Do Not Lag in Zeal - 8/30/2020
Call to worship:
L: People of God, we are united as one body.
P: Let us present this body for the worship of God.
L: People of God, we are inspired by one Spirit.
P: Let us welcome this Spirit in praising the Lord.
L: People of God, we are made as one and inspired as one, yet we have many gifts.
A: Let us offer these gifts in the service of Love.
Opening Hymn: Lord, I Want to Be a Christian #402
1. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
2. Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart.
3. Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart.
4. Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart;
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.
Opening Prayer:
O God, remember us! Send your memory spilling into the world! Visit us! Reveal your Word walking among us! And we shall greet one another with the expectant joy and trembling of friends too long apart. We stretch out our hands to you. O God, do not leave them empty!
Epistle Reading: Romans 12: 9-21
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Hymn: The Gift of Love #408
1. Though I may speak with bravest fire,
and have the gift to all inspire,
and have not love, my words are vain,
as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
2. Though I may give all I possess,
and striving so my love profess,
but not be given by love within,
the profit soon turns strangely thin.
3. Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
by this we worship, and are freed.
Prayer of Dedication:
Eternal giver of gifts, like a devoted parent you provide for us. Like children receiving daily nourishment and comfort, our eyes shine with trust when they dwell on you. And like the children opening presents in breathless anticipation, we burst with delight. You see perfectly what we need and what we do not and you know best how to provide this for us.
Let us not gladly bear a burden that diminishes our life, but let us seek aid from you and our neighbors to cast it from us. Let us keep only the charge that you have given us and let us fulfill that calling. Amen.
Gospel Reading: Matthew 16: 21-28
21 From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
27 “For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. 28 Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Sermon Title: Do Not Lag in Zeal (video link)
Do not lag in zeal; this is not a phrase that is commonly used these days so many might not completely understand the meaning of it. As an English major in college, I studied several eras of linguistics and found that each era and each country and each area within the countries…have a certain way of speaking. One might think that this is why we don’t all understand one another, but I am of the belief that it is this way so that we will listen to each other more carefully.
The title of this sermon is found in verse 11 of our text from Romans. Do not lag in zeal. In the previous verse, Paul had commanded Christians to try to outdo each other in showing honor, in showing respect, in showing love. Now he writes that we Christians must not be lazy in our enthusiasm. If you think about it, the phrasing is spot on. Paul is urging us to be energetic in our attempts to give honor to each other. He is urging us to live with zeal, or enthusiasm if you will, to remain focused, intentional, and positive about our purpose in treating each other well in the body of Christ.
He then kicks up the idea of enthusiasm another notch by adding that we must be fervent in spirit. The Greek word for zeal here is zeontes (ZAY-o-des), which happens to be related to the root word for “life” and could quite literally be translated that we are to be boiling in our spirit; meaning that we should keep our own spirits or that we must be set on fire by God’s Spirit in us. In either case, this is a clear call from Paul to avoid allowing ourselves to become bored or tepid as we pursue our purpose as believers.
And as God is the great designer, there is an appropriate target for all of this energy and enthusiasm; to serve the Lord. That is the command; connecting with each other, so that together, Paul is urging us all to be “all in,” both spiritually and emotionally, when it comes to serving the Lord and each other.
Now to the individual, this seems like an extremely daunting task that cannot be done. Fortunately, however, we are not expected to do it alone. Think about it, even Jesus had a team. We have not only Jesus, but we have our neighbors, friends, and family who we can depend on. We have each been given talents to share with one another in order to accomplish the mission that God has set before us.
And when we work together, each cog in its place and functioning correctly, then the mission will be completed………I know what you’re thinking………you are thinking that it is just too hard to get along with people who may have the same goal, but endeavor to accomplish it so differently from us. But there-in lies the challenge, the strength of our faith if you will. Part of our test is to remember that even the person who hurts or belittles us, causes havoc amongst the people, or even kills some innocent, is just as much a child of God as we are. And just like children within a family unit, the children of God do not always agree and they squabble with each other and yes, they hurt each other. That is human nature and we are human. But that is not all that we are; we are also followers of Christ and we try to be like him, think like him, and love like him. Is it hard? You’re darn tootin’ its hard. Is it worth it? You bet!
So as we keep doing rounds around the sun and living life, let us be kind to each other (even the ones who are not kind to us). Let us love one another, even the ones that seem unlovable. When you see someone who is hungry or thirsty, give them food and water instead of first wondering if they are friend or foe. And let us be a blessing to each person that we see.
Moreover, let us not be overcome with evil, but rather, let us overcome evil with good. Let the good that Jesus has put in your heart reflect that light upon the hearts of your neighbors. In this way, they too, shall see the light of Christ and be saved.
Amen.
Closing Hymn: Jesus, United By Thy Grace #561
1. Jesus, united by thy grace
and each to each endeared,
with confidence we seek thy face
and know our prayer is heard.
2. Help us to help each other, Lord,
each other's cross to bear;
let all their friendly aid afford,
and feel each other's care.
3. Up unto thee, our living Head,
let us in all things grow;
till thou hast made us free indeed
and spotless here below.
4. Touched by the lodestone of thy love,
let all our hearts agree,
and ever toward each other move,
and ever move toward thee.
5. To thee, inseparably joined,
let all our spirits cleave;
O may we all the loving mind
that was in thee receive.
6. This is the bond of perfectness,
thy spotless charity;
O let us, still we pray, possess
the mind that was in thee.