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Sermon by Manfred Schreyer
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{John 6:62}
What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! {63} The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.Today I don’t want to talk so much about the content of the conversation by Jesus, but rather about the meaning of the spirit and flesh.
We have discussed numerous times here at God’s church that God planted a foot print in our body, which is our conscience. We talked about the power God gave us through our free will and that we are judged based upon our choices on this earth.
Then we talked a great deal about God’s will for us and how we can possibly understand God. . .what he expects from us. . .how we can seek His will. . .and what we must do on earth to fulfill his will.
Today we want to talk about how God speaks to us.
I feel led talking to you about how you can detect God’s voice, that often speaks to us in our struggle of worldly and Godly decisions. There are numerous times in the Bible, when God is described of speaking to us in a small voice:
(1 Ki 19:11-15 NIV) The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. {12} After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. {13} When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
The gift of conscience (the voice of God within us) is the one thing that separates us from every other creature on this planet.
Conscience arrives from the Greek verb meaning "to have common knowledge," or: "to know with someone"
Conscience is the "faculty" that guides us in making choices which align us with God’s will and accuses us when we have communion with our neighbors.
The Second Vatican Council offers as the only church as a denomination a definition of "conscience" and emphasizes the ability we all have of distinguishing good from evil:
Quote:
"In the depth of each persons conscience, each person detects a law he does not impose on himself, but which holds him in obedience. . . .For we have in our hearts a law written by God: to obey it, is the very dignity of the human being: according to it we will be judged. . .There each person is alone with God whose voice echoes in the depth. . ."When we, as "The Church of the Brethren" have our Love Feast twice a year we talk about the examination of our conscience, but the truth is that we as Brethren distance ourselves from our examination of conscience more and more. Not too many years ago our Elders/Deacons went from house to house of congregation members and asked them if all is well in their relationship with others and with God . . .and if not to reconcile, to confess and/or to forgive. . . And only then to partake communion.
Today we only do the examination of conscience within a short period of minutes . . .just before communion. But the examination of conscience requires action toward others and toward oneself.
Early Christians took communion every week and some churches still do today. Communion frees us through examination and confession.
Many Protestants and Anabaptists say that Martin Luther was against confession, but he was not. He only opposed the acquiring of money by the Catholic church (indulgences) in return for forgiveness!
Am I advocating and "Anabaptist weekly Mass?" (No not mess! :-)
No, because I do not believe that I am called to forgive you in the name of Christ who died for you, but I am advocating for us to confess our sins on a more regular basis. Not just in doing "an act," but to free our soul from the voices which have infiltrated it and are often mingling with the voice of God or are overwhelming the voice of God.
I will never forget one of the greatest stories that Dostoevsky wrote: "Crime and punishment". And if you have never read the book or seen the movie I invite you to read or see it, because it will leave an impact on you.
A young student in Russia, who belongs to a new generation in which Science banished God and compassion is in debt to a money lender. And though his mind wanders and he reasons to kill this woman who lent him money he is unable to repay. "People like Napoleon are national heroes. . .I will free not only me, but others from the punishment, by stealing the money she has and give it to those in need. He reasons that this murder will be far from sin, since it will be just and being good in this case. He commits the crime with a hatchet, takes the money, but in the midst of it a young woman witnesses the brutal act and he kills her so that she cannot testify against him.
Now an "innocent" is killed who never harmed or hated anyone.
The police department's head has his suspicion against the young man, but no evidence and so the police chief reasons with him: "God is waiting for you. . .you could have something worse then this. . ." No success. ..
Then he meets a girl, who is a prostitute who gives herself away for her impoverished family. The killer admits his dark secret to her and she tells him his only hope is confession to God. She tells him the story of Lazarus. *Jesus asked Martha if she believes in the resurrection of the dead. Martha replies that Lazarus will be resurrected in the end of time. . .and Jesus responds with: "I am the resurrection and the life"
Dostoevsky writes; . . side by side, sad and crushed, as if they had been washed up alone on a deserted shore after the storm. He looked at the girl (he loved) and felt how much of her love was on him, and, strangely, suddenly he felt it heavy and painful to be loved like that.
Finally after contemplating for a long time, he confesses to the police. She had helped him to understand that there is no alterative to confession and repentance. Now he is able to express freedom. Freedom. . . even though he knows that years of Siberia lie ahead of him. The young lady moved close to the camp.
Many people in our society are trying to pump themselves up with themes of self esteem. Book sales on self-help are sky rocketing. . .but they do not get to the root of our problem and our lives. . .it is the pattern of sinful behavior that is destroying our lives. We must discover that there a corners that cannot be turned without repentance, confession and forgiveness.
We must cleanse our soul! We must confess! We must obey!
We are created as social beings. We are not the Marlboro man- the one person without community, parents, a spouse, children.
An INDIVIDUAL is someone who has lost a sense of connection to others or attempts to exist in opposition to others. - while the PERSON exists in communion with other people and with God.
- We will be handing out little index cards through he isles, so please bear with us.-
My challenge to me and to you this morning is this:
(1) In our prayers during this week, let us seek forgiveness from God for the sins ( be specific) we have committed.
(2) In our prayers to God let us seek forgiveness for ourselves from others. And that actually means to go to the person and seek forgiveness. The importance is that it matters for this world and it matters in the eyes of God. We are obligated to do so for the sake of grace that is given to us by God.
(3) In our prayers let us go to those who need forgiveness from us.
(Mat 18:18 NIV)
"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."And now I invite you - young and old - to write down the steps (read the three steps and allow parishioners to write down names and action they will take) you will take this week to confess.
(Psa 130 NIV) A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; {2} O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. {3} If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? {4} But with you there is therefore you are feared. {5} I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. {6} My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. {7} O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. {8} He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
This sermon was inspired by God through a book I read: "Confession", by Jim Forest
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