power.  The strength of service reveals the weakness of oppression.  Slowly, slowly, slowly, grace wins.  Live for grace.  Live for grace - not more.  Live for grace, by grace, with grace.
   

The God Gamblers - Luke 1:26-38

KNU International English Church
Josh Broward
December 5, 2010

    William Carey was born in 1761 to a simple family in Paulerspury, England.  His father was a weaver, and when Carey was 14, he became an apprentice of a shoemaker.
    In his 20s, he transitioned from shoemaking to being the local schoolmaster, and soon after, he became the pastor of a local Baptist church.  He lived in a simple cottage with a thatch (or grass) roof, but he taught himself Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Dutch, and French. 
    As he read about the adventures of Captain Cook (one of the first great English explorers), he felt a growing passion for world missions.  He realized that there are whole lands, whole nations out there who have never heard about Jesus and God’s amazing grace.  One day, he heard the missionary calling in the quiet of his workshop, and he answered with tears in the words of Isaiah, “Here am I; send me.” (See Isaiah 6:8.)
    However, his fellow Christians and even his fellow pastors were not all that supportive.  In one pastors meeting in 1786, Carey raised a challenging question.  He asked if Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples of all nations” still applies to us today.  (See Matthew 28:19.)  One Dr. Ryland snarked back: "Young man, sit down: when God pleases to covert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine."
    We don’t know if Carey sat down in that meeting, but Carey did not give up.  In 1792, he wrote a book about the history of Christian missions, the current state of the world, and a basic plan for establishing a missionary sending organization.  Later that year, when the Baptist Missionary Society was formed, Carey was so poor that he could only promise that he would give the profits from his book. 
    In the same year, Carey preached a sermon that sparked the modern missionary movement.  Throughout the sermon, he repeated one line again and again: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”
    In 1793, Carey and his family left for India.  However, they didn’t get very far.  The British government stopped their boat because they feared the missionary activities would endanger the trade interests of the British East India Company.  A few months later, they found a Dutch ship willing to carry them to India.
    Carey was a God Gambler.  He went against his family, against many leaders in the church, and against his own government.  He left a stable life and a stable job.  He redefined success as following the call of God.  He bet everything on Jesus.  And he would be the first to tell you, it was the best bet he ever made.
     For seven years, there were no tangible results - not a single convert.  His wife went crazy, and his son died of dysentery.  However, he stayed for 41 years.  He translated the New Testament into several Indian languages, and he helped to establish the first Christian college in Asia.1 
    Carey was a God Gambler.  He couldn’t see the whole picture.  He didn’t know how it would turn out.  He heard the call of God to participate in the salvation story, and he risked everything to obey.  Like Cary, God asks us to gamble everything on God’s salvation story.  You and I are called to be God Gamblers.  Go “all-in.”2  Push your chips to the center of the table.  Bet your life on Jesus.  It is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  It will be the best bet you ever make.

    Let me introduce you to another set of God Gamblers: Bill and Myrtle Lee Jetton, my grandparents.  Some of you may remember that we celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this summer.  When they got married, my grandpa was 18 and my grandma was 15.  She says, “Well, I was almost 16,” and my grandpa says, “Yeah, 15 and 2 months!”  They were pretty poor folk from the country.  My granddad did his courting by riding 10 miles each way on horseback.
    After they married, grandpa worked various types of farm jobs.  Eventually, they moved out to Colorado to work on a sheep ranch, and my grandma worked as a cook for the farm hands.  She also finished high school through the mail. 
    Then, World War 2 started, and my grandpa was drafted.  He fought in Okinawa, while my grandma tried to support herself and two little girls at home in America.  (By the way, my grandpa was a pretty good card player.  He sent home extra money for the family from his earnings in poker.)
    After the war, grandpa started university and he got involved in a job selling Vita-craft Cookware, high quality pots and pans.  Grandma and Grandpa would invite people over for dinner and then try to sell them pans.  They were great at it.  My mom says the secret to their success was half Grandpa’s skills as a salesman and half Grandma’s skills as a cook.  Anyway, within a few months, Grandpa was promoted to be his boss’s boss.  He became the director for sales in the whole region. 
    All this time, he was still going to university.  One day one of his sales appointments made him late for class, and his professor said, “Mr. Jetton, you’re late!  What do you have to say for yourself?”  Grandpa said, “Well, I made a hundred dollars this morning, and that’s why I’m late.”  (I checked the inflation rate, and that was about $1,000 today.)  After that, none of his professors complained if he was late to class. 
    They were making it rich.  Grandpa bought a brand new car, and they were starting to think about owning the horse ranch that Grandpa had always dreamed of.  Grandpa was starting to think about buying a private airplane.  They were a few steps away from making the big time, wealthy businessman life.
    Then, they became Christians.  Then, God asked my Grandpa to be a pastor.   That was a difficult calling for Grandpa.  It came just as his business career was starting to take off.  He knew the sacrifice involved, but he decided to stake his life on Jesus.  He bet everything on Jesus. 
    They had some hard times.  Usually, Grandpa would take a small struggling church, and he would help it grow to be a few hundred people, and then he would leave.  He felt like his calling and gifting was for the little churches.  There were times when they didn’t have money for Christmas presents, so they gathered wild nuts to sell door to door.  Grandpa kept food on the table and put the kids through university by buying and selling anything he could find at a bargain: cars, refrigerators, land, horses, anything.  But even at that, my mom remembers many meals of beans and cornbread - because they simply couldn’t afford anything else.
    But they continued on.  They kept serving, and they kept loving.  I’ve asked my grandpa for advice on ministry many times, and he almost always says the same thing.  “Just love the people.  Just love the people, and everything else will work out.” 
    Throughout his ministry, he helped hundreds of people become Christians, and he mentored several future leaders.  One of those is Andy Johnson, now a New Testament professor at Nazarene Theological Seminary, and another is Dan Boone, who is now president of Trevecca Nazarene University.  Dan Boone told me that when he thinks of the word “pastor,” Bill Jetton is the first image to come to his mind.
    Bill and Myrtle Lee Jetton are God Gamblers.  They couldn’t see the whole picture.  They didn’t know how it would turn out.  They left a successful business career and dreams of a big ranch to follow God’s call to pastor struggling little churches.    They redefined success as following the call of God.  They heard the call of God to participate in the salvation story, and they risked everything to obey.  They bet everything on Jesus.  And they would be the first to tell you, it was the best bet they ever made. 
     Like Bill and Myrtle Lee, God asks us to gamble everything on God’s salvation story.  You and I are called to be God Gamblers.  Go “all-in.”  Bet your life on Jesus.  It is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  It will be the best bet you ever make.

    Our Gospel Lesson today tells us about one more God Gambler.  Throughout Advent, we’re reading Luke chapter 1, and today we begin Mary’s story.  Let’s read it now: Luke 1:26-38.

    Mary was a God Gambler.  She was engaged to a good Jewish man.  He wasn’t rich, but neither was she.  He had a respectable job as a builder.  The most important thing was that he was a good man, and he wanted her.  She was about to experience the fulfillment of every Jewish girl’s dreams: a beautiful marriage, a good home, and a family. 
    Then, God shows up and asks her to risk it all.  God asks her to risk her marriage, to risk her reputation, to risk her family’s social standing, and to risk her very life.  To understand the depth of the gamble that God was asking Mary to take, watch this clip from The Nativity Story.3  So, remember the story.  Mary was engaged to Joseph.  Gabriel told Mary she would have God’s Son.  Then, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth for several months.  As this clip begins, Mary is returning to Nazareth after several months away. 





    Mary was a God Gambler.  She risked everything.  She went against her family, her fiance, her culture, maybe even her self.  She couldn’t see the whole picture.  She didn’t know how it would all turn out.  She redefined success as following the call of God.  She heard the call of God to participate in the salvation story, and she risked everything to obey.  She bet everything on Jesus.  And she would be the first to tell you, it was the best bet she ever made. 
     Like Mary, God asks us to gamble everything on God’s salvation story.  You and I are called to be God Gamblers.  Go “all-in.”  Bet your life on Jesus.  It is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  It will be the best bet you ever make.

        God calls us to be God Gamblers, too.  There may be times when we have to go against our culture, against our friends, against our family, maybe even against our own desires.  We can’t see the whole picture.  We don’t know how it will all turn out.  But God is calling us to redefine success as following the call of God. 
    God is calling us to participate in the salvation story.  Will you risk everything to obey?  Will you bet everything on Jesus?  Let’s take a few minutes and think about some gambles God might be asking from us.
    God might be asking you to gamble your job.  Maybe you have a good, stable job.  Maybe if you stay with the business you are in now, you could become rich, or at least very stable for your future.  But maybe God has something else for you.  Maybe God wants you to give more of your time to serving others and less to making money.  Maybe God wants you to follow your dreams into a career that has few guarantees.  Listen for the call of God, and then bet on Jesus.  Go all in.  It’s the best bet you’ll ever make. 
    God might be asking you to gamble your test scores or your children’s test scores.  I know, I know, I know.  This is a HUGE part of Korean culture.  But maybe that is exactly the point.  Maybe it’s too HUGE.  Maybe the importance of test scores IS the problem.  Maybe God is calling you to focus on your child’s total health rather than her test scores.  Maybe God cares more about whether she is emotionally, spiritually, and socially healthy than her grades. 
    The hard part here is that you can’t see the whole picture.  You don’t know how it will all turn out.  It would be easy not to stress about test scores if you knew that your child would grow into a healthy, happy, God-loving adult, anyway.  It would be easy not to stress about your test scores, if you knew you’d find a job that was meaningful and satisfying and provided for your family.  But studying like crazy doesn’t give you any guarantees either.  Either way, it’s a gamble. 
    Mary didn’t know how it would all turn out.  Like Mary, God asks us to gamble everything on God’s salvation story. Be a God Gambler.  Go “all-in.”  Bet your life on Jesus.  Yes, even bet your children’s lives on Jesus.  It is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  It will be the best bet you ever make.
    God might be asking you to gamble your relationships.  Maybe you’ve been hanging out with the same people, the people like you.  Maybe God’s call for you is to make new friendships with people who are different from you, people who might need a little more grace and patience.  Maybe you’ve got this conflict that you just haven’t dealt with.  Maybe - at this moment - the call of Jesus in your life is to get all the junk out in the open and deal with everything so that you can all find healing.  Maybe the call of Jesus in your life is to find a good counselor. 
    I know.  You don’t know how it will all work out.  It would be so much easier to do the right thing if we knew it would go well for us.  Life is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  Bet everything on Jesus.  It will be the best bet you ever make. 
    Maybe God is asking you to gamble your church.  Maybe our church is not exactly what you want.  Maybe you just don’t know about this or that.  Maybe NO church - at least no church you’ve ever seen is exactly what you want.  Instead of sitting there on the sidelines or dropping out, go all in.  Bet all your chips.  Give all you’ve got to make this church the kind of church God is calling us to be.  Bet on Jesus - here.  Of course it’s a gamble.  But you just might find that it’s one of the best bets you’ll ever make. 

    Maybe God is asking you to make the biggest gamble of all - your life.  Maybe this is the time when you need to decide that you are going to follow Jesus no matter what.  Maybe you’ve just been hanging around church.  Maybe you aren’t so sure about this Jesus guy and this whole Christianity thing.  Or, maybe you’ve been in church for most of your life, and it’s growing stale.  Maybe you’re not sure you actually want to do this for the rest of your life.
    Here’s the deal.  You can’t see the whole picture.  You don’t know how all of this is going to turn out.  It would be easy to trust in Jesus if you knew that everything would be peaches and roses.  Maybe all you can see right now is just the hint of light on the horizon.  Maybe you still don’t really get how this whole Jesus thing works.  But maybe there is something in that purple and blue that has captivated you.  Maybe there is something in that hint of the light of Jesus that you KNOW is true, something that demands that you follow.
    I can only offer you two guarantees.  First, it will be hard.  Following Jesus is necessarily difficult.  Jesus calls us to be countercultural, to go against the flow.  That is always hard.  But here’s the second guarantee.  It will be worth it. 
    Like William Cary, and Bill and Myrtle Lee Jetton, and Mary the mother of Jesus, God asks us to gamble everything on God’s salvation story.  Be a God Gambler.  Go “all-in.”  Bet your life on Jesus.  It is a gamble, but God is worth the risk.  It will be the best bet you ever make.