DTR on Revival Ch.5 "Works of Mercy"

DTR on Revival Ch.5 “Works of Mercy”

PK here: I offer the following sermon by my friend, the Rev. David Ryan, pastor at www.hopelandumc.org. Pastor David and I are simultaneously preaching a series based on Adam Hamilton’s book Revival. Here is what Pastor David has to say:

We are nearing the end of this sermon series

Based on the Word of God and a resource

From Adam Hamilton, “Revival”.

I hope you have been learning

Along with me,

Some important lessons

From The Rev. John Wesley.

We’ve learned about the impact a parents Prayer can have

Over the life of their child,

We’ve been encouraged to humble, listening spirits,

          Who see the value in a number of expressions of faith

          And been encouraged to look for, when we can, the via media –

                   The middle way.

          And how, in all things, we need to persevere, with the Lord to strengthen and guide us.

We talked about a longing for holiness.

The dangers of being an “almost Christian” –

And encouragement to be an “all together Christian” –

One who knows God with both the head and the heart.

He’s also encouraged us to take seriously the call to holiness –

          And how to practice some spiritual disciplines to make that happen.

And , along those lines, we have considered the balance between

Our quest for holiness and our trust in the work of God’s grace.

We talked of the storms in our lives, and how God used a storm –

A literal storm, and an emotional and spiritual storm in Wesley’s

Life to draw him closer to God.

Just last week we dug a little deeper into Grace.

We talked of Prevenient grace – that grace of God that draws us to Him

Justifying grace – the grace of God that we yield to , when we give our lives to Christ, and recognize and claim him as Lord.

And then Sanctifying Grace – That ongoing gift of grace that enables us

To be “moving on towards perfection”…becoming more and more like Christ.

We again talked about the means of grace – how we put ourselves

In the flow of Grace – prayer, scripture reading and study, communion, worship, meditation, and so on….

And how this grace is free to all – which should lead us to a passion for the Lost – wanting to devote ourselves to sharing God’s redemptive love.

This morning, we are going to be challenged once again

By John Wesley and the scriptures, as well as by Adam Hamilton,

And a few ideas of my own on what Wesley called

“Works of mercy”.

Way too often,  we’ve forgotten something important.

When we ask ourselves “What does it mean to be a Christian”

Our response is usually – to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

That’s the Goal of faith.

To make sure we are right with God,

That we have secured our eternity in heaven

Secure.

That we get to enjoy the blessings God brings to us

In this life, and anticipate the even greater blessings

To await us.

Now, all of that is true.

That is an essential part of our life in Christ.

But  it’s only a part.

Adam Hamilton, in referencing the preaching of Wesley

Writes –

Focusing solely on one’s personal relationship with Jesus

Makes for an incomplete faith – narcissism masquerading as

Christian Spirituality.

Wow.

When I read that I thought…

Never thought of it that way.

Narcissism masquerading as Spirituality.

But that’s what it is, when all we think about is ourselves.

There surely is more to our faith than that.

Remember one of our Scriptures from last week.

Ephesians 2:8-10 – that passage that Wesley preached from

More than 48 times?

In case you have forgotten it, and just to refresh ourselves

Let’s read it out loud together:

“For by Grace you have been saved through faith

And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God –

Not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are what he has made us,

Created in Christ Jesus – for good works

Which God prepared  beforehand to be our way of life”.

Our salvation is NOT based on our works.

We are saved by Grace through faith.

BUT we are what he has made us –

We are created in Christ --- FOR good works.

Which God has prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Do you get that?

We are not saved by what we do…that is God’s business.

But because we are saved, there are things we are called to do.

In fact, it’s how we were created to be.

If we find ourselves out of sorts…

Perhaps it is because we are not living in the way

We were made to live…

That happens – we get out of sorts and all messed up –

When we are living only unto ourselves, and not for others.

It’s how we were made to be.

Wesley taught that there were two sides to our Sanctification.

Loving God with our whole heart, soul mind and strength…

And loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Wesley didn’t come up with that though –

Jesus did!

I just read that this week in my reading through the scriptures.

One place we find this is in Matthew 22:36-39.

Jesus was asked…what is the greatest commandment…

His reply – love the Lord you God with all your heart,

And with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it – Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Let me share with you again our scripture from James 2:14-18

“What good is it , my brothers and sister, if you say you have

But do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked

And lacks daily food, and one of you says to them – “Go in peace

Keep warm and eat your fill – and yet you do not supply their bodily needs..

What is the good of that?

So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

But someone will say – you have faith I have works.

Show me your faith apart from your words, and I by my works will show

You my faith.

We need both faith and works for each

To be the real deal.

We need the fruit of the spirit

To be just that – fruit in our lives.

As we grow in our sanctification,

That fruit should be more and more evident.

Who can tell me where scripture tells

Us about the fruit of the spirit?

Galatians 5:22 –

Great verse to memorize if you have not already.

“The fruit of the spirit is – love, joy, peace,

Patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness

And self- control.

This fruit…and remember…it's all one fruit..we don’t pick and choose and only have some and not the others…

Needs to be more and more evident in our lives.

As we grown in sanctification.

If you don’t know how to pray for yourself

Or pray for someone else, this is a great guide!

Pray that the fruit of the Spirit would be more and more

Evident!

Pray for me!

I saw a church sign this week that said…

“Want a better pastor for your church? Pray for the one you have!”

You be praying for me, as I am praying for you!

John Wesley also looked to Roman Catholic thought.

Roman Catholics divide works of mercy into two categories.

What they call corporal works of mercy

And spiritual Works of mercy.

Roman Catholic theology identifies 7 practices in each

Of those two categories.

I didn’t really know what corporal meant – had to look it up..

It means- things having to do with the body.

These works are mostly draw from Jesus’ parable

About the Sheep and the goats.

Those seven works of mercy are:

Feeding the Hungry

Providing drink for the thirsty

Clothing the naked

Caring for the homeless

Visiting the sick

Ministering to the prisoner

And the last…caring for the dead.

Spiritual works of mercy include –

Instructing the ignorant

Counseling those who doubted

Admonishing sinners

Bearing wrongs patiently

Forgiving others willingly

Comforting the afflicted

And praying for others.

Now…these are by no means exhaustive lists

But they give a pretty good starting place

To evaluate how we are doing…

Both as a church , and as individuals

I’d love for us to be able to check off of those

In our ministry list.

We do some of it, some to a lesser degree

Some to a larger degree,

Some not at all.

Some we do through direct service outreach

Others we do through supporting missions

Who do those things here and around the world.

We can’t all do all things…

But we need, if indeed we are to be living

As God created us to live,

To be doing something.

Yes, we need to give financial support –

Some of these things take financial support and could not

Do what is done without it

But I think we also have to get personally involved.

I was reading about one annual conference this week

Whose theme was “Praying Hands and dirty fingernails”.

I like that!

How are we feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty?

          One way to serve is by volunteering at Peter’s Porch –

          Russ can hook you up with how to do that.

          Another way is to support the mission work of our Congo Partnership who, through two different ministries Mpasa Nutrition Center and Miriam’s Table, are feeding folks regularly.

Better yet, go there yourself, and serve a bowl to a child. I’ll tell you how!

How are we clothing the naked?

          One way we provide clothing is through our clothing bank.

          You can donate clothes you no longer need and better yet

          You can come help on one of our Distribution Nights –

          Christy Anderson and Linda Pepley can fill you in on how to do that.

How are we caring for the Homeless?

          One way is to bring in a donation for the Good Samaritan

          Shelter here in Ephrata. We are collecting items this month.

          Some of the quilts our Snappy Snipers are making are

          Going to be given as an act of love for those who have no place right now to call home, other than the shelter.

          Another way is to help with Water Street Mission in Lancaster – several of our confirmation students served there last year. Yvonne Aughinbach or Todd Wilkerson can tell you how to do that.

How are we visiting the sick?

          Russ and I do this regularly, and our Home Visitors

          Minister to our shut ins who have health issues keeping

                   Them home bound. Maryanne Weit can get you

                   Started in that Ministry.

          Again, our Snappy Snippers give blankets to the sick

            As a way of sharing our love and prayers.

          We also have our membership care team who visit the sick

          And arrange for meals and other expressions of our love.

          Melissa Roos and Brenda McGivern can get you into that

          Ministry.

How are we ministering to the Prisoner?

          This is something we are not doing very well in.

          I’ve visited members in prison, and make sure I have

          My clearances for that…but we could and should be

          Doing something better…perhaps this is an area

          Where the spirit will prompt you to lead us.

How are we caring for the Dead?

          Our trustees care for our cemetery, and help as needed.

          Our Kitchen Committee cares for the families who are grieving by seeing to it that a meal is offered following services.

          One of our VIM teams learned of a congregation who provides small coffins for stillborn babies to be transported from

The hospital to the funeral home. I’d still like us to get involved in that ministry.

The spiritual works of mercy are also a challenge for us.

How do we Instruct the ignorant –

          We supply scholarship money – very little, but some,

To students in need at Lancaster Bible College.

          We support ministries of the Congo Partnership in

          Teaching the children about the bible.

          Personally, Jeanette and I support children in Congo

          To go to school. We can tell you how to be a part of that.

          Some in the congregation also support a child through

          Compassion, and some of that support goes to education.

          Is there more we can do? I am sure there is.

Counseling those who doubted

Admonishing sinners

Bearing wrongs patiently

Forgiving others willingly

Comforting the afflicted – these are things that all of us can do.

          Simply by sharing our lives with others, offering them encouraging words, being patient, being forgiving, being loving.

And praying for others.

          This we do too. If you want to be a part of the prayer ministry

          Of the church, be in touch with Salinda Eberly….but

          Even if not specifically engaged in that, we all can take the

                   To be in prayer for others.

As I said, we can’t all be doing all these things…but we need

Be doing SOME of these things.

It will not only be a blessing to others,

But it will be a blessing to ourselves –

For engaging in works of mercy is also a means of grace.

When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we pray

“Thy kingdom Come, Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

How does God’s kingdom come

How is his will done…here on earth as it is in heaven?

By us.

We are his hands, his feet, his eyes, his ears, his lips.

His heart.

He has created us in Christ Jesus to do good works

That is to be our way of life.

I pray that you put your hands to good use for the Lord.

May your feet take you to places perhaps you have never dreamed you would go.

May your eyes be open to the needs around you.

May your ears hear the cry of the hurting.

May your lips speak words of grace, love , encouragement.

May your heart be lead by the heart of Christ

To do something…to be Christ’s presence in our world.

May it be so.

Amen.