A Simple Christian - by Rev. Dustin Parker

asimplechristian Being a Christian is simple - it starts as we realize what God has done for us, in cleansing us from sin, and giving us life. The rest is a relationship - walking together with God and all His people. Come join us at Concordia Lutheran Church in Cerritos - were we share in God's love and gifts together!

A difficult cal to devotion

A Difficult Call to Devotion
1 Corinthians 7:29-35

In Jesus Name

May you be stripped of all distractions, and fine that what is left is the presence of God, the mercifucl, gracious, loving, peaceful and joyous presence of God. And realizing you are in His presence, may you find the fullness of life.

The Call to the apostolate

What would you have done if you had been there, tired for a hard day’s work?

Could you have found this man’s invitation to leave everything and become His men as irresistible as Simon and Andrew and James and John did?

Would you just up and leave your work, work uncompleted?

Would you leave your co-workers, your homes, your beds, the Superbowl and your families behind without a thought?

What if you were in their shoes that day…

Could you just have gotten up – left it all behind, and followed him?

(Pause)

Could you leave everything you now have – to be with Jesus, to walk with Him?

Could you leave your family behind, so as to concentrate on the work of building God’s kingdom?

What about the joys of life, of watching your grandchildren? Or missing the Patriots win the superbowl, to visit someone who is alone?

What about the need for privacy, to weep because of the strains of life, because of that which you have lost and mourn. Can you leave that behind – to minister to others in Christ’s name?

What about the things you own, your house, your car, your television and bed our bank accounts and credit cards – how attached are we to these things – and could we decide to just drop everything and leave it – because Christ calls us to follow Him on His mission?

If you are thinking that such sacrifices are only for apostles, or pastors, or that we are immune from being required to make such sacrifices, today’s reading from 1 Corinthians is one you really need to hear… and realize…

The call to a devout life… is difficult to hear, yet it is our call as individuals and as a church…

Distractions from the Life
Marriage/Grief/joy,Shopping,
What demands you attention – what is more important, more necessary than walking with God and pleasing Him?
A different example – Is church work dealing with gophers and changing light bulbs, or is it about teaching the word?

As Paul begins what we see as the second paragraph of our epistle today, we see him begin to expound on what he means by “don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily.” He mentions marriage, grief, joy shopping and just the normal things of the world.

His concern is what demands our attention, those things that would tear us apart, should we need to decide between them and spending time with God. The example used is marriage, about the challenge of trying to choose between the demands of serving God and His people and responsibly nurturing and caring for one’s spouse. But the same is true for being pulled away from the joys of life, because someone is in need, or giving up our time of grief – to reach out to others, knowing that life in general is too short – and there will be a day of His glorious return.

It’s not that nurturing a spouse, or enjoying life, or even mourning is not proper – those things clearly have their time – yet those times may be found in competition with where God is taking us in life – and the struggle to be faithful to both can tear someone apart.

Even in the life of a church, this can be true, for we can’t be in all places, doing all things, at all times. There is a time to hunt gophers, and a time to visit shut-ins, a time for meetings and a time for action – and always – there must be times for prayer, and for worship – and a time for simply being quiet and resting and realizing again – we aren’t God – but we are loved by Him. The more encumbered we are with things, the more committed we get to them, and then what happens when they come into competition with time to worship – or time to pray together as God’s family? What if maintaining a facility takes so much energy, time and money the church can’t assist in missions, or spend time in fellowship and Bible Study, or find needs in the community through which we share God’s love with those He has sent us to minister to?

For it is there – walking with the Lord, resting with Him – being guided by Him, that we truly begin to find His glory, and we live – not burdened – but with an incredible sense of joy.

Not the yoke of duty, but the joy of undistracted devotion
Fighting for priority, as opposed to things we do together
Where does Christ need to go? Will we be with Him?
It’s not about me setting my priorities for hwo I will be holy… it’s about being with Him.

The translation I chose for this morning was chosen simply because of the last verse.

35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord

Paul’s reason for advising us to keep life simple is that we can live devoted lives – the kind of lives the apostles struggled to live – as much as we do. The more our life is not distracted – by things of the world, by our stuff, the more time we get to be devoted to God. We are indeed to live a life of devotion, undivided, unsullied, undistracted – yet we live in a world that provides all of this.

But we need to explore this word devotion – or we will hear this exactly as Paul tells us it is not – as a restrain, as law, as duty.

Yet devotion – even living the life of a disciple, is found in the definition of the greek word – the word translates to “constantly sitting near”, being in the presence of. Being with each other – together on the journey.

It hearkens back to the impelling invitation – come learn of me, come with me,

Hebrews 12 states it so well:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.
Hebrews 12:1-4 (NLT)

Note that we do this – not by our own strength – but by keeping our eyes on Jesus who initiates this journey. You look to Him, go where He leads, walk with Him.

For some of you – that may take you to extraordinary places, for others, the race, the serving of God and His people takes place here. It may seem like the greatest of sacrifices, till you look back and realize something else Paul realized.

8 Yes, I will go further: because of the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, I count everything else as loss. For him I have accepted the loss of all other things, and look on them all as filth if only I can gain Christ 9 and be given a place in him, with the uprightness I have gained not from the Law, but through faith in Christ, an uprightness from God, based on faith,
Philippians 3:8-9 (NJB)
This is the time folks – for we too this day, are asked to Follow Him, to the cross He endured for joy, to share in His ministry, to journey with Him, first, last and always to dwell in His presence…
Come, share in His body and blood and life…come be devoted to the Lord, who is devoted to you!

For here – this is peace. AMEN!

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January 24th 2012 @ 03:54

Posted By: Rev. Dustin Parker - Category: No Category

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How does He Know me?

As I began to post this sermon, thinking about church yesterday, my mind drifted to my childhood, to talking to Fr. Alex about my desire to become a priest (I grew up in the RCC) He asked me why, my answer was simplistic, I wanted to teach people about Jesus love, and give them the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Many years later, along with many other obligations of ministry, that is still what I love to do.
I do that now, perhaps with less skill than many others, the cost higher than a 8 year old could imagine. Struggling to find the words, struggling to help them realize the depth of the gift given to them, as they approach the altar. "this is the Lamb of God.." we sing.
Yesterday, it seemed to click. the hands stretched forth to receive the His Body and Blood - they knew their need, they knew that God saw them, and would meet that need.
These are the kind of days pastors and priests live for,

This is the sermon from that day... a walk in the footprints of a man who struggled, as we do, who wrestled with God, and was seen, and found, and was amazed by Immanuel. I pray it strengthens your faith - and as always - feel free to leave questions and comments.

Godspeed
d†

How do YOU know me?
John 1:45-53 & Psalm 139

† IMMANUEL †

May we realize the grace, the peace and mercy and love that floods our lives, as God reveals to us, as He did to Nathaniel, that He sees us.

This message is one that you need to hear from another’s perspective, unfortunately, he is unavailable to be here, so I will need to tell you his story, how everything changed. I will tell you how he viewed the events of that day, when Nathaniel realized what John the apostle wrote – that we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father.”

And so I ask you patience, and for you to use your imagination – to hear Nathaniel instead of Dustin, To understand how Jesus desired to search for and found Phillip, so Phillip could search for and find Nathaniel, so Nathaniel could discover the God, who was His LORD – even while Nathaniel wrestled with him…

(Pause)

My struggle –

I, Nathaniel, need you to understand how oppressive those days were, and how those of us who tried to be faithful struggled. We weren’t the first to struggle with what life dealt us, and I doubt we shall be the last.

Yet there were days, when we looked around us, and we wondered, “had we been abandoned by God”; and if we were no longer His people. Our governments were oppressive – both the Roman government and the Hebrew government. Our spiritual leaders were either naively blind to the struggles of life, or they drove us to rebel against that which oppressed us, and both were blindly without hope. Our community was mostly those who worked as suppliers of food, or the merchants who brokered it, for we sat at the source of the Jordan, and in the shadow of one of the great cities of Herod.

My own troubles at the time., well let’s just say I didn’t find rest from the oppression of the world in my personal life. Too many personal struggles there as well, with sin and my situations. The gathering of God’s people didn’t see to provide rest either - too many people I and the others in my synagogue had to help, to many who needed our assistance. There were days I just wanted to yell at God until He heard me and took action, or just find the nearest tree and sit under it, wondering in despair if anything would ever change in my life. Some days I wished I could just give up…

I knew everyone struggles like this at times, in our scriptures we are named after one of our forefathers – and his name was changed from Jacob, to Isra-El - which means “the one who struggles with God!” We’re a nation, a people, who have been through this before – and while that offers some.. hope?, it doesn’t provide comfort in the middle of our struggles. In fact, there are times where I think my struggles with God, are evil, that they are evidence that I am not good enough . I think maybe I deserve to feel so abandoned. I hated to wrestle with God, to complain and whine and yell and argue.. Yet what other option did I have. Even though I was a jew – I was first a son of Israel..the one who wrestled with God.

There were days I wished I was Jacob, our father who struggled with God – face to face – mano –e- mano… I could even deal with the pain..of His pressing me – for then I would have known… He was here, and He saw me… and He knew…….and cared.

My call

What a day that was, when Phillip came looking for me – searching for me. He found me when I was in one of those low places, and to be honest, when he came up to me with that huge grin – telling me he had good news… I just wanted to smash it off his face!

Then of all things – he claimed he found the Messiah - the one hope that we were waiting for – as patiently as we could – the hope that would deliver us from all the oppression – he said he found him – and he was from Nazareth?

Really Phillip? Nazareth? You might as well say he’s from Cerritos, or Norwalk.. or Whittier! A place far from the temple, far from success – where there was such a mixture of people with so many views? From Nazareth? Really?

A prophet like Moses – who would deliver us from slavery to oppressors, and deliver us to God – that’s what this Nazarene would do? Really, Phillip?

The Anointed One, who prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah promised in days as dark as ours? The Son of Man of whom Ezekiel spoke? The One who would bring life to my dead dry bones, and take my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh? That’s the Messiah you’ve found – who comes from…. Nazareth? Really?

Okay, I’ll come and see, I said, At best – it could be a good laugh that would get me out of my funk…

My being gathered

As we approached this man, he said the most amazing thing, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”

Now, for most people – this play on words is easily overlooked, but for me – it struck me hard, opening up my heart to pain and struggles I thought I hid so well. You will note that my brother apostle John only writes this term once in his gospels – you see we are referred to as Judeans, or Jews, and by the term Hebrews. Israelite was a term for our brothers in the 10 northern tribes when our nation divided, leaving us descendants of Israel through his son Judah left. It wasn’t used for us.. even though Judah was Israel’s son.

But so is the phrase “no deceit” a play on words – for that describes our ancestor Jacob – prior to his wrestling with God – when he thought he could manipulate everything – when he thought he could play God and make everything come out for his benefit. Oh the times were I wished I could have done that – but couldn’t draw myself too. I could have joined the resistance – as Simon the Zealot had once been, or given into the Romans as Matthew – our brother who once worked for the Romans as a tax collector. Just play games – and go along, and forget the fact that God has called us to be His people – and place our trust in Him!

He knew my struggles, the one’s I had when no one was there, no one could have known those dark moments of the soul – save the One who had promised us to always be there… to always hear our pleading and our prayers.

I asked – How do you know me – how do you grasp my struggles – how do you know that which lies darkest in my heart.. and he said… he said… this Jesus son of Joseph of Nazareth said… “before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, .. . I saw you…. (long pause)

I then realized, He is the one whom the prophets spoke, the Son of Man who would come to bear our burdens, our sins, our pains, and by His stripes we would heal – and be given life. How incredible – He saw me wrestling with Him, and didn’t strike me dead – what I always prayed for – He was there. That’s why I could get up- and walk away from those times under the trees. What I prayed for – I never realized was there..yet He was…

Now I know. He is the God who reigns and cares for those who struggle with Him.

He saw me, He knows me…

He loves me.

He would die for me – and He would rise – and we would bear witness – risen with Him, of all of His glory, which He would share with us… peace finally… glorious peace with the God who loves me. The God who cares.. and is here.

No wonder Isaiah prophesied that He would be called Immanuel…

How wondrous the truth of that name… God with us.

That’s our challenge..

So ends our message from Nathaniel, whose eyes were opened to God’s love in incredible ways… even in the midst of a struggle.

Jesus that day, scripture says decided – the verb form that is translated – His will, His desire.. was to Galilee. He searched, deliberately for Phillip – whom would, then follow His master’s example – search for and bring Nathaniel – not arguing – not defending the Lord he only had begun to follow – but inviting him calling him to come and see.

It is indeed, our turn to come and see, to lay before God our burdens – to hear that He sees us, that He is there… to let Him comfort us, and strip us of our concerns and heal us. There are others that need to be here – and that too is part of our burden – that we would have the Lord take it and search them out and call them here as well – this place few think anything good can come out of….

But for now – hear Him say to you – welcome to my feast – my friend who struggles with me… and know as Nathaniel did – He is your Lord.

AMEN…

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January 16th 2012 @ 17:44

Posted By: Rev. Dustin Parker - Category: No Category

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Time to walk.. with God

Time for a Walk!
Romans 6:1-11

† IN JESUS NAME †

May the grace, the incredible mercy and peace of God our Father poured out on you as He cleansed you of your sins in baptism – and uniting to Jesus’ death and resurrection – may that grace, the very glory of God be reflected off of you – to the world around us.

Walking along Ossipee’s shore….

It seems like it has been forever; the memories have faded with time. Where I could remember the view of the lake from every step along the shore road; now it is just a few places. The view at the first curve, where the road ended and the beach began. Another down ½ mile, in front of the sheriff’s cottage, and then beauty of the view from the point, where the simple road ended by the old abandoned hotel.

It’s been thirty one years since a teenager walked that road with his dad – both dealing with struggles of their own, one not fitting in or understanding those around him, one struggling with the collapse of his business. Yet as they walked that shoreline, as they had many times before, there was peace. The problems of the world seemed distant, and able to be overcome. It was the shared journey which made them seem that way, the company and assurance of a love that goes beyond - the love of a dad and his son. It is a shoreline I dearly miss.. Especially when life isn’t simple, or peaceful.

The year seems to have had a rough start for a lot of people. Two more people with cancer added to the list, others struggling with their businesses, getting notified of the loss of their jobs. Other pastors I know are struggling to be there for so many people – one had four funerals to plan in the first three days of the year, four families to comfort.

There are times when I wish that I could just transport back to Ossipee, to that beautiful shore and the mountains that seemed like a fortress around the lake. To take a quiet walk… with good company, even without a word, but just enjoying the peace.

It is no coincidence that this week, as we truly have begun a new year – that our epistle tells us that we are walking, in the newness of life. Walking through this life, clean, innocent, unburdened by sin, walking indeed with our Father in heaven who adopted us, and inseparably united us with our co-heir, Jesus Christ, walking with our Counselor, our Mentor, the one who will always sustain us, the Holy Spirit.

Walking as one with God, because we were united with Christ in our baptism, stripped of all sin, and we walk – dead to that sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Its what we need to know, to be grateful for..

Watching a people struggling with sin

As Paul starts chapter 6, having discussed the fact that we’ve been declared righteous in chapter five, he asks the question that strikes close to home. If we have been freed from sin, why do we remain sinners? I used to think he was talking about those who seem to think being forgiven means they can just go crazy in their sinning – knowing God would forgive them.

It’s a bit harsher than just nailing those people – it’s talking about daily, normal sin, the failing to withstand the temptations around us. The thought of anger, or of desire and covetousness, the harsh words we say, that cut into the hearts of others, the gossip, or anything we do that destroys our peace, or the peace of those around us. Simply when we fail to trust God, or we treat people less than we expect to be treated.

Why do we continue in this – do we just expect God to keep forgiving?

Paul wasn’t immune to these battles we undergo either – in the very next chapter he will claim he is a wretch of a man – because he cannot do what he knows he should, and he struggles to not do those things that he knows will disappoint and even anger God. What a wretch of a man I am – Paul declares – and there are days I know this all to well. Will anyone rescue us from this body of sin and death?

Romans 8 returns us to this chapter, and what is declared here and in chapter 5 – there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We have been rescued from this body of sin and death – for it was crucified, when it was united with Christ’s death. Don’t forget, we’ve been united with His being raised form the dead – and it is in that state that we walk….. with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit…

The Power of Baptism

One of the best definitions of being dedicated or committed is found in the idea of the farm animals discussing breakfast. The chicken says she contributes a lot – and therefore she shares in the care of the farmer and his family. The pig looks, and while recognizing that the chicken “contributes”, realizes that for him, the idea of being committed to caring for the farmer by providing breakfast must be a different level of dedication.

Perhaps it is because we realize better than anyone, that Baptism is God’s work, we neglect our role in the work. Somehow we see ourselves as just passive observers, who will make an offering now and then – and consider that our dedication to God’s work is completed. We’ll pray that we are forgiven, that we will be led from temptation and delivered from evil. But do those words mean more that just being… words? Do we realize what God does to us, the incredible act of taking hearts of sinful dead stone, and replacing them with hearts of loving flesh? That is how God had Ezekiel describe it in the prophecy of Ezekiel 36? How we are, as Paul describes here in Romans - united – a word that describes a intertwining, like a Celtic knot – where you cannot distinguish where Christ ends and Tom, or Al, or Nancy or Helli or Gloria begins?

For we live, completely separated from that body of sin and death. It is killed off, we live. Paul’s words are so powerful here – verses 6 and 7 – so simple yet so life changing:

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin

That in this being infused into Jesus at His death, we have also been raised with Him. That our bodies of sin have been brought to nothing – they have been made inconsequential, completely without relevance to the reality that we are in Christ! Such is the power that God works on us, whether young or old, no matter what language we speak, or what our worst sin was…or is.

Even more incredible – the idea that we have been freed – the Greek is even more powerful – we have been declared innocent – not just acquitted, not just pardoned – we’ve been declared righteous by the judge of the very universe – because we are found – not in sin, but in Christ!

Because as verse 8 states so clearly – if we have died with Him, we can entrust ourselves to living with Him – and … well here is the test… Alleluia – His is Risen! (He is risen Indeed – Alleluia! ) That’s right – if we shall live with Him when He lives – we are alive now – walking in Christ – walking in a life that is new, and freed from the burden, from the bondage of sin, and its restrictions on us.

Like me and my dad – walking along the shore, we walk with God through this life, incredible company for a journey that would overwhelm us otherwise!

Paul’s real question – why do we walk in sin?

Which returns us to the question of the day – should we remain in sin, indeed why do we continue to struggle with it – haven’t we been cleansed of it, and of all the unrighteousness in the world?

Yeah – we have – we need to realize it – and realize that God has redeemed us, and that as we do walk in this newness of life, as we spend time intertwined with Him, depending on Him, that which tempts us loses it desirability, and even when we do sin, He can use it even as He uses the times where we doubt, or struggle.

We need realize more that we walk with Him, that in that walk there is peace – even as the road bumps here and there, or we stumble on a root or trip because of a pothole. The clutz I am – I know I did those things walking with my dad – but I don’t remember them – I remember walking with him. So too – we need to realize the Triune God walks with us, and we reflect His glory to the world around us, so that they too can walk – declared righteous, separated from our sin.
Walking in peace – with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! AMEN!

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January 9th 2012 @ 02:03

Posted By: Rev. Dustin Parker - Category: No Category

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